Listen to this article:It is vital that you properly understand online bingo sites and casino bonus terms if you are going to take full advantage of bonus offers. However, a recent survey suggests that they may be causing a great deal of confusion, as it found that only 22% of UK players consider terms and conditions easy to understand.
The survey questioned 1,915 UK gamblers about their experiences with the terms found at bingo and casino sites. While 22% described them as easy to understand, 35% said they were difficult, and another 43% chose neither easy nor difficult.
Interestingly, this does not appear to be because players ignore the small print. Three-quarters of those questioned said they look at reviews before joining a gambling site, while 60% said they read the terms and conditions before claiming a promotion.
The results suggest there is plenty of room for improvement when it comes to presenting bonus terms clearly. Although only 35% specifically described terms as difficult to understand, the fact that just 22% found them easy means that more than three-quarters of those questioned were confident in their ability to understand them.
This is very important when it comes to bingo and casino bonuses. The main part of an offer may be straightforward, such as a deposit match or a number of free spins, but the actual value of the promotion greatly depends on the conditions attached.
These can determine how much needs to be wagered, which games can be played, how long the bonus remains valid and whether there is a limit on the amount that can eventually be withdrawn. The survey also looked at academic research into legal writing, which found that contracts often make heavy use of uncommon jargon, passive language and complicated sentence structures. A later study involving lawyers found that even legal professionals preferred contracts written in plain English.
For bingo players, understanding an offer involves far more than the simple headline bonus amount. One of the most important conditions is the wagering requirement. This tells players how many times they must play through bonus funds before any resultant winnings can be withdrawn.
For example, a £10 bonus with a 10x wagering requirement would require £100 worth of qualifying play before the requirement had been completed. Game contribution can make things slightly more complicated. Different games do not always count equally towards wagering, and some may not count at all. Slots can sometimes contribute 100% to wagering requirements, but unfortunately, bingo and table games often contribute a smaller amount or don’t contribute at all.
This is particularly important for bingo players looking for offers that can be used across several parts of a gambling site. Just because a bonus is advertised next to bingo games, it does not necessarily mean that bingo games contribute to the wagering requirements.
The report found five areas that players should pay particular attention to before accepting a bingo or casino promotion.
The first is the wagering requirement, which determines how much qualifying play is required before bonus winnings can be withdrawn.
Players should also check the maximum cash-out. Some promotions place a limit on how much can be withdrawn from winnings generated using bonus funds, regardless of how much is actually won.
Another important condition is game contribution. As mentioned, not every bingo, slot or casino game will necessarily contribute towards wagering at the same rate.
There is also the expiry date. Bonuses generally need to be used and any wagering requirements completed within a set period. If the deadline passes before the conditions have been met, the remaining bonus funds may be removed.
Finally, players need to look for a maximum bet while wagering. Some promotions limit the amount that can be staked on an individual spin or game while bonus funds are active. Exceeding that limit can breach the terms of the offer.
Arguably, the most interesting finding of the survey is the difference between the number of people reading bonus terms and the number who find them straightforward.
60% of those questioned said that they read terms before claiming an offer, so it seems that a sizeable proportion of players are making an effort to understand what they are agreeing to. Yet only 22% of UK players consider terms easy to understand.
For players, the safest approach is to ignore the headline figure for a moment and read the main conditions before claiming any offer. Wagering requirements, eligible games, cash-out limits, expiry periods and maximum stakes make a real difference to how an offer actually works and its value. UK players should always check that the UK Gambling Commission licenses a gambling site before using its services.
Bonus terms are never going to be the most exciting part of playing online bingo. However, with almost four in five players stopping short of describing them as easy to understand, it seems that sites still have a great deal of work to do to make the small print more comprehensible.
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