12 Dec 2022A casino bonus is an incentive used by online casino providers, to attract new players and then to encourage them to stay and continue playing at their site. These days there are a lot of different casino bonuses to be found for players in Canada, and it is unusual to find a gambling site that doesn’t offer at least one kind of bonus.
This huge variety of bonus offers can be a bit confusing, especially as there is a lot of jargon surrounding them. Here we give you a breakdown of all the most popular types of casino bonus, and provide some hints and tips to find the best ones.
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Although they come in many forms, every online casino bonus is there for the same reason – to help the provider to attract and retain as many players as possible. As the online gambling market is so competitive, casino bonuses have become more generous and rewarding over the past few years.
For players, deposit bonuses are a way to make their money go further, to try new casino games, and to possibly make some real cash winnings in the process. What casino bonuses are not, however, is free money. There will always be limitations on deposit bonuses that prevent online casinos from losing any revenue over these offers.
Not all casino bonus offers are created equal. As we shall see on this page, some offer a lot more value than others. With that in mind, let’s turn our attention to what you should look out for when trying to choose the best casino bonus.
It may be tempting to take bonus offers at face value, but online casinos will always advertise them using wording that makes them look as generous as possible. Here we have some hints and tips on how to identify the best casino bonuses, and avoid those that have less value.
The percentage is the priority
With deposit match bonuses, which we will look at in more detail in just a moment, the percentage is more significant than the potential maximum bonus amount. Look for bonuses that offer 100% matches or more – some go up to as much as 500%.
Consider the time limit
Every casino bonus is time limited, and after that time any remaining bonus becomes void. Try to look for offers that give you more time to use them – we recommend two weeks as a good benchmark.
Look at the game restrictions
Some casino bonuses can only be played on certain games, which is something to be aware of. Additionally, the wagering requirements apply differently to some games. So, for example, while many slots contribute 100% to playthrough, virtual table games like blackjack often contribute only 5 or 10%. We look at wagering more closely further down this page.
Make sure the conditions are fair
Each bonus offer comes with terms and conditions, which must be prominently displayed close to the bonus info. Read these carefully before deciding to claim a bonus, as there may be unfavourable terms hidden in the small print.
Activating a casino bonus is usually quite straightforward, but the process varies between casino sites and also depends on the type of bonus you are claiming. Let’s take a look at a typical step by step process for claiming a bonus as a new casino customer.
These steps are a guideline only. In some cases, you must contact the customer support team to activate a bonus. At most online casino sites, it is also possible to opt out and decide not to use the bonus at all. Other types of bonus offers are automatically applied when certain conditions are met, for example cashback offers.
Online casino bonuses come in many different forms. To help you better understand what they are, here we list the types that are most commonly found at modern online gambling sites.
A casino welcome bonus, which may also be called a signup or registration bonus, is an offer that is exclusive to new members of the online casino. It is a one time only offer, and it is usually the biggest and flashiest bonus available at any online casino.
Casino welcome offers vary in structure, but often bundle together two or more different types of bonus. For example, there could be a deposit match paired with free spins. Some online casinos also have special games for new players, like spinning a wheel of fortune for a random prize.
Welcome bonuses can come in many forms, and are often applied to the first few deposits within a time frame. The only limit to what can be in a welcome offer is the imagination of those who set the bonus.
This is exactly what it sounds like – a bonus that is activated when you make your first ever deposit as a new customer at a gambling site. The bonus can come in many forms, but it will usually be either a match bonus, free spins (for an explanation of these, see below) or a combination of the two.
The first deposit bonus is usually bigger than anything subsequently available. It is an extra special offer for new players only, and can never be claimed by the same player twice.
A match bonus is where the casino matches a percentage of your own deposited cash on top. The bonus amount is given in casino credit, which is not the same as cash because it has conditions attached – more of which later.
A typical match bonus offer may look like this:
This means that the online casino will give you the same amount that you deposited, in casino cash, up to a limit of C$1000. So, if you deposit C$100 then you will have C$200 to play with in total. To get the maximum possible bonus amount, you must deposit C$1000.
As we mentioned before, the percentage of the offer is key. Unless you are a high roller, it is unlikely that you will want to deposit C$1000 at a new casino site. Therefore, look for casino bonus offers with at least 100% match to get the best value.
This is a special type of welcome offer that is only available at a few selected casinos. New players register an account, then they can claim some casino credit or free spins without making a deposit. The value of the credit is always much smaller than those of a deposit match, which makes sense as the online casino has not yet received any money from the player.
While this is a risk-free way to try a new casino, it is unlikely that you will get much out of it financially. The win potential for no deposit bonuses is usually quite small, and even if you do win the casino usually prevents withdrawals until you have gone ahead and made your first deposit.
A free spins casino bonus is one of the most popular types of offer for players. The casino gives you a limited number of spins on selected slot games for free. Free spins are often limited to just one slot, and players cannot choose the value of each spin.
Usually the winnings from free spins have extra conditions attached, that is, the winnings are awarded in casino credit and not in cash. However, many gambling sites these days do allow players to keep all winnings from free spins and credit them to the real money section of the account.
A reload bonus is simply an offer to incentivise players to deposit more money into their account. Online casinos do not give reload bonuses at every deposit, usually they are valid on certain days of the week, or as occasional seasonal offers. In some cases, customer support will reach out to inactive players with a reload bonus offer, in order to encourage them to start playing again.
Reload bonuses are never as generous as welcome bonuses. For example, a typical reload bonus could be 15 free spins, compared to 50 for new players, or a 25% match bonus rather than 100% or more.
Cashback bonuses are often overlooked by players, but they actually provide some of the best and truest value of any casino offer. Rather than give a boost to deposits, cashback is there to mitigate losses.
Cashback works like this: over a given period of time, usually a week, a player’s net losses are calculated. If the player has won more than they lost during that period, then nothing happens. If the player has made a net loss, however, then the online casino returns a percentage of that loss back to the player.
Cashback percentages are usually small, starting at around 5%, but often increase as part of a tiered loyalty scheme. One great thing about these online casino bonuses is that the cashback is usually credited back without any further conditions.
As we have discussed above, all casino bonuses come with some conditions that limit how much players can win in real cash. The reason for these T&Cs is to prevent the online casinos from making a loss on deposit bonuses, but there is another reason as well.
In the early days of online casino bonuses, there were few to no restrictions. Players received a cash bonus which could then be used on any games at the site. Savvy players would use these deposit bonuses to play low house edge games, and in many cases they won more than they originally deposited. They would then go on to the next casino site and do the same.
It was largely because of this practice of bonus hunting that online casinos had to impose more restrictions on how a bonus functions. The most significant of these restrictions is the wagering requirement, which we will look at more closely in a moment.
Other T&Cs include time limits on all bonuses, betting limits when using a bonus, and restricting the games that count towards wagering. In the case of free spins, the value of each spin is determined by the online casino and cannot be increased.
As well as the terms and conditions mentioned above, the biggest limiting factor for casino bonuses is the wagering requirement, sometimes known as playthrough or rollover requirements. When you look at the casino bonus T&Cs, the wagering requirements should be stated clearly.
Let’s look at an example of a bonus offer, including the wagering:
If you decided to deposit C$50, then you would get another C$50 in bonus credit. With wagering at 30x, you would need to play through 50×30 = C$1500. That is, you must make wagers to the value of C$1500 before any remaining winnings can be withdrawn as cash. Some real money casinos apply wagering only to the bonus credit, while at others wagering is also imposed on the cash that you deposited yourself. This should also be made clear in the T&Cs.
As you can see, this condition seriously limits any chances of making a cash profit when using an online casino bonus. If the funds run out before wagering is completed, then that is the end of the bonus. The biggest advantage of a casino bonus is that it gives players extra credit to play the games for longer. If there is any cash left at the end, this is just an added perk. It is important to never think of an online casino bonus as a way to make money.
There are strategies to try and complete wagering with a profit, but since this is gambling nothing is guaranteed. The first step is to choose an online casino bonus with lower wagering requirements. The industry standard is around 35x, which is still quite high. Look for lower wherever possible.
Our experts also advise that you choose low to medium volatility slots with a high return to player (RTP) percentage. Avoid high volatility games as these will drain your bankroll faster, and of course only use the bonus money on games that contribute 100% towards wagering.
These days there are a few bonus offers that come without any wagering requirements. These are usually for much smaller amounts of bonus credit, and are most commonly found with free spins. More and more new online casinos are now offering players free spins where they are allowed to keep any cash that they win without further conditions. Many cashback offers also come with no or very low wagering requirements.
By now we hope you have a very clear idea of the different types of casino bonuses available, and how to look out for a good one. Some casino players end up opting out of a bonus if they think that it is not to their advantage. Luckily, all reputable casino sites give you that option. Take a look at the pros and cons of casino bonuses to see what suits you:
Sometimes, but they are becoming less common. If you need to enter a code, the casino should make this clear on the deposit page. If in doubt, contact the customer support for an answer.
You cannot claim any winnings unless wagering is completed within the given time. If you either run out of either time or casino credit, then the bonus is finished.
Most online casinos have a welcome bonus, which may apply to the first few deposits. After this, there may be daily, weekly and seasonal offers available. You can only use one bonus at a time, however.
Contributor lyndsey@mrcasinova.comWith over six years of experience in content writing, Lyndsey is knowledgeable in various aspects in the gambling world, particularly in online casino reviews. Lyndsey studied English at the University of Malta and holds a Masters Degree in English and the Media.
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