Most people signing up assume the bonus cash is theirs the moment it lands in the balance, and that belief costs them the whole amount at cashout. The condition they skim past is the playthrough requirement: you must stake the bonus value a set number of times before any of it can leave the account. Until that is done, the money is locked, and a withdrawal attempt simply cancels the bonus instead of paying it.
Claiming the Sign Up Offer in Order
The sign up offer follows a fixed sequence, and skipping a step can leave you with an account but no bonus.
- Open the registration form and enter your real name, date of birth and address exactly as they appear on your ID. Mismatched details stall the identity check later.
- Pick the welcome offer during registration rather than after it. Many sign up bonuses are attached to the account at creation and cannot be added retroactively.
- Complete the identity check when asked for documents. The bonus stays locked until the account is confirmed as belonging to a real person.
- Make your first deposit through the cashier using a method the offer accepts. Some payment routes are excluded from qualifying deposits.
- Enter the promo code if one is required, in the field provided at deposit or registration. A missing code can mean the bonus never triggers.
- Confirm the bonus appears in your balance as bonus funds, separate from cash. If it does not show, the deposit likely did not qualify.
- Start playing only after the bonus is credited, and note which games the terms allow. Stakes placed before crediting do not count toward the requirement.
Registration is where most problems begin, because players treat it as a formality. The name on the account must match the payment method and the ID you later submit. A nickname or a shortened first name creates a mismatch that freezes the bonus during review. Address details matter too, since the offer is tied to your location at sign up. Using a promo code correctly is the next common slip, as the field is easy to overlook on a busy form. The deposit that follows should come from an account in your own name. Third-party payments break the link between the player and the money and are treated as rule breaches. Players who deposit before completing the identity check often wait with funds held. Setting up the Pointsbet sign up account properly from the first screen avoids nearly all of this. Once the bonus is credited, the playthrough clock starts, and knowing that moment helps you plan stakes.
What Each Bonus Term Means for Your Money
The table below sets out the conditions attached to a typical sign up bonus and what each one does to your balance.
| Term | What it means for you | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | Only deposits at or above this level unlock the offer | That your first deposit meets it in one payment |
| Wagering requirement | Total stakes needed before bonus winnings can be withdrawn | Whether the multiplier applies to the bonus alone or bonus plus deposit |
| Game contribution | How much of each stake counts toward the requirement | Which games count in full and which count partly or not at all |
| Maximum bet | A cap on stake size while the bonus is active | That no single bet exceeds the cap, even briefly |
| Expiry | The window in which the playthrough must be finished | How much time remains and how much playthrough is left |
The term players misread most is the wagering base, because it decides the true size of the task. A multiplier applied to bonus plus deposit is far heavier than one applied to the bonus alone, even when the number looks the same. Reading that single line before depositing tells you whether the offer is light or heavy work.
Game contribution is the second silent trap, since not every stake counts in full. A game that contributes a fraction stretches the playthrough far beyond what the headline figure suggests. The maximum bet rule is strict and often automated, so a single oversized spin can void the bonus. Expiry rarely gets attention at sign up but decides everything late in the run. Bonus funds usually sit apart from cash and cannot be withdrawn directly. That separation protects the operator but confuses players who see a large balance and assume it is all theirs. Understanding each row turns the offer from a surprise into a plan.
A Worked Example of the Playthrough
The numbers below are illustrative only and do not reflect the actual terms of any operator. The formula is simple: qualifying amount times the wagering multiplier equals the total stakes required. Here the deposit is 25 and the multiplier is 40, applied to the bonus alone. That gives a total playthrough of 1,000 in stakes before withdrawal. The figure is a worked example, not a promise of what any sign up offer demands.
The same formula applied to bonus plus deposit would produce a larger target. With a 25 deposit matched by a 25 bonus, the qualifying amount becomes 50. Multiplying that by 40 gives 2,000 in stakes instead of 1,000. The difference is the whole reason the wagering base deserves a close look.
Game contribution changes the real effort again. If half your stakes go on games that contribute fully and half on games that contribute at a quarter, the mix matters. A stake on a fully counting game moves the target by its full value. The same stake on a partly counting game moves it barely at all.
Picture a player who splits time evenly between the two. Half the required stakes are cleared at full rate and half at a quarter rate. The effective progress is slower than the raw stake total suggests. Reaching the target then takes far more spins than the headline number implies.
Expiry interacts with all of this. A 1,000 target finished comfortably within the window is a light task. The same target squeezed into the final days becomes a race. Stakes placed after expiry do not count, whatever the balance shows.
The lesson is to size the job before you start. Work out the target, note which games count fully, and keep stakes under the cap. A player who does that treats the bonus as a plan rather than a gift.
Withdrawing Bonus Winnings
Cashout opens only when the playthrough is complete and every other condition is met. Until then, bonus funds stay locked and a withdrawal request can strip them from the account. Players who finish the requirement see the bonus convert according to the terms. The conversion step is separate from the playthrough and worth knowing before you start.
The identity check usually completes before the first withdrawal, not at sign up. Documents that are clear and match the account details speed the review. A mismatch between the account name and the payment method is the most common hold-up. Submitting correct documents once beats resubmitting them under pressure.
For those who prefer playing on a phone, the mobile site in the phone browser works for every step. Logging in through the site keeps the bonus attached to the same account. A player who signs in again on another device sees the same locked balance. The progress travels with the account, not the device.
Some offers cap how much of the bonus converts into withdrawable cash. Anything above that cap is removed at conversion, however much you won. Knowing the cap sets a realistic expectation for the payout. It also explains why a large win can shrink at the finish line.
Withdrawal rules can also require that locked bonus funds be forfeited if you ask for cash mid-playthrough. That is not a penalty but the normal outcome of ending the run early. Players who want their deposit back intact should decide before staking. Once the bonus is in play, the two balances are tied together.
A clean cashout starts with a finished playthrough and a verified account. Bets kept under the cap leave nothing for review to flag. Games played within the allowed list keep every stake counting. Players who line these up before requesting a payout meet no surprises.
Which Games Move the Playthrough
Every game carries a contribution rate, and that rate decides how fast the target shrinks. Games listed at full contribution move the playthrough at face value. Games at a reduced rate move it slowly, so the same spend does less work. Games excluded entirely move it not at all, however long you play them.
Slots usually sit at the top of the contribution list, though individual titles can differ. Table games and live dealer tables often contribute a fraction or nothing. The terms name the categories, so the split is knowable before you stake. Choosing games from the full-contribution group is the simplest way to keep progress steady.
A frequent mistake is spending the early playthrough on excluded games. Those stakes are real money spent with no effect on the requirement. The balance drops while the target stays where it was. Checking the list first turns that wasted spend into progress.
Contribution applies to stakes, not to wins or losses. A losing spin at full rate counts exactly as much as a winning one. That is why steady, modest stakes are the reliable route through the requirement. Chasing big wins does not speed the playthrough.
Switching games mid-run is allowed, but the mix changes your pace. A session split between full and partial games clears the target unevenly. Tracking which games you played helps explain a slow-moving bar. It also shows where the remaining effort should go.
Live tables and tournaments can carry their own rules inside the same bonus. Some count at a lower rate, and some are barred while a bonus is active. The game list is the single source for what counts. Reading it once at the start saves a second look later.
Where Players Lose the Bonus
Most forfeited bonuses come from a handful of avoidable slips rather than bad luck.
- Betting above the maximum stake, even once, can void the bonus. Keep every stake under the cap for the whole run.
- Playing excluded games burns real money against a target that never moves. Pick games from the full-contribution list before staking.
- Requesting a withdrawal mid-playthrough forfeits the locked bonus. Finish the requirement first, then ask for the payout.
- Letting the playthrough expire leaves the bonus unconverted. Track the remaining time alongside the remaining target.
- Registering with details that differ from the ID stalls the identity check. Enter your full legal name and current address at sign up.
- Depositing before the bonus is credited means those stakes do not count. Wait for the bonus to appear, then start playing.
- Using a payment method in someone else’s name breaks the account link. Deposit only from an account held in your own name.
Each of these mistakes has the same shape: a rule that seems minor until it is broken. The maximum bet cap catches players who raise stakes after a losing run. That decision feels like recovery but reads as a breach to the system. Excluded games attract players who assume all play counts the same. A few sessions on the wrong titles can leave the target almost untouched. Early withdrawal requests are usually made in frustration after a downswing. The forfeit that follows turns a temporary loss into a permanent one. Expiry is the quietest of all, because nothing in the account warns you as the window closes. Identity mismatches surface late, often at the first cashout, when the bonus is already in play. Deposits made too early are common among players who assume crediting is instant. Third-party payment methods feel harmless but cut the link the terms rely on. Avoiding all seven keeps the bonus intact and the cashout clean.