Casino Bonuses: what are they?

Some would say casino bonuses are the best thing online gambling has: a real freebie, no strings attached. The others would argue that they are all one big bait to fish for newbies or cheapskates.

The truth is always somewhere in the middle. Bonuses have both sides: they are certainly advantageous to gamblers and give an online casino something in return.

Let’s talk about all that here and look at top casino bonuses from both perspectives: what they are for a gambler and for a casino.

How to get The Best Casino Bonus?

First of all, the best casino bonus is an offer that was both promised and fulfilled. (Nobody wants to be deceived, right?) You can expect this to happen only when dealing with a legitimate online casino.

And what makes for the best online casino bonus? In our humble opinion, the other ingredient needed here is reasonable bonus terms and conditions. Stay away from offers that look too good to be true. If they seem unbelievable, maybe you should indeed avoid believing them. When you see promos advertizing 1,000% cash and imposing no requirements (to play the winnings through or limit the withdrawals)... or long lists of casino bonus codes promising hundreds of free spins, take some time to look into the terms and conditions, the matter of casino license, and customer feedback.

Two things may happen in a situation like this. Number One: you will get the bonus and be able to use it but fail to withdraw your winnings because the rules are too complicated or the wagering requirement is unrealistically high. The alternative is a rigged casino, hence, wasting time and money and jeopardizing your data security.

We are going to discuss bonus terms and conditions and explain everything you need to know about the wagering requirement further on.

Finding A Reliable Australian Bonus Casino

There are a lot of online casinos on the market that function with no license. They don’t have their games tested and all the system approved by an independent third party, so nobody guarantees anything to a player. Honestly, not all of them are necessarily dodgy and will steal all your information or account balance. But signing up with an illegitimate casino always means taking risks. Gamblers don’t have to tempt fate thanks to the abundant online choice of today.

A reliable casino prevents minors from illegal gambling: they check personal information thoroughly during registration and may request additional documents.

A reliable casino takes data security seriously and uses encryption systems when transferring information and payments.

A reliable online casino has a legitimate license and can confirm it with an active link to the copy of the document or its record. You can look for license information in the footer of the webpage. The most reputable jurisdictions in charge of gambling licensing and approval are Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), Curaçao eGaming, Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC), Isle of Man jurisdiction, Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, Kahnawake Gaming Commission. If one of them has tested the online games you are playing, don’t doubt their fairness. The Random Numbers Generators built in their software are going to trigger random winnings and payouts.

Note that scammers are well aware of all the legitimacy issues and may falsify the documents. Spare no time searching for license and security information, especially when it comes to unknown organizations.

Another clue that points towards trustworthy platforms is the fact that the company is traded on a stock market. Trust these casinos with a light heart: governmental jurisdictions inspect them regularly. Online casinos that go through so many meticulous checks won’t risk their reputation by withholding a bonus from a gambler.

Different kinds of Bonuses

The first rule of using casino bonuses is to understand that different types of bonuses will suit different players at different times. Don’t expect them to solve all your gambling problems: read the descriptions and think before hitting the ‘claim’ button. Don’t worry, you will find a good number of various offers in any “Bonus” section of casino websites, including mobile casino bonus code and cryptocurrency promos.

Deposit bonuses

The most common reward gamblers receive from online casinos is a Deposit Bonus. A player can claim it after making a real-money deposit: first, second, third, thirteenth, etc. The bonus usually gets more generous with a higher deposit. 

A casino sets a minimum deposit limit and the maximum bonus amount, as a rule. For example, a bonus promo banner might read: “Deposit $20 or more and receive a 200% match-up bonus up to $500”. It means that the gambler who deposits $10 will not be eligible for the offer, and even if someone deposits $300, their bonus will not exceed $500 (200% x $300 = $600 – that’s what 200% of $300 must look like).

Casinos may give out free spins as a deposit bonus as well. The more your payment is, the more times you will be able to spin a pokie.

Match bonuses

The term “match-up (matching/match) bonus” must be included in the word-stock of any online gambler. Taking into account everything we’ve said before, the definition will seem kind of straightforward and close to what a “deposit bonus” is. The amount of rewarded casino credits will match your deposit and depend on its size. For a $50 deposit, a 150% match-up bonus will add to your casino account $75-worth cash credits, and you will end up with $125 credits to gamble away.

The most frequent match bonus range lies within 100%-250%. You are likely to receive this offer upon registration as a casino welcome bonus or after you reload your account.

No deposit bonuses

In contrast to deposit bonuses, there are no deposit casino bonuses that gamblers love. The name speaks for itself: you don’t even have to make a deposit to claim this kind of bonus. Online casinos tend to give out no deposit bonuses to new players upon registration. Let’s admit it: this is clearly a marketing tool meant to attract new customers and persuade them to start gambling. There’s no such thing as a free lunch, and promotions or special offers are a common practice for any business, necessary for its survival. Just keep that idea in mind and check all terms and conditions of a no deposit bonus. They are likely to be more demanding than the ones attached to deposit bonuses. Maybe you will find them too hard to satisfy and opt for some other offer, or at least you will know what you are getting into, and there will be no disappointing surprises when the time to withdraw your winnings comes.

Free spins

This bonus is for online pokies only. “Spins” here refer to slot reels exclusively; the bonus will not suit any other game that consists of spinning components, like a Roulette wheel, for instance.

As the name of the bonus suggests, a casino will give you a certain number of spins, and you wouldn’t have to pay for them. Players get to play some slots for free. A casino will normally limit the choice of games and list the casino bonus slot machines where the bonus can be used.

Customarily, casinos offer from 10 to 30 free spins.

The most crucial thing about free spins to be aware of is that all the winnings you get after using them are not real cash yet. They are casino credits subject to a further play-through. How long and how much? The wagering requirement has answers to these questions (Wouldn’t hurt to check it in advance in the Bonus Terms & Conditions; more on it a little later).

Cashback

Every gambler loses from time to time. Some online casinos try to sweeten the pill and return a percentage of the lost money to their players. That is, in a nutshell, how casino cashback works. You won’t find this treat too frequently, so try to appreciate the gesture when you do.

Casinos return a percentage of all the money spent by a gambler during a certain period (most often – the previous week).

Loyalty Bonuses & VIP Bonuses

Regular players don’t just get rewarded for staying loyal: online casinos organize multi-stage bonus systems for them. These programs resemble a video game: gamblers collect loyalty points and move up the ladder from one VIP status to another. Each new level brings better perks: lower deposit and withdrawal limits, more reasonable wagering requirements, cashback on losses, special casino online bonus codes and mobile casino bonus codes… Every casino sets up its own rules and systems, but the main principle doesn’t change: the more you deposit and play, the more rewards you deserve.

High Roller Bonuses

Go big or go home. Followers of this moto will be treated specially at any online casino.

As soon as the casino notices your high deposits and bets, it will either assign you a status of a VIP member or show the appreciation in the form of a match-up reload bonus. 

No Wagering Bonus

As you probably know, all the winnings you gain while using a casino bonus are not real cash. In case you had no idea about it, we are happy to finally take your rose-tinted glasses off your face. These winnings are casino credits, usually subject to playing-through. A person has to wager them as many times as the wagering requirement establishes: 10x, 20, 35x times. Only having done that, will they turn everything left from the won casino credits into real money and withdraw it.

No Wagering bonuses have no wagering requirement among their terms and conditions. So, all the winnings you get from a bonus will go straight to your real-money account and be ready for withdrawal. No strings attached. Almost. There will be other requirements to satisfy, don’t get too happy.

New casinos appearing on the market sometimes dare to offer the so-called ‘no-rules bonuses’. They eliminate all the restrictions typically associated with the process of playing through the bonus credits. No wager, no cash-out limits, no game contribution percentage: just get free credits, spend them and withdraw all the winnings straight. Isn’t it any gambler’s dream? We don’t want to persuade you that all these bonuses are suspicious, but we will remind you of the necessity to do a thorough security and feedback check before registering with a new online casino.

How To Claim No Deposit Bonus At Casino

After you’ve chosen a reliable online casino and found its game collection, payment options,  and bonus features satisfying, sign in and create an account.

As soon as the account has been verified and approved, log in and go to the Bonus page. Read all the Bonus terms and conditions, get an idea of what requirements you will face after claiming the bonus and winning.

  • Choose the No Deposit bonus you’d like to claim;
  • Insert the casino bonus codes (coupons) if necessary;
  • Press the ‘claim’ button;
  • Check the list of eligible games and start playing according to it.

When you use up all the Bonus credits (or free spins), make sure to fulfil all the bonus terms and conditions and request the withdrawal of your winnings.

Bonus codes (coupons)

Some casino bonuses are claimed the easiest way possible: just by clicking the ‘claim’ button. The others require coupons, or casino bonus codes – a unique combination of letters and numbers.

Casino bonus codes together with the latest casino bonus can be posted in the Bonus section of a casino webpage, found on themed forums and portals, or received from casino affiliates as a special offer. You will see them marked as ‘deposit bonus code’, ‘no deposit bonus code’, ‘free spins’, ‘no wager (no cash-out) code’, etc… Casino bonus codes and coupons are not a must, though.

Bonus Terms & Wagering Requirements

Generally, casino bonuses are not about life-changing wins: they don’t apply to progressive pokies and have a lot of restrictions. For instance, you can’t use any bonus playing any game. While claiming the offer, the casino will inform you which games are eligible for it, and you will have to stick to the list.

All the rules and terms are a way to keep a lid on Bonus abuse; they allow online casinos to make the most of your winnings move around inside the platform.

Wagering Requirements

The Queen of all the casino bonus terms and conditions, the Wager (aka Play-through) sets the tone of all the party.

It’s a coefficient that determines how many times the casino bonus credits have to be played-through (wagered).

For example, you used up 20 free spins and won $10-worth casino credits. The bonus terms and conditions state that the wagering requirement is 15x. So, take your $10 and multiply them by 15x. $150 is the amount you need to play through. After that, you can withdraw all the winnings you will have left.

With any other cash bonus – deposit, no deposit, or match – there is one step less. The received casino credits are the ones subject to the play-through. If a casino gives you a $30 cash bonus with the wagering requirement of 20x, the multiplier will apply to the bonus itself ($30x20=$600 – the amount for further play-through), not to the winnings like it works with free spins.

Game Contribution

Next to any wagering requirement, you are bound to see another important regulation: game contribution. It will tell you how much of the play-through each casino game can help you with.

Usually, slots have 100% contribution, while Roulette will only ensure 5-25% of all the amount to be wagered. It happens because some games are more advantageous to the player than others. Table games have lower House Edge than slots, and gamblers win more regularly at partly skill-based games like Video Poker. That’s why table games contribute the least to the wagering requirement.

Let’s go back to our previous example: you got a $30 match-up bonus with a wager = 20x. You understand that the amount to play through is $600. If you go for popular slots, scratch cards, or Keno, you will probably be done with the play-through much faster: they contribute 100% to the wagering requirement. If you go for Blackjack, and its contribution is stated as 25%, instead of wagering $600, you will have to play through $2400 playing this game.

Contribution rates are not fixed parameters and depend on the casino.

Withdrawal Limits

Imagine beating the unfavorable odds and finally hitting that casino win! Even if it’s just $100… How exciting! And what if Lady Luck was too friendly, and you managed to snatch a couple of thousands. Anyone would rush to withdraw their winnings as soon as possible. However, it’s not doable most of the time. Every casino caps the amount of money that players are allowed to cash out with one transaction or during a time period, especially when the winnings come from using bonuses. The rules will be different at all the online casinos. For example, at Kahuna casino, the maximum withdrawal limit is $5,000 per week.

On the other hand, there is always a minimum threshold: online casinos wouldn’t prefer players to cash out small amounts ($1, $5, $10), and they often ask their customers to request a withdrawal after they have collected at least $100 or so.

Bonus Time Limits

No casino bonus can be at your disposal forever: they expire, and so do casino online bonus codes. All the dates and time limits are always stated in Bonus terms and conditions.

Note that some bonuses can be claimed more than once.

Most Popular Casino Bonus Games

The most popular title of any game collection pokies (slots) have deserved an exclusive casino online bonus: free spins. They can’t be applied to any other casino game. There is no problem for pokie fans to spend cash bonuses on their favourite game either: they can use them to buy the spins.

Blackjack, Roulette, Bingo, Baccarat, or any other casino table game will require you to spend casino cash credits on them. Just like in Vegas: buy the chips, place your bets and play.

All gamblers know that the advantage is always on the side of the casino: it’s the protocol you sign making your first bet. So, don’t view the best online casino bonuses and casino bonus codes Australia as the antidotes to the unconditioned House Edge or as the keys to big wins. They just give a chance to get to know games and casinos and enjoy playing a bit longer without paying for it.

And the last piece of advice. It doesn’t matter how many times before you’ve checked the box next to the “I have read all the terms and conditions and agree to them” phrase without even skimming through, please, never do it again when dealing with online casinos and their bonuses.