What formula do you use for a deposit-match bonus?

Real value ≈ bonus × (1 − house edge × effective wagering), where effective wagering = stated requirement ÷ game contribution. It estimates what survives to a withdrawable balance after the expected cost of clearing the wagering.

Where do operator bonus terms come from?

From the operator's own terms and help centre, with a date and source. Unverified terms read 'verifying' rather than a guess, and we re-check because bonus terms change often.

Why do you say most crypto casinos have no real bonus?

Of the eight operators we track, only two run a genuine deposit-match (and one of those is locked credit). The rest pay value as rakeback — a percentage of the house edge — which we value separately, because it behaves nothing like a matched bonus.

Methodology: how we value bonuses

A bonus is worth what survives wagering, not its headline. Here is exactly how the calculators work, where the numbers come from, and the lines we will not cross.

The deposit-match formula

Real value ≈ bonus × (1 − house edge × effective wagering). Effective wagering is the stated requirement divided by game contribution, because a game contributing under 100% forces proportionally more turnover and therefore more expected loss. Every wager in that turnover meets the house edge, so the expected cost of clearing a bonus is turnover × house edge; the bonus only pays when its size beats that cost. The output is an expected value across many outcomes, not a promise — variance means a single attempt finishes above or below it.

Rakeback is not a bonus, so we value it separately

This is the distinction most bonus listings miss. Of the eight operators we track, only two run a genuine deposit-match, and the rest return value as rakeback — a percentage of the house edge on every bet, paid win or lose. Rakeback has no wagering to clear, but its real worth depends on the edge of the games you play and on whether it is paid on the house edge, on net loss, or on raw turnover. The cashback simulator values that basis; the deposit-match calculator values matched bonuses; the VIP and faucet tools value the slower rewards. We keep the two categories apart because conflating "rakeback" with "bonus" is how a headline overstates value.

Our source hierarchy

We work down a fixed order and cite the highest source that carries a figure:

The operator's own terms and the live cashier / promotions page.
The operator's help centre or support documentation.
Recognised trade press for corporate and licensing detail.

We do not treat casino-affiliate sites or comparison blogs as sources for a number. Several bonus figures that circulate widely for crypto casinos — a "60% rakeback", a "200% / $3,000" welcome match, a "20% up to $1,400" cashback, a "30% back on every deposit" — appear only on affiliate pages and not on the operator's own terms. We flag those as unverified rather than repeat them.

What "verified" means

A per-operator figure (wagering, caps, rates) is published only with a source and a date. Where an operator doesn't publish a number — and several deliberately don't disclose their rakeback percentages — the field reads "verifying" rather than a guess, and we re-check on a rolling basis because bonus terms change often and vary by region and VIP tier.

What we won't claim

We don't present an affiliate-only figure as an operator-stated rate.
We don't invent ratings or attach star schema to numbers we haven't earned.
Editorial work is maintained by the BonusTrueCost Research Desk — an editorial team, not a fabricated individual with a stock-photo byline.

Affiliate transparency

Some outbound links are affiliate links, routed through /go/ and marked with an "Ad" tag. If you sign up through one we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never changes a calculation or where an operator sits — we call BC.Game's locked-bonus headline exactly as we see it, partner or not. See about us.

Corrections

Spotted a term that's changed, or a figure you can source better than we have? Tell us and we'll re-verify and update the date. Accuracy on these numbers matters more to us than being first.