You have the bonus screen open and the button says claim, but the figure that decides whether your money ever leaves the account sits further down the page. That figure is the wagering requirement, and it is a turnover target measured in your own money, not a count of spins or a point score. Until the target is reached, the bonus stays locked and any withdrawal request stalls.
How to Claim the Offer
The claim runs through the account menu rather than an email link, so open the screen and work through the fields in order.
- Open your account and find the bonuses area. Check whether an offer is already waiting there before you deposit anything.
- Read the description attached to the offer. It names the deposit step and the wagering target that comes with it.
- Enter the deposit amount that fits the offer. A deposit below the stated level leaves the bonus unclaimed.
- Watch for an opt-in switch on the screen. Without it switched on, the deposit goes through as a plain cash deposit.
- Confirm the claim and return to the cashier. A confirmation notice tells you the bonus has landed.
- Note which game types count toward the target. Each category carries its own contribution rate.
- Start playing only after the bonus shows on your balance. Play before it appears does not count toward the target.
A claim made without the opt-in switch still takes your deposit, but the bonus never attaches to it. The same applies when you deposit above or below the stated level, since the offer is tied to that step rather than to any deposit. Players who pause between claiming and playing keep a clean record of when the balance changed. Keeping one bonus active at a time avoids confusion over which target you are actually chasing.
What the Terms Mean
The table sets out the conditions that shape a bonus and what each one asks of you.
| Term | What it means | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Wagering requirement | Total stake you must place before bonus funds convert to cash | Whether the target applies to the bonus alone or to bonus plus deposit |
| Game contribution | Share of each stake that counts toward the target | Which categories count in full and which count partly or not at all |
| Time limit | Window in which the target must be met | How much of the window is left once the bonus appears on your balance |
| Maximum bet | Cap on a single stake while the bonus is active | Whether the cap applies only to bonus money or to your deposit too |
| Withdrawal cap | Ceiling on what the bonus can turn into | Whether winnings above the ceiling are removed or stay as cash |
The term players misread most is game contribution, because a full-looking balance can hide a slow-moving target. A stake on a low-contributing game can count for a fraction of what the same stake would earn elsewhere.
Wagering targets are usually quoted against the bonus amount, though some offers attach them to the deposit as well. The difference matters when the bonus is small and the deposit is large, because the target then grows with money you already had. Game contribution changes the pace of progress more than the headline number does. A target reached through low-contributing games takes far more staking than the same target reached through full-contribution ones. The time limit decides whether the target is realistic at your staking level. When the window closes with the target unfinished, the bonus and its winnings leave the account. The maximum bet cap is easy to break by accident, since a single large stake can void the bonus even if every other condition was met.
How the Maths Works
The worked example below uses a deposit of 100 and a wagering multiplier of x40 to show how a target is built. The numbers are illustrative and do not describe the terms of any specific offer.
The formula is simple: take the base the terms name, multiply it by the wagering multiplier, and you have the total stake needed. In the example, a 100 deposit against a x40 multiplier gives a target of 4,000. That figure is turnover, meaning the sum of all qualifying stakes, not a balance you must hold. You can meet it in small stakes across many rounds.
If the multiplier applies to the bonus rather than the deposit, the same 100 becomes a bonus of, say, 100, and the target is still 4,000. Should the terms apply the multiplier to both, the base is 200 and the target doubles to 8,000. The base is the single most important figure in the whole calculation. Read it before you judge whether a multiplier is generous.
Contribution rates then stretch or compress the target. At full contribution, 4,000 of staking clears it. At half contribution, you need 8,000 of staking to move the same distance. At a quarter contribution, the figure rises again. Games that do not count leave the target untouched no matter how long you play them.
The maximum bet cap sits outside the formula but can override it. One stake above the cap can cancel the bonus even when the turnover target is close to complete. Keep stakes under the cap throughout the clearing period. Treat the target as a budget you plan around, not a race.
Withdrawing After a Bonus
A withdrawal request made while the bonus is still active meets a locked balance, and the request is normally cancelled or held. The bonus money is not available as cash until the turnover target is met. Plan your withdrawal for after the target clears, not before.
When the target is met, bonus funds convert according to the terms. Some offers convert the whole balance to cash, while others apply a ceiling and remove anything above it. Winnings above a ceiling are usually removed rather than kept. Knowing the ceiling in advance stops disappointment at the withdrawal stage.
Stakes placed before the bonus attaches do not count toward the target. The same goes for stakes placed after the time limit has passed, even if the bonus still shows on your balance. Keep a rough tally of your own turnover so you know where you stand. A tally also shows when the target is close and a final push will finish it.
Withdrawal requests can also trigger checks on your account details. Make sure your name and details match the ones on file before you request a payout. Mismatched details hold up a request that would otherwise clear. Clearing the small housekeeping items early keeps the payout moving after the target is done.
How Free Spins Work
Free spins usually arrive as a separate package with their own terms. They are tied to named games rather than the whole lobby. Spins outside those games do not exist. The spin value is fixed by the offer and does not change with your stake.
Winnings from spins land as bonus funds in most offers, not as cash. That means the wagering target applies to them too. If you claimed the welcome offer through the Pointsbet app, the spins may sit in a separate pot with its own smaller target. Mixing the two pots in your head is where counting goes wrong. Treat each pot as its own project with its own deadline.
Spins carry an expiry that can be shorter than the main bonus window. Unused spins simply drop off the account when the window closes. Use them early rather than saving them for a quiet day. A spin that expires is a spin you paid for indirectly through the deposit.
Each spin result is a normal game outcome, so there is no pattern to time. The spin value sets the stake, and the game’s own rules set the payout. Nothing about the free label changes the odds. Play the spins on the named game and nowhere else.
Some offers cap what the spins can produce. Anything above the cap is removed at conversion. Others require the spin winnings to be wagered before any withdrawal. Both conditions live in the same terms block as the main bonus. Read that block once and note the spin rules alongside it.
Where Players Lose the Bonus
Most lost bonuses come from a handful of avoidable moves rather than from bad luck on the games.
- Depositing without switching on the opt-in. The deposit clears as cash and the bonus never attaches. Switch the opt-in on before you confirm the deposit.
- Placing a stake above the maximum bet cap. One large stake can void the whole bonus. Keep every stake under the cap while the bonus is active.
- Playing games that do not count toward the target. The balance moves but the target does not. Check each game’s contribution before you stake on it.
- Leaving the bonus unused until the window closes. The bonus and its winnings leave with the deadline. Start clearing the target soon after the bonus lands.
- Requesting a withdrawal mid-clearing. The locked balance cancels or holds the request. Wait until the turnover target is complete.
- Ignoring the withdrawal ceiling. Winnings above the cap are removed at conversion. Note the ceiling before you plan the payout.
- Running two bonuses at the same time. The targets blend and counting becomes guesswork. Finish one before you claim another.
A simple written tally of stakes and game types catches most of these mistakes before they cost anything. The tally also shows when the target is close and a final push will finish it. Bonus terms reward players who read once and track carefully.