How does a bonus work in an online casino?
It’s a luxury position: competition in the online casino industry is cut-throat, so operators have to take every opportunity to attract players.
This is a good thing for you as a player, because if you get a gift when you sign up, that’s a good thing. In addition, the bonuses come in many forms: there is the welcome bonus, there are free spins, and at some casinos you even get a no-deposit bonus.
However, as you can imagine, these gifts don’t just come, they come with strings attached. That’s why I don’t recommend you to come for just any bonus. In fact, I have dedicated a whole page to online casino bonuses. So you know exactly what to look out for!
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Casino bonuses
New casino bonuses are available almost every week, so check out the latest promotions before you play! You can also sign up for our newsletter to be kept up to date on all promotions. In addition, our players like to tell you about their success stories with various bonuses. Below you will find an overview of bonuses and we will answer all your questions related to casino bonuses.
Welcome Bonus
What is a casino welcome bonus? A welcome bonus is an extra motivation for a player to create an account at the online casino and enjoy playing for a longer period of time. The welcome bonus can only be used once, when you sign up. However, there are several variations. Common welcome bonuses are:
- Deposit bonus: This is an increase of the first deposit and is usually indicated in percentages, like for example a 100% welcome bonus. This percentage goes up to 500% or more at some casinos.
- Free spins: these can be used for video slots. The great thing is that you can play on the slots without betting your own money.
Welcome bonus conditions
In order to receive the welcome bonus, you need to deposit a minimum amount in your account. This is done safely and quickly in a way that suits you. Often the welcome bonus consists of extra play money, for example doubling your stake or a certain percentage extra money on top of your deposit. Always read the bonus terms carefully and make sure you understand what wagering requirements are. You can read more about it at the bottom of this page.
Deposit bonus
What is a deposit bonus? A deposit bonus is a gift from the online casino that is usually a multiplication of the amount you deposit, or a predetermined fixed amount. This bonus is available to players who already have an account. The deposit bonus is somewhat similar to the welcome bonus, but this bonus can be received much more frequently. Online casinos regularly have promotions where you have to deposit a certain amount for a certain game in order to receive double your bet, for example. They want you to deposit that amount or more and reward you with extra play money. Pay attention to the wagering requirements. Usually there are certain conditions attached to a bonus casino.
Loyalty schemes and exclusive bonus promotions
What is a loyalty bonus? A loyalty bonus is a reward to players who frequently play and deposit money at the same online casino. For example, you can automatically participate in lotteries and win big cash prizes or receive free spins or play money every now and then. Also, online casinos often organize fun contests for their regular players where you can win trips and other great prizes.
Loyalty bonuses are in my opinion one of the best online casino bonuses, because it shows that a provider also values its existing customers and not only focuses on new customers.
Free money and no deposit bonus
What is a free money or no deposit bonus? A free money or no-deposit bonus is bonus money that the casino gives to a player without the need to deposit any money. You will usually receive bonus money casino if you deposit a certain amount into your account, but sometimes it is possible to receive real free money! For example, you’ll get $20 to wager at the online casino without the need to make a deposit into your account. Often you have to register first, so that the money you win can be paid out to you.
Do you play first with bonus money or with your own money?
When you create an account at an online casino and you see that you are entitled to a certain deposit bonus, let’s say a 100% bonus up to 200 Euros and you decide to deposit 100 Euros, it is important to realise that you will first play with your own money (the initial 100 Euros) and only then with the remaining amount that you received as a bonus. This is also usually stated in the terms and conditions.
Non-cashable bonus
What is a non-cashable bonus? Although bonuses are designed to entice the gambling enthusiast to play at the (online) casino, the provider does not want to lose too much on it. Therefore, the casino covers itself with all kinds of conditions against smart players who think they can get away with the obtained money. One of these conditions is the non-cashable bonus. This means that the casino bonus is only used for placing bets. Often there is also a wagering requirement that leads us to the following example.
Example
Imagine that you receive a non-cashable bonus of 100% up to a maximum of 400 euros and have to deal with a 40 times wagering requirement. You then manage to spin 40 times with a deposit of 100 euros and end up with a balance of 1200 euros. This amount consists of the profit and the 100 euro bonus. The consequence? That you only get paid 1100 euros, while the bonus of 100 euros disappears. This is also the reason why the non-cashable bonus is also known as the phantom bonus. The only thing that is not taken into account in the final payout is the (fixed) amount of this non-cashable bonus.
Free Spins
What are free spins at an online casino? Free spins, also known as free spins, allow a player to play a video slot or a slot machine without wagering their own money. Free spins are often part of a welcome bonus or they are given to players to try out a new video slot or slot machine.
Don’t miss out on free spins
In addition to free money, you can also receive free spins for the online slots. Always subscribe to online casinos’ newsletter to be informed about the latest free spins offers! For example, if a new game is launched, you as a registered player can try it out with some free spins. So always keep an eye on our casino news.
Recommendation and recruitment bonus
What is a recommendation bonus or referral bonus? A referral bonus or sign-up bonus is a reward for players of an online casino who convince friends to play and deposit at the same online casino. So if you’re very satisfied with a particular online casino, check out their bonus and promotion page to see if they also offer a recommendation or referral bonus.
Live casino bonus
A live casino bonus is a bonus to be used specifically for playing live casino games such as live roulette or live blackjack. Live casino bonuses are of course only available at casinos that offer live casino games.
Cashbacks
What is a cashback? The cashback will ring a bell with most people, because you can guess that it is a refund of a payment: you get money back. That is why I consider this bonus to be one of the best online casino bonuses. You probably know the term cashback from web shops or multimedia shops and the same applies to online casinos. In online casinos cashbacks are given out on a fixed day during the week and a percentage is attached to it. This percentage is based on the losses you have made during that week and works as follows:
For example:
Imagine that every Thursday there is a 10% cashback. In that case, you get a 10% refund on all your losses over the 7 days between every Thursday and Wednesday. That 10% is a common percentage, by the way; other percentages I’ve come across are 5% or 20%. The exact percentage, of course, depends on the casino and may even depend on your status with, for example, the aforementioned loyalty program.
Bonus conditions
What are bonus terms? Bonus requirements are pre-determined conditions that a player must meet in order to convert bonus money into real play money that they can withdraw (see also: best paying online casino). The most common bonus condition is the wagering requirement. It is also common that bonus money has a holding limit which in turn means it has to be cleared within a certain amount of time. Make sure you use the bonuses in time. Often an action is only valid for a certain period of time. Sometimes there are other conditions that need to be met. The most common bonus requirements at online casinos are:
- Wagering requirements: also called playthrough requirements. This means that the bonus money must be wagered x number of times before it is ‘cleared’ and becomes available for payouts. The wagering requirements may apply to bonus money, but also to free spins and cashbacks. Example wagering requirement bonus money casino: how to clear bonus money? For example, if the wagering requirement is 35x and the bonus amount is €10, that means you have to keep wagering until you have wagered a total of 35 x €10. If you still have a profit after 35 wagers, then you can request a payout. The best online casino bonuses are those with the most favourable terms. In this case I mean low wagering requirements as well.
- Validity: Bonus money often needs to be used within x-number of days or weeks, otherwise it will expire. The validity may differ per bonus type, for example the deposit bonus may have a different validity than the free spins, despite the fact that these are often offered together with a welcome package.
- Minimum and maximum wagers: Often the wager must meet a minimum height. This is to protect the casino from players who would suddenly make a huge bet in order to win a large amount of money.
- Minimum deposit: In order to claim a deposit bonus, a player must make a minimum deposit to be eligible for the bonus money. Often this is 10 or 20 Euros.
- Country-specific requirements: some bonuses are not available to players who live in certain countries. There may also be bonuses that are different for each country. When you open the website, the bonus will adapt to the country you are in.
- Platform dependent: some providers offer more than just an online casino and for example also offer a live casino and a sportsbook. In that case the bonus may have a different validity per platform. For example, the bonus may be valid for all online casino games to be excluded in the live casino.
- Game type: this also applies to game types. For example, most casino bonuses are valid for video slots and partially or not valid for table games or live casino games. Also, some slots may be excluded from the casino bonus. The list can usually be found in the terms and conditions of the provider.
- Payment method: Some online casino bonuses are only available when a specific payment method is used to make the deposit. It is also possible that a specific payment method is excluded from the bonus. Often these are the e-wallets.
- First your own money, then bonus money: Most welcome bonuses have the function of giving you an amount in addition to your deposit. This means that you first have to make a deposit and then you get bonus money. With most online casino bonuses, you first play with your own money, then with the bonus.
- Maximum one bonus per household: often referred to as one bonus per ip address. Has the casino bonus been used once? Then you may not claim the same bonus again. Often, the one-time validity concerns the welcome bonus. Recurring bonuses, such as cashbacks, may be claimed more than once.
- Maximum one bonus per casino provider: less common is that you may only claim one bonus per casino provider. There are several casino companies that have multiple brands (read: casino websites) under their control and offer them online. Once a bonus has been claimed from brand A, another bonus from brand B may not be claimed.
- Game-specific: some casino bonuses are designed to promote a particular game. These may be individual games that are temporarily promoted or a partnership with a particular game maker that promotes a series of games that usually include free spins.
Refusing an online casino bonus: is that possible?
You certainly can. When you sign up at a casino, you’ll be given the choice to either accept or decline bonus money casino. If you accept the bonus, the best you can do is win a nice amount of money, but you’ll have to play until you meet the wagering requirements. And that’s exactly what makes it so difficult to actually win the bonus. The alternative is to refuse casino bonuses and not have to worry about the ‘compulsory’ playthrough to get the bonus amount. The downside? You might miss out on a nice amount of money. The upside? That you avoid bigger losses as a result of playing too long. Moreover, you can now choose which casino game you want to play and how much you want to bet. That’s nice.
Withdrawing funds from your casino account
If you want to make intensive use of all the features of the online casino, you have to fund your user account with money. There are several options available for this. You can use a credit card or make an instant transfer from your bank account. Serious online casinos also accept PayPal, Neteller or Giropay as payment methods. When you have won money, you can use one of the usual payment methods to cash out your balance. If you have provided a credit card, you can charge your winnings to it. Serious online casinos also offer you the option of transferring the balance to your current account. You can also use PayPal: you can arrange to transfer your credit to a PayPal account. There it is posted as credit. You can then choose what you want to do with the money: you can use it to shop in online shops that accept PayPal as a payment method. If you prefer to see the money in your current account, this is also possible: PayPal offers you the option of transferring the money to your current account free of charge. You can receive it within a few days.
How exactly can I meet the wagering requirements?
Let’s assume that the aforementioned wagering requirement of €4,000 applies and that you have €200 in your casino account. Basically, all you have to do now is play as usual. Every bet you place will reduce the wagering requirement. If you bet €1, €1 will be deducted from the wagering requirement. If you bet $2, $2 will be deducted from the wagering requirement.
Assuming you had no winnings on your $200, your balance would be $0 and you would have $3,800 left over from the wagering requirement. However, this example would be highly unlikely because when you play a slot machine there are always rounds of wins and losses. Although it is unlikely that you could wager €4,000 on a €200 bet, it is theoretically possible with a few large wins. It is especially advantageous if you have a lucky streak right at the start. Then you can keep playing with your winnings and have a much better chance of reaching the turnover requirement at the end.
What is the turnover requirement for free spins?
The turnover requirement for free spins works a little differently to deposit bonuses. In this case, the turnover requirement applies to the winnings from the free spins. Therefore, if you win an amount on your free spins, you will have to wager that amount on a certain factor. For example, if you win £3 and the wagering requirement is x40, you will have to wager a value of £120. Therefore, it is not very easy to convert a win from the free spins, as the winnings are usually not very high and you don’t have a lot of funds to play with in this way. Therefore, the free spins are usually an addition to your first deposit bonus. In some cases, online casinos now even offer free spins with no turnover requirement.
Different crediting on the turnover requirement for different games
This is where it gets a little complicated, as it can happen that your bets count differently towards the wagering requirement depending on the type of game you play. This is because different types of games allow for different odds. So, if you play a table game such as roulette or blackjack, you will have a higher RTP (Return to Player) than if you play slots. Of course, the higher the chance of winning, the higher the chance of losing. Therefore, slot machines should be considered as the best solution to convert a bonus.
This is an example of Casumo online casino bonus terms and conditions:
- Slots 100%
- Video Poker 30%.
- Casino Hold’em 10%
- Oasis Poker 10%.
- TXS Hold’em Poker 10%
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em 0%
- Baccarat (all variants) 0%
- Punto Banco 0%
- Roulette (all variants) 0%
- Blackjack (all variants, including Pontoon and Double Exposure) 0%.
- All other games 100%
Here you can see that at Casumo all bets on slot machines are considered to be €100 for wagering requirements. This is not the case for all online casinos, so you should read the bonus terms and conditions carefully, as some online casinos exclude some slot machines or use lower crediting rates. In most casinos, some games are completely excluded. NetEnt’s first game Bloodsuckers, for example, cannot normally be used to meet wagering requirements because it has a very high win rate (RTP). This RTP was lowered in the follow-up title Bloddsuckers2.
Is it difficult to meet the wagering requirements?
It’s worth mentioning again that online casinos wouldn’t do any business if they just gave away amounts of money. If your bonus had no strings attached, you could simply cash out and the casino would probably close very quickly.
Whether you can benefit from your bonus depends much more on whether you get a fair turnover requirement. There are bonuses that are hardly worth taking, but others can help you make big profits. In our attempts we have managed to meet the turnover requirements several times, but it has never been too easy.
As with any casino game, all you need is the right amount of luck. And if the winnings aren’t what you expected, any bonus will at least extend your playing time and the fun that comes with it.
Frequently Asked Questions online casino bonus
Is an online casino bonus free?
Yes, an online casino bonus is free. However, it is not the same as getting free money (except for the no-deposit bonus). You will have to meet certain requirements in order to cash out the bonus money. For example, you will have to wager the bonus 35 times before you can withdraw it. It is not the case that you can request a payout after one play.
Why does an online casino offer bonuses?
The online casino industry is a highly competitive market and therefore online casinos fight for the players. Players are spoilt for choice with online casinos springing up all over the world. By offering bonuses, online casinos hope to attract players to play at their casinos.
Why is there a wagering requirement?
This is to prevent players from withdrawing the bonus amount immediately after playing once. Without the playthrough requirement, players would immediately request a payout after playing a few times and that would of course be asking for trouble. The playthrough requirement means that the online casino bonus must be played through x number of times, for example 35 times, before a withdrawal can be made.
What is the best casino bonus of 2021?
There are a lot of them out there, but the best online casino bonus is one with a high bonus amount, free spins, and favourable bonus terms. On our website we have listed the best online casino bonuses of 2021 for you.
What is a free spins bonus?
A free spins bonus (also called free spins bonus) consists of free spins. In this case it is an x-number of free spins (for example 20 free spins) on a video slot or a series of video slots. This way you can get acquainted with the game in a playful manner. Often there are also wagering conditions that you should always check.
