What is a Sticky Bonus?

Over the recent years, casino bonuses have been changing in structure. Most of the online bonuses were called ‘Cashable Bonuses’. This meant that once you had met the bonus play-through, you were able to receive the bonus in your casino account. However, the bonuses that are common today are the ‘sticky’ bonuses or phantom bonus. A sticky bonus is strictly for play and, therefore, cannot be cashed out. The moment you meet the casino wagering requirements, the casino will take back its bonus money but allow you to cash out the winnings you obtain from its bonus.

These bonuses exist in modern online casinos in plenty and are mainly meant to target the high rollers. The main aim of the sticky bonus is to keep the players coming back since it also has pleasant rewards.

How the Sticky Bonus Works

A good example is that of a casino offering a sticky match bonus of 200% up to £300. If you accept this bonus, you will have £600, though £300 is yours while the other £300 still belongs to the casino. Basically, it is like you are borrowing £200 from that casino. It would be better if you stake the whole £600 on one bet for you to obtain the most benefit. However, this may work well only if the casino doesn’t impose a max bet of say £10 per spin when playing slots.

As you can see, this looks too risky, but from a mathematical point of view, it makes some sense because you will have an edge. So, if you wager the £600 and lose, you lose £300 only because the casino takes back the bonus money of £300. In the end, you will notice that you have a high house edge over.

How To Point Out A Sticky Bonus?

The more you play, the more you become acquainted with the terminologies used in casinos. Once you know some basic terms or become an expert, you will be able to identify the sticky bonuses through phrases like “for wagering purposes only”. Apart from this, you can contact the casino support and let them explain the type of bonus they are offering.

Various Sticky Bonuses

You will find phrases like for ‘wagering purposes only’ describing non-cashable bonuses, but the casino will still let you know whether the bonus offered is cashable. Sticky bonuses exist in two forms: one, the ‘Disappearing Sticky Bonus’ and the ‘Expiration Sticky Bonus’.

Just as the name suggests, the ‘Disappearing Sticky Bonus’/‘Phantom Bonus’ disappears once you cash out your winnings. On the other side, ‘Expiration Sticky Bonus’ stays in your casino account and you can use it to play a game of your choice until the set expiration date comes. This bonus is quite amusing, but it rarely exists.

Word of Advice

Before accepting any sticky bonus, always read and understand the set terms and conditions attached. You should note that if you accept the sticky bonus, the casino is able to accuse you of abusing the bonus if wrongly used. In this case, your bonus becomes void and the winnings obtained from the bonus also become forfeited for that matter. It is better to use bonus strategy offered by the casino and play within the scope of the casino rules to get the most out of the bonuses.

Additionally, as you clear the bonus offered, some games stipulate certain bets labelled as ‘low risk’ – bets such as the black/re on blackjack cannot be placed. Generally, if you want to succesfully clear the casino wagering requirements put on the sticky bonus, read the bonus terms.

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