For the last couple of years, the offer of online casinos globally has skyrocketed. To attract players, casinos have started improving their offers by increasing Return to Player (RTP), offering more games, and providing bonuses and promotions to players.
There are five categories of promotions currently offered by most online casinos in Canada:
- Sign-up (no deposit) bonuses
- Deposit (matching) bonuses
- Free games/ Free spins / Free bets
- Player prizes
- Customer loyalty programs
And, as a player, you should be entitled to use all of the bonuses and promotions on offer. While you are there to have fun, in its essence this is a business transaction and you want to have the casino retain your business any way they can.
How do Casino Bonuses Work?
All casino promotions consist of three things: requirements, amount, and playthrough. The requirements are what you need to do to become eligible for a bonus. For instance, if there is a sign-up bonus, you will need to create a gaming account to qualify for it.
The amount is either a nominal number like ten or twenty dollars, or a percentage. For deposit bonuses, your bonus will usually depend on your deposit, doubling or tripling the amount.
Finally, there is the playthrough which signifies how much you will need to play to withdraw your bonus amount as cash. In Canada, the standard playthrough is 15x; this means that if you have received $10 as a bonus, you will need to wager $150 for that bonus to become eligible for withdrawal.
But, this doesn’t affect the rest of your winnings. Using the simple 35 to 1 payout calculator roulette on a $10 bonus, you will win $350 total. You can’t withdraw the $10 bonus here, but you can withdraw the $340 of your winnings.
Sign-up Bonuses
These are the simplest and smallest bonuses. Usually, they don’t exceed $10 or $20 and are used to test out the games that the online casino has to offer. For most players, depositing anything before you spend this amount will not be in their best interest.
Test out all of the games the operator has to offer, including traditional games like roulette or video poker, and try out the popular games like slots to see what will give you the most entertainment value.
Deposit Bonuses
Levels of deposit bonuses have dropped on average in the last few months, but they are still one of the most considerable bonuses you can receive. In most online casinos in Canada, the deposit bonus will be 100% of the size of your deposit, effectively doubling your gaming account.
Take note that there will be some games like poker where you won’t be able to wager this deposit. But, for most games, it will be as if you have given double as a deposit.
Free Games and Secured Bets
Although secured bets are more frequent with betting houses than online casinos, the casino equivalent is free spins. These bonuses are not monetary, but they will give you a free chance to win money.
For so-called “free bets” in particular, you will need to have the betting amount in your account. But, you can secure the bet and use the promotion. If you win, it will be counted as a regular win, but if you lose you won’t be paying anything and the bet will be annulled.
Lottery Prizes
Many casinos have frequent raffles for active players. A few times per month you will be able to apply and win a prize. In most cases, this will not be a cash prize, but rather merchandise from the casino operator.
Customer Loyalty Programs
Finally, some casinos have instituted a customer loyalty program. In most cases, this program will allow benefits for online players if they decide to visit a physical location of the casino.
These benefits can include cheaper or free casino hotel prices, free drinks, or free valet parking. Check with your online casino operator to see if they have such a program and how you can apply.
