A bonus code unlocks a sign-up offer. Read the terms before you enter the code: the value of the bonus is not the headline number, it is the unlockable cash after the rollover.
A bonus has four numbers worth reading: the credit, the rollover, the expiry, the eligible contests. The headline is usually the credit. The cash value is the unlockable after the rollover.
The headline number. The amount that lands in your bonus wallet on first deposit.
The multiplier you must play through before the bonus becomes withdrawable cash. A 5x rollover on a 1000-credit bonus means 5000 credits of play.
The window in which you must clear the rollover. A 30-day expiry on a 5x rollover is the tightest realistic combination.
The contest types the rollover counts against. Practice-only and free-to-play contests usually do not count.
The KYC step is where most readers stall the bonus rollover. We document the actual minutes.