Online casino best promotions

How casino bonuses work is the key question. To know whether a casino bonus is worth it, we will have to dig into the terms & conditions a little. But in general, we sign up, make our initial deposit of some amount, and in return, we will get our welcome casino bonus. Hopefully, we will get two deposit bonuses. One is just for registering, and the second is for depositing or playing a certain sum defined in the terms and conditions. (T&C)

Creating an Account

In order to gamble online legally, you need to be in the confines of West Virginia, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island, or Connecticut. But you can be anywhere when you register for an online casino account. You will need to have identification ready to demonstrate that you are at least 21 years of age.

But if you want to practice a bit before you play online casino games, you don't need to be in a state to play in demo mode with most casino operators. Don't try anything suspicious here trying to get two bonuses for the same person, these folks have spent a lot of money making sure they have proper safeguards in place.

How to Claim Casino Bonuses

Every casino awards deposit bonuses differently. Some online casino bonus offers require a bonus code upon registration, while others don't. Some require you to email them when you make your deposit so they can match your deposit, but most don't. Casino bonus funds may be applied automatically when you hit certain milestones, or you may need to reach out.

Free spins for registration are usually waiting in your app, but every casino is a little different, so please read the terms and conditions carefully. We suggest taking a picture of them in case something changes after you've already begun to play.

Cashing Out

Before even beginning to think about cashing out, read, reread, and even reach out in live chat if you need to, but make sure you have met all the terms and conditions attached to your bonus money, or it could all be forfeited. The number one complaint we hear regarding online casino bonuses is that people lost them while trying to cash out before making the required play-through amount, or by misunderstanding what wagers counted toward play-through, or otherwise not strictly following the terms laid out for the deposit bonuses.

Online casinos take bonus fraud very seriously, and they often see an attempt to cash out early as bonus abuse. This might not only cost you your deposit bonus but even jeopardize your ability to continue to play with that particular online operator going forward.

Common Online Casino Bonuses

Let's take a quick walk through all of the online casino bonuses and other items you should consider when it comes time to deposit money with an online casino. While bonuses are certainly helpful, they shouldn't be the only determining factor, and remember your style and type of play will also determine which of these online casino offers will mean the most to you.

Welcome/Sign-Up Bonus

A welcome bonus is for new players making their initial deposits. There are two main types, the % deposit match on initial deposit or the % refund on losses in the first 24 hours. There is a lot of debate about which are the best online casino bonuses. Clearly, if you are down substantially on the first day of play, the refund looks quite good, but incentivizing players to run up losses could raise some questions, even if they are rebated. However, the initial deposit match casino bonuses are often loaded with restrictive terms and fine print.

Deposit Bonus

A deposit bonus is simply a casino match bonus for the amount of your deposit. A very typical offer is a deposit bonus of up to $1,, and the casino will match that money with a deposit bonus of %. If you deposit $, then you will get $ in casino bonuses. Remember, these can only be withdrawn once you've jumped through all the hoops outlined in the casino bonus terms.

Some casinos may offer a deposit bonus not only when you sign up but also for ongoing deposits or deposits made during certain promotional times. Be aware that these can often have different language than that used for welcome bonuses.

No Deposit Bonus

No deposit bonuses are aimed at getting more hesitant players to begin playing. While seldom more than $25 or maybe free spins are offered, these can be very lucrative to small-time players just starting to build bankrolls. They also give you a chance to test drive the online casino offerings before deciding to plunk down your own hard-earned money with a site that doesn't load well or lacks the high-end graphics that you prefer.

Free Spins

Free spins are typically only offered on one type of slot, and the casino often has a very high house advantage on these chosen online slot machines. Still, the chance to earn large sums of cash for free can induce many people to take the plunge. Free spins can be part of a welcome bonus or sometimes used as a reward for hitting all the milestones of a promotion or as a prize for doing well in a tournament.

Free Play

Free play has long been the given carrot to get people back through the door of land-based casinos, and online casinos are no different. Typically, the casino will look at your last couple of plays, figure out how much they think they can make off you if they get you back in front of one of the machines, and then offer you around 10% of that amount as free play. Typically free play doesn't have any strings, just a way of getting you to play again, but some online casinos have been known to add T&Cs to free play offers.

Reload Bonus

A reload bonus is just another welcome bonus after you've been playing online casino for a while. Like many of the other bonuses, it is aimed at getting you playing again. As mentioned, never assume that the terms or timeframe of the reload bonuses will be the same as your initial welcome bonus money.

Cashback Bonus

Similar to our casino bonuses that offer refunds on losses, a cashback bonus is offered to big players on their losses. Typically around 10%, though going higher if it lands a really big player, this is just a rebate on your losses. Drop $10k, get $1k cash back. Time frames vary but it is usually not much longer than a day or two to get your cashback bonuses. The casino wants to incentivize higher-limit play.

Preferred Deposit Bonus

Most of the ways that players get money into their online casino accounts, from credit cards to Paypal to Skrill, are expensive to the casino. If they have a cheap deposit method available, you can bet they are going to promote it. And they do this by giving preferred deposit bonus rates to people who avail themselves of the cheaper option. This is seldom a huge amount, but a few percent over time can add up if you are playing very low-edge casino games like blackjack or craps.

Referral Bonus

The stepchild of the casino bonus program, many people overlook the easy money to be made by getting your friends to sign up for an online casino account. These may be some of the best online casino bonuses available because you are putting zero money of your own at risk. And they can be lucrative, with casino bonuses from $50 to $ a friend, often with a ten- or even higher limit.

Loyalty/VIP Programs

Many novice players overlook the benefits of a generous tiered loyalty program when first considering a casino signup bonus. But these loyalty programs can be very lucrative if you play your cards right. Caesars Palace Online Casino even offers Caesars reward points after just wagering $25 to show how powerful these points can be.

You can use these reward points for room nights, free buffets, and other offers at operators that offer both online and land-based casinos. As you earn more of these points for your play, you increase your tier, which can be valuable.

For instance, MGM Gold means no resort fees, which, if you frequent MGM properties, might save you hundreds or more per year. Or you can use the casino's VIP room, where you can often find free food and drinks even when you don't feel like playing. You can earn free cruises, trips to international properties, and lots of other valuable perks just by banking these loyalty points.

How to Choose the Best Casino Bonuses

The best online casino bonuses won't be a one-size-fits-all proposition. If you are only willing or able to deposit $, a deposit match bonus of up to $2, isn't at all important to you. If you like to play Live Dealer Blackjack, but this particular online casino only counts your play-through on slots or, worse, only lets you play your deposit bonus on certain high-house edge slot machines, then that probably isn't the best online casino app for you.

Take a hard look at what you're trying to do. If you're just starting out, then it's quite possible that the registration bonus of $25 may be much more important to you than a huge deposit bonus match. Maybe the ongoing promotions or free play will appeal to you more. Even a couple hundred free spins can bulk up your account balance quickly.

If you have deep pockets, by all means, take advantage of the large match deposit bonuses, but if you are a table games or video poker player, you need to pay close attention to those terms and conditions and understand the play-through requirements on the game of your choice.

Online Casino Bonuses Terms and Conditions

Not only will every online casino app have different terms and conditions, but many will change their terms frequently or even worse, have different conditions with different types of offers. You will need to closely monitor and document your offer and the T&Cs behind that offer to be on the safe side.

The most obvious thing to look for is play-through. If you deposit $ and you must play it through 20x before you can withdraw it, you'll need to have made wagers on slots or eligible table games of at least $4, Many casino apps will show your progress toward these goals, but others can be a bit more opaque, and you may need to look a bit to find your wager information.

Other crucial information is which games qualify and at which rate to meet your play-through, how long you have to meet those requirements, and any additional steps you may need to take before you can withdraw any bonus money.

Wagering Requirements

Wagering requirements can vary not only by casino but also by which game you choose to play in that casino and whether the online casino bonuses are welcome bonuses, redeposit bonuses, or some other type of offer.

Some online casinos may only require that you play your initial deposit one time through; others may want 40x or even more, depending on the type of game you are playing. Some may not have any wagering requirement at all, instead choosing to rebate your losses for the first 24 or 72 hours. Either way, don't attempt to withdraw any funds until you are absolutely sure that you have met any and all wagering requirements on a deposit match bonus

Time Limits

Every sign-up bonus, deposit casino bonus, or other type of casino bonus has a time limit for earning the offer. These can be capricious and tough to meet if you don't plan ahead. If you put down $ on a deposit bonus but only have 72 hours to get a 40x playthrough, you may find that you are forced to bet outside your bankroll requirements or at limits that you simply aren't comfortable with.

Know the time limits and have a plan to meet the requirements before you enter that bonus code or you will often find yourself facing strict deadlines that will see all of your bonus money forfeited. Make sure you screenshot or document the exact time frame laid out in the T&Cs in case there is a dispute.

Restricted Games

One of the most disheartening things about casino bonuses is that certain casinos only offer them on certain casino games. Sure, they make a lot more money on high-house-advantage slot machines, but telling players who prefer online table games or video poker that you aren't interested at all in offering them any type of online casino bonus seems counterproductive.

A good 3-card poker or roulette player loses at about the same percentage as a mid-level slot player over time. Why should the game they choose matter? But that being said some online casino apps only award deposit bonuses if you play slots. Some will award deposit bonuses on some table games but may exclude craps and roulette, and others may let you play the casino game of your choice but require a higher playthrough rate depending on the house advantage.

Online Casinos With the Best Welcome Bonuses

The top online casino bonuses are always changing. Some casinos anxious to juice declining numbers may up their online casino bonus. Others, who have noticed climbing player acquisition costs may decide to set a quarter out while they digest the new players they got from their last offer.

Some run long-term online casino bonuses that will stay the same for years; others may run one for a week that requires a bonus code just to get play over a slower part of the calendar. The types of offers may change from free spins to the sign-up bonus to just plain old bonus cash. So it's always important to keep an eye on the offers in your inbox or follow someone who does and lets their readers know what is out there this week.

Caesars Palace Online Casino

• Read our Caesars Palace Online Casino Promo Code & Review
• Bonus Offer: Use promo code ACTIONto claim the following offer: Get a % Deposit Match up to $2, + 2, Rewards Points! Alternatively, new users can enter bonus code ACTIONLAUNCH to claim this offer: Get $10 on Registration + % Deposit Match up to $!
• Available States: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Michigan

Caesars Palace Online Casino offers some of the best online casino bonuses available. They offer an industry-leading $2, deposit bonus match when you use the Caesars bonus code. The only game they exclude from being able to earn the bonus is craps for some reason, though play-through on table games is 75x, vs just 15x for slot players.

Their loyalty program is second to none. After wagering $25, you can receive a $10 no-deposit registration bonus and Caesars reward points. They offer great ongoing promotions, free play and daily redeposit bonuses, and weekly tier accelerators.

BetMGM Casino

BetMGM is the gold standard in online casinos. Its polished, responsive site features more than 1, slot games and hundreds of table games. Its live dealer games, like roulette and blackjack, are state-of-the-art, and its world-class customer service team excels at fixing problems.

But their casino bonus terms are draconian and uninspiring to the vast majority of casino players. Their online casino promotions are aimed only at slot players and, even then, exclude many of the highest return-to-player (RTP) machines. They do offer those willing to play high house advantage slots a $1, match and only 15x play through within 14 days of registration.

They also have a $25 no-deposit bonus just for registration, an ongoing online casino offer for referring a friend that can earn you money in the sportsbook, casino, or poker room, and ongoing jackpot offers for registered users for daily and weekly cash prizes.

bet Casino

Bet offers pretty generous welcome casino bonuses, up to % match on initial deposit with a 20x play-through. Almost all casino games are included except live dealer games and baccarat. They currently also offer a very generous 60% redeposit bonus, neither of which requires a bonus code.

Online gambling has never been so fun. They also have one of the longer time limits on meeting the play-through requirement, 60 days, whereas some others give only 3. They offer lots of ongoing free play and cash-back offers.

Borgata Casino

• Read our Borgata Casino Bonus Code & Review
• Bonus Offer: Use promo code ACTIONBCASINO to claim the following promo: Get up to a $1, Deposit Match + $20 in Bet Credits!
  
• Available States: Pennsylvania and New Jersey

While Borgata is owned by BetMGM, it offers its own high-end online casino app in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where most of its land-based casino customers are based. While the apps for Borgata and BetMGM are similar, they are not identical and sometimes offer different monthly, weekly, and daily promotions. However, their initial sign-up bonus remains pretty much the same.

Slots are only eligible, with even some of the better RTP slots excluded from earning credit for the bonus. No bonus codes are needed with up to a $1, match and 15x playthrough. You've got 39 days to get the wagering requirements completed. Just register and get $20; no minimum deposit is required.

DraftKings Online Casino

Well, the positive takeaway from the DraftKings sign-up offers is that they have one of the best casino bonus offers out there. The bonus money is 1x play-through, and all games but live dealers meet eligibility requirements. It is available immediately, and you have seven days to play it through.

The downside is that any wager for the Play $5, Get $50 in Casino Credits + $35 Extra on Deposit! is being capped at a lower number compared to other online casinos. However, despite being capped at $50 in casino credits after your initial deposit, this is one of the best casino bonus offers that you are likely to find when you are just starting out playing online casino games and a very calculated offer by DraftKings to draw a large number of signups from novice players who will stick with the online casino over time.

They also have a very generous tier loyalty program called Dynasty Rewards, along with a not-to-be-missed refer friend offer. If you can convince your friends to deposit $ to get the $ deposit match and play 1x, though, you will get $ in credits. 5 friends per referral period can add up pretty quickly.

Fanatics Casino

Fanatics is one of the newer players in the online casino market. Their offerings haven't been as much as other operators, but given they are newer they will only continue to offer more. You can sign up with a Deposit $5, Get Free Spins. The casino app that seems to be a part of the Fanatics Sportsbook app seems to be a serious competitor in this space, but only time will tell.

FanDuel Casino

There is a lot to like about the FanDuel Online Casino, especially its famous up to $1, refund on your losses in the first 24 hours. It's simple, straightforward, and not tied down in a lot of legalese. However, it is important to note that your Play it Again match credit for that refund expires in just 7 days.

If you put in just $10, you get $20 in free play. You can receive three bonus free spins every day, and they offer daily guaranteed jackpot winners on certain slots. They have a great tier-level program that can get you into sporting events or concerts or award you all kinds of branded swag. And don't forget to refer a friend for an extra $

Golden Nugget Casino

We can understand your confusion when you first look at Golden Nugget's online casino bonus program. It's pretty clear that $50 in Casino credits don't exactly go toe to toe with the big boys in the market. But hear us out. Their play though, requirements are generally only 1x. They send $10 in bonus money just for registering, and they give cash back casino bonuses on all deposits over $

They have a robust tier loyalty program with land-based casinos all over the US. And you can get $50 to refer a friend up to 10 times. This may not appeal to every player, but it is a solid program for those just starting out or those who like to keep the stakes on the lighter side.

Party Casino

• Read our PartyCasino Bonus Code & Review
• Bonus Offer: Get a % Deposit Match up to $ in Bonus Bets!
• Available States: NJ only

Party Casino might be a great choice for slot players. They offer % matching online casino bonuses but only on certain slot machine products. They also offer a great 20% weekly bonus on redeposits, but again, it only counts toward higher house advantage slot games. There is a 10x play-through requirement.

Mohegan Sun Online Casino

• Read our Mohegan Sun Casino Bonus Code & Review
• Bonus Offer: No promo offer currently offered.
• Available States: NJ, PA and Connecticut Sort of

This is going to be a bit confusing if you want to break out the pen and paper. Mohegan Sun has an online casino presence in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but the Mohegan Sun land-based casino, which is in Connecticut and operated by the Mohegan tribe, has a deal with FanDuel to operate its online casino in that state. So, it's possible that your experience in Connecticut may be slightly different than in New Jersey or Pennsylvania or that casino bonuses may be awarded differently.

In the past, all three casinos offered online casino bonuses for first-time deposits of up to a $1, match, but this has lately been dropped to a $ max match. Playthrough also appears to have changed, with 10x required on slots and 20x now required on table games and video poker.

betPARX Casino

BetPARX has an amalgam of odd deposit match bonus offers. The initial welcome bonus is up to a $ rebate on losses, but then the bonus money requires 5 times play through on slots, 25x on Roulette and Craps, and then 50x on Blackjack and Video Poker, and that's on the money you've already lost?

The other slightly off-putting thing is that they only have about slots and casino games combined. Still, there could be a use case here if they have the game or machine you like. Ongoing bonuses like redeposit and weekly promotions are much more state-by-state here than at other online casino operators. You will need a minimum deposit of $10 to be eligible for the refund.

Responsible Gambling

All of these websites and apps will have software in place that can help you monitor, throttle or limit your play. Use them! Set up daily or weekly loss limits to keep you from spiraling on a bad losing session, set up time limits so that you don't spend time playing cards that you should be working on other projects and if you feel you are losing control, use these programs to take a software mandated break from 24 hours up to a month. If you or someone you know needs more information or just someone to talk to, please reach out to GAMBLER.