Best Types of Online Casino Bonuses Explained
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Not being familiar with the best types of casino bonuses could cause major harm to your winnings at a casino. There are tons of different casino offers these days, so much so that it can often be challenging to understand precisely what is what, especially if you are a new player. Luckily, our expert team at CasinoAlpha is here to help with this in-depth guide on the various types of casino bonuses available to UK casino players.
- Most Popular Online Casino Bonus Types
- Casino Alpha’s Best Bonus Choice: Free Spins No Deposit Bonuses
- Minimum Deposit Bonuses – Why Online Casinos Offer Bonuses for Low Deposits?
- Match-up Your Deposit – Learn The True Value of Your Bonus
- Live Dealer Bonuses: Cashback
- Special Bonuses: VIP and Loyalty Explained
- Low Wagering and No Wagering Bonuses
- Important Bonus Terms and Conditions You Must Pay Attention To
- Tips for maximising different types of casino bonuses
Most Popular Online Casino Bonus Types
| Bonus Type | Short Explanation |
|---|---|
| Free spin no deposit bonuses | This will provide you with a set number of free spins without the need for you to deposit a penny into your betting account |
| Deposit bonuses | This is a bonus you’ll receive once you have made a deposit. This will come in the form of free spins or a set free bet. So, for example, you may receive 30 free spins when you make a deposit of £10. |
| Cashback | This is an offer which provides players with a proportion of their losses. A casino may offer 50% cashback on losing bets, for example. So, if you bet £10 and lost, you’d receive £5 back into your betting account. This can come in the form of a free bet or cash, depending on the offer. |
| Deposit match-up bonuses | A popular welcome offer, this type of bonus provides players with a free bet that’s a percentage of their first deposit or bet. This is often either 50% or 100% up to a certain value. In the case of the latter, if you were to deposit £20, you’d then receive a £20 bonus. Or if it was a 50% deposit match, you’d receive £10 as a free bet. |
Our experts are always on the lookout for great offers, and our lead expert, Adina Minculescu, has experienced an influx of the types of casino bonuses at all the top online casinos above. Scouring all the biggest and best online casinos, the above are the most common, with deposit match-up bonuses most commonly found as offers to attract new players.
Of course, there are also many other different types of bonuses and promotions, from free spins on slots and table games to match bonuses for existing customers.
Casino Alpha’s Best Bonus Choice: Free Spins No Deposit Bonuses
For the vast majority of players, and indeed us here at CasinoAlpha, the best bonuses to look out for are no-deposit bonuses offering free spins. This is a type of bonus that’s offered to new customers and will give players a set number of free spins without the need to make a deposit or place a first bet.
When you receive a bonus like this, you will find that the free spins themselves are only available to play on specific games, while they will also carry wagering requirements that come with them.
You’ll often find these offers available as an incentive for completing tasks, such as adding a new card to your account or getting free spins for mobile verification.
Among the best free spins bonuses, no deposit offers currently around are:
| Top No Deposit Bonus | Biggest Pro | Biggest Flaw | Find at Casino |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 No Deposit Spins on Wolf Gold + Up to 500 Spins on Starburst | Bonus on two of the most popular games in online casino | A small amount of free spins | Slots Animal |
| 100 No Wager Free Spins + 150 No Wagering Spins | Available to use on a number of different games | High wagering requirements | PokerStars Casino |
| 50 Free Spins No Deposit on Lucky Mr Green | There is a good range of games to play on | Small number of free spins compared to some competitors | Mr Green Casino |
| 50 Free Spins No Deposit on Immortal Wins Casino | A generous bonus for one of the smaller online casinos | High wagering requirements | Immortal Wins Casino |
| 50 No Deposit Spins With No Wagering + 200% Up To £400 | Huge bonus on top of the no-deposit spins | Only available on a select number of games | 888 Casino |
Why Online Casinos Offer Bonuses for Low Deposits?
A minimum deposit bonus is among the most popular offers a casino will provide to new players, and it simply requires you to register and make a deposit at an only casino to receive your bonus. You’ll need to make a deposit of a certain amount or more, with you then receiving a specific number of free spins or bonus cash to play with.
The amount you have to deposit can vary, with some casinos offering bonuses with a minimum deposit amount of £1, although more commonly, this will be a minimum deposit of £5 or £10 minimum.
So, for example, a casino could offer 100 free spins when you deposit and stake £10. Therefore, in order to claim it, you would need to register with a casino, deposit a minimum of £10 and then place a bet of the same value. This would then release the 100 free spins to play with.
Among the best minimum deposit offers currently on the market are:
| Top Minimum Deposit Bonus | Biggest Pro | Biggest Flaw | Find at Casino |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stake £10, Play With 100 No Wagering Spins | Generous number of free spins | Carries wagering requirements | Betfred Casino |
| Deposit and Play £10 Get 30 No Wagering Spins | Range of games to play free spins with | Relatively low number of free spins | Monopoly Casino |
| Stake £10 Get 30 No Wagering Spins on Double Bubble | Low wagering requirements | Only available to play on one game | Virgin Games Casino |
| Deposit and Spend £10 Get 200 Free Spins on Fishin’ Frenzy The Big Catch Jackpot King | Generous number of free spins | Only available to play on one game | Buzz Bingo |
| 30 Free Spins No Wagering on Fishin Frenzy Megaways | Easy to understand terms and conditions | Only available to play on one game | MrQ Casino |
Learn The True Value of Your Match Up Bonus
A deposit match bonus is another of the more common types of casino bonuses, and essentially, you get what you put in from it.
This type of bonus first requires you to make a deposit. The casinos will offer a matched amount as a free bet. They can range in how much they will match your deposit. Sometimes, they can be 50%, meaning if you were to deposit £20, you’d receive £10 as a free bet, although you will often find 100% match deposit and 200% match deposit bonuses too.
These are found most frequently as welcome bonuses or available after a first deposit, with free spin batches often accompanying these bonuses.
| Top Match Deposit Bonus | Biggest Pro | Biggest Flaw | Find at Casino |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200% up to £20 + 100 Free Spins | Generous 200% offered alongside free spins | A maximum of £20 is available to earn | Electric Spins Casino |
| 100% Up To £100 +100 Free Spins on Starburst | You can gain up to £100 in bonuses | Free spins are only available on one slot | Atlantic Spins Casino |
| 100% up to £50 | Can be used on live games | No free spins, unlike other offers around | Trada Casino |
| 200% Up To £50 + 15 Free Spins on Book of Dead | Hefty match percentage | Free spins only available on one slot | Conquer Casino |
| 200% up to £50 | Available on any game | High wagering requirements | BritainBet Casino |
Live Dealer Bonuses: Cashback
Cashback bonuses are less common, but you may well be familiar with them from sportsbook betting, where you find them more frequently. Essentially, these offers provide players with cashback if their bet is lost. So, if you were to bet £10, for example, and an offer was giving 10% cashback, you’d receive £1 back, often as a free bet.
It’s an excellent offer for trying new casino games, and they are often associated with live dealer casino games. Among the best cashback bonuses around at present include:
| Top Cashback Bonus | Biggest Pro | Biggest Flaw | Find at Casino |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Free Spins + 100% up to £100 + 10% Cashback | Combo welcome package | Small amount of cashback on losing bets | All British Casino |
| Up to £200 Cashback with No Wagering | Large amount available in cashback | Higher-than-average wagering requirements | Slotty Slots Casino |
| 10% Cashback up to £200 | Up to £200 available in cashback | High wagering requirement | Hot Streak Casino |
| 10% Cashback Up to £200 | Up to £200, which is a large amount | Only 10% returned to customers | Slot Strike Casino |
| 50% Cashback+ 10 Free Spins | Free spins also come with offer, as well as high cashback value | Wagering requirements come with the cashback offer | QuinnBet Casino |
Special Bonuses: VIP and Loyalty Explained
Online casinos offer a number of loyalty bonuses to players, too, with existing customers often getting some excellent rewards. These will generally be free spins and bonus funds based on how much real money you spend in a casino over a set period.
VIP programmes are the same, with casinos such as Zodiac Casino, Casino Kingdom and Cosmo Casino having among the best casino bonus offers for existing players.
You will typically have to opt into these programmes, and the more you play, the more you are then rewarded, often by reaching different levels of loyalty.
Low Wagering and No Wagering Bonuses
You will find the odd casino that offers low wagering bonuses, which essentially means you’ll have to deposit, redeem the bonus, and fulfil a rollover requirement. For example, a low minimum wagering starts at 1x and goes up to 35x. Say you redeem a bonus with a wagering requirement of 30x the deposit amount, and you made a minimum deposit of £10. You’ll have to reach a balance of £300 from playing before you may withdraw the remaining funds.
No wagering bonuses are quite the opposite, meaning you don’t have to fulfil any type of requirement before withdrawing funds. You may withdraw however much, whenever you want.
Important Bonus Terms and Conditions You Must Pay Attention To
| Key terms and conditions | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Free spins on selected games | You’ll only be able to play your bonus amount on certain games specified in the terms and conditions. |
| Wagering requirements | You’ll only be able to withdraw winnings from a bonus once you’ve wagered the bonus or deposit amount a select number of times. |
| Qualifying time limit | You may only have a set amount of time to place a qualifying bet to receive your bonus. |
| Minimum bet | The minimum amount you may bet per spin. |
| Deposit method | The payment method used to deposit and redeem bonuses. |
| One per household | Bonuses are often limited to one per household, so if you have other people in your home who are players, it may exclude you from receiving the bonus. |
| Minimum deposit | You will often have to make a deposit of a minimum amount to receive your free spins or bonus. |
| Maximum free bet | On match deposit bonuses, there will be a limit on how much you can receive as a free bet. So, if it’s a 100% match deposit up to £200, if you were to deposit £300, you’d still only receive £200 as a free bet. |
| Free bet/spin expiration | Once you get this bonus, it will expire after a set amount of days if not used. This will also apply if you do not complete wagering requirements in a set period. |
| Bonus code | In some cases, you may need to enter a bonus code on registration to receive the bonus. |
Tips for maximising different types of casino bonuses
There are ways in which you can really make the most of every online casino bonus you come across. The main types of casino bonuses are easy to understand, and all you often need to do is create an account at the casino and make a deposit.
If you’re looking to take your playing at a casino to the next level, here are some top tips on claiming your free bonus money with online casinos…
- Look out for bonuses with low wagering or no wagering
- Ensure you stick to time limits
- Get a good understanding of the games free spins are offered on
- Read the terms and conditions – wagering requirements could be large!
- Read our casino reviews before signing up for one
- Use deposit methods that offer quick withdrawals (and ensure that it’s a qualified deposit method)
