The word bonus comes from Latin (Bonu, Bonus, Bonae, Bonandrum, Bonundea…) and stand for “worthy”, “clever, “well, “kind”, “beauty” but essentially it means to get something extra for doing nothing extra. To receive something of value.

In today’s monetary society the result you get from googling or looking up the word bonus in a dictionary is: “-a sum of money added to a person’s wages as a reward for good performance”.

Example: “big Christmas bonuses”
Synonyms: extra payment, gratuity, tip, handout, gift, present, honorarium, reward, prize, commission, dividend, premium, percentage;

And in the monetary world of casino, the word bonus translates into music in the ears of any gambler. Because to get something extra when playing against the house means you have increased your chances and winning potential.

And the competition between casinos is fierce, especially over the top players. In Vegas for example, it’s been common practice among land based operators to incentives old and new potential customers with all sorts of deals. Presenting their so called VIP(s) with enhanced resort packages include free accommodation, transport, services, tickets to shows, galas,champagne and much more… Giving players lucrative deals and bonus packages meant staying ahead of the competition, bringing in business and essentially, by making players choose to stay at their resort and to gamble at their casino.

And truth be told, the rivalry among online casino operators is even more brutal. This is why their value proposition is much stronger and straight to the point. Sometimes, offering you bonuses that are just too good to be true. Here is how you can and should take advantage of that!

Different types of casino bonuses

Our intention with this page is to list everything there is to know about casino bonuses and provide you with simple, correct and meaningful answers to questions like;

What is a bonus? How does it work? What different types of bonuses are there? Where can I get a bonus? Which bonuses are the most popular? Which types of casino bonuses are the best? How do I evaluate different bonus terms? What are wagering requirements and how does it work? What is a normal amount of wagering requirements and how do I pass them? When am I able to make a withdrawal and cash out my winnings?

Two main bonus types

Bonuses are used by the absolute majority of online casinos and there is a great deal of value (money) to be made by claiming them.

There are basically two main types of casino bonuses.

Welcome bonus

A first deposit bonus / Welcome package purpose is to attract new customers and is made available to you on your first deposit(s) if you’ve never played on a site before.

Retention bonuses

These can come in any name, shape, size or form and are sent to you if you are an existing customers for retention purposes to make you revisit a site which you’ve already signed up to and played on in the past.

You can only receive ONE welcome package from a new casino and retention bonuses with a high % are extremely rare. The simple reason for this is because bonuses increase your chances of winning and cost online casino operators a fortune. Our suggestion is therefore always to grab an offer with good terms when it’s made available to you!

In the following chapter we’ll go over all casino bonus types in more detail and explain everything that you can possibly want to know about casino bonuses.

Welcome bonus – Get greeted like royalty

A first deposit bonus the absolute best way to get some additional value and bang the buck when you are about to try your luck at a new online casino.

The welcome bonus structures can be designed differently and terms may vary from one online casino to the other. There is for example a big difference between a sticky- vs. non-sticky bonus or how a parachute bonus and ratio bonus actually works. To read more in detail about the different types of welcome bonus structures, please click here.

A good tip and a general rule of thumb before you claim a welcome offer is to always read through the terms and condition of a welcome offer properly before you start playing. This ensures you that you are aware of the mechanics and can avoid breaching any of the terms. However, if you rather just get started playing without hesitation can do so with a good conscience because we’ve already tested, filtered, approved and selected the best casino bonuses online with the most valuable terms on the market for you to choose from.

These bonus offers come from our list with accredited casinos. We’ve reviewed their company structure, daily operations, their websites functionality, security & UX and continue to do so regularly. These are all partners we’ve worked with for years and can give our guarantee that they live up to what they promise. If you have any questions, run into trouble or would like to share your personal experience with one of these casino operators after claiming an offer. Then feel free to do so by commenting on this article or ideally write your own casino review.

You can also email us directly or reach out via social media. We are always here to help!

No deposit bonus – Try the latest slots or a new casino for free

A no deposit bonus is pretty self-explanatory, you don’t have to make a deposit to be eligible for the bonus. But there might be parts of it which still require a bit of elaboration. To start with the most obvious, a no deposit bonus is a free bonus that you can get simply by signing up for an account at the casino. The bonus is then given to you either as a cash bonus or credited to your player account as Free spins. If you are lucky or a VIP you could potentially even get your free spins credited as Super spins (which are 10x more valuable than regular Free spins).

And it’s all fun and games, but doesn’t this seem just a bit too good to be true? Usually, you would be correct in making that statement. However, even if most no deposit bonuses comes with some playthrough conditions attached to them, one could argue that this is as close as you will ever get to a free lunch. And there are even some no deposit bonuses without wagering requirements or any other strings attached. You are just required to bet the amount once in accordance with anti money laundering laws before you are eligible to make a withdrawal of your winnings derived from the bonus money. That’s practically free money and the best use and purpose of a no deposit offer is not to get rich but rather to try a new casino site or slot for free. You get some free spins in order to try something new in good faith and hopes that you’ll fall in love and come back.

Again we’ve tested, filtered, approved and selected the best free bonus offers for you to choose from at any new casino or recently released slots on the market 🔽

Deposit (reload) bonus – For loyal players

Let’s get it straight once and for all. Deposit bonuses and Reload bonuses are essentially the same thing. Tomato / Tomato. Strange how even reading that word sounds differently in your head… but it proves the point.

A deposit bonus is the opposite to a no-deposit bonus and as its name indicates, a deposit has to be made before you’re eligible and can be credited a reload bonus to your player account. It’s similar to a welcome bonus besides the fact that a welcome bonus is only received upon your first deposit(s) and is awarded at the goodwill of the casino to players who already claimed (or rejected the) welcome package on random, set times or even on special occasions.

A reload / deposit bonus is a matched % against the player’s deposit amount and can vary between 10-50%.

Examples:

Today – 10% extra reload bonus on every deposit!
Deposit 100€ and receive a 25% bonus up to 100€
50% bonus – Deposit 50€, play with 75€!

The up to amounts are naturally substantially higher than for the free offers given out. The free offers, however, attempts to emphasize awareness around and to make you try something new and the purpose of the deposit / reload bonus promotes your loyalty towards the brand and can be used for whatever you like to play.

The deposit bonuses are also subject to fewer restrictions when it comes to max bets, max withdrawals and limitations to which games that can be played and this translates to longer play sessions and higher winning potential.

Recurring reload bonuses

There are probably as many ways to incentivize someone as there are occasions to celebrate. And as life is a party, you just have to be a bit creative in order to find a good excuse.

Kickoff your shoes after a long workday and go for Happy hour? A full week’s work can be rounded off with a Friday? There are Birthdays, public Holidays, Cinnamon bun day and what else have you not. For all those festive real life moments there is a casino bonus equivalent to entertain you while you got some spare time left on your hands.

Seasonal bonuses

And the same thing goes for seasonal holidays like Christmas, Easter or Halloween. These have always been the peak seasons for any company within the retail or entertainment industry. To online casinos and betting companies there’s no difference. People take some time off from their jobs and hectic lives in order to relax and enjoy themselves. Casinos prepare, well in advance, to offer thrilling campaigns and bonuses for anyone to partake, often on a daily basis throughout the season.

An online casino is pretty much obligated to provide a Christmas calendar today if they want to retain their customers around this high festive season. Making sure you have an account signed up, being opt-in for sms & email sendouts from quality operators such as LeoVegas, MrGreen and Betsson is highly advised. The share amount of activities and bonuses you are given usually gives you a big edge when playing. Who knows what you might be able to afford putting under the tree for Christmas day for that special someone?

Cashback bonus – Incentivised to lose?

Cashback is a special kind of bonus setup where instead of getting your deposit matched with a bonus to play with, you receive a kickback on your accumulated losses. Essentially, you are getting incentivised to lose but you also get a second chance to play again with some “free money,” money that you’ve already lost. It sounds weird but cashback systems are very popular and much appreciated by a lot of players. It has some advantages to it, both for the casino and players, but also it’s flaws. For the casino It’s almost a risk free reward system which requires pratically 0 maintenance. For players it’s really straightforward and hassle free. However, only a loss rewarded with a bonus and winning players are just expected to come back and redeposit their earnings.

Casinos that offers cashback bonuses are becoming increasingly rare. First and foremost reason is that the whole “incentivised to lose” system does not rhyme well with regulators. Second of all, if we look at this subject from a historic perspective it’s actually a big part of the reason to why the poker and texas hold’em era died. The game was immensely popular and had it’s golden years between 2004-2014 but got so heavily reliant on cashback deals that there was no profits to be made eventually.

Exclusive bonuses – VIP

A first deposit bonus is usually referred to as “standard offers” and has a max cap to how much €/% that can be awarded / credited in relation to your deposit. If you are a VIP player and consider playing for more money than what the standard welcome bonus offers then you need someone to negotiate a better deal for you and this can not be done via the online support functions on sites. Usually, you need to play at a particular casino site for some time and lose or win a considerable amount of money before you are contacted by any of the online casinos VIP agents. But if you don’t want to go down that long road and wait to be treated the way you expect and deserve, your in luck.

As we have a close relation to all the casinos which we promote we’ve already negotiated some exclusive high roller bonus deals for your convenience. As it’s in our best interest to serve you, at the same time as we are considered as a valuable partner to the casino, we also serve as a middle man and add an extra layer of protection. You can always turn to us if you feel that you’ve not been treated fairly.

All rules can be bent and everything is negotiable. It all depends on who you are and how much money you intend to play for. With a little bit of information about you and your intentions, we can, of course, customize and negotiate even further. Please fill out this form if you would like us to get you the best-tailored VIP offers for you.

Bonus at a licensed casino – Play safe and tax free

The global legal landscape for online casino is like a bowl of spaghetti. Every country has its own gambling laws when it comes to online gambling and some markets are self regulated and hosts national licenses while others are covered by more general so called umbrella license. MGA or Curacao are some of the most popular and obtained licenses due to their specific and adjusted regulatory framework.

Depending on where you live, you have different pros and cons playing at casinos which holds the different licenses. If you are a European citizen for example and play at a casino which holds an MGA license. your winnings are subject to tax and therefore tax free. If you were to play at a Curacao licensed operator instead your winnings would be subject to the nationally applied tax rates in the country of your origin.

Read more to find the most favorable casino license and operator for you and choose a casino which holds this license. Click here to see the global regulatory framework overview for casino.

Best casino bonus – Maximize your value

They say the best things in life are free, and you deserve nothing but the best, especially when it comes to your casino bonuses.

But the beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder and what is considered to be the best casino bonus is like many things in life, a matter of individual taste and personal preference. Some people don’t want to pay for it, others want it huge, some like it small, others want it quick and dirty while some prefer to have nothing at all…

If you maximize the bonus % and amounts and play at different operators claiming their offers, like you would do the shopping for groceries at discounted rates, we can almost guarantee that you’ll come out on top as a winner. What you should do is to educate yourself and look out for the type of bonuses listed and described below to maximize the value of your money and bonuses.

Free bonuses – 100% value

Starting out small dipping your toes in the water or are you actively hunting for the best free bonuses available to try out some new casinos & the latest released slots? Then here’s where you find all the free welcome offers, no deposit signup bonuses and free spins that are up for grabs. And make sure to enjoy the free ride while it lasts!

If you would like to learn more about no-deposit bonuses, click the link or scroll up to the first sections of this article.

Highest % deposit bonus – Give a little, get a lot

Free is free. And no deposit bonus in the world can compete with free, at least not on the same terms. However, free offers will only get you so far and often comes with it’s special caps and terms & conditions. So if you want something more than a bone to chew you need to commit to a little bit of risks as well. Because it takes some to get some as they say.

The higher the % of a bonus the more expensive it is to casinos and the more valuable it is to you.

Biggest bonus amount – Go big or go home

Bonus without any wagering requirements – Now were talking

Bonus Terms & conditions

As mentioned, different casinos and bonus types are usually subject to different terms & conditions. These terms however, are not only limited to the bonus deposit amount, wagering requirements etc. but could also apply to your payments condition. Minimum withdrawal amount / Max cashouts / Payment pending times and Withdrawal payout times are things which

Wagering requirements – How do they work?

If you win there are usually some wagering requirements which you have to play through and any potential winnings derived from a no deposit bonus left after clearing the wagering requirements are often subject to a maximum cashout limit. Read more about wagering requirements.