The Wonderful World of Online Casino Bonuses

As the online casino industry continues its unprecedented growth, online casino enthusiasts are afforded more options than they count. There are literally hundreds of online casinos operating in specified jurisdictions throughout the world. A direct by-product of this level of competition has been the development of very robust bonus programs being offered to prospective customers.

Giving Customer Increased Value

As recently as 10 years ago, an online casino would throw together a couple of bonus promotions in hopes of drawing a few customers away from the competition. As one jurisdiction after another has begun legalizing online gambling, the online gaming industry has seized on the opportunity to cash in on the increased interest in online casino gambling by players from all over the world.

With so many new customers in the market to be absorbed by a growing number of casino websites, the best casinos have opted to fight for every last possible customer by offering the best casino bonus promotions possible. The goal of all online casinos is, now and will always be, to give customers as much value for their wagering dollars as possible. They do this with a great desire to establish loyalty and build the business.

Identifying the Best Casino Bonus Promotions

On the surface, many of the advertised bonus promotions sound very attractive. By the numbers, it seems all too obvious. However, players are cautioned to look beyond the amounts being offered. Yes, the dollar/pound amounts are quite lucrative. With that said, every bonus promotion comes with a set of “Terms and Conditions” that could end up being quite restrictive in the long run.

When a player is comparing bonus offers between multiple online casinos, it’s very important that they consider more than how much they are going to get for free. The free part sounds very nice, but the Terms and Conditions can make it near impossible to turn those bonus monies into real cash that can be withdrawn. The best casino bonus package is the one that offers real value and a reasonable chance to actually benefit from the bonus offer.

Types of Online Casino Bonuses

The online casino industry as a whole has come up with some really creative ways to create extra value for the players. With that said, there are five bonus types that seem to be prevalent among the best casinos. In order of presentation, players can usually get access to a no deposit bonus, welcome bonus package, free spins, cash rebates and/or sweepstakes drawings.

No Deposit Bonuses – As a way to give players an opportunity to check out a casino website prior to making a deposit, a number of online casino websites will advertise a no deposit bonus. A no deposit bonus usually represents a very small amount of money to be used to play a slot or two while checking the website out. If the player likes what they see, they are already registered and simply need to make their first deposit.

Welcome Bonus Package – When the player is ready to make that first deposit, they will be entitled to the website’s welcome bonus package. The package can include a number of things. There might be free spins involved and the bonus offer might actually cover up to the player’s first 4-5 deposits. At the most basic level, welcome bonuses usually involve a matching percentage that is applied towards the player’s first deposit. In most cases, the amount of the matching percentage will increase if the player is willing to make a significant first deposit.

Keeping things simple, let’s look at an example of what could be termed a conventional welcome bonus offer. Casino X is offering a 300% matching bonus on the player’s first deposit, up to a maximum deposit of £200. While the player is free to deposit as much as they want, only the first £200 would be applicable to the bonus percentage. In this case, the player would get £600 in bonus money to be used within the online casino if they make a max deposit.

Free Spins – While a specified number of free spins might be included to create extra value in conjunction with a matching bonus amount, there are some bonus offers that come with nothing more than a specified number of free spins, often times on a designated slot. The number of spins could be quite significant and in some cases, it might be spread over a period of time. Free spin bonuses are very popular with online websites that heavily promote slots.

Cash Rebates – Almost all online casinos offer some type of cash rebate. In most cases, the option will be made available to VIP members only. When cash rebates are being offered to the general playing population, they are usually tied to a specific daily, weekly or monthly promotions. In some cases, the rebate amount will be quite significant while at other times, the cash rebate offer might seem a tad bit low. Either way, the idea is to give the player some incentive to gamble, knowing they will get a portion of their losses back.

Sweepstakes Drawing – Most people like the prospects of winning a free vacation or consumer goods as a prize from sweepstakes drawings. When an online casino is in a good mood, they might give all existing customers a free entry into one of its drawings. The most likely scenario would be the online casino offering customers a sweepstakes entry for wagering a specific amount within the casino. Under this scenario, players can usually win multiple sweepstakes entries by wagering the specified amount multiple times.

With the best casinos offering solid bonuses, it’s important for players to understand how nice it is to get something for free. While the Terms and Conditions might seem restrictive, the possibility of getting something for doing nothing more making a deposit and showing up to gamble should be viewed with great interest. Under the worse case scenario, the player might get a bonus. play a few hours, lose the bonus amount and still have their own money to wager.