Online casinos offer bonuses to attract and keep customers. That’s because online casinos face stiff competition, and they want to expand their customer base. These promotions are a popular marketing tool that motivates players to become regular customers. However, players can use them to their advantage. Anybody who loves gambling online knows about casino bonuses. Some players even have their favorite bonuses. But, how do you get these bonuses? Understanding how casino bonuses work can help you get the most from them.
Essentially, you can enhance your bankroll using casino bonuses and improve your experience with online gambling platforms. Once you know how these promotions work, you can try different games and have fun longer with the extra cash.
How Casino Bonuses Work
Every casino bonus comes with an incentive or a reward. And this offer applies when a player deposits funds into their casino account or becomes a member. Some of the freebies that players get with these bonuses include casino credits and additional money. Some slots also give players free spins, with winnings from this offer being bonus money.
However, the bonus funds are exclusive to specific casino games. For instance, punters can use free bets on particular sports wagers that sportsbooks offer. Players can use these bets on usual odds like straight bets, total line bets, and money line bets.
Casino Bonus Requirements
It’s rare to find bonus money, free spins, and extra bets without strings attached. A player must meet certain conditions to be eligible for the bonuses. And these conditions can be as simple as signing up at an online casino. When a gambler signs up, they become eligible for an offer even without depositing any money.
However, most casino bonuses require players to deposit a certain amount of money into their accounts. For instance, a welcome bonus can give you a reward of up to 100% and free spins upon depositing at least $50. That means depositing $49 or less doesn’t make you eligible for this bonus.
Standard Terms and Conditions for Casino Bonuses
While some bonuses seem generous, they have strings attached. Here are standard terms and conditions for these promotions:
- All casino bonuses are non-transferrable
- Free spin bonuses apply to qualifying slots only
- Players must wager free casino money a specific number of times to withdraw their winnings
- Free spins have preset open pay lines and wagers
- Players must wager free spins before withdrawing them
These are primarily the general terms and conditions for online casino bonuses that every gambler should know. However, each gambling platform can have unique requirements for different rewards. This list comprises the most popular types of casino bonuses.
Welcome Bonus
Most casinos offer a welcome bonus once a customer completes the registration process. This promotion is also called a first deposit bonus, a signup bonus, and a new player bonus. It’s usually a 100% match-up of the sum that a casino specifies.
For instance, a casino can offer a 100% welcome bonus to new customers up to $100. That means depositing $100 earns a customer a maximum bonus of $100. Thus, a new player gets $200 upon depositing the first amount.
However, this bonus comes with a wagering requirement. In this example, the casino can have a wagering requirement of 20 times the bonus amount. Thus, a new customer has 20×100 giving them a playthrough total of $2000.
Getting a welcome bonus is easy because you only register with a casino. However, new customers should check the terms and conditions of the welcome bonus before entering the promotion. In some cases, a casino can have bewildering bonus offers, and the reward can require you to do a lot. Therefore, customers should realize that some bonuses are very complicated, with some having more significant wagering requirements.
Nevertheless, welcome bonuses range between 50% and 500%. But a very high welcome bonus comes with restrictive terms and conditions. But you can use it to test different games and new casinos.
No Deposit Bonus
A no deposit bonus enables a gambler to play at an online casino without risking their money. Ideally, you can register with an online casino and play without spending the amount in your bankroll. Nevertheless, most casinos restrict the types or number of games a gambler can play using this promotion. For example, casino games with a low house edge like blackjack are not eligible for no-deposit bonuses. Also, most casinos have a high wagering requirement for a no deposit bonus because they want to retain their money.
Getting this bonus is easy because you don’t pay anything to earn it. A casino deposits a balance into a customer’s account with a minimum payout of $1. A no deposit bonus is prevalent to players who want to earn from their gambling activity faster. Apart from being free, this bonus doesn’t have an expiration date.
A player can take a large bankroll and continue enjoying the promotions for several years. Essentially, this promotion offers a win-win situation for gamblers. However, a no-deposit bonus has restrictions. For instance, most casinos don’t allow gamblers to play games that are over $20. Also, you can’t play slot games with a $30 limit or multi-table games for about $100.
Additionally, a casino requires gamblers to play the no-deposit bonus a certain number of times. For instance, if you get $100 in credit, the casino may require you to play this bonus through a slot machine 20 times. Thus, you will get $2,000 in total bets. Additionally, you will have a maximum cash-out limit. Therefore, winning a $10,000 jackpot with a free bonus doesn’t mean you can cash out the total amount. Instead, you can get $500 only.
While this bonus may seem to have onerous restrictions, they prevent gamblers from moving from one platform to another, hunting casino bonuses, and cashing out free credits. Also, this promotion can have a bonus code, a string of numbers or letters that a gambler enters when depositing the first amount to be eligible for the offer.
For instance, gamblers can get El Royale Casino no deposit bonus codes from the site’s partners and enter them when depositing the first amount. Online casinos use different names to refer to these codes, including promo codes, signup codes, coupon codes, and promotion codes.
Deposit Bonus
Some casinos advertise a deposit bonus as a welcome bonus. However, a player can get it later as part of their promotional package. As the name suggests, a casino gifts its player this bonus upon depositing the first amount into their account. This offer saves the gambler the struggles of depositing money into a casino account and waiting for its conversion into cash. Most online casinos reward new players after depositing something like $10 or $20. More extensive and successful deposits earn new players higher bonuses.
After getting the deposit bonus, a player can get higher bonuses whenever they win big. For instance, entering a jackpot or winning a championship at a casino earns the player more significant rewards.
Overall, a deposit bonus can be 2, 3, 4, or 5 times the deposit amount. Players can use up to 100% deposit bonuses on table games like blackjack. Most casinos limit deposit bonuses of 200% and above to slot machines.
Nevertheless, gamblers should check the terms and conditions of a casino to avoid issues. Almost all bonuses have wagering requirements. That means you have to wager a certain amount of money before withdrawing the bonus funds or winnings accruing from them.
Also, terms and conditions tell the gambler the games contributing to the deposit bonus’s wagering requirements. Ideally, not every bet on every game counts in full. Slot bets can count at 100%, while wagers that you make on table games like three card poker or blackjack might contribute nothing or 10% only.
Therefore, gamblers should check the terms and conditions in advance to know whether the deposit bonus is worth their time. For instance, if you choose table games only and play the bonus through slots only, the offer might not offer much.
Payment Method Bonus
Top online casinos also offer payment method bonuses. A payment method is an offer that a gambler gets for using a specific payment method to load money into their account. The purpose of this bonus is to keep customers who can’t use debit or credit cards to load cash into their casino accounts. Some countries have unfriendly gambling rules that hinder gamblers from using debit or credit cards to fund their accounts.
Internet casinos work with alternative payment processors like Neteller and Skrill to ensure that credit card holders don’t turn away in disappointment. Payment method bonuses encourage players to stick to online casinos, using alternative payment methods to fund their accounts. This bonus can be 10% or 15% on any player deposits using a specific payment method. Most casinos give players this bonus upon depositing the first amount.
This deposit is easy to get because you sign up at a casino using a specific payment method. That means you must have an account with the payment processor and verify it. After that, you can load your casino account using that payment method. Like the other bonuses, a player must meet playthrough or wagering requirements before a specific deadline elapses.
Free Spins Bonus
Any player who loves playing video slots knows this bonus. Online casinos reward gamblers with free spins as a part of their giveaway or promotion. Essentially, free spins enable players to spin specific slots in certain rounds without paying anything. After using up the free spins, the casino adds up the combined winnings to the player balance. Usually, the winnings have wagering requirements. However, this differs from one gambling platform to another.
This promotion is popular among online gamblers because some casinos offer them for free. For instance, a casino can give players up to 100 free spins whenever a player deposits money. But free spins are primarily worth a few cents. However, gamblers should play the free spins whenever they get them.
While players can keep their winnings from the free spins, they must fulfill specific wagering requirements. Therefore, check the terms and conditions of a casino before taking up this offer. Also, every free spin comes with a bet value that a player can’t change. If a casino offers free spins for titles whose pay lines are adjustable, every spin has a specific number of open pay lines and can’t be changed. The winnings a player gets from the free spins are subject to the terms and conditions on the bonus, like wagering requirements.
Loyalty Bonuses
When gamblers stick to a single casino for a long time, they become exclusive VIP or loyalty club members. This promotion has bigger bonuses than regular promotions. In some cases, a loyalty bonus has low rollover requirements. That means a player can withdraw the bonus and winnings faster.
Although a loyalty bonus is tempting, claiming many promotions at a go can have adverse effects. Therefore, players should avoid abusing this bonus. Nevertheless, loyalty bonuses are ideal for gamblers who play high stakes a lot. That’s because this bonus can help a player offset their losses and ensure a more enjoyable gambling experience.
Examples of loyalty bonuses include:
- Level-up systems: A player gets a bonus after reaching a new level at an online casino.
- Loyalty points: This bonus gives a player reward points that they can convert into wagering credits.
- Challenges or missions: With this promotion, a player succeeds in a challenge to get the reward in tokens, bonus coins, or free spins.
Essentially, loyalty bonuses come in different sizes and forms. Also, the player’s actions determine the loyalty bonuses they get. For instance, a casino can reward a player for spending more money. Alternatively, you can get this bonus upon making your 10,000th bet.
High Roller Bonus
Online casinos love gamblers who spend high amounts of money on their platforms. Therefore, these casinos offer generous incentives and perks to keep such players active. A casino might not impress a high roller with a 20% deposit bonus. However, a poker tournament ticket can impress a high roller.
High rollers enjoy special treats like personalized care when gambling. Nevertheless, online casinos customize these offers to suit the playing habits of VIP customers. In most cases, online casinos require players to deposit at least $500 to enjoy high roller bonuses.
Cashback Bonus
A cashback bonus is also prevalent among online casinos. When gambling online, you can win and lose some of your money. A cashback bonus covers some of the losses for the player.
Online casinos offer this bonus on a weekly, daily, or monthly basis. But this bonus doesn’t cover all losses for a player. Instead, it’s something like 20 or 30% of the losses. Also, a player must wager the bonus credit. Therefore, check the terms and conditions of the cashback bonus before using it.
Referral Bonus
Online casinos offer referral bonuses to players that tell others about them or introduce new gamblers to their platforms. Thus, a casino can reward you with bonus money whenever you use a specific link to bring a new customer and deposit money into their new accounts.
However, referral bonuses are not typical, and you can find them in a few online casinos. Nevertheless, these promotions are effective in attracting new customers.
Reward Multipliers
Online casinos use reward multipliers to promote new slot games and engage users. However, reward multipliers are available within a specific or limited period to allow players to receive higher winnings. For instance, this offer multiplies a gambler’s winnings when playing a slot with an active reward multiplier.
In most cases, the reward multiplier triples or doubles the amount that a player wins. However, some of these bonuses multiply the winnings by up to a hundred times. Once you realize that a casino has reward multipliers, play limited slot games because you may win more money than a particular game allows.
Match Bonus
A casino can encourage a new player to register and deposit funds into their account by matching the deposit with a specific percentage. Some casinos can match the deposit with the total amount that a player deposits upon signing up. This bonus encourages new gamblers to deposit more money because they get extra free funds in their accounts.
For instance, by depositing $50 into your casino account with a 50% match bonus, you get $75 to play with on the platform. A casino can even give you a 100% match bonus. Thus, you get double your first deposit amount.
No-Wagering Bonus
A no-wagering bonus eliminates the requirement to bet winnings from free spins a certain number of times before withdrawing them. That means you keep any amount of money that you win on certain games using this bonus.
Free Bet Bonus
This bonus is the credits that a player can wager on specific sports matches. They are almost like bonus credits where the deposits influence the free bets a player can get. Nevertheless, a player has to wager the bets several times to withdraw them. Also, criteria for wagering bets may include anything exceeding 1.50.
Game-Specific Bonus
A game-specific bonus is a reward that a player can use in a particular casino game. The most common type of game-specific bonus is the free spins. With this offer, a player gets free games with active pay lines and preset bets. You can also find this offer in the form of live dealer credits. A casino offers the credits for live dealer games from a gaming software provider. Some casinos allow a game-specific bonus for a single live dealer game.
How to Turn Bonus into Real Money
One thing that gamblers should know is that the actual money that they deposit doesn’t contribute to the bonus requirements. While this could seem like a hindrance to some players, it’s a blessing. If a gambler wagers some funds and wins, they can withdraw the cash the casino pays to their account whenever they please without a playthrough requirement.
For instance, if a player uses $50 from the bonus balance to play a specific slot game and wins $1,000, the casino adds this amount to their bonus money account, and they can’t withdraw the amount until they meet the wagering requirements.
If a player uses $50 from the cash account and wins $1,000, they can withdraw some or even all the winnings immediately. Thus, a player can withdraw the winnings that a casino adds to their cash account without meeting the wagering requirements.
Indeed, if a player is lucky to land a big win once they start playing with their cash, they can withdraw at least the deposit value. Thus, they can profit early after cashing out the deposit and continue playing with the remainder.
For instance, if a gambler plays through their money and starts playing the bonus amount, they can target specific games to enhance their chances of playing through the bonus. While playing through the bonus and making profits might not be easy, it adds fun and extends the time you gamble at a casino. That’s because you bet with the bonus without spending the money you load into your casino account.
Final Thoughts
Online casinos offer different types of bonuses that gamblers can claim upon registering with them. A casino can offer big signup bonuses, while another can have a loyalty program for rewarding loyal players. Knowing different casino bonuses and how to claim them is a great way to ensure that you can benefit from these freebies. Nevertheless, online casino bonuses are not the same. Therefore, gamblers should learn to determine good bonuses that are worth their consideration. Gamblers should find bonuses to take advantage of with so many promotions when playing video poker, slots, and table games. All they need is to understand how these promotions work to benefit from using them.
