Last session you claimed a bonus and then dipped into a game that barely counts toward the playthrough, so your balance moved but your progress stalled. The condition players misread most is wagering: it is not a timer and it is not a suggestion, it decides how much play your bonus needs before any of it can leave the account. That single rule changes what your money is doing while the bonus sits in your balance.
Activating the Bonus
Claiming the offer is a short sequence, and each step has a rule attached that decides whether the bonus lands in your account at all.
- Sign in to your account before you do anything else. A bonus claimed while logged out cannot be tied to your profile.
- Move to the bonus or promotions area of the cashier. That is where the offer appears once your account is eligible.
- Select the offer and confirm it. Confirming is what attaches the bonus to your balance; browsing alone does nothing.
- Make your first qualifying deposit after the bonus is active. A deposit made before you confirm will not count toward the offer.
- Enter the bonus code if one is required. Without the code, the system treats the deposit as an ordinary one.
- Open the bonus details and note the game restriction. Games outside the list do not add to your playthrough.
- Start playing only after the bonus shows in your balance. Play before it appears is counted as regular play.
Each step protects the next one, and skipping any of them usually means the offer never activates. Confirm the bonus before you deposit, because the order of those two actions is fixed. A code entered after the deposit is often too late, so have it ready beforehand. The bonus details screen is the place where the game restriction and the playthrough requirement sit together. Reading them before your first spin saves you from playing games that do not count. Players who activate the bonus first and then deposit avoid the most common failure. Once the bonus is in your balance, the terms of that specific offer are the ones that apply.
Bonus Terms Explained
The table below sets out the terms that decide whether your bonus converts, and what each one means in practice.
| Term | What it means | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Wagering requirement | How much play the bonus needs before withdrawal | The multiplier and whether it applies to the bonus alone or bonus plus deposit |
| Game contribution | How much of each bet counts toward wagering | Which games count in full and which count partially |
| Free spins | Spins credited under the offer with their own rules | Which game they are tied to and when they expire |
| Maximum bet | The largest stake allowed while the bonus is active | The cap that applies during wagering |
| Expiry | The window in which the playthrough must be finished | When the bonus and any winnings from it lapse |
The term players misread most is game contribution, because it looks like a minor detail and behaves like a multiplier on your effort. A game that contributes a fraction of each bet means you must play far longer to clear the same requirement, even though your balance falls at the normal rate. Players often assume every game counts equally, then wonder why progress is slow. The contribution rate is listed per game, and the differences are large enough to change your plan. Choosing a full-contribution game is the single decision that speeds up wagering most. The maximum bet term is the second one that catches players, because a single large stake can void the bonus.
A Worked Example
This is an illustrative example only, not the actual terms of www.poker-stars.it.com. The numbers are chosen to show how the formula behaves, so treat them as a teaching tool rather than an offer description. Every brand sets its own figures, and the ones here are round numbers meant to be easy to follow. Follow the arithmetic, then apply the same steps to whatever figures your own bonus shows.
The formula starts with the amount the requirement is applied to. In this example the deposit is 10 and the wagering multiplier is 45. The requirement is the base amount multiplied by the multiplier. That gives a total playthrough figure you must reach before any bonus-derived money can be withdrawn.
With a deposit of 10 and a multiplier of 45, the playthrough target is 450 in total bets. That is not 450 you must deposit; it is 450 you must stake over time. Each bet you place reduces the remaining requirement by the amount the game contributes. The distinction between depositing and staking is where many players first go wrong.
Now bring in game contribution. If a game contributes in full, a bet of 5 reduces the requirement by 5. If a game contributes at half rate, the same bet of 5 reduces it by 2.5. To clear the same 450, you would need twice as many bets at the half-rate game. This is why the contribution table matters more than the headline multiplier.
Add the maximum bet rule to the example. Suppose the cap is a modest stake and you place a larger one while the bonus is active. The bet may clear part of the requirement, but the breach can void the bonus and any winnings tied to it. Sticking to the cap keeps the playthrough valid. A single oversized stake can undo hours of progress.
Finally, consider expiry. If the playthrough must be finished within a window and you spread your play thinly, the requirement can lapse with the bonus still unsettled. Plan your sessions so the target is reachable inside the window. The worked example ends here, but the same three inputs, base amount, multiplier and contribution, drive every bonus you will meet.
How Free Spins Work
Free spins are a separate part of the offer with their own rules, even when they arrive alongside a deposit bonus. They are usually tied to one named game, and spins taken on another game do not count. The value of each spin is fixed by the offer, so the stake is not yours to choose. Winnings from spins often land in a bonus balance rather than your cash balance.
Spins usually carry an expiry of their own, which can be shorter than the main bonus window. Unused spins simply disappear when that window closes, and no credit replaces them. Players who save spins for later often find they are gone. Use them within the stated period to get any value from them.
Winnings from free spins frequently come with a wagering requirement attached. That requirement can differ from the one on your deposit bonus, so the two are not interchangeable. Mixing the two balances can make progress hard to read. Keep track of which balance each win lands in before you plan your play.
Some offers cap how much you can win from free spins, and anything above the cap is removed. This cap applies to the spin winnings, not to your deposit. Players who hit a large win on spins sometimes find the excess trimmed at conversion. Knowing the cap in advance sets realistic expectations for the session.
The spins are managed inside your account, and the phone browser is enough to use them on the go. There is no separate download involved in claiming or playing them. The www.poker-stars.it.com bonus area shows the spin balance and the game they are tied to. Opening that area on your phone before you play tells you what is left to use.
Free spins and the main bonus can expire on different schedules, so treat them as two separate tasks. Clear the spins first if their window is shorter, then return to the deposit playthrough. This ordering prevents one part of the offer from lapsing while you focus on the other. A short note of both end points keeps the plan clear.
Game Contribution
Contribution is the share of each bet that counts toward your playthrough, and it varies by game type. A full-contribution game counts every unit you stake against the requirement. A partial-contribution game counts only a fraction, so the same stake moves you less. The rate is set per game and listed in the bonus details.
Slots usually carry the highest contribution, which makes them the practical choice for clearing wagering. Table games often sit at a lower rate, and some contribute nothing at all. Choosing a game without checking its rate is the quiet way to slow your progress. The rate, not the game’s popularity, decides how fast you move.
A game with no contribution still lets you play, but your bets do not reduce the requirement. That means you can spend a long session and finish with the same playthrough figure you started with. Players sometimes mistake this for a system error. It is the contribution rule working as written, and the fix is to switch games.
When an offer mixes game types, the contribution rate is the variable you control. Moving your play to a higher-contribution game shortens the effective requirement without changing the multiplier. The multiplier stays fixed; the contribution is where your choices matter. Small changes in game selection add up over a long playthrough.
Contribution also interacts with the maximum bet rule, because a higher stake on a low-contribution game rarely helps. You take on more risk for less progress toward the target. Matching your stake to a full-contribution game keeps both the risk and the requirement in view. That pairing is the practical core of bonus play.
The contribution table is part of the terms, and it applies for the whole time the bonus is active. Switching games mid-playthrough is allowed, but each game’s rate applies only to bets placed on it. There is no retroactive credit for games you played earlier. Plan the game mix before you start so the requirement moves steadily.
Where Players Lose the Bonus
Most lost bonuses come from a handful of avoidable mistakes, and each one has a simple counter.
- Playing a game that does not count toward wagering. Check the contribution rate before your first bet and move to a full-contribution game.
- Exceeding the maximum bet while the bonus is active. Set your stake below the cap and keep it there for the whole playthrough.
- Letting the playthrough expire with the requirement unfinished. Note the end point of the bonus window and plan sessions that fit inside it.
- Depositing before the bonus is confirmed. Confirm the offer first, then deposit, so the payment is tied to the bonus.
- Forgetting a required bonus code. Have the code ready before you deposit, because a missing code turns the deposit into ordinary play.
- Withdrawing before the playthrough is complete. Finish the requirement first, or the bonus and its winnings can be removed.
- Mixing free spin winnings with the deposit balance. Track which balance each win lands in, since the two can carry different rules.
Each mistake above is a rule you can see before you play, which means none of them need to catch you by surprise. The maximum bet cap is the one that voids a bonus fastest, because a single stake can breach it. Contribution errors are slower but just as costly, since they quietly stretch the playthrough beyond the window. Confirming the bonus before depositing is the step that makes every later rule apply in the first place. A missing code is easy to prevent and hard to fix after the deposit. Withdrawing early undoes the work you put into the requirement, so the target comes first. Track both balances, and the offer behaves the way the terms describe.
