You don’t have to spend very long comparing online casino options to reach one conclusion. All of them are keen to welcome you as a member, and they will bend over backwards in an attempt to outdo one another with the free casino bonuses on offer when you sign up.
For the player, that can only be good news – in the online casino world, it is a buyer’s market, meaning you hold all the cards – or indeed the poker chips. However, while free first bet offers, no deposit bonuses or free spins on the slot machines all sound like guaranteed winners, there are some things to check to make sure you are getting the best possible deal.
Choose your bonus
The first thing to think about is what kind of bonus is best for you. Many casinos will offer free spins on the slot machines – sometimes as many as 100. That’s fine if it’s your game of choice, but if you are more interested in table games like roulette or blackjack, you can end up finding yourself playing slots just for the sake of it to use up your bonus.
It is far better in that case to choose a casino that gives a money bonus instead. Usually, this will correspond to the amount that you place on your casino account with your first deposit – so a 100 percent first deposit bonus means that if you deposit €20, the casino will match it and hey, presto! You have €40 to play with.
No deposit bonuses
Most welcome bonuses, whether they are in the form of money or free spins, are placed on your account when you open it up and make your first deposit. However, there are some casinos that offer no deposit bonuses. These take the same form as regular bonuses, but as the name suggests, will be placed on your account without you having to deposit any money of your own.
If you are wondering what the catch is, there isn’t one as such – it really is a free bonus, and you never have to deposit any money of your own into the account, should that be your wish. You also have exactly the same chance of a big win. The only thing to keep in mind is the wagering requirement.
What is the wagering requirement?
When you deposit money into a casino account, you can withdraw it whenever you like. With free bonuses, there are different rules. Naturally, you cannot just open the account, get the bonus, withdraw it and walk away with €10 in your pocket – that would hardly be fair. There is a wagering requirement, which states that you must use the bonus on games in the casino – and that if you win, you must reinvest it a set number of times before you can withdraw it as cash. Typically, the wagering requirement is a higher multiple on no-deposit bonuses than conventional ones.
Make your bankroll last longer
Bonuses are a great way to play for longer without additional financial outlay, and they give you more opportunities to scoop that big win. Just think carefully to work out the bonus that works best for you – and always read the small print to understand the wagering requirement before you sign up.
