A betting bonus is worth what its terms let you keep, not the number in the headline. Before you take one, find three things in the terms: the wagering requirement, the minimum odds that count toward it, and the date it expires.
This guide explains how the common sportsbook and casino bonuses work, with the arithmetic for each, so you can tell a useful offer from one that costs more than it gives.
How sportsbook bonuses work
Sportsbooks use a handful of bonus types. A deposit match adds bonus money in proportion to your first deposit, up to a cap. A free bet, or bonus bet, lets you place a wager without risking your own cash. A cashback offer returns a share of your losses over a set period, usually as more bonus money.
The wagering requirement, also called playthrough or rollover, decides how much you must bet before a bonus can be withdrawn. A $100 bonus with a 5x requirement means $500 of bets first. Read whether the multiple applies to the bonus alone or to the bonus plus your deposit: on a $100 deposit matched with $100, 5x of both is $1,000.
Free bets have a catch of their own. When the terms say the stake is not returned, a $50 free bet that wins at +200 pays you the $100 profit and not the $150 a cash bet would return.
Getting more out of a sportsbook bonus
Start with the playthrough. A smaller bonus with a low requirement is often worth more than a large one you cannot clear before it expires.
Then check what counts. Many offers set minimum odds for a bet to count toward the requirement, for example odds of -200 or longer, and some exclude parlays or certain markets. A bet placed outside those rules can still settle, but it does nothing for the bonus.
Do not change how you bet to clear a requirement. Taking prices you would never take with your own money, or raising your stakes to finish a rollover, turns a bonus into a cost. Pick the offers that fit the bets you already make.
Casino bonuses
Casino bonuses carry higher multiples than sportsbook ones. A casino deposit match with a 30x requirement on a $100 bonus asks for $3,000 in bets, and some offers apply the multiple to the deposit as well.
Games do not count equally. Slots usually count in full toward a casino requirement, while table games such as blackjack or roulette often count for a fraction or nothing at all. The terms list the share for each game.
Free spins are tied to named slot games, and any winnings from them usually carry their own wagering requirement. No-deposit bonuses are smaller and often cap how much you can withdraw from them.
Using sportsbook and casino bonuses together
If a site offers both, treat them as two separate sets of terms. Check in the terms whether bets on one count toward the other’s requirement, and track each balance and each expiry date on its own.
Set a budget for time and money before you start, and keep to it whatever the bonus is. If gambling stops being fun, the National Council on Problem Gambling runs the National Problem Gambling Helpline: call or text 1-800-MY-RESET to reach help in your state.
Before you claim a bonus
Check the multiple and what it applies to, the minimum odds, the games or markets that count, the expiry date, and any cap on withdrawals. If you cannot clear the requirement with the bets you already make, the bonus is not worth taking.
For the books themselves, our sportsbook reviews compare them. If you follow a paid capper, compare the best handicappers first.
Helpline: National Council on Problem Gambling, ncpgambling.org, read October 25, 2026, 15:23 UTC. The figures in this guide are worked examples, not any book’s current offer.