Do you find the way casino bonuses work confusing? All these Dollar signs flashing with promises of free money? Well hopefully we can help you decipher the mystery. Every casino bonus has a set of rules that you must understand not to be disappointed. What is more, you might think you are getting the best deal because of the percentage bonus offered, only to find that you actually get very little with a smaller deposit. Read further to understand how to figure out the best bonus, we'll use some examples to show you how to choose.
This is a three part series that will hopefully shed some light. In Casino Bonuses Explained - Part 2 of 3 we look bonus amounts and how they are structured.
Types of Casino Bonuses
Casinos typically offer four types of bonuses:
- No deposit, or free cash bonuses
Sign-up, first deposit or "match bonuses"
Re deposit or ongoing bonuses and
Bonuses for the deposit mechanism used (e.g. Neteller deposits). We'll consider these bonuses one by one.
Free Cash Bonuses
These bonuses are pretty straight forward. You can sign up, download the casino, and wager the amount of the free bonus. However, here's the catch: either the casino will limit the amount you can cash out until you have made a deposit, or you will have to wager the bonus 10 times. In any case, if you are new to casino gambling, its worth you taking up one of these bonuses to try things out. Who know, you may even get lucky along the way!
Find out more at our Free Casino Cash page.
First Deposit Bonuses
These get a little more tricky. You'll find two kinds of deposit bonuses. straight cash, or percentage bonus.
A good example of a straight cash bonus can be found at All Slots Casino. They will give you $100 free credits for the first $25 you deposit. Be careful, is only valid or the first $25 after which you qualify for other bonuses (e.g. re deposit). An example of a percentage bonus can be found at King Neptune's Casino. King Neptune's gives you a 200% bonus on your first deposit to a maximum of $100. So, if you deposit $50 you will receive $100 bonus. Once you cash out, the $100 bonus amount is deducted from the total and you will only receive that balance. In simple terms, this bonus allows you to make money using "free credits". If your balance is less than the amount of the bonus you received, you will be unable to make a withdrawal. The bottom line - always read the bonus terms and conditions.
So which bonus is best for you? Let's say you only want to deposit $25. All Slots will give you $100 free. At King Neptune's you will get $50 free.
Find out more at our Casino Deposit Bonus List.
Ongoing Bonuses
There are a wide variety of re deposit bonuses. Casinos use these to incentives heir players to stay with them. Many casinos determine the size of such bonuses based on the players loyalty status. Generally he terms around these bonuses are the same as with first deposit bonuses, however in some cases they require you to wager the deposit amount though the system a number of times. For example, if you received a $50 bonus, some casinos will require you to wager this amount times 10, i.e. $500 worth of wagers placed (this of source assumes you are winning along the line!). You'll find some good ongoing bonuses at Vegas Red.
Special Bonuses (for example, based on payment method)
Again, there are a variety of these types of bonuses the two most common are deposit mechanism bonuses, and special event bonuses. A deposit mechanisms bonus gives you an extra percentage for using a preferred payment mechanism. The most common one is Neteller and some casinos offer up to 20% extra when you use Neteller. The rules for this kind of bonus are very similar to first deposit bonuses. A special event bonus can take on many forms.
