Online Casino Bonus: Guide to the online casino bonuses

 The online casino bonus - sought by many but understood by few, we present you this guide to the online casino bonuses. Sure, everyone who has any intentions of gambling online will look at the bonus offered by the online casinos first and foremost. At the end, we all love getting free money, even if on the back of your head you realize that the free money will come with some strings attached. The online casino bonus is not a bad thing, not by a long shot, but only when you know the various types of bonuses you can actually take full advantage of the online casino bonuses. The bonus is actually one of the strong suites held by the online casinos when they compete with the land-based gambling operations. When was the last time you entered a land casino to be handed $500 match up bonus to play around?

 Currently, every online casino under the sun is offering a bonus for new players and all of the good ones do offer ongoing bonuses for existing customers. But bare in mind that not all bonus offers are created equal and just because you have read the terms and conditions of the bonus at one online casino they'd be the same at the next. In this online casino bonus guide you will learn what to look for in a casino bonus, what to avoid and when to take the bonuses offered by the online casinos of your choice.

 Online Casino Bonus Requirements: As we mentioned earlier, every online casino offers a bonus for new players. If you visit the casino for the first time, you will see the bonus offer, most of which hover around $500 for new players. And as you might suspect, there are requirements for the bonus offered by the online casino. To begin with, the online casino bonus for new players is actually a match-up bonus, not a simple amount bonus, i.e. the online casino will match-up your first deposit up to the specified amount, in the above example, $500. So if the online casino has a 100% match-up up to $500, you have to deposit $500 to get the full bonus; and if you deposit $150 you will get only $150 bonus. Some online casinos may offer 125% or even 150%, so check to see the actual percentage of your first deposit that will be given to you as a bonus.

 Another very, very important requirement of the online casino bonus, and sadly the most overlooked by players, is the wagering requirement. If the online casino simply gave you a match-up bonus - what would stop you from just withdrawing the bonus and your money and move along? The play-through (or wagering) requirement. This is another number you should check with the specific online casino as they all differ from one another. Let's say that the casino has a 30 times play-though requirement for your bonus. This means that you will have to wager 30 times the bonus plus your deposit before you can withdraw your winnings. Keep in mind that the requirement is for wagering only, not losing or winning that amount. For example, if you place a $10 bet on the blackjack table and win, then place another $10 bet and lose, you have wagered $20, even though you have not lost or won anything. Here is the place to mention that some games do not count towards the wagering requirements, usually only slots count, sometimes the tables games count as well, but at a higher wagering requirement. Again, check with the terms and conditions of the online casino bonus offer with the specific internet casino as it varies widely.

 When taking an online casino on its bonus, also make sure that the bonus itself is indeed available for withdrawal. Some online casinos will give you the bonus, along with wagering requirements, but at the end, after you have met the play-through numbers and have submitted a cash-out request, the amount of the bonus will be subtracted from your winning before you are paid. We don't like this kind of bonus, although may gamblers do take it since it increases their bankroll, thus giving them a better chance at winning big at the online casino. If you think that it's worth it - take the bonus, although we don't consider this type of bonus offer as a fair one.

 Many ongoing bonuses will be made available to you at the online casinos, once you have taken the first-time bonus. Those will also carry restrictions, hence check the T&C of the re-up and other bonuses, before you take advantage. The same rules will apply to the ongoing bonuses as for the sign-up casino bonus, thus always read the fine print before using. On the same note, most online casinos offer "comp points" as yet another form of bonus. Usually for every $1,000 wagered at the online casino the casino will give you $1 comp point, which are accumulated as you play and you can check out how much you have by visiting the cashier section of the online casino. Those comp points could also be a bit tricky - some online casinos treat them as a bonus, attaching wagering requirements before you can withdraw you comp points, while other casinos will let you withdraw the right away. Ether way, the comp points are the epitome of free money so take advantage of them regardless of requirements.