Along with comfort and convenience, one of the huge drawcards of making the switch to playing the pokies online is the great bonuses offered by virtual casinos.
Whereas land based casinos can suck your wallet dry with added expenses like drinks and car parking, online casino vendors actually reward you for playing at their venue, giving you something back for the wagers you place.
If you’re new to online pokies or still a little unsure of how the various casino bonuses work, here’s a guide to help navigate you through and make sure you take advantage of all the different bonuses available.
Casino sign up bonuses
All reputable casinos like the ones recommended here at OnlinePokiesBonuses.com welcome new players with more than open arms – signing up will also earn you some sweet casino sign up bonuses. These rewards are credited to your account simply for registering with the site or upon making your first cash deposit.
The welcome packages offered vary from venue to venue, but will typically include matched deposit bonuses and/or free spins while some even offer a no deposit bonus, as explained below.
Matched deposit bonuses
The most common casino sign up bonus is a matched deposit bonus, which is where the casino will match the amount of money you deposit to your account, up to a fixed value. When you see casinos spruiking such promos as ‘100% matched deposit bonus’ this means if you deposit $100, the venue will also give you $100 (depending on the specified limit, some casinos may offer a 100% matched deposit bonus or higher, but capped at a certain amount).
Matched deposit bonuses are usually awarded in instalments, with certain play-through wagering requirements needing to be met before the bonus money can be withdrawn in cash. Always refer to a casinos terms and conditions regarding matched deposit bonuses before transferring cash to make sure that the bonus meets your expectations and that you understand the wagering requirements.
No deposit bonuses
No deposit bonuses are exactly as the name suggests – bonuses that are awarded without the need to hand over any of your own money. No deposit bonuses are usually a small cash incentive like $5-$10 for free, or a certain number of free spins, that you’ll automatically receive upon registering for an account with a new venue. These little boosts can be a great way to experience what it’s like to play for real money without any damage to your own wallet.
Free spins
Free spins are often offered as part of a casinos welcome package, usually along with matched deposit bonuses, and granted upon making your first real money deposit. Free spins may be credited to your account in one hit, or over a series of days (for example 100 free spins may be credited in daily instalments of 20 free spins per day). These free spin bonuses can usually be used on specified slot games only.
Casino loyalty bonuses
Some of our favourite online casinos have another leg up over brick and mortar venues: offering loyalty reward programs to regular players. These reward programs allow you to earn points for every real money wager you make when signed in at an online casino, climbing different membership tiers as you go. As you make your way higher up on the tier scale, you become eligible for even more rewards.
Loyalty bonuses vary at each casino, with points being accumulated differently and different prizes on offer. Rewards programs usually give players the chance to earn free spins, casino credits and cash. Playing specified games may even give you double loyalty points; for example, Jackpot City Casino have a rotation of different slot games that you can play to earn additional points. The higher you climb in membership status, you may also be eligible for certain rewards like boosted points on your birthday.
VIP bonuses
If you’re a high roller who dedicates a lot of time to one online casino, the casino operator may invite you to become a VIP member. VIP status gives you all kinds of special benefits, for starters you’ll be assigned your very own VIP host who will be available to assist you with personalised service, perhaps even paying you a visit from time to time.
You’ll also be eligible for higher deposit and withdrawal limits. Not only that, you’ll receive boosted rewards, extra bonuses, real world prizes and invitations to exclusive events. VIP membership is usually only offered to high rollers via exclusive invitation, but if you think you’ve dedicated enough loyalty to a casino, vendors usually welcome you to come forward and request VIP status.
Pokies specific bonuses at online casinos
On top of these welcome packages and loyalty programs, there are many ongoing pokies-only bonuses up for grabs at online casinos. These bonuses come in the form of one-off promotions, which you can find in your email inbox or by checking the ‘promotions’ tab in any of our recommended casinos, with offers varying monthly, weekly or even daily.
Pokies bonuses can be anything from free spins, free-rolls, free casino credits, matched deposit bonuses, tournament entry, cash back offers, double loyalty points or even real world prizes like tech gadgets and holidays. Pokies bonuses are usually awarded by playing specified slot games, or wagering a certain amount within a certain promotional period.
When you sign up for a new account with an online casino, always make sure to tick the box to receive promotional emails so you don’t miss out on any of these exclusive pokies bonuses.