Casino Bonuses and Promotions Explained

The most exciting part of creating an online casino account are the Welcome Bonus packages and weekly promotions that the casino has in store for their new members. If you are just starting your online gambling adventure, you may at times be overwhelmed and even bewildered with the lengthy terms&conditions lists or the bonus requirements that you need to meet before becoming eligible to claim the promotional offer. In some cases, chances are that you will not even know what to look for or if the bonus conditions are suitable to your needs.

To avoid wandering in the dark and committing yourselves to bonuses which will, later on, prove to be difficult to get out of (especially if you are a recreational player who does not wager too often or has a strict budget), here are some general pointers of the most common online casino bonuses.

Wagering Requirements

This is the first thing that you need to learn about online casino welcome bonuses and the last thing most of us find out about when activating the promotional offer. In fact, a number of players are not even aware of the fact that such a thing exists, until it is too late and you are “stuck” with the account balance that cannot be withdrawn.

The concept of these bonuses is to keep the member wagering and direct the bonus amount to new bets, prolonging the gameplay for as long as possible; this, of course, is great for the players who plan on sticking around with the casino and who already have developed gameplay strategies and betting schemes. If, on the other hand, you are just getting acquainted with the casino and online gambling in general, staying clear from this type of bonuses may be a better idea. Alternatively, if you do not want to miss out on the offer, depositing a minimum amount is recommendable, since meeting the requirements will be much easier that way. And, in case you still do not fully understand what we are talking about when we mention wagering requirements, let us clarify – the terms is defined by the overall amount one has to wager before making a withdrawal. The amount is determined by the casino, and it is usually a total of the deposit + the bonus amount multiplied by a certain number.

Deposit Match Welcome Bonuses

The first thing that will pop up when browsing an online casino offer are Deposit Match Bonuses, where any deposit (capped at a specific amount) will be increased by a pre-determined percentage. This means that any sum you deposit will, for example, be doubled or tripled, allowing the players to manoeuvre with higher bets than they would normally place. The offer can expand to the follow up deposits and some casinos increase the second, third and fourth deposit amount as well.

One should always be mindful of the wagering requirements that come with this promotion as well as the minimum amount which has to be submitted in order for the player to qualify. Another useful tip is to check if the bonus cash can be used on all the game categories. Some casinos will limit the welcome package to the slot category only and if you are a table games fan, you will not get much use out of the extra cash for live dealer, card and table games.

No Deposit Bonuses

A great way to feel the casino’s pulse before transferring any funds are No Deposit Bonuses, which usually come in the form of a smaller cash amount or Free Spins sessions. These are often reserved for the newcomers, although a casino may often grant them to their existing members. One major drawback of No Deposit bonuses is their extremely high wagering requirement  – much higher than with the Deposit based promotions.

Free Spins

Although they can be awarded separately, Free Spins are frequently bundled up with the Welcome bonus. Unlike the bonus cash which can be directed towards an entire game category, you will find that the Free Spins are limited to a specific slot that the casino wishes to promote, or maybe even one of the most popular slots from their overall offer.

The spins are divided into smaller sessions loaded daily on the player’s account, who will need to use them on the same day as they are time limited. Winnings during the Free Spins can be subject to the play-through requirements, but that too will depend on the online casino.

Cashbacks and Reloads

Offered weekly, these types of promotions enable the player to recover some of the wagered amounts through a cashback system. The casino will return a percentage of your net losses in real cash or bonus money, bringing you back in the game and offering a chance to recover the balance.

Reload bonuses are not related to the losses; they are in fact designed for the players who have already made a deposit with the online casino and can be described as an extension to the Welcome bonus. The major difference between the two is that the Welcome bonus can only be redeemed once, while the Reload bonus can always be re-activated.