Online Casino Bonus

Types of Online Casino Bonus

As we mentioned above, online casinos offer different kinds of casino bonuses in many different situations. At the very start of a player’s relationship with an online casino operator, they will be rewarded with a Welcome Bonus. These are also sometimes called a Sign Up Bonus or a Registration Bonus. To make things even more interesting a Welcome Bonus can take on many different forms. For example, it might be a deposit bonus or perhaps a free spins bonus, or it could be a combination of both. On the other hand, there are also Reload Bonuses which are given to existing players rather than new players. Again, a reload bonus can be a deposit match or perhaps even some free spins.

What all bonuses usually have in common is that they entice players to either become a new customer or to continue playing. They also incentivize players to play a particular type of game be it an online slot or live casino or perhaps even transition to sports betting. One final thing to note is that bonuses can also differ slightly based on which country you are playing online casino based on the different regulations. Online Casino Bonus in Canada may differ slightly from casino online bonus in the UK based on the different regulatory requirements.

Let’s start taking a look at the different online casino bonuses that are available and what their benefits are.

Welcome Bonus

The Welcome Bonus, also known as a sign-up bonus or a registration bonus, is usually one of the most attractive bonuses that online casinos offer to their players, regardless if they are Canada online casinos, or UK online casinos, or American online casinos. Some offer a few hundred Canadian dollars / American dollars / British Pounds, while others offer thousands. However, bigger online bonuses do not always mean they are better. This is because big casino bonuses can sometimes have more requirements attached. It is always essential to check any online casino requirements and terms and conditions before taking advantage of a signup bonus.

The only standard requirement for all welcome bonuses is that they are for new players only. All other requirements depend on the particular online bonus offered. The Casino Welcome Bonus comes in many different types and also depends on whether a player needs to make a deposit to trigger the bonus or if it is given straight on registration. Here is a breakdown of all the different potential types of online casino welcome bonuses available:

Deposit Match Bonus

This is by far probably the most common type of welcome bonus which online casinos offer their new customers. The important thing to note regarding a deposit match bonus is that the online casino will match your entire deposit amount up to a certain amount. Deposit Match bonuses are also sometimes called 100% deposit bonus. So, for example, if the Welcome bonus is 100% Deposit Match up to $1000, this means that the online casino will match your first deposit amount up to $1000. If you deposit $25, the bonus will be $25. If you deposit $350, the bonus will be $350. This type of bonus effectively doubles the amount of money an online casino player has available in their account to wager with.

There are also a few variations on this where an online casino will offer a bonus amount above 100%. For example, they could offer a 150% or even a 200% deposit match. The online casino site would then match the first deposit amount based on the percentage advertised on the welcome bonus. Usually, if the deposit match percentage is above 100% then the amount will be lower. Another variation on this is that the deposit match will be made on more than just your first deposit. For example, the online casino site will provide a deposit match bonus on the first three deposits made. It will be important on these occasions to carefully check what the percentages of the deposit match will be for each deposit as they usually vary. A tiered welcome bonus on multiple deposit amounts might look something like this:

• 100% Deposit Match on your first deposit up to $400.
• 50% Deposit Match on your second deposit up to $400
• 150% Deposit Match on your third deposit up to $400.

The above is just an example but gives you a good idea of how the welcome bonuses could be structured.

The final few things to keep in mind is that all online casino bonuses will have wagering requirements. We will discuss wagering requirements further below. And also, casino bonuses can either be a sticky bonus or a non-sticky bonus, sometimes called a parachute bonus. This will also be discussed below.

Percentage Match Bonus

As we already discussed above, a percentage match online casino bonus means that the online casino site gives the player a percentage of their deposit as a bonus. Depending on how big or small the percentage is, this will always increase the player’s available funds by a certain amount. These bonuses can turn out to be quite lucrative but it will always depend on what the requirements are. Many UK online casinos offer 50% to 100% Deposit Match bonuses. An online casino Canada may offer a 100% to 200% Deposit Match. The percentage offered will always depend on the online casino site and what they are prepared to give their new players.

No Deposit Bonus

No Deposit Casino bonuses are not as common as a deposit match bonus because they do not require a new customer to make a deposit in order to get the bonus. As soon as the player registers they can receive the no deposit bonus. These are the bonuses that are most often called sign up bonuses. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to no deposit bonuses compared to deposit match bonuses. The most common no deposit bonus would be no deposit free spins. For example, once you sign up you will receive a certain number of free spins on a particular online slot. The number of free spins are usually a low amount, perhaps 10 free spins or 20 free spins. Any winnings on the free spins can be either converted to real money or they might be give as an online bonus amount and will have wagering requirements attached to them before they can be converted to real mooney and withdrawn from the online casino account.

Another no deposit bonus could be an actual cash amount, for example, $/£5 to use on different online casino games. The biggest difference between the deposit match bonus and the no deposit bonus is that for no deposit bonuses the amount given is usually much lower than for a deposit match bonus. Typically a deposit match bonus could match your deposit amount anywhere from $/£100 to $/£5,000. A no deposit bonus will typically give $/£5 or perhaps $/£10. It would be very rare to find a no deposit bonus which awards players a large amount of money. Also, no deposit bonuses will also have very strict wagering requirements on any winnings, usually the rollover requirement will be higher than for a deposit match bonus.

The No Deposit Bonus is one of the most beloved bonuses that online casinos offer. It allows new players the chance to test out the site before choosing whether to make a deposit.

Free Spins

Another popular type of welcome bonus is a free spin bonus. These give you extra spins on specific online slots games when you make your first deposit. As we mentioned above, some online casino sites will also offer a free spins bonus on registration with no deposit required. However, a no deposit free spin bonus will typically offer much fewer free spins than for a deposit bonus.

A Free Spin bonus is a good way for an online casino to promote a new online slot. Online casinos also like to offer themed promotions with some games, for example during certain holidays such as Valentine’s Day. Any love themed online slot or anything to do with the specific holiday, will then offer free spins to all players. All players are eligible to receive up to a certain amount of free spins per day without any wagering requirements. Any winnings are converted to real money.

Free Bets

If online slots are not that much interest it is important to note that online casinos will also offer a welcome bonus for table games. These are an online casino bonus in which the player can wager them on any game of their choice with no strings attached. Most often it will be a table game or live casino game. It’s worth noting that these types of bets have to be wagered through before they expire or else it will be lost so players should know how long they’re going to play for and what kind of games interest them most. For example, a typical free bet welcome bonus would be something like: Deposit $50+ and receive a $10 free bet on roulette.

Comp Points

You can also get comp points by making your first deposit at online casinos and these are accumulated as you play games on the site or through promotions. They are usually equivalent to cash so they help make playing even more fun!

There are many welcome bonuses available at online casino sites. Depending on the casino site the bonus amounts will differ and players need to research each bonus properly. It is very important to look at the terms and conditions of each bonus to understand all the requirements around each bonus and when any bonus can be converted to real money.

Reload Bonus

A Reload Bonus is usually a deposit match bonus or a percentage match bonus however, the only difference is that casino reload bonuses are given to existing players rather than new customers. As with all other online casino bonuses, the main reasoning behind these bonuses is to allow players to continue playing and increase their particular bankroll. Most often online casinos offer these to players that have opted-in to receive bonus communications. If you want to make sure that you get notified about these kinds of bonuses you will need to opt into some sort of communication. These will also have a time limit attached to them so the deposit requirement will have to be made before the time limit runs out in order to claim the bonus.

Cashback Bonus

A cash-back bonus is very popular on some online casino sites but they are also quite rare. In some places, like the United Kingdom, cash-back bonuses are all but extinct. However, in Canada they are much more common. The way the Cash Back Bonus works is that a certain percentage of a player’s losses are given back to the player. To be a true cashback bonus the amount should be returned as real money rather than as a bonus. However, there are some online casino sites that give the cashback bonus in the form of a bonus which will have attached wagering requirements. Typically, cash-back bonuses give players back between 5% and 25% of their losses. It is important to always look at the terms of the cashback bonus to make sure the funds will be returned as cash or as a bonus.

Refer-a-Friend Bonus

The Refer-a-Friend Bonus is not as common as it used to be but it is quite self-explanatory. If one player refers another player to an online casino and they become a new customer and make the first deposit, the original player will get a bonus. Of course, as with all other casino bonuses, it is important to understand the terms and conditions attached to the bonus and when it will be paid out.

Loyalty Bonus

A Loyalty bonus is an online casino bonus given to certain players that meet certain playing requirements that clearly show them as consistent and dedicated casino players. Sometimes, these kinds of bonuses will usually not be freely available on the site, players will be specifically contacted in order to receive a loyalty bonus.

However, a lot of online Canada casino sites and UK online casino sites might also have a loyalty programme. The loyalty programme will clearly explain the requirements that must be met by the casino players in order to achieve the different bonuses. Loyalty programmes will be available to all players, but each player must meet certain betting criteria. Loyalty programmes usually come in tiers and the higher tiers have higher rewards and bonuses. Recently many of these programmes are akin to a roleplaying game that has different levels.

VIP Bonus

A VIP Bonus is very similar to a Loyalty bonus, however, the amounts are usually much higher. VIP bonuses are tailored towards high roller players that are making very large bets and wagers. VIP bonuses are usually in the form of a cashback bonus or in a very large deposit match. As with loyalty bonuses, VIP bonuses are not freely available on site. Online Casino sites usually have a dedicated VIP team and they will create VIP bonuses and also take care of all VIP players. VIP bonuses are usually the largest and most generous bonuses that an online casino can offer.

Casino Bonus Code

A casino bonus code is a code that a player can exchange in order to trigger a certain type of bonus. A lot of online casinos may also make their welcome offers redeemable only if a player inputs a casino bonus code. For example, if the Welcome Bonus is attached to a bonus code, a new player can get a 100% Deposit Match up to $1000 if you put the code BONUS100 when you make your first deposit and use the code.

The good thing about a casino bonus code is that they offer extra protection to the player. Once the code is entered the player will have the casino bonus available within their account. Codes are applied automatically with no need for input from the player. The most common casino reward code offered is a Welcome Bonus code. Other times, you’ll receive bonus code offers for reload bonuses. Most bonus codes consist of money, but some will also provide extra spins.

When you sign up for a casino bonus, be sure to read the terms of the bonus code. Most are only applicable for your first deposit, such as a welcome offer. Some bonus codes have limits on eligibility. Other times, bonus codes are only available during certain time periods. For example, this would include bonus codes that are only offered on Mondays or during a certain event.

How do Wagering Requirements work?

Wagering requirements are also sometimes called rollover requirements. When looking at the terms of an online casino bonus many of them will contain a term that looks something like this:

The bonus amount must be wagered a minimum of 35 times within 30 days before you can make a withdrawal. For example, if you claim a $/£25 Bonus, you will be required to bet a total amount of €/£875 (which is €25 x 35) in the online casino.

The reason behind wagering requirements is to reduce online casino bonus abuse. If there were no wagering requirements attached to an online casino bonus players would make a deposit, claim the bonus, and then cash out their funds making an instant profit and the online casino would just lose money. To reduce the number of bonus abusers, casino sites in Canada, casino sites in the UK, and casino sites in the USA, introduced wagering requirements.

The wagering requirement just lays down the requirement of how much must be bet or wagered until the bonus and any winnings can be converted into real money and withdrawn from the account. It is important to note that bonus cash can never be withdrawn from an account, only real money can be withdrawn.

The final important piece of information to keep in mind is that not all games contribute the same amount to wagering requirements. Again, all of this information should be clearly stated with the specific bonus terms of the online casino promotion. Here is an example of what that term might look like:

Wagering on games in Casino will contribute towards wagering requirements but certain games contribute more than others. The following is a list of contributions towards wagering requirements for each individual game type:

• 100%: Slots
• 10%: All Roulette, Caribbean Stud & Casino Stud Poker Games
• 10%: All Casino Hold’Em, Red Dog, Pai Gow, Poker Games, Oasis Poker & Texas Hold’Em Poker Games
• 5%: All BlackJack, Baccarat, Video Poker, Pontoon, Beat Me, Punto Banco Games

Taking the above into consideration, if a player wagers $/£5 at an online slot that will count as the full 100%, or $/£5. That amount will be deducted from the wagering requirement. However, if the player then goes on to wager $/£10 on European Roulette, it will not count as a $/£10 wager but as $/£1 based on the contribution table above.

This is why it is always so important to look at the terms and conditions in the bonus to understand all requirements beforehand.

Can I still get a Bonus if I use an e-wallet?

This will depend on the online casino site. The terms will vary depending on the payment method. Some e-wallets carry no restirctions. At other times a bonus will not be valid if a deposit is made using a certain payment method. As with all other restrictions and terms these should be easy enough to find if you take a look at the specific online casino bonus terms. Here is an example:

• Customers depositing via the following are not eligible for the Casino Welcome Offer: Moneybookers, Skrill & Neteller.

Also, in certain jurisdictions like the United Kingdom, players are no longer allowed to make online casino deposits using certain payment methods. Again, these restrictions are clearly stated within all the terms of the online casino site. Alternatively for online Canada casino bonuses, Interac is a very popular payment method and carries no restrictions at all.

Unfortunately, not all payment methods are valid for casino bonuses because many of these payment methods are utilised by bonus abusers. Therefore online casinos began opting to not allow players to claim bonuses if they used these certain payment methods.

Are Online Casino Bonuses Game-Specific?

Again, this will depend on the specific online casino site and the games or online slots they are trying to promote. Many welcome bonuses that contain free spins will be limited to one game, or one collection of games, usually from the same casino software provider. A deposit match bonus will not be limited to a certain game, but as we mentioned above there will be restrictions in place when it comes to the wagering requirement contribution. Also, some games will not contribute to wagering at all. All of these restrictions must be clearly stated with the casino bonus terms and conditions.

So, to be safe, pay close attention to the terms in which different games count towards a bonus requirement. For example, while many casinos will restrict certain table games from counting towards a bonus requirement, slots are usually fair game.

Understanding Casino Bonus Terms and Conditions

Before claiming an online casino bonus, players must read the terms and conditions associated with it. In 2021, casinos are required to make these T&Cs quite visible and easy to understand. They usually contain few variations between one another, but some differences will impact which ones are worth pursuing more than others.

Let’s go through the different terms & conditions casinos attach to their bonuses. It is important to understand what the terms mean and how they affect how good or not a bonus is.

Before you accept an online casino bonus, make sure the fine print is clear.

We can’t stress enough how important it is that you read the T&Cs of the offer. These will include things like expiry dates and wagering requirements. Things to look out for are:

• What is the minimum deposit required for the bonus?
• Is there a time restriction on using a bonus or completing wagering requirements?
• Do you need to use a promo code to get the bonus?
• Which games are included in a bonus offer?
• Are there any restricted payment methods?

Checking for things like who is eligible to receive the bonus, what games they need to play on their first deposit and at minimum wagering requirements will help casino players get the best use of their welcome offer. It would be silly to accept a casino bonus offer only to find out later that your favourite online slot is not eligible for the bonus.

Are there any additional online casino bonus conditions to check out?

The above points are the top things you need to check out before accepting a casino bonus. But there are still plenty of other conditions that you need to check out. Most importantly you need to check out the wagering requirements and when you can withdraw your casino bonus as real money. The higher the wagering the requirement the less likely you will be able to convert all the money into cash. Let’s go through the complete list of other terms to check out and understand.

Bonus Wagering Requirements

The most common limitation attached to any casino bonus offer is a wagering requirement. This is also referred to as the rollover requirement. This number is how many times you need to wager the bonus before the bonus and any winnings convert into real money and they can be withdrawn. Both winning and losing rounds count towards wagering requirements.

Until rollover requirements are finished the money will be in your bonus account and can only be used to play and cannot be withdrawn. Most online casino bonuses have a wagering requirement of between 30 to 50. Sometimes the wagering requirements can also reach levels like 70x. Usually welcome offers have higher wagering requirements than other bonuses.

Bonus Amount Limit

Usually, casino bonuses have an upper limit. For example, a deposit match bonus may be given up to a certain amount like $1,000. So, even though you deposit over $1,000 you will still get a $1,000 bonus.

Maximum win

Some Canadian casinos enforce a limit on the amount of money you can win when you play with casino bonuses. This is done partly to protect the casino and enforced most heavily on no-deposit bonuses.

Minimum deposit amount

Deposit bonuses often have a minimum deposit amount that is attached to the offer. You can get the match deposit bonus with a $10, $20, or $50 minimum deposit. If you do not deposit the correct amount of money then you will not receive the bonus amount.

Payment Method Restrictions

So payment methods are barred from receiving casino bonuses. This is because bonus abusers and syndicates were using certain payment options for some unsavoury business practices. The most common payment methods that are excluded are e-wallets such as Skrill and Neteller. This only affects deposit methods, not withdrawal methods.

Game Restrictions

Sometimes casino bonuses are restricted to certain slot games. Also, not all games count towards the wagering requirement at the same rates or at all. For example, here is a list of contributions towards wagering requirements for each individual game type that you can find at a popular online casino:

• 100%: Slots
• All Live Casino games: 15% – Except Dream Catcher: 50%
• All Roulette (except Live), Caribbean Stud, Crash & Casino Stud Poker games: 10%
• All Casino Hold’Em, Red Dog, Pai Gow Poker Games, Oasis Poker & Texas Hold’Em Poker Games: 10%
• All BlackJack (except Live BlackJack), Baccarat, Video Poker, Pontoon, Beat Me, Punto Banco Games: 5%

This will be the case at most online casinos, where many live dealer games contribute very little to wagering requirements and even some online slot games will be excluded from wagering requirements. The list of excluded games will also be included within the bonus terms. The games are usually high volatility games or progressive jackpot games.

Bonus Expiry Date

Be sure the bonus credit will not expire. Most casinos require you to deposit and bet your bonus within a specific time period, which could be somewhere between 5-30 days.

Bonus Betting Limits

All casino bonuses usually have an upper bet size on the spin. For example, you will need to wager on an online slot but the upper bet size per spin is usually around $5 – $6. If you wager more than that it will not count towards your wagering requirement. Sometimes, an online casino might even remove your bonus completely if you breach the terms.