Beware the ‘Sticky’ Online Casino Bonus

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Online casino bonuses are a huge draw for players, and the most common form of promotional competition between operators. They aren’t all created equally, though. Aside from the percentage match and overall value of an online casino bonus, what really matters is whether players can actually profit from them.

There’s one type of new player promotion that’s commonly referred to as a ‘Sticky Bonus‘. A sticky bonus is one that quite literally sticks to the online casino, and can never be withdrawn, even if the corresponding wagering requirements (WR) are met.

Online casino bonuses of this type very rarely work in the player’s favor. They can offer a great deal of wagering power, especially when the bonus is paid in a high enough matching percentage. But for serious gamblers who actually want to win some money off their bonuses, a sticky welcome offer isn’t the way to go.

Example: Sticky Online Casino Bonus

Take, for example, AstralBet Casino. This operator incorporates software from some of today’s hottest online slots makers, including Betsoft, iSoftBet, Endorphina, Microgaming, NetEnt, and Play N Go.

The variety of acclaimed 3D slots is exceptional, and more than enough to keep a player’s attention. But the welcome bonus offer isn’t really all it’s cracked up to be.

AstralBet promotes what appears to be a stellar $2,500 welcome bonus value, available over a new member’s first three deposits. They call it their ‘Starter Kit‘, and it begins with a first-time deposit offer that gets more lucrative based on how much the player chooses to fund their account with.

A deposit of $20-$49 is boosted with an even, 100% match. Depositing $50-$99 increases the bonus to 125%. A higher deposit of $100+ will trigger the largest online casino bonus of 150% up to $1,500. And that’s just for starters.

When a new player makes their second purchase, they instantly receive 99 free spins on the site’s entire line of online slot machines. Players don’t have to break their bank to get this offer. A minimum deposit of just $10 will do the trick.

Finally, on the third deposit, AstralBet promotes another online casino bonus of 150% up to $1,000 on any purchase of $20 or more. The player also receives another 30 free spins.

As great as all this sounds, all it takes is a quick glance at the online casino bonus’s ‘Terms & Conditions‘ page to find the catch.

The numbered list of rules that apply to the offer clearly states:

“3. The bonus funds obtained from the Promotion are for wagering purposes only and cannot be withdrawn after the wagering requirements have been met.”

This means that, if a player manages to complete the play-through (40x deposit + bonus) within the given time frame (30 days), upon withdrawal, the amount of the bonus will be deducted from the withdrawal request. So, if a player has a $1,500 bonus, and completes WR with $1,500 left in their balance, they won’t be able to withdrawal any of it.

Furthermore, after examining the General Bonus Terms & Conditions, we find that AstralBet limits the profit from online casino bonuses to no more than $100. If you were to get very lucky and complete WR with something like $4,000, the casino will first deduct the $,1500 bonus you received, followed by another $2,400, leaving you with a $100 cashout.

What Constitutes Good Online Casino Bonuses?

A good online casino bonus will allow the player to withdrawal any and all winning derived from a promotion, provided they complete the obligatory WR. The original amount of the bonus should not be deducted first.

And as for max profit potential, I’ll leave you with this final thought… Imagine you receive a bunch of free spins, and win a massive, multi-million progressive jackpot, only to find you’re not eligible to withdrawal more than $100 of it? Yeah… sticky online casino bonuses really do suck!