Best Online Casino Bonus Guide

OVERVIEW OF BEST ONLINE CASINO BONUS & PROMOTIONS

For a new player, some casinos offer a welcome bonus which may consist of a sign-up bonus, deposit bonus, cashback bonus and/or free spins. Most of these are also available to regular players at the casino as a way of rewarding loyalty and encouraging players to continue playing.

If you’re looking for a new casino, it’s easy to get carried away by all the promotions dangled in front of you like candy. Aside from the bonus terms, there are other things that you’ll want to consider before signing up at a casino. Is the casino licensed and regulated, and where? Does the casino have a good player reputation? What currencies, cryptocurrencies, and payment methods does the casino accept? What slots, casino games and live casino games are available?

As you can see, the choice is not so easy. Fortunately, we can help!

ONLINE CASINO BONUS TYPES

As there are a few types of online casino bonuses, we run through the most common ones with you along with a brief explanation of how they work. Always remember that a bonus is optional, and comes with T&Cs that you should read before accepting. Some players find the requirements constrictive and prefer to opt-out.

FINDING THE BEST ONLINE CASINO BONUSES

With such a wide range of bonuses on offer, finding the sites that offer those most suited for your own style of play is important and the top online casinos certainly do that. Here is a list of sites that offer a great variety of bonuses from match deposit bonuses, different bonus codes, reload bonuses, and many of the other best casino bonuses available.

NEW PLAYER WELCOME BONUS

Arguably, the most recognized types of bonuses are the deposit bonus and sign-up bonus that you might find in a welcome offer. Each is only available to new players. The welcome bonus usually applies when making your 1st deposit, but sometimes can also apply on your 2nd, 3rd and 4th, deposits. It often consists of a match deposit bonus where the casino will match your deposit by a percentage up to a certain amount in bonus money.

For example, a casino may have a 100% match bonus up to $500. This means that if you were to deposit $100, then the casino would match you with $100 in bonus money. If you were to deposit $1,000, the casino would give you the maximum allowed of $500 in bonus money.

NO DEPOSIT BONUS

The no deposit bonus (free play bonus) gives you a small amount of free money or free spins to play with without having to deposit any of your own money. It is an excellent way of trying games for free with extra cash from the casino after you’ve signed up. The wagering requirements on them may be higher, making it more difficult to withdraw your money. The casino may also apply cash out limits or require you to deposit money before you can cash out. Remember to read the T&Cs.

RELOAD BONUS

The reload bonus is designed to reward loyal players who regularly deposit to their player account. These recurring promotions may be part of some one-off, weekly or monthly promotion. The bonus varies wildly from about 25% to as much as 100%, although they are not typically as large as welcome bonuses.

FREE SPINS BONUS

The free spins bonus is offered as part of either ongoing promotions or part of a welcome bonus. One of the drawbacks is that they often only apply to a limited number of slots, which can be a drawback if you already have a few slots in mind.  The other thing to keep in mind is that your winnings from the free spins bonus may be capped so if you were to win a jackpot or large sum, you would not be allowed to keep it. Additionally, the casino may cap the size of your bets.

CASHBACK BONUS

The cashback bonus is like a second chance for players who have lost their deposit. Here, you receive a percentage of your losses back, typically in bonus money, so you can play without depositing more money. VIP and members of loyalty programs may be able to receive real money instead of bonus money.

The cashback bonus is ordinarily processed quickly so the amount is available faster and can range from 10% to 50%. Be sure to read the terms and conditions as some games may be exempt when playing with bonus money or contribute less than 100% per round to satisfying the wagering requirement.

WAGERING BONUS TERMS ON A MATCH DEPOSIT BONUS

A few bonus terms that you’ll find in the T&Cs include wagering turnover, maximum bets, qualifying games, time limits, minimum deposits, and deposit methods excluded from the offer.

WAGERING TURNOVER REQUIREMENT

When you look at the T&Cs with bonus money, you’ll always find a line stating that bonus money is subject to wagering requirements, including a minimum turnover (rollover) requirement often in the 30x-60x. So what does this mean? Let’s look at this by way of an example.

Assume that you deposit $200 at a casino with a 50% match bonus of up to $150. First, you would need to calculate your match bonus amount. In this scenario, 100% of $200 is $100. As it is less than the maximum match bonus amount of $150, $100 is the amount of your bonus money.

What if the casino has a turnover requirement of forty times (40x)? This would mean before you can withdraw your bonus money or any winnings from them, you would need to wager a total of $4,000 ($100 x40).

QUALIFYING GAMES

So you know how much you need to bet before you can withdraw your bonus money and winnings, so that’s it right? Well – not so fast! If you look at the T&Cs, you’ll find that not all games contribute in the same way towards satisfying the turnover requirement. Often, videos slot bets contribute 100% on each spin, but there are usually a few slots excluded, contributing 0%. Slots considered as classic slots may only contribute 75%, while tables games might only be 10%. It depends on the casino but suffices to say, if a game contributes less than 100%, you will need to play it longer.

DEPOSIT AND PAYMENT RESTRICTIONS

A couple of things to keep in mind if you want to qualify for the bonus is the minimum deposit you need to make to be eligible for a match deposit bonus. The minimum is often set to a reasonably low amount like $10, but it depends on the casino.

Furthermore, some deposit methods may disqualify you from the bonus. For example, a casino might state that deposits using Neteller or Skrill are excluded from the offer.

MAXIMUM BETS

Each casino will set the maximum bet allowed for each round of play with the bonus. Exceeding the amount will likely disqualify you.

TIME UNTIL EXPIRY

Finally, keep in mind that all bonuses expire if they are not consumed by a period stated in the bonus T&Cs. One casino may say that they must be used within 14 days while another may state 30 days. Any bonus money that has not met the turnover requirement is lost once expired.

CRYPTOCURRENCY CASINO BONUSES

If you’re playing at a cryptocurrency casino, such as a Bitcoin casino, then you are likely to find the same bonuses that you would at any other casino. It comes down to the casino in terms of what they choose to offer.

MOBILE CASINO BONUSES

As with cryptocurrency casinos, you’re very likely to find the same bonuses on your mobile or tablet that you would at an online casino from your desktop. When mobile casino was introduced a few years ago, the bonuses were often more attractive to get players to play on their Android or iOS devices. That has mostly changed now as mobile casino adoption has slowed down as it continues to mature.

CLAIMING AN ONLINE CASINO BONUS

Claiming an online casino bonus may differ slightly between casinos. You typically need to opt-in, and you may need to enter a bonus code which you should be able to find on the site. The bonus code unlocks the promotion. Keep in mind that once you’ve claimed the bonus, the bonus is typically only valid for a limited time only. Bonuses are usually valid for no more than 30 days, but free spins are generally valid up to 24 or 72 hours.

ONLINE CASINO VIP REWARDS PROGRAMS

As another way of rewarding player loyalty, casinos will often offer VIP rewards that can appear in any number of forms. Sometimes they involve dedicated account managers, invites to exclusive events, exclusive bonuses, entry to a monthly draw presents on your birthday, personalized withdrawal options and holiday packages.

A FINAL NOTE ON CASINO BONUSES

Casino bonuses can be an excellent way for new and regular players to play with free money or spins. Bonuses are available at online and mobile casinos, including cryptocurrency casinos, and can come in a variety of shapes but are subject to wagering conditions. Bonuses are optional so you can either choose to claim yours using a bonus code if applicable or opt-out. The choice is yours!

FAQ ONLINE CASINO BONUS

There is nothing wrong with being new to a casino and having questions concerning the casino bonus. Therefore, we’ve put together a list of some frequently asked questions to get you started.

WHAT IS A CASINO BONUS?

An online casino bonus is a promotion where new or existing players, typically receive bonus money or free spins with which to play. There are many bonus types: welcome bonus, cashback, match deposit bonus, sign-up bonus, reload bonus and free spins.

WHERE CAN I FIND A CASINO BONUS?

Fortunately, casino bonuses are available at most online casinos that compete for new players while rewarding their existing players. Typically, if you’re new to a casino, then you’re given the option to accept the casino bonus. Remember to enter a bonus code if required.

SHOULD I LOOK FOR THE CASINO WITH THE HIGHEST CASINO BONUS?

The temptation to shop around for the highest bonus is understandable. Still, it would be a mistake to ignore other factors. For starters, you should consider whether they offer reasonable bonus terms. Also ask where the casino is licensed and regulated, its reputation, accepted currencies and payment methods, games, customer support and more.

WHAT ARE CASINO BONUS TERMS?

Casino bonus terms are the fine print that you’ll find attached to casino bonuses. It outlines what you need to qualify for a casino bonus, any limitations, and requirements before you can withdraw your winnings.

WHAT IS A CASINO TURNOVER REQUIREMENT?

Before you can withdraw your bonus money or the winnings from it, you will need to wager it a minimum number of times such as 40x. Not all games will equally contribute to satisfying the turnover requirement. For example, most video slots may contribute 100%, but live games and video poker may be 0% (excluded).

CAN I WITHDRAW MY BONUS WINNINGS WITHOUT COMPLETING THE TURNOVER REQUIREMENT?

No – Bonus money is not real money. If you do not fulfill the wagering requirements, then you will not be able to withdraw your bonus money. Unused bonus money expires.

CAN I QUALIFY FOR A BONUS AT A BITCOIN CASINO?

Yes – cryptocurrency casinos, including Bitcoin casinos, offer welcome bonuses that may include match bonuses, free spins or other bonuses.

WHAT IS A BONUS CODE?

A bonus code is an alpha-numeric sequence that casinos often require players to enter when applying for a bonus. You can find these on the promotional page or bonus T&Cs.

WHAT IS A MATCH DEPOSIT BONUS?

A match deposit bonus including a deposit bonus can be part of a welcome offer or reload bonus. Here, the casino matches your deposit with bonus money calculated as a percentage of your deposit up to a certain amount.

WHAT IS A CASHBACK BONUS?

A cashback bonus offers players who’ve consumed their deposit a chance to keep playing without depositing more money. The casino will credit you with bonus money based on a percentage of the money lost, typically between 10% to 50%. VIP and loyalty players may receive cashback as real money instead.