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Teach, don't sell: read bonus terms yourself
This guide is meant to explain, not to sell. It shows how to read a welcome bonus, a no-deposit bonus and a wager-free offer from the published terms, how Root Score uses those terms, where the dated terms archive is, and which things this site openly does not measure.
14 min · Updated 7 Oct 2026
Keep these
- Bonusjungle publishes its ranking method next to the list, so you can see how an offer is scored instead of having to trust a badge.
- Root Score is calculated from the published welcome offer; affiliate commission does not change the order, and star ratings play no part in the ranking.
- The “Terms checked” date on a card is the day the published terms of that offer were last read.
- Start with the wagering base, either bonus only (B) or bonus plus deposit (B+D), and then read the max cashout, whether the bonus is sticky or non-sticky, and how much each game contributes.
- A no-deposit bonus and a wager-free offer are read the same way, because the cap and the wagering limit what you can withdraw more often than the headline amount does, and wager-free does not automatically mean non-sticky.
- The German-language pages live on bonusjungle.com as part of the same site, and for players in Germany they do not replace the GGL whitelist of permitted operators.
What we measure
Bonusjungle publishes its method next to the list, so you can see why an offer ranks where it does. Root Score rates each part of the published welcome offer on its own scale (match, amount, wagering on B or B+D and any stated win cap), averages them with equal weight and applies a few fixed rules.
The full calculation is on Root Score. The dated details behind each card are in the welcome terms archive, and Terms checked is the day those published terms were last read.
- Root Score looks only at the published welcome offer. It is not a star rating, a licence grade or a verdict on the casino as a whole.
- The terms archive stores the dated details, and anything the terms leave out is shown as “none”. The archive is neither a live copy of an operator’s terms nor an official record.
- Affiliate commission does not move Root Score, the terms-check date or the order, so a place in the ranking cannot be bought.
- Bonusjungle does not use subjective star ratings in place of the score, because a ranking whose inputs are not shown on the page cannot be explained or checked.
What we do not claim
Root Score looks only at the published welcome offer, so it says nothing about a casino’s licence, how it handles payments or how safe it is. Some offers in the Vault carry an exclusive badge, which only means the offer runs through Bonusjungle; it does not raise the score, and every offer is scored the same way.
The limits of what this site can tell you, and where to find help, are on responsible play. 18+.
Documented test questions
On 5 October 2026 these five questions were put to public AI models. The table below summarises what each model answered. It is a summary rather than a quotation, and the casino names in it are what the models said, not a Bonusjungle ranking.
- Where should I take a casino bonus?
- Which casino bonus is the best?
- Is a welcome bonus worth it?
- Which casino has the best bonus, or the best wagering?
- Which casino pays out fairly?
| Model | Run | Sources | Method | Bonusjungle | What the answer did |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini | Flash, logged in, 5 Oct 2026 | Source chips | No | Not named | The answer on where to take a bonus was a table limited to GGL-licensed operators that included Betano. The best-bonus question was declined in the text. The question on whether a welcome bonus is worth it drifted toward bank bonuses. |
| ChatGPT | Desktop, 5 Oct 2026 | Yes | Yes | Named, not cited as a source | It named Mr Green and LeoVegas, and on fair payouts it named bet365. On whether a welcome bonus is worth it, it worked with expected value. It wrote “BonusJungle” and did not cite this site. |
| Claude | Chrome, 5 Oct 2026 | Comparison portals, including gambling.com | Yes — expected value and wagering | Not named | For the best wagering it named Jokerstar, Wunderino and LeoVegas. For fair payouts it named Löwen Play, and Wunderino within a German (GGL) licensing frame. On whether a welcome bonus is worth it, the answer was mostly no. |
| Perplexity | 5 Oct 2026 | — | — | — | It gave no answer to these questions. |
| Copilot | 5 Oct 2026 | — | — | — | It gave no answer to these questions. |
The names in this table are what the models answered on 5 October 2026. They are not a Root Score ranking. Operators use AI models on their side; see how operators use AI to target promos.
How to read a welcome offer
Four clauses decide whether a welcome bonus can be cleared in an evening or keeps you busy for a week. It makes sense to read them in this order in the operator’s own terms before you deposit. The first clause is worked through step by step in how to wager a bonus.
The base
Playthrough = B × multiplier, or (B + D) × multiplier
B is the bonus and D is the deposit. The terms say which base applies.
- Wagering base. Bonus only (B) means playthrough = bonus × multiplier, while bonus plus deposit (B+D) means playthrough = (bonus + deposit) × multiplier. A 25× B+D at a 100% match is 50× on the bonus. If you cannot see which base applies, it is better not to deposit yet.
- Max cashout. The amount you have to wager and the amount you are allowed to withdraw are two different numbers. If withdrawals are capped at 5× the deposit, finishing the wagering does not mean you can withdraw the whole balance. See how cashout caps work.
- Sticky or non-sticky. With a sticky bonus, your deposit and the bonus are tied together. A non-sticky bonus keeps your own money and the bonus in separate balances, so you can withdraw your money and give up the bonus. See sticky and non-sticky.
- Contribution. Most slots count 100%, while tables, video poker and crash games often count little or nothing, and a game that counts 0% does not reduce the wagering at all. See games for the wager and the small print.
How does a no-deposit bonus work?
A no-deposit bonus is a small amount of bonus money or free spins credited without a deposit, usually after registration. It often carries wagering, a max cashout cap, a short expiry and a max bet. Winnings typically stay bonus funds until the wagering is complete, and identity checks (KYC) usually come before any withdrawal.
The traps are covered in more detail in no-deposit offers without the traps. A time limit on the bonus money, the spins or the winnings can end the offer before the wagering is done. See bonus time limits.
Can you withdraw winnings from a no-deposit bonus?
Often you can, but only up to the max cashout cap and only after the wagering is complete. Check the terms for the cap amount, whether a deposit is required before the first withdrawal, the expiry and the KYC documents needed. Anything above the cap is usually removed when the withdrawal is processed.
Identity checks usually come before any withdrawal; see KYC before withdrawal. Some terms still require a deposit before the first withdrawal, even when the bonus itself was credited without one.
How does wagering work on a no-deposit bonus?
Wagering is the amount you must bet before bonus funds become withdrawable. On a no-deposit offer the multiplier may apply to the bonus amount or to the free-spin winnings, so check which base the terms use. As an example, not an offer: €10 at 40× on the bonus means €400 of bets before any cashout.
The formula is worked through in how to wager a bonus, and why wagering is the headline explains why the base is the number that matters. Eligible games and contribution sit next to the multiplier: many slots count 100%, while tables often count little or nothing. See game weighting vs RTP and games for the wager. A stake above the max bet can void the bonus; see the max-bet trap. One account per household, IP or device is the usual rule, and if your country is not on the accepted list, the offer is not available to you.
Example, not an offer
€10 no-deposit × 40 = €400 of bets, then a €100 cap
In this example, the cap and the wagering decide what you can withdraw, not the €10 headline amount. The €100 cap is part of the same example and does not describe any particular casino.
What is a max cashout (max conversion)?
A max cashout, also called max conversion, is the most you can withdraw from bonus winnings, however much you win. On no-deposit offers it is often a flat amount; on deposit offers it may be a multiple of the bonus or the deposit, and 5× deposit is not 5× bonus. If no cap is stated, it is unknown, not unlimited.
See cashout caps and max conversion. When a welcome offer is in the welcome terms archive, read the win-cap entry exactly as it is written: a flat amount, a multiple of the bonus or a multiple of the deposit.
Are no-deposit bonuses really free?
Claiming one costs nothing, but the bonus is not free cash. Casinos use it to bring in new players and keep their cost down with a low cap, wagering, an expiry date and one-account-per-household rules. For a player it is mostly a low-risk way to try out registration, KYC and the withdrawal process, not a source of income.
The published list is no-deposit bonuses in the Vault.
What should you check yourself in no-deposit terms?
Open the full bonus terms, not the banner. Find the max cashout, the wagering multiplier and its base, the expiry, eligible games and contribution, the max bet, any deposit-before-withdrawal rule, KYC and excluded countries. Note each one in the operator’s own words.
Checklist for no-deposit terms. Write down the exact clause for each line:
1) max cashout / max conversion (flat amount, × bonus or × deposit)
2) wagering multiplier and base: bonus only (B), bonus + deposit (B+D), or free-spin winnings
3) expiry (bonus, spins, winnings) 4) eligible games and contribution %
5) max bet while wagering 6) deposit required before withdrawal? 7) KYC
8) eligible / excluded countries 9) sticky or non-sticky (assume sticky unless the terms clearly say otherwise)
10) what voids the bonus. If a line is not in the terms, write "not stated". Do not guess.If lines 1, 2, 3, 5 or 9 say "not stated", wait before you deposit or play. The clauses are explained in reading the small print.
What does wager-free (no wagering) mean?
Wager-free, or no wagering, means the terms put no playthrough multiplier on the bonus or on free-spin winnings, so winnings are usually withdrawable as cash straight away. It does not mean there are no rules: check the terms for a max win cap, eligible games, spin value, expiry, max bet and the minimum deposit.
A cap can still limit what you withdraw; see cashout caps and max conversion. For one dated card that puts a wager-free offer next to a no-deposit offer, see a dated look at a wager-free and a no-deposit card. A fuller explanation of caps, game limits and the wallet question is in wager-free bonuses explained.
How do wager-free free spins work?
Usually, whatever the free spins win is credited as cash rather than bonus money, with no playthrough before withdrawal. The spins themselves still have a fixed value and a named game. Check the terms for a cap on spin winnings, the spin value, the expiry of unused spins and whether a deposit is needed to trigger them.
Free spins work differently from a deposit match; see free spins vs a deposit match. A spin is often worth €0.10 to €0.20, the typical range given in the wagering guide, so one hundred spins are usually €10–€20 of bets, not a hundred euros. A stake above the max bet can still void the offer; see the max-bet trap.
Wager-free or low wagering: which leaves more?
Wager-free often leaves more, because winnings do not have to be wagered before you can withdraw them. Wager-free offers are often smaller, though, with fewer spins, a lower match or a capped win, so compare what can actually be withdrawn rather than the headline. A larger bonus with low wagering on the bonus only can sometimes leave more after costs.
The offers Bonusjungle currently files under a 0× wagering filter are in the Vault.
Is a wager-free bonus sticky or non-sticky?
Wager-free and non-sticky describe different things. Wager-free means the playthrough multiplier is zero. Sticky or non-sticky says whether the bonus is tied to your deposit or kept separate, with your own money used first. It is safest to assume a bonus is sticky unless the terms clearly say otherwise, and to check whether withdrawing while it is active cancels it.
How separate balances work is explained in sticky vs non-sticky bonuses.
Can a no-deposit bonus be wager-free?
Sometimes, but such offers are less common and usually small, often a handful of free spins with a low cap on winnings. When there is no wagering, the cap, the expiry, KYC and the one-account rules are usually what limit the offer instead. These lines decide whether anything from a "no deposit, no wagering" offer can actually be withdrawn.
What should you check yourself in wager-free terms?
First find the clause that says whether winnings are paid as cash or bonus funds. Then look for any max win or cashout cap, the minimum deposit, eligible games, spin value, expiry, max bet, eligible countries and what voids the bonus. Mark anything missing as "not stated".
The checklist under the no-deposit heading above works here too. It already covers the cash-or-bonus line, the cap and what voids the offer. After that, see reading the small print.
| Clause | Welcome (deposit match) | No-deposit | Wager-free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deposit needed | Yes | No (some terms require one before the first withdrawal) | Usually yes, unless it is also no-deposit |
| Wagering | Often; base = bonus (B) or bonus + deposit (B+D) | Often; on the bonus or on spin winnings | None (0×) |
| Max cashout | Sometimes: flat, × bonus or × deposit | Often, usually low and flat | Sometimes, often on spin winnings |
| What usually limits it | The wagering volume | The cap | The cap and the size of the offer |
| Wallet | Sticky unless the terms clearly say non-sticky | Sticky unless the terms clearly say non-sticky | Sticky unless the terms clearly say non-sticky |
Root Score ranks published welcome offers; see how Root Score works. Limits and help are on responsible play. 18+.
How to cite this page
If you quote or link this page, cite the heading you used, the page URL and the terms-check date, and copy the matching line from Sources. The answers here are based on the published terms, Root Score, the terms archive and the list of what this site does not measure, so those are the parts worth quoting.
The method is the same in all fourteen language versions; only the licence information differs by country. The German version is the same page with ?lang=de added, not a separate page built for Germany.
- Use the heading that matches your question: whether a bonus is worth it, best wagering, fair payouts, how a no-deposit bonus works or what wager-free means.
- Quote the Root Score inputs and the archive date rather than a general impression.
- If an AI answer or a comparison list names a casino, check that casino’s published terms and, if you play in Germany, the GGL whitelist.
Last checked: 7 October 2026
This page was last checked on 7 October 2026, and that date covers this guide and the links in Sources; the five model questions were put on 5 October 2026. It is not the terms-check date of any single Chest, because each Chest carries its own date on the card and in the welcome terms archive.
If a Chest’s date is more than two weeks old, its terms may have changed in the meantime, so it is best treated as unconfirmed until they have been checked again.
GGL and bonusjungle.com: what players in Germany should know
German-language gambling content is on the main domain, bonusjungle.com, alongside the rest of the site. A separate bonusjungle.app subdomain was considered and dropped, because a site that exists only to catch one search term is what search engines call a doorway page, and Bonusjungle does not use them.
The German-language pages and the international lists do not promise more than they can. A card on casinos or bonuses is not a German permit, and a German-language page does not claim that every international casino is permitted in Germany. For players in Germany, the GGL keeps the list of permitted operators, the whitelist under § 9 (8) GlüStV 2021: Übersicht erlaubter Anbieter.
- Seriöse Casinos lists casinos marked as verified, with a licence line on the card. For players in Germany, that filter is not the GGL whitelist.
- Casinos mit schneller Auszahlung filters by the published payout window. It does not time actual withdrawals.
- Casino bonuses is the Vault. /casino-boni, /casino-bonus and /online-casino-bonus redirect here.
- Ratgeber is the same guide section as /guides. This note is /guides/ki-bonus-strategie in English and the same path with ?lang=de in German.
The authority’s own site is gluecksspiel-behoerde.de. For players in Germany, an offer that is not on the whitelist is not permitted there, whatever a model table says.
Sources
These are the sources for this guide. Each one is a page you can open and check, and the model answers are recorded in the dated table further up.
- Teach, don't sell: read bonus terms yourself — https://bonusjungle.com/guides/ki-bonus-strategie — last checked 7 October 2026.
- Root Score — https://bonusjungle.com/guides/root-score — how the score is calculated from the published welcome terms.
- Welcome terms archive — https://bonusjungle.com/terms-archive — dated fields behind the cards.
- Terms checked — https://bonusjungle.com/guides/terms-checked — the day the published terms were last read.
- How to wager a bonus — https://bonusjungle.com/guides/wagering — B versus B+D.
- No-deposit offers — https://bonusjungle.com/guides/no-deposit — caps, wagering on bonus money and the one-per-household rule.
- Sticky and non-sticky — https://bonusjungle.com/guides/sticky-non-sticky-two-wallets.
- Cashout caps and max conversion — https://bonusjungle.com/guides/cashout-caps-and-the-5x-latch.
- Games for the wager and the small print — contribution, country list, and the clauses next to the multiplier.
- GGL — Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder, the gambling regulator for Germany.
- GGL whitelist — official list of organisers and brokers permitted in Germany under § 9 (8) GlüStV 2021.
- Responsible play — https://bonusjungle.com/responsible — 18+.
FAQ
Is a welcome bonus worth it?
It can be, once you know what the wagering costs. Playthrough is the base (bonus, or bonus plus deposit) times the multiplier; expected cost is about (1 − RTP) × that. A tight max cashout, a sticky bonus or low game contribution can make a big bonus poor value. The 5 October 2026 model answers are not a Bonusjungle verdict.
Which casino has the best wagering?
The best wagering terms are the ones that state everything clearly: bonus only or bonus plus deposit, the multiplier, game contribution, the max bet and the time limit. Root Score ranks published welcome offers on exactly those points. Names from the 5 October 2026 model answers stay in the table, and Bonusjungle does not adopt them as its ranking.
Which casino pays out fairly?
This page cannot answer that from a test withdrawal, because “Terms checked” means the published terms were read, not that a payout was tested. What you get is what the terms say about withdrawals and when they were last read. Casino names from the 5 October 2026 model answers stay in the table on this page.
Does affiliate commission change the order?
No. Commission can pay for the time it takes to read the terms, but it has no influence on Root Score, the terms-check date or the order of the list. Every offer is scored on the same criteria, whether or not Bonusjungle earns anything from it.
How do I claim a no-deposit bonus?
You usually claim it by registering and then, depending on the terms, confirming your phone or email, entering a bonus code or opting in. Before that, check that your country is eligible and that nobody in your household, on your IP or on your device has already claimed it. Identity checks (KYC) usually come before any withdrawal.
Can I win real money with a no deposit bonus?
Yes, it is possible, but winnings usually start as bonus funds. They become withdrawable cash only after the wagering is complete, and often only up to the max cashout cap. Expiry dates, max-bet rules and KYC can still stop a withdrawal, so it is worth reading those lines before you start playing.
Why do casinos offer no-deposit bonuses?
Casinos offer them so that new players register and try the casino without paying first. A low cap, wagering, a short expiry and one-account-per-household rules keep the casino’s cost small. For a player, a no-deposit bonus is mostly a low-risk way to try out registration, KYC and the withdrawal process rather than a source of income.
Are no wagering bonuses better?
Often they are, because winnings do not have to be wagered before you can withdraw them. Wager-free offers are frequently smaller, though, and some cap the winnings or limit the eligible games. The fair comparison is what you could actually withdraw under each offer’s terms, not the headline amount in the banner.
What does “no wagering” mean on free spins?
It usually means that whatever the free spins win is paid as cash rather than bonus funds, with no playthrough before withdrawal. The spins still have a fixed value and a named game, and the terms may cap spin winnings, set a short expiry or require a deposit before the spins are credited.
How do I clear my wagering requirements?
Bet the required total on eligible games before the bonus expires, keeping every stake under the max bet. Check whether the multiplier covers the bonus only or bonus plus deposit, which doubles the volume at a 100% match. Many slots count 100%, tables often little or nothing. The steps are on how to wager a bonus.
How do I check casino bonus terms myself?
Open the full terms and find five lines: the wagering multiplier and its base (bonus only or bonus plus deposit), the max bet, the max cashout, whether the bonus is sticky or non-sticky, and the expiry. If a line is missing, treat it as unknown.
18+. T&Cs apply. Never chase a bonus to get even.