An Introduction to Casino Bonuses in 2024 for Beginners


There are no geographical limitations when it comes to transferring funds between online casinos and land-based casinos. Therefore, the casinos make a variety of cash and non-monetary offers, known as casino bonuses, in an effort to draw in patrons. A casino might, for instance, double your first deposit bonus up to 100%. This implies that when you initially sign up and play, they will double your money. Seem too wonderful to be true? It is most of the time.

Bonuses for deposits and welcomes


What precisely does this mean, then? It’s rather easy: after making a $100 deposit, the casino will credit your account with an additional $100 “free,” giving you $200 to play with. Here’s the catch: in order to be eligible to withdraw the bonus, you must first gamble a specific amount of money. This is referred to as a wagering prerequisite.

For instance, a casino might stipulate that in order to pay out, you have to bet thirty times the bonus amount. That need is 30xB, as we would say here at Casino Listings. A 30xB requirement, for our $100 example, would require you to risk $3000 before you could take your money out. Keep in mind that bets are cumulative, so you don’t have to stake $3000 all at once. As a result, every 50c spin or $1 bet you place adds up and helps you meet the wagering requirements.

Certain casinos specify their wagering requirements as a multiple of the whole amount of the bonus and deposit (for example, 30x bonus and deposit). Casinos use this deceptive tactic to give the impression that the wagering requirements are lower than they actually are. For instance, with a 100% bonus, 30x (deposit + bonus) is really equal to 60xB. By consistently listing the wagering requirements on bonuses as a multiple of just the bonus amount, we at Casino Listings assist you avoid these pitfalls. Because of this, comparing the various offers is simple and straightforward.


The attractiveness of player bonuses has tended to wane as the online casino market has grown over time. The games you can play to qualify for a bonus has shrunk, but the wagering requirements have gone up. This is due to two factors: a) knowledgeable gamblers and b) incompetent casino staff. Players discovered years ago that they could register, get a bonus, and then spend their time playing low house edge games like video poker or blackjack until the wagering requirements were met. After that, they could take out any remaining funds from their account. They ultimately turned a profit because they had a mathematical advantage over the casinos.

Casinos hate losing money to shrewd gamblers, as we all know. In response, they raised the wagering requirements, prohibited bonus play for games with a small house edge, and became extremely stringent and selective about the regulations that may render a victory earned while using a bonus null and void. Nowadays, a lot of bonus offers are actually designed to trick players. After you deposit and take advantage of the bonus, you are hit with a hefty wagering requirement that prevents you from withdrawing your winnings in the short term and increases the likelihood that you won’t win in the long run. The main and most common reason for disagreements between players and casinos is bonuses.

While each person has a different risk tolerance and desire for bonuses, you should think about the following before accepting a bonus:

When you hit a huge victory, would you rather be able to stop playing and withdraw right away?
Would you like to be able to play any kind of game you wish to play, especially table games?
Do you frequently play with a wide range of stake sizes in one sitting?
Do you find it unpleasant to have to play longer than you would want in order to be able to stop playing?
If any of the aforementioned describe you, it is strongly advised that you refrain from claiming a bonus.

Regarding wagering requirements, we deem 30xB to be the maximum allowable amount. Among other things, we take this into account while developing our system for ranking and scoring bonuses. These days, bonuses with a wagering requirement of 30xB or less are extremely rare.


No bonuses for deposits


Not in the mood to stake your own money? You may play for free at several casinos without risking any of your own money because many welcome new players with free cash offers. Although these no deposit incentives are significantly less in value than the sign-up bonuses, they can still be a useful method for you to try out online casinos without having to risk any of your own money. There are wagering limitations and a maximum monetary value cap on most free chips because, as you are well aware from reading above, there is no such thing as a free lunch. This implies that, paradoxically, you probably don’t want to utilize a free chip to win a big jackpot because you can only take out a very little portion of the winnings.

Here is a list of the top no deposit bonuses that are currently available online, sorted and sortable.


Bonuses for free play differ slightly from those with no deposit. Free play casinos provide you a starting balance, let’s say $1000, and give you an hour to attempt and win as much as you can, up to a certain amount, let’s say $1250. After the hour is over, you can play with any winnings over the complimentary $1000 as standard casino bonuses, which you can get at the casino by making a little deposit. This might be a great way to try out the different games and pass the time without worrying about losing any of your own money. These bonuses were once common in Microgaming casinos, but they are now uncommon.



Cashable bonuses differ from those that aren’t


The bonus is said to be cashable or redeemable if, upon fulfilling the wagering restrictions, you are permitted to retain the funds. Conversely, non-cashable or phantom bonuses are sums of money that you are given to play with by the casino but are not allowed to take out. The bonus money is deducted from your balance and paid out when you make a withdrawal.

These phantom incentives are sometimes mislabeled as sticky bonuses. In actuality, a sticky bonus is a different kind of bonus that you are not able to withdraw but that “sticks” to your account so you can keep playing and possibly earn more. However, sticky bonuses are all but nonexistent these days, and even those that casinos do claim to offer are nearly usually delivering phantom, non-cashable bonuses in their place.

Although they are often smaller in value, cashable bonuses are worth more than non-cashable ones. However, non-cashable bonuses can still have value based on your preferred playing style. If you enjoy playing slots, you might infer that a non-cashable bonus translates into extra spins and opportunities to win big. Bonus hunters can use them as “leverage” to increase the size and variance of their bets. Once they hit a betting target, such as doubling their deposit or +$100, they can then reduce their wagering to reduce variance and still clear the bonus (though casinos are aware of this, so before you do anything, make sure to read the fine print in the bonus terms).