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Who does not like to get a little extra in the middle of a transaction? In online casinos, receiving some form of bonus when you sign up and create an account is more or less guaranteed.
In fact, it's hard to come across an online casino site that does not offer betting bonuses to new players. The bonuses can come in a myriad of forms and shapes, but the intention is always the same: to lure you into signing up at the casino site. A good example is the Casinocom welcome offer, which offers new players a lucrative bonus package as a welcome.
You’ll hear about all sorts of bonus offers from countless online casino sites or mobile casino apps. If you’re new to all this, it can feel more than a little overwhelming.
We're going to take you through each of the promises, guarantees, and add-ons offered by online casinos with a quick explanation of what online casino bonuses are and how they work in your favor, just in case you feel like taking the plunge and signing up. So, let's get to the nitty-gritty of what all this bonus talk really means in the big picture.
Welcome Bonus Offers
Also known as sign-up bonuses, they are essentially virtual welcome mats that online casinos roll out in an effort to curry your favor—and, more importantly, your business.
Online casino bonus promotions take many shapes. One of the most common is the straight match of your first deposit. Under this bonus, the online casino promises to match a percentage of your first deposit into your new account. Sometimes, this percentage can be as high as 100%. However, a maximum limit is usually set on how much the casino will match. That said, many casinos go quite high with these caps, sometimes up to $1,000–$1,500. But this isn’t free money. The bonus is awarded as casino bonus funds. You’re required to wager this bonus money in their games.
Another kind of welcome bonus is the offer to rebate your losses over a period of time. Again, there are stipulations for this kind of bonus. Most online casinos will rebate your losses for your first 24 hours of wagering. There is a maximum amount refunded—some sites offer as much as $1,000. Remember that this is not a refund in the classic sense. Again, the sum returned is in the form of bonus money that must be wagered at the casino.
Other online casinos will provide you with something for almost nothing. Referred to as a no deposit bonus, this is a small amount—usually $20 or $25—provided just for signing up and opening a new account. Again, this is in the form of bonus casino money.
Finally, there are some online casinos that give free spins on certain slot machines as part of the welcome package. The spins have no monetary value on their own but give a chance to spin and win.
Reload Bonuses
A true measure of an online casino's value is how it treats its existing customers. It's easy to offer great welcome deals—but what's the experience like after you've joined? What do they do to prevent you from jumping ship to another casino?
That's where reload bonuses come in. Some casinos offer a percentage match on your second, or even third, deposits. While these bonuses are also awarded as casino money that must be wagered, at least they show some appreciation for your continued play.
Refer-a-Friend Bonuses
Have lots of friends? That can pay off in the online casino world. Most online casinos offer refer-a-friend bonuses. You are given a referral code by the casino.
You share this code with your friends. They use it to sign up, make a deposit, and place a bet of at least a specified amount, and both you and your friend receive a bonus. Such a bonus can be up to $100.
Read the Terms and Conditions
There’s no such thing as a free lunch—and that applies to online casino bonuses too. You’ll find that every online casino bonus comes with wagering requirements.
What are betting requirements, you ask? In a nutshell, they're a tax on your bonus. The bonus money awarded to you isn't free money. As a matter of fact, online casinos aren't allowed to refer to these offers as "free bets" anymore, because they aren't. The money doesn't come to you freely or without any conditions attached.
You'll need to wager the bonus amount a certain number of times before you can withdraw any winnings. These can differ based on the casino and type of bonus, from 1x to as much as 25x.
On top of that, different games contribute differently toward those wagering requirements. For example, slots might contribute 100% toward the requirement, but blackjack might contribute less—so you might have to wager more times if you are playing table games.
You'll likely be given some time limit—anything from 7 to 30 days—to fulfill those wagering requirements. If you don't meet the deadline, you'll forfeit any remaining bonus money.
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