Bonus terms, decoded
Playthrough, eligible games, expiry and maximum redemption — the four terms that decide whether an offer is worth anything.
~3 min readSweepsPins Team
Key takeaways
- The headline figure is often made up mostly of non-redeemable play currency.
- Some games count less towards playthrough, or not at all.
- A maximum redemption clause can cap a good run regardless of results.
A headline like "120% bonus" says very little on its own. What an offer is worth is decided by four terms in the small print, and they are worth reading before you claim anything. Bonuses & Promotions covers the common offer types; this guide is about the terms behind them.
The two currencies inside an offer
Most offers combine play currency, which has no cash value, with a smaller amount of promotional currency, which may be redeemed. A large headline number can be mostly play currency. Before you claim, find out how much of the offer is the redeemable kind.
Term 1: playthrough
Playthrough, sometimes called a wagering requirement, is how many times the promotional amount must be played before it can be redeemed. A 1x requirement means playing the amount through once; a higher multiple means more play before anything becomes eligible. It usually applies to the bonus amount, and sometimes to the purchase that came with it — the terms say which.
Term 2: eligible games
Not every game counts equally. Some count in full, some count for part, and some do not count at all. If the games you enjoy contribute little, the playthrough will take far longer than the headline suggests.
Term 3: expiry
Offers have deadlines: one to claim the offer, and often another to finish the playthrough. Promotional currency left unplayed at the deadline is usually removed. A short window paired with a high requirement is the combination to be careful with.
Term 4: maximum redemption
Some offers cap how much can be redeemed from them, whatever the result of your play. A cap is not unusual. Not knowing about it is what causes disappointment.
A worked example
Take a made-up offer: a coin package that includes 20 promotional coins with a 1x playthrough and a seven-day expiry, where slots count in full and table games count at 20%.
- To make those 20 coins redeemable, you would need to play 20 coins' worth on eligible games.
- On slots, that is 20 coins of play. On table games counting at 20%, the same requirement takes 100.
- Anything not played through within the seven days would be removed.
The figures are illustrative, not taken from any platform, but the arithmetic works the same way whatever an offer says. That is why the terms matter more than the headline.
Signs an offer needs a closer look
- The redeemable part of the offer is hard to find in the terms.
- A high playthrough is paired with a short expiry.
- The games you actually play are excluded or count for little.
- The terms are not published beside the offer at all.
A checklist before you claim
- How much of the offer is redeemable currency?
- What is the playthrough, and on which amount?
- Which games count, and by how much?
- When does the offer expire, and when must the playthrough be finished?
- Is there a maximum redemption?
If the terms do not answer one of these, ask the platform before you claim. The terms published beside the offer are the only binding version, and a platform can change or withdraw an offer at any time. The FAQ answers the common questions about promotions.
No offer guarantees a prize. Treat any bonus as extra play, not as money you are owed.
