Bonuses in gambling

Often, with bonuses, you end up with less money than you received.

1. Welcome bonus

This is a bonus for new accounts. Common bonusses include:

• Deposit bonus: you receive extra money on top of your first deposit. For example, you deposit €50 and get an extra €50.
• Free bet or spins: you can place a free bet or gamble a number of times on a slot machine.
• Free money: you receive a small amount without depositing money.
• Increased odds: you win more if your bet is correct.

Sometimes these bonuses are offered in combination.

2. Loyalty bonus

This is a bonus for existing accounts. Gambling companies use these bonuses to keep their customers. Examples include:

• Deposit bonus: you receive extra money with a deposit.
• Free bet or spins.
• Free money.
• Leaderboard bonus: accounts are ranked on a scoreboard. The best accounts win a prize.
• Combi-boost: higher winnings for combination bets.
• Prize drop: while gambling, you can suddenly win a prize.
• Loyalty program: you earn points while gambling. These points can be exchanged for money, gifts, or other rewards.

3. Leaderboard bonus

With a leaderboard bonus, a scoreboard is created for one or more gambling games (often for slot machines). The higher your score, the higher your rank on the scoreboard. The score on the scoreboard is usually based on your win-to-bet ratio (your winnings divided by your bet). The people with the highest scores win a prize. You often need to bet a minimum amount or play a certain number of times.

Example:
You bet €10 and win €20 → your score is 20 ÷ 10 = 2.

4. Important rules for bonuses

Pay close attention to the rules for a bonus. They differ per gambling company. Always think carefully. Important points:

• Minimum deposit: often you must deposit a certain amount to get the bonus.
• Time duration: you must activate the bonus within a certain number of days.
• Participating games: not all gambling games count towards activating the bonus.
• One bonus at a time: often you can only use one bonus at a time.
• Withdrawing money = losing bonus: with some bonuses, you lose the bonus when you withdraw money from your player account.
• Minimum odds / maximum stake: some bonuses have additional rules, such as the maximum amount of money you can bet or how high the odds have to be.

Wagering requirement/playthrough requirement

Some bonuses may have a wagering requirement/playthrough requirement. This means you must first bet the bonus amount a certain number of times before you can withdraw it.

Example:

• You receive a €50 bonus with a wagering requirement/playthrough requirement of 10.
• You must first bet 10 x €50 = €500 before you can withdraw your bonus money.
• With a wagering requirement/playthrough requirement of 150, you must bet 150 x €50 = €7500 to receive your bonus money.

Pay close attention to:

• How high the wagering requirement/playthrough requirement is;
• How much time you have to activate the bonus;
• If the gambling game counts towards the bonus (some gambling games do not count towards the bonus).

Can an (online) gambling company offer a bonus to gamblers in the Netherlands?

Yes, an (online) gambling company may offer a bonus, but only with strict rules.

A bonus may be offered if:

• the company has a licence from the Netherlands Gambling Authority (and is legally active in the Netherlands);
• the bonus is not misleading (clear about rules, wagering requirements, etc.);
• the bonus is not aimed at vulnerable groups such as young people or problem gamblers;
• the bonus is not sent via email, text message or pop-ups without asking (only visible in the account area or on the website itself).