What is a casino bonus? We’re going to explain it all in this guide. Casino bonuses are commonplace. Pop into any casino, and there will certainly be offers and deals in abundance. Some are considerably more valuable than others, and each offer may work in a different way to its counterparts. Navigating these offers and deals can be tricky for newbies, especially if they aren’t yet familiar with the ins and outs of them, including terms and conditions. That’s where Go Spin comes in with our guide to bonuses and promotions at casinos for beginners.
What Is a Casino Bonus?
An internet casino bonus is an offer from the online casino to the player. The exact special offer will vary depending on each casino. Most bonuses will boost balances by providing bonus funds. Others can dish out free spins, offering the prospect of winning real prizes in a risk-free environment and other perks.
As they can vary, there is no real way to discover what is available until registering at a casino. However, it certainly helps to be well aware of the many different types of available bonuses and promos so there are no surprises. That’s what we’ll provide right here.
Welcome Bonuses
New players registering for the very first time will often receive a casino welcome bonus. This is almost always tied to a first deposit but may stretch beyond that to the first several deposits players make at a casino. In most cases, the casino welcome bonus appears as a percentage and a figure. The percentage determines how much of a bonus is given, compared with the deposit a newbie makes. For instance, in a 100% match offer, on a deposit of $100, the bonus would be another $100 (100% of the deposit) on top. Only the newest casino members can claim welcome bonuses.
Deposit Bonuses
Deposit bonuses work in largely the same way as welcome offers. However, the important thing to note here is that they are only available for existing members, unlike welcome bonuses. They are usually tied to single deposits and don’t span several of them like welcome packages. They are often worth considerably smaller sums than welcome deals.
Loyalty Rewards
While not every casino supports a loyalty scheme, most do. They reward players for wagering on games. In short, the more you play, the more a loyalty club or VIP scheme will reward you with perks. Most do so on a tier-based basis. Players receive loyalty or comp points with each bet, and those will be used to determine a rank. At some casinos, players will always retain their status, while at others, it must be continually maintained monthly. Perks of VIP schemes may include higher wagering and withdrawal limits, faster transaction times and access to exclusive high-stakes tables. A conventional loyalty club may be able to offer any of the following:
- Free Spin Bonuses: These provide a small number of spins that are valid either on a selected slot or several slots for free. Real prizes are up for grabs, but the spins will be played at the lowest possible stake using all active paylines.
- Loyalty Points Conversion: Players can convert loyalty points acquired from playing into real bonus cash at a rate determined by the casino. The exchange rate may get better the higher up the loyalty ladder you manage to climb.
- Casino Loyalty Shop: Other sites allow loyalty points for purchasing goodies from a catalogue, like a shop.
- Celebratory Offers: Every once in a while, you can celebrate special occasions with a casino. These may include a birthday bonus or an anniversary match deposit offer.
- Level-Up Benefits: Reaching new tiers and levels in the VIP scheme may unlock level-up rewards or better bonuses than are available at a lower level.
No Deposit Bonuses
No deposit bonuses are some of the tastiest offers, but they aren’t as common as they used to be. While some loyalty bonuses count as no-deposit deals, they may also appear as welcome bonuses of sorts. The idea here is that you’ll receive free spins or a small sum of cash with no strings attached, and you can use that to test games for free. This is a great way to discover if a casino is ideal before depositing there.
Other Promos and Bonuses at Casinos
While the promotions and bonuses listed above are the most common offers, there are other deals available. These might include:
Refer-a-Friend Deals
Online casinos often reward players who do their promotional work for them. Convincing a friend to join the site could yield rewards that include free spins or cash bonuses. Sometimes, these are lump sums, but they may also be worth the equivalent of a percentage of whatever the referred player deposits.
Tournaments and Competitions
Tournaments, competitions, and prize draws are other forms of promotions. While technically, they aren’t bonuses, they offer a way of snapping up extra funds merely by playing games that players would normally have been playing anyway. In most cases, prizes are paid out based on a player’s finishing position on a leaderboard or table.
Daily, Weekly, Monthly Specials and One-Off Bonuses
Some casinos support one-off promos and bonuses. Known as daily, weekly or monthly offers, special bonuses or timed exclusives, they are short-term deals. They can consist of anything from free spins to cash matches, access to exclusive titles, and much more. Because you won’t have long to claim them, checking the promotion’s validity period is essential.
The Small Print: Bonus T&Cs to Consider
Exploring the validity dates of promos and bonuses before claiming them isn’t the only thing beginners will want to do. There are plenty of other terms and conditions hidden in the small print that are worth knowing. Here, our experts have included tips on four things all beginners absolutely need to know before claiming any casino bonus or promotion.
Wagering Requirements
Wagering requirements reveal how many times a bonus (total) must be wagered before withdrawals are permitted. For instance, if the bonus has a playthrough rate of 30x, and you claim a $100 bonus, this means you must wager 30x $100 ($3,000) before you can withdraw winnings from bonus funds. Obviously, the lower these are, the better. Note that some games won’t count 100% towards clearing those wagering requirements. Slots will, but some table games, for instance, may only count 50%, meaning that every $1 wagered on table games will see just $0.50 knocked off the wagering requirement limits. This varies from casino to casino.
Minimum and Maximum Limits
Casino bonuses also come with limits and caps associated with them. For instance, there will likely be minimum and maximum deposit limits, and any deposit must fall between these to claim an offer. There may also be limits on how much you can bet (in bonus funds) per stake and what you can win with a bonus. Expect withdrawal limits on some casino bonuses, too. Obviously, it is down to each player to determine what sorts of limits they are okay with.
Eligible Games
Bonuses aren’t eligible for every game. For instance, live games aren’t always compatible with welcome bonuses, and free spins can only be used on slots. Even then, some slots (such as jackpot games) may be off-limits. Check which games are eligible before claiming any bonus.
Bonus Codes Explained
Lastly, how you claim a bonus may differ from site to site. In some casinos, they are triggered automatically, and in others, it is necessary to tick a box or physically opt-in to a bonus by clicking a button. Others may require bonus codes. These typically appear on the promotions page on the site. Just enter them in the box provided when depositing, enter them on a relevant bonus page under your account settings, or give them to customer support to claim a bonus. The exact location differs from site to site, so contact customer support to find out how bonus codes work at your casino if necessary.
How to Claim Casino Bonuses in Five Simple Steps
Claiming casino bonuses is considerably easy for beginners. In fact, we can break it down to just five steps. Here are Go Spin’s five straightforward steps to claiming casino offers today:
- #1 Join a Trusted Casino: First, join a trusted casino. Never sign up for any casino if its security, fair play practices, or legality are questionable.
- #2 Check the Promotions Page: After registering, check the promotions page. It will reveal how to go about claiming the welcome bonus.
- #3 Make a Qualifying Deposit: Make a qualifying deposit based on the figures shown on the promotions page.
- #4 Activation: If a bonus code is required to trigger the offer when depositing, there’ll be a box for that on the cashier page. If not, you can trigger the bonus in your account settings, or activate it automatically upon making a deposit.
- #5 Play Your Favourite Games: Finally, head over to your favourite games and start them to begin playing with a bonus. Alternatively, if you receive an offer you aren’t interested in, be sure to contact customer support to cancel it before accidentally using it.
