Casino Bonuses – Different Types and How They Work
Bonuses are used to attract new customers to casinos. However, these bonuses can often confuse new players. Here is a casino bonus guide on what the different types of bonuses available are and how they work for players.
Different Types of Bonuses
The type of bonus offer that a casino promotes depends on the type of players they are trying to get to play at their site. The bonus offer could be aimed at new players, active players or even players that have signed up but not been as active as the casino would like. Here are the different types of casino bonuses explained...
- Welcome BonusThis is aimed at drawing in custom from new players. It is usually an amount of money that is given to the player based on their first deposit. For example, a number of casinos state that if a new player deposits A$10 then they will get a 100% welcome bonus on their first deposit hence giving the player A$10 extra in their account.
- No DepositThis is offered to give players a chance to play a casino's games without having to deposit their own funds. It is used as an opportunity for players to try the casino without having to take a financial risk.
- Match DepositWorking in a similar manner to a welcome bonus this can be put in place for deposits made after a first deposit. This is where the casino adds the value of the player's deposit to the player's casino account as a reward for depositing.
- Percentage DepositA more watered down version of the match deposit. The match deposit offers a 100% bonus on a player's deposit where as a percentage deposit offers a certain percentage of the player's deposit as a bonus e.g. 10%, 25%, 50% etc.
- LoyaltyThe aim of this bonus is to reward existing players for playing at the casino. An example of this would be players receiving comp points for playing a game or a number of games a certain amount of times. The comp points can then be exchanged for a cash bonus or entries into a prize draw.
- Refer-a-FriendIt is a common practice by companies, not just in the casino industry, that they use incentives to get customers to do PR work on their behalf. One method used is a reward for referring a friend. Casinos can often offer players a cash reward for referring a friend as a new member or they can offer a number of free spins on a game. The player gets a bonus for recruiting a new member for the casino and the casino gets a new member on their books. Everyone's a winner!
- High RollerThe high rollers at casinos are the players that bet big. They win big but they also lose big and the casinos are aware of this so they are keen to offer high rollers unique bonus promotions in order to get as many at their tables as possible. These bonuses can come in the shape of a number of the above bonuses but with higher value to represent the importance that casinos regard high rollers to be.
- Payment MethodCasinos will offer cash back or a bonus reward such as free spins for players that opt to use a certain payment method. This is usually one of the more low key bonuses on offer but they are regularly used by casinos.
Casino Bonus Rules
One thing to be wary about when taking up a casino's bonus offer is to carefully read the casino bonus terms and conditions. A bonus offer that initially looks to be very appealing can sometimes have a clause that means it is not as attractive as it appears at first sight.
An example of this would be with a casino bonus requirement where if you are offered a 100% welcome bonus on a first deposit but the terms and conditions state that you must play through the bonus amount a certain number of times before you can withdraw the funds. In some instances, this play through can be so high that you are essentially being given play money because it is likely you will lose the money before you can withdraw it after playing it through.
A bonus offer can have a clause that means it's not as attractive as it appears at first sight.
It is also important to see what the minimum and maximum deposit amounts are for the bonus offers. There is no point depositing A$5 for a welcome bonus when a minimum deposit of A$10 is required. At the other end of the scale there is no point depositing A$200 when the welcome bonus only covers deposits up to the amount of A$100. It is hard to conceive just how many experienced casino players fail to take full advantage of bonus offers simply because they have not read the terms and conditions of the bonus promotions. However, it does happen on a regular basis.
Which Casino Bonus to Choose?
One of the big casino bonus tips is that the one you choose is really down to what sort of player you are. If you are a new player to a casino then the welcome bonus is certainly one you will want to consider. However, if you are an existing player at a casino then you will want to check out their match deposit bonuses on deposits after a first time deposit.
Casino bonus tricks depend on what you want from your casino experience. If you know you will be playing at a casino then go for the bonus that gives you as much free credit as possible. If you're not sure if you are going to want to play at a casino frequently or want to try a new game that is being offered then look for a no deposit bonus.
Never forget your friends either! If you can sign up a friend and get the refer-a-friend bonus then that's a little something for nothing. The online casino market is a lot more congested than the land-based casino market. Casinos are battling more for your custom because there is more fierce competition online. At land-based casinos there is much more on offer than simply games. They can rely on entertainment, accommodation, restaurants, bars, and clubs. These are not perks that an online casino can offer it uses bonuses as another means to create revenue and increase its customer database.