Sign Up Bonus in Online Casinos

On its face, taking advantage of a free casino sign-up bonus is reduced to grabbing the perk you like. But, unfortunately, some details might interfere with that. First of all, the casino might not cater to your country. Secondly, most casinos require you to make a real-money deposit before you can avail of the bonus (duh, sign-up bonuses are, in fact, not free). Last but not least, more often than not, you will have to clear the wagering requirement before you can withdraw your real money bonus and your bonus winnings. It’s not that simple now, is it? Read on to maximize your potential with sign-up bonuses.

What Exactly Is a Sign Up Bonus?

A sign-up bonus (or a welcome bonus, as it’s also called) is an encouraging reward issued by the casino to the newly registered users to get acquainted with the casino without dipping into their pockets. The reward may include:

• Free money and/or spins (no-deposit sign-up bonus). One of the most generous sign-up bonuses you can meet at online casinos is the so-called no-deposit sign-up bonus, which is the money or/and free spins granted to you once you’ve signed up for the casino and before you’ve made a deposit. The bonus amount is usually small and subject to wagering requirements, though once in a blue moon, you can stumble upon no-deposit no-wagering bonuses, the very best and rarest treats at online casinos.
• Money and spins on top of your deposit (match bonuses). Most casinos are eager to provide freebies, but only after depositing real money. Deposit bonuses are also called match bonuses, and they grant you a predetermined percentage of your deposit. For example, if you’ve deposited $100 to a casino offering a 200% match bonus money, you will get $200 worth of bonus money on top of your $100 deposit.
• Free-play time. Sometimes casinos allocate some free-play time for new users while limiting the amount of real money the users can win and withdraw. Nevertheless, free-play time is a valuable bonus since it lets you feel the real-money game atmosphere.
• Other perks (tickets to tournaments, discounts, etc.). Not all casinos provide perks other than money and free spins, but that does happen from time to time. Not to miss promotions & special offers, follow your casino on social networks and subscribe to the newsletter.

Note that sign-up bonuses may be cashable (can be withdrawn after completing the playthrough) and non-cashable (only the bonus winnings can be withdrawn after the playthrough), but this is true for all bonuses.

There are only 3 steps between you and your long-awaited sign-up bonus:

1. Choose a casino that is worth your time and money. Not that we want to sound like a broken record, but we can’t help but reiterate the importance of choosing a reputable casino. In fact, it’s even more important than the size of your bonus: an unreliable casino may not pay you. There are two alternative ways to find your best casino: either you do your own research, which will take hours and days, or you can use our ready-made list of top-notch online casinos with luxurious sign-up offers.
2. Sign up for the casino and make your deposit. Upon registration, you’ll likely have to pass the identification procedure. Make sure to complete the KYC since otherwise, you might not be able to cash out your winnings. Once you’re done with that, proceed to the Banking page and complete your deposit via one of the supported deposit methods. Keep in mind the transaction time and fees.
3. Claim (get) your sign-up bonus. Your casino sign-up bonus with real money may or may not require a promo code; if the promo code is required, enter it when registering or whenever it is asked. If the promo code is not required, the bonus will be credited to you shortly after making your first deposit, according to your casino’s bonus terms & conditions. Speaking of the latter, more often than not, the T&C page specifies certain limitations that may prevent you from obtaining your bonus or playing it through, so make sure to pressure the T&C page in advance.

What Are Wagering Requirements?

In the lion’s share of cases, there are wagering requirements (may apply to both your bonus and bonus winnings or only to the bonus/the real cash bonus winnings) that you must complete to cash out your bonus and bonus winnings. The wagering requirements are listed on the bonus terms & conditions page of your casino and may include the following:

• The playthrough requirement. The most well-known wagering requirement is a playthrough: a number (30x, for example) indicating the total amount of money you must wager on eligible casino games to convert your bonus money into cash. For instance, if you’ve grabbed a $100 bonus with a 30x playthrough, you will have to wager $3,000 before you can cash out.
• The list of games eligible for playing with the bonus and completing the playthrough. First of all, not all games are suitable for completing the playthrough. Second of all, eligible games contribute different percentages towards the playthrough: slots usually count 100%, which means each dollar wagered counts as one dollar towards the playthrough (in other words, you can play through $3,000 by wagering $3,000); table games usually count 50%, 20%, 10%, or even less.
• The maximum bonus wins you can cash out. Most casinos won’t allow you to cash out thousands of dollars made from your sign-up bonus but rather establish a cashout limit of a few hundred dollars at best. Nevertheless, even a few hundred bucks are an awesome profit if you’ve made it out of thin air.
• The bonus offer expiration date. Most bonus offers expire in a month or week, so make sure you have enough time to clear all the requirements to convert your bonus money into cash.