What a reload bonus is

Reload bonuses are offered in connection with funding an account. After you have made your first deposit to your account at a reload bonus casino, any subsequent deposits may qualify for a reload bonus. Reload bonuses can come as a percentage of the amounts that you deposited or may be in the form of bonus spins or a combination of both types of bonuses. Reload bonuses may be provided on a schedule (weekly or monthly) or as a result of specific events such as a holiday campaign or a change in VIP tier. The key difference is that while welcome bonuses are available only when you make your first deposit, reload bonuses apply to deposits made subsequent to your first deposit(s) and will, therefore, differ in terms of limitations, eligible games, and wagering requirements from welcome bonuses.

An online casino reload bonus is usually claimed by clicking on an opt-in button in the promotions section, entering a code when making a deposit, or being automatically eligible for the reload bonus based on your account status. Reload bonuses may also be offered based on the method of payment you used to make your deposit, suggesting that a bank transfer may qualify while a prepaid voucher may not. There are many factors that can impact the value of reload bonuses; the most important of which is not to simply look at the percentage listed as a reload bonus, but rather determine what the terms and conditions will be for converting the bonus to a withdrawable balance.

How reload offers are triggered

Many times there are set time frames and minimum deposit limits with reload offers. For example, a casino might have a reload casino bonus offer every Friday with a max limit that lasts for a brief period of time (e.g., 48 hours). Another example would be a monthly "top-up" from the first week of every month that is good for a week. These are important because if you miss the opt-in period you might not qualify, even though you made your deposit after the deadline.

Many online casinos in Europe also have segmented campaigns that are determined by player activity. For example, if you are a slots player, you may be offered a free spins reload bonus. If you mainly play table games, you would be offered a cash style reload bonus, however, the cash style has lower contributions for blackjack variant games. Often European online casinos will restrict reload offers by location; therefore, the same operator may have a different reload offer for players in different jurisdictions, according to the local laws.

How the bonus is credited

The crediting method of a reload bonus impacts how the reload bonus functions while playing. A reload bonus from an online casino may be credited as bonus balances that are treated independently from your cash balance or may be treated as a "sticky" bonus that may not be withdrawn until winning under an established wagering requirement from prior to the withdrawal. Some online casinos will group free spins from their reload bonuses into batches of spins given each day for a certain number of days (e.g., 20 spins daily for 5 days) which can impact variance of game play and time to meet a wagering requirement.

A number of online casinos have a way to calculate how much a user has wagered based on the last number of hands played (e.g., one way for a slot is to use the last spin), whereas for live dealer games the system may update when the completion of the last hand of play has resolved and the results have been reflected in the system. If a reload bonus is issued in conjunction with bonus funds and free spins, typically any free spins need to be first used before the bonus funds can be wagered, and the cumulative winnings from a free spin will be placed into a separate bonus wallet with a specific wagering requirement.

Key terms that change value

Depending on many factors, reload bonuses vary greatly. A reload bonus has wagering requirements that state how many times the bonus amount (or the bonus amount plus the deposit) must be wagered before the player can withdraw any of their winnings. For example, if you receive a reload bonus with a 35x bonus wagering requirement, you cannot use that to meet a 35x requirement plus your deposit. The time frame is also very important to meet: a reload bonus that is valid for 24 hours will force you to have to bet more often or for longer periods of time than if you received a 14-day bonus; however, a 14-day bonus will allow for much less of a sense of urgency and more steady play. 

Lastly, there is the issue of caps or ceilings. A casino reload bonus may cap a reload bonus, but it can also put limits on any maximum cash-out that can be received for a free spin. In addition to the caps, a player must abide by the maximum bet rules (maximum per spin; maximum per hand) in order to keep bonus money in play. Not staying within the limits dictates the real value of a reload casino bonus; therefore, a player needs to consider how to remain within those limits while playing a normal amount of time.

Game eligibility and contribution

Not every game at the casino contributes to 'wagering'. For example, whereas slot machines would generally give you 100% toward your requirement; roulette, baccarat and many forms of blackjack will usually contribute a lower amount, may not be counted at all, and live dealer table games will also qualify, but tend to have a much lower percentage contributing towards the wagering requirement, as well. The same goes for some side bets.

In general, the contribution of video poker machines may be less than 100%. Some online casinos will offer a more limited variety of games that qualify for reload bonuses. In general, however, video poker games will fall within the same range of video slot machines, and those games tend to provide lower RTP percentages or higher house edge percentages than any of the games listed above.

Although wallet software providers do not directly control which games qualify for reload bonuses, they may affect the availability of some of the games by providing licensing agreements or by providing a reward for using their software within specific studios or brand-name products. When reload bonuses are issued with free spins, it is common for free spins have been limited to a narrow selection of games and for the amount of free spins to be pre-set.

Finally, in the case of free spins, the amount staked on each free spin will determine the maximum amount of contribution towards meeting the wagering requirement for using your free spins and it will also impact the average payout percentage of the free spins.

Common eligible slots

• Book Of Dead
• Starburst
• Gonzo’s Quest
• Sweet Bonanza
• Big Bass Bonanza
• Dead Or Alive 2
• Jammin’ Jars

Frequent providers

• NetEnt
• Play’n GO
• Pragmatic Play
• Evolution
• Microgaming
• Yggdrasil
• Red Tiger

Payment methods and eligibility

Similar to other types of bonuses, reload bonuses are also subject to restrictions when it comes to depositing. For example, when a player makes a deposit at an online casino, that deposit may not qualify for a reload bonus if the deposit is made using a prepaid voucher, an e-wallet or a credit card that has been processed through a third-party payment processor. Some casinos also state that deposits made using bonus funds, internal transfers or promotional bonus codes do not qualify for reload bonuses. For a player to qualify for a reload bonus when playing at an online casino, the deposit must come from a verified source that matches the name on the player's casino account. 

In addition, there are some online casinos that place limitations on how and when players can withdraw their winnings from an online casino after making a deposit and receiving a reload bonus. If a player has an active reload bonus and wishes to withdraw from their cash balance, they may not be allowed to withdraw until they have met the required wagering requirements for the reload bonus. Some online casinos implement this policy; however, many online casinos in Europe operate under different rules and regulations regarding reload bonuses.

Common deposit options

• Visa
• Mastercard
• Skrill
• Neteller
• PayPal
• Bank Transfer
• Trustly
• Apple Pay
• Google Pay
• Paysafecard

Reload bonus conditions compared

While reload promos may generally be the same, they can differ in how much it actually costs to clear them based on the associated conditions. The following table outlines what common structures and durations can look like among the larger operators, such as a casino reload bonus. It attempts to show how changes to wagering pace and flexibility of game choice impact your ability to clear a reload rather than just focusing on the headline percentage.

Examples from well-known casinos

Many of the biggest gaming operators often take part in ongoing reload bonuses that can have different rules and regulations depending on the platform and jurisdiction. LeoVegas uses a variety of reload promotion types in the offers section of their website; some are pulled from slot machine games and some are pulled from a wide range of other game types. Betway has issued reload promotions in the past based on certain account behaviors and focus areas (i.e., sports vs. casino), resulting in targeted offers. 888casino also regularly runs deposit promotions that are time-sensitive with a short opt-in period and caps based on deposit amounts.

As for live dealer games, casinos powered by Evolution including Casumo and Mr Green may be included in the gambling operator's reload bonus but with such live gaming typically having a lesser contribution to the reload offer. Certain game shows may also not be included in the reload bonus (i.e., listed by game name) and this is important for players who primarily use those specific games (e.g., Lightning Roulette, Crazy Time or Dream Catcher). If you plan to take advantage of a reload bonus at an online casino, you should verify that the games you want to play are included in this list BEFORE making your deposit or you may end up with bonus funds you cannot use to play your favorite games.

Reload offers versus other promotions

A reload bonus consists of only one component in a typical promotional campaign. In most cases, a welcome bonus is generally larger (percentage or total value) than a reload bonus but is generally subject to first deposit conditions and may have stricter verification times. A no deposit bonus (if offered) is generally very small and has limited restrictions as well as being limited to only a few slots and low limits on withdrawals. Conversely, a casino reload bonus is likely to be created again and again; however, limits, wagering requirements, and eligible games may change from week to week.

Online casinos may also have other campaigns that run alongside a reload bonus online casino campaign (tournaments, prize drops, and loyalty point multipliers). Overlap rules are important because, for example, a slot tournament may use only real-money spins, while a casino reload bonus may require bonus wagering; therefore, the overlap rules will determine the relevant wallet to be used and whether tournament points will accrue during the bonus period as well as how the bonus will be dealt with if both promotions are running concurrently.

Live dealer considerations

There are some very specific issues to be resolved in regards to the online casino reload bonus that derive from playing live casino games. First off, if there are maximum bet restrictions on tables where there's a higher minimum bet than what is listed on the maximum, it can create a problem with how much you can wager while playing.

In addition, the speed of the game affects how quickly you can complete your wagering requirements to qualify for your casino reload bonus as you will find that the faster you can complete your bets on slots, the much slower you will complete all your betting on a live dealer blackjack table which may also have side-bet options to be wagered.

In addition, the rules of play at each online casino may differ when it comes to the base bet versus side bets. For example, if an online casino reload bonus only includes base bets in the total amount required to obtain the bonus then the wagering could be much less than expected. Another point to consider is that the naming convention at the Evolution and Playtech live dealer tables will vary depending on the online casino and you should be aware that you are looking for an exact table name to determine if it is included in your casino reload bonus.

Limits, verification, and withdrawals

The timing of your verification can influence how quickly you will be able to access your winnings from a casino reload bonus. The majority of operators will require that you verify your identity prior to making your withdrawal, and some will also require that you verify your identity prior to a bonus being converted into cash. This can create delays in getting your winnings if you have requested your reload bonus shortly before withdrawing money from the casino. When you verify your identity, you are often asked for the following documents: proof of identity, proof of your address, and where applicable, a copy of your card(s) or e-wallet(s) used for payment methods.

You may also be limited in the amount you can withdraw from the bonus-derived winnings. An example of this is that your reload bonus will have a maximum cashout amount, especially with free spins reloads. Even if there was no maximum cashout amount for your reload bonus, there would still be standard withdrawal limits for each method of payment and that may have dictated how you approached your bonus-derived winnings. Bank transfers typically will have higher minimums and longer processing times, whereas e-wallets typically will have much quicker processing times but may not be eligible for reload promotions (for example).

Planning around wagering and time limits

To fulfill a reload bonus, you need what is called a balance of wagering amount, the games you play and how long you have to reach that amount. If you have a very short period to meet the requirements to Rollover, it makes it hard for you to be able to reasonably wager and could require you to wager at high stakes, which increases variance (how much luck you have) and increases the chance of accidentally going over the maximum amount wagered. If you have an extended time to meet the Rollover requirement, you can wager smaller amounts, and will have more consistent availability to track your wagering count.

In addition, depending on the type of slot games you choose to complete your wagering (high or low volatility) will affect how long it will take to complete your wagering requirements. For example, if you play high volatility slots, you will experience large swings in your bankroll, either completing your wagering quickly due to hitting a jackpot or depleting your total amount in your bankroll before completing your wagering requirements. However, if you play low volatility slots, you may have a consistent spread on your bankroll and take longer to complete your wagering requirements.

In addition to the volume of wagering and games chosen, when you are required to follow a maximum bet rule related to a bonus, try to choose games that allow you to adjust for different bet sizes and how to display them to minimize the chance of exceeding the maximum amount before completing your bonuses.

Where reload bonuses fit

A casino reload bonus will work well for a predetermined deposit, in combination with the terms on games and the amount of time you plan to play. Also, a reload bonus can help when there are different types of deposits, such as a small midweek and a larger weekend deposit – you can plan to deposit on the deposit that matches you better. In the case of European casinos, the same company may have different reload bonuses in each of its operating countries and you will need to check the promotional page to identify your jurisdiction.

Another aspect of reload bonuses is how they work with bankroll management. If a reload has a maximum dollar limit, it may be in your best interest to make multiple deposits across the reload days to gather a greater total value of reload bonuses than with a single deposit; however, this is true only if each smaller deposit meets the minimum and if the committed play (wagering) is reasonable within the time frame. Furthermore, if the reload bonus is attached to a specific funding method, such as a debit card or an e-wallet, you may not receive the reload bonus should you fund your deposit using another method.

Common terms to check before claiming

Review the terms and conditions of all the required criteria including minimum deposit, bonus amount, multi-wager and expiration date before signing up. Also check whether multi-wager is applied to either just the bonus amount or both the bonus and deposit together as that will determine the total amount of multi-wager you need. Check also the limit on maximum bet as being either stated as a fixed amount (for relatively small amounts) such as €5 per spin or as a small percentage of the original amount of bonus best.

Finally make sure to know what type of bonus you are going to receive when registering. A sticky bonus keeps the bonus money separate from your real gambling funds and may prevent you from withdrawing any money until you have finished using your sticky money. A non-sticky bonus can sometimes allow for your cash balance to be withdrawn before using your bonus money, related to the way the casino manages their wallets, which will impact your eligibility for tournaments and how fast you can meet your multi-wager obligation.

Final checks after activation

Once your deposit has been made, make sure to check both your cashier or promotions area to see if you have received your bonus along with any free spins and associated expiration dates. For free spins, check that you have been assigned to an eligible slot title as well as what your bet amount/bet size will be. Some reload bonuses will attach free spin bonuses to bet amounts denominated at a specific value and will have a limited time period in which they may be used. If your bonus is not credited then please confirm that you did not miss any opt-in button(s), promo codes and/or minimum deposit limits needed to qualify for said bonuses, and contact customer support by providing them with the date and time of your transaction and the total amount of that transaction.