Welcome bonuses are standard items at online casinos, offering new players the opportunity to increase their bankroll with a matching deposit. This is often called, ‘free money’ to entice less-experienced players into signing up. But if that sounds too good to be true, then you are probably right.
How does a casino welcome bonus work?
When a new player makes a deposit at a casino, that deposit will typically be matched by another amount on the house- usually it’s 100%, meaning if you deposit $100, the casino will add another $100 to your account so that you have $200 in playing money.
The idea is that with this extra money, you can try new casino games – and compared to land based casinos, which have a much smaller selection focusing on table games with a few slot machines, online casinos can have hundreds of games. This extra money lets you sample everything there is at no risk – you can literally afford to lose because the money was free.
You can afford to lose, but can you afford to win? Bonus money is not without strings – in order to withdraw your winnings, you will have to meet your wagering requirements. This average is between 30 and 50x, meaning you will have to bet 50 times over your bonus money – that’s $50 000, meaning that it’s unlikely you will walk away with your winnings.
Fair casino bonuses
Although classic casino bonuses are still in the majority, more and more casinos offer bonuses that work differently.
For example, there are bonuses that do not require wagering requirements. These are usually smaller and not as generous, but usually come without the difficult to understand small print.
There are also bonuses that are offered completely free of charge. The player does not even have to make a deposit for them. These are “no deposit bonuses” and are rather rare to find, as they are often the target of so-called bonus hunters.
We at reviewed-casinos.com welcome alternative bonuses, as classic deposit match bonuses and their wagering requirements are all too often a source of misunderstanding and displeasure.
