Five things to check before accepting a welcome bonus

The bonus looks good. Read the conditions before you accept it, because they decide when, and whether, you can withdraw. These five checks cover the terms that matter most. Each one sits in the offer's full terms, usually linked from the promotion page as "terms and conditions" or "full terms".

1. Who qualifies

Look for the eligibility rules first:

• Is it only for new customers, or only for your first deposit?
• Is there a minimum deposit?
• Are some payment methods excluded from the offer?
• Do you need to verify your account before the bonus is paid?
• Do you have to opt in, and can you decline it when you deposit?

If you don't qualify, the bonus may simply not appear, and that's better to know before you deposit.

2. The wagering requirement, and what it's based on

The wagering requirement is how much you must bet before bonus money (or winnings from it) can be withdrawn. It's usually written as a multiple, such as "5x". The important part is what the multiple applies to.

Here's a hypothetical example. You deposit ₦10,000 and get a ₦10,000 bonus with a 5x requirement.

If wagering is based on	Calculation	You must bet
The bonus only	₦10,000 x 5	₦50,000
Deposit plus bonus	(₦10,000 + ₦10,000) x 5	₦100,000

At ₦1,000 per bet, that's at least 50 bets in the first case and 100 in the second. Same headline, double the betting.

Also check for a minimum odds rule. Bets below it may not count towards wagering at all.

3. When it expires

Bonuses usually come with a deadline to complete the wagering, and sometimes a separate deadline to use free bets. Note the exact date and time. If the terms don't say which time zone, ask support, since a deadline in another time zone can end hours earlier than you think in WAT.

4. Excluded games, markets and limits

Look for:

• games or markets that don't count towards wagering
• a maximum stake while the bonus is active
• a maximum cash-out from bonus winnings

A maximum cash-out can cap what you take home, however much you win with the bonus.

5. What happens when you withdraw

This one catches people out. Some terms cancel the bonus, and any winnings from it, if you withdraw before wagering is complete. Some lock your own deposit until the wagering is done. Read this part before you deposit, not after you've won.

If you've already got a withdrawal stuck on pending, our guide on what to check when a withdrawal is pending walks through it.

The short version

Find the full terms, then write down five things: who qualifies, the wagering multiple and its basis, the expiry date, the exclusions and limits, and the withdrawal rule. If any of them is missing or unclear, ask support in writing before you accept. If you can't get a clear answer, it's fine to skip the offer.

When we check a specific offer, the conditions and our worked example go in Bonus Checks.