How to clear a casino bonus

What clearing a casino bonus actually means

Clearing a bonus means placing enough qualifying bets to meet its wagering requirement, after which the bonus balance turns into money you can withdraw. Until then, the casino treats your winnings as conditional. Break a rule along the way and the bonus, plus anything won with it, can be removed.

It's not about winning a set amount. You can clear a bonus and finish with less than you deposited, or bust out halfway. The wagering target only measures how much you've bet, and every one of those bets carries the house edge. Our casino bonuses hub has the wider picture on how offers are built.

Step one: work out your wagering target in dollars

Start with the multiple and what it applies to. Some casinos apply it to the bonus only, others to the deposit plus the bonus, which roughly doubles or triples the work. All three casinos on this page are reported or published as using deposit plus bonus.

The arithmetic for Royal Ace: $100 + $200 = $300, and $300 × 30 = $9,000. Slot Madness: $100 + $275 = $375, times 30 = $11,250. SlotoCash: $300 × 25 = $7,500. Royal Ace's and Slot Madness's terms come from third-party reviews because their own sites weren't readable, and Royal Ace's offer is reported differently by different sources, so check the cashier before you start.

Which games count toward clearing a bonus

Bonus money is built for slots. Table games and video poker are usually excluded, count at a reduced rate, or carry a higher multiple. Playing an excluded game can void the bonus outright, so this rule matters as much as the target.

A 60x rule on blackjack doubles the target. At Royal Ace, the $300 example would need $18,000 in blackjack bets instead of $9,000 on slots. Our game weighting page explains the different ways casinos discount table games, and what games count toward wagering has the short answer.

Bet sizing and the max bet rule

Most bonus terms cap the size of each bet while the bonus is active. SlotoCash's welcome terms set it at $10 per spin. Royal Ace and Slot Madness don't have a confirmed max bet in the sources we have, so ask support and get the answer in writing before you raise your stake.

Bet size changes how many spins clearing takes, not the expected cost. At $1 a spin, SlotoCash's $7,500 target is 7,500 spins. At $5 it's 1,500 spins. The expected loss is the same in both cases because it depends on total bets, but bigger bets mean bigger swings and a higher chance of busting before you finish. Our bankroll management guide covers stake sizing.

Breaking the max bet even once can void a bonus. If the slot has a buy feature or a bet-max button, check how the terms treat it before using it.

How to track bonus clearing progress

Some casinos show a wagering counter in the account area; others don't. Either way, a simple log protects you if a dispute comes up, especially since SlotoCash's terms give only 14 days to raise one and treat the server's records as final.

1. Record the deposit, bonus amount, code and time it was credited.
2. Note the target in dollars and the expiry date, or 90 days from redemption if that's the casino's general rule.
3. Play only eligible games and record your stake size.
4. Check the casino's wagering display after each session, or ask live chat for the remaining amount.
5. When the target is reached, confirm with support that the bonus has converted before requesting a withdrawal.
6. Verify your identity before you request a payout, so the request isn't held up.

Read our wagering requirements explainer for how casinos count partial bets and rounding.

What clearing a bonus costs you on average

Expected loss while clearing equals total bets times the house edge. For slots, the house edge is 100% minus the RTP. We use an assumed 96% RTP below as an example, not a figure for any particular game, and compare it with Sweet 16, which SlotCatalog reports at 96.25%.

In all three cases the average cost of clearing is larger than the bonus. That doesn't mean everyone loses; slots are volatile and some sessions end well ahead. It does mean a bonus is a way to get more play for your deposit, not a source of profit. The bonus value calculator method page walks through the full formula, including caps.

Worked example: clearing the SlotoCash five-deposit welcome bonus

Multi-deposit packages are cleared one deposit at a time, so the work adds up fast. SlotoCash's own site lists a five-part welcome package, each part with its own code, and its welcome terms say the bonuses must be claimed in order and wagered at 25x deposit plus bonus. Here is what clearing every stage would take if you deposited $100 each time.

The fifth stage shows the math: $100 + $177 = $277, and $277 × 25 = $6,925. Across all five stages you would place $31,925 in bets to release $777 in bonus money, with an average cost of about $1,277 at the assumed RTP. Each stage also comes with free spins on a named slot, such as Sweet 16 on the third deposit.

Two cautions apply. The package on SlotoCash's site ($7,777 + 300 spins) differs from the $6,000 + 60 spins offer via our link, so the terms shown when you sign up are the ones that count. And SlotoCash doesn't publish per-deposit caps, although LCB lists $2,000 on each of the first two stages. Our deposit match explainer, SlotoCash bonus codes page and bonus expiry guide cover the details.

Max cashout: what you can take home after clearing

Clearing the wagering doesn't always free the whole balance. A max cashout rule can cap what you withdraw from bonus play, and anything above the cap is removed.

• Royal Ace: LCB reports a max cashout of 10x the deposit, so $1,000 on a $100 deposit.
• Slot Madness: LCB and esports.gg report no max cashout on MAD275.
• SlotoCash: the casino's homepage says no max cashout on the welcome bonus; free bonuses are capped at $200.
• Planet 7 (for comparison): LCB reports a $1,000 cap on its WELCOME200 offer.

Weekly withdrawal limits are a separate brake. Royal Ace and Slot Madness are reported at $2,500 a week and $5,000 a month, and SlotoCash's banking page shows $5,000 a week and $20,000 a month. Our weekly withdrawal limits guide explains how larger balances are paid in installments.

Why bonus winnings get voided while clearing

Almost every voided bonus traces back to a handful of rules. Knowing them before you start is cheaper than arguing afterward.

• Playing an excluded game, such as a progressive at SlotoCash or roulette at Silver Oak.
• Betting above the max bet, even for one spin.
• Letting the bonus expire; SlotoCash's general terms give 90 days from redemption.
• Requesting a withdrawal while the bonus is still active, which can forfeit it.
• Opening a second account or sharing details, which every casino treats as bonus abuse.

On Planet 7, LCB reports that Banana Jones and Fish Catch can't be played with coupon-code funds and that winnings there are void, a good example of a game-specific exclusion. Our answer on why a bonus was removed explains how to challenge a removal.

When to stop clearing a casino bonus

You don't have to finish. If the balance is low, the expiry is close or the play has stopped being fun, forfeiting is a sensible choice. Treat the deposit as the cost of entertainment, not money to win back.

Watch for signs that clearing has become a chase: raising stakes to finish faster, depositing again to keep a bonus alive, or playing longer than planned. Our guide to chasing losses explains why that pattern is risky. If gambling stops feeling like a choice, the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738) offers free, confidential call, text and chat support through NCPG (opens in a new tab), and our responsible gambling hub has more tools.

Clearing a bonus at an offshore casino: what US players should know

Royal Ace, Slot Madness and SlotoCash are offshore and not licensed by any US state. Third-party sources disagree on their licenses: Royal Ace is listed as Costa Rica by AskGamblers and as unlicensed by LCB and Casino Guru, and Slot Madness is variously reported as Anjouan, Costa Rica or unlicensed. If a casino voids a bonus, there's no state regulator to appeal to.

State law decides legality, and only a handful of states license online casinos. See is it illegal to play at offshore casinos and the comparison of offshore and state-licensed casinos for the protections that differ.

Casinos with clearable bonuses via our links

These three partners publish or are reported to use slot-focused wagering at 25x to 30x deposit plus bonus, which is why they appear on a clearing guide. They're offshore casinos, not licensed by any US state, so check your state's law before joining. Offers are for new players aged 21+ (18+ where allowed), and terms apply. We earn a commission from sign-ups, and the order is commercial.

• Royal Ace Casino: $2,500 Welcome Bonus + 35 Free Spins, via our link (new players, 21+ or 18+ where allowed, terms apply). Third-party reviews report 30x (deposit + bonus) on slots, 60x on blackjack and video poker, a max cashout of 10x the deposit and card deposits from $30.
• Slot Madness Casino: $2,500 Welcome Bonus + 50 Free Spins, via our link (new players, 21+ or 18+ where allowed, terms apply). Third-party reviews report 30x (deposit + bonus) on slots, no max cashout and a $30 minimum on its 275% code.
• SlotoCash Casino: $6,000 Welcome Bonus + 60 Free Spins, via our link (new players, 21+ or 18+ where allowed, terms apply). The casino's bonus terms (opens in a new tab) state 25x (deposit + bonus), a $20 minimum per bonus, a $10 max bet and no max cashout.

Third-party terms for Royal Ace and Slot Madness come from LCB's Royal Ace listing (opens in a new tab) and LCB's Slot Madness listing (opens in a new tab). Full details sit in our Royal Ace welcome bonus, Slot Madness welcome bonus and SlotoCash review pages.

21+ (18+ where allowed). Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: responsible gambling tools and free help. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738).