December 2021

Online casinos have tons of advantages over land-based casinos and they are the main reason why millions of players are now favouring these online platforms over brick-and-mortar facilities. Experts believe that by 2025, the global revenue of online casinos is likely to exceed $100 billion and that would make them the highest profit earners in the gambling industry.

Some of the advantages that casino sites have are impeccable security, easy access, 24/7 availability, thousands of quality games, numerous accepted payment methods, as well as the main topic of this article – bonuses and promotions.

As the term itself suggests, bonuses and promotions are used to attract players to a certain online casino and provide them with extra rewards while playing. We are going to take a deeper look into this feature and explain everything there is to know about them. Without any further ado, let’s start breaking down the details.

Deposit vs No Deposit Bonuses

There are two main types of casino bonuses – deposit and no deposit. As the names suggest, if you wish to claim a deposit bonus, you need to transfer funds to your casino account. The welcome bonus is the most popular deposit bonus.

In most cases, deposit bonuses will provide you with a match bonus. Let’s say that you have a welcome offer that comes with a 100% match bonus. That means that if you deposit $20, the casino will top the deposit with another $20 (100% of the deposit). Of course, each deposit bonus has a minimum deposit requirement.

On the other hand, no deposit bonuses are players’ favourites. They do not require you to make any type of deposit to reap their benefits. There are three main types of no deposit bonuses:

• Free spins
• Cashbacks
• Free play

Free spins and cashbacks will allow you to play selected games and win real money rewards, while free play does not include any rewards. Free spins can only be used on slots, while cashbacks represent the amount that the casino redeems to you. It is based on the losses that you had over a certain period.

Other Promotions at Online Casinos

Apart from the regular deposit and no deposit bonuses, online casinos feature a few extra promotions that are worth mentioning. First, we have the well-known tournaments in which the top-ranked players receive cash rewards and/or free spins.

Then, we have loyalty programs, which are designed to thank loyal players for their continuous support. Members of these programs need to collect comp points by wagering real money on the games. The higher they are on the loyalty program scale, the more benefits they will enjoy. Some of those benefits include personal account managers, higher withdrawal limits, faster withdrawals, exclusive bonuses, higher cashbacks, priority customer support, etc.

Terms and Conditions Are a Must-Read

Now, when claiming both deposit and no deposit bonuses, it is vital to know that there are terms and conditions that you need to meet in order to be able to withdraw any winnings from the bonuses. First of all, deposit bonuses come with a minimum deposit amount. All bonuses also have a maximum bonus amount that you can receive.

Not only that, but each bonus has a pre-determined validity period in which all terms and conditions need to be met. Market restrictions in terms of available games on which the bonuses can be used and countries from which they can be claimed are also available. Free spins bonuses usually have a maximum bet and maximum win that you withdraw.

Finally, some online casinos are known to restrict the number of payment methods that you can use to claim the featured bonuses. While this is a rare case, if you happen to come across restrictions of this type, chances are that Neteller and Skrill are the ineligible payment methods.

Wagering Requirements

Wagering requirements are the single most important T&C which is why it deserves a sub-heading of its own. We often say that it is not about how rewarding the bonus is, it is about how high the wagering requirements are.

In layman’s terms, wagering requirements set the amount that you need to roll over before you can withdraw winnings from bonuses and promotions. They need to be met before the bonus expires, otherwise, you won’t be able to get your money.

Here’s how wagering requirements work. Let’s say that you have a match deposit bonus with wagering requirements set at x30. The minimum deposit for the bonus is $20, which is the amount that you choose to deposit. That means that if you want to withdraw the winnings from the bonus, you will have to wager a total of $600 – the deposit amount, multiplied by the wagering requirements.

The general rule with wagering requirements is the following: the lower they are, the easier it will be to claim the bonus and reap its benefits.

Online slots are the most played category at every online casino. Thanks to the fact that they have pretty straightforward gameplay and feature tons of fantastic rewards, they are appealing to both newbies and more experienced players.

Understanding how online slots work is of massive importance if you want to have the most pleasant gaming experience and maybe, win a decent reward. Of course, rewards are not guaranteed here due to the fact that these games are based on luck, rather than skill. With that being said, let’s take a look at everything there is to know about online slots.

Online Slots – The Mechanics

First of all, let’s start with the grid. A majority of online slots have a 5×3 grid, meaning that they contain 5 reels and 3 rows. However, game providers are known for their innovative approach which is why you can come across slots with various numbers of reels and rows.

When it comes to the paytable, each slot has a specific number of regular symbols that will help you form winning combinations. Winning combinations are won on the featured paylines, which can be fixed or adjustable. The number of paylines depends on the slot and its grid. Up until recently, winning combinations could’ve been formed from left to right, right to left, or both ways. These days, new mechanics have been developed by game providers, with some of the most popular being:

• Megaways
• Infinity Reels
• Cluster Pays

With the Megaways mechanic, the number of paylines varies from one spin to another and it can go as high as 117,649. With the Infinity Reels mechanic, the reels grow with each winning spin and thus, the number of paylines grows to infinity. Finally, the Cluster Pays mechanic is the most unique payline system in which there are no specific paylines.

Instead, you form a winning combination by landing at least 5 matching symbols that are touching themselves. With Cluster Pays, winning combinations disappear and new symbols replace the spots, thus creating cascades. Many slots that are powered by this mechanic also feature multipliers for every consecutive cascading win.

RTP and Volatility

Moving on, RTP stands for Return to Player. It signifies the stakes a game players receive on a specific slot over time. Logically, the higher the RTP is, the better the returns will be. The average slot RTP is around 96%, so anything above that is a decent pick.

Here’s how RTP works. Let’s say that you come across a slot that has 97% RTP. That means that for every $100 that you stake in the game, you will gain back $97 over a longer period. Volatility rate also plays a huge role as it indicates how rewarding the slot actually is. The rule here is simple – the higher the volatility rate is, the higher the jackpot exposure will be, but its hit frequency is lower. Additionally, the bet limits are also higher. Basically, there are three main volatility levels:

• Low
• Medium
• High

Jackpots at low volatility slots drop often, but they are not too impressive. On the flip side, highly volatile slots have breathtaking jackpots, but they drop rarely. That is why medium-volatile slots are considered the golden middle and are the most popular.

In terms of personal preferences, low volatility slots are perfect picks for newbies, medium volatile slots are the best for casual gamers, while highly volatile slots are the best picks for high rollers.

Types of Jackpots

Speaking of the jackpot exposure, slots can feature one of two jackpots – standard/fixed and progressive. As the name of the first type suggests, the maximum exposure on standard slots is capped and is fixed. On the flip side, progressive slots feature a jackpot whose maximum exposure keeps increasing as players feed the game.

Bonus Features

What makes slots so entertaining is the fact that they feature tons of bonus features. Of course, these in-game bonuses vary from one slot to another. Some providers even have signature bonuses that they feature on most of their slots.

Some of these in-game bonuses include expanding symbols, free spins, Wild Reels, Cascading Reels, Tumble, bonus rounds, Bonus Wheel, Mystery symbols, re-spins, etc. The best way to learn how to trigger them is to read the game guide.

Gameplay

Finally, we are going to close things off by sharing a few words on the gameplay. After you’ve studied the paytable, saw what the featured symbols are and how to form a winning combination, all that is left is to set your desired bet. Then, click the spin button and wait for a potential winning combination.
Considering the fact that online slots by the world’s most reputable game providers are powered by RNGs, you can rest assured knowing that each outcome of every round is random and fair.

Before you can try out real money slots, it is also a good idea to play demo versions. That way, you will be able to get familiar with all of the slot’s mechanics better.