Casino Bonus Types
That means you will have to wager the given amount a specific number of times on casino games before the bonus is converted to cash, e.g. A 10 bonus with a 40x wagering requirement means you have to place bets totaling 10 x 40 = 400 on casino games, while adhering to the casino bonus terms. Types of Casino Bonuses No Deposit Bonuses. Sometimes, but unfortunately not often enough, casinos might offer you no deposit bonuses. And usually, those bonuses include a cash prize that you can use without making a deposit beforehand, which is not a regular occurrence. Online casino bonuses usually consist of extra credits, money, or spins on the house. Depending on the type of bonus and what online house the player chose, one, two or all bonuses may be granted to new and existing players. This typically comes in the form of a sign-up package, reload package, or a loyalty package.
The online casino industry is flooded these days and in order to thrive, these casinos have had to brand and market themselves to make sure they actually get customers. Competition is stiff and casinos have to stand out in order to draw in business. Bonuses were incorporated in online casinos as a means to encourage more people to sign up with the site, encourage participation and reward loyalty to maintain long-time customers and high rollers. This worked so well and only goes to show the importance of bonuses in this industry. A good example of this arrangement is the free slots New Zealand like on casinogurus.com, which encourage people to stay with the site.
Many virtual casinos offer substantial sign-up bonuses to encourage players to join their service. This type of bonus is also known as a welcome bonus, new player bonus, or first deposit bonus. This is typically a flat bonus that is available for you to use at the online casino. After you join the website then you are offered a type of bonus that is called “Welcome Bonus” which is also known as the Signup Bonus, which is one most popular type of casino bonus online.
Before signing up and playing at an online casino, it is important for players to understand the type of bonuses offered and their accompanying terms and conditions to make sure they are suitable for them. This article gives a detailed outlook of what the different casino bonus types mean. Also, as you play through online casinos, it would be great if your kid used the top 5 educational games for children not to be bored.
Page Contents
- 0.1 Different types of casino bonuses explained
Different types of casino bonuses explained
1. Welcome bonus
This here is one of the most commonly available bonuses from one casino to the other. It is also known as the new player bonus or sign up bonus. It can only be received if you have not been registered to the specific casino website before. These bonuses are usually received upon the player’s first deposit and may be in the range of an additional 100% to 200% match up to a certain amount. In some casinos, the welcome bonus may carry forward to the second, third and even fourth deposit. When comparing online casinos and considering the best welcome bonuses for you, it is key to look at the respective wagering requirements, maximum cash out amounts and what games you can play with the given bonuses to make sure they suit you.
2. No deposit bonus
An emerging trend has casinos offering no deposit bonuses to new players upon registration. This means players don’t have to deposit any of their own funds to start playing. It is an ideal onus for trial and error players who are testing the waters at an online casino. They are however not commonly popular among casinos as they are quite costly for them. Bonus abusers tend to take advantage of these bonuses and take advantage of the online casinos. This has pushed many online casinos to place high wagering requirements on their bonuses to avoid being taken advantage of. In some cases, casinos have imposed that players need to make a deposit to the casino before they can withdraw their winnings. Some may even come with a win limit meaning you cannot win higher than a certain amount of your bonus. When it comes to no deposit bonuses, players need to be keen and read through the accompanying terms and conditions to fully understand how this seemingly inviting bonus works.
3. Reload Bonuses
These are common bonuses usually given to a player when they make a deposit. They can either be claimed or sent to you via email, usually with a bonus code. They may also only be available during specific times or days. Reload bonuses vary from casino to casino, it is therefore important to compare what each has to offer to make sure your hard earned money brings you the best bonuses.
4. Cashback Bonus
Some casinos are quite considerate with their bonuses. A cashback bonus is usually given based on a player’s net losses. This means that when a player wagers and loses everything, the casino gives them back some of this money as a cashback bonus. The way this bonus works varies from casino to casino. In some cases it can be withdrawn while in other scenarios it comes with wagering requirements. This makes it important for players to carefully read the terms and conditions that apply to this bonus.
5. Loyalty Bonus
Casinos use many different loyalty bonuses to reward gameplay at their casinos. They may come in the form of level up systems, loyalty points, missions, adventures and challenges. The loyalty points are earned during gameplay and can be redeemed for real money. Level up systems come with upgrades, bonuses, multipliers and free spins. Missions and challenges give players tasks that upon completion give them rewards and tokens which can be exchanged for real money.
6. Bonus for alternative payment methods
Online casinos offer a wide range of banking and transaction methods. These online casinos may have a preferred payment method that they would want to encourage their clients to use. To do that they may offer an additional bonus besides the usual welcome bonus for clients using the specified payment method which in most cases is e-wallet, which is usually cheaper. However, there are also some payment methods that if used may exclude the customer from receiving the available bonuses. Most casinos may not offer welcome bonuses for transactions done via Neteller and Skrill hence bonuses can’t be claimed using these two. These payment method bonuses are however not common but players should be on the lookout for them.
7. Referral bonuses
While quite rare these days, players are entitled to receive a referral bonus when they refer or invite a friend to join an online casino. This is done by giving the referrer a specific link or code which they give to their friends to use while signing up. When the code is used or the link opened the referrer receives their referral bonus and the referee gets something as well.
8. VIP & High roller Bonuses
Casinos love high rollers, these are players who make huge deposits and as a result play more. Casinos not only offer them higher bonuses on their higher deposits, but also give gifts and incentives such as free tickets to sporting events, free holidays, electronics and expensive watches. These bonuses are rarely popularized but when a high roller makes a huge deposit the support team gets in touch with them to offer them a bonus in appreciation.
9. Birthday Bonuses
Some online casinos have gone to the extent of rewarding their clients on their birthdays. Birthday bonuses are gifted once a year to players either in the form of cash or free spins. It is not unheard of for players to hit the jackpot on their birthday thanks to these bonuses. This bonus is considered the ideal birthday gift in the online casino industry.
10. Percentage Deposit Bonuses
These bonuses are meant to attract players and encourage deposits and gameplay. They are given as a percentage of the deposit made initially. They however in most cases come with wagering requirements that must be met before withdrawal is possible.
11. Multiple Deposit Bonus
Frequent casino players are likely to enjoy this bonus. They are diverse and offer and give incentives when you make consecutive deposits. For example, 3 consecutive deposits will earn you extra money in your account. This bonus is meant to encourage gameplay and keep players hooked to the casino.
12. Game Specific Bonuses and Game Release Bonuses
Game release bonuses often appear when new game titles are released. They are meant to entice players to try out the new games and hopefully get more people playing the new title. They may be available for the release day or rum for a week or a month. Game-specific bonuses on the other hand are bonuses that may be specific to a certain game title or category of games. This is mainly done to reward and attract players who like interacting with a specific title or gaming category.
13. Free spin bonuses
They typically come in the form of bonus spins, welcome spins and cash spins. In most cases, free spins are given to new sign ups as part of their welcome bonus to encourage them to try out certain pokies and they usually come with a wagering requirement. A wagering requirement means that there is a set number of times that the bonus received must be wagered before the player can be able to withdraw their winnings from that bonus. However, some casinos such as bgo casino have no wager requirements on their no deposit free spins hence the rewards are actually free.
Casino bonuses are known to make gambling way more interesting. Gambling is a great pass time, especially now that we are all stuck at home. Also, here’s how you can stop feeling overwhelmed at home caused by the internet. Bonuses are an added incentive that can put you on your way towards a win. They are very rewarding to players and keep them playing and happy. Bonuses also attract a lot of traffic to online casinos and are a major marketing strategy for them. It is however necessary to be keen about the terms and conditions around these bonuses to make sure you are getting the best deal possible.
It would be impossible to argue against the fact, that the bonus offer is among the most important features players value in an online casino. Sure, number of games, banking methods, reputation, etc. are all important, but more than half of the online casino players end up making the choice at which casino to play, based solely on the bonus offers. We also recognize this fact and you will find plenty of articles focusing on the various bonuses, from the signup casino bonus, through no deposit bonus codes, we have information on all the latest promotions the online casinos post, but today we will focus on the basic: the different types of casino bonuses and what they entail.
One can divide the online casino bonuses into many categories, depending on which factor you choose to separate them. For instance, you can divide them into cashable vs non-cashable bonuses. In our opinion, however, the very basic division goes as follows:
Types of casino bonuses:
- Signup Bonus (Welcome Bonus)
- Existing Player Bonus
- Free Spins Bonus
- Free Trial Bonus
- Cashback Bonus
- Deposit Method Bonus
- Comp Points
Let’s look at all these types of bonuses in more detail.
Welcome Bonus/Signup Bonus
Of course we had to start the guide to the various casino bonus offers with the best and biggest the casinos have to offer – the signup bonus. It is the most popular tool in every online casino’s toolbox, when it comes to attracting new customers, as well as competing with other internet casinos.
As the name implies, the welcome bonus, or signup bonus, is offered to players who are making their first deposit (or in some cases, deposits, but we’ll explain later). The signup casino bonus is without doubt the biggest chunk of free money a player can get at the casino, although there will be many more bonuses one can claim, even some no deposit bonuses for existing players. But for your first deposit, make sure you take advantage of the welcome bonus at its fullest.
There are two ways the signup bonus is usually advertised by the online casinos – as a percentage of your deposit or as a dollar amount. Regardless of how the casino chooses to present the welcome bonus, keep in mind that in reality it will always be a percentage derivative of your deposit. For example, a casino may advertise $5,000 signup bonus, but this doesn’t mean that the player will get $5K as soon as they open an account. Usually, there will be a qualifier, for instance, 400% up to $5,000. This means that in order to claim the max signup bonus amount possible, one must deposit $1,000. That deposit, along with the 400% match for the online casino, will get you playing with the full $5,000. Of course, a player doesn’t have to deposit that much. One can deposit just $100, and since the signup bonus advertised is dependent on the deposit, you’d still get a 400% extra, playing now with $500.
Another casino may advertise a 200% match bonus on your first deposit as a welcome offer, instead of a dollar amount. In this case, it is more obvious that the welcome bonus is based on a percentage of your first deposit. Note here that even in this case, there will be a qualifier, something like “up to $10,000”. This is to indicate that the bonus is not limitless, but within a certain range. As with the previous version, you don’t have to deposit the max amount, you will simply get the 200% regardless of the actual money number you put in your casino account.
Another great feature of the free signup bonus is that it will usually have the lowest wagering requirements. This greatly improve your ability not only to win big, but to be able to cash out big, as well.
Existing Player Bonus
We won’t dwell much on this type of casino bonus, since it’s always going to be one of the other types of bonuses we talk about here. The only difference is that unlike the signup bonus, the existing player bonus is for people who have already signed up for a casino account and claimed the welcome bonus. The welcome bonus is a one-time deal, but that doesn’t mean the bonuses stop there – after that, every other bonus you get, whether a percentage of deposit, free spins, cashback, is considered an “existing player” bonus.
Casino Bonus Types Games
Free Spins Bonus
This free spins bonus initially was offered as an existing players bonus only or for special promotions when new slots came out, but with time the casinos wisely began giving this promo for new players, as well. Today it is not uncommon to see a welcome bonus that offers both deposit match bonus and free spins, at the same time.
So what is the free spins bonus and how does it work? It’s rather simple, the casino will give the customer a certain number of free spins, and depending on the terms and conditions, you can withdraw your winnings stemming from that free spins offer.
Every casino will do the free spins a bit differently, but there are some basic truths. For example, the free spins will usually apply only to one specific slot machine, you won’t be able to pick and choose the slots. As noted earlier, the free spins are usually given out as a promotional tool when a new video slot is being introduced by the online casino, as a way to drum up some buzz about the slot machine.
While no deposit is necessary to take advantage of this type of bonus, wagering requirements would be on the high side. Oftentimes you would also be limited to a max cashout amount, so keep an eye on this term, as well. Best practice is to withdraw once you’ve reached the max cashout amount and covered the playthrough requirements. All and all, this is a very good bonus and coveted highly by the casino players.
Free Trial Bonus
Casino Bonus Sans Depot
This bonus type is a variation of the casino signup bonus, but with a twist (and a good one for the player, too). This free trial bonus is the quintessential real money bonus no deposit needed option for the player and it works in the following manner. The online casino will give the player a certain amount of free money as a bonus, without the need for the customer to deposit any real money. The player, then in turn can play with that bonus and once its wagering requirements are met – the player can withdraw actual real money won with the bonus.
What is the catch, you ask? Well, for starters, the wagering requirements are the highest you will find among all the different types of bonuses. For example, if the usual welcome bonus has a playthrough requirement of 25 times the bonus, the free trial bonus will have something like 70. Another stipulation is that you won’t be able to cash out all your winnings from this bonus, rather it’s limited to a small amount, usually anywhere between $100 to $200.
What makes this bonus amazing, however, is the fact that it is an actual “something for nothing” type of bonus. You don’t need to make a deposit in order to claim the bonus money, and you stand to win actual real money from the bonus. As you can imagine, it’s very hard to find online casinos offering this type of bonus, but you can click here to see a list of casinos currently offering a free trial bonus of this nature.
Cashback Bonus
This is where thing become really interesting. Unlike the usual bonus offers, where you will get a bonus based on your deposit, the cashback bonus works a bit backwards. Essentially, the players get back some of the money they have lost during a certain period. We consider this a bonus because there are wagering requirements, albeit very low, attached to the cashback money.
Once again, the actual specifics will vary from casino to casino, but the fundamentals remain the same throughout. Online casinos which offer cashback (since not all of them would), would do so based on the money you lose within a period of time. For example, all your losses from Monday through Friday could qualify for a 35% cashback bonus. This means that if you lost $100 over the week, you can get $35 as a cashback bonus on Saturday.
One should always read the actual terms of the cashback bonus as they could vary wildly between different casinos. For instance, some online casinos would stipulate that only money deposited without claiming any bonus would qualify for the cashback, while others have no such requirements. And as mentioned, some casinos may have specific days of the week, during which your losses qualify for the cashback bonus, while others won’t. So always make sure you peruse the T&C of the cashback bonus.
Deposit Method Bonus
This type of bonus became vary popular with the wider adoption of cryptocurrencies by the online casinos, more specifically Bitcoin. Just like any other business, the online casinos have always taken on extra risk when players deposit using credit cards, while the Bitcoin casino deposit are much easier, cheaper and more secure. So in order to incentivize their customers to use Bitcoin as a depositing method, the online casinos began offering extra bonuses tied to this banking method. Some casinos today offer literally thousands of dollars in bonuses just for depositing with Bitcoin. All one has to do is claim a bonus code, and even if you already took advantage of all other bonus offers, just for depositing using this method you qualify for even more. Not a bad deal, considering that most casino players today also prefer Bitcoin due to the speed of withdrawals.
Comp Points
Including the comp points as a type of bonus may be seen by some as controversial, since it doesn’t quite fall into the requirements for a bonus – no codes, nothing to claim, it comes automatically (with most casinos), but our main qualifier has always been the wagering requirements, and comp points do have them more often than not.
What are comp points? The comp points are points you accumulate every time you play a casino game, and are derived from the amount you wager. For example, for every $10 you wager you receive 1 comp point. Then, in turn, you can convert those comp points into real money based on a formula specific to a casino, most of them using 100 comp points = $1. Unlike a casino bonus, you don’t have to claim any codes – the comp points accumulate in the background.
There are many casino-specific variations with the comp points, but generally speaking, the amount you accumulate would also directly correlate, and at the same time qualify you, for the different VIP levels the casino may offer. The more comp points you get, the higher your VIP status with the online casino, all while the higher your VIP status, the more comp points you get for every dollar wagered.
When you decide, you can convert the comp points for chips to play at the casino. Some casinos also offer prizes, raffle tickets and merchandise, you can “purchase” using comp points, although these days this is seldom the case. Most online casino simply give you the option to convert the comp points into cash.
In conclusion, as you can see, there are plenty of bonuses you can get at the online casinos. Which one you should chose is entirely up to you – you can claim them all or you can claim none. You don’t even have to claim the welcome bonus, if you so desire. But regardless of the type of bonus, always make sure you read the conditions of the bonuses you plan on claiming, as they differ not only between the casinos, but within the same casino as well. Just because last month you claimed a bonus, it doesn’t mean that this month it’s terms haven’t changed. And as always – have fun but do it wisely!