The maximum bet rule is the most destructive sentence in most bonus terms. It is also the most common cause of bonus disputes on our docket, by a wide margin.
What it does
While bonus funds are in play, your stake per spin or per hand must not exceed a stated amount — typically $5, sometimes as low as $2, occasionally expressed as a percentage of the bonus.
Break it once, by any margin, and the standard consequence is total: the bonus is void, the wagering progress is void, and the winnings are void. Not reduced. Void.
Why it catches honest players
- Autoplay. You set 100 spins at $5.20 to use up an odd balance. Spin one breaks the rule. Spins two through one hundred, and the $3,000 that arrived on spin sixty, are all void.
- Feature buys. A $50 bonus-buy is a $50 bet. Many terms say so; many players never think of it as a "bet".
- Ante bets and side bets. A 25% ante on a $4.50 base stake is a $5.62 bet.
- Retrospective enforcement. The rule is not enforced at the moment of the bet. The software takes the wager happily. It is enforced at the moment you try to withdraw, days later, when the wager is unarguable and the winnings are large.
That last point is the one to sit with. The system permits the bet it will later punish you for. Nothing prevents an operator from blocking an over-limit stake in software. Almost none do.
Protect yourself
- 01Find the number before you deposit. It is in the bonus terms, not the general terms.
- 02Set your stake below it and never touch it while a bonus is live.
- 03Turn autoplay off.
- 04Screenshot the terms on the day you accept.