All online casino players love a good bonus. But what exactly constitutes a great casino bonus, and where can they be found? Luckily for you, we’ve got all the answers in this handy guide to everything you need to know about casino bonuses and rewards.
All our recommended sites have been hand-picked to offer the most generous bonus offers with the best terms, so you can’t go wrong when you select one of them to play at. For a bit more detail on how to choose the right casino bonus for you, all your questions will be answered right here.
Why do Casinos Offer Bonuses?
Almost all online casinos have bonus and promotional offers for new and existing players. You should always check the online casino bonus comparison chart. There are quite a few different reasons why – here are the main ones.
Attracting new customers
This is probably the number one reason that casinos have bonuses, and the welcome offer is quite often the main event. Whatever kind of sign up bonus is advertised, it’s there as an attractive incentive to open an account, deposit money and start playing.
Rewarding existing players
The best casinos will not neglect their existing customers. After all, with so many to choose from, it would be easy to lose players to the competition if all the rewards dried up after the welcome offer. Usually, the more you play the more you are rewarded in things like free spins and bonus money. Many casinos also have weekly, monthly and seasonal offers to keep players coming back for more.
Enticing inactive players back
If there’s been no activity on your account for some time, the casino may reach out and offer an exclusive bonus to tempt you back. Other casinos have regular reload bonuses to encourage players to make a deposit.
When it comes down to it, bonuses and rewards are there to get new customers, retain existing ones and to keep everyone playing. Generous though they might be, a casino bonus exists for the benefit of the casino. This is something to keep in mind when choosing a bonus, promotion or VIP reward scheme.
What Types of Bonuses and Rewards do Casinos Offer?
Here are some of the most common bonuses and promotions found at online casinos today.
Welcome offer
As mentioned above, practically every casino has an offer for new customers when they sign up. Welcome offers need to stand out, so they will often be very big and bold. Types of signup bonuses vary – read on to find out more.
Deposit match bonuses
Often part of a welcome offer, this is when the casino will match a percentage of your deposited cash with bonus money. For instance, the bonus offer is a 100% match up to $200, then the casino will give you $1 of bonus money for each dollar you deposit. The maximum you can get in this case is an extra $200 in bonus money – so $400 including your deposited money.
Free spins
Also often included as part of a welcome bonus, this is a number of spins on selected slot games at the casino site. Some casinos restrict this to a single slot, while others give you more choice.
No deposit bonus
These are always much smaller than deposit match bonuses, but they are quite sought-after. Simply make an account with the casino, and you’ll get a bit of bonus cash to play with, all without using any of your own money.
Cashback bonus
Some casinos soften the blow of losing money by giving back a certain percentage of your losses within a given time period.
Refer a friend
Recommend your casino to a friend, and if they sign up and make a deposit, the casino will give you a reward.
Reload bonus
Similar to a welcome bonus, but for existing customers. The casino will give a full or partial match on a deposit in bonus money, or offer something else like free spins when you reload your cash account.
Loyalty points
Players collect points the more they play. These points can be banked as part of the loyalty or VIP scheme, or exchanged for other perks such as free spins or bonus cash.
You may find other types of casino bonus or promotional offers, such as exclusive mobile player bonuses, slot of the week or tournaments that you can enter to get prizes. However, the majority of casinos will have one or more of the types listed in the mix. So now for the most important question; how do you choose the best bonus?
What Makes a Good Casino Bonus?
Imagine that you have identified two or more casinos with very similar welcome bonus offers, how do you decide which one to sign up with? The answer is all in the terms and conditions. On the surface the offers may look similar or even identical, but the difference will be in the small print, so here’s what to look for:
Wagering requirements
This term refers to how many times you have to play the bonus through before any winnings are yours. There are two separate things to consider here. The first is the requirement itself – the smaller the better. As an example, if the wagering requirement on a $10 bonus is 50x (very high) then you must spend $500 on eligible games before you can withdraw any winnings. As you can see, this makes the chances of you actually getting any money back very small.
The second consideration is whether the bonus money and your own deposited money are kept separate. Some casinos will lump it all together, meaning that wagering requirements apply both to the bonus cash and to your own deposited money. We don’t recommend signing up to a casino that forces wagering requirements on your own cash.
Game eligibility
This is also connected to the playthrough requirements. Many casinos will only allow you to play slots using the bonus, as other games such as blackjack or roulette have a lower house edge and therefore your chances of beating the wagering are higher. Others allow you to play such games, but they will only contribute a tiny percentage to the wagering requirements.
Multiple offers
Many casinos will have different offers for specific types of games. Not everyone wants to just play slots, so if you’re a fan of table games look out for a casino bonus tailored to what you like to play.
Loyalty rewards
As we have already seen, a good casino will have much more to offer than just a welcome bonus. Look out for a casino that takes care of their existing customers with loyalty points and a tiered VIP scheme which allows you to get more rewards the more you play.
Can You Get Bonuses For Roulette?
Roulette online is a popular game at virtually every online casino. It is a fun and easy game that offers players comfortable, but yet exciting moments. But can one get bonuses for it? Some online casinos have in fact created campaigns around roulette online, but when it comes to bonuses. unfortunately majority of all the casinos out there are focusing on slots.
That is a pity, as there are so many players that are waiting to get their hands on some bonus money to spend at the roulette table as well. Maybe in the future more casinos join the ones that have already given free money to roulette. In the mean time we recommend you to keep your eye on the bonus campaigns that are targeted to slots! These bonuses are usually the biggest and can get you possibly huge winnings.
Casino Bonus Quick Facts
We’ve looked at the types of bonuses to be found, and what to look out for when choosing one. Here are a few more things to consider when using a casino bonus.
- You should always be able to opt out of a bonus if you wish. The mechanism for doing this will vary, but avoid casinos that force you to take a bonus.
- Bonuses are time-limited. If you don’t use the bonus money or free spins within the time frame given in the T&Cs, you will forfeit it.
- Think of a bonus as fun money. The wagering requirements are there to protect the casino from losing too much cash, and they mean that realistically you are unlikely to get any returns from a casino bonus. Think of it as a fun way to explore the casino, and you’ll avoid disappointment.