Casino bonuses for table games are only rarely found and often linked to high wagering requirements. Furthermore, and in contrast to online slots, for example, real money stakes on table games either do not count in full or only partially count towards the playthrough (further details below). Naturally, this only applies if such an offer is claimed, regardless of whether it is a table game or slots bonus. Players that wager without a casino bonus do not need to worry about the games played or stake limits.
Bonus for table games – what to look out for
The points to look out for include:
- Does the casino provide a typical offer defined as a bonus for table games with 100% offsetting of wagering (weighting)?
- If not – does the casino weight the wagers on table games at all?
- If yes – what proportion (%) of the wagers counts towards the playthrough?
- Can participation in (ineligible) table games that are not stipulated in the bonus conditions lead to cancellation of the bonus and/or of any winnings that have been achieved?
Offsetting of wagering and ineligible table games
Bonus defined for table games: Wagers with a bonus defined for table games are always weighted at 100%. Compared to slots bonuses, the playthrough is generally somewhat higher.
Wagering example: Assume that $100 (or currency equivalent) is claimed as a bonus for table games. This must be wagered 40 times = $4,000 is the playthrough that applies. Wagers at blackjack are weighted at 100%. This means that the full $10 of a $10 wager count towards the playthrough ($4,000). In theory, 400 hands at $10 each must be played in order to reach the playthrough target.
Restricted offset of wagers: As mentioned previously, most online casinos will only contribute a small percentage of the wagers on blackjack, baccarat, roulette, etc., if at all, due to the low house advantage for the casino. Players with a smart betting strategy can theoretically release a bonus for table games relatively easily. In order to prevent this, casino games with a low house edge are either excluded in the bonus conditions, and/or playing on tables is subject to various terms and conditions. These should be observed, as playing these casino games can be perceived as a misuse of the bonus (irregular play), which may lead to the bonus and/or winnings being revoked (this is also frequently a question of goodwill on the part of the online casino).
Wagering example: Assume that a $100 bonus (or currency equivalent) has been claimed. This should be wagered 30 times = $3,000 is the playthrough that applies. Wagers at blackjack are weighted at 20%. This means that $2 of every $10 wager count towards the playthrough ($3,000). In theory, 1,500 hands at $10 each must be played in order to reach the playthrough target.
Further rules and playing ineligible table games
A series of other rules must be observed alongside the differences in game weighting (e.g. 20% in the case of blackjack). The following points are irrelevant for players who do not have a manipulative strategy. However, players that follow strategies with the objective of creating an advantage will, sooner or later, fall foul of the interpretation of the bonus conditions as well as the general terms and conditions. The following extracts of rules cover this topic in greater detail (original version from the general terms and conditions of various gaming portals):
- Minimal risk wagering, such as betting both RED and BLACK on roulette, or betting on more than two-thirds of the roulette table do not contribute towards the bonus wagering requirements and are judged as a misuse of the bonus.
- Placing bets of 30% or more of the deposited amount in a single gaming round before the wagering requirements have been met is not permitted.
- Systematically placing high value bets on a game which contributes less than 30% of the wager towards the wagering requirements (such as all table games, card games, video poker, etc.), followed by switching to a game which contributes a greater amount of the wager towards playthrough (such as slot machines, casual games, scratch cards, etc.) and placing bets of lower value than the current average bet size is not permitted.
Please note: The points listed above should be only seen as guidelines. Not every casino on the Internet applies these rules, or they can differ in the details. Bonus rules in particular and also, if necessary, the general terms and conditions should always be checked out.
Even if you intend to play without a casino bonus, it is never a bad idea to take a look at the conditions in advance. Various casinos may even stipulate conditions on betting limits that even apply to casino deposits made by the player. In such a case the provider is most likely not to be recommended.
Note: It is generally inadvisable to play games that are not eligible / do not qualify – these are always listed in the casino’s terms and conditions. Those who still wish to play these games should contact the customer support team first to find out how casino wagers on these games are handled – see the above examples.
Further tips for casino bonuses in table games
As mentioned previously, real money bets on table games are often partially or not at all weighted with regard to releasing an online casino bonus. If you have an idea of the games or the software used by a casino then it is possible to evaluate in advance what the bonus conditions on table games are likely to be.
- Typical Playtech casinos: Gaming portals that are based on Playtech software are, compared to other providers, characterized by a relatively good weighting on table games (exceptions may apply). Table game wagers are generally weighted with approx. 10% to 25%.
- Typical Microgaming casinos: Although pure Microgaming casinos are characterized by a very wide selection of table games alongside online slot machines, wagers on these games are generally not weighted (exceptions may apply – looking at the bonus conditions of the relevant casino is recommended).
- Casinos with games from several software providers: At the beginning these were often pure NetEnt casinos, which over time also included games from other software providers. This type of no download casino has since become standard. Even portals that are traditional download casinos are gradually changing over to this model. In most cases the weighting of the stakes on table games is between 0% and 10% (however, exceptions always apply).