The iGaming industry has been a hot-button issue in mainstream culture nowadays. A lot of people have noticed a surge in people gambling online. The rapid growth of the industry has been well-documented for the last five years, but what is truly impressive is that it continues to grow and develop.
It seems that more people now are gambling online than ever before. For good reason too, as online casinos have proven safe, reliable, and newbie-friendly. However, a major factor that has boosted their popularity is that internet gambling platforms come with a slew of bonuses, that make gambling easier.
Online Casino Bonuses
For the unaware, an online casino bonus is a promotional offer, available at most online gambling sites. The bonuses vary widely, depending on the type and on the website. Primarily, they are designed to help new players get into gambling, and get a better understanding of the industry. However, a lot of players also use them to chase after a prize.
As we said, online casino bonuses differ quite significantly. Some of the casino online websites may have a completely different bonus from anything you’ve seen before. Which is why we always recommend checking out the website before creating an account. However, it is also true that many casino bonus offers follow the same basic pattern. Let’s explore the most popular types of bonuses at online casinos.
What are the Most Popular Options?
There are a lot of different bonus options to choose from, when selecting your website. However, primarily bonuses are divided into two groups; the first group are newbie bonuses, and the second is loyalty bonuses. As you can probably imagine, newbie bonuses are those that newcomers get upon signing up to a website, whereas loyalty bonuses are designed to keep long-time fans happy and satisfied.
- Newbie Bonuses
Newbie bonuses are, most often, called “Welcome Offers.” Though welcome offers are a universal standard in iGaming right now, the way that players qualify for one differs from website to website. For example, there are three primary ways that you can qualify for a welcome bonus when joining an online casino.
- No-Deposit: a no-deposit bonus is precisely what it sounds like. You create your account, and once you’ve verified it, the casino awards you your bonus.
- 1st Deposit: a first-deposit bonus, again, is an obvious matter. Once you place your first ever deposit at an online casino, the staff awards you a certain bonus.
- Deposit Code Bonus: bonus codes are not uncommon in online gambling circles. While you are creating your account, the website will ask for a code. If you type in the correct one, you get a bonus.
These are the three, major options for a welcome offer. For obvious reason, the no-deposit bonus is the most popular one, and most sought out by fans. However, what about the loyal customers who’ve stuck out with the casino for months, or even years?
- Loyalty Bonuses
Loyalty bonuses are, as the names suggests, promotional offers that reward loyalty. If a player has stuck out with the site for months, or even years, the casino operators have decided that the player should be awarded. That is where the loyalty promo offer comes in.
Loyalty offers tend to come in different shapes and sizes. To better understand what you can expect from a loyalty bonus, it is best to discuss the different rewards online casinos give out as promos. Which brings us to our next point.
The Rewards
Now that we understand the two primary types of online casino bonuses, it is time to take a look at the different reward options. Whether you are just joining a casino, or you are expecting a loyalty bonus soon, these are the benefits you can expect to get, when gambling online.
- Free Bets/Spins
Possibly the most popular gambling bonus at most internet casinos, the Free Spins reward most often applies to slot games. However, it can also apply to roulette, craps, and with Free Bets, even to blackjack. What it does is simple.
The Free Spins bonus awards a player a certain amount of free spins, that they can use to play games without having to wager any more money. However, if the free spin lands on a winning combination, the player still gets a cash reward. It should be obvious why they are so popular.
- Match Deposit
The Match Deposit bonus is similar to the Free Spins bonus, in that it allows players to make a bet without putting their own cash at risk. Basically, when a player deposits a certain sum, if they are eligible for a match deposit bonus, the casino will double their cash.
Match Deposits are, in many instances, just as popular as free spins, and in some ways they serve the same purpose. However, the real jackpot is a casino that offers both Free Spins and a Match Deposit Bonus. These are the sites that draw in the most amount of fans.
How to Use a Bonus?
Most people believe that the bonus is designed to help them win the jackpot, or the grand prize. However, the truth of the matter is that, that isn’t what the bonus is for. In fact, the majority of people who gamble online using bonuses, often don’t win anything during those free games. So, then what is the point?
The biggest reason an online casino offers a promotional bonus is to entice players to check out the games that they otherwise wouldn’t. The idea is that, you might want to get a feel for a game, but you don’t want to wager any money on it, with many of the favorite online payment brands, just in case you end up not liking it. The bonus helps you by giving you some free spins that allow you to explore as much games as you want.
That isn’t to say that it is impossible to win a cash prize when using a bonus. Indeed, it has happened before. However, the primary goal of internet casinos when offering a bonus is to promote responsible gambling, and give you an option to explore their ever-expanding library.
