Deposit Bonus
A deposit bonus matches a percentage of the money you put in — deposit R500 with a 50% match and you’ve got R750 to play with, R250 of it bonus. It’s the mechanism behind nearly every welcome bonus and reload bonus on the market. Two terms decide whether a deposit bonus is friendly or a trap: whether it’s sticky or non-sticky, and the max-bet rule while you clear it.
You’ll see deposit-match offers across the Scorebet promotions, on your first deposit and on later top-ups.
Sticky vs non-sticky — the term that matters most
This single distinction changes a deposit bonus from safe to risky:
- Non-sticky. Your deposit and the bonus stay separate. You bet with your own money first, can withdraw it (and its winnings) whenever you like, and the bonus only kicks in if your real cash runs out. Far safer — you’re never trapping your own rand.
- Sticky. The bonus is glued to your balance. You can’t withdraw anything until the entire wagering requirement is cleared, and the bonus amount itself is stripped out when you finally cash out. Your own deposit is effectively locked alongside it until you’re done.
If the terms don’t say, assume sticky and bet accordingly. A non-sticky bonus is one you can walk away from at any point with your own money intact; a sticky one commits you.
What the match really pays
The match percentage is the headline; the wagering is the bill. A worked rand example on a 50% sticky match:
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Your deposit | R500 |
| 50% match | R250 (bonus) |
| Wagering at 30x bonus | R7,500 to bet through |
| Withdrawable before clearing (sticky) | R0 |
Until that R7,500 is bet through, nothing comes out. On a non-sticky version, your R500 and anything it wins stay yours throughout — which is exactly why non-sticky is the friendlier structure. The full maths of that 30x is on wagering requirements.
The max-bet rule while clearing
Almost every deposit bonus caps your stake while it’s active — commonly R5 to R30 a bet. The point is to stop you clearing R7,500 of wagering in three big swings, which would hand you an edge the bookmaker won’t give. Bet over the cap, even once, and the operator can void the bonus and everything you won with it. So while a deposit bonus is live, keep every stake under the stated limit and check it in the terms before your first bet, not after.
Using a deposit bonus sensibly
The honest play is to claim a deposit bonus on money you were depositing anyway, prefer non-sticky offers, and bet at your normal rhythm inside the max-bet cap. Don’t inflate your deposit to max a match you’ll struggle to clear — a bonus you can’t realistically wager through is worth nothing. State your bets in plain rand, respect the cap, and treat the bonus as a small cushion, not a reason to bet more than you meant to.
Will a deposit-bonus win actually pay out?
Yes, on the same terms as the rest of the site. Once you’ve cleared the wagering inside the expiry window, the balance converts to withdrawable cash and is paid on local rails — Instant EFT, cards, e-wallets — after FICA verification. The caveats are the two covered above: a sticky bonus locks everything until the wagering’s done, and a max-bet breach can void the lot. Read whether it’s sticky, find the bet cap, and you’ll know exactly what you’re agreeing to. For existing-player top-up versions of this offer, see the reload bonus.
Frequently asked
What is a deposit bonus?
A deposit bonus matches a percentage of the money you deposit with bonus credit — deposit R500 with a 50% match and you get R250 bonus on top. It's the engine behind most welcome and reload offers, and like all of them it comes with a wagering requirement you clear before the bonus converts to cash.
What is the difference between a sticky and non-sticky bonus?
A non-sticky bonus lets you withdraw your own deposit and its winnings at any time, using the bonus only as backup — much safer. A sticky bonus glues the bonus to your balance, so you can't withdraw anything until the full wagering is cleared, and the bonus itself is removed when you cash out. Non-sticky is far friendlier to the player.
Why do deposit bonuses limit your bet size?
Max-bet rules stop you clearing the wagering in a few big swings or arbitraging the bonus. While a deposit bonus is active, stakes are usually capped at around R5 to R30 per bet. Breach the cap and the bookmaker can void the bonus and any winnings from it, so it's a rule worth respecting exactly.
Why can betting both red and black on roulette get a deposit bonus voided?
Covering opposite outcomes — red and black, or back-and-lay equivalents — is low-risk 'bonus arbitrage' that turns over the wagering with almost no variance, and the terms forbid it precisely because it strips the house edge out of the requirement. Operators flag near-equal opposing bets while a bonus is live and can confiscate the bonus plus its winnings, so it's not a clever loophole, it's a fast route to a voided account.
Why does game weighting make a slots bonus clear faster than a sports or table-game one?
Wagering rarely counts every game at 100%. Slots usually contribute their full stake to the requirement, while table games, low-edge sports markets and live casino often count at a fraction — sometimes 10% or zero. So R7,500 of wagering on blackjack at 10% weighting actually demands R75,000 of turnover, which is why a bonus that looks identical clears far slower away from slots. Check the contribution table before you pick where to bet it through.