Are Online Casino Promotions Worth It In Michigan?

Whether or not an online casino bonus offer is worth it depends on its terms and conditions. At legal online casinos in Michigan, these stipulations are readily available beneath all offers, but many players make the mistake of not reading them.

Before you decide to opt-in for an online casino promotion in Michigan, be sure to carefully read through the associated terms and conditions. And when you do, look for these stipulations to decide if the promotion is worth it.

Playthrough Requirements

  • Best Playthrough Requirements: 1x
  • Acceptable Playthrough Requirements: 10x to 15x
  • Unacceptable Playthrough Requirements: 20x or more

Playthrough requirements indicate how much you need to bet before you can withdraw winnings associated with the bonus offer. Also known as wagering or rollover requirements, playthrough requirements are represented by a multiplier that applies to the bonus funds.

All online casino bonuses have playthrough requirements. Otherwise, players could simply receive a deposit-match bonus and withdraw the funds without playing. But welcome bonuses are always optional, so you could simply deposit the money to avoid playthrough requirements altogether.

Examples

For example, a 10x wagering requirement means you have to wager 10x the bonus funds, then whatever is left over is available for withdrawal.

If you were to deposit $100 for a 100% welcome bonus up, you would have $100 in cash and $100 bonus funds for a total of $200. If the wagering requirement is 10x, that usually means you have to bet $1,000 in bonus funds to unlock associated winnings.

However, the casino may specify that the playthrough applies to both the cash and the bonus funds. If that’s the case, the 10x requirement would be $2,000.

Factors To Consider

Things to think about when deciding on acceptable playthrough requirements include:

  • How long you intend to bet at the online casino
  • Whether you’ll play the games that qualify for the rollover
  • Whether you’ll complete the playthrough within the time restriction (if there is one)
  • Knowing that you’ll likely play through all bonus funds without having any leftover money (the casino has better odds than the player for all games)

If you run out of bonus funds before you meet the playthrough requirement, it no longer applies, and you can deposit cash that can be immediately withdrawn. This includes any winnings from the bonus.

Qualifying Games

Sometimes, you can only meet the playthrough requirement by playing specific games. If that’s specified, that usually means playing slots counts 100% toward the playthrough while other games either don’t count or qualify for a smaller percentage.

For example, Golden Nugget Casino Michigan has a 100% welcome bonus of up to $1,000. The 10x playthrough requirement applies to the deposit plus bonus, and the qualifying wagers are broken down as follows:

That means if you only play blackjack or roulette, you’d need to bet 4x the amount to unlock withdrawable winnings. That’s essentially a 40x welcome bonus.

If you only play the slots, all titles (except for possibly new releases and select progressive jackpot slots) qualify for the playthrough requirement at all Michigan online casinos.

Promotion Period

You often have to complete the playthrough requirement within a certain amount of time. If you still have bonus funds when the time runs out, the casino will likely rescind the remaining bonus amount as well as the associated winnings.

For deposit bonuses, promotion periods range from 30 days to 90 days. When you’re deciding how much you’re going to deposit for the bonus, consider whether you can complete the playthrough requirement within the time constraint.

For site credits, which are usually received as part of a “risk-free” betting offer at apps like FanDuel Casino and Twinspires Casino, the time constraint could be around seven days. a 

Thankfully, the rollover requirement is usually 1x or 2x for site credits.

Cancelation Policy

All online casinos should allow you to cancel the bonus after you opt-in. If the terms and conditions do not mention that option, you can reach out to the casino’s customer support to find out the policy.

Usually, you can opt-out of the bonus offer at any time. The casino will void bonus funds and bonus winnings, and you can continue playing without the playthrough requirements.

While it’s always best to make sure you’re okay with the terms before you opt-in, it’s always nice to know you have an escape hatch if needed.

Best Online Casino Bonus Terms In Michigan

Now that you know what to look for, you’ll know why these are the best online casino bonuses in Michigan. Additional terms and conditions apply, so be sure to read all the stipulations before opting in.

Basically, the best Michigan online casino bonuses have the most reasonable playthrough requirements, time constraints, qualifying games, or a combination of all three.

The Predatory Bonuses Of Offshore Online Casinos

Before Michigan online casinos launched in January of this year, some bettors in Michigan played at offshore, unlicensed online casinos. While illegal, some of these sites were relatively trustworthy in terms of game fairness and paying out winnings. 

However, when it came to online casino bonuses, these platforms were notorious for hiding outrageous terms and conditions.

At first glance, some of the offers looked great. For example, a 250% welcome bonus up to $2,500 is practically unbeatable. 

But when you dig a little deeper, you end up seeing a 35x to 50x playthrough requirement that applies to both the deposit and bonus together and must be completed within 30 days on slots-only gaming.

If you were to deposit even just $100, that would mean $350 in bonus and real-money funds. With a 50x playthrough requirement, you’d have to wager $17,500 on the slots before you could withdraw winnings.

About the Author

Mike Epifani

Mike Epifani is a Contributor and Editor at MichiganSharp. As an online gambling expert, he specializes in bonus offers, how-to's, and reviews of betting sites to help you keep more of your money while having fun and staying safe.