The short answer to whether or not you can score a jackpot on a bet from a casino bonus is yes. There are, however, a few conditions that need to be considered before you go ahead and place the bet.
Progressives require real money wagers, but this doesn’t mean you can’t use a bonus. You just have to complete the requirements to release the bonus and then use it as a real money wager to win the progressive. Some bonuses, depending on their nature and the online casino, can actually be used on progressives before being released too, though this is quite rare.
So while technically you can win a jackpot via a bonus there are usually requirements that need to be completed before you have the chance to do so. We take a look at these below.
Online casino bonuses
While we don’t cover all of the available bonuses, we do cover the most popular.
Free spins: Online casinos generally specify what slots you can use the free spins on. If they do specify that you can use them on a certain progressive, or state they can be used on any slot, you can use the free spins on a progressive jackpot without having to complete any criteria. The terms and conditions will state on whether you can use the free spins on a progressive and whether any winnings have to be wagered a certain number of time. Obviously, these can’t be used on progressive table games since they are slot specific.
Matched deposits: Matched deposits usually always have wagering requirements attached, but they can also give you a fair amount of cash to play with. You can use the bonuses on any progressive title, but you generally will have to complete the wagering requirements before you can do so.
Free cash: When being granted free cash, with no deposit required, we can be tempted to use it on the games that have the biggest possible return – progressives. However, this is where we advise you to avoid doing so, as there is generally a withdrawal limit attached, and it is usually $100. If you win on a progressive, the huge figures in your account will be removed if you try to withdraw it.
However some online casinos may exclude this clause for progressives, so read the T&Cs to find out.
Winning a progressive with a bonus bet
We mentioned above it is possible to win a progressive jackpot with a bonus, but we also stated there are terms attached. When we talk about free spins bonuses, we recommend only using them on progressives if eligible (stated in the terms and conditions) and if they don’t have any wagering requirements attached on the winnings (this would see a huge amount having to be played before a withdrawal could take place).
When it comes to matched deposits, if you think it is worthwhile to wager the bonus cash through a number of times in order to potentially be able to use it as real cash on a progressive to win then you can.
We use examples from some of our favourite accredited online casinos to show you what we mean.
Guts online casino bonus requirements
Guts requires a 35x turnover on its bonuses, however it doesn’t require this on its free spins. Unfortunately, Guts usually specify the slots you can use the free spins on and they generally aren’t progressives.
However, when it comes to the rest of Guts Casino’s bonuses, it requires you to play through the bonus 35x before you can use it as a real cash bet on a progressive. Complete this via any games with slots contributing 100% to the wagering requirements and all other games under the classic slots contributing 70%.
Royal Vegas turnover requirements
Bonuses at Royal Vegas, such as no deposit cash, or free spins, do have a capped limit on winnings of 100 credits, however in their promotional terms and conditions they state wins from progressives are exempt from this meaning you can take advantage of progressives with these types of bonuses and potentially win.
Welcome bonuses, which is up to $1200 in match deposits, on the other hand require a 40x turnover before you can release the bonus to use on progressives, while other bonuses that require a cash deposit see a 30x turnover.
You can complete this criteria via the slots, keno and scratchcards, all contributing 100%; by playing poker, contributing 20%; or by playing roulette, blackjack or video poker, all contributing 10% to the wagering requirements.
Leo Vegas play through requirements
Any winnings on free spins at Leo Vegas require at 35x turnover so avoid playing on progressives with this type of bonus – specifically Mega Fortune Dreams which is one of the eligible slots for the free spins when opening an account with Leo Vegas.
For the welcome bonus, up to $700 in matched deposits, you need to play through the bonus money 35 times before using it on progressives. Complete this via the slots quickly as they contribute 100% to the wagering requirements, or slowly with table games that contribute just 10% to the wagering requirements.
Thrills bonuses and wagering requirements
Thrills offer a $400 welcome bonus over two deposits, but you have to play through both the deposit and bonus amount. The first deposit and bonus requires to be wagered 30 times, while the second deposit and bonus requires you to wager it 20 times.
You need to complete both requirements before you can use this bonus on progressives, but once you have you can try your luck at a huge jackpot.