Online Casino Welcome Bonus
How do you get a Welcome Bonus from an online casino and what is a welcome bonus? Well, it couldn't be easier to obtain. Simply register with the casino of you choice. Generally, you will be required to select the Welcome Bonus option when making your first deposit, or deposits in cases in which casinos allow you multiple deposits to cash in on larger Welcome Bonuses. These bonuses are designed to be attractive to new customers, spark interest and allow you to make your initial experience of the casino last longer for less money so you can get a real feel for the games on offer and the service the casino provides. In this business, service is everything.
What is a Welcome Bonus?
Welcome Bonuses frequently offer you a percentage of your initial deposit or deposits and ordinarily upto a maximum limit. There may also be 2nd and 3rd deposit rewards as part of the Welcome Bonus. The percentage is usually between 50% and 200% but can be more and often the amounts of initial deposits can be spread over the first 2 to 4 payments into your online casino account. For example with a 300% Welcome Bonus, 150% may be granted to you on your first deposit, 100% on your second deposit and 50% on your third deposit. This additional bonus fund may be used to place bets but cannot be withdrawn.
How does a Welcome Bonus Work?
This question may be best answered with an example to better explain how to use a Welcome Bonus:
Royal Panda online casino offers a generous maximum of 100 GBP on your first deposit, doubling your first deposit to a maximum of 100 GBP bonus fund. So, if you make a first deposit here of, say, 50 GBP then the casino will give you another 50 GBP. If you deposit 75 GBP, then the casino will give you 75 GBP and so on.
Betfair offers a Welcome Bonus which includes a giveaway of 100% of your first deposit upto 100 GBP. Imagine you deposit 100 GBP, then Betfair will provide you with 100 GBP bonus money. Wagering requirements at this casino stipulate that the bonus money must be bet 45 times, which is to say, 4,500 GBP before winnings from this bonus can be withdrawn unless you happen to be in a named territory outside the UK, in which case it is 90 times.
But which bets on which games count towards your wagering requirements? Often, games involving elements of skill, such as roulette and blackjack, do not contribute to wagering requirements and with some games only a reduced percentage of your bets count.
For example, the online casino Betfair's wagering requirements include bets made on Slots, Arcade and Scratch Card games as contributing 100% to the wagering requirements, Roulette (except Zero Roulette and 3D Roulette), certain card games and Sic Bo as 50% of the total bet and Craps, Video Poker and Pontoon as 5%. Blackjack Surrender, Video Poker and Live Casino games make 0% contribution.
Welcome Bonus Slots
Bonus spins are another common feature of Welcome Bonuses and are often granted for a particular game and you may use a certain number of them per day over a given number of days. It may also be that you must use a certain number of free spins on a number of consecutive days. For example, 100 spins on Starburst 10 per day 10 days in a row. Plenty of time to get used to the game while perhaps having your attention drawn to other features of the casino.
Quite often during the registration process you are asked if you want to opt into or participate in other bonuses and promotions, or you may see a code that you can use when you register to receive the Welcome Bonus. The advantages of accepting the Welcome Bonuses are clear, you get more for your money allowing you to get used to game play and have increased opportunities to win.
Although there is no disadvantage here per se, you should check the terms and conditions of this offer to ensure you are happy with them. For example, there is likely to be certain wagering requirements which must be met to make full use of this bonus. This may include a requirement of placing a certain number of bets within a given time period, not too difficult, perhaps, if you are going to be a frequent visitor spending relatively high sums. If you are not a big spender, don't worry, those free spins and welcome bonus money will help you play for longer on less.
Legal online casinos are very open about their wagering requirements and there is a great variety of offers available so it is worth shopping around to find the best deal that is right for you. For instance, if you enjoy playing roulette frequently, you may like to find a casino that allows a greater contribution to the wagering requirements of this game.
Before walking away from a Welcome Bonus, consider that, if you are or are going to be a regular player playing for relatively high stakes, then eventually your wagering requirements are likely to be met provided you don't jump from one casino to the next (thereby missing out on loyalty bonuses and rewards) and if not, then the extra cash will keep help you try out more games for longer.
