The Best New Casino Bonuses
Online casino bonuses come in various forms. Whether it’s a lucrative one-time welcome offer, a no deposit bonus, match bonus, or free spins to use on your favorite slot games ─ bonuses are one of the biggest highlights of playing games online and give players more chances to win real money without risking too much of their own budget.
If you’re also looking to enhance the contents on your bankroll with the latest casino bonuses, you’re in luck!
Keep reading to find out what types of bonuses you can look forward to when you sign up, how they work, and how you can start redeeming new casino bonuses and using them on your favorite real money casino games.
What Are Casino Bonuses and How Do They Work?
In a nutshell, a casino bonus is essentially free cash offered by a casino. It’s an incentive that’s designed to keep you playing for longer by giving you more to play with. A bonus deal can come in the following formats:
- Deposit Bonus - A fixed percentage amount offered on top of your deposit amount, i.e. 100% on a deposit amount of up to $100 ─ giving you $200 to play with
- No Deposit Bonus - A bonus that lets you play games without depositing cash in advance (normally subject to certain playthrough or wagering requirements)
- Match Bonus - When the casino matches your deposit amount, effectively giving you twice as much to play with
- Max Bonus - Bonuses that don’t limit how much you can cash out at any given time
- Free Spins Bonus - A certain number of free spins to use on slot machines
- Free Chips - Free chips to use on table games like roulette, blackjack, craps, or poker
Casinos also offer VIP bonuses and other incentives for regular players, including monthly draws, free gifts, personalized account managers, and higher table limits. New players are usually offered a one-off welcome package that can include a no deposit bonus + a number of free spins, or a free cash reward as soon as they’ve signed up.
In order to claim a new casino bonus, the player typically needs to meet a specific set of requirements. This involves registering a real money account, providing bank details, and making a deposit (if the bonus asks for it). Once these first steps have been fulfilled, the casino either provides a bonus code to redeem at the cashier or sends the cash balance to their bankroll to begin using immediately.
How Do Casinos Calculate Bonuses?
Practically all online casinos calculate their bonuses with what’s known as a bonus percentage. This percentage typically falls between 20% - 300% and depicts how much the player will receive in bonus cash.
There is also a second number in a casino bonus which states the maximum amount a casino will give back to a player in bonus funds for making a deposit. You’ll usually see the words “up to” on these bonuses, depending on how much you choose to deposit. For example, if you are offered a bonus deal of up to 100%, you would have to bet $100 to earn the full amount in bonus cash. $80 would get you 80%, $70 would get you 70%, etc.
What Are Wagering Requirements?
Many bonuses are subject to what’s known as a wagering requirement. This refers to the amount of cash you need to wager before the bonus funds can be converted into real money.
These requirements typically range between 10x and 50x the value of whatever you deposit or the amount of cash you are being rewarded. A bonus with low wagering requirements is ideal for those who aren’t prepared to spend too much of their own bankroll.
There are a number of online casinos that also impose limits and restrictions on how long you have to fulfill the wagering requirements, the minimum and maximum bet amounts, and what games you can redeem the bonus on.
Some bonuses are also subject to playthrough requirements, which means the player has to play through the game a certain number of times before they can claim their winnings. This is most common with free spins bonuses for online slot games.
Terms & Conditions for Using Casino Bonuses
Whenever you sign up to an online casino, it’s important to know what becoming a player entails. This means checking the terms for making deposits and withdrawals, the minimum and maximum betting amounts for playing certain games, and what conditions apply to claiming bonuses.
Before accepting a new casino bonus offer, it’s imperative that you check the small print to ensure there are no hidden clauses or unrealistic requirements. The points you’ll especially want to check before redeeming a bonus include:
- The minimum deposit amount for using the bonus
- Wager and playthrough requirements
- Expiry dates or times restrictions for using a bonus
- Whether you need to enter a code to redeem your bonus
- The game/types of games that the bonus is applicable to
Checking these things in advance will save you a lot of hassle when you’re looking to claim a bonus and will prevent any unwanted surprises that may crop up if you want to withdraw your winnings.
Additional Things to Consider
When you can withdraw your money and how long you have to clear the wagering requirements are the two most important factors when you’re looking to use new casino bonuses. Fortunately, the best gambling sites always stipulate these terms very clearly so you know exactly what you can expect ─ they won’t keep any information hidden or falsely advertise the conditions for using a bonus. Remember that, like anything, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. As long as you check out all of this information beforehand and the casino itself looks legitimate, you should be able to reap the benefits of casino bonuses without any repercussions.