Today, you can find numerous online casino bonuses, which usually arrive in the form of matching deposit bonuses, free spins bonuses, and no-deposit bonuses.
Online casino bonuses are never hard to find, but should you always claim them when they are offered to you? Let’s dive in to find out.
What is an online casino bonus?
An online casino bonus is a promotional offer you can take advantage of when you sign up to an online casino.
The initial bonus is called the sign-up bonus or new player welcome bonus, and it can usually be claimed when you make your first-ever deposit on that site after filling out the online registration form and becoming a fully registered member.
The casino operator will usually match your deposit up to a certain amount to give your balance an instant cash injection. This bonus is called a matching deposit bonus or match bonus.
A no-deposit bonus is when you don’t need to deposit to receive free money or free spins, and a free spins bonus is when the operator of your chosen casino site drops a certain number of free spins (typically 1 to 20 FS) into your account.
Any free spins that you receive can be used to play in the real money mode on selected slots, and any winnings you make are yours to keep.
Are online casino bonuses worth claiming?
Yes and no. Online casino bonuses usually come with wagering requirements attached, which others refer to as rollover, playthrough, or turnover requirements, which you must complete if you accept the bonus before you can cash out your winnings.
If an online casino bonus comes with steep wagering requirements, then it’s usually not worth claiming. However, if it comes with low to medium wagering requirements, then there’s no point in declining the bonus. You have nothing to lose, so you may as well claim it because you may end up winning a decent amount.
Let’s take a quick look at what low, medium, and high wagering requirements are classed as:
- Super low wagering requirements: 0x to 4x times the bonus amount (always worth claiming)
- Low wagering requirements: 5x to 19x times the bonus amount (worth claiming)
- Medium wagering requirements: 20x to 49x (worth claiming)
- High wagering requirements 50x to 69x (some players avoid claiming these types of bonuses, but others still think they are worth claiming)
- Super high wagering requirements 70x or above (not worth claiming)
The wagering requirement is the number of times your initial bonus amount must be wagered before you are free to withdraw any winnings you have earned from your bonus.
It may also state in the terms and conditions that the initial deposit amount must also be wagered ON TOP of your standard wagering requirement. Here is a quick example:
If you just claimed a 100% matching deposit bonus (the most common match bonus offer), you deposited $/€/£20 (or equivalent currency value), and that bonus comes with a 25x wagering requirement attached, this means that before you can withdraw any bonus winnings you make, your $/€/£20 deposit must be wagered 25x times (so you must wager $/€/£500 – $/€/£20 x 25 wagering requirement).
If this same bonus came with a 50x wagering requirement attached, you would need to wager $/€/£1,000 ($/€/£20 deposit x 50 wagering requirement)instead of $/€/£500.
Having to complete wagering requirements is one of the most annoying things about online casino bonuses, but if they weren’t attached to bonuses, most players would immediately try to withdraw their free money given to them by the casino operator.
In other words, wagering/playthrough/rollover/turnover requirements stop players from doing this, so they are designed to protect the operator.
Once you have completed the wagering requirements set out in the terms and conditions, any bonus winnings you have made are yours, and you will be able to do with them as you please (i.e., withdraw them or spend on the casino website by playing your favorite games).
If an online casino bonus comes with low to medium wagering requirements, then 9 times out of 10, it’s worth claiming. However, if it comes with 50x, 60x, 70x, or higher wagering requirements, perhaps leave it and wait for the next bonus offer to come along with more realistic wagering requirements.
Final thoughts
When claiming online casino bonuses, you should only ever do so from fully licensed and regulated online casinos. Remember to read the terms and conditions before claiming any offers because the Ts and Cs explain everything to ensure you get the most out of your bonus.
For example, it may state in the Ts and Cs that certain deposit methods, such as cryptocurrency, Neteller, PayPal, or Skrill digital wallets, are not included in the offer, meaning you would have to deposit using another method to unlock your bonus.
Don’t forget that wagering requirements normally have to be completed within a certain amount of time, and if you don’t get them completed in that time (which could be 24 hours, one or two weeks), any bonus winnings you made will disappear from your account.
Finally, only claim one bonus at a time because taking on too many can get confusing and sometimes lead to disappointment.
Also, try to remember that not all games will contribute 100% for every $/€/£1.00 you wager when completing wagering requirements. Stick to playing the selected online slots and scratches, and avoid playing table & card games until you have completed them.