The online casino industry is a competitive one, with the hundreds of leading casinos out there all trying as hard as possible to snatch players from their competitors. With more people playing online than ever before, that competition has heated up.

As such, virtually every big casino site offers a dizzying array of bonuses as part of the ongoing battle to attract players to their platform. The homepages of most casino websites will feature dozens of bonuses ranging from straight-up cash offers to free games.

Navigating the world of casino bonuses can be a tricky one, especially if you don’t understand the lingo. To ensure you get the best possible value from your online casino experience, read on to get the complete lowdown of all of the different types of online casino bonus in 2019. 

Cashable and Non-Cashable Bonuses 

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The first thing you need to know about online casino bonuses is that the “cash” bonuses often come in two different forms. The first of these, which tends to be less popular among online casinos, is the “cashable” bonus. This bonus is typically pegged to a deposit that you might make, often being a percentage of that amount (ranging from anything between 10% and 100%). If it’s cashable, then you reserve the right to withdraw the bonus whenever you see fit. 

More common is the “non-cashable” bonus. Such bonuses are frequently referred to among gamers as “sticky bonuses”, given that you can’t actually withdraw them right away. Rather, these bonuses can be used to play games. Of course, any winnings from these games are yours to keep, as long as you’ve fulfilled the “playthrough” requirement – ie. as long as you’ve bet a certain amount of money, usually calculated as a multiple of your bonus. Out of everything you need to know about online casino bonuses, this might just be the most important point. For instance, you may be required to play through 20x the bonus amount you received. Non-cashable bonuses are usually much higher than in cashable bonuses. They are essentially a bonus in the form of credit that lets you play for free. Of course, anything you win from these bonus games is yours to keep. 

Non-cashable bonuses are designed to give the player as much time to explore and enjoy the range of games on offer at a certain casino in the hopes of gaining a loyal customer. Bonuses can range between 100% and 300%, meaning that you get significantly more to play with than a cashable bonus.

Deposit and No-Deposit Bonuses 

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To access a deposit bonus you are required to deposit some of your own funds into an account with the casino. These bonuses can generously reward your loyalty, often consisting of a match bonus that is several times higher than the amount you have deposited.

The amount varies wildly from casino to casino, but the goal is to be as generous as possible. It is not uncommon for a deposit of $50 to be rewarded with several hundred dollars worth of casino credits, so make sure to shop around to find the most lucrative offers possible. You are also able to use your original deposit to play casino games, although if you withdraw that deposit you will lose access to any bonuses that were originally offered.

As you might have guessed, no-deposit bonuses are the inverse. They don’t require the player to commit to putting any funds in a casino account whatsoever (although you do have to sign up with that casino). The bonus amounts are naturally smaller, but they offer you some free playtime and a shot at winning something for nothing, still usually subject to the aforementioned playthrough requirements.

Free Play Bonuses

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The final common type of online casino bonus is what is known as free play bonuses. These are bonuses which do not offer any form of cash or credit, but rather a number of free games on the casino’s dime. The most popular version of this kind of bonus is known as “free spins”, which is when players are offered free spins on a variety of slot machines, with any winnings being theirs to keep. 

The amount offered can be pretty generous and there are relatively few strings attached. In exchange for simply setting up a free account, a casino will often offer hundreds of free spins on slot machines of your choosing, often throwing in a few free rounds of other popular casino games at the same time. Even if you win the slot jackpot from a free spin, every penny of that jackpot is usually yours to enjoy.

Free play bonuses aren’t just limited to the slot machines; many popular casinos offer free rounds of blackjack, poker, roulette, and more in exchange for either a deposit or absolutely nothing. It’s a good way for newcomers to get a feel for a certain casino and decide whether or not they like it enough to stick with it. Naturally, the casino hopes that you will. 

Now that you know what you need to know about bonuses, it’s time to take advantage of them.