Online Casino Bonuses & Welcome Promotions

Here’s a look at the best casino bonuses right now, including the best bonuses available

Types of Online Casino Bonuses

Here is a list explaining every bonus you’re likely to encounter from the best online casinos.

• Bet-and-get bonus — Wager a minimum amount playing a particular game or games during a designated period and receive a bonus in return.
• Cash back bonus — Some sites will award you cash back as a refund for your losses during a certain period of play.
• Deposit match bonus — Deposit money, and the online casino will match your deposit at a stated percentage.
• Free spins (a.k.a. bonus spins) — Receive free spins and use them on a particular real money slot game or games and keep whatever winnings you earn (sometimes subject to a playthrough requirement).
• Giveaway bonus and prize drawings — Many online casinos have drawings you can enter that award cash prizes or bonus money.
• Loyalty reward bonus — Sites with loyalty rewards programs allow you to accumulate points that can be redeemed for bonuses and other benefits.
• No deposit bonus — The recipient receives a bonus without having to make a deposit first (often in a welcome offer).
• Refer-a-friend bonus — Get a friend to create an account and/or deposit funds, and the online casino will award you a bonus in return, and sometimes the friend will receive a bonus, too.
• Refund bonus — A refund of net losses incurred while playing games during a certain period.
• Reload bonus — Like the deposit match bonus described above, “reload” your online casino account with a deposit and receive a bonus in return.
• Welcome bonus — Practically all online casinos have welcome offers that include bonuses such as no deposit bonuses, deposit match bonuses, and free spins.

Deposit vs. no deposit online casino bonuses

Most online casinos offer both no deposit bonuses and deposit bonuses.

With no deposit bonuses, you receive the bonus without having to deposit. These can be a great way to see how you like the site without risking any money.

Meanwhile, deposit bonuses do require you to deposit. Usually, the bonus is some percentage of your deposit, e.g., a 20% deposit match bonus, or (more often) a 100% deposit match bonus. Like the no-deposit bonuses, deposit match bonuses often come in the form of site credits and sometimes have playthrough requirements.

What is a bonus code, and where do I find it?

If you are considering registering for an online casino, or even if you already have an account, you should keep an eye out for bonus codes.

Once you have a bonus code, make a note of it. If the bonus is part of a welcome offer, when you register your account, you’ll be asked to enter the code when you register (see explanation below).

How do I cash out my online casino bonus?

As noted above, all online casino bonuses come with certain terms and conditions, including those covering how you cash out your bonus.

A bonus may come as “bonus money” or casino credit. That means you can’t withdraw the bonus, but you can play games with it and then withdraw the winnings you earn. You may have to satisfy a playthrough requirement before you can withdraw those winnings.

Once the money you’ve won with your bonus is available, visit the cashier and choose an available withdrawal option. Note that there may be a minimum amount you can withdraw.

How to claim an online casino bonus right now

Ready to claim an online casino bonus? The process is easy. Follow these steps.

1. Once you’ve settled on an online casino, mark down the bonus code and click through the links on this page to register an account.
2. Enter your personal information, including your full name, email address, phone number, physical address, date of birth, and last four digits of your Social Security number.
3. Create a username and password and set up security questions if needed.
4. Watch as you go for a box and prompt to enter your bonus code.
5. Click “Create account” (or the equivalent).

Once you’ve registered your account and entered the bonus code correctly, you’ll typically see the bonus appear in your account immediately or within a short period.

Three Pitfalls of Online Casino Bonuses

Here are three potential hazards to watch out for regarding online casino bonuses.

1. Time limits — Sometimes, you have a limited amount of time to use your bonus, perhaps a week or even just 24 hours. Make note, as the bonus will expire when the time limit does.
2. Game limits — You might be excited to receive a bonus only to learn it applies to one particular real money slot game or can’t be used to play your favorite games. Again, check the terms!
3. Unreasonable playthrough requirements — Occasionally, a bonus might come with a particularly large playthrough requirement, say, 30x or more. If it is a bonus of $100 and has a 50x playthrough requirement, you have to wager $5,000 of your own money just to receive the $100. That might be a lot more than you want to risk.

How to ensure you get an online casino bonus

We strongly recommend you stick to legal and licensed real money casino apps. Such sites must follow the laws and regulations of the state in which they operate. They undergo audits to ensure the games are fair and that players’ personal information and funds are secure.

A licensed site has to abide by the stated terms and conditions of any bonus it offers, which means you must receive your bonus as long as you meet those terms. If you have any issues or think you may not have received a bonus you were due, you can contact customer support, and the site has to respond to your queries.

Top 6 tips for finding the best casino bonus

Deciding which online casino bonus works best for you can prove tricky. Here are some key factors to consider when trying to find the best bonus.

1. Compare bonus amounts

The first thing to look at is the size of the bonus. The best online casinos will offer a maximum of $1,000 or more for a deposit-matching bonus. Others will offer between $100 and $500.

2. Be aware of wagering requirements

Next, look at the wagering requirements for the bonus. This tells you the number of times you need to wager funds equal to the bonus amount or the deposit plus the bonus before you can withdraw them. This is as critical as the bonus size.

Near-impossible wagering requirements take away most of a bonus’ value, no matter how big it may be. The best online casino bonuses have low wagering requirements, allowing you to withdraw the winnings after wagering the bonus just once or only a few times.

Make sure you read the terms and conditions for any bonus, as these will outline all wagering requirements.

3. Look for extra bonuses

The best online casinos will offer you different bonuses and promotions on top of your original welcome bonus. The amounts, frequency and wagering requirements will all vary. Casinos that run regular promos and extra bonuses provide long-term value.

4. What is the expiration date?

Also consider the time you have to use a bonus. Depending on the size of the bonus, 30 days or more can be a doable time frame. Other casinos may give you as little as seven days. Make sure to read the terms and conditions. These will outline how long you have before the bonus expires. That expiration date can majorly affect your ability to clear the bonus.

5. Check for a minimum deposit

Some online casinos ask you to deposit a certain amount of money before you can claim a bonus. This is also something you’ll find in the terms and conditions.

6. Try out a new online casino

Brand new online casinos entering an established market need to draw over new customers. That means they’re very likely to offer an enticing sign-up bonus and/or bonus spins. Check our current list of the newest real money online casinos or social casino apps and sweeps cash casinos, which you can play from any state except Idaho or Washington.

How to use your casino bonus

Online casino bonuses are normally easy to understand and use. Most play out in similar ways. Whether you’re talking about a no deposit bonus or a deposit match bonus, the best online casinos make it easy to take advantage of these offers. Here’s how to use the standard types of online casino bonuses:

Using a deposit bonus

Deposit bonus maximums vary, with the best offering to match $1,000 or more. To claim this type of bonus, you sign up, enter the promo or bonus code, and deposit anywhere from the minimum to the maximum amount.

That’ll get you the bonus funds. Most deposit bonuses offer a 100% match, although some online casinos only offer 20% of the amount you deposit. Obviously, this means you’d have to deposit more to get the maximum available bonus.

Normally, you can use the bonus funds on any game you like. The terms and conditions will spell out any wagering requirements or game restrictions. Then, it’s just a matter of playing enough of the right games to meet the wagering requirement before you can withdraw any winnings.

Using a no deposit bonus

No deposit bonuses are usually much easier to benefit from. Most of the time, all you have to do is sign up to get them. These types of bonuses will almost always take the form of bonus funds that arrive in your account once you have created it.

Normally, you can use the bonus to play whatever games you like. Read the terms and conditions to check if there are any restrictions. Then, play until you meet the wagering requirements, and you can do anything you like with the winnings.

How to calculate casino bonuses

To properly benefit from an online casino bonus, you need to know how it works. That should start with calculating the casino bonus and working out how much you need to deposit and how much you need to bet before you can withdraw any winnings.

Percentages and bonus amounts

You’ll need to do a quick calculation to figure the amount you want to deposit, the size of the bonus that will get you and what you’ll need to do to clear any wagering requirements.

First, look at the percentage of the offer. If an online casino offers a 100% deposit bonus and you deposited $100, then you’d wind up with $100 in bonus funds. If it were a 50% bonus, you’d end up with $50, and so on.

Wagering requirements

Look at the wagering requirements, and calculate how much you have to gamble before you can withdraw any funds. The wagering requirements dictate how much you need to bet in order to withdraw anything you win along the way. All of the top online casinos have wagering requirements. It’s just a matter of how big they are. Most are from 1x to 30x.

If you get a $100 bonus with a one-time wagering requirement, you would have to make $100 in bets before you can withdraw the winnings. If you get a $100 bonus with a 20x wagering requirement, you would have to make $2,000 in bets before you can withdraw any winnings.

Also note that the wagering requirements may be different for different games, and if that’s the case, you’ll have to adjust your calculations based on what games you play.

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