Online Casino Terms & Conditions You Should Know

Adhering to your online casino's terms and conditions is crucial for a smooth and enjoyable gambling experience. Every real money online casino imposes rules and guidelines that gamblers must comply with. Carefully reviewing the fine print before checking the box to agree can help you avoid undesirable consequences.

You can't determine the best welcome offer solely based on the size of its casino bonus, so it's crucial to review the terms and conditions associated with all promotions before opting in. Your initial focus should be on the wagering requirements.

Expressed as a multiplier (e.g. 10x), the wagering requirements tell you how often you're required to play your bonus money and/or deposit amount to cash out your bonus funds. Most deposit bonuses require a minimum deposit of $10 or more.

Online casino terms and conditions state that they are legally accessible to players 21 years and older in the states where they operate. Internet gambling is legal in Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. While you must be of legal gambling age to play casino games, you don't have to be a resident as long as you're within state borders.

How to Claim Casino Sign-Up and Deposit Bonus Offers 

Before claiming a deposit bonus bonus, examine the online casino's terms and conditions to ensure you're eligible and check for any restrictions. Once that's verified, take note of the wagering requirements to determine the amount of money you need to wager to clear your bonus. Remember that all bonuses have an expiration period, typically lasting between 7 and 30 days.

Service and Site Limits for Casino Offers

Site limitations and requirements play an essential role in guaranteeing fair play. The guidelines below ensure players are rewarded when they spend money in the casino. At the same time, wagering requirements protect casinos by preventing players from immediately signing up for a bonus and cashing out.

These are the main headings to focus on when evaluating the terms and conditions of a bonus offer:

Bonus Time Limits

Players are given a fixed amount of time to complete the wagering requirements before the bonus expires. Caesars Palace Online Casino gives them seven days to convert their deposit bonus into cash. Any winnings generated from your bonus money are forfeited and you are losing money if you don't meet the requirements within this timeframe.

Wagering Requirements

Wagering requirements specify the number of times a player must bet the bonus amount to release their winnings. FanDuel Casino stands out with the lowest wagering requirements—just 1x for all bonuses. However, in the industry, it's increasingly common to require you to play through both the bonus amount and the deposit amount.

Payment Options That Aren't Accepted

Some casinos exclude specific casino payment methods from qualifying for casino bonuses. For example, Caesars Palace Online Casino deposit bonuses are not available on deposits made via PayNearMe or at any casino cage.

Deposit and No Deposit Bonuses

Almost every online casino offers a deposit bonus to attract and retain new players. However, finding a quality no deposit bonus can be more challenging. At BetMGM Casino, new players receive a $25 casino bonus just for signing up. Additionally, when you make your initial deposit, BetMGM matches it dollar-for-dollar, up to $1,000.

Taxes and Fees

If you win a substantial prize, you may need to report it for tax purposes. Any taxes resulting from online gaming winnings are the player's responsibility. To offset what you owe, you can deduct your gambling losses up to the amount of your winnings as "Other Itemized Deductions."

Most operators don't charge a fee for deposits and withdrawals, but your payment processor may. Check the online casino's terms and conditions to find out which payment methods have fees associated with them before your transaction.

Free Spins and Cash Welcome offers

New players on FanDuel Casino can receive hundreds of free spins bonuses on the exclusive themed slot games. Before you place a bet, brush up on your casino's free spins and bonus money rules. Pertinent information typically found in an online casino's terms and conditions include wagering requirements, expiration period, and minimum deposit required.

Restricted Games

Not all casino games contribute equally towards wagering requirements. While 100% of your bet counts when you play qualified slots, other games, such as blackjack or video poker, may contribute less. Nearly 50 high RTP slots, including Blood Suckers, Guns N' Roses, Fruit Shop, Codex of Fortune and Mercy of the Gods, don't count toward clearing your welcome bonus on Borgata Casino. Most sites have a similar list of casino games that are excluded from contributing towards wagering requirements.

Low-Risk Game restrictions

Low-risk strategies, such as betting on black and red in online roulette, don't count toward wagering requirements at many casinos. Slot games with high RTPs may also be excluded. It's vital to review the list of restricted games before putting your bonus money into play.

Examples of Online Casino Terms and Conditions

While rules vary from casino to casino, the bulk of the content remains consistent. Here, we highlight some of the pertinent sections of the terms and conditions for DraftKings new player welcome casino bonuses. New players are entitled to $100 in casino credits just for making a $5 wager.

User Eligibility - Ensure you are eligible to play on the platform before you initially deposit funds. You must be at least 21 years old and within the borders of a state offering legal online casino gambling.

Promotion Requirements - These are certain requirements that must be met to get the promotion. The promotional period, expiration period, and minimum bet for DraftKings Casino's Spring Break Rewind are under this heading.

Conditions of Participation - Failure to comply with the terms of use will result in disqualification and, if applicable, forfeiture of any prizes.

Mobile Application - The terms and conditions extend to both desktop and mobile apps. For example, they apply to the highly rated DraftKings Casino and Sportsbook Apps.

Responsible Gambling - Casinos have tools in place to curb gambling losses and help prevent future problems. Players may set responsible gambling limits, take a brief time-out, or self-exclude from all sites in the state for at least a year.

Withdrawal of Prizes - You may be asked to provide one or more forms of identification when making your first withdrawal. Some examples of what's acceptable, such as a driver's license or proof of residence, are outlined in this section.

Withdrawal Limit - Casinos place limits on how much you can withdraw in a single transaction. Daily, weekly, and monthly limits can vary from one casino to the next.

Prohibited Activities

An online casino's terms and conditions tell the player what to do and, of equal importance, what not to do. While terms vary by casino, all players must agree not to engage in the following activities:

• Collect and distribute personal information - Gathering and dispersing details about fellow players or staff in person or over a computer network is prohibited.

• Participate in unlawful or illegal activity - Players must refrain from engaging in any criminal activity while using the desktop site or mobile app. Make sure you follow all applicable laws.

• Disclose information about the site or its services to third parties - Players are prohibited from revealing confidential information about the site.

• Distribute malicious content - Uploading, sharing, or distributing harmful or malicious content is banned.

• Scrape, reverse engineer, or sabotage games/content- Attempting to reverse engineer or manipulate the casino games.

There are plenty of do's and don'ts of online casinos, so make sure you're aware of them all!

What Happens If You Don't Follow a Casino's Terms and Conditions?

Online casinos actively monitor for abuse, such as players setting up more than one account to exploit bonus offers. Failure to comply and creating multiple accounts can result in being permanently banned from the site, depending on the infraction. In such cases, you would lose access to any remaining funds in your account.

A more common scenario is when a player unintentionally forfeits their bonus money and any associated winnings by requesting a withdrawal before meeting the wagering requirements. If players win money while not complying with the terms and conditions, the casino reserves the right to forfeit their winnings.

Game-Specific Bonus Terms and Conditions

• Play through percentage - Table games such as blackjack or baccarat may contribute only 10% or less toward wagering requirements.

• Excluded games - Some sites provide a list of casino games excluded from the promotion. Save your bonus money for games that help convert your winnings into cash.

• Free spins - Free spins are valid on one game or a group of games. New players on Golden Nugget Casino receive 200 free spins on 88 Fortunes Megaways.

For more info on what bonus terms mean, check out this article: What Does Each Sportsbook Bonus Term Mean?

Online Casino Terms in Different States

The legal status of the online casino industry is constantly in flux as more US states embrace internet gambling. With 33 operators, New Jersey is the largest online gaming market in the US. Legal online gambling is also available in Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. Players aren't required to live in one of these states, only to be physically located within the state lines.

Individual states have rules regarding how much casinos have to payout. The average RTP in Delaware is 87%-95%, and 91.62% in Connecticut. Michigan casinos offer a minimum 75% RTP, and New Jersey casinos payout a minimum of 90.82%. For example, the average payout percentage in West Virginia is 80%-95%.

Casino Loyalty Programs

Online gamblers have access to prestigious land-based loyalty programs such as MGM Rewards. They collect MGM rewards points, freeplay, and slot dollars when they put money at risk in the casino. Players accumulate rewards points to advance in the tier-based loyalty program and enjoy the remarkable benefits. Players at the top receive complimentary upgrades, airfare credit, limo service, early check-in, late check-out, and more.

There's some relevant information in MGM Rewards' terms and conditions. Without doing your due diligence, you may not know that members are responsible for ensuring their BetMGM and MGM Rewards accounts are linked. Understanding the game rules before enrolling in any rewards program will ensure you get all the benefits due to you.

How to Find the Best Online Casino Apps

The best online casino apps provide an extensive array of live and virtual gaming options. Select a highly-rated app from a reputable online casino with positive reviews from both players and experts. Visit the App Store or Google Play to download a casino app of your choosing and take advantage of its new player offer.

Head to your online casino of choice via the offers above

1. Search for the app you wish to download

2. Download the app

3. Install the app 

4. Open the app

5. Create an account 

6. Fund your account

7. Start playing

Ways to Use a Casino's Terms and Conditions to Gamble Safely

Online casinos are exciting and glamorous; that's a large part of their appeal, but about 1% of gamblers become addicted. Casinos have measures to help players control the time or money spent on the site. Players can set time and loss limits, as well as restrict the size of their wagers and deposits. When they hit one of their predetermined limits, the system automatically logs them off the site.

To learn more about online casinos, please refer to our addition casino education content below.

• Casino Gambling Information
• What Is a Casino Random Number Generator?
• Casino Gambling Biases
• Gambler's Fallacy
• Casino Games With the Best Odds
• Do's and Don'ts of Online Casinos
• What Does RTP Mean?
• Online Casinos vs. Live Casinos
• How Do Live Dealer Casinos Work?
• Are Online Casinos Rigged or Legit?
• How to Protect Personal Information

If you'd like to learn more about online gambling, specifically the best online casino brands and the best virtual games to play, check out The Best Real Money Online Casinos in the U.S.

• If you're in New Jersey, read our New Jersey Online Casino page.
• Michigan gamblers can check out our Michigan Online Casino page.
• Bettors in Pennsylvania can learn more by reading our Pennsylvania Online Casino page.
• West Virginia gamers can find out more on our West Virginia Online Casino page.
• Connecticut bettors can check out our Connecticut Online Casino review.
• Gamblers in Delaware can read our Delaware Online Casino review.