What is Online Casino Bonus
If you’re new to online gambling, there are many things you might find somewhat confusing. Some terms that you’ll come across at various gaming sites aren’t as important but some you definitely need to know about. An online casino bonus is one of these.
In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about casino bonuses. You’ll understand what they are, why casinos give them to players, what types of bonuses exist, and what you should pay attention to when choosing between different offers available to you. At the end of the day, this information should help you have better, enjoyable, and more profitable gaming experience.
Online Casino Bonuses in a Nutshell
There is almost no online casino that doesn’t give some kind of a bonus, at the very least for its new players. It is one of the best and most effective marketing strategies for the sites to bring in new customers. In the simplest of terms, a bonus is an amount of extra cash given to you so you can play more.
There are two main types of casino bonuses:
- No deposit bonus – given to you simply for signing up
- Deposit bonuses – giving you extra cash on top of the amount you deposit
No deposit bonuses
No Deposit bonuses are usually smaller amounts of up to $10 that you can claim when you open an account. Like the name suggest, they require no financial commitment on your part. The casino will give you a bit of cash and you can use it to play some games and potentially even win some real money you’ll be able to cash out. If you want to check the latest best no deposit bonuses for casinos please check our regulary update page.
Deposit bonuses
Deposit bonuses are much more generous. They usually represent a percentage match on your deposited amount.
For example, you can get a 50%, a 100%, or even a 200% bonus on your deposit. So, if you deposit $100 and take a 100% bonus, you’ll have $200 to play with.
What You Need to Know: Wagering, Restrictions, etc.
An online casino bonus is “free” money but it’s not money you can just cash out and take to the bank. Casinos can’t afford to give away money in this way because no one would have any incentive to play. It would be all too easy to just claim an extra $100, request a withdrawal, and make quick profit with no risk and no effort.
So, to prevent this from happening, an online casino bonus will always have certain wagering requirements attached to it. This is essentially a number of times you’ll need to put the entire bonus amount on the line before you’re allowed to cash out, i.e.
- 30x wagering on $100 bonus – wager $3,000 in total
- 45x wagering on $50 – wager $2,250 in total
- 60x wagering on $500 – wager $30,000 in total
This means that if you take a bonus, you’ll need to play with the money. The lower the wagering, the better your chances are of actually making it.
However, there are other things in an online casino terms and conditions that you’ll also need to pay attention to when claiming an online casino bonus. These dictate what you are and aren’t allowed to do while playing on the bonus money and how different games contribute to the wagering.
- Maximum bet – the maximum amount you’re allowed to bet on a single event (spin, hand, etc.)
- Game contributions – what percentage of the entire wager counts towards wagering on different games (slots, roulette, blackjack)
- Restricted games – the games you aren’t allowed to play at all when playing with bonus funds
Always Play Online Casino by the Book
One of the most important things you need to keep in mind about online casino bonuses is that you absolutely must read, understand, and stick to the rules for the particular bonus. Breaking any conditions could lead to losing your entire bonus amount as well as any related winnings. Casinos tend to be very strict about this so there is no room for mistakes.
Every online casino has its own set of rules about bonuses so make sure to find and read it before placing any bets. If you can’t find the rules or there is something you’re uncertain about, get in touch with the customer support. They’ll help resolve any questions you may have and make sure you aren’t breaking any terms with your play.
Sticky vs. Non-sticky: What’s the Difference?
You may have heard the term “sticky” bonus but don’t know what it refers to. Even if you haven’t, there is a big difference between these two categories and it is something you need to know about regardless of what names we apply to these two categories.
- Sticky bonuses get mixed with your balance and you can’t withdraw before meeting wagering
- • Non-sticky bonuses only come into play when you lose your cash baance
So, with a non-sticky bonus, you could deposit $100 and get $100 extra to play with. If you lose $50 and then happen to win $1,000, you’ll be allowed to cash out everything apart from the $100 bonus balance. Since you haven’t dipped into the bonus funds, there will be no restrictions in place.
With sticky bonuses, your entire balance is mixed right away so if you win big, you’ll still need to go through the entire wagering before you can withdraw. So, if you win big early on, you’re still not guaranteed a cashout because there is still a lot of betting that needs to be done.
Clearly, if you have an option, you should always go for a non-sticky online casino bonus. These are much more player-friendly and actually give you a much better chance of winning. And, if you lose your entire deposit, you still have plenty of cash to use although the wagering will come into play at this point.
Conclusion: Bonuses Are Fun!
At the end of the day, online casino bonuses are one of the best things about playing on internet casinos. You won’t find anything like this in live venues, which is one of the reasons playing online tends to be much more profitable (i.e. you’re not losing nearly as much).
Hopefully, this article has given you some explanations about what online casino bonuses are, how they work, and how to find the best ones out there. There is absolutely no reason to avoid bonuses and you should take them as often as you can, provided you understand relevant terms and conditions and are okay playing within these rules.
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