Last time you cleared a bonus and cashed out only part of it, so the remaining balance went back to the operator. That usually happens when the playthrough rule is misread as a time limit rather than a betting requirement. For your money it means the bonus stays locked until the required amount of play happens, and the game you choose changes how fast that happens.
How to Claim the Offer
The offer is usually attached to a new account, and the steps below follow the order that keeps the bonus reachable.
- Open the sign-up form from a phone browser or desktop and fill in your real name, address and date of birth. Mismatched details cause problems later when you want to withdraw.
- Complete the age and identity check before depositing, so the account is fully open. A pending check can block a bonus from appearing.
- Make your first deposit through the cashier with a method the offer accepts. Some methods are excluded from qualifying deposits.
- Enter the promo code in the bonus field if one is required. Without it the deposit can pass straight through with no bonus attached.
- Confirm the bonus on the promotions page, where you accept the terms of the offer. Acceptance is what activates the playthrough requirement.
- Choose games that count fully toward the requirement, and keep the bonus balance separate from your cash in your head. Mixing them up makes progress hard to judge.
- Track your progress in the bonus section of the account, and note when the offer expires. An expired bonus is removed along with any winnings it produced.
The claim is a chain of small conditions, and each one has to hold for the next to work. A real name on the account matters because the payout goes to the same person who signed up. The first deposit is the qualifying deposit, so the amount and the method both count. A promo code is easy to forget when the cashier screen looks finished, yet the field sits there for a reason. Accepting the offer is a separate click from depositing, and skipping it leaves the bonus unclaimed. Game choice affects progress more than most players expect, because not every game counts the same. Expiry runs from the moment the bonus is credited, not from your first bet. poker-stars.it.com/ keeps the bonus, the cashier and the game lobby under one login, so progress sits in a single place. Once the playthrough is finished, the bonus turns into withdrawable money and the cash balance is released too.
Bonus Terms Explained
The table below groups the conditions that decide whether a bonus becomes cash.
| Term | What it means | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Playthrough requirement | Total bets needed before bonus winnings can be withdrawn | How much of your cash balance counts toward it |
| Game weighting | Share of each bet that counts, set per game type | Which games count in full and which barely count |
| Expiry | Deadline after which the bonus and its winnings are removed | When the clock starts, at credit or at first bet |
| Maximum bet | Highest stake allowed while the bonus is active | The stake you use on a single spin or hand |
| Withdrawal cap | Ceiling on what bonus winnings can convert to | Whether the cap applies to the bonus or the whole balance |
The term players misread most is playthrough, often taken as a deadline instead of a betting total. The distinction matters because a deadline only needs patience, while a betting total needs the right games at the right stakes. Players who treat playthrough as a time limit often bet big on excluded games and see no progress at all. Reading the requirement as a job to be done, not a clock to beat, changes how you plan a session.
How the Maths Works
Playthrough is a total, and you reach it by multiplying the bonus amount by the required factor. The factor is set per offer, so the same bonus can carry different requirements on different promotions. This section uses one made-up example to show how the total forms. The numbers below are illustrative only, not the brand’s actual terms.
Take an example bonus of 50 with a playthrough of forty times, used only to show the method. The required total is the bonus multiplied by that factor. Your own offer states its own factor, so substitute it here. The result is the amount you must bet before anything converts.
Bets are counted, not deposits, so putting more money in does not shorten the total. Each qualifying wager adds its full amount when the game counts in full. A game that counts partly adds only its weighted share. This is why progress can look slow on some games and fast on others.
Game weighting changes the effective total without changing the stated one. A game counting at half rate needs twice the bets to reach the same figure. A game excluded from counting adds nothing at all, however long you play it. Weighting is the hidden variable in most bonus planning.
Your own cash can behave differently from the bonus during play. Some offers put a cap on how much of your cash balance counts toward the requirement. Others leave the cash untouched until the bonus clears. Knowing which model applies tells you how much of your own money is at stake.
Withdrawing early usually cancels the bonus rather than pausing it. Any winnings tied to the bonus go with it, and only the untouched cash returns. Finishing the total first keeps the option open. That is the single decision that most affects the final result.
How Free Spins Work
Free spins arrive as a fixed number of rounds on named games, not as cash. Each spin bets a set stake that the operator chooses, so you cannot raise or lower it. Winnings from those spins usually land in a separate bonus balance. That balance carries its own playthrough before it converts.
The spins often run on a schedule, with a batch credited at a time. Missing a day can lose that batch, because the credits do not roll over. The expiry clock usually starts when the spins are credited. Playing them soon after they arrive keeps the whole batch usable.
Spin winnings are commonly capped per spin or overall, which limits the upside. A large win on one spin can be trimmed to the cap. The excess is not carried anywhere else. Treat the spins as a small extra, not a jackpot route.
Spins usually have a value attached, and that value feeds the playthrough total. A larger spin value means a larger total to clear. The stake per spin therefore matters as much as the number of spins. Compare the two before you count the offer as generous.
Game rules still apply while spins run, including stake limits on the bonus balance. Any winnings that land in the bonus balance follow the same maximum bet rule. Breaking it can void the bonus along with the winnings. Keep stakes modest until the balance clears.
Some offers combine spins with a deposit bonus, and the two share one playthrough. Clearing starts on whichever balance is active. Spins that expire take their winnings with them. Play them before the deposit bonus if the deadlines differ.
Game Contribution
Contribution is the share of each bet that counts toward playthrough, and it varies by game type. Slots usually count in full, which makes them the standard route. Table games often count partly or not at all. The pattern is set per offer, so the same game can differ between promotions.
A game counting in full moves your progress at the same rate you bet. A partly counting game moves it at a fraction, so the same stake does less work. An excluded game moves nothing, even though your balance falls. Checking the list before you play saves wasted bets.
Live dealer games are often treated as table games rather than slots. Their contribution tends to be low or excluded. A session there can still be fun, but it will not shorten the requirement. Plan it after the bonus clears rather than during.
Progress on the pokerstars casino side depends on the same weighting as everything else. A game that looks active may count for very little. The account’s bonus page shows the requirement against the games you play. That display is the fastest way to see what is really counting.
Switching games mid-session is allowed, but the weighting changes with each switch. A player who mixes a full-count slot with an excluded table game will see uneven progress. Sticking to one counting game makes the total predictable. Predictable progress is easier to finish before expiry.
The bonus page on the pokerstars app, opened in a phone browser, shows the same contribution figures. It is worth a look before a long session, since the list can differ from an older offer you remember. Using the current list avoids guessing. Guessing is the most common reason progress stalls.
Traps to Avoid
Most lost bonuses come from a handful of avoidable habits rather than bad luck.
- Betting above the maximum stake while the bonus is active voids the bonus. Keep every stake under the stated limit, including on single spins and side bets.
- Playing excluded games and expecting progress wastes the required bets. Pick games from the counting list before you start, not after a losing run.
- Letting the bonus expire because the clock started at credit, not at first bet. Note the deadline when the bonus appears and plan sessions around it.
- Withdrawing before the playthrough finishes cancels the bonus and its winnings. Finish the total first, then request the payout.
- Opening more than one account to claim the offer twice breaks the rules and can freeze both. Keep one account in your own name.
- Ignoring the withdrawal cap and expecting the full bonus winnings. Know the ceiling before you play so the result matches your expectation.
- Playing on a shared connection or letting someone else use the account. Account sharing breaches the terms and puts the balance at risk.
Each of these traps is a rule already written into the offer, not a hidden trick. The stake limit protects the operator from bonus abuse, so a single oversized bet can cost the whole bonus. Excluded games exist because their house edge is too low to fund the offer. Expiry keeps the bonus pool moving, which is why the clock does not wait for a convenient weekend. Early withdrawal is the most painful mistake because the finish line may be close. Multiple accounts look harmless until the identity check joins the records. The withdrawal cap matters most to players who win big, since the cap trims exactly that case. Account sharing fails the same identity test as a duplicate account. Reading the offer once before depositing prevents nearly all of these.