About Online Casino Bonuses

Published on: January 14, 2011 

Introduction

It is an accepted practice that when consumers place their patronage on a product or service they expect something free in addition to their purchase. Bonuses are freebies offered to online casino players. The player would have to make a deposit, or wager a certain amount or refer friends to the casino in order to earn a bonus. Bonuses come with a lot of fine print and not all of it is displayed on the promotions page. Most of it is embedded in the bonus terms and conditions, and therefore it is essential that players read these conditions in order to avoid disputes.

Match Bonuses

Most of the bonuses at online casinos are match bonuses. Match bonuses require the player to make a deposit and he is then given a bonus in relation to the deposit made. Therefore the term match bonus is used. The general specification of a match bonus is as a percent of the deposit made subject to an upper limit. The match bonuses cannot be withdrawn by the player. It can only be used for wagering. After the player has wagered the bonus the specified number of times, the amount won from that wagering can be withdrawn, subject to certain conditions.

Claiming Bonuses

Claiming bonuses is the process by which the bonuses are transferred to the account of the player. Different online casinos have different methods of claiming bonuses. In one method the bonus is automatically credited to the player’s account when he fulfills the required conditions. In the other method the player has to make a specific request. The player cannot decide which option he wants. This is decided by the online casino and applied uniformly to all players. Players must understand how bonuses are to be claimed because an error on their part will result in their not being given the bonus.

Automated Bonuses and Claiming

In the automated bonuses claiming method once the player executes the required steps the bonus is automatically transferred to his bonus account. In the case of a match bonus, once he makes the required deposit he will get the bonus. This is the advantage. The problem is that all players may not want bonuses. These players have to inform customer support that they do not want the bonus before making the deposit. Otherwise they will be given the bonus and their deposit will get locked into the wagering requirements. Then they will have no option but to play through the bonus and the deposit.

Using a Bonus Code

In this method players are required to redeem the bonuses. Each bonus has been given a separate alphanumeric bonus code. At the time they make the deposit they have to enter the bonus code in the space provided. If they forget to do so then they lose the entitlement of the bonus for that deposit. Hence there is a disadvantage in this method for players who want bonuses. But it is advantageous for players who do not want bonuses. They simply do not enter any code and make the deposit. Bonus codes also help online casinos in keeping track of the different bonuses availed.

Clearing Bonuses & Play through Requirements

Bonuses are not funds to take home. Usually the deposit and the ensuing bonus have to be wagered a specified number of times. These are known as the wagering or play through requirements. Once these requirements are met the original deposit can be withdrawn. Also the winnings, if any, from this wagering up to a specified limit can be withdrawn. The process of completing the wagering requirements is known as clearing the bonus. Today, most casinos allow players to clear bonuses incrementally. For example if the player completes 10% of the wagering requirements, then 10% of his entitlements will be transferred to his cash account and so on.

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