Best online casino bonuses
Near enough every gambling site offers a welcome bonus and other online casino promotions to get players to sign up and stay loyal to a brand in the long term. This makes a lot of sense because the competition between the hundreds of different sites is fierce and a huge casino bonus could make all the difference when you’re deciding where to play. But, as we shall see, the latest casino bonuses are not all the same. They can vary tremendously and what may benefit a certain type of player (such as a high roller or VIP, for example) might not be great for another.
Today, the expert casino enthusiasts at PlaceYourBets will be covering the many types of deals that you are likely to find out there, how you can pick the perfect offer for you, and all of the considerations you should bear in mind whilst browsing through our recommended top lists. We’ll also give you the lowdown on things like wagering requirements, calculating online casino offers, and much more besides. In this way, you’ll be armed with all the knowledge needed to make the right decision for you. With so much to get through here, let’s get started…
Top 5 online casinos worthy of your attention
A decent online casino with a wide selection of slot machines and good welcome packages.
A great casino famous for offering many convenient payment methods.
Online casinos with excellent staff and user-friendly interfaces.
One of the most popular casinos with slot machines, where you can always find good bonuses and exciting promotions.
The different types of casino bonus
So, what exactly can you expect to receive as a new player at an online casino? And once your welcome bonus and/or free spins have been played, what promotions come after that at your typical site? Well, while there are many variations in exactly what one brand offers versus another, they almost invariably fall into one of several categories. Here are the most common types of online casino bonus available, with links to more detailed information on each one:
- Sign up bonus
- Welcome bonus
- Free spins bonus
- No deposit bonus
- Match deposit bonus
- Reload bonus
- Cashback bonus
If you’ve been playing at an online casino for any length of time, you probably understand that some of these offers crossover or can be offered in combination with other ones. For example, a welcome bonus could combine a match deposit bonus and include a free spins bonus on top. But we don’t have to worry about the subtle differences between each of the deals for the now.
What’s important is that the above list gives you an overview of the most common ways in which the industry refers to the vast majority of casino slots bonuses – some of which are applicable to table games, live casino, and sportsbook deals, too. But don’t worry if you have no clue what all of these terms refer to. We will be going over each one of them and discussing the main things that you should look out for when opting into or claiming the best online casino bonus. First up, let’s consider one of the most major distinctions between two popular types of bonuses…
Deposit versus no-deposit bonuses
These offers seem pretty self-explanatory once you’ve been around the block – but they pretty much do what you would expect. One requires a deposit and the other does not. For a new player starting out, however, there may be some confusion about what you have to do to claim them and what benefits each provides over the other. So, let’s tackle them one by one…
A deposit bonus is triggered the moment you make a qualifying deposit. More often than not, this requires that you make a deposit of at least $10-20 (i.e. a reasonably low amount). Following that, the casino will instantly add extra playing money into your casino account in the form of bonus funds. The bonus money can be a fixed amount or else it can be a percentage of what you’ve deposited – one of the most common deals to see is the 100% deposit bonus, where the casino matches your deposit, cent by cent. Just note that sometimes certain payment methods are excluded (such as Neteller or Skrill) and there may be limits as to what games can be played, so always read over the terms and conditions to ensure you get your deposit bonus.
Online casinos with free no deposit bonuses, on the other hand, do not require you to make a deposit into your casino account. This type of deal is sometimes called a sign-up bonus, whereby you are given some goodies just for registering a new account! Typically, these deals are not as high-paying as deposit bonuses, but they do enable you to increase your available playing funds, receive some fabulous free spins or get some insurance against any losses in a cashback deal. In fact, we tend to call these no-brainer deals because you don’t need to commit any cash – so, why not?
Where to find the best casino bonus
Casinos constantly tweak their welcome offers and other promotions in order to attract the kinds of players they want. Therefore, it’s an ever-shifting landscape that is hard to keep track of. Luckily, PlaceYourBets does all of the hard work for you by checking the latest casino bonuses on a daily basis and amending the deals accordingly for each of our recommended sites. That means you only have to visit this site in order to compare brands through reading our casino reviews, browsing our up-to-the-minute top lists, and clicking the one that appeals most.
Going through our welcome bonus offers listed in each of our casino top lists ensures that not only are you getting the latest casino bonuses but also that you’re getting the best casino bonus possible – and we only feature the highest-paying offers from each casino. Plus, you can often find an exclusive casino bonus right here at PlaceYourBets – ones that may not be available elsewhere. Therefore, by coming back here regularly or at least whenever you’re wanting to switch brands, you can find the latest and greatest online casino bonuses each and every time.
But, you may be wondering exactly what makes one deal better than another one. On top of that, you might be thinking about how you would go about choosing the one that is perfect for you and your needs. Don’t worry, though, as we’ve got some great advice on that too…
Choosing the best deal for you
There are many things to keep in mind when you’re looking for the best online casino bonuses. For example, grabbing 20 free spins when you register a new account is clearly a great deal in that you don’t have to lay down any cash, you get to play one of the best casino games, and you can explore the site more fully once logged in to really see if the site is perfect for your needs. However, typical terms for online casinos that offer free no deposit bonuses include limited bet levels, caps on how much you can win, and some wagering requirements too.
Another important consideration is how you intend to play. There are many people out there who only want to play for a few hours each week on a casual basis. They see it as a form of relaxation after a hard day, don’t want to deposit large amounts at any one time, and view any large win as the luck of the draw. Therefore, choosing huge casino bonuses that maximize their playing time by giving something like 200% on top of their initial deposit, a fistful of free spins, and/or the chance to claim further deposit bonuses as part of the welcome deal may be the best option.
High rollers, jackpot hunters or people who tend to play many hours each day, on the other hand, may not be interested in low-ball welcome bonuses of around $100 or less, probably don’t care too much about free spins, and would rather claim a cashback deal worth thousands to cover any potential bad luck. In this case and many others, carefully researching each casino offer and choosing a welcome bonus that suits your style of play is always well worth the effort.
How to calculate a new casino bonus
If you’re new to the iGaming world, the array of different match deposit bonuses may confuse you. The easiest one to grasp, however, is the super popular 100% deposit bonus. Normally, this is written so that it states what the maximum bonus amount will be. For example, you may see something like ‘Claim your 100% welcome bonus up to $100’. In this case, the maximum that can be claimed is $100, which would involve you depositing $100. That would mean that you can then play with a total of $200. Essentially, then, the casino is doubling your money.
Round numbers such as 200% or 300% are similarly easy to understand – these will triple or quadruple your playing funds. However, things get a bit trickier when it’s, say, 75% or 125%. But with a quick bit of math, you can work out exactly what you need to deposit to max out the deal.
In the case of a 75% bonus up to $150, then, you would need to deposit $200 in order to take full advantage of the casino’s offer. To get to this figure, you need to take the maximum amount ($150) and divide it by the percentage number (75%), which gives us a total of 2. Then multiply this by 100 (we always multiply by 100 in each example) to get to the correct figure of $200.
Let’s do the same thing with a 125% casino bonus up to $150. We take the maximum amount ($150), divide it by the percentage number (125%), and multiply the result (1.2) by 100. This gives us a figure of $120. So, if you deposit $120, you can claim the full amount of $150. Easy!
Are all bonuses created equal?
As you should be aware if you’ve read this far, no two bonuses are alike. Plus, as to which one is better, that’s largely down to personal preferences and playing style. Nevertheless, there are some things that can help make the decision process that much easier once you know what you’re after. So, let’s take the two extremes of casual players versus high rollers to explain.
Casual players either don’t have very much expendable cash or else would rather limit how much they spend on a few hours of casino entertainment every once in a while. Therefore, we would recommend going for the higher percentage deals of 100% or higher. It’s perfectly possible to find many offers that are in the 200-300% range, too, so look out for those. The reason for this is that the maximum amount that you can claim is likely to be lower for higher percentage deals. So, you may only need to deposit something like $50 to max out the offer.
In contrast, high rollers and VIP players will want to get the maximum amount of bonus funds from the casino regardless of the percentage. For example, a 50% bonus up to $2,000 means that they can deposit $4,000 and start playing with a grand total of $6,000. This is, of course, much better for those flashing the cash than being limited to much smaller deposits and lower bonuses as described above. But, of course, it still holds true that the higher the percentage, the better. So, exactly the same high-paying deal up to $2,000 is even better if it’s a 100% offer!
Wagering requirements explained
By far the most bewildering aspect of many online casino bonuses is the wagering requirements. But, don’t worry, we’ve got your back here. A wagering requirement can be attached to the casino bonus amount claimed, the bonus and the deposit amount combined, or to any winnings that you receive from free spins, for example. Nevertheless, a wagering requirement simply means that you must play through a certain amount a certain number of times before you are able to withdraw any winnings resulting from your bonus. To give you an idea of industry averages, this is usually 35x for the bonus amount or 30x for the bonus and deposit combined.
In practical terms, this means playing through or wagering an amount of money on slots – these tend to contribute 100%, whereas other games like roulette and blackjack only contribute 5% or less. So, if you claim a bonus of $100 and the wagering requirement is 35x, then you must play through $3,500 on your favorite slots before you are able to withdraw any winnings resulting from your bonus. This might seem like a lot of money considering the initial bonus (and it is) but don’t forget that you can be winning small and large sums as you complete the wagering. This really does help soften the blow, and it may actually end up working in your favor if you win big!
Other things to look out for in the terms include checking the games that are eligible while playing with your bonus funds, the maximum bet allowed per spin or payline, and the amount of time that you have to satisfy the wagering. Therefore, you should always check the full T&Cs!
Claiming your first casino bonus
So, now that you’ve found your ideal offer and you’ve read through the terms, you may be wondering how exactly you can claim your dream deal. Well, first of all, you need to sign up for a casino account. You can get to the registration page, as it’s known, by clicking on the welcome bonus banner in one of PlaceYourBets’ top lists – this is always a direct link to the site. From there, fill in your basic details as instructed onscreen, then verify your account via the email or SMS text message that you will receive from the casino. If there’s a sign-up offer, this will automatically be available, but otherwise, you’re now ready to make your first deposit.
To do this, log into your account with your email/username and your password if you haven’t already done so. Then, click on one of the ‘Deposit’ buttons usually shown in green or else head over to the account section of the site where you should find all the options you need. Once there, choose your preferred payment option from the list, enter the amount that you wish to deposit this time (ensuring it’s above the minimum required for the deal), and follow the instructions for completing the transaction. Also, don’t forget to enter any casino bonus codes in the appropriate box if required – we always make special mention of this in our casino reviews.
And that’s it! So long as you’ve done everything by the book, your additional playing funds, free spins, or whatever else was promised will be activated immediately. Just note that, sometimes, free spins will be given out in batches during the first few days and weeks at the casino.
How to opt-in to other promotions
All other promotions will follow a similar path once you’ve played through your welcome bonus, so it should be a doddle to claim other things such as reload bonuses, for example. Just be sure to visit the promotions page on the site to see if you need to do anything extra such as entering your username and clicking ‘Opt-In’ or ‘Claim Now’, etc. Also, don’t forget any bonus codes if they are required. Every casino differs in its approach, so double-check everything in advance.
Another top tip is to ensure that, in your account settings, you have opted to receive promotional emails and/or SMS text messages about the latest casino bonuses, competitions, and prize draws. This usually involves ticking a checkbox, for example, but you can confirm this with a member of the customer support team if you’re unsure of what you need to do to receive offers.
Finally, you can and should come back to PlaceYourBets regularly, or else bookmark the site, to discover all of the latest and greatest casino offers as soon as they become available. This is especially true if you’re ever thinking of changing from one brand to another for a better deal.
Can I play without accepting a bonus?
Of course, it’s perfectly possible to not accept a bonus at any time one is offered. This is sometimes a good idea if you’d rather just play with your own money, knowing that you can withdraw any winnings as a result without playing through a wagering requirement, for example. To do this, pay careful attention whenever making a deposit to ensure that any checkboxes are marked in the correct way, do not enter a casino bonus code, and contact customer support immediately if you think a bonus has been allocated automatically without your consent.
However, we would argue that it’s always worth accepting any bonus given to you because it’s not a binding deal that requires you to deposit any more than you want to. So, if you have a bad run of form while satisfying the wagering requirements, you can always sacrifice the bonus or any winnings from things like free spins at any point by simply not completing the wagering. Therefore, we say that you should always try your luck. You never know – you might come out on top at the end of the bonus wagering period and be able to withdraw a nice sum of money!
Online casino bonuses – bottom line
As we have seen, there are many different types of online casino bonuses available to both new and regular players. Each one has its benefits in terms of giving you more playing funds to keep the fun going for much longer and/or allowing you to try out the best casino slots and other games. By researching the different offers right here on PlaceYourBets and reading some of our expert casino reviews, you’ll have all the knowledge needed for picking the best deal for you!
