Sign-up bonuses help you earn cash to play your favorite casino games before you get started. They're only available to new players, so once you've used the sign-up bonus, you can't use it again.
Every online casino offers a sign-up bonus. With some, they match your initial deposit either once or for a set amount of time, others hand you free chips to get you started. It's important to understand the terms and conditions set forth by the casino. Many casino bonuses require you to wager a certain amount of money before you can start withdrawing your winnings. As every bonus has specific rules, it's important to read the fine print before using a bonus offer code. Make sure you're completely comfortable with the terms before you get started.
Should you accept a bonus offer and then make a withdrawal before you meet the terms, you usually face penalties that include loss of your bonus and any winnings received using the bonus. For this reason, consider the benefits to the sign-up bonus versus simply forgoing any bonus when you start playing.
Types of Sign-up Bonuses
No deposit sign-up bonuses are virtually free cash to new players. When you sign up and take advantage of this bonus, the casino gives you a small amount of free chips just for trying their games. Some casinos give out $7, $15 or even $50 for you to use to play games before you make your first deposit. This makes it easy to test out the games and see if the casino is a good fit for you.
Match bonuses double, triple or quadruple your first deposit when you sign-up at a new casino. If the casino offers a 400 percent match bonus, they'll take your initial deposit and add 400 percent to it.
Multi-level sign-up bonuses break up your bonus over a number of deposits. For example, there are casinos that will offer match bonuses on your first 10 deposits. This way, every time you add more money to your casino account, you're repeatedly earning more free cash.
Things to Watch for When Signing Up
All casino promotions have requirements you must agree to when you sign up. Many sign-up bonuses set a minimum and maximum deposit limit. You will not receive the bonus unless you're within these guidelines.
The casinos also have wagering restrictions that you must meet before you can withdraw your winnings. Say that the sign-up bonus had a 30x wagering restriction, that means you must bet 30 times the amount of your initial deposit and sign-up bonus before you may withdraw cash. In addition, many of these casinos only count certain games when calculating the amount you've wagered. Games like Baccarat, Craps, Roulette and Pai Gow do not qualify towards wagering restrictions. Half of what you wager on Blackjack or Video poker counts towards your wagering restrictions.
