What is an online casino bonus?
Casino bonus is a money gift that an online casino gives to its clients. Most of the time, the best casino bonuses come in the form of cash prizes. Other variations are also available, e.g. free spins. By pampering gamblers with bonuses, igaming platforms convert one-time visitors to returning clients. Indeed, if a casino provides generous bonuses under reasonable wagering requirements, gamblers will be eagerly coming for more.
The key types of casino bonuses
Major online casinos tend to have developed bonus systems that embrace different types of bonuses. Let’s take a trip down the rabbit hole and go over the main types of online casino bonus offers. This way, you’ll be feeling more comfortable when examining pages with free casino bonus deals on gambling sites.
- No-deposit/signup bonuses. Those are also called “no-deposit bonuses” meaning that you don’t need to top up your account in order to get the reward. Welcome bonuses are provided to all newly registered users. Note that some casinos also call their signup bonuses “welcome bonuses”. At the same time, there are platforms that use this term to refer to deposit bonuses.
- Deposit bonuses. These are probably the biggest bonuses that casino enthusiasts can count on. To get this cash prize, you need to make a deposit to your casino account. Most casinos provide a free bonus casino on the first 3-5 deposits. However, there are bonus programs that cover the first 10 deposits. That’s impressive, right? Let’s take an example. Let’s say, the casino offers a 100% casino bonus on the 1st deposit up to AU$150. This means that you if add AU$50 to your account, the casino will give you another AU$50. Note that the maximum bonus limit is $AU150, so if you deposit AU$200, you’ll still get AU$150 extra. All deposit bonuses are considered “reload bonuses”, i.e. you get them for reloading your casino account.
- Weekday bonuses. It's not uncommon that a casino picks one or two days in a week (for example, Tuesday and Friday) when it gives out the best casino bonuses to players who make a deposit on that day. A weekday bonus is essentially a regular reload casino bonus.
- Cashback bonuses. This type of bonus is a way to compensate gamblers for their losses during the game. If your total losses exceed a specified threshold, you get a certain percentage of your lost money back. Most of the time, casinos pay back 10 to 30% of a client’s net losses. As you might’ve guessed, to be eligible for a cashback casino bonus, you need to lose a really big sum of money on the igaming platform. With that said, a cashback bonus is usually provided to high-rollers.
- VIP bonuses. These bonuses target high-rollers who have been the long-term clients of the casino for years. VIP online casino bonus can take a variety of forms. It can be a cash reward, loyalty points (to upgrade your loyalty program level), valuable gifts, tournament tickets, and other generous goodies.
- Free spins. These best online casino bonuses are particularly loved by gamblers. A casino can give free spins as a part of their welcome package (e.g. a bonus + 50 free spins). Naturally, free spins can only be used on online pokies. So if you prefer other games, freebies won’t be of much use to you. Most of the time, you can only use free spins on a specific slot (or slot machines).
- Payment method bonus. Some gambling sites encourage their clients to use specific deposit and withdrawal methods by offering them nice cash rewards. For example, a gambling platform may offer a 5-10% bonus to gamblers who’re using Mastercard (or any other banking option) to add funds to their casino account.
- Birthday bonuses. If it’s your birthday, you can claim a special casino online bonus from the casino. Since all clients have their ID scans uploaded to their personal accounts, the casino management knows when a player has their birthday and sends them a nice cash gift. Although birthday bonuses are not particularly hefty (unless you’re a high-roller), it’s the attention that counts!
Why casino bonuses in Australia are a good thing
Casino bonuses today are not to be missed. Free cash prizes and other beneficial deals enhance the gambler’s casino experience in many ways.
- Latest casino bonuses allow you to play for real money without spending your own funds. Indeed, if you claim a no-deposit bonus upon registration, you can play at the casino’s expense for a while. However, once you’ve depleted the bonus, you’ll still have to top up your account.
- Best online casino bonuses boost your bankroll and extend your play time. Free rewards make a nice addition to your bankroll. It opens up more gambling opportunities in front of you. You end up having more money to spend playing your favorite game. On top of that, a fatter bankroll allows you to explore more exciting casino games.
- Finally, the best casino bonuses build up trust between the casino and the gambling audience. An effective bonus system creates and strengthens a bond with the casino of your choice. It’s nice to find a safe and generous online casino that supplies you with juicy cash rewards in return for your loyalty, right? It almost feels like home. Gambling sites view promotion deals as a great way to build a strong gambling community around their casino (or casino network).
How to capitalize on a casino bonus
If at this point an online casino bonus seems too good to be true to you, your gut feeling is absolutely right. The truth is that these cash rewards and other goodies are not exactly free. What do we mean by that? Well, the best online casino bonuses come with wagering requirements. The wagering requirements indicate how many times you must wager your casino bonus amount before you can release it from the casino system to your e-wallet, bank account or credit card.
Let’s take an example. You claim an AU$100 casino bonus with x10 wager. This means that you’ll have to spend AU$1,000 worth of bets before the casino greenlights your withdrawal. It’s worth noting that not all games on the gambling site are eligible for fulfilling the requirements. There will be a list of games that count towards the wagering requirements. Plus, there will be a limited time period within which you must release your free casino bonus.
If you’re a wide-eyed beginner and it’s the first time you’re hearing about wagering requirements, it’s probably a lot to take in! Now you realize that the latest casino bonuses should be approached with caution. Taking an online casino bonus can be compared to taking a loan from the bank. Basically, the casino gives you a sum of money and expects you to pay it back with an interest.
Before claiming a bonus, make sure you can handle the wagering requirements attached to it. By accepting accepting a free online casino bonus with the wagering requirements that are too harsh, you risk ruining all the fun. Instead of enjoying amazing casino games, you’ll be busy stressing over how to fulfill the casino’s conditions. There are plenty of quality casinos that provide good bonus deals with reasonable wagering requirements. Don’t accept the first free casino bonus that you happen to come across! Go to other igaming sites and see what promotions they have up their sleeve, and then pick the best offer.
Also, be sure to avoid bonuses which seem unrealistically generous. If a casino flaunts huge bonus amounts, it’s probably a scam. This is done to lure in unsuspecting gamblers and make them top up their account. Once the fake casino receives the money, they lay low and stop reacting to the player’s inquiries. Remember that legitimate casinos offer modest cash rewards. Although not as impressive as fake casino bonus amounts on rogue gaming sites, these rewards are absolutely real.