Online casino bonuses are a form of incentive marketing in which casino sites offer real money signup bonuses and deposit promotions to new players and existing loyal customers. The purpose of online casino bonuses at betting sites is to attract new players, let them try the software and then hopefully convert those players into loyal customers.
The online casino gambling industry is fiercely competitive, so online casino sites are willing to hand out a bunch of money in the hopes of landing new players. Some of the best online casino bonuses can approach $1,000 or more. This all depends on how much you deposit, though. The bigger your first deposit, the more money you get for free.
Online casino bonuses usually take one of three different formats. The details of each type of bonus are different, but the basic idea is the same: new players get extra money to play real money casino games.
Percentage Match Casino Bonuses
The percentage match casino bonus is the most common format for online casino bonuses. In this type of bonus, the casino matches each player’s first deposit at a specific percentage rate. For example, an online casino might promise to give all new players a 100% bonus. In that case, each player’s first deposit would be doubled up to a certain amount.
If you were to make a $300 deposit at such a casino, you would get an extra $300 to go along with that. In the end, you would have a total of $600 to play with. Some casinos let you withdraw the bonus money, but most only let you withdraw any winnings you earn with the bonus money.
All online casinos attach wagering requirements to percentage match bonuses. These wagering requirements state that you have to wager or risk a certain amount of money before the bonus winnings can be withdrawn. A 15x rollover, for example, means that you have to wager a total sum of money equal to 15 times the deposit + bonus amount before you can withdraw the bonus winnings.
That might sound a little harsh, but remember that we are only talking about wagering or risking money. Most online casino games have a low house advantage, so you won’t lose a ton of money while clearing the bonus. After you meet the wagering requirements, you are free to withdraw any money that you won with the bonus cash.
No Deposit Casino Betting Bonuses
This is the second-most common type of online casino betting bonus. As the name suggests, no-deposit casino bonuses give players real money without requiring them to deposit. These bonuses are not very big (usually $20 or less), but they are nice because they don’t require any real money deposit.
The best way to think about no deposit casino betting bonuses is as a chance to test the software and get a feel for the games without risking your own money. Casinos place quite a few restrictions on these bonuses, so they aren’t particularly impressive. Just look at it as a chance to play at a real online casino without making a deposit.
Every online casino we have seen requires you to make a deposit if you want to withdraw the bonus cash. It would be nice if you could just withdraw the bonus cash immediately, but it does make sense for casinos to protect themselves. Otherwise, it would be too easy for people to take advantage of the system.
Most casinos also place a limit on the amount of money that can be won with a no-deposit bonus. This cap can vary, but an average amount is $200. This means that if you get a free no deposit bonus and hit a $20,000 jackpot on your first spin, you’re going to be just a tad upset. Once again, though, we cannot blame the casinos for protecting themselves. Without that restriction in place, creative players could freeroll casinos over and over again until they hit a big jackpot.
Free Play Casino Game Bonuses
Free play betting bonuses at casino websites are a type of no-deposit casino bonus in which new players get a set amount of time to play as much as they want for fee. All you have to do is register an account at the casino and then you’ll be given an hour of time and a set amount of money to play as many casino games as you want.
These casino game bonuses are popular because it’s like going on a shopping spree at a casino. You can play as many games as you want and win real money without making a deposit. At the end of that free time, you get to keep any winnings in your casino account. The only downside is that you will have to make a deposit if you want to withdraw the winnings. A good way to look at free play casino bonuses is as a jump-start for your casino bankroll.
Free play internet casino bonuses also have win caps. The amount varies from one casino to the next, but it’s usually in the $200 range. One thing we recommend is that you always read the terms and conditions before you get any free play betting bonus.
