About Online Casino Bonuses
Date Added: October 7, 2008
Online Casinos offer bonuses to players for two main reasons – one is to attract them to the casino and the other is to inculcate brand loyalty among its clients. These bonuses are free playing money that augment the player’s own bankroll. On fulfilling certain conditions the player is entitled to specified bonuses. He cannot directly cash out the bonuses but has to wager them a number of times. Only then can he withdraw the bonuses and the winnings from the bonuses. Some online casino bonuses are known as sticky bonuses. In this case the bonus amount lapses once the wagering requirements are met and the player can withdraw only the winnings. Stick bonuses generally have less stringent wagering requirements.
There are many types of online casino bonuses on offer. The most common are the Match Bonuses. These bonuses have different names in different online casinos such as Welcome Bonus, Sign Up bonus and Deposit Bonus. Match Bonuses are meant to attract new players by matching in some way the initial deposit made by them. There are three parameters that are specified in Match Bonuses: the minimum initial deposit to be made by the player so as to be eligible for the bonus; the percent of the player’s initial deposit that the online casino matches and the maximum bonus amount that will be given to the player.
Match Bonuses require players to make initial deposits. But some players, especially those who are new to online gaming, are hesitant to make deposits because they are uncertain whether they will be comfortable with the online casino’s systems. Hence online casinos sometimes offer No Deposit Bonuses. A bonus is given to the player upfront so that he can try out the games and the systems. This usually much smaller than the Match Bonus and is in the $10 to $20 range.
Free Time or Free Credit Bonuses are another way of attracting new players. They are not given an amount as bonus but a certain number of credits to play with and a specified time to use those credits. This type of bonus is usually associated with online slots games. The new player gets a certain number of free spins on online slots games, which may or may not be designated. The player does not have to make any deposit. He has to use the allotted free spins in the given time period. If he does so then he gets to keep whatever amount he has won.
There are online bonuses for existing players as well. The online gaming industry is extremely competitive and casinos need to retain their clientele by offering incentives. The online casino bonuses offered to existing players are known as Monthly Bonuses or Reload Bonuses. They function in a manner similar to Match Bonuses. Whenever players make deposits they are given a percent of the deposit as bonus. Usually these bonuses do not have a cap on individual amounts but on total amounts that can be received in a month. Hence they are known as Monthly Bonuses.
For a listing of online casino bonuses featured here at Top Casino Directory click here.
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