Online casinos are designed to attract and incentivise new customers to sign up and play. From the second you land on the casino’s homepage, you’re instantly welcomed with a selection of generous bonuses promising all sorts of perks – extra money on your first deposit, free spins, loyalty rewards and more. It all looks so wonderful but you shouldn’t let your judgement be clouded by bright lights and big numbers.
That’s why, in this article, we’ve outlined everything you need to know about online casino bonuses. We’ll be covering how they work, how fairness comes into play and how the transparency of key information helps to play a vital role in finding truly worthwhile offers. So, let’s get started right away!
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Online Casino Bonuses: What They Are and How They Work
Of course, online casino bonuses are meant to catch your eye so that you decide to create an account and spend money. One thing you have to remember though is that an online casino, at its core, is a business. Yes, these bonuses can be a great way to kickstart your online adventure but you should never just dive in without fully understanding what you’re signing up for.
The first thing you’ll need to know is the difference between various bonuses. The initial offer that you’re most likely to come across is a casino welcome bonus, an introductory offer designed specifically for new players. Typically, this awards a substantial first deposit match to boost your initial bankroll. It can be a great way to start your online gaming experience. You simply need to create a new account, activate the offer and make a deposit to get started – nice and simple. What’s important to bear in mind though is that welcome bonuses vary from one site to the next. They’re not all created equally and some are significantly more attractive than others due to one thing – terms and conditions. Yes, your new casino account balance may look extremely healthy but you have to understand that you cannot withdraw your bonus funds before meeting specific wagering requirements, which isn’t the easiest thing to do. Don’t worry though, we go on to cover wagering and further key T&Cs later on in this article.
Other than welcome bonuses, you’ll come across a variety of other offers whenever you play. So, as they might be a bit confusing to newer players, we’ve outlined and explained some of the most common bonuses below.
- Reload bonus: Also known as deposit bonuses, with these offers you get a percentage match of your deposit as an additional bonus. Sites usually award these to active customers during specific days of the week. So, if you’re looking to make more out of your deposit, always make sure to keep an eye on the casino’s promotions page.
- Free spins: Free spins bonuses work a little differently from deposit-based promotions. This type of offer awards a certain number of spins that you can use to play specific online slots for free. Once you’ve played through them, the casino credits your total winnings to your account, usually in the form of bonus funds, which, again, is usually subject to a wagering requirement.
- Cashback: Cashback offers often tie in a casino’s loyalty program. Depending on your activity, you’ll earn a percentage of your overall losses back as cash during a specified period, often weekly or monthly.
- No deposit bonus: This type of bonus is unique as it allows you to play without spending any money. As such, no-deposit bonuses are extremely valuable, which is why you’ll often find that the casino will restrict the games you can play. Despite that, they’re always worth claiming. You can still win substantial amounts and all that’s required is that you sign up for an account.
Fairness of Casino Bonuses
You can judge the fairness of any casino bonus in several ways. First and foremost, you’ll want to consider the wagering requirements attached to your offer. This term outlines how many times you must wager your total bonus amount before you’re able to cash out any of your winnings. If you request a withdrawal before completing wagering, the casino may void your offer. So, that means you’ll always want to look out for bonuses with the lowest wagering requirement possible. The average is around 35x, so anything below that number is extremely reasonable, which, in our eyes, makes the offer fair. If you see anything higher, however, you’ll have a difficult task converting the bonus.
Other Important Terms and Conditions
Aside from wagering requirements, you’ll also want to factor in other bonus terms and conditions. While wagering gives you a general overview, it’s the conditions as a whole that identify the true value and fairness of any offer. So, always remember to look out for the following T&Cs.
- Validity period: The validity period lets you know exactly how long you have to complete the terms of your bonus. Typically, it can range from 7-30 days but, of course, the more time available, the better the chance you have of being able to make a successful withdrawal.
- Minimum qualifying deposit: This is the minimum amount you must deposit to trigger any bonus. Lower amounts make an offer more accessible to players while higher values may restrict certain people from making use of the bonus.
- Maximum bonus winnings: There’s nothing worse than using a bonus, landing a big win and then finding out that the offer comes with a maximum win cap. Not all bonuses restrict your potential winnings but some do. So, provided it’s a reasonable amount and you know about it ahead of time, you can avoid any potential disappointment.
Transparency of Casino Bonuses
There are a lot of potentially confusing terms that newer players in the online gambling industry could struggle to understand. Terminology such as wagering, validity periods and deposit requirements are mentioned throughout every type of bonus, so casinos must provide all necessary information clearly and concisely, using language that’s easy to understand.
True transparency goes beyond that though. It also means that, as a customer, you’re able to find the info you need without hassle. It should be the case that you click on a casino bonus and instantly find all of the important details, as opposed to scrolling through an endless wall of small print and still coming out with questions.
Conclusion
Casino bonuses are a genuine way to amplify your online gaming experience. There’s one essential thing about them though. You need to know how to use them wisely to maximise your chances of winning. So, as long as you take the time to read the T&Cs and make use of the info we’ve provided in this article, you’ll be on the right track.
Additionally, don’t forget that if you’re ever unsure about something, you can always contact a casino’s customer support team. Trained professionals will be on hand to explain everything and help you get to grips with what you need to do. Essentially, it’s about being informed. As long as you are, you’ll be able to make the most out of any online casino bonus.
