How to find the best online casino bonus
Online casinos offer various bonuses to players, but there are only two reasons why they do it. They want to attract new players, and they want to keep those players coming back.
The most common type of bonus used to lure new players is a welcome deposit bonus. This is where the casino doubles, triples or even quadruples the value of your first deposit. You can take advantage of such offers across multiple casinos.
A bit less common as a welcome is a no-deposit bonus. This allows new customers to play without any stake. Although casinos are basically giving you free cash with a no-deposit bonus, you can't withdraw it without playing. There are conditions to be met. Luckily, this website helps you find all the best deals!
Once you've used up your welcome bonus and settled into a casino, what's to stop you getting bored? Casinos frequently offer lots more stuff to keep you interested, such as monthly bonuses, seasonal promotions and VIP schemes for high rollers. Many casinos reward loyalty, but bonuses vary significantly from one place to the next.
Wagering Requirements
Casino bonuses nearly always come with wagering requirements. So, let's look at those. There are several questions you might ask about wagers and wagering requirements.
What is a Wager?
A wager is a bet you place at every new turn of a game, whether it's a round of craps or a spin of the reels on slots. At some point in every casino game, you make a wager.
What is a Wagering Requirement?
A wagering requirement is a condition attached to a casino bonus. Typically, it refers to the number of times you must multiply bonus money with wagers from your own pocket before you can withdraw winnings on it (known as "playing through" the bonus). This often comes with a time limit, too, so you can't stretch out wagering requirements indefinitely.
Wagering requirements vary considerably. For instance, a 10x wagering requirement lets you profit from your original bonus much quicker than a 30x wagering requirement. You always need to study the small print before diving into a casino bonus. Alternatively, you can use a comparison site such as ours to root out the best deals. We provide search filters so you can quickly find the bonuses you like.
Why Do Online Casinos Have Wagering Requirements?
The chief reason for casinos' use of wagering requirements is to avoid bankrupting themselves. They like to attract players with big welcome bonuses. Still, in reality, they're not often going to pay out on those bonuses by the time you've met the wagering requirements. You'd have to beat the "house edge" over a significant period to gain from the initial bonus. However, some bonuses give you a more realistic prospect of winning than others. The details matter.
Another reason often given for wagering requirements is to prevent money laundering. In real casinos, the M.O. for money-laundering criminals is to buy a large number of chips, gamble some or none of them on the casino floor, then change the chips back as clean "winnings". Limits on deposits and withdrawals, as well as wagering requirements, block this activity online.
How Do I Find Good Bonuses with Low Wagering Requirements?
The more attractive casino bonuses look at a glance, the more likely it is they'll be anchored with massive wagering requirements. But there are good deals to be had. One way to find them is by using a casino bonus comparison site such as ours. That way, you don't have to pore over the details of dozens of casino sites; we do that for you, leaving you to reap the rewards.
Free Spins
Another common type of casino bonus is free spins, which are similar to a no-deposit bonus but limited to use with slots. Free spins are also a common in-game award on slot machines.
What are Free Spins?
A free spin is one spin of a slot machine's reels without payment. This type of bonus is often offered either as part of a welcome package or as an ongoing incentive bonus. Usually, the free spins will be limited to a particular slot machine, so you can't always use them on the slots of your choosing.
Do Wagering Requirements Apply to Free Spins?
Unfortunately, there's no such thing as a free ride in online casinos. There are wagering requirements attached to free spins, so you'll have to play through them multiple times just as you would a deposit or no-deposit bonus. Again, to come out on top, you need to beat the house edge over a sustained period, but it can and does happen.
Can I Win the Jackpot with Free Spins?
The short answer to this question is yes, you can. Despite the wagering requirements, you can still win big and overcome all odds in one fell swoop. There are several stories of new players hitting jackpots within a few spins. Once you have a considerable cash advantage, it becomes easy to play out wagering requirements and stay on top.
Are Casino Bonuses Mandatory?
Even with wagering requirements that are likely to eat up your bonus, it's still worth claiming any bonuses on offer. You don't have to, but they will familiarise you with games and casinos before you spend real money.
Cashback Deals
Rather than tempt players with deposit or no-deposit bonuses, some casinos offer a cashback deal that gives you back a percentage of your net losses. With these bonuses, players are enticed into playing with real cash from the start, knowing they'll be partly compensated for a run of bad luck.
Cashback bonuses encourage players to play for longer and create the impression that casinos care about them. However, a cap is often placed on how much money can be repaid, so beyond a certain loss threshold, you're on your own. Our website will help you locate the best cashback deals.
Casino Bonus Codes
Once you start frequenting online casinos, it's only a matter of time before you encounter bonus codes. What are they?
Bonus Codes Explained
Most modern casino bonuses don't need a bonus code. You simply claim the bonus, or you don't while the offer lasts. However, bonus codes do still exist. They appear directly on casino websites, or you'll find them on affiliate and partner websites.
Bonus codes are similar to the money-off shopping vouchers you find on the internet. You enter them into a field on the casino website, hit "apply", and the bonus is yours. Sometimes, they're used only for purposes of promotion, but they can also be a means of tracking customers between sites.
Although bonus codes were common in the early days of online casinos, they're less so now. In any case, our website clearly displays these codes wherever they exist among our many bonus offers. Code or no code, you'll find the best deals with us!