Casino Bonus Strategy

Online casino bonuses are multi-purpose incentives awarded by a gambling site. You can get one for playing online slots, or claim a deposit bonus if you want to hit the roulette table.

Some are more suited for high-rollers, others for casual play. Some, like free spins, add to your gaming balance. Other deals, like cashback, help you recoup a portion of daily or weekly losses.

The point is, casino bonuses can serve many purposes. If you’ve taken on bonus hunting in online casinos, we are your roadmap. 

We will give some advice and offer fundamental tips and strategies for smart bonus use.

First, a general introduction to online casino bonuses.

Types of Online Casino Bonuses 

Before diving into a casino bonus strategy that’s just right for you, let’s explore the different types of bonuses available. We’ll take a moment to look at a few exciting bonuses you might find at US online casinos.

• New player bonuses — New-player bonuses, often referred to as welcome bonuses, are the go-to promotions you’ll find at nearly every casino site. You can expect to see matched deposit offers, such as 100% up to $150, along with bonus spins and even no-deposit sweepstakes bonuses. 
• Free spins — Bonus spins are exclusively used on online slots. You can’t use them on any other game, including roulette. The bonus package can include 50, 100, or more spins on a select slot, and you can purchase them at the stated price i.e. by placing a qualifying deposit. 
• Deposit reloads — Reload bonuses, whether for new players, weekly reloads, or weekend treats, are straightforward. Simply deposit $10, $20, or $30, and the casino will match your deposit, generally between 50% and 100%. Unlike free spins, these weekly reloads can be used on various games, including roulette, blackjack, and poker.
• Cashback — Cashback promotions function more like consolation bonuses, returning a percentage of lost bets on a daily or weekly basis. 
• Personalized bonuses — Some casinos may run internal rewards programs. As you play, the casino will offer exclusive bonuses tailored to your preferences. These can be free spins, a cash bonus, or something completely different. 
• Sweepstake bonuses — If you’re looking for some fun without breaking the bank, social and sweepstakes casinos are fantastic options for low-cost promotions or even no-deposit bonuses. You can often get Sweeps coins for free, which carry real-money value. On the other hand, Gold Coins don’t have any real-money value, but they’re frequently given out for free or available for purchase. 
• Referral bonuses— Many US casinos offer exciting referral programs, in which both you and a referred ‘friend’ can enjoy a bonus once the referral is successful.

Key Bonus Terms to Remember

You need to understand how to use casino bonuses before you can move on to an effective bonus strategy. There are a few fundamental requirements and terms applicable to almost every casino bonus out there: 

• Bet limits – The maximum bet amount will be automatically limited once you activate a bonus. The wager cap is specified in the bonus terms, but shouldn’t exceed $10 per bet.
• Validity – When you activate a casino bonus, the clock starts ticking. The bonus will be valid only for a few days before it expires. If you fail to meet the bonus terms before then, you won’t be able to withdraw bonus winnings. 
• Eligible games – Casino bonuses often restrict eligible games. Free spins can only be used on select slots, while cash deposit bonuses allow a wider assortment of games, excluding restricted titles.
• Wagering requirements explained – Casinos thrive on player bets and use bonuses to enhance gameplay. Wagering requirements indicate how many times you must wager the bonus or deposit amount to cash out.
• Game contribution – Game contribution is how much different categories of casino games contribute to each bet toward reducing wagering requirements. For instance, slots contribute 100%, while lotteries, table games, and live dealer games have low or no contribution at all. 

Claiming and Using Casino Bonuses Online

Before you can put some of our bonus tips into practice, you must know the fundamentals of how to use casino bonuses and the activation method. We’ll provide a quick run-through of claiming and using bonuses.

1. Step 1: Choose a legitimate casino with fair bonus terms.
2. Step 2: Pick a bonus based on what you plan to play – free spins for slots, cash if you want to explore more games.
3. Step 3: Read the description of the bonus.
4. Step 4: Activate the bonus with a promo code, qualifying deposit, or both.
5. Step 5: Start playing immediately.

A Beginner’s Guide to a Casino Bonus Strategy

There is no surefire casino bonus strategy that guarantees an effective outcome. But there are a few rules of thumb and methods for using bonuses effectively. 

Basic Tips for Using Casino Bonuses

• Make a game plan – Redeeming a bonus may take several days. It’s advisable to develop a general plan detailing which games you’d like to play and to roughly calculate the time and funds needed to meet the wagering requirements. 
• Read the terms – If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a hundred times: reading and memorising the bonus terms is a must. You must use the bonus by the book or risk getting it cancelled. 
• Choose according to your budget – How you use a casino bonus is as important as what type of bonus you need. Free spins bonuses usually require a minimal budget. However, wagering through the winnings of the free spins can be more challenging than wagering through the deposit bonus amount.
• Pick low-wagering bonuses– Don’t just look at the face value of the bonus. Rather, find one with the lowest-possible wagering requirements. It’s a simple equation: the lower the wagering, the quicker you will redeem the bonus and be able to withdraw any winnings.
• Mind the bonus validity—Even bonuses with low wagering requirements need to be claimed within the specified timeframe. Verify the bonus’s validity, which typically ranges from 7 to 30 days. After that, assess if there is sufficient time to fulfil the wagering requirements for the bonus. 

Advanced Tips for Your Bonus Strategy

• Play slots – Slots are the only game category that always has 100% bonus contribution. From a practical standpoint, they are the best choice for meeting the bonus wagering requirements as fast as possible.
• Choose low-volatility games – One of the more useful real money casino bonus tips we can offer is to seek low-volatility games, preferably slots. Low or medium-volatility games pay smaller wins, but more often. As long as the bonus is active, you should focus on clearing the bonus wagering as soon as possible.
• Look for high-conversion offers – To protect themselves, online casinos set limits on the maximum bonus win amount. That said, it would be useful to pick a deal with the highest possible conversion. A higher maximum win cap allows you to squeeze out the most you can from your bonus.
• Have a wagering strategy – Having a casino bonus wagering strategy will help you stay on track. Crunch the numbers and see roughly how long it will take to clear the wagering requirements playing a specific game based on your average bet size.
• Don’t hesitate to place bigger bets – The maximum bet with a bonus is already limited to about $5 or $10, so you shouldn’t break the bank if you crank up the bet limit. Bigger bets trigger bigger wins and can speed up the bonus redemption.

Test Your Casino Bonus Strategy for Free

You don’t need to commit with a real-money bonus right from the start.

Many casinos offer the chance to play for free with virtual currencies, which can be a fun and risk-free way to explore your casino bonus wagering strategy. It’s a great opportunity to see if you can meet the wagering requirements on time.

You can choose one or more slots eligible for bonus play and try them out in demo mode. Check out how the game works, whether the returns are solid, and if you can make it work with a real bonus.

You can also try your luck with random number generator (RNG) table games like roulette, blackjack, or even video poker, as long as they qualify for bonus play.

Best Online Casino Bonuses on VegasSlots

Bonus Tips For Your Bonus Strategy

There is no such thing as a free lunch, and we can’t say anything less for casino bonuses. 

When you activate the bonus, it’s game on. But if you start prepared, it’s not that complicated.

Mind the deadline to complete the wagering requirements, find the right bonus amount for your budget, and don’t take it too seriously. Here are some real money casino bonus tips

Which will hopefully be of some use.

• Pick a game beforehand: Do some research and explore to see which games are eligible for a bonus you are interested in. Pick one or more games you think will be best for the duration of the bonus. This way, you won’t waste precious time looking for games once you activate the bonus. 
• Avoid hasty decisions: Don’t make abrupt decisions, like picking a game you’ve never played or start making bigger bets. Instead, stick to your game plan.
• Contact support: Rather than wasting time looking for general bonus terms, message the chat assistant. Don’t hesitate to rely on the support team for anything unclear regarding your bonus.
• Decide if the bonus is worth it: – I’ve canceled a few dozen bonuses simply because I realized I bit off more than I could chew. In some cases, you have to make a judgment call whether playing for the bonus to the end is worth it. If not, don’t think twice about canceling your bonus.

Summary: How to Effectively Use Online Casino Bonuses

The best online casino bonus strategies help you clear the bonus terms as quickly and effectively as possible. 

There is no fail-safe bonus strategy. But there are small pointers you can follow for more effective use of your bonus. 

The key is the small print, i.e., the bonus terms. Once you know the wagering requirements, validity, maximum bet, and eligible games, you can devise your strategy. 

Memorize our key tips and start by giving your bonus strategy a test run

Frequently Asked Questions