Online casinos want you to play in their virtual establishments, so there are many bonuses and offers to encourage you to play. Indeed, there are so many that, at times, it can all get rather confusing, so we’re going to help you to understand them.
To do this, we need a little background to explain why so many offers fly around. Let’s break down some figures:
- There are 1.6 billion online casino players in the world.
- At least once every year, 4.2 billion play in an online casino.
- In the UK, 17% of the population plays in an online casino, creating £5.3 billion in revenue.
It is hardly surprising that online casinos want you to play in their establishments, so they’re prepared to make attractive offers to get you through the doors. The six-million-dollar question is, which ones are worth taking?
We’ll get into some semantics shortly, but it is obvious that some are no-brainers. Free bingo games, say, will be just that, free bingo games, but it gets a little more complex when it comes to bonuses.
For a start, there are always conditions attached to a bonus, and while the offers are relatively straightforward, T&Cs require a little more time and effort. You may not be able to cash in your winnings until certain playthrough or wager requirements have been met, so check in advance.
Free Money Bonus
Of course, no one is giving away free money. But if you deposit $20, say, the casino in question may chuck in $80, giving you $100.
We recommend you check out the minimum deposit required to get the bonus. For example, the casino may only contribute $80, irrespective of the amount, however large, of the deposit.
Sticky Bonus
Some sticky bonuses give you ‘free money’ that’s high enough to get you playing some of the bigger games that offer bigger payouts. But you can’t withdraw the sticky bonus; you can only withdraw the winnings you’ve made on the back of the sticky bonus.
So, think of a sticky bonus as a decent allowance to start a new, hopefully successful, business. And shop around, too; some sticky bonuses get into the thousands…
No Deposit Bonus
You’re new to online casinos, you’ve spent a few weeks padding around YouTube checking out some games, and now you’re ready to play. Finding a good no-deposit bonus is a great way of getting started.
To be honest, it almost sounds too good to be true. You get a deposit into your casino account and are ready to play for real money.
Sure, you might have to jump through a few subscription hoops to get the money into your account, and it’s worth shopping around for the best deals. So, it also has the dual advantage of discovering how T&Cs work from casino to casino.
This is a good way of familiarising yourself with online casinos as a general entity and getting some credit for playing their games. Finding a no-deposit bonus is much more than the sum of its parts, and you get paid to play.
Match Bonus
This is another deal for newbies, which, by now, should mean you’ve your research cut out to get the best deal. This may be worth over-emphasising because match bonuses are commonly offered to new players when signing up for the first time at a new online casino.
Anyway, the ‘match’ isn’t anything to do with a game of soccer or baseball; it’s ‘match’ as in ‘equal’: you deposit $100, and the casino will match the amount, simple as that -in theory anyway.
Loyalty Bonus
It was a bit of a carrot on a stick this one and seemingly self-explanatory. But as we’ve learned, conditions may be attached, though not always.
Of course, these vary; some might require you to commit to a few more games or playthroughs to claim. It depends on the casino; just check the caveats before claiming, and never agree to anything in the heat of the moment.
Exclusive Bonus
The gloves are off regarding exclusive bonuses, as these can be anything. They could be any of the above with different clothes or combinations of two or more elements.
Such is their randomness; you may need to take a little more care than usual after being offered one because ‘exclusive’ is ambiguous.
But the good thing about online casinos is that there will always be an explanation somewhere, not that said explanation will be necessarily overt!
But on the whole, bonuses are a positive part of the online casino experience. So long as you know exactly what they are before committing to one.
