What’s behind the Casino Bonus?
The usual player might get pretty excited with a casino’s offer of hundreds of dollars to bet with for free. After all, what could go wrong with a freebie? A cash freebie nonetheless! This could only turn out to be win-win situation, no? (Photo © Bryan Eggers / VegasNews.com)
Well a wise player will understand that nothing is for free and will look further. Reviewing comparison sites such as Top10BestOnlineCasinos.co.uk, will explain more about these kinds of offers. A few minutes of research can help you understand what’s really behind online casino bonuses. It can also give you the tools needed to choose the bonuses fit to your gaming style and budget.
Welcome bonus or money trap?
Let’s begin with the welcome bonus. The welcome bonus is offered by many serious online casinos for their new players. Register for free, create an account, and you receive $1,000 before you even decide to deposit any money. These no deposit bonuses feel safe for the new player since he can try the casino without risking his own money. However, no deposit bonuses are really not much different from regular deposit bonuses which are bonuses given according to how much the player deposits into his casino account. Why is this? Let’s discuss wagering requirements…
Wagering requirements are a casino’s way of ensuring that players don’t abuse bonus offers by simply cashing out the free money and moving on. Whether you are playing with no deposit bonus money or with money you got as a gift for depositing, you will have to wager, meaning play through, the bonus amount before you can cash out your winnings. At first look this requirement may seem fair. Sometimes, however, this setup can become a money trap especially if the wagering requirements come with strict rules or an expiration date. For example, if you are required to wager $500 thirty-five times in just two weeks your chances in winning anything will be pretty low. Now if you lose your no deposit bonus on these requirements it could be a little disappointing; but if you lose the money you put into that casino account, it’ll be more than a little disappointing.
Clearly, the solution to this is to fully understand that welcome bonus before you grab it. Check out the wagering requirements and expiration periods for each specific casino. You will want to calculate what it will “cost” you to win and cash out.
Are free spins really free?
Another type of casino bonus becoming increasingly popular are free spins offered on slot machines. A player can be offered hundreds of free rounds on lucrative games. These free spins are entertaining and also potential winning opportunities. But what actually happens when you win one of these bonus spins? Sometimes the money you win from the spin is considered a bonus which needs to be wagered before you cash out and sometimes you can cash out your winning right away. It depends on where the free spin came from. Free spins that come as a no deposit bonus usually have wagering requirements. On the other hand, spins that come as a gift due to a deposit usually do not have wagering requirements.
So free spins are not really free but they’re great entertainment and can possibly end up being a winning deal.
The returning player and benefits
When talking about casino bonuses we cannot forget to discuss the returning player offers. If you search for the best online casinos the focus usually seems to be all about bonuses offered to new players. This might be attractive when just starting out, but what does the same casino offer to its regulars? Look out for re-load bonuses that give more money on successive deposits as well as campaigns and lotteries which give you chances to win by just being a member of the casino.