Bonuses are one of the neat little tricks online casinos use to attract new players and retain existing ones. They’re a handy way for players to try games out and discover which ones they like without risking any of your own money.
The thing is, if you’ve never set foot inside the digital doors of an online casino, you can easily get confused because of all the different bonuses. Which one do you choose?
Below is a look at the type at different types of online casino bonuses you’ll come across when playing online. They can be fairly confusing, so it’s best to verify with an expert. Martin Backhouse is a content editor for the casino review website Casino.org, which is a crucial website for Canadian iGaming fans who want to find the right casino bonus. Martin has worked with some of the biggest companies in the industry and brings incredible experience and insight to the website’s content team. As well as writing and fact-checking the insightful articles on the site, he’s tested more than 350 bonuses.
Martin isn’t just a content specialist, however. He also plays at online casinos himself and is especially knowledgeable about slots. This allows him to really understand what players are looking for from content and deliver expert insights on behalf of the company.
The different types of online casino bonuses
Online casinos like players to get the best out of their gaming, which is why they’ll offer bonuses for players.
Welcome bonus
This is a very common bonus. Sign up for an account with the casino operator and they’ll give you some free credit for doing so. Sometimes they’ll ask you to make a deposit and then will match a proportion of the amount with free credit.
No deposit bonus
This is another bonus that gives you free credit. It could be the operator’s welcome bonus or just a standalone bonus so that you can get some extra out of your gaming without making a deposit. Note that this type of bonus may be restricted to certain games and terms and conditions attached to it.
Deposit bonus
The deposit bonus is one of the most common bonuses. Depending on how much you credit your account, the operator simply matches the amount or part of it. If a casino states “100% match to $100,” it will add the same amount up to 100 in the currency.
Free spins bonus
This may be a standalone promotion or part of the welcome bonus. The casino will give you free spins on its slots. It’s a great opportunity to learn how the games work and see which ones you enjoy.
Reload bonus
If a player lost money and hasn’t played at the casino for a long time, they may have regretted the loss. Online casinos will sometimes encourage them back to the casino with a bonus to help them feel better.
Birthday bonus
Whenever you have a birthday, some casinos award you an exclusive bonus. This might be free spins, extra credit or even a gift. Often, it will be a no deposit bonus for use within a specific timeframe.
Referral bonus
Online casinos are keen for you to spread the word about their services and offering. If you’ve enjoyed playing a particular game or other feature of the casino, you might tell a friend know about it. If you do, some casinos will award you a referral bonus after your friend has signed up with the casino. This bonus will depend on the amount the friend puts in their account.
VIP and loyalty programmes
Loyalty or rewards programmes often come in different tiers. The more you play, the further up the levels you climb and the bigger the perks become. A lot of casinos offer their rewards weekly. A typical offer could be ‘Spend $10 this week and receive 20 free spins next week”.
A VIP programme is for high rollers who spend lots of money at the casino without even thinking about it. These programmes give the player lots of perks, such as tournament entry, refund bonuses, access to VIP lounges and a personal assistant or account manager.
Refund bonus
Some casinos offer refund bonuses to help you recover part of your losses or all of them. This is often part of a VIP programme or on parts of the casino’s offering that require a high value spend.
Online casinos set up lots of different bonuses so that they can get the best value possible out of their igaming. Other bonuses you might see include the cross-link bonus, where a casino may encourage you to spend money on one service and give you some credit to use on another e.g. spend £10 on blackjack and get 50 free spins on slots.