Please explain bonus/free play requirements from a math perspective

[BouncedCheck]

Ok I understand a traditional bonus very easily. I deposit $1000 and get a 10% bonus so my balance is $1100. The bonus has 3X rollover requirement, so I need $3300 in action to fully meet the rollover requirement. However, since it's prorated, I can place a single bet for $1100 and if I win, I'll be able to withdraw my actual paid deposit ($1000) plus my winnings plus 1/3 of the bonus.

Please explain how a sticky bonus and a free play are different than the traditional bonus I just described. Thanks.

[DukeJohn]

Ok I understand a traditional bonus very easily. I deposit $1000 and get a 10% bonus so my balance is $1100. The bonus has 3X rollover requirement, so I need $3300 in action to fully meet the rollover requirement. However, since it's prorated, I can place a single bet for $1100 and if I win, I'll be able to withdraw my actual paid deposit ($1000) plus my winnings plus 1/3 of the bonus.

Please explain how a sticky bonus and a free play are different than the traditional bonus I just described. Thanks.

You do not find many that do what you have listed except maybe You Wager, there are probably more I just haven't dealt with them as far as I know...

First though, nearly all bonuses have the same things in common. You will have a roll over x5, x8, x10 whatever it might be. So, a x5 rollover on a $1000 deposit with a $500 bonus mean you must have at least $7,500 in action and nearly all will count the lower value of the bet... Meaning, betting $100 to win $500 will count $100 toward rollover or betting $500 to win $100 will count $100 toward the rollover... Also, most will require the money to stay in the account for a certain number of days before you can request a withdraw..

There are basically three bonuses: Sticky, Free Play, Cash...

Cash bonus is what it sounds like, a cash bonus. IE: 50% Cash bonus means if you deposit $1000 the book will add $500 Cash to the total bringing it to $1500. You bet as normal

Free Play Bonus is basically like real money if you lose and like "money laundering" if you win... Maybe that is a bad example... You usually have two separate balances, a free play balance and your cash balance. When you use your free play to place a bet it goes away, whether you win or lose. IE: you have a Cash balance of $1000 and a $500 free play bonus. Using your free play you bet $220 to win $200 and you win the bet. Your Cash Balance is now $1200 and your free play balance is now $280. You next bet you use your free play again and bet $220 to win $200 and you lose. You cash balance is at $1200 and your free play balance is at $60.

Sticky Bonus is like a cash bonus, however when you go to make a withdraw they deduct the bonus amount. I believe this is how it works, if I remember correctly. So, you have a balance of $1500: $1000 deposit and $500 sticky bonus... you lose $800... your balance is $700, but you can only withdraw $200...

BOL

[CS-Cedrick]

You do not find many that do what you have listed except maybe You Wager, there are probably more I just haven't dealt with them as far as I know...

First though, nearly all bonuses have the same things in common. You will have a roll over x5, x8, x10 whatever it might be. So, a x5 rollover on a $1000 deposit with a $500 bonus mean you must have at least $7,500 in action and nearly all will count the lower value of the bet... Meaning, betting $100 to win $500 will count $100 toward rollover or betting $500 to win $100 will count $100 toward the rollover... Also, most will require the money to stay in the account for a certain number of days before you can request a withdraw..

There are basically three bonuses: Sticky, Free Play, Cash...

Cash bonus is what it sounds like, a cash bonus. IE: 50% Cash bonus means if you deposit $1000 the book will add $500 Cash to the total bringing it to $1500. You bet as normal

Free Play Bonus is basically like real money if you lose and like "money laundering" if you win... Maybe that is a bad example... You usually have two separate balances, a free play balance and your cash balance. When you use your free play to place a bet it goes away, whether you win or lose. IE: you have a Cash balance of $1000 and a $500 free play bonus. Using your free play you bet $220 to win $200 and you win the bet. Your Cash Balance is now $1200 and your free play balance is now $280. You next bet you use your free play again and bet $220 to win $200 and you lose. You cash balance is at $1200 and your free play balance is at $60.

Sticky Bonus is like a cash bonus, however when you go to make a withdraw they deduct the bonus amount. I believe this is how it works, if I remember correctly. So, you have a balance of $1500: $1000 deposit and $500 sticky bonus... you lose $800... your balance is $700, but you can only withdraw $200...

BOL

I couldn't have explained it better, Great post DukeJohn

[BouncedCheck]

Interesting... the only books I'm actually registered at right now are jazette books, and their bonus rollover requirements are relatively easy compared to what you wrote.

sportsbetting.com I deposited $1000 and got $100 bonus. Bet $1000 to win $909.09 and won. Went to withdraw, and the funds available for withdrawal said $1939.40.

Thanks for the explanation.

[BouncedCheck]

nearly all will count the lower value of the bet... Meaning, betting $100 to win $500 will count $100 toward rollover or betting $500 to win $100 will count $100 toward the rollover

This part I don't like at all. If I bet $1100 to win $1000 that should count as $1100 in action. If I lose, I'm out the higher amount. I probably wouldn't accept any bonus that had this policy as you described. Thanks again.

[CS-Cedrick]

Interesting... the only books I'm actually registered at right now are jazette books, and their bonus rollover requirements are relatively easy compared to what you wrote.

sportsbetting.com I deposited $1000 and got $100 bonus. Bet $1000 to win $909.09 and won. Went to withdraw, and the funds available for withdrawal said $1939.40.

Thanks for the explanation.

That all depends on the rollover attached to the bonus and how it is applied to your balance, it might have been that you didn't use the bonus and therefore forfeited the bonus when you made the payout, that can be done if the company policies let it be, but that's not it in most cases.

[BouncedCheck]

No, nothing was forfeited. Of the $1939.40 that was available, it was $1000 + $909.09 winnings + $30.31 bonus. The 3X rollover meant I had to wager $3300 to free up all the bonus money. Since I wagered $1000, that was 30.3% of the required action, and thus freed up 30.3% of the bonus money.

The remaining $69.69 bonus money remained in my betting account, and when I would bet part of it, the funds available for withdrawal would go up, even though I had removed all of my own money from the account. For example, I played $1 on roulette and won $1, increasing my balance to $70.69. I then checked the cashier to see how much was available for withdrawal, and it said $1.03.

[CS-Cedrick]

No, nothing was forfeited. Of the $1939.40 that was available, it was $1000 + $909.09 winnings + $30.31 bonus. The remaining $69.69 bonus money remained in my betting account, and when I would bet part of it, the funds available for withdrawal would go up, even though I had removed all of my own money from the account. For example, I played $1 on roulette and won $1, increasing my balance to $70.69. I then checked the cashier to see how much was available for withdrawal, and it said $1.03.

Interesting policy, and you never lost track of the funds, but I got confused in the end, it did jump from 70.69 to 1.03 without notice, am I right?

[BouncedCheck]

No, it went from $0.00 to $1.03.

After the withdrawal, there was $69.69 remaining in my betting account, but it was all bonus money. I took out all of my original deposit plus my winnings plus the freed up bonus money, leaving my "funds available for withdrawal" at $0.00.

After I wagered $1 of the bonus money on roulette, it freed up $0.03 in bonus money. It wouldn't have mattered if I won or lost. It was simply the wager that constituted action.

The other $1 was the dollar I won on the roulette spin. So that's why it went from $0.00 to $1.03. The balance in my betting account increased from $69.69 to $70.69. The bonus money being held was reduced by 3 cents from $69.69 to $69.66.

Based on what you guys have been saying, their bonus policy actually seems pretty good compared to most others. They just want action. They don't care whose money you use.

[CS-Cedrick]

No, it went from $0.00 to $1.03.

After the withdrawal, there was $69.69 remaining in my betting account, but it was all bonus money. I took out all of my original deposit plus my winnings plus the freed up bonus money, leaving my "funds available for withdrawal" at $0.00.

After I wagered $1 of the bonus money on roulette, it freed up $0.03 in bonus money. It wouldn't have mattered if I won or lost. It was simply the wager that constituted action.

The other $1 was the dollar I won on the roulette spin. So that's why it went from $0.00 to $1.03.

Based on what you guys have been saying, their bonus policy actually seems pretty good compared to most others.

Gotcha. Their policy is just not the one everyone's used to, being very flexible and probably a low rollover due to a promotion. Still, I sugget you to always check on the bonus specification before you take it, you may not like some surprises and unexpected policy changes, hopefully not going to happen but you never know, do your homework and you'll be fine.

[BouncedCheck]

That's why I asked. Thanks again for your help.

I don't think the rollover was a promotion though. It was only 10% so it's not like they're killing themselves by only requiring 3X action of deposit + bonus.

[CS-Cedrick]

That's why I asked. Thanks again for your help.

No, thank you for the great explanation of your case.

[robmpink]

Playing in the casino could mess up your rollover. I don't know if you met it or not. It may double your rollover from 3 to 6. Don't know if this is the case here but be carefull.

[Justin7]

Interesting... the only books I'm actually registered at right now are jazette books, and their bonus rollover requirements are relatively easy compared to what you wrote.

sportsbetting.com I deposited $1000 and got $100 bonus. Bet $1000 to win $909.09 and won. Went to withdraw, and the funds available for withdrawal said $1939.40.

Thanks for the explanation.

I would stay far away from these books. They offer nicer bonuses to get people in. There are literally hundreds of complaints each year against these books. I much prefer a smaller bonus where I'll get paid to a sweet bonus with a guaranteed headache.

Nice explanation, Duke.

[BouncedCheck]

Yeah, I know... I'm learning, LOL.

As for playing in the casino messing up the bonus, not at sportsbetting. Their rollover is 3X for both sports wagering and the online casino. Sportsbook.com is different. The rollover for sports betting is only 2X but in the casino it's 4X.

[CS-Cedrick]

Yeah, I know... I'm learning, LOL.

As for playing in the casino messing up the bonus, not at sportsbetting. Their rollover is 3X for both sports wagering and the online casino. Sportsbook.com is different. The rollover for sports betting is only 2X but in the casino it's 4X.

Indeed an interesting case, most books won't let you complete the rollover you got in sports by playing casino and viceversa.

[DIF]

Most books is not stupid anymore. They always check every new player. And check their betting-pattern.

They realize players try bonus-hunt them. This was a lot better strategy 6-7 years ago. Bonus-hunting nowdays not a good strategy earn money, and lot of danger with a couple of books.

its better be sharp( without hunting to much)

[BouncedCheck]

Indeed an interesting case, most books won't let you complete the rollover you got in sports by playing casino and viceversa.

My experience at the two jazette books I've used (sportsbook and sportsbetting) is that your account balance is not separated into parts. The sign-up or reload bonus is simply added to the balance, and the entire amount can be used for sports or casino betting, or any combination thereof. When making a deposit, the player is not asked if the funds are going to be used for sports or casino.