Online Casino Bonuses 101

Online casino bonuses are extra spins or credits on the house -  a very popular incentive that online casinos will utilize in order to encourage gamblers to get involved with their site. There are various types of online casino bonuses and each has its particular advantages and conditions. Depending on the type of bonus, they may be granted to both new and existing players in the form of a sign-up package, reload, loyalty or general promotion. They can truly enhance your gambling experience by boosting the value of a deposit or giving you the opportunity to explore the casino without risk.

• No Deposit
• Welcome/Sign-Up
• Free Play
• Free Spins
• Reload
• Cashback
• Prefered Deposit 
• Highroller
• Loyalty/VIP

No Deposit Bonus

A No Deposit Bonus is exactly that. It’s either bonus funds or cash that the casino offers players to try out the games without a deposit requirement. Take advantage of these because they allow you to play absolutely risk-free. Always be conscious of claiming these types of bonuses back to back without depositing in between. This practice may deem you a bonus abuser causing the casino to restrict you from claiming future bonus offers.

Welcome/Sign Up Bonus

As a newly registered online casino player, you will often find that there are Welcome Bonuses or Sign Up Bonuses or New Player Bonuses available to you. The terms are used interchangeably and mean the same thing. It is the most popular type of online casino bonus to be found. A Welcome Bonus may include a deposit match bonus where the online casino will match your deposit up to a certain amount. Players will also find Welcome Bonus packages that offer a match on a series of deposits such as 100% on your first deposit, 75% on your second deposit, 50% on your third deposit and so on. Welcome Bonuses may include other bonus types such as No Deposit Bonuses, Free Play, Free Spins and High Roller Bonuses.

In most cases, these types of online casino bonuses can be divided into Percentage or Match Bonuses

The Percentage Bonuses vary according to the amount of deposit and are usually anywhere between 50% and 500%. A Bonus of 100% is called a Match Bonus and it is essentially an even money bonus. For every dollar that you deposit, there will be an additional matching dollar in bonus cash. If the casino is advertising a 50% online casino bonus then that means that for every dollar you deposit, they'll match it with only 50 cents. If they advertise a 300% online casino bonus then you deposit one dollar and they will add three dollars.

Free Play Bonus

Free Play Bonuses are most often available at online casinos powered by Microgaming. During the first stage, a player is awarded a set amount of bonus funds and a time limit for a chance to win on pre-selected games.  You won when going over the original credits awarded at the end of the time period and will enter stage 2, where it will act as bonus funds combined with a required deposit. Wagering requirements are attached to bonus and must be met before a capped maximum withdrawal can be made. 

Free Spins Bonus

Casino Spins Bonuses include a specified number of free spins on a specific Slot Game. For example, you may receive an offer for 10 Free Spins on Starburst. Some online casinos offer the Free Spins at the maximum bet but most times they are locked at the minimum bet available. The Free Spins are activated by loading the specified Slot. Winnings derived from these bonuses go into your cash account.

Reload Bonus

A Reload Bonus is a goodie that’s offered to depositing players as a “thank you”. Online casinos will match your deposit up to a certain amount. Some online casinos offer Reloads on a regular basis while others hand them out on occasion. A Reload Bonus is also offered as part of the online casino’s player rewards or loyalty program. The size of the bonus is often based on your level of status.

Cashback Bonus

Online casinos will offer cashback on bets placed on specific days, time frames or on certain games. For example, 10% of all wagers made on Tuesday will be credited back to your casino account the following week.

Preferred Deposit Bonuses

Preferred Deposit Bonuses are a form of online casino bonus which is deposited when you use the casino's favored form of electronic payment to put money in your account. Some casinos have reasons why they like to receive their money in one form rather than another, so they may offer 5% to 15% automatically added to your deposit when you use their preferred payment method. Keep in mind that if a casino states that their Preferred Deposit Bonus is up to $3,000, that doesn't mean that you would get 15% by depositing $3,000, but their top limit of 15% online casino bonus is $3,000. In order to receive that bonus you'd have to deposit $20,000.

High Roller Bonus

These High Roller offers may apply to any of the previously mentioned bonuses but on a much larger scale. Larger deposits are subject to a larger match percentage.

We cannot stress enough the importance of reading the terms and conditions associated with any bonus that you intend to claim. Read now and there’ll be no crying later. The bonus rules should outline everything from wagering requirements to deposit requirements and cashout maximums. Nothing should be left to the imagination.

Casino Whores constantly scour the online casino bonuses offered to find the best deals and then gamble very conservatively in order to play on as much of the casino's money, and as little of their own, as possible. This strategy also works very well for online slots bonuses where some of the bonuses can be very significant.

Loyalty Bonuses

Loyalty Bonuses are for players who have been with the casino for an extended period of time and have reached various seniority levels. The higher your VIP status, the more of these types of online casino bonuses you're likely to receive and the larger the percentages will be.

Perhaps you are interested in claiming a bonus but you’re not sure which online casino to choose and what types of bonuses they offer. Our online casino reviews not only give you the low down on each casino but also include player ratings and comments. Each casino review gives the details of the types of bonuses available at the online casino and is a great place to begin your hunt for bonuses. We also have pages listing Cashback, High Roller and No Deposit Bonuses. Also note our warnings and avoid online casinos on our Blacklist.