Many players spend their bonus on a few quick games, then ask for a payout and see part of the balance held back. The rule behind that is wagering, the play-through a bonus must go through before it turns into cash. For your money this means the bonus is a playing fund with conditions attached, not a second wallet you can cash out at will.
How to Claim the Offer
At poker-stars.it.com a new player claims the welcome package in a set order, and skipping a step can leave the bonus uncredited. Work through these steps on the desktop site or the phone browser.
- Register a new account with your real name and address. The details must match the documents you will send later for identity checks.
- Open the cashier and make a first deposit that meets the minimum in the offer description. Anything below that amount will not trigger the bonus.
- Enter the bonus code shown on the offer page only if one is printed there. A wrong or invented code simply leaves the promo unclaimed.
- Wait for the bonus to land in your balance before you play. Starting games too early can mean the stake does not count toward the requirement.
- Choose a game whose contribution fits the terms. Slots usually count in full, while table games and live variants count only in part or not at all.
- Keep your email and phone number reachable. The operator may send a message that must be answered before the bonus is released.
- Set a personal stop point before you start playing. The play-through can absorb many rounds, so decide in advance what you are willing to risk.
The sequence matters more than speed, because a deposit made so the bonus should qualify you. If you deposit before registering the payment method in your profile, the system may not link the two. Take the steps in order and confirm each one in the cashier history before moving to the next.
What the Terms Mean
Most of the questions players send come from four clauses, and the table below shows what each one does to your balance.
| Term | What it means | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Wagering requirement | How much you must stake before bonus money becomes withdrawable | Which games count toward it and whether the base is only the bonus or bonus plus deposit |
| Minimum deposit | The smallest payment that activates the offer | The exact amount and whether a top-up later counts |
| Expiry | The period after which unused bonus money is removed | How long the clock runs and whether it starts at deposit or at credit |
| Maximum bet | The largest stake allowed while a bonus is active | The cap value and whether it applies to the bonus balance only |
| Eligible games | The parts of the casino whose stakes move the requirement forward | Full, partial or zero contribution for slots, table games and live dealer titles |
The clause players misread most is the base the requirement is calculated on. Some offers multiply only the bonus, others multiply deposit and bonus together, and the gap between the two is large. A player who assumes the smaller base will be surprised when the target is much higher.
Game contribution is the second source of confusion, because full, partial and zero look identical on the lobby screen. A slot session at full contribution moves you forward quickly, while a table session may add almost nothing. Mixing the two without checking leaves players stuck at the same target for days.
The maximum bet clause rarely shows up in marketing, but it is enforced during play. A single oversized stake can void the bonus and any winnings built on it. Treat the cap as a hard limit on every spin while bonus money sits in your balance.
Expiry turns an open-ended task into a race. The clock often starts when the bonus is credited, not when you first play. If you are unsure whether you can finish in time, a smaller portion of the bonus is a safer target than the full amount.
None of these clauses is unusual on its own; the risk comes from reading them separately. Together they set a play budget, a pace and a game mix. Read them as one set before your first spin and the path to a withdrawal is clear.
A Worked Example
The numbers below are an illustration only, not the actual terms of any welcome package. They show how the formula behaves so you can repeat it with the real figures.
Take a deposit of 25 and a wagering requirement of forty times the bonus. Suppose the bonus equals the deposit, so the bonus is also 25. The target is 25 multiplied by 40, which gives 1,000 in total stakes.
That 1,000 is turnover, not a fee and not a second payment. Every eligible spin adds its stake toward the figure until the total is reached. The deposit itself stays in your balance unless you spend it on those spins.
If every game contributed in full, the example would need 1,000 in stakes across the session. A partial contribution raises that amount, because only a share of each stake counts. Check the contribution before you pick a game, or the target moves further away.
Suppose you stop with half the target left: bonus money and winnings from it are usually removed at that point. Finishing the requirement releases the bonus for withdrawal under the standard rules. Any remaining deposit is handled separately from the bonus balance.
Free Spins Rules
Free spins usually arrive as a separate credit with their own conditions. They may be added at once or in sets, and each set can carry its own expiry. The wins they produce need play-through unless the offer says otherwise.
Spin values are fixed by the offer, and you cannot change the stake per spin. Any winnings land in a bonus balance rather than in cash. If the terms set a cap on how much those spins can win, only the capped part counts.
Free spins are tied to named slot titles, and switching cannot direct them elsewhere. Using a spin on another game may forfeit it. Check the title list before you start so no spin is wasted.
A common mistake is treating spin wins as spendable cash. They stay inside the bonus balance until the requirement is met. Cashing them out early is not possible, and the withdrawal request may remove them.
Some offers pair spins with a main bonus and share the same deadline. If the deadline passes, the unused spins go with it. Claim them early and play them in the same session as the rest of the offer.
Withdrawing After a Bonus
A payout request is only possible once every part of the bonus has cleared. A remaining spin balance or an unfinished requirement blocks the request. The cashier usually shows which piece is still outstanding.
Identity checks run before the first payout, however small it is. Send clear documents matching your registered name and address. Mismatched details are the most frequent cause of a stalled request.
Deposit money and requirements are handled separately, and the cashier history shows both. Stakes made after the bonus clears no longer count toward it. Withdating
Player requests a payment while part of the balance is still bonus money. The operator may clear bonus funds and keep the cash. Keep a copy of the cashier history before submitting, so the split is clear. Finish the requirement first.
A player ignores an account notice, and the payout waitlist starts again. Check the inbox for messages that need an answer. Old messages can carry a deadline that expired unnoticed.
A player invents a bonus code that the offer never printed. The bonus is never credited, and the deposit plays as cash. Take the code only from the offer page, or leave it empty when none is shown.
Traps to Avoid
Most losses on this kind of offer come from the same few habits rather than from bad luck. The list below names the habits and the fix for each.
- Reading only the headline figure. Check which base the requirement uses, bonus alone or deposit plus bonus. The difference decides how long the task takes.
- Playing only table games. Check the contribution list and give most of the play to full-contribution slots. A table-only session can leave the target untouched.
- Spending a small cash balance before the bonus lands. Wait for credit before your first spin. Stakes made before the bonus enters may not count at all.
- Letting the deadline run while you play elsewhere. Check when the clock starts and plan sessions around it. Finishing early protects the whole balance.
- Ignoring the bet cap in a hot streak. Keep every stake inside the cap while bonus money is active. One oversized stake can void the bonus and its winnings.
- Requesting a payout with a partly finished requirement. Clear the requirement first, then request. A pending request often removes the unfinished bonus.
- Starting with documents out of reach. Keep a clear copy of your ID and proof of address ready. Identity checks add a delay you can plan for.
None of these traps needs special knowledge to avoid; each is a habit you can set before the first spin. Decide your game mix, your bet size and your deadline in one sitting. The bonus then behaves as a clear target rather than a surprise.