Casinos go to great lengths to invite players and make them feel welcome. One trick they use is a lavish display of wealth, which helps players relax and loosen their purse strings. Handsome hostesses smile as they serve free drinks, making players feel at home. Soon enough, they will lose their money but won’t care about it because it was so fun.
However, online casinos are at a disadvantage. How can a casino portray wealth over the internet? The answer is simple — casino bonuses. Here is the insider guide on the types of online casino bonuses and why casinos use them.
Types of Casino Bonuses
Casinos are constantly trying to one-up each other and invent a new bonus that no other casino has. That has led to the proliferation of the types of online casino bonuses, with these being the most common types:
A top online casino will have a healthy mix of all those and a unique bonus that puts it above all the rest. In addition, the best casino will be transparent about how they work and, if any disputes surrounding them emerge, mostly decide in the player’s favor.
Welcome Bonus
This is one of the simplest types of online casino bonuses — when a player signs up, give him some money that works just like a free drink. The money is usually tied up so that the player has to stick around, play, and win before cashing out.
A welcome bonus can only be a small part of the bonus casino offer. Players are fickle and can easily leave after spending the welcome bonus, so an online casino bonus strategy has to entice them to stay and spend their money.
No Deposit Bonus
A no deposit casino bonus is the next step in making the player stay and relax. It is equivalent to giving the new player in a land-based casino a small stack of chips and telling him to have fun. The player can win some money for free, but casinos are smart. They usually restrict the games that can be played with the no-deposit bonus. They most often demand that the player go to games where the casino has an edge and will likely win.
Free Spins Bonus
Online casinos will dole out free slot spins hand over fist. There are two good reasons for it — slots are super easy to get into, and they are some of the best money-makers for the casino. Again, the casino can and likely will restrict which games are eligible. In addition, the casino will ask the player to play a certain amount of times or reach a specified threshold of money with those spins before withdrawing the winnings.
Reload Bonus
When money is gone is when the player starts feeling a pang of regret and looking for the door. Online, it’s even easier for players to leave; all they have to do is close the browser tab. Online casinos introduced reload bonuses, which activate after the player has been away for a while, to make sure players feel less regret for losing their money. These bonuses can be tied to specific days of the week to create a habit of coming back.
Deposit Bonus
This type of bonus is aimed at people who like to go all in with their money. The first deposit casino bonus encourages risky plays by making players feel rich from the start. Even if they win the first few bets, the casino will often restrict withdrawals, nudging them to take more and more risks until they lose everything. An online casino deposit bonus is in the vast majority of cases never withdrawn from an online casino.
VIP and Loyalty Programs
This is a special gaming bonus aimed at high rollers who will spend tens of thousands of dollars without batting an eye. Casinos know that they spend a lot to gain respect, so this type of bonus is designed to make the VIP feel respected and special. That includes the casino giving them access to VIP lounges, tournaments, and games, as well as a personal assistant.
Specialized Bonuses and Promotions (80w)
These bonuses can be seasonal and tied to a holiday, or they can be occasional, such as when the casino is launching a new slot. In either case, this is one of the most practical types of online casino bonuses because it serves as free marketing. A popular way to reward players through these bonuses is to give them a special reward on their birthday.
Information Regarding Online Casino Terms and Conditions
Casinos have to jump through many hoops to get a gambling license that guarantees a quality gambling experience. They have to abide by industry-wide standards, personal information protection policies, and anti-money laundering legislation. They also have to inform players about the terms and conditions of bonuses and promotions and treat them fairly if any disputes regarding them arise. But, there are also two special obligations they have to fulfill regarding bonuses.
Player Complaints
An online casino has to allow its players to lodge complaints regarding bonuses, such as by offering a toll-free phone number, an email address, or a free chat where players can communicate on even terms with a casino representative. The reason is that player complaints force the casino to be honest about all types of online casino bonuses it offers.
Dispute Resolution
An online casino must be able and willing to act according to player complaints and undo any mistakes it makes regarding bonuses. If the casino offers 50 bonus spins on all player deposits over $500 but doesn’t deliver for whatever reason, it must give the spins to qualifying players, period. This obligation applies to all bonuses, no matter how small they are. Otherwise, the online casino risks getting in serious trouble with the gambling regulator.
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