A Beginners Guide to Online Casino Bonuses

One of the highlights of playing casino games online is that there are rewarding bonus opportunities to benefit from. You can boost your bankroll with deposit bonuses and even get free cash or free spins to start your casino journey on the right foot. Yet bonuses can actually be a double-edged sword and are a key reason for complaints from many players. This is because some players do not understand the conditions attached to the offer. In this article, I will give you a simple guide to understanding the ins and outs of online casino bonuses.

Type of Bonus on Offer

Whilst some casinos provide a welcome bonus when you make your first deposit, there are others that provide a package deal, which matches numerous deposits you make. Generally speaking, if you see an extremely large amount, say £1600 available, then this is most likely going to be a bonus package. On the other hand, offers such as a £100 new player bonus is likely to reward only your first deposit. The best deal depends on the type of player you are. Consider how much you are likely to deposit and how often you are going to play to determine which will provide you with the best value for your money.

Wagering Requirements

A wagering requirement is applied to bonuses to ensure that you use them to play games at the casino and do not simply withdraw your extra funds and walk away. In fact, in most cases, if you try to make a withdrawal before fulfilling the wagering requirements, you could forfeit your bonus along with any winnings. Within the bonus terms and conditions, you will find the wagering requirement. Say you get a £100 bonus and the wagering requirement is 30x the bonus amount, you will need to playthrough 100 x 30 = £3000 to fulfil the requirement. Be wary of any offers with a wagering requirement of over 60x, as this does not represent a favourable deal for players.

Game Contributions

It is important to know that the type of games you play at an online casino contribute towards wagering requirements in different amounts. Money bet on games with a high house edge, such as slots and scratch cards will usually contribute fully towards your bonus playthrough. Whereas games with a low house edge, such as roulette and blackjack may only have a small weighting towards fulfilling wagering requirements. In some cases, they may be excluded from bonus play altogether. As such, it is important to check the weighting of your favourite games to be sure that a bonus is suitable for you and your style of play.

Other Bonus Conditions

Many bonuses must be claimed within a certain timeframe after joining a casino. Furthermore, they often have a time limit attached to them, in which you must complete the playthrough requirements. These timeframes vary from one operator to another, so consider how often you will play to be sure to select one which will allow you enough time to meet the requirements. It is also worth noting that there will often be a minimum deposit amount required to claim a bonus. Furthermore, some operators exclude certain payment methods from their welcome bonus offers. If you want to use an e-wallet such as PayPal to deposit, make sure this is not excluded from the deal.