Online casino bonuses represent a great way to build up your balance while you tackle many of the internet’s games. With a handy bonus, you can bolster your finances, allowing you to wager larger sums or play for longer periods, all in a bid to win extra cash. Of course, while you won’t want to turn your nose up to what can sometimes be free cash, there are still things you should know about what makes the best casino bonuses and promotions, and Gamesbelt is here to help you with that.
On this page, we’ll explore online casino bonuses, explain what they are, and discuss the perks and benefits of claiming offers. We’ll also showcase some of the better deals out there for you to claim. Let’s begin by explaining the basic purpose of casino bonuses for any newbies, though.
What Are Online Casino Bonuses?
Online casino bonuses are a casino’s way of providing you with an increased chance of landing a win. They aren’t going to do this by making their games easier, but they can provide you with extra cash and, on occasion, free spins on top slots. This ensures that you can play (and possibly win real cash) without risking your own.
There is no selfless good deed going on here. The casino has its reasons for offering such deals. The main reason is that they want you to be happy – a happy player is more likely to keep playing and wagering. As long as players are aware of the casino’s motives behind issuing you bonuses, and as long as the bonuses are fair, there is no issue.
Of course, there are lots of different ways that an online casino can provide you with bonuses. We’ll touch on some of the most common ones next.
Types of Casino Bonuses Online
Here at Gamesbelt, we leave no stone unturned. If you want to know more about each type of casino bonus, we encourage you to follow our links to more description pages detailing each type of offer and how they work. However, for now, let’s introduce you to the basics behind each common casino bonus below.
- Welcome Bonuses and Reload Bonuses: A casino will typically reward new players with a welcome bonus, also known as a cash match. This comes as a percentage-based bonus. For instance, when you deposit £100, you may receive the equivalent of 100% of that (another £100) as a bonus. These offers may be singular or come as part of welcome packages with multiple offers to claim. When they are provided to already existing members (and this won’t be the case at every casino), they are called reload or re-deposit bonuses.
- No Deposit Bonuses: Some casinos also provide no-deposit bonuses. As their name suggests, these do not require you to deposit to claim free cash or free spins. They, too, may be offered to newbies, or they can come as loyalty bonuses, as detailed below.
- Loyalty and VIP Bonuses: Loyalty bonuses are a casino’s way of rewarding you for playing with them. They can include free spins, free cash, cashback, and special offers. Players may also be able to accumulate loyalty points (or LPs/CPs) for wagering. These can be used to navigate your way up a tier-based scheme to land greater rewards. The uppermost tiers of a loyalty program are known collectively as the VIP Club, and they naturally dish out the best bonuses.
- High-Roller Bonuses: Players who wager regularly or who deposit and stake vast sums of cash may be able to claim bespoke bonuses. These cash matches require a greater sum to be deposited by the player but offer substantial rewards for doing so, far more so than a typical reload, welcome or re-deposit bonus.
- Live and Crypto Casino Bonuses: Some casino bonuses may be tailored towards specific games. For instance, live casino bonuses may only be eligible for use on live dealer games, while crypto casino bonuses can only be claimed if you deposit using one of the site’s approved cryptocurrencies. In most cases, these will also be cash match bonuses, but not always.
- Special Offers: Special offers can be anything and everything in between. They may constitute free spins, cash matches, social media and achievement-based rewards, or anything else. They typically have a short lifespan, may be tailored specifically to you and not to other players, and some may require codes to trigger them.
- Tournaments, Prize Draws and Competitions: Tournaments, prize draws, and other competitions may also be hosted by a casino. While these aren’t necessarily promotions, some of them can be. They typically reward you with free spins or cash if you finish towards the top of a tournament leaderboard, beat other players, or if your name is selected at random.
Of course, each casino will have its own array of promos and bonuses. Some may have a promotional setup that encompasses all the above, while others may be more selective in what they offer. Similarly, the value of each offer, the games you can use it on, and the terms and conditions that apply to each offer will vary from online casino to casino.
How to Claim Most Casino Bonuses and Promotions
While perusing Gamesbelt, you will likely come across a wealth of promos and bonuses at our trusted casino sites. If you like the look of one and you register at the casino, what do you do next? While the exact procedure may differ slightly depending on where you play, the following five steps will generally apply to most sites:
- Check You Are Eligible: Online casinos may have different promos for players in different countries. Alternatively, they may have one overarching bonus for everyone. Ordinarily, the bonus you see should fit the bill. However, you should check the T&Cs to ensure that you can claim it before going any further.
- Check the Requirements: While there, check the other T&Cs (detailed below) to ensure that the offer is fair and offers value for money. More on that in a second.
- Promo Codes, Opt-In, and Automatic Bonuses: Some casino bonuses require codes to trigger them. If yours does, you’ll find the code on the promotions page at the casino, in your e-mail, or via a newsletter. Enter the code either on the cashier page, with customer support, or where prompted at the site. Other bonuses may simply require you to tick a box or contact customer support to officially claim that you want to receive an offer (known as opting in), and many sites trigger bonuses automatically. If you don’t wish to receive an automatically triggered bonus, contact customer support and ask them to remove it.
- Claim the Offer: If you’re required to deposit to claim a bonus, head to the cashier page and do so, ensuring that your deposit is within the limits required in the T&Cs. If you want to claim a no-deposit bonus, you can skip this step.
- Start Playing: Your bonus should arrive immediately after you’ve taken the necessary steps to claim it. You can then use it on whatever games it is eligible for, and with a bit of luck, you’ll win real money. In the case of free spins on selected slots, you simply need to open the eligible slot game to find your spins waiting for you.
What Are the Best Casino Promo Deals Available Online?
Not every online casino bonus is worth your time. Some are more beneficial than others, and it is up to you to gauge whether you consider an offer worthwhile. However, our experts at GamesBelt have been claiming bonuses for years, and we know exactly what a good offer should (and should not) have. Let’s walk you through four key things that all fair casino bonuses should provide.
Fair T&Cs
Naturally, having fair terms and conditions is arguably the most important aspect of claiming any casino bonuses. New players don’t need to worry, as we’ll touch on these in a moment. However, the best way to identify if a bonus is fair is to check the terms and conditions page (a link to it is usually displayed under the bonus offer) and give them a once over. As long as you’re happy with them, that’s all that matters. If in doubt, you can always contact a site’s customer support team and ask them for the details.
Big Value Bonuses
We all want to claim bonuses that are epic in value and worth ample sums of cash and free spins. However, sometimes the biggest bonuses have unsavoury terms, such as high wagering requirements, or they may command a larger deposit to trigger the offer. To ensure that you’re getting value for money, you’ll want to weigh up the value of the bonus being offered, compared with what you’re being asked to deposit, and then compare that with the wagering requirements in place. The best bonuses will offer you plenty of cash (or spins), have low wagering requirements, and not ask you to deposit huge sums.
Simple to Understand Offers
While we do encourage you to read the T&Cs attached to bonus offers, sometimes the amount of “lawyer speak” can be a little tricky to wrap your head around. For this reason, we only recommend claiming bonuses where the casino has been fully transparent about what requirements are expected on your end. Speaking of transparency, we also shun any bonuses that don’t provide you with easy access to a T&Cs page or that are somewhat mum about wagering requirements and other conditions. The best offers will tell you everything you need to know and be upfront about it. Never claim an offer that tries to hide things.
Tailored To Your Needs
A casino bonus is no good if it can’t be used on the types of games you want to play. You need to ensure that you can use your bonus cash or free spins on whatever games tickle your fancy. Therefore, we encourage you to only claim bonuses that are eligible for games that interest you. The more restrictions there are on how much you can win, what gambling games you can play, how much you can withdraw or bet, and so on, the less desirable the online casino bonus will be.
Bonus T&Cs: All You Need to Know
As we’ve alluded to, on many occasions, how fair a casino bonus is will come down to its terms and conditions. You don’t have to be a lawyer to break these down, but for the uninitiated, allow us to explain what each stipulation is and what you should look for to ensure that you only claim the best online casino bonuses when playing.
- Wagering Requirements: Also called rollover or playthrough rates, these tell you how many times you must wager your bonus (or bonus and deposit total, or your winnings) before you can withdraw those prizes. With these, the exact figure can vary. 15x or less is ideal for free spin and no-deposit bonuses, while cash match bonuses should have wagering requirements of no higher than 40x. For instance, if you claim a £100 bonus with 40x wagering requirements on the bonus received, you’ll need to wager £4,000 before you can withdraw. Therefore, the lower the wagering requirements, the better it is for you.
- Game Eligibility: As touched on above, you need to ensure that your bonus can be used on the games you want to play. On the T&Cs page, there will often be a list of eligible or ineligible games associated with your bonus. This may include progressive jackpots or some table games.
- Minimum Deposit and Maximum Bonus Limits: If you want to claim a deposit bonus, there may be a minimum amount you’ll need to deposit. It is often around £20 to £30. Similarly, bonuses will have maximum caps. So, a typical 100% match may be valid up to £100. This means that you can deposit up to £100 and receive a bonus, but you won’t receive a bonus on anything you deposit above that figure.
- Maximum Wager, Win and Withdrawal Caps: Expect to see a few other clauses, too. For instance, there may be caps on how much of your bonus you can bet in one go. It isn’t uncommon to see limits of £5 a bet with bonus funds. There may also be limits on what you can win (common with no-deposit bonuses) and how much of your winnings you can withdraw without depositing. These terms vary from casino to casino.
- Expiration Dates: You may also want to pay attention to any expiration dates. There are two of these to consider. The first tells you how long you have to “claim” the bonus using the process described above. The second will tell you how long you have to clear any wagering requirements associated with the offer. If you don’t fulfil those wagering requirements before that second deadline, the bonus will become void, and any winnings you’ve acquired through it will be removed.
- Wager-Free Bonuses: While rare, these offers do exist. They are called wager-free because they allow you to withdraw whatever you win without having to fulfil any wagering requirements. As a result, these bonuses tend to be worth small sums of cash and a lower number of free spins than you’d get with typical offers with playthrough rates.
- Anonymous Casino and No Sign-Up Casino Bonuses: Lastly, we should touch on these two types of sites. Anonymous casinos and no sign-up casinos don’t generally offer bonuses. They facilitate fast withdrawals and instant cashouts, so they can’t burden you with wagering requirements. As a result, they may not offer bonuses at all. However, some may still choose to do so, but they will all be low-value, wager-free offers. You can learn more information about those types of casinos right here.
Find the Best Online Casino Bonuses at Gamesbelt
Now that you know a bit about online casino bonuses and promos, you may feel ready to claim one. If so, we encourage you to explore our top online casino reviews and recommended sites. We’ve detailed each of the bonuses offered in those reviews. You can also learn more about the best casino bonuses by visiting our guides to each offer found on this page.
FAQs: Casino Bonuses and Promotions
If you still have questions about online casino bonuses and promos, we’re happy to help.
Do all internet casinos offer bonuses and promotions?
No. You may come across no sign-up, anonymous, or instant withdrawal online casinos that do not feature bonuses and promotions. However, most of the best sites will have at least an offer or two. Check our Gamesbelt casino reviews to learn more about what each of our sites offer.
Do Indian casinos feature different bonuses than UK casino sites?
They might, yes. International online casinos will try to cater to many players. They may have the same offer, albeit claimable in different currencies. However, some sites have dedicated bonuses for players in different countries. Read our reviews for more information.
Can I use a casino bonus to play live dealer casino games?
That depends on where you play. Some online casinos will say yes, some will say no, and many have bespoke live casino bonuses dedicated to players who want to play these types of games. The same may also be true of crypto casino bonuses.
Where can I find the T&Cs attached to online casino bonuses?
They should be available via a link underneath each offer. Failing that, casinos sometimes have a “bonus T&Cs” page accessible at the bottom of their homepage. You can also contact support for more details on each offer.
Why can’t I withdraw my online casino bonus?
You didn’t think the casino was going to let you walk away with their cash without playing at all, did you? You can’t withdraw the bonus. You must first playthrough the bonus and fulfil any wagering requirements attached to it before you can withdraw your bonus winnings.
