Most Popular Types of Bonuses Casino Sites Offer
A deposit match promotion is the most popular type of welcome bonus offered by online casinos. When you make a minimum deposit into a new account, the best online casinos will double your deposit with free bonus money. These promotions are ideal if you have little to no gambling experience as they increase your bankroll and provide you with more real money to play with, helping you get started in the world of online casinos.
How Casino Bonuses Work
For example, a casino might offer a 100% welcome bonus up to £200. This means that if you deposit £200, the casino will match it with a bonus of £200, giving you a total of £400 to play with. Another casino may offer a 200% first-time player bonus up to £400. In this case, if you contribute £100 of your own funds, you’ll receive £300 to play with.
It’s important you consider a few bonus requirements, and typically, a minimum investment of £10 or £20 is required to access these offers, although that amount is usually equivalent to the casino’s minimum deposit requirement. The wagering requirement is often the more complex condition to understand.
Wagering Requirements
Your bonus credit is subject to standard wagering requirements. For example, a 100% welcome bonus up to £400 may come with a 35x wagering requirement. This means that before you can withdraw the bonus credit, you must play it through 35 times. In other words, you would need to place bets totalling £14,000 before you can withdraw any potential winnings.
It’s important to carefully review the terms and conditions because not all games contribute 100% towards the wagering requirements. If your favourite game only counts for 10%, you would need to wager £140,000 instead of £14,000. Be sure to check whether the wagering requirement applies only to the bonus credit or if it includes your cash deposit as well.
Other key terms to look into include the duration of the bonus, the amount of your bets, the maximum amount you can win, and the withdrawal restrictions.
Free Spins at Online Casinos
Most online casino websites may offer free spins on specific online slots as an additional incentive to register for an account. With free spins, you can play the slots for free, and any winnings are credited to your account balance. However, keep in mind that winnings usually come with a wagering requirement.
Many of the top online casinos also pair free spins with a bonus that matches your deposit. For example, when you sign up, you may receive a 100% welcome bonus up to £500 and 50 bonus spins. Look out for deals that offer free spins with no deposit required so you can play without risking any real money.
Reload Bonuses
Some online casinos provide reload bonuses that you can take advantage of. The better online casino sites, for instance, provides a 100% match on the first deposit up to £500 and 50 free spins. After that, it adds another 50 bonus spins to your second deposit along with a 25% matched bonus up to £1,000 in value. You can receive a 50% bonus up to £500 on your third deposit in addition to 25 bonus spins. Reload bonuses are the rewards for your second and third deposits.
No Deposit Bonuses
No deposit bonuses are a great way to take advantage of free bets without risking your own money, and they are occasionally offered by the top online casino sites. These bonuses are designed to attract new players, and they can be claimed upon registration. However, there may be wagering restrictions that are difficult to meet for both the bonus and any winnings you receive from it.
If you win additional funds while playing with the bonus credit, the online casino will attempt to turn you into a long-term customer by encouraging you to continue playing games for real money. Keep in mind that some no deposit bonuses require you to wager the bonus credit before you can withdraw any winnings. Be sure to check out our list of recommended online casinos that offer no deposit bonuses.
To keep patrons returning, top casinos offer seasonal specials, contests, prize drawings, and other incentives. Free spins are often given when new games are released. Loyalty programs are also available at most casinos, where the amount you bet determines your rank, starting with bronze and progressing to silver, gold, and platinum. As you play, you earn loyalty points that can be used to receive free bets and other rewards. Bonus terms are typically listed on each operator’s website, usually under the T&Cs section.
KYC Requirements at Licensed Online Casinos
KYC (Know Your Customer) checks are a crucial part of maintaining player security at regulated online casino companies. These checks involve verifying your age, identity, address, and payment information. Previously, casinos had 72 hours to request necessary paperwork from new customers, leaving a loophole for minors to access gambling websites. However, now casinos are required to confirm your identity and age before allowing you to wager money on the website.
When registering at an online casino, you can expect to go through the following steps to complete the KYC process and ensure their safety:
Email Verification
During the registration process at an online casino, you’ll typically receive an email containing a confirmation link that you’ll need to click to validate your email address. Additionally, some casinos may require you to verify your phone number as part of the registration process.
Identity Checks
When registering for an online casino, you may be required to provide a photo or scan of your identity document. This can be a passport, license, or any other valid form of identification that includes your name, age, and picture.
Proof of Residence
To comply with casino regulations, you may be required to provide a recent utility bill in your name, displaying your current address. Additionally, ownership documentation for your chosen payment method may be requested during registration or at any other point of engagement with the casino. Please note, the payment method used to finance your account must be in your name and cannot belong to someone else.
It is important to note that in certain countries, the use of credit cards for gambling is prohibited. To ensure compliance, please verify that your chosen payment method aligns with these criteria as you may not be able to fund your account otherwise. Please be aware that this also applies to web wallets financed using credit cards.
Once the casino has received and verified your documents, it may employ third-party organizations to confirm your identity, age, address, and payment information before you can begin placing wagers on the website. Rest assured that these third-party organizations are subject to data protection laws, and your information will be treated securely and with the utmost privacy.
These safeguards have been implemented to ensure minors are unable to access gaming areas, legal players are protected against identity theft or fraud, and to prevent money laundering and other illicit online activity. While the administrative work required for KYC checks may seem tedious, it is an additional measure of security that has been put in place to keep you safe while gambling online.
Best Deposit Options for Online Casinos
Debit Cards
The most common way to fund your account at top online casinos is by providing your card information. Visa and Maestro cards are issued by all major banks and are accepted. To complete the transaction, you will be required to provide your account number, sort code, and security code.
E-wallets
Most online casino websites accept popular e-wallets such as Skrill and Neteller. While these are typically the quickest options for withdrawals, making a deposit using an e-wallet may prevent you from qualifying for a welcome incentive, so be sure to check welcome offer T&Cs.
PayPal
PayPal is one of the most popular online payment providers worldwide. However, several online casinos do not accept it as a payment option. It is important to check your operators deposit methods match your preferred method.
Prepaid Cards
Prepaid cards are a popular method for gamers to make deposits due to the added security they provide. The most popular prepaid card, Paysafecard, is accepted by many of the top casino sites and new casino sites with no deposit. The Paysafe Group, which also owns and operates the e-wallet services Skrill and Neteller, is the owner of Paysafecard.
Bank Transfers
Direct bank transfer has always been a popular deposit method for many online casino customers. Thanks to technological advancements, this approach is now much safer and widely used, although it is typically slower than other deposit methods.
Pay-by-Phone
Pay-by-phone is a deposit method that enables you to make deposits at top online casinos, with the fee deducted from your subsequent phone bill each month. Services like Zimpler and Boku make pay-by-phone deposits easier. This deposit method is both fast and secure.
Bitcoin
Bitcoin’s speed, simplicity, and anonymity have made it popular among casino players. Since it is a decentralized cryptocurrency, there are no bank fees to worry about. Funding an online casino account with Bitcoin is a risk-free and secure method, but it’s important to exercise caution because the price of Bitcoin can fluctuate rapidly, potentially eroding your gains. A few reputable casinos also accept other cryptocurrencies, including Tether, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin.