Gambling bonuses come in all shapes and sizes. Finding the best one is a matter of taking an inventory of your needs and then identifying the bonus that best meets those needs. This is the best way to find the perfect deposit bonus.
1. Choose from a list of trusted casinos
A casino bonus is only as good as the casino that offers it. There’s no point in getting a big deposit bonus at a casino that has a poor reputation. So, your first step should be to find a list of safe gambling sites. From that point on, you can narrow down the list of bonuses to find the best one for you.
See these casino reviews for a starting point
2. How much do you want to deposit?
Almost all casino deposit bonuses have some maximum amount. Some online casinos will give you a maximum of $1,000 in bonus money while others will give you up to $4,000. Consider the amount you wish to deposit and make sure any bonuses you are considering can handle that amount.
If you’re planning on depositing just a couple hundred dollars, this point may not apply. Most casino bonuses will give you at least a thousand dollars to get started. This point mostly applies to those of you who are considering depositing a few thousand dollars or more.
At the same time, consider the match rate of the bonus. If you want to deposit $200, a 200% match rate that maxes out at $500 will get you further than a 50% match bonus that maxes out at $8,000. One of the best casinos for both match rate and maximum amount is Lucky Red. That casino gives all new players an extra 400% for up to $4,000 in bonus money.
3. Which games do you like to play?
Something that catches lots of new players off guard is that many casino bonuses only apply to certain games. For example, blackjack players have to be careful when choosing deposit bonuses because most bonuses cannot be cleared by playing blackjack.
If you play slots or keno, most casino bonuses will apply just fine. Casinos love slots players because slots are big money generators for the casino. Blackjack, video poker and craps players tend to be worth less to the casino, so not all bonuses apply to those players.
Check the promotions section of any casino website and look for the bonus you want to get. Somewhere on that page, there should be a link to the terms and conditions. Give the terms and read-through and see which games can be used to clear the bonus.
4. Clearing requirements
Here’s another one that catches new players off guard. All casino bonuses come with clearing requirements that must be met before you can withdraw the bonus money or any money that you win with it.
In most cases, the terms and conditions of a bonus tell you that you need to wager at least 20 times the bonus amount before it can be withdrawn. So if you have a $100 bonus, you need to place $2,000 worth of wagers.
That sounds worse than it actually is because clearing requirements are based on the total amount bet not on the total amount won or lost. So if you’re lucky and win money, you still meet the clearing requirements. Of course, the opposite is also possible – if you lose all your money before you clear the bonus, you’re out of luck.
One simple strategy for meeting the clearing requirements is to keep your wagers small. If you try to meet the clearing requirements by placing huge bets, a small streak of bad bets will break your bankroll. Keep the wagers small so that you can survive the natural variance that accompanies gambling.
But back on topic, you can find out about the clearing requirements by viewing the terms and conditions of the bonus. Visit the casino website, click on the “promotions” tab and look for the bonus you want. You’ll find a link to the terms with an explanation of how the bonus is cleared.
Try to stick with deposit bonuses that have clearing requirements of 20x or less. Sometimes you’ll find bonuses that have 40x or even 50x rollover requirements. That’s just too much to be of any use.