Casino Bonuses
Welcome to the only guide you will ever need for online casino bonuses. No matter what kind of bonus you are looking for, this guide will explain more about it. Think of this as your one-stop source of information, guidance, and advice on every type of online casino bonus you might ever come across.
What are online casino bonuses?
These are bonuses that casinos offer to players – either when inviting them to join the casino in the first place or to return to play some more games. They’re not all identical though, as you’ll see when we go through a range of bonus options below.
Moreover, few if any casinos will offer the full range of bonuses and promotions you will learn about here. It’s far more common to have a selection of offers that gives you plenty to look forward to but doesn’t cover the whole range.
The more you know about casino bonuses ahead of signing up anywhere, the easier it is to spot the deals that have the most to offer. So, let’s begin our journey by finding out how these offers can make your experience better at your chosen casino.
Discover how casino bonuses enhance your gaming experience
We all love getting something for nothing, right? And we also enjoy getting some good deals, even if there are going to be some conditions attached.
When you grab a casino bonus, you’re getting something on top of your deposit. This means you can play for longer and spend some more time exploring the casino. And if you can pick up a no deposit bonus, that’s better still.
You can also experiment with some games you may not have played before. Of course, you always need to stick to the rules, but most casino bonuses do allow you to play more than one game while using the bonus funds.
Discovering the different types of bonuses that you can look for online
Casinos are always coming up with new ways to impress their players – and this applies to their bonuses and promotions, too. You might be surprised at how many different casino bonuses you may spot on your internet travels.
We’ve poured all our knowledge into this guide to give you a series of bonus types to look for whenever you arrive at an online casino that you’re unfamiliar with. You can also refer to it when you want to search for a bonus as an established player at a particular casino.
No deposit bonuses:
These are hugely popular among most casino players because they live up to their name. You do not need to make a deposit to get this type of bonus. They’re usually intended for new players and make the ideal introduction to any casino. Typically, you’ll receive some bonus funds to use at the casino, and you’ll be able to play real games while using them as well.
Welcome bonuses:
Welcome, welcome, welcome… yes, every day there are individuals who sign up to play at their chosen online casino. Ideally, you should be able to pick up a welcome bonus at this point. No deposit bonuses come first if there are any, but most casinos will have some sort of welcome bonus to offer.
This might cover one or more deposits, depending on the casino. Welcome packages are so called because they cover multiple deposits, usually anywhere from two up to around 10 at most. Three or four deposit bonuses seem to be the sweet spot.
If a welcome package has more than one deposit bonus available, you will usually see a different percentage available each time. For instance, the first deposit might have a 200% bonus, the second a 150% bonus, and the third a 100% bonus. Check the details prior to joining, so you can see what’s happening.
Free spins:
Casinos sometimes offer these as an alternative to a regular bonus deal, whether that is for a welcome bonus or a follow-up bonus for established players. You’ll usually get a certain number of spins, whether that means five, 10, or even 100 or more. These might be for a specific game or for a range of games, depending on the details that accompany the offer. Each free spin will have a set value, which might be 10 cents per spin or something entirely different.
Free casino chips:
If you thought casino chips were reserved for bricks and mortar casinos, think again. Online casinos regularly design their own casino chips to use for various offers. They look good online since they are often designed in the colors of the casino, bearing its logo and of course, a bonus amount on the front.
There are some variations with this offer, too. You might receive a free chip as a no deposit bonus or to go along with a welcome offer deposit bonus. We’ve seen them provided to players using a certain type of deposit method too, so those are worth checking on along the way.
Cashback bonuses:
You know what cashback means – you might receive it on your purchases in everyday life or via a card payment method. At online casinos, cashback is sometimes given to players who play real casino games on that site.
In this case, it usually means you will receive cashback on your losses while playing the games. It’s important to read the small print for any cashback deal you come across, because they’re not all the same. Some might provide cashback on losses made while playing slot games, while others might be more relaxed and offer cashback on everything you play.
These bonuses pop up at different times, too. Some casinos offer daily, weekly, or monthly cashback offers, so check which of those are available at your chosen casino.
Reload bonuses:
Once you have claimed your welcome bonus as a newcomer, and you’ve completed any wagering requirements that might be involved, you may wish to look for another bonus to use. Reload bonuses come into play here. They refer to any bonus you can use after completing your welcome bonus.
Some casinos create a specific reload bonus offer for this purpose. It may be more generous than other bonuses on the site aimed at current players. However, it is best to check the details first, as usual. You should also see whether you can use it multiple times or if it is available for one use only. Either could be possible when you’re looking for a reload bonus.
Refer a friend bonus:
Here’s something a little different that you see at most casinos, albeit often tucked away at the bottom of the promotions page. It refers to a bonus you can claim for referring someone to the casino who goes on to make deposits and play for real.
When you sign up to a casino offering this program, you will receive a unique code or link. You can then share this link with anyone who might be interested in finding out more about the casino. If they sign up and use your link or code, the casino will know you referred them. You may then get a commission for every signup, every bet they make, or every deposit they make, depending on the rules for the program. Some sites offer a flat fee – much like a finder’s fee – for each person you refer, so they can differ a little in how they work.
VIP and loyalty bonuses:
Will you be a VIP at an online casino? Some casinos offer a VIP program or loyalty program while others have both. If both are present, they differ as follows:
The loyalty program is available to everyone – usually when signing up but sometimes when making their first deposit
The VIP program is available via invitation only
In both cases, though, you can expect to see a host of bonuses tailored towards those in the program. Most VIP or loyalty programs are comprised of different levels, where players begin on the lowest level and must then complete certain tasks or requirements to go up a level.
Whenever they reach a new level, there is often a bonus of some sort waiting for them. Some programs might include birthday bonuses and other offers too. Some of the perks may include lower wagering, faster withdrawals, and bigger deposit offers.
High roller bonuses:
Most casino players use small budgets to help them play and enjoy the various games on offer. However, some have much deeper pockets, and these individuals are known as high rollers.
Some casinos cater for these players by offering bigger bonuses on bigger deposits. This isn’t a universal bonus, i.e., there are lots of casinos that simply do not offer high roller bonuses. However, if you intend to deposit a decent amount at an online casino of your choice, it might be worth looking at in more detail.
Combined bonus offers:
It’s worth us mentioning these here because they do quite often appear at online casinos. What do we mean by combined bonuses? Well, we’re referring to offers where you get more than one perk rolled into the same deal:
A deposit bonus plus some free spins
A free chip plus some free spins
Those are the two most common variations you can look for, although you may well spot some others occasionally too.
The good news is that now you’re here, you can go about finding the best deals on the portal whenever you want something new to claim. No matter whether you are looking for an introductory offer or the latest bonus for a specific casino aimed at existing players, we can serve up several treats for you to check out daily.
How to choose the best bonuses
How indeed? We’ve gone through tons of bonuses here, so you know there are lots of variations out there. Let’s see what you can do to help you select the best one to meet your requirements.
Firstly, it’s best to go for a no deposit offer whenever you can – usually when you are new to a casino. Some sites make it much tougher to find these bonuses than you might think. Certainly, we would not suggest disregarding this offer if you cannot find it on the casino’s website. In many cases, casinos keep these back to advertise in various places online.
Since you’re here on this website, you can be sure of finding many of the latest offers for a range of online casinos. Check whether you can spot the best bonus for your current needs here, and you won’t need to go anywhere else.
Next, we suggest comparing bonuses if you manage to find more than one. This applies no matter what type of offer you have found. The headline for each deal is the bit that gets your attention, but there is a lot more detail to find beyond that point. This detail will help you compare two or more bonuses, so you know you have found the most reasonable one for your needs.
If you’re wondering what to compare, don’t worry. We have laid out the most important factors to think about below.
Factors to consider when selecting bonuses
Finding bonuses is often the simple part. Knowing which bonuses are best to choose is something else entirely, and it can take some time to work out which offer is the best of them all.
Here, we’re going to go through some factors to keep in mind when you are ready to choose a bonus offer. Look at each bonus carefully and always read the small print attached to it, so you know what applies and how each individual offer works.
Deposit requirements:
We’ve put this first on our list because it comes first – you need to know how much you are required to deposit to access a bonus. Some casinos provide low deposit amounts to claim their bonuses – you might see $5 or $10 to trigger the offer, for example.
However, other casinos might request that you deposit a much bigger sum to qualify for an offer. This might be $25 or more – we’ve seen some offers asking for a minimum of $50 to deposit to get a deal. This also means the wagering requirements (more on those in a second) are much harder to hit.
Wagering requirements:
These are applied to lots of online bonuses. The idea is that they tell you how many times you will need to wager with a bonus amount before you reach the point where you can make a withdrawal.
Wagering requirements are given to you as a multiplier value, and you need to try and find the lowest number you can. For example, 5x is a lot better and easier to reach than 35x. Ideally, you want 1x wagering, but this is quite rare to see.
By taking the multiplier value, you can figure out how much you will be required to wager before you can make any withdrawals. You need to use this and the amount you deposited to get the offer to work out what you need to do. So, a deposit of $5 with 25x wagering means you must wager $125 before you can withdraw anything. A deposit of $20 with 15x wagering would give a figure of $300, so that’s a major difference. You can see how running a few sums and comparing different wagering requirements is crucial for you to find the most reasonable offer.
If it is a no deposit offer, you might be asked to wager the amount of that offer before you can withdraw. Alternatively, you might need to wager any winnings that many times before withdrawing. The answer will be in the small print.
Capped winnings:
Some casinos make headlines out of the fact that they do not impose wagering requirements on their bonuses. However, if that is the case, you will likely find a cap on any winnings you make from a bonus instead. It’s possible to have wagering requirements and a cap on winnings imposed together, but most no wagering deals will include a cap as an alternative condition of using the offer.
A cap simply means a maximum amount you can withdraw as prize money from using that bonus. So, for example, you might receive a $5 bonus with no wagering involved. The small print tells you that there is a cap of $20 on the offer. This means you can win up to $20 in prizes to withdraw from the site. Anything won over and above that amount is kept by the casino. This is necessary otherwise the casino would likely go under rather quickly!
Game restrictions:
What can you play with your bonus? It’s quite usual to be restricted from playing certain games, such as table games, live casino games, and even certain slots. You should always avoid progressive jackpot slot games, no matter whether they are mentioned or not.
Yet some offers are far more restrictive than others. For instance, we have seen bonuses that restrict you to playing just one slot game. This is more common with a free spins bonus, especially if it is designed to promote a new release or a seasonal slot game of some kind. In other cases, you might see a bonus that covers games from just one or two developers, rather than all the slots available on a site.
Expiry dates:
How long will you have to complete a bonus offer? With free spin deals, you often receive your spins in batches, with each batch expiring on the day you receive it. In other cases, you might get seven days to use a deposit bonus. Some casinos might be more generous and allow 14 days or even a month to complete wagering on a bonus.
In every case, though, if you do not complete wagering in time, any remaining portion of the bonus will be lost. Know where you stand before you claim an individual offer by reading everything you can about it and making a note of the conditions.
Bonus codes:
They’re not always essential, but plenty of online casino bonuses do ask you to use a bonus code to secure them. If you find an offer and don’t use an available code, you won’t receive it. By checking whether you need a code, you’ll know for sure if you do – and if so, what to copy and paste to get the offer. If you don’t find one and there is no sign that you’ll need one, there might be something else you need to do to claim it.
Is your head spinning a little like the reels of a slot game having read all that? Don’t worry. The good news is that we’ve got plenty of comparison tools and guides here on our portal, so you can use those to help steer you toward the best bonus offer for your current needs.
Discover more about the latest responsible gaming tools and advice
We have an ethical responsibility to promote safe gambling practices. Online gambling is there to be enjoyed, yet it is also essential to be sure you are playing within safe limits and that you understand how important responsible gaming is online.
You might notice that all reputable online casinos have a responsible gambling (or gaming) area to visit. Some even have separate websites devoted to this subject. Either way, steer clear of any online casino – bonuses or no bonuses – that does not provide support and insight into this topic.
Tips to make sure you’re gambling responsibly
Responsible gambling is something we should all be aware of prior to signing up at any online casino or betting site. Many people have no problem with gambling in a responsible manner, but some might struggle.
If you are new to casino gaming and you are interested in making a few real bets, make sure you go through the following responsible gambling tips. These will help you recognize any problem signs that may arise – and give you the tools you need to know how to tackle them.
Always set a budget
Yes, your budget is the most important thing to work with here. When you’re looking at where your money goes each month, you know how much you need to pay for your bills. Treat your casino budget in the same way – it’s an expense, so you should allocate funds for this purpose that you can afford to lose. Don’t assume you will ever win anything while playing. If you do, that is a bonus.
Take regular breaks whenever you play
It’s easy to lose plenty of time while playing casino games. Before you play, you may like to set an alarm to stop for a while. If you lose track of time and play for too long, you might also end up depositing funds you hadn’t bargained for. By taking regular breaks, you will be able to step away from the games and reassess your progress or position.
Don’t chase any losses
Remember, you are only playing with funds you are happy to lose. Everyone wants to win, of course, but most players won’t win any more than a small amount occasionally.
If you lose out when playing a game, you should know when to stop. If you don’t and you are tempted to chase anything you’ve lost up to that point, you could well end up losing more.
Know when to stop
Your budget should guide you here because you should never bet more than you’ve got in your budget anyway. You might win some funds while playing, of course, which could mean you can play for longer. Alternatively, you might want to walk away with those funds, saving them for later perhaps.
Seek help if you need it
If you think you need help and you’re finding it difficult to stop, take the time to source the responsible gambling facilities at the casino you are playing at. You should find you can limit access to your account in various ways. You can limit your deposits or even request reality checks if the site provides them. This means you will see a message on your screen to remind you to stop and consider your activities.
There are various organizations that support those who are having trouble gambling, too. These vary from one country to another, but the casino you are playing at should link you to the most relevant ones for your location.
You can also use this portal to get more information about setting limits on your gaming. In some cases, limiting your play or deposit amounts will be the best option. In others, you might want to self-exclude from one or more online casinos or betting sites. However, we are here to provide you with all the information and tools you require to learn more about responsible gambling online, whenever you need it most.
Online casino bonuses: Where will you begin?
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading through this guide to the many casino bonuses you will find online today. They’re always changing, of course, with old bonuses being removed and new ones popping up with pleasing regularity. If you are in the position to claim a new offer, whether this is at a new casino or one you are already a member of, make sure you get the latest bonus information here with us today.