Casino Bonuses

What are Casino Bonuses

Casino bonuses serve a triple purpose for slots sites. First of all, they attract new players. Secondly, they reward loyal members and thirdly, they incentivise inactive accounts to reactivate.

There are many different types of bonuses. The welcome bonus is typically the most lucrative, as it is the one to bring new players to the casino and widen the clientele. Then you have a deposit bonus and in some (rarer) cases a no deposit bonus. On this page you will find a list and a complete explanation of each casino bonus type, for you to know what is what and which specific offer you should look for, depending on your gambling style.

Welcome Bonus

A welcome bonus is an incentive provided by casinos to attract new members. Depending on the offer, it can be a first deposit bonus, or even a no deposit welcome offer (those terms are explained below). Most casinos try their best to satisfy potential players and win their attention over the competition. This is why newer casinos typically offer more grandiose welcome bonuses, while established ones are less generous. A few years ago there was this notion that only scam or poor quality casinos offer big promos. This has, however, changed. The competition is so intense, that even the best of the best have to give something to attract new members. It is true that a welcome offer by itself shouldn’t be the sole reason to join a casino (always read the reviews, as safety and user experience are far more important than a bonus), but it is always appreciated.

Probably the most typical first deposit bonus is a matching offer. You will often see casinos advertising their platform to new players with phrases like “100% first deposit match of up to $200”. This means that for every dollar you deposit up to $200, during that first transaction, the casino will give you another one in play money. This amount has a rollover requirement (we will examine what that means in a little while) before it becomes eligible for withdrawal.

Some casinos pair that first deposit welcome offer with free spins or free bets, which is always a good sign. Just remember. Read the terms and conditions before joining a casino. Or, to win yourself some time, read our reviews, as we only bring you the finest of all online casinos.

Deposit Bonus

There are casinos that split their welcome offers among the first few deposits, rather than the first one, while others have a recurring deposit promo (on specific days of the week, or based on wagering). The gist is more or less the same. A matching bonus (typically 25-50%) plus some free spins on selected slots. A rollover is also required in order for the funds to become withdrawable.

No Deposit Bonus

There aren’t many casinos offering no deposit bonuses but those that do get our attention. A no deposit bonus is by far the most attractive offer, for (as the name itself suggests) there are no deposit requirements for the players to claim the promo. Just create an account, verify your personal details, and the bonus will be yours to use. No money transaction is required and you can start playing risk-free. Typically a no deposit bonus will consist of one or more of these: free spins, casino chips, bingo tickets, free bets, bonus play money, and lucky wheel spins. You could end up winning some very real cash out of it!

Refer a Friend Bonus

Some casinos will reward you if you refer a friend or a family member. They will usually give a unique code and if someone uses it when registering, you will get an awesome reward. That could be some free spins, free bets, or even cash (either with or even without rollover requirements).

Types of Rewards

While discussing the bonus categories, we mentioned a couple of possible rewards, but not everyone is familiar with those terms. What are free spins? What is play money? Check out all the types of rewards casinos use to incentivise new and existing members.

Free Spins

Free spins are risk-free rounds gifted by the casino, available in selected slots. You will be able to take a few turns out of some of the most popular titles without putting your own funds on the line. And if you win, you win legitimately. All wins are yours to use in any game you like. The same goes for free sportsbook bets or free live casino chips.

Play Money

Another common online casino reward is bonus funds or play money. This is usually part of a matching bonus. These funds can be used exactly like cash you have deposited and they can be treated as part of your bankroll. There is only one difference. In order for you to withdraw these funds, you have a minimum rollover requirement, meaning you have to bet that amount a certain number of times (typically 20-35x) in order to be eligible for withdrawals. Until the rollover is complete, you can’t withdraw the original funds, as this will cause the bonus to be voided.

Free Cash

Let’s be honest here. No casino will just offer free cash to new customers. If you see something like that, there’s either something fishy going on, or a bad Google translate accident has happened. In either case, you should stay clear. But there are legitimate cases where free cash is awarded. This is usually part of a loyalty programme or a general reward towards the most active casino players of a platform.

The Best Casino Bonuses

It all depends on the style of the gambler. High rollers tend to prefer bonus fund bonuses. They can use them as they wish, on their favourite games, with no set amount of bet. Beginners should opt for free spins when possible. Not only will you get to learn some of the hottest slots in the market, but also they are easier to understand and manage. They offer a soft landing, as you get familiar with the platform. Read our reviews and claim the bonuses that most accurately meet your needs. In addition to that, don’t forget to visit our Discord group to chat with other Cheeky Gamblers, just like yourself, and ask for advice from our experts and our amazing community.

Rollover Requirements

When browsing through a bonus offer terms and conditions page, betting requirements will come up quite often. For a newbie, it may sound complicated, but it is actually dirt simple. A rollover requirement of 35x means that you have to bet an amount 35 times in order for it to become withdrawable. Just note that there are three subcategories here:

• Rollover on the amount deposited. In this case, you have to bet your original deposit amount x number of times.
• Rollover on the bonus amount. Instead of your cash amount, it is the bonus amount that needs to be rolled over.
• Rollover on the sum. To make the bonus funds withdrawable. you are requested to bet x times the sum of both your deposit and the added-up amount.

Time Limits

Yes, most of the time there is a time limit when dealing with free spins or bonus funds, but in reality, the casino will most probably give you enough time. A common limit is one to two weeks to spend a deposit bonus. This is plenty of time for anyone to use even the largest bonuses. There are bonuses with a shorter lifespan. Usually, this is when casinos have a daily free-spin policy. If a casino gives out ten free spins on a given day, you typically have 24 hours (or until midnight) to spend them.

Restricted Games

When reading the terms and conditions of a casino offer, pay attention to the restricted games. Make sure you know which games are off-limits, so you don’t end up spending your own money, or you don’t breach said terms. There are those games that are absolutely banned (playing them will void your bonus), there are those that are non-contributing (you can play them, but only using your own funds) and there are those that are partially contributing. For example, some casinos have every $10 wagered on live dealer tables count as $1 for rollover purposes.

Forbidden Strategies

There are some tactics that are forbidden when using bonus funds for free chips. The two most common banned strategies are:

• Contradictory betting: You are usually not allowed to put a few free chips or bonus dollars on red and some on black during the same roulette spin.
• Low to high switching: Many casinos forbid you from growing your bonus balance on low contribution games (such as blackjack or baccarat) and then switching to higher contributing slots.

Winning Caps and Max Bets

Many casinos set a max bet when playing with bonus money (typically $5). That means that any given round, any slots spin, has a maximum limit of 5 dollars during the betting phase. There is the more rare case of a winning cap, which comes up only if the casino is extremely generous with its free spins offer. For example, if you are awarded 100 free spins with a $50 winning cap, you keep playing until either you complete your spins, or you win 50 dollars whichever comes first.

Minimum Deposit

This is one of the simplest terms and conditions found on bonus offers. You have to deposit at least a certain amount of money to be promo-eligible. You will sometimes find a deposit bonus tier list. For instance, a casino might state that for deposits of $20 or more you get a 50% match, for $200 or more you get a 100% match and for deposits of $500+ you get a 200% match.

VIP/Loyalty Programme

Many casinos have VIP schemes. Don’t let the word scheme frighten you. It has gained notoriety recently, but in actuality, it is nothing more than a loyalty programme. We are talking about a ladder. Whenever you reach certain milestones you will get rewards, starting from free spins, continuing through bonus funds, and ending up in straight-up thousands of dollars of requirement-free cash!

How to Recognise a Good Bonus

A “good bonus” is a subjective matter. For some players free spins are the goal, for others, it’s all about the play money. Choose the one that fits your playstyle. What you should always go for is legitimate casinos and not scams, that typically make huge claims about deposit bonuses just to lure you in. In order to avoid those, prefer claiming one of our featured bonuses, tested to the max by our team of seasoned experts.

Sticky Bonuses

Players should be aware of sticky bonuses. They are advertised just like any matching offer, but they are not withdrawable, even if the rollover requirements are met (only winnings are withdrawable, not the original bonus). Always read the fine print, or ask our vibrant community, by joining our Discord group.

Conclusion

Bonuses (at least legitimate ones) are the ultimate win-win situation. They help the casino bring in new members and keep existing customers happy and engaged and they give players some incentive to play. Choose your bonuses wisely and they might open the gates for big wins.

FAQ Casino Bonuses