Promotional bonuses have become one of the easiest ways for virtual casinos to attract new members. With various offers, gaming websites offer their new and regular patrons different perks that can be utilized while playing the games at the casino. Such deals allow players to explore the gaming options on these websites while casinos can expand their customer base, enjoying more attention and profit.
With so many different bonuses, it can be tricky choosing which promotion can be advantageous for your gameplay. While some bonuses can be very generous towards players, others seem to be catering only for the needs of casino operators. That is why it is important to recognize bad offers and opt only for the optimal bonus that can bring you a fruitful experience.
While there is a vast variety of bonuses that one can redeem at virtual casinos, we will concentrate on so-called sticky bonuses. While there are different opinions about this type of casino promotion, many believe that sticky bonuses are a rip-off. However, we believe that understanding the pros and cons of this type of casino bonus can bring players fruitful outcomes.
If you want to understand what makes sticky bonuses different and how to use them when playing online, we suggest continuing to read this article.
What Are the Specifics of Sticky Bonuses?
To put it simply, sticky bonuses are casino incentives that cannot be withdrawn. This type of offer is simply used for generating winnings, with players being able to withdraw only what they have earned. Most virtual casinos are offering players bonuses for making certain deposits, with the bonus amount being a certain percentage of the deposited money. In most cases, these offers are sticky bonuses and come with specific conditions that need to be met.
When you claim a match bonus on your deposit, you will enjoy additional money which will amount to a percentage of your deposit. It is also possible to receive a no deposit bonus for simply joining a virtual casino, allowing you to play with a specific bonus amount without making any deposits.
Typically, casino bonuses have wagering requirements that need to be met before players are allowed to withdraw their winnings. If you have completed the wagering of the bonus and you are allowed to cash out your winnings plus whatever amount is left of your bonus, then this is a non-sticky bonus. Many players prefer this type of casino incentive as it is easier to understand. That said, sticky bonuses are not necessarily less advantageous when you know how to use them.
Sticky bonuses can be considered a strong motivator for players as they allow them to start their wagering with some extra funds in their balance. In most cases, sticky bonuses can match your bonuses with up to 200% or even 400%. Such percentages will rarely be offered by non-sticky bonus offers. Having more funds to play with may increase your chances for fruitful outcomes.
Often, however, players get carried away due to the huge bonus amount they are offered and fail to assess on time whether the bonus they have redeemed is a sticky or non-sticky offer. In many cases, it is only when they request a withdrawal that players realise they have been playing with a sticky bonus. If that is the case, when they ask to withdraw their winnings after meeting the wagering requirements, the original bonus amount will be removed from their balances.
Sticky bonuses usually fall under two different categories, which include phantom and expiring sticky bonuses:
- Phantom sticky bonuses
In most cases, the sticky bonuses offered by virtual casinos are phantom bonuses. The specific thing about this type of sticky incentive is that it disappears from your balance as soon as you withdraw your winnings. Once you have completed the bonus wagering, you will be able to withdraw your bonus winnings, plus any regular winnings. However, whatever is left from the bonus will be deducted from your balance upon withdrawing your winnings. - Expiring sticky bonuses
The second type of sticky bonus will yet again remain as a non-withdrawable amount in your balance. The different thing about this type of bonus is that it will not be removed from your account whenever you withdraw your winnings. Instead, whatever is left from your bonus after you have cashed out your winnings will be left in your bankroll and can be used for accumulating more winnings until it is fully used. Expiring sticky bonuses, however, are not very common at online casinos.
Recognising Sticky Casino Bonuses and Understanding Their Terms and Conditions
The easiest way to be sure what type of casino promotion you are using is to carefully read the terms and conditions of every bonus before you redeem it. You will not come across any promotional terms using words like “sticky” or “phantom bonus”. That is why it is important to recognise the conditions that would indicate that you will be dealing with a certain type of sticky bonus.
Whenever you are reading the terms and conditions of bonuses, you may come across the phrases like “for gaming/wagering purposes only” or “not cashable”. That indicates that the bonus is a sticky one, meaning you will not be allowed to withdraw it once you complete the bonus playthrough.
Usually, sticky bonuses come with specific wagering requirements that need to be met before players are allowed to withdraw their winnings. Offers with lower playthrough (wagering) requirements are more advantageous as they allow players to enjoy their winnings faster. Another thing to keep in mind is that the wagering requirements will most likely apply to both your deposit and bonus amount. For instance, depositing £50 and receiving a 200% bonus will award an extra £100 to play with. If the bonus wagering requirements are 30x D+B, that means you will need to wager the amount of £150 30 times before you can withdraw your winnings.
Sticky bonuses may also have limitations on the games you can use the bonus to meet wagering requirements. Often slots with higher RTP may be excluded from bonus wagering or may have a lower contribution than usual. This is why it is important to check for such clauses in the bonus terms and conditions.
When you are completing the bonus playthrough, you will also have a bet limit on your single spin/game bet size. This is done so players cannot make huge bets at once simply to complete bonus wagering faster. It is also possible to have a cap on the maximum amount of winnings you can withdraw after completing the playthrough requirements.
We recommend always reading the full terms and conditions that apply to casino bonuses as this way you will know the type of incentive you are about to redeem. Understanding whether you are claiming a sticky or non-sticky bonus is extremely important as this will allow you to use the right strategy to make the most out of the offer you are redeeming.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Sticky Casino Bonuses
Like with many other promotions, sticky bonuses have their benefits and less advantageous sides. Understanding the pros and cons of such an offer will allow you to determine the right way to utilise this type of incentive and ultimately decide whether it is worth redeeming at all.
When compared to non-sticky casino promotions, sticky bonuses have one huge advantage over the other type of incentives. Sticky casino offers tend to offer significantly higher bonus amounts, often matching players’ deposits with 200% or 400%. Such deals may often offer players to enjoy up to £800 or £1,000 for their deposits.
Such generous amounts can rarely be offered by non-sticky bonuses. Naturally, having more funds in your gaming balance will allow you to make more wagers and hopefully also stack in more winnings.
Having more money to play with will also naturally give you more time to enjoy your favourite casino games. As non-sticky bonuses tend to be of lower amounts, they cannot offer players very extensive gaming time. Lastly, enjoying a larger bankroll can also allow you to explore gaming options that require higher bets. This is great news for those that usually cannot afford very extensive gaming sessions on casino games requiring higher stakes.
While the main benefit of sticky bonuses is having a larger bankroll to play with, there are also a few disadvantages to this type of casino incentive. Players are recommended to redeem sticky bonuses only if they are willing to lose larger amounts. While playing with bigger amounts sounds tempting, as everything depends on luck, one might also end up losing quite a high amount of money, especially when the remaining bonus is deducted upon withdrawing winnings.
Of course, the most obvious disadvantage of sticky bonuses is that they can only be used for wagering. While you can enjoy winnings won above the bonus amount, the original bonus amount is deducted from your final profit once you complete the wagering requirements and request a withdrawal.
Another disadvantage may be the nature of sticky bonus offers as they tend to lure rookie players into depositing larger amounts to enjoy bigger bonuses. What these types of players fail to realise is that bigger bonuses may bring bigger wins but the bonus amount that will be deducted will also be of a higher value. Making a deposit that is bigger than you would usually make may cost you substantial losses so be careful when considering claiming sticky bonuses.
As some players do not bother to read the full terms and conditions of the bonuses they redeem, they can often be disappointed in the case of redeeming a sticky bonus without realising it. Unfortunately, in such cases, players understand the downside of redeeming a sticky bonus only when the casino removes the bonus amount from their balance upon requesting a withdrawal.
| Pros and Cons of Sticky Casino Bonuses | |
|---|---|
| Pros | Cons |
| Having more funds to play with | Heftier bankroll allows longer gaming time |
| Players feel comfortable making bets bigger than they would usually do | Players might be tempted to deposit more than they would usually do |
| Bigger bonus means bigger amount being deducted upon withdrawing winnings | Some players fail to understand the terms and conditions of sticky bonuses |
Comparison Between Sticky and Non-Sticky Bonuses
To have a better understanding of the specifics of sticky bonuses, you might want to draw a comparison between this type of casino incentive and the non-sticky types of promotions. The term “sticky bonus” comes from bonus money being stuck to the deposit casino players make. In such cases, the balance of casino members is combined and bonus terms and conditions start applying as soon as the bonus is credited to one’s account. Wagering requirements also apply to the full amount comprised of the qualifying deposit and the matched bonus sum.
If the bonus you redeem is a non-sticky one, then the bonus amount will not stick to your deposit balance. In the terms and conditions of such promotions, you will often see explanations that regular funds and bonus funds are kept separately and wagering first starts with your deposited money.
Non-sticky bonuses allow you to play with your own money and even withdraw the winnings you have generated thanks to your deposit. If you do that, however, you forfeit the bonus and it is removed from your balance. The bonus amount is used for your wagers only if you exhaust your deposit money and continue wagering on casino games. It is after this point that the bonus terms and conditions, wagering requirements included, start to count. As non-sticky bonuses are generally easier to understand and less risky, many players prefer to redeem this type of casino offer.
Should You Redeem Sticky Casino Bonuses
Sticky bonuses can be very generous as long as players know how to use them and what their specific requirements may bring along. Promotions that offer bountiful sticky match bonuses can be very rewarding as long as they are redeemed under the right circumstances. One thing we advise you to always do is to read the full terms and conditions of every offer before you redeem it. That way, you will know from the get-go if you are claiming a sticky or non-sticky bonus.
The most important thing you should keep in mind is that sticky bonuses are combined with your deposit while you place bets on casino games. However, once you meet the wagering requirements and request a withdrawal, the original bonus amount will be deducted from your balance.
Sticky bonuses can be great casino incentives for players who do not mind making riskier bets and can afford bigger losses. Since sticky bonuses tend to offer huge matching percentages, some players might be tempted to make higher deposits. This, however, could also mean substantial losses if luck is not on your side. Losing the entire balance before you have met the wagering requirements will quickly leave you with no money and you will need to deposit yet again to be able to bet on casino games.
However, we recommend making use of sticky bonuses if you enjoy riskier bets and want to play for the chance of winning more. This type of incentive allows you to play longer, make higher bets than you are usually comfortable making and hopefully even stack up bigger amounts than you would with a cashable offer.
At the end of the day, choosing whether to redeem sticky bonuses comes down to your personal preferences and ability to assess risks. If you are ready to make your gaming time more exciting, then you might enjoy sticky casino bonuses.
