Casino bonuses and promotions are the most powerful marketing tools gaming platforms use. They come in many varieties and are offered to new and returning customers. You can easily claim an online casino bonus, often even without a deposit. Some may require a bonus code, and despite the confusion for some, it’s easy to redeem it and unlock a bonus.
Even though bonuses are easy to claim and use, you still need to stick to some rules. They never come for free, which is why it’s important to read the bonus T&Cs. You’d do well to learn a few tips that can help you get the most out of your casino bonus.
Types of Casino Bonus Offers
Before we delve into tips on how to use a casino bonus to the max, it’s best to go over the most popular bonus options. New players almost always have a welcome offer to claim. It’s a first deposit bonus that doubles your initial deposit, and usually comes with a side of free spins. No deposit sign up offers are common too, and they don’t need you to cover a minimum deposit.
After you’re done with the welcome casino bonus, you can look forward to further deposit bonuses. Regular deposit bonus offers may not double all your deposits. But, they might cover 50% or 75%, which is still a decent amount of extra cash to play with.
Slot fans love getting free spins, and casino sites are usually generous with this offer. You can get your hands on dozens or hundreds of free spins, which may or may not be attached to a deposit bonus. No deposit spins are common too, although much smaller than deposit offers.
Continue making deposits and playing in your online casino of choice, and you might become a VIP member. Loyalty clubs offer bigger and better bonuses with fairer terms. They also come with special perks that you’ll love, including priority withdrawals and skip-the-line customer support.
Tips to Maximise Your Casino Bonuses
Getting the most out of each bonus is not as easy as it sounds. Bonuses come with many strings attached, and missing even one important term is enough for the casino to block your bonus and winnings. In this guide, we’ll talk more on how to maximise your casino bonus offers and get the maximum out of each bonus.
Read the Terms and Conditions
The first thing you should do when you claim a casino bonus is to read the terms and conditions. And, yes, we understand that the terms and conditions can be boring. And they’re not easy on the eyes with the tiny font. But, it’s necessary to read the T&Cs so you can understand what you need to do in order to claim any bonus winnings.
With that being said, some terms are more important than others. You can find the most important ones below.
Wagering Requirements
The first bonus condition you’ll come across are the wagering requirements. They’re usually displayed with a number. For example, 30x. This indicates the number of times you have to play the bonus amount over. Or, if it’s a sticky bonus, the bonus and deposit.
Let’s put things into perspective. You have a 100% first deposit bonus up to $200, which gives you $400 to start with. If the wagering is set at 35x, this means you need to wager the $200 35 times. 200×35 equals $7,000. That’s the amount of money you need to spend before you can claim any winnings.
Keep in mind that you can only complete the wagering with a real money deposit. You can’t use bonuses to wager it, so you’ll need to fund your account to complete it.
Max. Bet Size
When you wager your bonus funds, you won’t be able to place one massive bet and walk away with the winnings. Casino sites will usually restrict the maximum bet you can place when you’re wagering the bonus. It’s typically around $5. If it’s higher, great. If it’s lower than $5, the bonus may not be worth your while.
Period of Completion
You only have a limited time to wager the bonus funds. Don’t expect the wagering to last forever. At best, you’ll have 30 days to complete the wagering requirements. Miss that time, and you’ll forfeit the bonus funds and your winnings.
Time Your Deposits Properly
Some casinos offer deposits on specific days of the week. Returning customers, for example, might want to time their deposits to get the most out of some bonuses. For example, if there’s a good-looking reload bonus every Wednesday, you might need to hold your deposits off until that day.
In that way, you won’t miss a good bonus as long as the terms are fair.
Check the List of Eligible Games
Not all casino bonus offers are eligible for all games. Free spins are only available on slot games. Deposit bonuses can usually be wagered on slots. They contribute 100% to the wagering requirements, while all other casino games contribute less.
If card and table games or live dealer games contribute 20%, that means that only 20% of your bets will count toward the wagering. Pay special attention to this condition, as you don’t want to wager your online casino bonus on the wrong games.
Play Smart
Regardless of the fact that you’re playing with a casino bonus, you need to play responsibly. And smartly. That’s why it’s a good idea to read up on the bonus terms. If you don’t learn the wagering requirements or you’re wagering the bonus on the wrong games, you won’t be able to claim any winnings. Just like with your bankroll, you need to be responsible with your casino bonus, while making sure you follow the rules and keeping an eye on the remaining period closely.
Casino bonuses can be a great way to hit some great winnings without spending a lot of money out of your pocket. Stick to the terms and play by the rules, and you might come out a winner in the end.
