Casino bonuses are a way for the gambling establishment to attract new players and to keep the ones that are coming back loyal. It’s also an important feature for the player when choosing which casino to use. 

To some players, it may seem as if the bonuses are free money provided by the casino, but there’s more complexity to take into account. For instance, the bonuses come with wagering requirements that limit how much funds you can withdraw and when. 

What Information to Use?

The first thing to do before using the services of a casino is to go through the online casino bonus guide. The casinos will tell you about their bonus policy themselves and by studying this document you can get the basics about the casino and if it’s worth your time. 

It’s also useful to look for online reviews and to use them to figure out how the players that have actually used the casino and its bonus system rate the service. For the most part, if you notice a pattern in these reviews you should trust it. 

Sign Up and Other Bonuses

Most casinos offer a sign-up bonus that you get when you first sign up for their services.  Most will also offer a bonus every time you log in and play. This way the casino incentives the players to keep coming back and using their services. The amounts, however, can vary. 

A lot of the time the casinos will also offer a bonus when you refer a player to them and on special occasions. The general rule is that you should use all the bonuses you can but there are a lot of details to go into when it comes when it pays off to do so.

Wagering Requirements

Wagering requirements are conditions that you need to meet in order to withdraw the funds that you’ve got as a bonus. These are set up by the casino and made public from the start so that the players know how the bonuses can be used. 

In most cases, the casinos require the players to spend more of their own funds than they’ve gotten as a bonus in order to withdraw the winnings. That way the bonuses are lucrative for the casinos and only add to your winnings instead of only playing on the house. 

Free Turns

Some bonuses also come in the form of a free turn. This may seem like the most generous bonus out there since it allows you to play one turn for free, however, this is most often not the case since it too has a wagering requirement attached to it. 

In most cases, the casino will attach value to a free turn and then require a wager to be higher than that value as is the case with any other bonus (which comes in the form of a deposit). This diminishes the value of a free spin.

Are Bonuses Always Worth It?

Many players think that getting free deposits from the casino is always a lucrative thing because it doesn’t require them to spend their own funds. However, that’s a mistake due to the wagering requirements attached to the bonus. If you need to add twice or even five times more funds of your own, it’s best to skip the bonus. 

Some may find this troubling since you’re giving free money back, but given how much you need to play and win in order to use those funds it’s not worth the effort. 

Special Offers

There are some special offers made to promote the casinos that will work better for you and that usually have a more generous policy and lower wagering requirements. Those are usually given by a brand new casino that’s trying to make its way in a gambling market. 

Some bonuses are also there to promote events such as tournaments and they are only provided to the upscale players that play for large sums and that get invites to such events. These also come with wagering requirements, at least in some cases, but they are easier to get behind in a high roller tournament. 

Practicing Common Sense

Another rule of thumb to follow is if the offer seems to be too good to be true – it’s probably not true. Casinos are finding ways to make money out there and in the long run, this means that the players are going to lose more often than they plan to. 

That’s why every return to the player for any game and any casino is always in favor of the house. This is something to keep in mind when planning your strategies and choosing the games you plan to play. It’s possible to make big jackpots in some casino games but it takes time and effort to do so.

To Sum Up

Online casino bonuses are a useful feature for both the casinos and the players. They are not, however, free money since they come with wagering requirements attached. This means that a player needs to deposit and spend some of their funds before withdrawing the winnings from a bonus. 

It’s important for players to be aware of this and to study the bonus guides provided by the casinos before signing up. It’s also useful to study the reviews and comparisons between different casinos beforehand, as well. That way you can make an informed decision about which casino to play in.