Bonus rules and their transparency

1) Why transparent bonus rules are needed

• reduce the risk of conflicts, chargebacks and complaints to regulators,
• increase player confidence and conversion,
• simplified moderation and automatic anti-fraud.

Principles: brevity, unambiguity, one-click availability from each screen, no hidden restrictions and "small print."

2) Glossary of terms (brief)

Wager (WR) - how many times you need to bet the amount of the bonus and/or deposit before withdrawal.
Max Bet - The maximum amount of one bet when the bonus is active.
Contribution of the game (Contribution) -% accounting for bets by type of wager games.
Expiration - WR deadline.
Bonus balance - separate accounting of bonus funds/winnings.
Real funds (Cash) - deposit and net winnings from the deposit.
Forbidden strategies are low-risk/manipulative bonus game patterns.

3) Types of bonuses: what to consider in the rules

1. Welcome/deposit -% to deposit, often with WR on (deposit + bonus) or (bonus).
2. No deposit (NCB) - a small bonus for registration/CUS, high WRs, withdrawal limit.
3. Friespins/freebets - fix. denomination of spins/bets; indicate denomination, games and WR by winnings.
4. Cashback - return part of the loss; happens without WR or with WR≤5.
5. Reload/reactivations - repeated loyalty bonuses.
6. Tournaments/missions/PvP - separate regulations + connection with General Bonus Rules.

4) Honest parameters and formulas

4. 1 Wager

Specify WR base: (bonus) or (deposit + bonus).
Do not retroactively change the WR after activation.

• If WR = 30 × per (bonus) and bonus = 100, then the required bet volume = 3,000.
• If WR = 25 × on (deposit + bonus) with deposit 100 and bonus 100, then volume = 5,000.

4. 2 Max Bet

Specify a fixed amount or% of the bonus (for example, 5 € or 2% of the bonus balance).
Applies to rates as long as the bonus is active and the WR is not executed.

4. 3 Contribution of games

Be sure to post a list of exceptions and games with a reduced contribution.

4. 4 Timing and geo-availability

Activation period (e.g. 72 hours after deposit).
Wagering period (for example, 7-14 days).
In which countries the bonus is available/prohibited.

4. 5 Bonus winnings limit

For loafing/freespins, the upper limit is acceptable (for example, 100-200 €).
For deposit greetings - it is undesirable to limit the "ceiling" of winnings; if limiting, do so clearly and honestly.

5) Write-off order: sequence and block scenarios

1. Cash →

2. Winning with Cash →

3. Bonus funds →

4. Winning with Bonus.

Important: display the active balance and source of funds on the bet. When canceling/refusing a bonus - clearly describe what happens to winnings received from the bonus source.

6) Forbidden strategies and anti-abuse

• Extremely low risk bets (red black, "even money") for the sake of artificial WR.
• Significant volatility change: large rates at low WR and minimal rates at high WR.
• "Two sides of the same outcome "schemes/arbitration between accounts.
• "Matched betting," multi-accounts, device/payment sharing.
• Using VPN/proxy to bypass geo-restrictions, if prohibited.

Sanctions (graduated): warning → withdrawal of the illegitimate part of the winnings → cancellation of the bonus → blocking of the account (in severe cases). Always capture event logs and decision bases.

7) UX transparency: how to show conditions

Short terms next to CTA: WR, Max Bet, games contribution, timing, win limit, geo.
Tooltips/icons: reveal definitions without overload.
WR progress bar: balance, deadline, last bet contribution.
Bonus history: activation, bets, winnings, deductions, moderation decisions.
One touch to full rule text (with anchors to key sections).

Avoid "dark patterns": default auto-options, hidden exceptions, invisible restrictions after activation.

8) Related Policies and Compliance

User Agreement, Privacy Policy, Game Rules, Responsible Play, Payment Policy.
Indicate the Operator's right to conduct KYC/AML/anti-fraud checks based on the law and licensing requirements.
Bonus condition versioning and change log.

9) Analysis of controversial cases (best practice)

Case A: Freespins with WR to win

Clearly state: WR applies to win total from freespins, par spin, slot list.

Case B: Jackpots

Progressive jackpots are usually excluded from WR and bonus play; display this in large print next to the exception list.

Case C: Bonus cancellation

Allow voluntary rejection: the bonus and winnings from it burn out, Cash remains.

Case D: Max Bet offense

Write down: Over the limit bets are not counted in the WR, winnings on them can be canceled.

Case E: Timeout/Self Exclusion

When critical restrictions are activated, the bonus is "frozen" or canceled with a clear Cash return policy.

10) Calculator and examples (for player and support)

• Deposit 100, bonus 100, WR 25 × on (deposit + bonus).
• WR requirement: (100 + 100) × 25 = 5,000.
• Max Bet: 5. Contribution of games: slots 100%, roulette 10%.
• Bet 10 on roulette → in WR will go 1.

• 20 FS 0.20 each; winning 12; WR 30 × to win.
• Requirement WR: 12 × 30 = 360. Term 3 days.

11) Pre-release transparency checklist

• Short terms next to each promo button.
• A complete list of game exceptions and contributions in one table.
• WR progress bar and term timer.
• Open logs of bonus events in the account.
• Clear denial/cancellation policy and impact for violations.
• Localize terms and number formats.
• Versioning and changelog.

12) Bonus Terms Template (copy and adapt)

Bonus terms

Version: [vX. Y] Effective: [date]

1. General provisions

1. 1. These Terms and Conditions govern participation in bonus promotions ("Bonuses") on [domain/app].
1. 2. By participating, you acknowledge that you have read these Terms and Conditions, the User Agreement, the Privacy Policy, and the Gaming Rules.

2. Accessibility and geo-constraints

2. 1. Bonuses are available only to adult users from permitted countries.
2. 2. The platform has the right to limit participation in geolocation, currency and history of violations.

3. Activation and deadline

3. 1. Activation period: up to [X hours/days] after the deposit/receipt of the offer.
3. 2. Payout period: [X days] from the moment of activation, unless otherwise specified in the offer.
3. 3. Upon expiration, the outstanding WR will void the bonus and associated winnings.

4. Vager and the contribution of games

4. 1. Wager: [WR ×] on [(bonus )/( deposit + bonus )/( winnings from freespins)].
4. 2. Contribution of games: slots - [100%], desktop - [10-25%], live - [10-20%], progressive jackpots - [0%].
4. 3. A complete list of exclusions and contributions is published in Appendix A.

5. Maximum rate

5. 1. With an active bonus, the maximum bet is [amount/currency] per rotation/round.
5. 2. Bets over the limit are not counted in the WR, winnings on them can be canceled.

6. Balance sheets and write-off order

6. 1. Cash → Cash → Bonus winnings → Bonus winnings.
6. 2. Cancellation of the bonus is possible at any time; in this case, the bonus and winnings from it are canceled, Cash is saved.

7. Winning limits (if applicable)

7. 1. For no deposit/freespins, the output limit can be [amount].
7. 2. For deposit welcome bonuses, limits do not apply, unless otherwise specified in the offer.

8. Forbidden strategies

8. 1. Prohibited: multi-accounts, arbitration, bypassing geo-restrictions, low-risk WR stuffing schemes, collusions and the use of bots/scripts.
8. 2. Sanctions: warning, cancellation of bonus/illegitimate winnings, account blocking (in severe cases).

9. Cashback (if any)

9. 1. The cashback is calculated from the net loss for the period and may have a WR [≤5×/0×].
9. 2. Accrual threshold, settlement days and exclusions are specified in the offer.

10. Tournaments/Missions/PvP

10. 1. The terms of scoring, tie-break, prize pool and account requirements are described in the promotion regulations.
10. 2. Violation of the rules entails recalculation of results and sanctions.

11. Responsible play

11. 1. Limit and self-exclusion tools are available in the account.
11. 2. When self-exclusion is activated, bonuses are canceled; Cash - under the Payment Policy.

12. Inspections and compliance

12. 1. The platform has the right to conduct KYC/AML/anti-fraud checks. For the period of verification, operations can be suspended.
12. 2. With confirmed violations, bonuses and illegal winnings are canceled.

13. Changes in conditions

13. 1. The current version is published on the website; significant changes are notified.
13. 2. Changes are not applied retroactively to bonuses that are already active.

14. Contacts and disputes

14. 1. Bonus questions: [support @ domain].
14. 2. Disputes shall be considered in accordance with the procedure established by the User Agreement.

Appendix A. Game Contributions and Exclusions

(Publish a table with exact slot/category names,% contribution, exceptions, and progressive jackpot notation.)

13) Operational maturity: what to set up in the product

Config bonuses as "truth" (single source of truth) + version of the conditions in the offer.
WR progress bar, deadline timer and Max Bet/games contribution tooltips.
Log of bonus events (activation, bets, wins, moderation decisions) - we see the player.
Anti-abuse auto-checks (rules, scoring, VPN/multi-device signals).
Export logs for analyzing claims and auditing.

14) Mini Compliance Checklist

• Clear WR formulas and calculation bases.
• Max Bet is listed next to CTA.
• Full contribution/exclusion table.
• Clear opt-out/cancel policy.
• Lack of "dark patterns."
• Logs and decision history are available to the player.
• Condition versioning and change log.
• Localization to key markets.

How to use this article

1. Take the Bonus Conditions template and fill in the variables (WR, Max Bet, dates, contribution, exceptions).
2. Double-check UX transparency: brief conditions for each button, WR progress bar, timer and logs.
3. Coordinate with lawyer/compliance and post with version and changelog.
4. Set up violation monitoring and operational sanctions playbooks.