Head to any brand new independent casinos for UK, and you’ll see countless casino bonuses available. These are small incentives designed to encourage you to play and to keep coming back again and again. If you have never experienced an online casino bonus before, then you may have a few questions about which is the best type of online casino bonus option to go for. We figured we’d write a list of pros and cons. It should make that decision a little bit easier.
Do bear in mind that this is not a complete guide to every online casino bonus on the planet. We feel as if writing a guide like that would be nigh on impossible, as companies are always coming up with unique bonuses. Instead, this is a guide to the most common bonuses that you’ll encounter.
A note on casino bonuses
A lot of people seem to have the false belief that a casino bonus will give you free cash. It doesn’t. In fact, casinos are quite reluctant to give away free money. They are a business, after all. We are not sure we can name a single successful business that gave away free money to their customers.
A casino bonus is simply bonus cash. This is cash that you can only use at the online casino. There will also be rollover requirements attached, so you will have to play through the cash several times, often 20 to 40 times, before you can withdraw any winnings from your account. They can be fun to use and are a low risk way to try out a new casino, but they all have hefty terms and conditions which you need to pay attention to.
As in life, there are pros and cons to everything, so let’s get into this shall we?
Deposit-based bonuses
This is the most common type of bonus available at an online casino. You deposit some cash, and the online casino will give you a percentage of it back in bonus cash. Pretty simple stuff. It is probably the easiest-to-understand bonus, and we don’t think there are many online casinos, at least in the UK, that don’t offer it.
You may see this referred to as a ‘matched deposit’ when you register for an online casino, and a ‘reload bonus’ when you top up your account with more cash. They are essentially the same thing.
Pros
The major positive is that the bonus is simple to understand. The online casino states upfront what you are getting. Deposit the required amount, and you’ll get the cash.
These bonuses can often be used on all games at an online casino too, but you should still check the terms and conditions. This means you can really sample everything that the online casino has to offer with your bonus cash. This allows you to see which games you like and don’t like.
Cons
These bonuses often have the highest rollover requirements. This means that the chances of you actually withdrawing anything from your casino bonus will normally be quite low.
A lot of the time, these bonuses give you an incentive to deposit more cash than you normally would deposit. So, even if you are hit with the allure of an amazing deposit-based bonus, always stick to your pre-defined gambling limits.
Free spins
Head to any new casino, and you’ll see countless casino bonuses available and we can guarantee that the most-played games will be the slot machines. As a result, many of the casino bonuses will often be focused on the slots. Slots free spins will be one of the most common bonuses here. But are these free spins truly “worth it”?
Free spins do exactly what they say on the tin. You get a few free spins on some of the most popular slot machines. Sometimes, you may receive hundreds of spins, but it is more likely going to be between 20 and 100.
Pros
Free spins are free spins. With this bonus, you can check out several slot machines without spending a penny.
Free spins will also have far lower rollover requirements than other online casino bonuses. In fact, in some cases, you may even find free spins with no rollover requirements and free spins that win real money.
Cons
This type of bonus is commonly linked to particular slot machines. Previously, the bonus spins were predominantly for games from providers such as NetEnt. While the selected game might not always align with your preferences, it’s worth noting that some slot machines, such as Starburst, have gained immense popularity because of their straightforward design. Online casinos might offer bonus spins for these renowned slots, encouraging players to further explore their platform. It’s always a good idea to play responsibly and be aware of such promotions.
VIP bonuses
VIP bonuses award regular players at an online casino. The more you play, the more reward points you collect.
The way that the VIP bonuses work can vary from online casino to online casino. Some will allow you to trade any collected points for prizes, others will let you play exclusive games or receive exclusive bonuses. Despite the ‘prizes’ being different, the pros and cons are the same.
Pros
We absolutely love online casinos that reward players for sticking around. You feel cared for, and you always have something new to aim for. In our experience, online casinos that have VIP bonuses in place often have the best games and offers too. This is because they have a steady customer base who will return to them whether they fancy a game of roulette or want to place a bet on the Rugby World Cup.
Cons
The downside is that once you have ‘bought’ into a certain casino and have started to collect VIP status there, you are less inclined to check out other online casinos. This means that there could be plenty of amazing online games that you are missing out on.
We have also seen some online gamblers try to push themselves to gain more loyalty points. This is not a good thing, as it encourages people to gamble with cash they may not have available.
Prize wheels
Prize wheels are a fairly new addition to the online casino scene. How they work will differ from one online casino to the next, but the pros and cons are the same no matter where you are.
The idea is that each day, you get a free spin on a prize wheel. Each spin can reward you with awesome prizes such as cash bonuses for the online casino, free spins and sometimes even holidays and cars.
Pros
It’s a free reward, which is always nice. You don’t have to do anything other than visit the online casino. What’s not to love?
Cons
You will visit the online casino, which can lure you into gambling when you may not want to do it. If you don’t feel like gambling that day, then ignore the temptation.
Cashback bonuses
Cashback bonuses are another newer type of bonus. With this bonus, you can get back a percentage of your losses each week as bonus cash.
Pros
We must admit that this helps to alleviate the sting of heavy losses each week. It also provides you with something that you can use to pick yourself back up again the following week. With a safety net of sorts, you might feel more in control of your gaming habits. Instead of chasing losses immediately, you know that a percentage will return, promoting a more structured and deliberate approach to gaming.
Cons
Cashback bonuses are one way that casinos give back to their players. While they essentially reward play, it’s important to view them as a second chance or a bonus, rather than a way to recover losses, which is not healthy. Many individuals enjoy gambling responsibly without falling into the trap of chasing losses, so avoid this pitfall at all costs. These bonuses can be a way to extend your playtime and get more entertainment value from your gaming sessions. When receiving a cashback, which is something most big businesses now offer customers, not just online casinos, it’s a great opportunity to approach your next gaming session with a renewed strategy or simply enjoy the games you love.
Final thoughts
Remember, each online casino will have different casino bonuses. While we have given you a general overview of the bonuses here, do bear in mind that there may be slight differences between bonuses on specific platforms. Always read through the terms and conditions of these bonuses to work out exactly what the pros and cons are.
Remember to never ‘chase’ a bonus. A bonus is just a bonus. Just enjoy it rather than putting too much thought into how much it could net you. Gambling is supposed to be fun after all!
