Casino Bonus Guide

Online casinos are nothing new, but in recent times, with competition growing, the bonuses available to players have exploded in value, making online casino gaming an increasingly popular pastime, not least in the UK.

The nature of online casinos means they’re open 24-hours a day, and players can enjoy a quick-fix or a full-session’s entertainment wherever they are, courtesy of mobile technology such as mobile phones and tablets. Casino players have access to hundreds of games; a plethora of traditional casino games plus an ever growing variety of slot games.

The main reason that the popularity of online casinos is surging though is the fantastic array of welcome bonuses that they offer to new customers just for becoming a member. Despite the allure of potentially winning vast amounts of money, it’s important to remember that playing at an online casino should primarily be viewed as a bit of recreational fun – though you can certainly have a lot more fun for your money with the help of the welcome bonuses.

Create Your Account… easy as 123

Once you’ve chosen an online casino bonus to suit you, signing up is easy. By clicking on the ever present ‘join now’ button you’ll begin the registration process. You’ll then be presented with an online form to fill in; and required to enter details such as name, address, email address, password, confirm password, date of birth – just as you would when joining any online forum such as Facebook. You may also be asked for a promo-code/offer-code at some point, and it’s a good idea to look out for these to make sure you qualify for the very best bonuses available.

First Deposit… Choose Wisely

Minimum deposits tend to be £10 but, as many welcome-bonuses are only credited on your first deposit, it is wise to consider at this point how much you want to deposit in order to take maximum advantage of the casino’s generosity.

For example: If the casino is offering a 150% welcome-bonus on your first deposit up to a maximum of £150, then you will need to make an initial deposit of £100 to take full advantage. Equally, if you only want to deposit £10 – you’ll still qualify for a £15 bonus – just miss out on the chance to get a further £135 to play with for free.

Not all casinos only give bonuses on initial deposits, often they choose to stagger them, for example: First deposit 100%, Second deposit 25%, Third deposit 10%, Fourth deposit 25% and Fifth deposit 110%. Usually all deposits have to be of equal value though – so don’t think you can just lump in on the big percentage ones.

Payment Methods… Hidden Extras?

As well as registering your details, you will also have to decide what payment method you are going to use to finance your initial deposit. All payment methods listed below usually allow you to deposit funds into your account instantly; and registering your cards with an online casino is as safe and secure as registering with any online retailer. Alternatively, you may consider paying using an e-wallet provider such as paypal. Often these providers offer an additional deposit bonus so it’s a good idea to look out for these and further boost your bonus! Popular payment methods include:

Credit/debit cards, Neteller, Skrill (Moneybookers), PayPal, InstaDebit, Click2Pay, Ukash, Paysafecard

Bonus T&Cs… Read the small print

Wherever you bet, you always need to scrutinize the terms and conditions to avoid potential disappointment or hurdles you weren’t expecting, and to realize that any ‘get rich quick schemes’ you may have hatched – are usually covered in them.

Minimal risk wagering – using tactics such as simultaneously backing both red and black on roulette will be seen as minimal-risk wagering and, if stipulated in the casino’s rules, may lead to the cancellation of all bonuses and winnings from bonuses.

Guaranteed wagering – This covers the casino if they think two or more people are covering the angles to guarantee winning using their bonuses – and again may result in the loss of bonuses and any winnings from them.

Games contribution – only a percentage of the stake placed on certain games counts towards wagering requirements. For example: Keno 100%, games 50%, baccarat 25%, blackjack 10%.

One address/one bonus – Most online casinos also stipulate that only account from any address can qualify for a bonus.

Cash Out Your Winnings… Everyone’s Favourite!

Minimum Wagering requirements – each online casino will have its own set of rules when it comes to cashing-out the winnings you have accrued from playing with combination of your first deposit/welcome bonus. But, for example, in order to cash-out these winnings you will have to play through the sum of your first deposit/welcome-bonus – 20 times.

Time limit – Play through your winnings within the agreed amount of time – e.g. 30 days.

Early withdrawals – Beware that if you request to withdraw winnings before you have met the wagering requirements – all bonuses and winnings will be lost, and you’ll only be able to withdraw your original deposit or what’s left of it – so make sure you don’t need your deposit back quickly.

So remember, it’s unlikely that you’ll get rich quick from your online casino bonus, but those nice juicy bonuses available mean – you can have a lot of fun!