In the run up to Christmas almost every retailer is looking to take advantage of what is usually the biggest splurge in consumer spending in the year. Recently because of the recession this has often meant starting sales early to persuade us that we are getting a bargain that shouldn’t be missed. Certainly the idea that we will respond to what appears to be a bargain is not new and also not confined to the retail sector. The online casino industry for instance uses the principle all year round, with apparently generous welcome bonuses to entice us to register with a particular online casino, and many online casinos also have a variety of loyalty bonus schemes for existing casino games players. Unfortunately online casino bonuses are not always as generous as they appear, particularly for those prospective casino games players on a limited budget. Most online casino welcome bonus offers promise to match the first deposit with a 100% bonus, effectively doubling the available stake money to play their casino games. On the face of it that sounds a great idea, but it is in the terms and conditions associated with these online casino bonus offers that you will find the sting in the tail. The major bugbear for many new casino games players is the play through requirement stipulated in the terms and conditions. This defines the amount of money that needs to be staked on playing the casino games before any money can be withdrawn from your account, and can be as much as thirty times the initial deposit plus the bonus. There may also be a time limit imposed on the play through requirement, and some specific casino games may also only contribute part of the stake towards the play through requirement. It is vitally important that any new online casino games players read and understand the terms and conditions associated with any casino bonus offers and then decide whether the offer suits their needs. Remember that these offers are voluntary and rejecting them will not affect your relationship with the online casino.