If you’ve ever played at an online casino before, you’ll know that bonuses are a huge part of the overall experience. Not only do they give you money or free spins, allowing you more chances to play, but they also boost excitement significantly. Without bonuses and promotions, casinos simply wouldn’t be the same.
There’s one question that many ask, however, and it’s this: are online casino bonuses worth it? That’s what we’re going to investigate on this page, so keep on reading to find out more!
What Are Casino Bonuses?
Before looking at whether online casino bonuses are worth it, we should look at what exactly they are. Generally, there are two types of casino bonuses: free money and free spins. Both can be given to a player when they deposit as an incentive to add money to the site. Alternatively, they can be given without you needing to deposit anything at all – these are called no deposit bonuses.
Once you have received a bonus, you can spend it playing one of the many games found at the online casino in question. Unfortunately, you won’t usually be allowed to withdraw any money you win straight away, as instead, you’ll need to meet wagering requirements. This means you’ll have to wager the bonus funds a certain number of times before withdrawals become available.
The most common type of casino bonus is a deposit bonus. This works in the following way:
- Deposit at your chosen online casino
- Ensure you enter a bonus code if needed
- You will then receive a bonus worth the specified percentage of your deposit
- Bonus funds can then be used to play games
- You can withdraw winnings when wagering requirements have been met
Deposit bonuses are usually offered as part of a welcome bonus, giving you extra money when you make your first-ever deposit at a site. It’s often the case that welcome bonuses also include free spins, which can be used to play some of the best online slots around.
Is it Worth Playing with Bonus Money?
This is the big question, but it’s an easy one to answer: providing you are using a bonus with fair terms and conditions, it’s definitely worth playing with bonus money. There are two reasons for this, and the first is that bonus money can be used to win real money, so why wouldn’t you give it a try? Sure, the wagering requirements mean that it can be tough to withdraw, but it’s not impossible, meaning you should take the chance to win. If you don’t manage to, you won’t have lost any of your cash in the process.
Playing with bonus money is also fantastic because it allows you to try out the various games at an online casino without having to risk your cash. With most casinos now having over 1,000 games to choose from, it can be challenging working out which one to play, and most don’t want to waste their own money trying out games they end up not liking. So instead, you should use the bonus money to try the different games, then play the games you enjoy with your cash.
The Risks of Playing with a Bonus
The most significant risk to playing with a bonus is the fact that it might not be possible to withdraw a win if you’re lucky enough to scoop one. This could be because the wagering requirements mean you have to spend loads of the win to reach the point where you can withdraw, or it could be because the bonus has a cap on the amount of money you can win.
The only other risk we can think of is that some bonuses have very short expiry periods, with some free spins having expiry periods of just 24 hours. Unfortunately, many don’t realise this and don’t use their bonus in time. Once the expiry period passes, the bonus is then removed automatically from their account. So, make sure you check the terms and conditions of a bonus before using it to ensure you don’t accidentally fall foul of the expiry date.
Should I Use a Specific Casino Bonus?
Some casino bonuses are great, and others aren’t so attractive. To help you decide whether a bonus is worth using or not, look through the points below.
- How large is the bonus? The bigger a bonus is, the more money you’re going to have to spend playing your favourite casino games.
- Check the wagering requirements. If they are over 35x your bonus, they are above average, giving you less chance of withdrawing your winnings.
- Look to see if there’s a cap on winnings – the lower the cap on winnings is, the worse the bonus is. The best bonuses have no cap at all.
- See if there are any game restrictions, as some bonuses can only be used to play certain games. There’s no point claiming a bonus if you don’t like the games on offer.
- Check on the expiry date. Will you have enough time to use all the bonus funds and meet the wagering requirements?
Please note that those simply wanting to use a casino bonus to test out the games don’t need to worry about the points above, except the bonus size. Just claim the biggest bonus possible and then enjoy playing the various games on offer!
Avoid Casinos That Don’t Offer Bonuses
Amazingly, some casinos still don’t offer bonuses, and we’d advise that you avoid them. This is for a couple of reasons, with the first being that you’re going to have to take on all the risk when trying to win money – casinos with bonuses at least share some of that risk with you.
It’s also the case that casinos that don’t provide bonuses aren’t thinking about what their players want. This certainly doesn’t bode well for other aspects of the site. Online casinos are made possible thanks to the players, and casinos should be doing everything they feasibly can to provide a fantastic playing experience. If they’re not offering a bonus, they’re falling at the first hurdle.
So, our advice is this: stick to playing at a casino that offers fantastic bonuses to players, such as many of the casinos we’ve reviewed here on this site!
Will Writing has been writing about online casinos and casino bonuses for over 9 years. Will prides himself on paying attention to detail when checking out any new casino bonuses that come onto the market. Aside from verifing casino bonuses, Will enjoys playing video games and football. Will currently resides in London, UK.
