For those reading this article and who are already happily involved at online casinos, or several for that matter, you probably already know about the importance and greatness of casino welcome bonuses. However, for those who are new to the iGaming experience, you might not be aware that the caliber of the welcome bonus is instrumental in getting new players to join the fun. This expert iGaming article breaks down the essentials of the importance of selecting the right welcome bonus to get your new online casino experience off to a winning start.
Benefits of Welcome Bonuses
When deciding which online casino to join and spend your hard-earned money and time, the final factor comes down to the caliber of the welcome bonus. So, what are the benefits of the welcome bonus? For starters, a welcome bonus gives new members a certain amount of bonus funds to help them win real money playing most games.
Because playing at a real-money online casino always carries the risk of losing, some new members might be too shy to make wagers. Thankfully, with these three welcome bonuses, new casino members enjoy the immediate benefit of building steady wins without making massive deposits.
The No-Deposit Bonus
When it comes to the welcome bonus, the no-deposit bonus is the holy grail. Currently, three American online casinos support a no-deposit bonus for real money. As the name suggests, a no-deposit bonus doesn’t require an actual deposit to work. Usually applying to most slot games and some specialty games, a no-deposit bonus allows new members to win real money from the top of the bat.
An additional benefit of the no-deposit bonus is that it allows members to preview the games without worrying about losing money. Another incentive for using a no-deposit bonus is that it allows players to preview the games for free and develop a betting strategy. This is especially helpful for roulette games that feature more complex bets, like columns and dozens of bets.
The Deposit Match Bonus
Of all the welcome bonuses, the deposit match bonus is the most common at online casinos. Usually, of the first deposit, a new member receives a matched percentage, usually 100%. Some online casinos have deposit match bonuses for the second, third, and fourth deposits. The standard is up to $1,000 in bonus funds from the first deposit. A new member must make a $100 deposit to qualify for this.
Like a no-deposit bonus, the deposit match bonus gives players more bonus funds to play most games for real money. With extra funds at a discounted cost, the hope is that these new members feel encouraged to make more substantial bets to see where chips fall where they may.
Second-Chance Credits
In recent years, new online casinos have focused on second-chance credits as an alternative to the general deposit match bonus. While new members have to make the initial deposit, sometimes as low as $5 or $10, the bonus credits come after the first day of playing.
The benefit of the second-chance credits is that after suffering net losses after the first day, usually between $50 to $100 in refund credits are added to new member accounts. Because nobody likes to lose, with this pseudo-insurance, new members who don’t win right away will continue feeling encouraged to play and make deposits.
Understanding the Welcome Bonus Wagering Requirements
Even as generous as welcome bonuses, they come with wagering requirements. For those new to online casinos, wagering requirements, or playthrough requirements, is how often the bonus funds must be played before making a withdrawal.
Fortunately, the wagering requirements are as low as 1x or 2x for most no-deposit bonuses. Because of these super-low playthrough requirements, most new members immediately jump on them when they get the chance.
For the deposit match bonus, the online casino wagering requirements are usually more steep. Depending on the casino site, these playthrough requirements can range between 10x to 25x. Usually, the average is 15x. For the second-chance credits, the wagering requirements are usually between 5x and 10x. However, it can be higher.
Maximizing Welcome Bonuses
Beyond common game restrictions like jackpot slots and select live dealer games, welcome bonuses usually apply to the entire slate of casino games. However, some games have higher minimum buy-ins, which can quickly exhaust the bonus funds.
A strategic move is to focus on the eligible games with more favorable buy-ins. This is usually why most slot games qualify for welcome bonuses. Slots are so diverse that members can apply the bonus funds to many categories.
For example, classic slots from the era of old Las Vegas or Atlantic City are still in demand at today’s online casinos. Because they have fewer pay lines, they are super affordable, sometimes as low as a penny. And because they are packed with many bonus rounds, if any, classic slots pay more frequently.
Besides finding favorable RTP games, the next move is to make bets that offer the most favorable odds. For example, roulette offers more favorable odds on number and color bets because they have a 50% chance of success. So, making these bets stretches welcome bonuses beyond massive bets on columns or dozens of wagers.
Conclusion
Besides the amazing game selection, it’s crystal clear that choosing the right welcome bonus is a great stepping stone for long-term success. Depending on your budget, choosing sites that focus on second-chance credits or the deposit match bonus might make sense. Also, depending on the game, using a betting strategy or chart for blackjack might help maximize welcome bonuses.