Check Out The Latest Christmas Casino Bonuses »
Lucky Mobile Slots
Narrow down your search for top slots with our Advanced Slot Search
Blog

How Do You Use Bonus Money in Online Casino?

What’s the difference between bonus money and real money at online casinos? And exactly what is the best way to use casino bonuses? Can I even withdraw it?

Updated Sep 16th, 2022
How To Use Bonus Money In Casinos Online
How To Use Bonus Money In Casinos Online
18+

You don’t walk into a land-based casino and expect to be given a loaded credit card of money to play on slots. Yet most of us wouldn’t think of signing up for an online casino without taking a casino bonus offer, thinking it’s free money.

Bonus money is rarely real money. Because if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

You use the bonus money in online casinos to play any of the games on the gambling site. This bonus money can only be used at the casino that has given it to you and cannot be withdrawn immediately. To withdraw bonus money, or any winnings made using bets placed with casino bonus money, you need to clear the wagering requirements first.

If this all seems too complicated, don’t worry. We take you through the simple steps of what a bonus is, how to use it, and (if you are lucky) how to withdraw it.

What is a casino bonus?

A casino bonus is extra money added to your account as a ‘bonus.’ In many ways, it resembles real money because when you open up a slot machine, you can play with the bonus money as you would with real deposit money.

Choose your bet amount, spin, and win or lose.

The difference is that with real money you’ve deposited, if you gamble and win, you can withdraw the winnings immediately. It’s your money to do whatever you like.

If you play and win with a casino bonus, any winnings are placed in your bonus balance, and you need to play through the wagering requirements before you can withdraw a single cent.

Casumo Casino Logo
Casumo Casino provides you with a wide range of casino slots full of bonus features and big win potential. Play huge jackpot slots or enjoy their bonus-filled casino loyalty program. Go take Casumo for a spin with or without their welcome bonus and we bet it won't dissapoint.

Try CasumoCasumo Review

18+ Please Gamble Responsibly. Wagering Requirements - T&Cs Apply

Related: What should I be asking myself about casino bonuses?

What does bonus balance mean?

Most good mobile casinos online will split your pots of money: one with the cash you deposited, the other with any bonus money you’ve accumulated via offers or free spins.

The bonus balance holds all the bonus money you’ve received so far. You only use the bonus money if you run out of cash in your real money pot. If you withdraw your real money pot before using the bonus, you forfeit the bonus.

A casino bonus is like a safety net that allows you to keep on playing, even once you run out of money. But unlike real money, the bonus money still belongs to the casino.

The best use of bonus money at online casinos

Think of casino bonus money like game tokens. You can use it to try new slot machines, check out features, try and hit those elusive free spins. What you probably can’t do is withdraw the bonus.

Bonus money has wagering requirements, usually somewhere between 30x to 40x. So if you are given a no deposit casino bonus of £€$30 with 35 times wagering requirement, you would need to play £€$1050 worth of bet (with the bonus money) to then be able to withdraw.

It’s one of the top 5 reasons why casinos won’t pay out winnings – because players are not aware of how the wagering requirements work.

If it all seems like an impossible sum, that’s because it usually is. You would have to have some crazy wins to clear the wagering. And while it’s not impossible (we’ve seen it happen), it’s pretty rare.

It’s why you should always use a casino bonus calculator before you take an offer.

So how do you use bonus money in Online Casino?

The system is pretty much automatic. You don’t have to do a thing.

  1. Sign up to one of our recommended online casinos
  2. Click yes on offers and promotions
  3. When you deposit you will be automatically added a bonus to your casino account
  4. The casino will automatically use the bonus money once you run out of real funds

Remember that you can accept a bonus but not use it if you don’t want to. You can forfeit the bonus money whenever you want.

Grand Mondial Casino Logo
Grand Mondial casino provides you with Microgaming slots and their exclusive Studios games. Play Mega Moolah Jackpots with your bonus and enjoy the whole collection of real money slot machines from Microgaming.

Try Grand MondialGrand Mondial Review

18+ Please Gamble Responsibly. Wagering Requirements - T&Cs Apply

What’s the use of bonus casino funds?

It’s like free drinks at the slots in Vegas. The casino gives you a little happy boost to keep you seated and playing. But, unlike with Vegas, you can keep a clear head and use it wisely:

  • Play brand new slots – test the new machines to see if you like them before using your deposit money.
  • Play new types of casino games – always been a little afraid of Megaways slots? Tempted to try online scratchcards or bingo? Now is the time.
  • Play progressive jackpot slots – they have the worst odd in slots, but who cares? You can win millions in one spin, whether it’s bonus money or real money.
  • Test the online casino – if it’s a brand new site, have a play with bonus money to see that the games don’t crash, what the customer service has to say, and how easy it is to deposit, play and withdraw.
  • Play slot tournaments – many casinos, such as Videoslots or Casumo, will allow you to use bonus money to play in their slot tournaments. You might only be able to win bonus prizes, but it’s a bonus for a bonus, and you get to try fun new games.
  • Play, Win, Withdraw – It’s rare but not impossible.

And if all else fails, a nice little bonus can help you place a few bets before payday to scratch that casino itch safely.

What’s the best online casino bonus?

We always focus on the quality of the casino first, and then the quality of the bonus. Because making sure that the casino pays out on time, provides a safe place to play, and has the right slots, is more important than the latest casino promotions on offer.

The best option is to find an online casino with low or no wagering requirements on their bonus.

That said, it’s fun to get casino bonuses – for all the reasons we’ve mentioned above and more. No matter how rational we are, even our eyes glitter with excitement when we play with bonus money and win big.

Rizk Casino Logo
Play hundreds of slots from top slots providers like NetEnt, Microgaming and more and with slot tournaments, rewarding loyalty program and fast cash outs as standard.

Try RizkRizk Review

18+ Please Gamble Responsibly. Wagering Requirements - T&Cs Apply

Play at Rizk casino

Rizk Casino is a great gambling site. They don’t give you a strong welcome offer (in the UK, you don’t get a welcome bonus at all), but that’s because once you start playing, you’ll soon get plenty of extra casino bonuses.

The Wheel of Rizk is tied to its loyalty program. As you progress through the casino, you level up. You then spin a wheel and are guaranteed a casino bonus with no wagering requirements – each and every time.

Everything you win is yours to keep – just like real cash.

Add some fantastic games, an easy-to-use site, and friendly customer service; you can see why that welcome bonus isn’t that important to us. Instead they’ve given you a fair and fun space where you can win, with or without a bonus.

Head on over and see exactly what we are talking about.

CASINO OF THE MONTH - December 2024

Get 150 Welcome Spins to win Massive Jackpot for €$10 Deposit

Grand Mondial Casino Logo
Licenced In: Malta, UK
Play at Grand Mondial Grand Mondial Review
Full T&Cs Apply - #Ad. 18+ New Customers Only. Min Deposit, Full T&Cs Apply, & Bonus Wagering Requirements Apply. Please Gamble Responsibly. www.begambleaware.org

Take Our Top Rated Casinos For A Spin

Enjoy playing slots online at licensed casinos which offer bonuses, promotions and thousands of casino games to bet on.
Swift Casino
Get 100% Bonus + 50 Free Spins on Book of Dead (Use Bonus Code SWIFT)
Full T&Cs Apply - #Ad. 18+ New Customers Only. Min Deposit, Full T&Cs Apply, & Bonus Wagering Requirements Apply. Please Gamble Responsibly. www.begambleaware.org
Show More
Mr Vegas
100% up to €$200 + 11 No Wagering Free Spins
Full T&Cs Apply - #Ad. 18+ New Customers Only. Min Deposit, Full T&Cs Apply, & Bonus Wagering Requirements Apply. Please Gamble Responsibly. www.begambleaware.org
Show More
Rizk
100% Bonus up to €100 + 50 Free Spins + Wheel of Rizk Free Spin
Full T&Cs Apply - #Ad. 18+ New Customers Only. Min Deposit, Full T&Cs Apply, & Bonus Wagering Requirements Apply. Please Gamble Responsibly. www.begambleaware.org
Show More
Hyper Casino
Get 20 No Deposit Free Spins + 100% up to €100 1st Deposit Bonus
Full T&Cs Apply - #Ad. 18+ New Customers Only. Min Deposit, Full T&Cs Apply, & Bonus Wagering Requirements Apply. Please Gamble Responsibly. www.begambleaware.org
Show More
Casino Friday
100% up to €$500 + 200 Free Spins
Full T&Cs Apply - #Ad. 18+ New Customers Only. Min Deposit, Full T&Cs Apply, & Bonus Wagering Requirements Apply. Please Gamble Responsibly. www.begambleaware.org
Show More
Fun Casino
Exclusive: Get 10 No Deposit Free Spins + Your 100% up to £€$123
Full T&Cs Apply - #Ad. 18+ New Customers Only. Min Deposit, Full T&Cs Apply, & Bonus Wagering Requirements Apply. Please Gamble Responsibly. www.begambleaware.org
Show More
SlotsMillion
Get 100% up to €$200 First Deposit Bonus + 100 Free Spins
Full T&Cs Apply - #Ad. 18+ New Customers Only. Min Deposit, Full T&Cs Apply, & Bonus Wagering Requirements Apply. Please Gamble Responsibly. www.begambleaware.org
Show More
Grand Mondial
Get 150 Welcome Spins to win Massive Jackpot for €$10 Deposit
Full T&Cs Apply - #Ad. 18+ New Customers Only. Min Deposit, Full T&Cs Apply, & Bonus Wagering Requirements Apply. Please Gamble Responsibly. www.begambleaware.org
Show More
Casino Sites

Latest Slot Tips & Insights

Get more slot tips, find in-depth articles into common questions, interviews with top slots providers about their latest releases, and lists of popular slot series in the Lucky Mobile Slots blog.
Casino Blog
Lucky's Top Casino
Swift Casino Bonus UK
Swift Casino UK Welcome Bonus: Get 100% up to £50 + 50 Free Spins
Casino welcome bonuses are the bread and butter of online casinos, promising new players a warm greeting in the form of free spins, bonus cash, and a little extra motivation to sign...
Find Out More

Ad Disclosure

Here at LuckyMobileSlots.com we are committed to providing you with unbiased slots reviews for free. In order to continue this we have affiliate links on our site from our trusted partners from which we may earn money at no extra cost to you. This helps us keep LuckyMobileSlots.com free for everyone to enjoy.
Close