If you're a casino player with experience in using online casino bonuses, you probably know about wagering requirements. In case you don't, here's a simple explanation. Wagering requirements tell you how many times you need to play through your bonus amount before you can withdraw it. For example, if you receive $100 as a bonus and wagering requirements are 20x, it means you'll have to wager $2,000 first.
The real question here is this: are there wagering requirements when you register and use a bonus in a USA online poker site? Let's elaborate more closely on this topic.
The short answer is: no, poker sites don't require you to meet wagering requirements, but that doesn't mean you can withdraw your bonus funds any time you like. Instead, almost every poker site requires you to "unlock" your bonus by playing games with real money.
Let's say that you join a poker site and receive a welcome bonus of $100. That amount is "locked," and you cannot cash it out. The only way to do so is to spend money on cash games and tournaments. For instance, every $20 you pay on tournament fees or cash games will unlock $1 of bonuses. Therefore, if you spend, say, $100, you'll unlock $5 of bonus money and will be able to withdraw them. In other words, you'll have to spend a total of $2,000 on playing poker to get your bonus completely unlocked.
So, these aren't usually referred to as wagering requirements per se, but the principle is the same: you have to spend some money in order to unlock your bonus amount.
One more thing: online bonuses usually come with timeframes, meaning you're required to meet the wagering requirements or unlock your money within it. Failing to do that will make your funds void. For instance, let's say that you unlocked $40, and $60 still remains locked after a 30-day timeframe. In that case, you get to keep the $40 but will not be able to unlock more money as the remaining $60 will be forfeited. That way, online poker sites urge players to play more after they join the platform. Still, it's up to you to decide whether you want to claim the bonus at all and meet the wagering requirements.
If you happen to use an Apple product, make sure to check out our selection of the best online poker sites for Apple. We carefully handpicked the platforms that work well and offer a wide range of bonuses for new and regular online poker players.