All Games Casino Guide
Casino Bonuses
When you play at a traditional casino, the business will give you incentives in the shape of comps as a way of saying ‘thank-you’ for gambling there. These could be free drinks or meals, hotel accommodation or bigger prizes for the high rollers. Online casinos obviously cannot give you these types of comps and their answer to this is rewarding gamblers with bonuses. Bonuses are the reason that many people get attracted to online gambling in the first place and it’s easy to see why. However, with so many thousands of online sites out there, there are naturally many different kids of bonuses and gamblers – especially first timers – get very frustrated trying to understand the terms and conditions of all the bonus types offered.
List Of Casino Bonuses
Types of Casino Bonuses
No Deposit Bonuses: just a casino bonus that requires no deposit.
Welcome/First Deposit Bonuses: These bonuses, as their name implies, are a site’s way of saying “welcome”. These bonuses are usually what lure players to try out a new site and they are particularly worthwhile. Casino sites will match a percentage of your money upon deposit so that you might find yourself with a bonus of up to 100% on a $100 deposit.
Reload (or Monthly) Bonuses: Online casino sites might offer reload bonuses whereby every time the gambler reloads his or her account, they are eligible for a certain percentage (usually 10%-20%) bonus. This is a means of encouraging players who have real-money accounts to deposit again and play on. These types of bonuses are especially popular in the poker industry.
Sticky Bonuses: In order to protect their sites from possible abuse (such as having players register for the bonuses and then withdrawing the money immediately), most online casinos impose sticky (or “phantom”) conditions on their bonuses. Generally, this means that the bonuses stay in the player’s account to use for gambling. However, the minute the gambler withdraws the money, the bonus is removed. Therefore, the bonus ‘sticks’ to the player’s account until it is lost. Look out for the ‘play bonus’ wording in its terms and conditions to understand that a bonus is ‘sticky’.
Cashable Bonuses: In some cases, players get to keep their bonuses even after they withdraw their money; hence they are ‘cashable’.
High-Roller Bonuses: Some players, for whom money is not an issue, are rewarded with high roller bonuses. Some online casinos will reward those players who make high deposits with extra large bonuses in a bid to keep them at their sites.
Bonus Restrictions
As alluring as bonuses are, players should remember the old saying that ‘nothing in life is for free’. Online casinos are businesses and therefore wish to make a profit. While these sites usually don’t have the overhead expenses that traditional casinos have, and thus can afford to be generous with their bonus offerings, they have enough business-savvy not to run at a loss. For this reason, many online casinos impose restrictions on many (if not all) of their bonuses.
It is up to the player to read the terms and conditions of all bonuses very carefully. In the case of bonuses, especially, the small print is extremely important and can save a lot of stress and frustration afterwards.
Wagering Requirements
Almost all online casinos will have wagering requirements in one shape or another on their sites when it comes to bonuses. Simply put, players need to wager a certain amount of money before they can withdraw their money. If a player deposits $50 and the casino matches it with a $50 bonus, the terms of the bonus may be that the player needs to wager at least 20 times the joint amount of the deposit and bonus before being able to withdraw the money. In other words, the player will need to wager $2,000 before making a withdrawal.
Excluded Games: Most online casinos will restrict certain games from bonuses. The standard games that are usually restricted are craps, roulette, baccarat and sicbo. Some sites will take it one step further and not allow players to finish their wagering requirements with the game of blackjack. This is because blackjack has one of the lowest house edges in the industry. Another trend is to limit the bonus to one type of game only, with slots being the most popular at online casinos today.
Other Restrictions: Players should be aware of restrictions regarding their own country of origin, as well as how much the casino allows them to withdraw in total.
Collecting Casino Bonuses
Once you are sure that you understand the conditions of a specific bonus, you may be ready to redeem it. Online casinos give out bonus coupons that are redeemed by entering the bonus/coupon code and pressing Redeem. The bonuses are added almost immediately to your account. Players should ensure that they enter their bonus codes before making the deposit, although this is usually rectified if the player calls customer service.
Final Online Casino Bonus Tips
• Online casinos change their bonuses on an almost daily basis and players can get lost when it comes to remembering the types of bonuses with which they signed up and their specific terms and conditions. For this reason, it’s wise to take a screenshot (with the date that you signed up) of the bonus’s conditions to keep as a record, so that there is no discrepancy when you make the withdrawal.
• Players should also keep a record of their deposits and withdrawals. Besides being good for tax purposes, this also allows players to keep track of how much they have invested and when their bonuses are due.
Bonuses can be an exciting and worthwhile part of your online casino adventure, however, knowledge is power and we cannot reiterate enough the need to arm yourself with as much information as possible before choosing a bonus that is suitable for you. Besides saving you a lot of headaches in the future, knowing the ins and outs of online casino bonuses can save you a lot of money too!