Lesson 4 of 12 · 4 min
Deposit bonus
“100% up to 100” sounds like doubling your money. The picture shows a deposit. You paid in 100, and the bonus account shows 100 on a chain. You cannot withdraw 200. The chain is the wagering requirement, the minimum odds, the max bet and the expiry. While the chain is in place, this is not bankroll. Your unit (a standard stake, usually 1% of the bankroll) is calculated from your own money, not from the banner. Otherwise your 1 unit jumps before wagering has even started.
A deposit bonus in plain words
A deposit match is marketing for your deposit. The bookmaker wants turnover. You get the right to play through. If the bonus part is still there after the turnover, it may become cash. If not, you have played through your own 100 and lost on top. A 50% match looks “softer” than 100% on paper, but it often has the same ×N. Do not compare percentages; compare turnover and max bet.
How it works
Split it in your diary into a cash stack and a bonus stack. 1 unit is based on cash. Do not increase your stake with bonus money “because it was a gift”. Do not deposit beyond your bankroll stop list “to get the full match”. The stop list from the bankroll course outranks any banner. Complete KYC before you withdraw, not after the chain is cleared and you are in a hurry.
- Your own 100 and the bonus 100 are two separate piles.
- 1 unit from your own money.
- Work out the turnover before you deposit.
- Do not break your deposit limit for a percentage.
Example with numbers
Bankroll 200, deposit limit 50 a day. The offer is 100% up to 100. To “get the whole match” you would need to deposit 100, which is two days of your limit, or breaking it. The school's way: deposit 50 within the limit, get a 50 match, do honest turnover and leave the banner unfilled. A percentage left unclaimed costs less than a broken limit.
| Account | Money | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Cash | your own | yes, 1% |
| Bonus (locked) | on the chain | no |
| After WR and withdrawal | cash | recalculate the bankroll |
Common mistakes
- 1 unit based on 200 while 100 is locked.
- Topping up deposits beyond your limit.
- Withdrawing before the WR is complete.
- Confusing a deposit match with a no-deposit bonus.
What to write in your diary
Cash and bonus as two separate numbers. The WR, before you deposit.
Free bet, KYC. Next: no-deposit bonus.
18+ only. This is a lesson, not a tip or a call to bet. Bonulist is an editorial guide to licensed bookmakers; we do not take bets.