Online casinos love to reward new and existing players with different bonuses and rewards. You’ve undoubtedly seen many of them advertised online or on the telly, but what do the different bonuses mean – and how do you claim them?
The more you look into casino bonuses, the more complicated they appear. You’ve got categories and sub-categories exploring everything from free spins no deposit no GamStop bonuses to simple matched deposit deals. Getting to grips with these offers is vital if you want to claim the best deals and understand how they work. So, get ready to embark on a long journey through different casino bonuses and all you must know about them!
The 6 Main Types Of Online Casino Bonuses
You’re generally able to split the different casino bonuses into five broad categories:
- Welcome Deposit Bonuses
- Reload Bonuses
- No Deposit Bonuses
- Loyalty Bonuses
- Cashback Bonuses
- Free Bet Bonuses
Welcome Deposit Bonuses
This is the casino bonus most of you have heard of or seen before. They’re widely advertised by gambling companies as they serve a key purpose: to encourage new players to sign up for the casino.
New members are tempted to the site with promises of great deals when they make a first deposit. All welcome deposit bonuses will come with the following features:
- A qualifying deposit amount – Also known as the minimum deposit, this is how much money you must add to your account to claim the bonus. You can add more, but adding less than the qualifying deposit means you won’t get your bonus.
- Your rewards – Welcome deposit bonuses may have different rewards when you unlock them. A popular option is a matched deposit bonus – this could be 100%, 200% or anything else. It will mean you get this percentage back from your deposit as bonus funds. E.g. a 100% bonus from a £10 deposit gives you a £10 bonus.
Another reward could be some free spins that are gifted when you deposit money. Many sites have deals like “deposit £20 and get 100 free spins on a specific game”.
- Maximum bonus – This relates to the most amount of money you can claim from your welcome bonus. It only refers to matched deposits. For instance, you can get a 100% deposit bonus up to £100. This means if you deposit £200, you won’t get £200 as a bonus; it’ll be capped at £100.
- Wagering requirements – Every welcome bonus has wagering requirements showing how many times you need to bet your bonus before it can be withdrawn as real money. 10x wagering means you need to win £100 from your £10 bonus.
They’ll also have various terms and conditions for you to read through explaining what you can do with your bonus, how much you’re allowed to bet per game and so on.
Some welcome deposit bonuses are provided in tiers – you get a bonus for your first deposit, then your second, etc. These are called “welcome packages” and are rare across UK sites but widely prevalent overseas.
Reload Bonuses
A reload bonus is fairly identical to a welcome bonus but with one caveat; it’s awarded to you after you’ve claimed any welcome deals.
Similar rules and features apply, though reload bonuses tend to be smaller than welcome deals. A lot of websites are introducing ongoing reload bonuses that you can claim every week/day/month. Some will have a reload offer you can use up to a certain number of times per week, etc.
They’re seen as very beneficial bonuses as you’ve always got a chance to claim some bonus funds or spins when you deposit money.
No Deposit Bonuses
Every bonus on this list works when you deposit money. It’s a give-and-take from the casino – it gives you a bonus, but only after it takes your money. That is, of course, unless you’re claiming a no-deposit bonus deal.
These bonuses are rare – and you can probably see why. The concept is in the name; you get a bonus without needing to deposit money. This is a 100% free deal. Like welcome offers, they come with different permutations/conditions and will usually reward you with:
- Bonus funds – A set amount of “bonus” money you can spend across the website or on specific games.
- Free spins – Several free spins to use on a listed slot game.
As you’re getting these things for free, don’t expect the rewards to be that substantial. You could get 50 free spins or a £5 bonus and there will be pretty tight caps on how much money you’re allowed to withdraw if you win. Casinos do this to avoid losing hundreds or thousands of pounds for free – it’s frustrating, but you can understand it.
Still, these are the best bonuses as they cost nothing to claim and you may genuinely get lucky and walk away with a free £10 in cash. It’s better than nothing and you don’t lose anything if your no-deposit bonuses don’t end up winning.
Loyalty Bonuses
A loyalty bonus is similar to a reload bonus in that it can be made sporadically available after you get any welcome offers. The key difference is that the casino will personally provide this bonus to you – and it’s often tailored to your playing habits.
Moreover, loyalty bonuses tend to form part of loyalty programs. There’s loads of data about loyalty programs and how beneficial they are for businesses of all types. It’s reported that customers are 59% more likely to choose a brand over a competitor when it has a loyalty program, which is why more and more casinos are bringing them in.
While each program is different, most follow a similar pattern, as detailed below:
- You deposit money or wager it on different games
- Each deposit/wager generates points or moves you along a loyalty level
- Once you reach a certain level, you unlock a bonus
- The more you advance, the better the bonuses become
The whole point of these deals is to encourage you to keep using the site and you’ll be rewarded for it. One great thing about loyalty offers is they’re usually the most reasonable in terms of wagering requirements as you have to work hard to get them. Some may even come with zero wagering – if your bonus wins, you get the cash!
Cashback Bonuses
On the topic of cash, you can get some of your cash back as a bonus from different casinos. We usually see these bonuses at international casino sites as UK ones can be a bit iffy about them.
They follow a very simple idea:
- Deposit money and bet as you normally would each week
- Submit a cashback request through customer support and claim a percentage back from your losses
- Money is credited as bonus funds to use as you please
It’s an extremely inventive bonus and can minimise your overall losses. Not all sites provide this – and those that do will usually make you actively request your cashback bonus, so it won’t be credited automatically. You won’t get the biggest amount ever – most deals are around 10%.
Free Bet Bonuses
Lastly, you may encounter free bet bonuses from some casino sites, though these only appear when the casino offers betting options for sports fans. They can be welcome offers or reload bonuses and you’ll need to deposit money to claim them.
We’ve put them in a section on their own because they work slightly differently from all other bonuses:
- Meet the minimum deposit amount
- Place a qualifying bet (this is outlined in the terms and conditions)
- Regardless of whether your bet wins or loses, you receive a free bet
- Use your free bet however you wish!
The amazing thing about free bet bonuses is that your free bet is genuinely free most of the time. Yes, it costs money to unlock it, but if you win money using the free bet, it’s instantly withdrawable.
Key Takeaways
We think we’ve covered just about all the different casino bonuses, how they work and how to claim them. Some key takeaways from this guide are as follows:
- Always read the terms and conditions before claiming a bonus, paying close attention to wagering requirements
- Consider looking for casinos with loyalty programs or reload bonuses so you’re constantly rewarded
- Claim multiple welcome offers from different sites and never turn down a no-deposit bonus