When you play at an online casino, you will be offered a lot of bonuses. It is important to know all the details about the bonus before you decide to accept it. Different casinos have different rules, but the information below is all you need to know about bonuses without going into each casino’s specific rules.
A welcome bonus is something that is offered at almost every online casino. This will certainly come in handy so that you can bet big for bigger winnings and extend the playing time of your deposit. The welcome bonus is usually the biggest bonus you will get from this casino, although they sometimes offer multiple bonuses or a permanent bonus as a welcome gift.
An example is an unlimited 200% deposit bonus for the first week. This means that every deposit made at the casino during the first week will be credited with a 200% bonus. Deposit $100 and get $200, which gives you $300 to play with. If you lose it or cash out, you can deposit again and get the same reward.
Sometimes the bonus is “fixed”, meaning it cannot be withdrawn along with your winnings, and there may also be a maximum amount that you are allowed to withdraw. This usually applies to no deposit bonuses, while deposit bonuses are usually cashable and have no maximum withdrawal limits.
An example of this would be a $60 free chip offer (or “no deposit bonus”) with wagering requirements (explained below) and a maximum cash amount of $300. This is usually a “fixed” bonus, so if you have met the wagering requirements and have accumulated more than $360, request a $360 withdrawal to get a maximum withdrawal of $300 (because the $60 bonus will be removed upon withdrawal).
Make sure you read the terms of the bonus before deciding to play with the bonus. This way you know exactly what the specific bonus conditions and wagering requirements are, as they differ from casino to casino.
Most casino bonuses advertised are for slots, although many casinos also offer card and table game bonuses or allow all games under certain conditions. If you receive a bonus from a slot it is very important that you do not play restricted games (eg blackjack and roulette are generally restricted) otherwise you could lose any winnings. That is why it is important to read the Bonus Conditions at this casino.
Bonuses almost always come with a wagering requirement (WR) that usually prevents you from making a withdrawal until you wager a certain amount. For this reason, some people decide not to play with bonuses. You can play without bonuses, either without using the coupon until you have made a deposit, or if this happens automatically you can ask the support team (via chat or email) to prevent the bonus from being applied to your deposit( and).
Most bonuses at MicroGaming casinos have x bonus WR (a certain multiplier, usually 30x). As you wager, the bonus credits will be added to your cash balance, but you will still need to complete the full WR before you can withdraw.
Most Playtech and RealTimeGaming casino bonuses have WR Deposit + Bonus x (a certain multiplier, usually 20-30x). I don’t really like this WR system because it adds a deposit to the equation.