Online casino promotions have a language of their own. Wagering requirements, sticky bonuses, contribution rates, max bet rules — these phrases appear in almost every terms-and-conditions page, yet very few players stop to look them up before clicking "claim." That gap between accepting a bonus and actually understanding what it means is where most bonus-related frustrations begin. This glossary cuts through the jargon so that the next time you read a promotions page, every clause makes sense before your money is on the line.

Welcome Bonus

A welcome bonus — sometimes called a sign-up bonus or new player offer — is a promotional package given to players when they register and make their first deposit, sometimes extending across the first two or three deposits. It typically combines a deposit match with free spins. The deposit match means the casino adds a percentage of your deposited amount as bonus funds; a 100% match up to a stated ceiling doubles your starting balance. Understanding that this is bonus credit, not real money, is the foundation of everything else in this glossary.

Wagering Requirement (Playthrough Requirement)

This is the single most important term to understand. A wagering requirement specifies how many times you must bet through the value of your bonus — or your bonus plus your deposit — before any winnings become withdrawable. A 30x wagering requirement on a bonus means you multiply the bonus amount by 30 to find the total betting volume you must place. On a £100 bonus at 30x, you would need to wager £3,000 in qualifying games before cashing out. The requirement is not a fee; you are not losing that £3,000. It simply defines the number of rounds or hands you need to play through with the funds. High wagering requirements — anything above 50x — deserve extra scrutiny, and low requirements below 20x are considered genuinely player-friendly.

Bonus Balance vs. Real Money Balance

Most casinos keep your account split into at least two pots: real money and bonus money. When you make a deposit and claim a bonus, your real money funds sit separately from the bonus credit. Casinos typically use your real money balance first, protecting the bonus until your own cash is spent. Some platforms do the reverse, so always check. Knowing which balance is active at any moment affects your strategy and determines what part of your session counts toward wagering.

Game Contribution Rates

Not all games count equally toward clearing a wagering requirement. Slot games typically contribute 100% of every bet, meaning £1 staked on a slot counts as £1 toward your playthrough target. Table games like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat frequently contribute far less — often 10%, 5%, or even 0%. Video poker usually falls somewhere in between. This is why it is important to read the full game-contribution table attached to any promotion. A player who loves blackjack and claims a slots-weighted bonus will find the playthrough almost impossible to complete on their preferred game. When evaluating a new casino promotion — for instance, checking what rivocasino.nu lists under its full terms — always scroll down to the contribution percentages before assuming the offer suits your preferred style of play.

Maximum Bet Rule

While a bonus is active, casinos impose a cap on the maximum stake per spin or hand. This limit is usually between £3 and £6 per spin, and breaching it is one of the most common reasons bonuses are voided and winnings confiscated. The logic behind the rule is straightforward: the casino is trying to prevent players from making one large bet to spike their balance quickly and then withdraw. Respecting the max bet rule is non-negotiable. It applies even during free spins awarded as part of a promotion. If a game's minimum stake exceeds the maximum bonus bet allowed, that game should be avoided entirely while the bonus is active.

Free Spins

Free spins grant a set number of plays on a specified slot game at a preset bet value. They are often bundled with a deposit match or awarded separately on certain days of the week. Winnings from free spins are almost always credited as bonus funds rather than cash, meaning they must be wagered according to the attached playthrough requirement before withdrawal. The value per spin is fixed by the casino, so 50 free spins at £0.10 per spin generates a maximum of £5 in bonus credit, not £5 in withdrawable cash. Some casinos offer "real money free spins" with no wagering attached, which is a significantly more generous deal — though rarer.

No-Deposit Bonus

A no-deposit bonus gives players a small amount of bonus credit or a handful of free spins just for registering an account, without requiring any payment. These bonuses are deliberately modest because the casino is accepting full risk. Wagering requirements on no-deposit offers tend to be higher than those on deposit bonuses, and withdrawal caps — maximum amounts you can withdraw from winnings generated by such a bonus — are common. A typical cap might allow you to withdraw no more than £50 from a no-deposit offer, regardless of how much you win.

Sticky Bonus (Non-Cashable Bonus)

A sticky bonus, also called a non-cashable or phantom bonus, is bonus credit that can be used to generate real winnings but is never itself converted into cash. When you withdraw, only your real money winnings leave the account; the bonus amount stays behind or disappears. The advantage is that sticky bonuses often carry lower wagering requirements because the casino knows it will never actually pay out the principal bonus amount. For advantage-play purposes, sticky bonuses are worth calculating separately using an expected-value model rather than treating them like standard cashable bonuses.

Cashable Bonus

The opposite of a sticky bonus: once you complete the wagering requirement, the full balance — including the original bonus amount — is withdrawable. Cashable bonuses are the classic form most players imagine when they hear "casino bonus," and they represent a better deal on paper. The key is still to complete the playthrough before the expiry date and while staying within all other terms, particularly the max bet rule.

Expiry Date and Time Limit

Every bonus carries an expiry date. If you do not complete the wagering requirement before this deadline, the bonus and any winnings generated from it are forfeited. Time limits typically range from seven days to thirty days, though some no-deposit offers expire in as little as 24 hours. Free spins attached to a deposit may expire independently — sometimes within 72 hours — even if the deposit match itself runs for a full month. Mark expiry dates carefully and assess whether the playthrough amount is genuinely achievable in the available time before claiming.

Minimum Deposit Requirement

Most bonuses require a qualifying minimum deposit to activate. Depositing below this threshold means the bonus simply will not trigger, and in some cases the deposited amount will not count toward future qualifying attempts. Minimum deposits are usually modest — commonly £10 to £20 — but always confirm before sending funds.

Bonus Code

A bonus code is an alphanumeric string that must be entered either during registration, at the cashier, or via the promotions page to unlock a specific offer. Without the correct code, the bonus is not applied. Codes expire, so always verify that a code is current before completing your deposit. Some platforms activate bonuses automatically without a code, while others require you to opt in manually from the promotions dashboard after depositing.

Reload Bonus

Reload bonuses are recurring deposit match offers for existing players, usually smaller in percentage than a welcome bonus. They reward loyalty and encourage continued deposits. Like welcome bonuses, they carry wagering requirements and game contribution rules. Some reload bonuses are available every week; others appear only on specific days or via a direct promotional email.

Cashback Bonus

Cashback returns a percentage of net losses over a defined period, typically a week. It can be credited as real cash or as bonus funds subject to wagering. When it comes as real cash with no wagering requirement attached, cashback is one of the most transparent promotions a casino can offer — you lose, you get a fraction back, you can withdraw it. When it arrives as bonus credit, apply the same scrutiny you would give any other wagered promotion.

Loyalty Points and VIP Tiers

Many casinos layer a loyalty scheme on top of their standard bonuses. Points accumulate with every real-money wager and can be exchanged for bonus credit, free spins, or occasionally cash. VIP programmes tier players by spending volume and offer progressively better perks: higher withdrawal limits, personal account managers, faster payment processing, and exclusive reload rates. These schemes are genuinely valuable for high-volume players, but they should never be the reason a player spends beyond their means. The points are a by-product of play, not a justification for it.

Reading the Full Terms: A Practical Habit

Glossaries like this one exist because bonus terms are deliberately comprehensive documents. They need to cover every edge case, and that density makes them feel impenetrable. The practical approach is to build a short personal checklist for every bonus you evaluate: What is the wagering requirement, and is it on the bonus alone or on bonus plus deposit? What is the time limit? What is the maximum bet per round? Which games contribute 100%, and do those games match your preferences? Is the bonus sticky or cashable? Is there a withdrawal cap on winnings generated from the offer?

Running through those five or six points before claiming takes two minutes and prevents almost every dispute. Responsible gambling also requires that you assess whether the playthrough is achievable within your natural entertainment budget — not a stretched one. A bonus that requires you to wager more than you would normally spend is not a benefit; it is an obligation. Used with clear eyes and realistic expectations, casino promotions can genuinely extend your entertainment. Used impulsively, they can create pressure to chase losses that were never really yours to begin with.

The vocabulary in this glossary will not make every bonus a good deal — some simply are not. But knowing the language means you can tell the difference before you commit, which is precisely where that knowledge does the most good.