Best Online Casino Bonuses in 2023
Casino bonuses are a catchy yet effective way to attract new players to an online gaming platform. Those offers might give you hundreds of dollars to play table and card games, slots and bet on sports.
But the story often doesn’t end once you sign up. Reputable casinos are frequently rewarding their loyal players with appealing seasonal offers and promotions.
On this page, we’ll introduce you to all types of common casino bonuses:
- Welcome Bonuses
- Matched Deposit Bonuses
- Free Spins Bonuses
- No Deposit Bonuses
- Cashback Bonuses
- Reload Bonuses
- VIP Bonuses
There are many of them, and as a new player, you certainly want to understand the meaning of each bonus.
Then, once you’re familiar with the basics, we’ll explain in detail the most important thing related to claiming a bonus – wagering requirements. We’ll tell you where to look for them and, more importantly, how to interpret them, so you don’t get surprised in the end.
Welcome Bonuses
Welcome bonuses are a pretty self-explanatory group—those are the promo offers you get upon signing up. There are several types of welcome bonuses that you can expect, but it mostly comes to matched deposit bonuses and free spins (more about those two types later).
Welcome bonuses are the first information that a casino communicates with the potential player. They are a great marketing strategy to attract new clients, yet the offer is excellent for the players as well.
Thanks to those offers, you’ll have more resources to explore unknown casinos and new games. You could test it out without worrying that you’ll lose your entire deposit – as the starting sum will be at least twice the amount.
How to Claim a Welcome Bonus
Each casino has a bonus of its own, but the question is: how do you claim those casino bonuses?
Luckily for you, claiming a welcome bonus is an extremely easy process. In fact, you don’t have to do any extra work beyond signing up.
Simply click on the link next to the casino, and you’ll be redirected to a page where you can sign up. Enter your account information, validate the registration, and you’re almost finished.
The last step is choosing the deposit method and sending funds to your online account. Once you deposit money into your account, you’ll get a bonus without any extra work.
In some cases, you’ll be asked to select a certain bonus type. This usually happens when the casino offers both casino games and sports betting, so you’re asked if you’re willing to take some free spins for slots or the money needed to assemble a betting slip.
What types of Welcome Bonuses Are There?
The most common welcome bonuses are matched deposit bonuses and free spins. You’ll frequently see the combination of those two, plus some casinos might sprinkle a dash of extras in addition to the standard welcome package.
The realistic amount you can expect from welcome bonuses goes up to $500. If you see amounts as high as $1,000, it probably means that the casino combined bonuses for a few first deposits and listed them as one offer. In other words, you probably won’t be able to claim as high an amount at once. Instead, you’ll have to deposit a few times (often three times) to get to the whole sum.
What are the Welcome Bonus Wagering Requirements, and Should You Care?
We’ve mentioned wagering requirements for casino bonuses in the introduction and told you to take care of these.
Those sneaky little conditions are limiting you from withdrawing the money from your casino account right away. Even if you have a positive balance, you won’t be able to convert it to real money until you fulfil a set of requirements proposed by the casino.
These requirements are entirely logical, as otherwise people would simply deposit money, claim a bonus, and withdraw the money right away. For this not to happen, casinos create a set of rules that you’ll need to follow before being able to claim your funds.
Those are mostly expressed via a rollover requirement or in the number of times you need to bet the bonus amount before you’re allowed to withdraw it. If it’s not expressed in the form of a multiplier (e.g. “10x bonus amount), then it might be seen as a fixed value (e.g. $2,000).
So next time you see an irresistible offer, make sure to read the terms and conditions first. Maybe the bonus offer isn’t as great when you consider the wagering requirement.
In that case, it’s better to pick a smaller bonus amount if the wagering requirement is easier to meet.
Matched Deposit Bonuses
Matched or match deposit casino bonuses are the most common online casino bonus. It’s pretty self-explanatory and easy to understand – the casino will match your deposit for a certain percentage, up to the given cap.
This is how a matched deposit bonus looks like:
- 100% bonus up to $300
This means that after your deposit, your balance will be the deposited amount plus the bonus amount of the same value (up to $300). For example, if you choose to deposit $200, you’ll have $400 on your official account balance ($200 deposit plus $200 bonus).
If you go over the limit, for example, deposit $400, you’ll still have that deposit, plus $300, which is the cap, and in total, you’ll be able to play with $700.
A match deposit bonus often isn’t a one-time offer, and you might find a multiple deposit bonus in certain casinos. This is often the best deal, and it usually means you’ll have your deposit matched several times, often three or four successive deposits.
Another subcategory of a match deposit bonus is a deposit method bonus. These casino bonuses come bundled up with the standard matched deposit, and they raise the percentage value of the given bonus if you’re using a particular deposit method.
For example – a 5% deposit method bonus for deposits using cryptocurrencies. So this time, you’ll get the promised matched deposit bonus (100, 150 or 200%), plus 5% more if you’re depositing using cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dogecoin and so on.
Free Spins
Often combined with match deposit bonuses, free spins are a favourite of all slots fans. These are as simple as they get – you’ll be able to spin the reels a certain number of times without paying for those spins.
If you’re already familiar with slots, consider free spins bonuses just like bonus rounds. Instead of paying for each spin, the reels spin for free, with chances of winning real money, just as you would if those spins were paid.
The best part about free spins bonuses is that you’ll be able to test multiple slots or different slot types without breaking the bank.
About to test those five- or seven-reel slots? No problem, use the free spins and test if you’re up to spending real money on those. Also, is there a new appealing slot that you’re willing to put on a test? Go on and use a few spins while you’re deciding if you like that one.
When casinos offer free spin casino bonuses, they are mostly not limited to a particular slot game. However, there are some situations where you can only spend those spins on specific games, and that’s usually highlighted. This happens when providers want to boost new titles or wake up some of the long-forgotten games from the past.
Wagering Requirements for Free Spins
Similar to other bonus types, free spins also come with specific wagering requirements.
This time, instead of multiplying the fixed bonus amount, a free spins wagering requirement is a multiplier of the amount you win during those free spins.
If, for example, you manage to get $60 during 100 free spins with a 10x wagering requirement, you’ll have to bet $600 before being able to withdraw funds. Some casinos will also limit you with time, and you’ll have to fulfil a requirement in a certain time window, or you can say farewell to your bonus.
No Deposit Bonuses
No deposit bonuses are pretty rare in the casino industry nowadays, yet there are chances you might find one. Popular casinos with many loyal customers certainly won’t give you a no deposit bonus, but if you head towards lesser-known ones, you might get lucky.
No deposit casino bonuses represent a special category of bonuses. Unlike other bonus types, you won’t need to make a deposit to claim a no deposit bonus. Those bonuses are either a fixed amount of money or a certain number of free spins.
As no deposit bonuses aren’t that good for a casino (they are practically giving away money for free), the amount given isn’t that great. You might find no deposit bonuses of just a few bucks, rarely exceeding 10 or 20 dollars in account balance.
You can expect a specific wagering requirement here as well. Or, in the best case, the given bonus will be deducted from the amount you managed to win.
Let’s say that you took $10 as a no deposit bonus offer, and while you played different casino games, you pushed your balance to $30. Now, if you want to withdraw that, instead of $30, you could take only $20, as $10 is given back to the casino.
In the worst case (which is more likely to happen), you will have to make a rollover, just as you would with a match deposit bonus or free spins.
Cashback Bonuses
Cashback bonuses are one of the greatest bonus types for experienced players and experienced high-ballers. These casino bonuses are often not for newbies or those who aren’t truly spending money at the casino.
Cashback, as a term, is also pretty self-explanatory. After you spend a significant amount of money during a day, week, or month, a percentage of your net losses will be returned to you. What’s beneficial for the player here is that they’ll minimise their losses, and they won’t end up without money on their balance.
The standard percentage for cashback bonuses ranges from 5% to 20%, and the fixed cap amount dramatically differs. It might be $50 in one casino, while the other might limit a cashback at $1,000.
A cashback bonus is often a part of the VIP bonus offer, and in some cases, the information isn’t even available to the public.
Reload Bonuses
A welcome bonus is here to attract new players. Loyalty programs help with referring friends so that a casino gets even more customers. Basically, reload casino bonuses are designed to keep the existing players in the game.
If you’re in a losing streak, it might be hard to catch up with the pace. That’s especially the case when you use all your match deposits and free spins, playing with “raw” money.
This is where reload bonuses come in. They are entirely the same as match deposit bonuses, except they are designed for active players. The money might not be as big as for welcome bonuses, yet they are certainly a significant asset.
Casinos often give reload bonuses on a monthly or weekly basis. You’ll usually need to deposit a defined amount during the given period, and then, once you’re eligible, you’ll get a certain percentage to top up your initial stake.
As you already have a requirement to fulfil before getting a reload bonus, it often doesn’t have any rollover requirement.
VIP Bonuses
VIP casino bonuses are frankly the hardest to explain, as there isn’t a uniform definition that applies to every casino. Each gambling provider has its own ways to level up one’s tier and give them specific benefits.
The typical VIP bonuses combine recurring bonuses such as cashbacks or free spins in a specific time frame. For example, you might get 100 free spins and 10% cashback on your biggest loss.
Another frequent VIP bonus type gives extra chips to the player or raises the multiplier for winnings.
Also, when it comes to VIP bonuses, you’ll most likely have different tiers and levels, depending on your spendings and general relations with a casino. The highest levels are often their most important players that either spend a lot of money or, for some other reason, such as popularity or relevance in the industry, deserve to be in the beneficial group of people.
VIP casino bonuses don’t have to be strictly connected to the casino and its games. As a VIP member, you might get access to special tournaments, get an opportunity to meet and network with other players, or even receive tickets for events, concerts and so on.
Conclusion
The online casino industry has greatly developed in recent years. The amount of given bonuses five or ten years ago isn’t anywhere near today’s standards.
This might be due to the general rise in popularity of online gambling, or the industry itself grew thanks to globalisation. Whatever the reason, players nowadays can enjoy generous offers that genuinely change one’s play.
But before claiming those offers, you first need to understand them. You need to differentiate the types of bonuses so you can pick the ones that suit you best.
Also, there are some tips on how to get the best out of a casino bonus, and in-depth knowledge is required if you want to achieve your full potential.
Luckily, we created this page to introduce you to all major types of casino bonuses, so next time when you see one, you’re perfectly aware of what’s going on in there. And probably the most critical part that players tend to overlook, we explained how to handle different wagering requirements.
Now all that’s left for you is to go there, pick the best offer and get lucky!
Yes, bonuses in online casinos are certainly worth it, and you should learn how to get the most out of them. They are practically free money, but only if you know how to use them.
Throughout this page, we listed some of the online casinos with the best bonus offers that we could find. Feel free to check them out and claim the bonus now.
There are different types of online casino bonuses, and each one is a bit different. Yet, the majority of bonuses are given to new players once they make the first deposit.
Welcome bonuses in online casinos are promo offers given to new players. The most common type of a welcome bonus is a matched deposit, where your stake will be multiplied up to a certain percentage.
Free spins are a great way to attract new players, and that’s why casinos offer those. If you’re a player anyways, those are only beneficial to you as you don’t have anything to lose. Check out some of the best casinos giving away free spins on this page.