As the online casino gaming universe continues to expand, countless platforms are vying for your attention. Some do this with a quirky social media ad, others turn to celebrity influencers to promote their new casino.
However, online casino bonuses is the one marketing strategy that continues to be the most powerful. For those of you who don’t play casino games that often, you may or may not understand just how influential casino bonuses are in the gambling market.
Casino bonuses remain a catalyst for growth for casino operators. Online gambling is a battleground, with casinos looking to gain an advantage over the competition by offering bigger and better bonuses to the casino gaming public.
They are one of the key measuring tools expert reviewers use to measure a casino’s overall package. Nicholas Martin is one of many people in the industry who understands how the best casino bonuses work, and how they can make or break a casino gaming platform. So, let’s look at some of the different casino bonuses, how they work, and which ones best match your gaming style.
Slot gaming bonuses
Casino bonuses can be used for all types of game, including poker, slots, and roulette. These bonuses rank differently in importance depending on the games you enjoy playing. Online casino slots though, is the one area where you’ll find the most playable bonuses.
Free spins are a lot easier to integrate into an online casino bonus as often they’ll be included as part of a bigger bonus package. Many will be an introductory offer of 50 or 100 free spins. When a new customer makes their first £10 deposit they will be rewarded with extra spins. With slot bonuses, there are plenty of variables to consider. Here are some of the main points to understand about a free spins bonus:
- Minimum wager: usually around £0.10, but it can be as low as £0.01.
- Wagering requirements: this is the amount of times you need to play through a bonus. Anything between 25 to 40x is average. Above 50x is considered less of a quality bonus.
- Expiry date: on average, this is 7 days. Some bonuses will give you a small window of time to utilise them. This could be as low as 24 hours – so be aware of this before signing up.
- Available games: the best free spin bonuses will offer a range of exciting games to play.
Roulette, blackjack, and poker bonuses
Frequently casinos will offer a combination of bonuses. Such is the case with table games where a poker bonus might contain free chips with some extra spins. You may possibly get a matched deposit bonus that will double your first deposit. A 100% first deposit bonus on £100 would give you £200 to play.
Table game specific bonuses tend to be harder to come by, although you will be offered live casino registration bonuses. This is because the house edge is lower than for slot games. Poker bonuses on the other hand are plentiful as they can include complimentary chips or freerolls.
Wagering requirements, expiry dates, and game criteria are interchangeable regardless of the bonus. For instance, if a roulette matched deposit bonus includes wagering requirements, 30x is the industry average or standard. Some matched deposit bonuses will branch out and include three or four of your first deposits.
Understanding the target market
Sometimes, it’s just the ease of choice and options available that dictate which bonus is best for you. If you spend a lot of time on social media on your phone, as millions of us do, you might not be keen on shopping around for bonuses or signing up for e-mail lists.
Many casino companies will pay for digital marketing strategies to identify potential users who will most likely access their site and sign up using their welcome bonus marketing campaign. Digital marketing is just as essential for small businesses as it is for online casinos whose operations span multiple jurisdictions and continents, with some casino gamers opting for the best bonus because it’s available to them.
They follow tipsters or casino gaming influencers on social media, see a post or a sponsored ad, and opt-in that way. However, do be wary that many of these influencers will post ads simply because of how much they get paid per post. While that might not necessarily mean it’s a bad bonus, it is something to be aware of.
Final thoughts
Online casino bonuses are one of many subdivisions within casino gaming that are subject to rapid change and are often analysed in depth by industry experts. Given that they can make or break a casino’s success and transform its potential, casinos will spend a painstaking amount of time and money ensuring that they get their strategy right when designing and advertising a new bonus or promotion.
While we wouldn’t say it’s integral to understanding online casino bonuses, we recommend searching out what other players say about the site online or on social media. You’ll likely find at least one or two bad reviews for any casino. However, if you come across many negative reviews, particularly ones mentioning the welcome bonus, these are providers to avoid.