Online Casino Bonuses: How Do They Work?
$5,000 Welcome Bonus
Different types of bonuses are available at different online casinos, which often leads to misunderstanding, confusion, and unnecessary stress if you don’t understand what they are. Here, we will try to briefly explain the different types of bonuses to you. Before you can cash out any winnings, all bonuses will require passing, so make sure you know what they are and which free slots are allowed and which are not.
Before we get into the different types of bonuses, let me try to explain the playthrough and wagering requirements. Simply put, these are the casino’s bonus rules. However, these rules are complex and this is where most of the inconsistencies or confusion arise.
Example: you need to wager your deposit plus the bonus 20 times before you can cash out. (These numbers vary from casino to casino.)
You deposit $100 and get a $100 bonus, which gives you $200 to play with. Now you have to wager that $200 at least 20 times before you can think about withdrawing your winnings. This means that you will need to wager a total of $4,000.
Sometimes casinos will say that you only need to wager your bonus a certain number of times. So in the above example; you start with $200, but the $100 needs to be wagered up to 20 times, meaning you will need to wager at least $2,000 to cash out.
Another thing you need to know is which games are allowed and which are not. Almost all casinos exclude certain games from this pass. This means that even if you bet $10,000 on blackjack, for example, your total pass will still be zero and you will not be allowed to withdraw your money. You will also find that some casinos will allow you to play Blackjack using the bonus, with higher playthrough requirements. This is the case when playing Blackjack only accounts for (say) 50% of the wagering requirements.
As you can see, it’s all math. But it’s important if you plan on withdrawing your winnings at some point.
Be sure to read these terms and conditions at each casino you join, because most of them will be different from each other.
This is the simplest of all the bonuses. All you have to do is register a real player account at the casino offering this bonus, and you will receive the money. You don’t have to deposit money to receive it. Sometimes it will be automatically credited to your account, and sometimes you will need to request the bonus via email or through the submission form on their website. But essentially it’s very simple.
Different casinos may have restrictions on this bonus, but you should be sure to read their terms and conditions and make sure you understand the rules. One of the restrictions may include things like the maximum amount you can withdraw with this bonus. Alternatively, some casinos may not have this restriction but will require you to make a token deposit before you can withdraw your winnings.
This is the bonus you receive when you deposit at the casino. They will match your deposit to a certain percentage of your total deposit. For example; The casino is offering you a 100% match bonus up to $200. This means that they will give you 100% free money on any deposit amount you deposit up to $200. ie. You deposit $100 and receive another $100 in bonus money, increasing your bankroll to $200. If you deposit $150, you get an additional $150, bringing your bankroll to a total of $300.
This bonus is usually used for new players who make their first deposit at an online casino. The factor that is usually looked at with these bonuses is the percentage amount, which determines the value you get for your money.
This is a first deposit bonus where you know what you are getting, regardless of the deposit amount. For example, a casino offers you $80 free if you deposit at least $20. This will give you a bankroll of $100 to play with. But if you deposit $50, you will still only get $80. Again, it’s a matter of maths. If you compare it to a match bonus at another casino, you might find that by depositing $20, you get more for your money. Here, that would mean that you are getting 400%.
So, before you turn down a casino that offers you a bonus that initially seems small, make sure you understand what it will mean if you make the required minimum deposit.
This is a bonus that the casino offers you to play with, but you cannot withdraw the bonus amount. Essentially, this means that you will get free money to play with and once you reach the playthrough requirement, you can only withdraw winnings that exceed the original bonus amount. The bonus money will be removed from your account upon withdrawal.
For this reason, these casinos tend to be very generous with bonuses, so you can end up playing with a huge bankroll. Some casinos will only offer you bonuses worth up to $3,000. This means you can play games with the maximum number of coins and bets, giving you a much better payout ratio for big wins.
The name speaks for itself. These are bonuses that you will see on certain websites where the casino has made an exclusive agreement with the website owner to offer it to members. These bonuses can be any of the above options, so always make sure you read the details of the offer and the casino’s terms and conditions.
Loyalty bonuses are offered to players who have reached a certain status at an online casino. The amounts and types of bonuses will vary from casino to casino, and some casinos don’t require you to pass them – but only some. Generally, you will need to meet token requirements to cash them out.
