Digitalconqurer.com articles may affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and a few other affiliate programs. If you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. See our Disclosure Policy for more information.

 

Why Most Online Casino Bonuses Are Bad Value, And How To Spot The Good Ones

Online casinos are great fun, and if you get lucky you can win serious sums of money. The dream of hitting a shared jackpot and walking away with a cool million is one most of us have shared, and most months it does come true for at least one lucky person.

Many newcomers to the online casino world get excited by the enticing welcome bonuses that are on offer. From hundreds of free spins with no deposit necessary to matched bonuses that can run into the hundreds of dollars, there seems to be no end to the gifts that casinos use to tempt potential customers.

However, experienced players know that not every casino welcome bonus offer is as good a deal as it might first seem. These veterans read the small print to check what they need to do to qualify for the bonus, and only then decide whether to sign up. If you want to learn how to judge an online casino bonus like a pro, this is what you should look out for.

The chief problem that come with many bonus offers is that the wagering requirements are very high. Wagering requirements typically refer to the amount of times any winnings must be recycled by the player. In many cases, the sign-up rules state that before the bonus amount can be withdrawn, the player must wager the amount up to 80 times. Given that all casinos have a house edge, such wagering requirements negate any advantage of the welcome bonus.

Now, does this mean that experienced players will not sign up with a casino offering bonuses with high wagering requirements? Not necessarily. They may be attracted by the range of casino games on offer, or have heard about the stellar support or convenient payment options that casino offers, and the wagering requirement of any bonus is merely an irrelevance.

However, many so-called high-rollers who play online tend to choose casinos without wagering requirements, since they recognize that these casinos are serious players who don’t need to attract newcomers with gimmicky welcome offers. Other casinos may choose not to offer any bonus at all, but instead opt for attractive cashback schemes, where the player gets refunded a set amount of their losses.

What’s important is to check the small print of all casino welcome offers, and decide for yourself if this bonus really makes sense to your style of playing.