A promo code field on the bonus screen is where most players lose money before they even start. Typing the code after the deposit lands, or typing it in the wrong box, can leave the offer unclaimed. The condition underneath that screen is what matters most: winnings from a bonus stay locked until you play through the required amount on games that count, and the brand counts each game differently.
Activating the Bonus
Claiming works in a fixed order, and skipping a step usually means the offer is not attached to your balance at all. Follow the sequence as the screen presents it.
- Log into your account in the phone browser and open the cashier area before doing anything else. The screen for claiming sits there, not on the main lobby.
- Find the field labelled for a promo code and type the current code exactly as shown, with no extra spaces. A mistyped code takes the deposit but adds no bonus, and nothing on the screen flags the mistake.
- Enter the promo code bitstarz issue is tied to your account history, so a code you used before may be refused. Keep track of which offers you have already taken so you do not repeat one.
- Choose your deposit and confirm it only after the code is in the field. The order matters: a code entered after the money is confirmed often does not attach to that deposit.
- Read the bonus screen summary before you confirm and note the playthrough requirement shown there. That figure is the one your money is tied to, and it is stated on the screen, not assumed.
- Start playing only once the bonus balance appears next to your cash balance. If it does not appear, the claim failed and the money is still yours to withdraw.
- Use the chat option on the screen if the bonus is missing after a correct claim. Staff can see the code you entered and whether it attached.
A code typed in the wrong field adds nothing, and the deposit still goes through, which is why players report missing bonuses. Entering the code first and depositing second is the safest order the cashier allows. Copy and paste beat typing, because a swapped letter is invisible in a masked field. The bonus summary on the confirmation screen is the only place the playthrough requirement is shown plainly before you commit. Players who confirm without reading it often assume the requirement is lower than it is. The bonus balance sits separately from your cash, and winnings from it stay locked until the playthrough is finished. One code per player applies, so sharing a code with a friend may lock it for one of you.
Conditions to Check
Four conditions decide whether a bonus is worth claiming, and each one appears on the claim screen or in the offer text.
| Term | What it means for you | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Playthrough requirement | Total amount you must stake before bonus winnings become withdrawable | The multiple stated on the claim screen, and which games reduce it |
| Game contribution | How much of each stake counts toward the requirement for that game type | The contribution level of each game you plan to play |
| Time limit | The window in which the requirement must be met | The deadline on the bonus screen, measured from the claim |
| Maximum bet | Size of a single stake allowed while a bonus is active | The stated cap, and that your normal stake sits under it |
The playthrough requirement is the term players misread most, because it applies to the bonus amount, not to your deposit. A player can finish the requirement on play that never touches the bonus and still be unable to withdraw the bonus winnings. The requirement counts stakes, not wins, so a losing run does not slow it down. Contribution changes the maths, because some games move the counter faster than others. The deadline runs from the moment the bonus is claimed, not from your first spin. A bonus that expires with the requirement unfinished disappears along with anything won from it.
A Worked Example
The figures below are an illustration only and do not match any actual terms on the brand. They show the arithmetic a player can apply to whatever amount the bonus screen states, so treat them as a demonstration of the formula rather than a real offer.
Start with a deposit of 100, and suppose the bonus adds the same amount, matched by the playthrough multiple of 25. The amount to play through is not simply the bonus times that multiple in every case. The worked requirement here is 100 multiplied by 25, giving 2,500. That is the total stake the counter must reach before winnings leave the bonus.
Now split that 2,500 across games by contribution. A full-contribution game moves the counter by each unit staked, so this player needs 2,500 staked on that game. A game counting half adds half of each stake, so the same player needs 5,000 staked there to clear the counter. A game counting nothing contributes zero no matter how long it is played.
Take a player who spends most of the session on a half-contribution game. Every 100 staked moves the counter by 50, so the total staked across the session must double the requirement. If the session produces wins along the way, the counter still tracks stakes only, unchanged by the results. That player leaves two units of play to clear for every unit the full-contribution player leaves.
The maximum bet cap runs alongside this and is not part of the formula. A single stake above the cap can void the bonus outright, and the stake is then left out of the calculation. A player who keeps every stake under the cap and stays on full-contribution games finishes the counter soonest. Finishing before the deadline matters as well, since an unfinished counter at expiry clears the bonus and its winnings.
Run the same formula on the amount your own screen states, with the multiple shown beside it. Note which games count fully before you start, because contribution decides the amount you actually stake. Keep the deadline in view as you play and watch for the counter announcement when it clears. Nothing here belongs to a real offer, and the screen you see is the only place the actual multiple appears.
Game Contribution
Contribution is the share of each stake that counts toward the playthrough requirement, and the brand sets it game by game. A game at full contribution moves the counter by the whole stake. A game at partial contribution moves it by a fraction. Games with nothing listed push the counter not at all, even though they take your money. Players who check contribution before choosing a game finish the requirement in the fewest stakes.
Slots usually sit closest to full contribution, because the brand applies its playthrough rate directly to them. Table and live games often carry lower rates, and some carry none. The exact rate is stated in the game list or the bonus text, not guessed from the game type. Betting on a low-contribution game is not a mistake in itself, but it stretches the amount you must stake. Players who want the bonus cleared quickly stay on the games listed at the top rate.
Some titles are excluded outright, and a stake on an excluded game may not count at all. Exclusions often cover progressive jackpot games and a handful of high-volatility titles. The excluded list is short compared with the full game library, and checking it takes a minute. A player who spends a session on an excluded game finds the counter unchanged. The offer text lists the exclusions, and the exclusion applies even when the game shows a contribution figure.
Contribution interacts with the maximum bet cap, because a stake above the cap can void the bonus and be excluded from the counter. That double penalty is why the cap deserves a glance before each session. Keeping stakes modest and on fully counted games avoids the problem entirely. A player who stakes under the cap on a full-contribution slot is working the requirement at the fastest allowed rate.
Switching between games mid-session is allowed, and the counter keeps its progress. Only stakes on counted games add to it, so a mixed session advances more slowly than time on one full-rate title. Players placing a bet on bitstarz poker matches should note that poker often carries a lower rate than slots. The lower rate is not a trap, just slower counter movement per unit staked.
How Free Spins Work
Free spins arrive with their own conditions, separate from any cash bonus on the same offer. The spins usually open on one named game, and using them elsewhere is not possible. Their winnings land in a bonus balance with a playthrough requirement of its own. Players who assume spins are free money are the ones surprised by the locked balance afterwards.
Each spin set carries a deadline, and unused spins are gone once it passes. Use them in one sitting rather than saving them, since the countdown runs whether you play or not. The spins do not draw from your deposit, so leaving them unused costs nothing you paid in. It does cost the winnings they might have produced.
Spin results vary, and a session can end with a small win or none at all. When Bitstarz app hands out spins with a bonus, the winnings stay locked until the attached requirement is met. A small win can be worth clearing and a tiny one may not repay the stakes needed. Players weigh the requirement against the win size before deciding whether to chase it.
The playthrough requirement attached to spin winnings often differs from the one on a cash bonus, and the screen states it. Some offers apply the same rate to both, and others apply a separate figure to the spins. Treat the spin requirement as its own task with its own counter. Mixing the two balances in your head is the most common reason players miscalculate progress.
A game change can pause the spins, and some excluded titles stop them from counting. Keep the spins on the named game until the set is used up, since that game carries the playthrough rate. The winnings show as a bonus balance once the spins are done. From that point the counter behaves exactly like a cash bonus counter.
What Voids a Bonus
Voiding is rarely deliberate and almost always the result of one habit repeated in the first session. Each mistake below comes with the fix that prevents it.
- Staking above the maximum bet cap: a single stake over the cap can cancel the bonus and its winnings. Avoid it by setting your stake under the cap before you touch a game.
- Playing excluded games on a bonus: stakes on excluded titles may count for nothing or void the offer. Avoid it by checking the exclusion list before your first bet.
- Cashing out before the requirement is met: withdrawing early usually forfeits the bonus balance and anything won from it. Avoid it by treating any withdrawal as the end of the bonus.
- Opening a second account to claim again: duplicate accounts break the one-account rule and can cost you the bonus on both. Avoid it by claiming only from your own existing account.
- Sharing a promo code with another player: a code tied to one account may be refused or void the claim. Avoid it by keeping the code you used to yourself.
- Missing the deadline while still playing: the bonus clears at expiry and the counter resets. Avoid it by checking the deadline at the start of each session.
- Leaving the bonus screen before the claim confirms: a half-finished claim can attach no bonus at all. Avoid it by waiting for the balance to appear beside your cash.
Most voided bonuses come from the cap and the excluded games, not from deliberate misuse. Both are easy to check before the first stake and impossible to undo afterwards. A player who reads the cap and checks the game list avoids the two most expensive mistakes on the list. The deadline is the slow one, because it catches players who are playing correctly but too slowly. Keeping a note of the claim date and the counter total turns that silent expiry into something you can see coming.