Casino Bonus

A casino bonus is a great way to get to know an online casino better and pocket some great winnings on the house. That’s because a good casino bonus extends your play at online casinos. But every bonus at a casino also always comes with certain conditions. And these all too often provide a rude awakening for unwary players.

Casino Bonus List (2024)

Casino-Okay clearly lists the bonus conditions of the respective casino bonus for you. This way you can easily find the best casino bonus for your wishes and needs. You don’t have to search for it laboriously, but receive the conditions directly with the bonus offer. We also comment on them for you if they are particularly good or particularly bad.

This is why a casino bonus is offered

The first question that arises is, of course, why is there a casino bonus at all?

On this point, it can be said that the market in which online gambling companies operate is very competitive . This means that there are many providers for online casinos and gambling altogether. And all of them are looking for new players.

And new players naturally like to be wooed before they decide to sign up at a new casino. After all, players have to verify themselves again. To make a switch to a new online casino therefore as attractive as possible, online casinos resort to generous casino bonus offers.

Commonly referred to as welcome bonuses, these are broken down into the following common casino bonuses:

The “cash bonus” or “deposit bonus”

The deposit bonus – often referred to as the cash bonus – is the most common form of casino bonus. Here, the online casino helps you to make a deposit. Your first deposit is often doubled and sometimes even tripled or quadrupled. If you read something like “100% bonus up to GBP100.00”, this means that the casino will add another GBP100.00 to your deposit.

The Pounds number always stands for the amount that the casino gives you. However, you have to keep in mind that sometimes a little arithmetic is required. For example, if the bonus is 500% up to GBP50.00, you have to calculate yourself how much you have to deposit in order to take full advantage of the bonus. In this case, for example, the maximum amount that can be deposited would be GBP10.00. Because 10.00GBP times five equals 50.00GBP. So, in concrete terms, you would deposit GBP10.00 and play with a total of GBP60.00.

Casinos will double, triple, quadruple or quintuple your first deposit and even give you free spins to boot. But beware: what sounds tempting usually has a catch!

So, thinking ahead, a bonus of 400% up to GBP50.00 means that you would deposit GBP12.50 to be eligible for a GBP50.00 bonus. Some new players in online casinos make the mistake of understanding this information the wrong way round. They then deposit GBP50.00, for example, and are surprised that they still only receive GBP50.00 in bonus from the casino. In this case, of course, the percentage of the bonus would only be 100%.

So keep the right way of calculating in mind here. And always keep in mind that the Pounds amount in such bonus statements is the amount you will receive from the casino.

Of course, conditions always apply to such casino bonuses. Especially if you are playing in an online casino for the first time, you will probably be impressed by the amount of the welcome bonus. However, we will go into more detail about the pitfalls and catches with casino bonuses a little further down.

Free spins with a casino bonus

To further enhance the gaming experience, many online casinos offer free spins in addition to the cash bonus. These are usually a generous amount of free spins. However, you only receive these when you make your first deposit at the online casino.

Often these free spins are limited to certain slot machines. And usually they are also minimum bet free spins. This means that the bets they place in the free spins are played at the minimum possible stake (usually 10 cents per game)

If a casino bonus also includes free games, then the minimum amount usually applies to these.

Despite this, it’s worth it especially for players who like to play a few rounds on the slot machines every now and then. Also make sure that the bonus does not limit the maximum possible winnings. Because sometimes it is the case that you receive a certain number of free spins, but these only allow a maximum win of, for example, GBP100.

Of course, this is not bad – but on the other hand, it is not particularly good either. There are now enough good and fair online casinos that award such free spins even with unlimited winning opportunities.

Are winnings from free spins in the bonus subject to turnover requirements again?

In addition, some online casinos also subject the winnings to further turnover conditions. Of course, this is also okay if it is mentioned transparently. However, there are also enough online casinos where the winnings resulting from such free spins are also counted directly to the credit balance and are therefore not subject to any turnover conditions.

If the casino ties the free spins to a certain slot machine, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Because usually casinos naturally choose those slot machines that are also particularly popular with players. Because with the free spins bonuses, too, it is of course important to make a particularly enticing offer. And even if it’s not the slot they like to play the most, it’s definitely worth taking advantage of the free spins.

100% Casino Bonus

The 100% bonus is a classic among online casinos. Here the casino doubles your casino bonus by 100%, to double. This means: deposit GBP10.00 and play with GBP20.00. Most of the time, these 100% bonus offers are indicated with an addition such as “up to GBP200.00” or similar.

This always refers to the subsidy the casino gives you for your deposit. While this causes confusion for many players, especially with higher percentages, this is still easy to understand with the 100% bonus. In principle, you simply have to double your deposit in your head and then you know how much you will receive from the casino as a bonus.

200% Casino Bonus

200% bonus is much more generous than the bonus that simply doubles your deposit. Because with the 200% bonus, the casino triples your deposit. If you deposit GBP100.00, you will receive 200% (i.e. GBP200.00) in the form of bonus money. And play ergo with a total of 300.00GBP in the casino. Here it becomes more difficult with statements such as “200% up to 300.00GBP”.

Here it is important to know that the “up to” statement always refers to the money that the casino grants you. So you definitely need to know a bit of maths to fully understand this bonus. If it says 200% up to GBP400, it means that the casino will give you GBP400.00, giving you twice the amount of your own deposit.

So, in order to take advantage of the full bonus on the 200% Casino Bonus up to GBP400.00, you must deposit GBP200.00. Because 200% of 200,00GBP is 400,00GBP. If you deposit 200.00GBP, you will receive another 400.00GBP on top of the 200% bonus and play with a total of 600.00GBP. And in this way you can certainly erase even a clear house advantage.

Pay special attention to the small print

But pay particular attention to the small print when it comes to higher bonuses, such as the 200% bonus at the casino. Because just as in normal business life someone has something to give away, this also applies to online casinos. Shady clauses in the bonus conditions or the terms and conditions have already made many an enthusiastic player quickly wake up from the dream of big winnings.

To make sure you don’t have to experience something like this, we have listed here unreservedly reputable casinos that have passed our tough tests and offer a fair 200% bonus. Simply click on the respective casino to read the most comprehensive test available on the internet. Especially for casinos that offer 200% bonus, you should urgently see our rating as an important decision criterion. And in case of need, read through the test report that we have carried out for you.

300% Casino Bonus

300% bonus at the casino sounds utopian? That’s right. Because the casino would triple your own deposit here. So in total you play with four times your deposit. So, for example, if you only deposit GBP100.00 with a 300% bonus, the casino will add another GBP300.00. And you play with GBP400.00. That is really very generous.

And as mentioned above, you have to look very carefully here. Include every little detail in the bonus terms and conditions and actually look for where the catch might be hiding. Because – as already mentioned – no casino has anything to give away. So where is the motivation behind a 300% bonus?

Clearly, it can be a magnet that attracts new players to the online casino. But what if all the players win and the casino ends up funding the winning bets as well? So it pays to exercise caution here. Especially online casinos with a licence from Curacao have excelled in offering particularly high bonuses. It is only when you want to withdraw your winnings that you all too often realise that you are not dealing with a reliable online casino.

So, when it comes to casinos with 300% bonuses, you have to look very carefully. And that means: not only study the bonus conditions carefully, but also the terms and conditions. And also search the internet for the experiences that other players have had with the casino in question. Does this sound familiar? That’s quite possible. After all, that is precisely the concept of Casino-Okay.

Money Gifted with Casino Bonus

There are a few online casinos that even give you free money to play with. However, caution is also called for here.

Normally, these amounts are relatively small. They usually start at GBP5.00 and end at around GBP10.00. You simply receive this starting credit when you register. However, this credit is then subject to very rigid conditions.

As a rule, the maximum amount that can be won is very limited. And is subject to further turnover conditions. Sometimes it is even the case that – even if you have fulfilled all other conditions – you can only withdraw the money when you make a deposit.

So for bargain hunters and people who want to play free online casino, online casinos with starting credit are generally not an option. It is rather a good incentive to attract many new players to the casino. As is so often the case, there is disappointment when a big win is made and then it is pointed out that a maximum amount has been defined under the bonus conditions.

What to look for in a casino bonus

As you may have already guessed, you have to look very carefully when it comes to casino bonuses. Because even though some players may believe it, online casinos of course have nothing to give away.

Whoever thinks that all the money you lose in an online casino as a player goes into the pockets of the online casino is mistaken. Because online casinos, just like their land-based counterparts, are enormous money redistribution machines. Everything you lose as a player is won at another time by another player – or by yourself. The casinos and casinos only keep a share of every Pounds played.

Return to Player (RTP) – simply explained

Imagine it as follows: You and a friend arrange to play a little game of chance of your own. You use a coin for this and stipulate that if tails appears, one of the players wins the bet. The other player wins if heads appears after the coin has been tossed.

Each of you pays in GBP1.00. Now flip the coin. Heads appear. So the other player wins back your stake of one Pounds and his own stake for the game. So now the other player has won a total of two Poundss. Online casinos work in a similar way – with one small but important difference.

This looks like this. So now imagine you are hosting the same game. However, this time you choose a third friend to host the game. This friend now tells you that the so-called Return to Player (RTP) is 95%. Now you pay in GBP1.00 again. And your friend does the same. The third friend tosses the coin as agreed. This time you win on the coin toss. Now you get your GBP of the stake back. But only GBP0.95 of the stake from your friend. The 5% left over remains with the third friend who hosted the game.

This is called the return to player (RTP). This is around 60% for land-based casinos. That means: in this case, the casino charges a handsome 0.40GBP from the one Pounds you would normally have won playing the game.

Even online casinos have no money to give away

For online casinos, this return to player (RTP) percentage is between 93% and 98%. Depending on the online casino, this varies of course. The big online casinos publish this RTP value in their annual reports.

And the slot machines themselves also have different Return to Player (RTP) rates. So, naturally, it pays to play those slot machines that offer the highest return to player (RTP) rates.

So, in short, online casinos are earning quite well. However, possibly not as well as many players always think. Every Pounds lost at the casino provides the casino with a maximum of 2-5 cents in income. The rest is paid out to the players again. Of these 2-5 cents, all costs must also be borne. So advertising costs as well as the costs for employees, the platforms, the game providers, taxes, licence fees and so on.

And of course, the welcome bonus also costs money. After all, there is the possibility here that players win without the casino itself having generated any revenue.

Casino bonuses are therefore always subject to certain conditions, which do not make it quite so easy for a player to come out of the casino with a fat plus in his pocket.

The turnover requirements – what are they anyway?

With the casino bonus, the turnover conditions are of course the most important. Because this is the number of times you have to wager the bonus. So, for example, if an online casino gives you GBP100.00 as a welcome bonus and sets the turnover requirements at 40 times, this means that you have to make total wagers worth GBP4,000.00.

Caution: not all games count the same

Not all casino games contribute equally towards meeting the wagering requirements for the online casino bonus. Usually this information is listed within the bonus terms and conditions.

So then usually games on certain slot machines count 100%. This means that if they play on such a slot machine with a value of one Pounds, one Pounds will be deducted from the amount of your wagering requirement. Other games, such as table games (roulette, blackjack, etc.) often only contribute 80% or less towards fulfilling the turnover requirements. So if you play with one Pounds at the roulette table, only GBP0.80 will be deducted from your turnover requirements. In concrete terms, this means that you will need longer to fulfil the turnover requirements.

The amount of the respective credits can be taken from the bonus conditions of the casino. It is important to note that in many cases, some games do not count at all towards the fulfilment of the turnover requirements.

Normally, these are live casino games. However, some slot machines also contribute 0% towards meeting the wagering requirements. Also bear in mind that you cannot normally play jackpot slots with a casino bonus. This is not a big deal, as you can of course still do this with your own balance. However, you have to be careful so that the casino bonus is not declared invalid afterwards.

Will the casino bonus or your own funds be used first?

An important factor in determining whether a casino bonus is fair to players is the order in which the balance is used. This is because there are a total of three options here.

• For one thing, it can be that your own deposit is first used for the casino games.
• Then it can be that the bonus credit is first used for the games.
• And last but not least, there is also a combination model here. Here, half of your bonus credit and the other half of your own deposit is used for each wager.

Which of these three options is now the best, though?

There is a very clear answer here. Only if your own deposit is used as the very first thing is the bonus really fair. But why is that?

As we know, the bonus is subject to turnover requirements. However, your own balance should not be affected by this. So if you play for your own balance first, there is a possibility that you will already make such high winnings with these stakes that you decide to cancel the welcome bonus and have the winnings deducted from your bank account.

If, on the other hand, the bonus credit or a mixture of your own credit and the bonus credit is used first, the cancellation of the online casino bonus is no longer possible. In this case, it therefore no longer matters if you make great winnings. You must then fulfil the turnover requirements in all cases.

And since every game, both in online casinos and in classic casinos, is always tilted in favour of the casinos, the longer they play, the more likely they are to lose in the end, of course.

So always pay attention to the order in which the casino bonus is used. This should serve to prolong their experience in the online casino if they have already lost their own credit. Because this way you have the opportunity to still make great winnings in the end. At Casino-Okay.com, we always mention in our reviews the order in which the casino bonus and your own credit are used.

Do the wagering requirements apply to the casino bonus or to a combination?

There are also many tricks when it comes to the turnover conditions. Many online casinos try to pull the wool over your eyes by using marketing language to disguise the turnover requirements.

• So there is also the option here that the stated turnover requirements relate exclusively to the bonus money.
• And on the other hand, the option that the turnover requirements are made up of a combination of your own balance and the bonus balance. Let’s explain this in a little more detail, though.

Let’s assume, as an example, that you would receive a 100 percent bonus on a deposit up to GBP100.00. A fair and transparent online casino would therefore speak of 50-fold turnover requirements for turnover requirements amounting to 50 times the bonus money.

What to look out for urgently in the casino bonus

In our view, it becomes problematic when the indication of the turnover requirements does not exclusively refer to the bonus money. In this example, a somewhat deceitful online casino could say that the turnover requirements are only 25 times the combination of bonus credit and real money deposit. But where is the problem here?

As I said, a casino bonus is a voluntary benefit to attract as many players as possible to a new online casino. It goes without saying that turnover conditions are necessary for this.

Because if an online casino did not set turnover requirements, this online casino would most likely not be on the market for long.

After all, players would come in, deposit money and then withdraw the winning balance after a few rounds, which hopefully went happily.

But why should you also have to meet turnover requirements for your own deposit?

When you decide to deposit at an online casino, there should be no turnover requirement on your own deposit. So if the casino combines the turnover requirements and applies them to both your own deposit and the bonus credit provided by the casino, several problems arise at once.

• For one thing, turnover requirements should only apply to the bonus money.
• And for another, this of course makes a comparison much more difficult.

This then creates the somewhat problematic situation that the turnover requirements for serious online casinos look higher than in non-transparent casinos.

As a naïve player, you then see one casino offering you supposedly low turnover conditions of 25 times. And on the other hand, the other casino whose turnover requirements are 50 times.

However, the fact that ultimately both turnover requirements for the casino bonus are the same – namely equal to 50 times in real terms – often falls under the radar. By the time one notices it, the decision to deposit has already been made and the non-transparent casino has won the new player.

With casino magic you are on the safe side when it comes to bonuses

At Casino-Okay.com we  therefore take a very close look. We mention in every online casino review what the respective turnover conditions refer to..

And we deduct points in the transparency of a casino if it uses such marketing tricks. Ultimately, of course, both online casinos act according to the law. However, we think that for a trusting relationship between player and casino, there must also be a certain transparency. A casino cannot hide such important clauses within its terms and conditions or bonus conditions. You will therefore always find such tricks prominently mentioned in our test reports.

Is there a maximum amount that can be won with the casino bonus?

The question of whether there is a maximum amount that can be won with the casino bonus and how high this is should also be considered when choosing the right casino bonus. Because here, too, there is a lot to consider. Normally, no maximum amount of the possible winnings is set for a cash bonus. If casinos do this anyway, this is usually to be classified as a dubious practice.

The situation is different, however, when it comes to free spins without a deposit. Even with casino bonuses with starting credit, the amount of the possible winnings is usually limited. In our view, this is also fine. However, it should be mentioned in a prominent place on the respective casino pages. The reason for this is simple: if a casino gives you something in exchange for your registration, then we consider it quite fair if the online casino then also sets a maximum amount up to which you can win.

However, it must also be said here that it is worth choosing a completely transparent and friendly casino. Because not all casinos offer free spins or a starting credit without deposit. In exchange, however, there is no maximum limit to the possible winnings.

In any case, you will find the conditions of the bonus clearly listed for each online casino tested by us. We always make sure that we explain the terms and conditions quite precisely and make them understandable for you as quickly as possible without using complicated terms.

In any case, it is also worth taking another look at the bonus conditions when registering. Although we do everything we can to ensure that all information on Casino-Okay.com is correct at all times, the conditions can change without us being informed. A quick skim of the bonus terms and conditions can therefore do no harm.

Fall trick: time limit on casino bonus?

Another factor to consider is any time limits that may apply. Of course, it goes without saying that a casino bonus cannot be made available indefinitely. This would ultimately not do the casino any good, as there should also be a certain urgency behind the bonus. The player should be motivated to get to know the casino as quickly as possible.

However, there are also some black sheep here. Especially online casinos that do not have a licence within the Poundspean Union resort to such tricks. They then lure you with particularly high bonus offers, which often run into the thousands. On the other hand, players then only have 48 hours to fulfil any turnover requirements. There is no question that hardly any player can manage this, unless he plays 24 hours a day.

So the maximum time a casino bonus is available is another factor we include in our assessment of transparency and fairness at Casino-Okay.com. We consider anything between two weeks and 30 days to be serious and reliable.

But as soon as particularly short time limits apply, such as using the bonus including meeting the turnover requirements within one or two days, we deduct points. In any case, however, we mention when rigid time limits make a positive gaming experience difficult. We mention this in all our test reports. So pay attention to whether the relevant time limit is sufficient for you to fulfil the applicable turnover requirements in case of doubt.

Caution: maximum wagers on casino bonus

This is also important when deciding to take advantage of a casino bonus: because most online casinos set a maximum wager value per bet.

This serves to ensure that you do not put the bonus credit completely at risk in a few rounds on a slot machine. Because on the one hand, of course, the casino bonus serves to ensure that you can play in the online casino for as long as possible and get used to the casino in the process. So if you play the slot machines and bet GBP20.00 each, you would have a very good chance of making extremely high winnings. And on the other hand, of course, in the event of a loss, a fairly short game.

Casinos therefore limit the maximum bet worth and set these at GBP2.00 per round, for example. Here it is important to know that you yourself are responsible for not exceeding this maximum bet. The casinos do not have a mechanism in their software that would prevent you from playing bonus money rounds of, for example, GBP20.00.

However, this can become problematic if your casino account is checked when the money you have won is paid out. This is not always the case, but if it is, it can cause the entire casino bonus to be voided. This then means that you may not be able to withdraw your winnings.

It is probably not necessary to mention that this can cause a lot of frustration. That’s why it’s important that you stick to the bonus conditions here too. So if the bonus condition sets a maximum bet on the slot machines, you should definitely stick to it voluntarily. After all, no one is helped if you ultimately do not receive the winnings from your casino bonus money.

Caution: an old account may invalidate the casino bonus

Most online casinos have stipulated in their terms and conditions that you are only allowed to have a single player account with them. This is usually to prevent abuse of the casino bonus.

However, it is important that you should always keep in mind that online casinos have sophisticated systems in place to detect such a duplicate account. Even if you open the new online casino account under a different name, the IP address and possibly also a cookie or the device ID of your mobile device will reveal that both accounts were opened by at least the same person or the same device. This is also often excluded in the terms and conditions of online casinos.

So avoid taking advantage of a casino bonus when you are logged into someone else’s computer. And also make sure you don’t have an old account with an online casino.

Casino bonus conclusion

Taking advantage of a casino bonus is something nice. If you read the bonus conditions carefully and rely on our experience in the reviews, the casino bonus experience should be positive. However, a casino bonus also has the potential for a lot of frustration. We have certainly made this clear in the points on this page.

It is important not to rely solely on the promises of the casino bonus when choosing a good online casino. Because good online casinos offer regular promotions for loyal players. Thus, with the best online casinos, it is actually no longer worthwhile at all to choose a new online casino in order to take advantage of the welcome bonus.

Other factors that should be included in the selection is the game selection, the seriousness and transparency and the overall experience at an online casino.

What seems too good to be true usually is

Just when a welcome bonus at an online casino gets too high, caution is called for. Things that seem too good to be true usually are.

As a rule, a casino bonus is not worthwhile for bargain hunters either. Basically, it can be said that the best thing to do in an online casino is to be prepared to make a deposit. After all, they don’t work for free, but charge a wage.

It is the same in the online casino. If you are willing to make a deposit and put your own money on the line, you can also expect to win great rewards. However, if you are relying on the fact that you will somehow win money at other people’s expense, you should question your own attitude towards online casinos.

Because all the winnings you make in the online casino are the losses of other players. And all the losses you make in the online casino become the winnings for other players. In this respect, gambling can only work if many people deposit to participate in the game. After all, without money there is no jackpot either.

And now we hope you have fun choosing your own casino bonus. Just scroll up to find the best selection of casino bonus offers currently available on the market. Good luck to you Casino-Okay.

Frequently asked questions about casino bonus