Before accepting a bonus, check who qualifies, what funds are restricted, how wagering is calculated and what could prevent a withdrawal. A larger headline amount does not automatically make an offer more useful.
Start with eligibility and activation
Read the full offer and general promotion terms together. Check account status, location, age, eligible payment methods, minimum deposit and any requirement to opt in or enter a code. Do not assume an old advertisement is still valid. Confirm whether accepting one offer prevents using another.
Keep a dated copy of the terms that apply when you accept, without saving sensitive account information in public places. If the short headline conflicts with detailed conditions, obtain an explanation before depositing specifically for the promotion.
Work through a realistic example
Imagine offer A provides a 20-unit bonus with 10× bonus-only wagering. It requires 200 units of qualifying turnover. Offer B provides 30 units with 10× wagering on a 40-unit deposit plus the bonus: 700 qualifying units. B’s bigger bonus comes with more turnover in this example. Neither calculation tells you which offer would leave money available to withdraw.
Now suppose your preferred game contributes only 20%. The corresponding actual turnover would be five times the qualifying amount, if all wagers are otherwise eligible. An excluded game could contribute nothing.
Questions to answer
- Which balance is multiplied: bonus, deposit or both?
- When does the deadline start, and what expires?
- Which games or sports markets count, and at what rate?
- Is there a maximum stake or minimum accepted odds?
- Does withdrawing cash cancel the bonus or associated winnings?
- Are there caps on winnings converted or withdrawn?
- Are cash and bonus funds used in a specified order?
- What happens if a bet settles after expiry?
It is reasonable to decline
A deadline should not become a reason to gamble longer or deposit more. If the conditions exceed the money or time you planned to spend, declining the offer avoids taking on those conditions. Do not treat restricted promotional credit as equivalent to cash you already own.
This checklist does not advertise a current Felistra promotion. Read the current official terms before accepting any offer; where something is missing, ask official support rather than filling the gap with assumptions. The Gambling Commission’s transparency guidance is a useful reference for the importance of clear conditions, not a statement about Felistra’s regulatory status.