Big Casino Bonuses – A Short Guide
With thousands of online casinos vying for our custom, it can be hard to determine whether a welcome bonus is a great offer, the right choice for you or good value for money. A big bonus is not necessarily the best and sometimes offers that appear rather small can actually deliver more bang for our buck. Since player preferences are just as varied as online casinos, here’s a short guide to help you find the best bonus offer for you.
Big Welcome Bonus or Not?
Ready to start a new casino adventure? While the reputation of a gaming site plays a major role in deciding whether to sign up, so does the “red carpet” that is being rolled out to new players in the form of a welcome package. The most common casino bonus is a specific percentage that will be added to your deposit up to a maximum amount, e.g. 100% up to €200. In this case, the casino will basically match your deposit with an equal amount in bonus chips.
The percentage at reputable gaming sites varies between 50-500%. The maximum amounts can go as high as €5,000 or even more. Typically, a full match up to €200 can be seen as a big bonus. Anything over €300, we classify as a High Roller Bonus.
Naturally, if financials allow, the higher the maximum amount the better as it will give you a larger starting balance on your first rodeo at the new casino. Taking our example above, if you can deposit €100, you will have €200 in your account to play. Deposit €200 and the balance is doubled to €400. The boosted amount will allow you to play longer or bet bigger than usual and maybe try more games that you normally wouldn’t.
While 100% looks like a great bonus, there are casinos that offer higher percentages at 125% and 150% while some do 200% to 500%. These are the bonuses that will give you an even larger starting balance for a smaller deposit. We have several brands listed in the 200-500% bonus offers category with the maximum amount topping out as high as €2,500.
Experienced players will know that all bonuses come with specific terms and conditions before the bonus money is converted to real cash. A quick skimming of the terms will make sure they don’t miss any restrictions. For novices, however, it will be vital to read and understand the rules because any violation of them may lead to balance confiscations and other issues.
Wagering Requirements and Other Bonus Terms
There’s no such thing as a free lunch, or so the saying goes. The same applies to casino bonuses. Understandably, no operator can just give away free cash to every player as they wouldn’t last very long before closing down again. As such, any bonus that is given to players usually comes with specific terms and restrictions.
The main item when taking up a bonus are the wagering requirements. In simple words, it means the amount that needs to be wagered on casino games before a bonus and generated winnings turn into cash. Typically, they are shown as 50x bonus or 30x bonus + deposit. In cases where Free Spins are given, it refers to the winnings from those spins. Below are some examples to convert a bonus to cash:
- Wagering requirement for 100% at 50x bonus: €100 x 50 = €5,000 wagering needed.
- Wagering requirement for 100% at 30x bonus + deposit: (€100 + €100) x 30 = €6,000 wagering needed
Typically, any amount in your balance remaining after the wagering requirements have been met will become withdrawable cash. Beware though, some casinos will impose maximum cashout limits, either a fixed amount or as a multiple of the bonus given. Always read the terms to check for such a clause.
Just as important is to check for the maximum allowed bet while you have an active bonus. Generally, it will be €5 but can be as low as €1. This is the max amount you can bet per spin on a slot or any other allowed game during your wagering. Ensure that you do not go over, nor buy bonus rounds or boost bets that would then exceed the limit.
Further, casino operators restrict a range of games from being played with bonus money. While some will make sure you can’t load those games, others simply list them in the terms. The latter will make it easier to violate the rules and risk getting balances confiscated. Typically, live casino games, table games and slots with high RTPs are excluded. Make sure to read the restrictions list and adhere to the rules.
The above are the main items that will be part of the terms. Still, spending 5-10 minutes reading the entire bonus rules is the best advice. Just as advisable is to play at reputable casinos only. It will make sure you know what you can do with the bonus money and what kind of restrictions are in place. Avoiding the disappointment of having balances confiscated because of term breaches is the best way to enjoy your casino gaming.
