Best Online Casino Slot Bonuses
The popularity of casino bonuses simply keeps growing. A big part of this continued popularity is the bonuses offered by many online casinos. Advertisements on the front page of almost any online casino promote these freebies. Players know they might win some cash at any casino, but seeing how much bonus cash they could get simply for creating an account can be even more motivation to join the fun. But what is considered the best casino slots bonus? Good online casino bonuses can be hard to find. Much of it depends on which particular games will be played.
The most important thing to remember about any bonus, before ever signing up for a casino, is to read all the available information! All bonuses will have some sort of requirements to them. It's extremely important to know what will be required to do to receive as much bonus cash as possible.
Sticky Slot Bonuses vs. Cashable Slot Bonuses
There are two main types of bonuses out there: sticky and cashable. A sticky casino bonus is an amount of bonus cash that is deposited into a player's account, but can't be withdrawn. The bonus cash will remain in the account until it is spent, or until a player makes a withdrawal. If a player decides cash out their winnings the bonus is gone.
A cashable casino bonus, on the other hand, can be withdrawn once all requirements have been met. So $200 in a cashable bonus will be the player's upon withdrawal.
Wagering Requirements on Slot Bonuses
All casino bonuses including online slot bonuses have a wagering requirement. The most prominent is a required rollover. With a rollover, a player must first wager the bonus amount plus the deposit a certain number of times.
For instance, a player deposits $300 and receives $300 in bonus cash. The deposit plus bonus ($600) must be wagered 5 times before a withdrawal can be made. This means a player has to wager a total of $3,000 ($600 x 5) before he or she can withdraw any money from an account. Depending on the type of bonus—sticky versus cashable—a player may only be able to withdraw the profits from these wagers.
Trying to make a withdrawal before a rollover requirement usually leads to a loss of both the bonus cash and any winnings generated from it.
Game Restrictions
Sometimes, online casinos will also limit the games players can wager on with bonus cash. Many times it will depend on the casino's focus, such as a predominantly slots casino requiring that bonuses only be wagered on slots games. It's vital to find out what games can be wagered on, because bonuses can be reclaimed by the casino if requirements are breached. Players don't want to wager bonus cash only to find out later that they owe the casino for all those bets.
Look for More than First-time Casino Deposit Bonuses
There are also different ways to receive bonus cash. Usually, casinos will advertise a sign-up bonus right on their home pages. Simply create an account, make a deposit, and the casino will match it with bonus cash, up to a point. But for players who look deeper, there are many types of casino bonuses that they can take advantage of.
- Casino reload bonuses - Many casinos also offer reload bonuses, which awards a matching amount of cash each time a player adds more money to an account.
- Casino loyalty programs - Online casinos also run loyalty programs, rewarding players for the games they play, amounts they wager, or time spent playing.
- No deposit casino bonuses - Perhaps most appealing is the "No Deposit Bonus". Create an account, and the casino will add bonus cash to a player's account. More often than not, though, these are sticky bonuses, and can't be withdrawn.
- Instant Match casino bonuses - This type of bonus gives players their free cash upfront. Once you make your first deposit, your casino bonus will be available immediately to play with.
Finding a Good Casino Bonus
Finding the right casino bonus is important because it helps the player gain the edge of the casino. The best casino bonuses to look for are those with low wagering requirements and few (if any) game restrictions.
However, the biggest deciding factor is most likely a player's individual playing style. Players often find better bonuses for specific areas of gaming, but sometimes general bonuses are just as good.
Bonuses are one of the great equalizers between live and online casinos. Think of them as the online version of "comps," or the free amenities given out by land-based casinos. The difference between online casino bonuses and casino comps is that players get the perks before playing.