VIP programme: how loyalty schemes work
A VIP or loyalty programme rewards turnover: the more you stake, the more points you collect and the higher the level you reach. Rewards range from small bonuses to personal managers. This guide explains how such schemes are usually built and why they should never be a reason to bet more.
Points and levels
Most schemes award points per amount staked, sometimes at different rates for casino games and for sports bets. Points unlock levels, and levels unlock rewards. Sports bets may earn points only above certain minimum odds or only when settled; cashed-out or void bets may not count. The programme rules list these details.
What rewards usually look like
Typical rewards include cashback, free bets, reload offers, faster handling of requests or invitations to events. Each reward is itself a promotion with its own terms. A reward in bonus money with wagering is worth less than the same amount in cash.
The cost of a level
Turnover always has a price: the margin on every bet or the house edge on every game. If reaching the next level needs 2,000 units of bets at a 5 % margin, the expected cost is about 100 units. If the reward is smaller than that, chasing the level is a losing trade even before luck is considered.
Keeping it in proportion
Loyalty schemes are designed to encourage more play. The healthy approach is to collect whatever your normal play earns and ignore targets that would require extra stakes. If you notice that you bet to reach a level, set a deposit limit in your account.
Personal offers and limits
Higher levels sometimes bring personal offers from an account manager. Such offers are still promotions with terms, and they can be tailored to encourage more deposits. You can always ask for no marketing, and you can set deposit, loss and time limits in your account at any level. A good programme respects those limits; if it does not, that tells you something about it.
The short version
Read how points are earned on sports bets, value rewards by their terms, and compare the cost of turnover with what a level gives back. The current amount, percentage and conditions of any promotion are set by the operator and shown in the promotion terms — check them there before opting in.
← All bonus guides · See also: Cashback · Reload bonus · Bonus terms