Bonuses at Online Casinos

How can online casinos compete with the electric environments of Las Vegas and Atlantic City? Bonus money. You may not find the flashing lights and ringing jackpots of a live casino, but casino sites offer a wide range of bonus promotions to draw new players.

As far as these sites are concerned, bonuses are investments just like the free hotel rooms, drinks, and coupons offered by their land based counterparts. Online casinos compete among one another to bring players to their website and keep them gambling. The end result is increasingly lucrative bonuses.

Sign-Up Bonus

The Sign-Up Bonus, also known as a Welcome Bonus or New Player Bonus, is the bread and butter of online casino promotions. They are meant to entice new players into registering and depositing at their site and are typically the most generous offers available. Sing-up bonuses come in the form of Percentage or Match Bonuses, or a combination of the two.

Percentage

These promotions are straightforward. With a Percentage Bonus, the casino site will pay you an additional portion of your deposit. For example, if a website offers a bonus of 50% and you deposit $200, an additional $100 will be added to your account. Percentage Bonuses are often combined with Match Bonuses.

Match

A bonus of 100% is known as a Match Bonus. With these offers, the casino website will match your deposit dollar for dollar, usually up to a certain maximum amount. For instance, a Match Bonus of $50 means that you will be credited $100 for a $50 deposit ($50 + $50). Many sites actually combine percentage and match bonuses, which will read something like: 50% up to $250. This means the casino will match your deposit at fifty cents on the dollar up to a maximum amount of $250 in bonus money. In this example, you would reach your maximum allowable sign-up bonus with a $500 deposit.

No Deposit

If you find a No Deposit Bonus, take it. These are offered by gambling sites as a way of playing their casino games risk-free. While you won't be able to cash out the bonus money itself, you can actually win real money while playing.

Reload

A reload bonus is intended to keep players gambling at a particular website. They follow the same basic principle as the sign-up bonus, but are applied to subsequent deposits. Reload Bonuses vary widely from casino to casino, but will usually be in the form of a Percentage Deposit Bonus or a Match Deposit Bonus.

Loyalty

The Loyalty Bonuses are designed for players who have been with the casino over an extended period of time, and are another means of incentivizing players to continue gambling. They often come in the form of VIP programs and loyalty rewards clubs. You will automatically be enrolled in these programs, and will earn points as you continue to make deposits and gamble at the site. The more points you earn, the higher you climb in VIP status, where you will earn more lucrative rewards.

High Roller

The High Roller Bonus is meant for players who make large deposits. They typically include a healthy Percentage Bonus for players who deposit more than $500. By now, you may have noticed the casinos' trend of incentivizing players to spend more money.

Preferred Deposit

Online casinos provide a wide range of depositing and withdrawal options. Some sites try to steer players toward using a certain payment method by offering an extra percentage bonus for anyone who deposits using the preferred method. These are known as Preferred Deposit Bonuses, and the idea is that the casino saves on fees by utilizing the least costly method of depositing and passes the savings onto the player.

Cash Back

The Cash Back Bonus is unique. The basic concept is that players recuperate some of their gambling losses. Cash Back Bonuses can go a long way toward lengthening the amount of play your money buys you at the casino. Here's how it works: if you lose $400 and are on a 25% Cash Back Bonus, you would get $100 back. These bonuses only apply to losses and are not awarded on a positive account balance.

Refer-A-Friend

Do you know someone who would like to gamble online? Gambling sites are constantly trying to recruit new players, and you can take advantage of this bonus by referring someone to your online casino. You will receive a free bonus each time you refer a friend to the site.

Bonus Requirements

Bonus offers are not synonymous with free money. Players are usually required to fulfill a series of play-through requirements, also known as wagering requirements, to clear the bonus to their account. Play-through requirements consist of a minimum amount of money that must be wagered, usually expressed as an increment of your deposit amount. These are not difficult to meet, but you should always read the terms and conditions to learn the requirements of the bonus.

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