Casino Bonuses
Online casinos offer bonuses for a variety of reason, but the bottom line is that they want to attract new players and retain their current players by keeping them as happy as possible for as long as possible. That means that at just about every single casino you come across, you will be eligible for a sign-up bonus or welcome bonus on your first and/or first few purchases. This is usually a percentage, often as high as 200%, on your purchases. The casino sees this as the new player’s first impression of them and they want to make a good one. It is also one of the major differences between casinos, setting one apart from another. Therefore, shopping around for a good sign-up or welcome bonus is a good way of deciding where to begin your casino experience. These initial sign- up bonuses are quite profitable for the players, as mentioned above, potentially earning up to 200% on deposits. This means that your money will go furthest in the beginning making it a good idea to sample as many games as you can at first before committing further funds at the casino. Read our Sign up Bonus review page for more information about this bonus.
No Deposit Bonus, Match Bonus and Cash-back Bonus
Once you are in the casino’s system, you will then be eligible for a whole slew of different types of bonuses, depending on your characteristics. Let’s say you’ve come into the casino, collected your welcome bonus, played it through but haven’t come back for a couple of days. The casino may throw a no deposit bonus your way to entice you to return and try out a few more slots games or blackjack. Perhaps they’ll offer a tantalizing match bonus or cash-back bonus, over and above the sign up bonus, where they’ll match your deposit with the same amount in bonuses. In all cases, it’s clear that the casino will do their best to keep you active and happy. Read our Match Bonus review page for more information about this bonus.
Regular Daily or Weekly Bonuses
Some casinos offer regular bonuses on a consistent basis, sometimes daily or weekly. These regular bonuses serve a similar purpose as the above bonuses, except that you know just when to expect them, as long as you fulfill certain criteria, of course. Some of these are cash back and are solely based on your deposits. Others are no deposit bonuses and will be put into your account on specified days. This way, you will always have at least a minimally funded casino account allowing you play whenever the spirit moves you without worrying about having to make a deposit. Their hope is that you’ll want to continue playing and will then make a deposit of your own to increase your chances at the big win. Read our Weekly Deposit Bonuses review page for more information about this bonus.
Loyalty Bonus
Another form of regular bonuses is the loyalty bonus. Most casinos will give you a standard amount of money back based on a calculation of how much you deposit, how much you wager and how much you lose, generally the emphasis is on the wager amount, however. The loyalty bonus is an excellent way for the casino to encourage you to wager, keeping you as an active, satisfied player. It may seem like the actual amount you can earn with the loyalty bonuses is nominal, but remember, that with regular play and consistent wagering, the loyalty bonus can really add up and make a difference to your casino account’s bottom line. Read our Loyalty Bonus review page for more information about this bonus.
Wire Transfer Bonuses
In some cases, casinos will give players bonuses for using specific banking methods, such as NETELLER, INSTADEBIT or Wire Transfers. These are obviously banking methods bonus that are exceptionally beneficial to both the casino and the player in terms of easily moving money back and forth and relatively low fees on both sides. Check out Wire Transfer Bonuses wherever you can find them as they are excellent ways of depositing into your casino account. Read our Banking Methods Bonus review page for more information about this bonus.
High Roller Bonuses
If the casino views you as a “high roller” they will most likely reward you with what they call high roller bonuses. That usually means a much higher than average purchase bonus on your deposits. Alternatively, it could also mean that they will offer you a percentage back on your losses over a specific period of time, such as a weekend. Either way, if you are deemed a “high roller” you can expect significantly better bonuses from any casino worth its weight in gold. In fact, once you have been a consistent “high roller” for a particular period of time, you will most likely be asked to enter into the casino’s VIP program. In some cases this will be an automatic transition and in others you’ll have to give your permission. Either way, entrance into an online casino’s VIP program is a ticket to high level bonuses of all stripes and colours; cash back, match, no deposit, higher percentage loyalty bonus, etc… Read our High Roller Bonus review page for more information about this bonus.
Poker Bonuses
An often overlooked form of online casino is poker. Online poker sites, though different in many ways from casinos, are still similar in that they will do their best to both attract new players and then to keep them happy and active. Their poker bonuses will look very much like most of the above bonus examples, with the exception of perhaps the no deposit bonus. That said, potential players should shop around very carefully at poker sites to see who gives the best bonuses, especially sign up bonus but not forgetting that the ongoing bonuses are really the bread and butter of the active poker and casino player.
Ways to Use Casino Bonuses
There are many ways to use these bonuses to your advantage. For example, if you see that if you have not been active for a couple of days and the casino then drops a no deposit bonus into your account, you can try that strategy a few times. Generally, if you’ve interspersed periods of regular playing and depositing with periods of inactivity and the casino sees you have potential, even if you are inactive for a couple of days, they may just try bringing you back with a little taste of the goods. Another strategy is to simply ask the casino for a bonus. As they say, it never hurts to ask. If you write a polite email to the customer service folks at your favorite casino explaining that you’ve had a string of bad luck and they see that you’ve put a few bucks into the casino and you’re a reliable player, any decent casino will most likely offer you an extra cash-back or match bonus. Give it a shot.