Casino Bonus – A Guide to Real Money Bonuses

Visit multiple casino forums and reviews platforms and post the following question; ‘What’s the Difference between Land-Based and Online Casino Gaming?’ You’ll receive a number of responses and answers, but there’s a good chance that most players will respond by saying ‘casino bonus’ make the difference.

Playing casino games, both at the land-based and online platforms is fun, thrilling and challenging at times. You don’t need much more than a good assortment of games to have the fun and thrill but introducing some spark to the gameplay won’t hurt you either.

How Do You Get Some of The Best Bonus And Promotion Deals Online?

One of the most common ways of adding spunk to your overall gaming experience is by exploiting real money casino bonuses.

At the land-based establishments, casino bonuses are rare to come by, unless you are a whale. But at the online casinos, bonuses and other forms of promotions are the norms. They are readily available across hundreds of online casino sites and can easily turn your gaming session into a thrilling adventure in a matter of seconds.

However, given the widespread nature of online casinos, you tend to find different forms of bonuses. This, in some cases, tends to confuse, even some of the most knowledgeable and savvy casino players. People don’t know how to differentiate one bonus from the other.

So whether you are a new casino player looking to learn a thing or two about bonuses, or a confused savvy casino player looking for useful information regarding bonuses offered at the Indian online casinos, this guide is for you. Also, if you’ve been claiming bonuses across online casinos and happened to have landed on this page, have you ever asked yourself if you are making the most out of the real money casino bonuses? Read on to get your answer(s).

What Is a Casino Bonus?

Before delving deep into the finer details of a casino bonus, it’s worth knowing what a casino bonus is.

Basically, a casino bonus is free money awarded to you or any other player who qualifies for the offer. The free money comes in different forms and is awarded for different reasons.

  • Some casinos advertise their bonuses as a way of attracting new players
  • There are those that award bonuses in the hope to retain their players
  • Sometimes, a casino bonus is awarded to let you try out the casino offering – risk-free
  • We’ve used the word ‘Whale’ above. It’s mostly used at the land-based casinos to refer to the high rollers (players who spend millions playing at the casinos). At the online casinos, these players can also be awarded juicy bonuses to keep them playing at the respective casinos

As already stated, you can only find casino bonuses at the online platforms and not at the land-based establishments. Given the huge number of platforms, you’ll come across multiple forms of bonuses but they all serve the purpose of marketing the brand in one way or the other. Regardless of the bonus offered by the casino or the promotion being run, the main objective remains the same – to reward you for signing up at the casino.

How Much Real Money Do Casinos Give In The Form of a Bonus?

This is a very common question that’s usually asked by prospective casino players. The much that you are bound to receive from an online casino in the form of a bonus varies depending on the brand in question.

Renowned Indian friendly casino brands such as ComeOn!, Dafabet, GetLucky, Mobile Casino among others tend to have a large player base. As such, they can comfortably award you with huge sums of bonuses, which are awarded through the different regular promotions.

However, for the little-known and upcoming brands, the best that they can offer is a welcome bonus and other few monies.

Can I Win Real Cash Using Bonus Money At The Casinos?

Yes, it’s possible to win real cash using bonus cash at the casinos. This is one of the advantages of real money casino bonuses. However, in order to use these bonuses to win real money, you need to meet or satisfy some conditions usually attached to them. More about this shortly in the ‘bonus terms and conditions’ section.

How Do You Get The Best Bonus And Promotion Deals Online?

The ever-increasing competition among casinos to attract players to sign up at their sites has led to multiple ways of advertising their bonuses. Some depend on affiliate platforms to market their promotions and bonuses while others advertise their offers on their blogs.

One of the best ways to get some of the best casino bonuses is to let an expert do the job. Click the link a feast your eyes upon the best offers in India.

While affiliate platforms are a good way to get the latest bonuses and promotion deals, they’ve become unreliable given the huge number of rouge and unreliable affiliate platforms. As such, it’s usually advisable that you visit the casino’s blog, where you can have access to the limited promotions.

The other way that you can get the best promotion and bonus deals is subscribing to the casino’s mailing services. This way, the casino can directly email your details to some of their time-sensitive promotions.

Do You Need a Bonus Code to Claim the Best Bonuses Online?

If you’ve ever played at an online casino before, especially between 2005 and 2012, chances are you’ve ever come across a casino bonus code or heard about them. They were once the most priced ‘assets’ for an online casino gaming because they gave players an opportunity to claim numerous bonuses.

However, not so many people knew how to use them correctly. This resulted in most of the players missing out of the bonuses. As such, the majority of the online casinos discontinued them and in their place introduced the ‘opting in option’ for every casino bonus.

With the ‘opting into the promotion’ option being introduced, some of the online casinos eliminated the use of casino bonus codes. There are sites that still use these codes for their time-sensitive or exclusive offers, so it’s advisable to read through the terms and conditions before claiming them.

Different Types of Bonuses

The perfect place to start the happy story of bonuses and promotions at the Indian online casinos is by exploring some of the types of bonuses one can claim.

Picking a bonus to claim is no easy task, as some of the casino players end up opting into a bonus promotion that doesn’t either work or fail to satisfy the set terms and conditions due to ignorance.

While the most reasonable option would be to opt into a promotion offering lucrative dealers, the truth of the matter is claiming a bonus isn’t all about getting huge sums of money.

There are different conditions that are hidden behind the flashy figures and it’s important that you understand this. But before we look at these requirements and conditions, it’s important that we look at the different types of bonuses offered at the casinos.

Bonuses When You Sign Up For an Account

Deposit Bonus

Deposit bonuses are sometimes referred to as ‘match bonuses’ as they tend to match the amount of money that you deposit. So, for example, when a casino is offering a match deposit bonus of 100% up to a maximum ₹10,000, it means that for every deposit you make, the casino will match it with a similar amount.

When you make a deposit of ₹100, you get an extra ₹100; when you make a deposit of ₹1,000, you receive an extra ₹1,000 and when you make a ₹10,000 deposit, you are awarded an extra ₹10,000 to play with.

However, when you make a deposit of ₹12,000, you’ll only receive a ₹10,000 because the match deposit bonus is capped at a maximum of ₹10,000.

At the online casinos, Indian players can claim the following deposit bonuses.

  • New player match deposit bonus: It is also known as a welcome bonus and it’s aimed at ‘welcoming’ you to the site
  • Weekly match deposit bonus: Once in a while, say every Tuesday, the online casino can be running a promotion where you receive free money for every deposit you make on Tuesday
  • Ad Hoc match deposit bonus: This type of match deposit bonus is usually awarded at the casino’s discretion

No Deposit Bonus

When was the last time someone said to you, ‘Hey! If you give me your attention for one minute, I’ll make sure you get some free money?’ More to this point, what do you think will happen if you walked into a land-based casino, straight to the cashier and asked them to give you free cash? There’s a high probability that the cashier will laugh in your face or worse call security on you!

Online casinos such as ComeOn! are different; from our judgment, we believe they think that it’s absurd not to give you, the player, an incentive to try out their offering.

This is why they’ll offer you the ‘no deposit bonus’ – a type of bonus that’s much sought because of how easy it is to claim it. Whenever you sign up at the casino, the no deposit bonus is automatically credited to your account – free of charge.

Because the casino is offering you money, free of charge, the amount of no deposit bonus isn’t usually as much as that offered in the deposit bonus. The big boys in the industry will tend to offer you a maximum of ₹200 (because they can comfortably afford it), while the newer brands will offer you up to ₹50.

You are not only going to receive the no deposit bonus when you sign up at the casino, but it can also appear as part of a special promotional ‘treat’ for returning players. There are online casinos that will give you the no deposit bonus in the form of free spins.

Shouldn’t you be wary of freebies that are ‘too good to be true?’ Of course you should be, but when you take a minute and look at the nature of online casinos and the amount of money they make, it makes a lot of sense that they award you with no deposit bonuses.

Cashback Bonus

Like the no deposit bonuses, cashback bonuses aren’t as common and are mostly fuelled by the losses you incur. The way cashback bonuses work is that the casino runs a cashback promo, say a 10% cashback promotion for a month. At the end of the month, whatever amount that you’ll have lost, 10% is reimbursed to you. Therefore, if you lose ₹10,000 in this case, you are awarded ₹1,000 at the end of the month.

There are other special cases, especially for VIP players, where the casino automatically awards you with a, say 10% cashback, on all the bets you wager at the end of a specific period. The 10% cashback is awarded whether you win or lose your bet.

What makes the cashback bonus special?

Well, the amount that you get back as reimbursement isn’t subject to any wagering requirements. Better yet, you can easily withdraw the cash in real money IMMEDIATELY or use it as you please because the money is deposited into your account in the form of cash.

Cashback bonuses aren’t so common online and they vary from one brand to another. Furthermore, the casino can choose to suspend the promotion whenever they feel like. Therefore, if you come across this promotion, don’t hesitate to opt-in and seize it.

Bonuses While You’re Playing Games

Free Spins

We’ve mentioned how popular the no deposit bonus is in the outgoing section. But it’s not the only bonus that’s experiencing unprecedented popularity at the online casinos. There are also free spins, which are widely popular among players and it’s not difficult to see why

From the name itself, you already know what they are all about. Free spins are awarded to a player – free of any charges. Don’t mistake this type of bonus with the free spins that are awarded to you while playing a slot game.

The free spins that we are discussing here are those awarded when you sign up at a casino or awarded as part of an on-going promotion. This type of promotional offer is given to you to compliment the match deposit bonus. When they are awarded as part of a weekly or monthly promo, they come alone without any cash attached to them.

For example, an online casino can award you with a 100% match deposit bonus up to ₹10,000 + 20 free spins on Starburst Slot. This means that you get to 20 free spins to play Starburst Slot by NetEnt and not any other game.

For the second category of free spins, there are a few things you need to know.

  1. There’s usually a maximum amount that you can win from the free spins. Most online casinos have a maximum win limit of ₹10,000 from these free spins
  2. They have an expiry date. Once they’ve been credited to your account, you have a limited time period to use them. Otherwise, they expire
  3. They are game sensitive i.e., you can only use them to play a specific casino game as specified in the terms and conditions section
  4. You have to meet a certain wagering requirement before you can withdraw the wins resulting from these free spins

Reload Bonus

We’d like to bluntly refer to the reload bonus as the ‘baby’ of the welcome bonus. Why so? Since the welcome bonus offer has an “expiry date”, the reload bonus can be awarded severally at the casino. Usually, it uses the same structure as the welcome bonus, where you have to match up to a specified percentage.

Through this bonus, you can reload your account with credits as well as free spins – when it is a reload bonus package. The free spins and credits awarded are usually accessible once you’ve successfully completed the deposit.

Like any other online casino bonus, reload bonuses are subject to wagering requirements. It’s therefore advisable that you go through the Terms and Conditions of the promotions to avoid falling victim to withdrawal restrictions.

Three Promotions that aren’t Exactly Bonuses

VIP and Loyalty Promotions

Your devotion to an online casino brand should never go unnoticed. VIP and loyalty bonuses cum promotions indicate the lengths to which an online casino is willing to go to make sure their loyal players are happy. This, therefore, means that a good VIP program is equally as important, if not more important than the deposit, cashback and reload bonuses.

Whatever you are awarded as a VIP depends on the online casino brand you choose to visit. The more established online casinos tend to be more generous than the newer brands. Some will award you with cash prizes and other goodies, while others will take you to exotic holidays.

To give you a good picture of what awaits you as a loyal member of an online casino, there are several VIP bonuses that you should look out for. They mostly include the following bonuses.

  • Lush rewards bonuses: Lush reward bonuses could be almost anything. VIP players can kick back and unwind with these exceptional perks such as front seat or backstage concert tickets, cruise trips or tickets to events such as the ICC Cricket World Cup, the UEFA Champions League final among others. Such bonuses are common at the well-established online casino brands
  • Tiered bonuses: Any online casinos with a VIP program usually has this type of bonuses. They are usually used to encourage loyalty among casino players and vary depending on the tier that you are ranked. Some, like Dafabet Casino, are ranked as Bronze- Silver-Gold-Platinum while others such as 10Cric have one big VIP platform that accommodates everyone under one platform.

Whether the casino offers either of the two, you have to accomplish certain milestones in order to get the perks associated with the particular tier. For instance, when you are a Platinum VIP member at Dafabet, you have access “exclusive VIP Live Table games” and“Higher Rebates” something that the Bronze VIP player doesn’t get to enjoy.

  • High Roller Bonuses: High roller bonuses are limited to the VVIPs of the casino – those players who know the ropes around fluttering, especially staking high bets. These are the players that we’ve already referred to as ‘the whales’ because of the huge sums of cash they invest in a game.

High roller bonuses vary from one online casino to another but mostly constitute of match deposit bonuses. Given the nature of their spending, online casinos usually have higher match deposit bonus limits for the high rollers. For example, one can receive as much as ₹100,000 from one deposit, which makes these bonuses so lucrative.

Comp Points

Also known as Comps, these are incentives awarded to players for choosing to play at an online casino. These points are usually awarded when you spend real money at the casino, and in most cases, they are linked to the casino’s VIP program. At the casinos, the more you continue playing, the more comp points you earn.

Besides earning comp points while playing real money games, there are platforms that award you for other reasons. For instance, ComeOn! Casino awards you points for every activity that you engage yourself in at the site. When you log in, make a deposit or play their games, you get to earn points. Once you have accumulated enough points, you can always redeem them for different rewards.

Comp Points Rates

These points are usually awarded at different rates, depending on the tier that you are enrolled to in the VIP or Loyalty program. The higher tier you are enrolled to, the more comp points you are awarded per bet.

Occasionally, you’ll be awarded 1 comp point for every ₹100 (or 100 units) that you wager through the casino. While this is the baseline for players enrolled to the lowest tier, VVIP players can earn 3 comp points for every ₹100 they wager – this is just an example of what some casinos offer their players.

Comp Points Rewards

Given the number of casinos online, you should expect different rewards for your comp points. Some of the common ones include:

  • Free spins bonuses
  • Free chips or cash deposited directly to your account
  • Cashback rates on losses
  • Vouchers for deposit bonuses

VIP players can redeem their comp points for better prices. Some of the rewards that you can redeem for your comps as a VIP include:

  • Smartphones and tablets
  • Expensive jewellery
  • Other goodies as indicated in the VIP program of the casino
  • There Are Ways to Earn Comp Points Easily!

Although the main way of earning comp points is by grinding and some good old elbow grease, there are ways that you can earn these points more conveniently. Here are some easy tips that will see you earn comp points with better value.

  • Pick online casino sites offering bonus points: When looking at this point, it’s important that you consider ComeOn! Casino. As we’ve already stated, this platform has a unique comp points system, which awards you for almost all the activities you engage at the site. The system at ComeOn! is different from that at Dafabet, which say only limits you to spending real money to earn these points.
  • Consider Earning Higher VIP Status: Okay, this one may not apply to all the players, but if you are a high roller, this can be one of the best ways to earn the comps faster. Getting ranked higher within the casino’s VIP program grants a flat boost to your account. This results in considerably increased comp points for every ₹100 (or 100 units) wagered.

Important Points to Note about Comps!

For example, if the casino runs a comp points system, it will automatically enrol you to the system once you’ve signed up

Like most of the online casino bonuses, comp points have expiry dates i.e., if they are not redeemed or used within a given period, they are revoked by the casino

There’s a minimum amount of comp points that you need to meet in order to redeem the comps. This varies from one casino to another

Different casino games contribute differently to the comp points system. Some games have a 100% contribution rate, while others don’t contribute at all. Read the terms and conditions section to get all this information

Free Play

You shouldn’t mistake this for free spins. Free play otherwise known as demo mode is a feature offered in all online casinos. Through this, you have unlimited playtime on the software-based games, letting you experience the game’s features before deciding to stake some real cash.

Refer-A-Friend Bonus

We weren’t sure where to categorize this popular type of bonus and saw it wise to fix it here. Refer a friend bonus is what it sounds like. You refer your friend to an online casino, and once they’ve made their first initial deposit, you get a certain percentage of the deposit credited to your account. Some of the well-established online casinos will also deposit some cash into your friends’ account. This cash cannot be withdrawn, but help them sample what the casino has to offer.

Important Bonus Terms and Conditions

We can all agree that the majority of us hardly go through the terms and conditions section of the casino. But, do you know that if you want to get the most out of your bonuses is to ensure you’ve adhered to the bonus terms and conditions? The list is usually long, but there are those that you have to meet in order to enjoy your bonuses. These ‘must meet’ conditions are highlighted below.

Wagering Requirements

Bonus wagering requirements are the gates that you have to unlock before cashing out your bonus money. You can only open these gates by wagering the bonus amount a particular number of tines – usually 30, 34 or 40 times.

Because of the importance they play or contribute towards ensuring that you’ve redeemed your bonus cash, wagering requirements are one of the true indicators of the value of the bonus cash. More about wagering requirements in the section that follows.

Maximum Bet Allowed

Don’t sleep on this condition. The maximum amount you can wager is the easiest blunder that you can make, and it’s one of the reasons why most winnings are voided at the casinos. The majority of the online casinos tend to hide this condition deep in their terms and conditions as they know most people don’t go through them.

The maximum bet allowed is the highest amount that you can wager using your bonus money. It may sound straightforward and easy but the majority of players usually find this very hard to stick to. This is mostly because grinding through the massive wagering requirements can be difficult when you are limited to a maximum of say ₹50 per spin on slots.

Eligible Games

Not all games can be played using the bonus awarded and playing a game that’s been excluded in the terms and conditions list can lead to your winnings being nullified.

Expiry Dates

Last but not least, we have the expiry dates for the bonuses. Online casinos tend to impose timeframes of say 7 days, 14 days or 30 days for you to claim your bonus money. This means that you have to wager your bonus within the specified number of days, lest you risk losing out on the cash.

All in all, it’s worth noting that all these conditions are intertwined in one way or another. Which is why, in order to know whether the bonus is legitimate or a trap to get you to sign up at the casino, you need to understand all these conditions. They are always listed in the bonus or promotions terms and conditions section.

How to Turn Bonus Cash Into Real Cash – Understanding Wagering Requirements

Bonus money is awesome, but you can sometimes find it difficult to get your head around the wagering requirements associated with the free cash. In this section of our real money casino bonus guide, we are going to take a closer look into wagering requirements.

Why do wagering requirements exist?

The best explanation for this is that no online casino can afford to dish out huge sums of cash for free. This is why you are challenged to clear your bonus money by playing through them a given number of times.

The second reason why Indian online casinos impose wagering requirements is to combat money laundering activities.

Working Mechanics of Wagering Requirements

Once we’ve built upon the topic, it’s about time we gave you an example of how you can clear the wagering requirements. And regardless of the online casino website you visit, there are two ways that you can do this. They are explained below.

Wagering Through Bonuses Alone

For example, you’ve joined an online casino site that offers a 100% match deposit bonus up to ₹10,000. The bonus comes with a 35x wagering requirement ON THE BONUS that you have to meet before the end of seven days.

Once you’ve signed up, you make the minimum required deposit of ₹300, so the casino awards you with an extra ₹300. In order to withdraw this money, you’ll have to wager (₹300×35=₹10,500) in real money within the seven days.

Wagering Through Deposit + Bonus

In some special instances, the online casino will include the deposit and bonus money in the wagering requirement section. Using the same example above, the casino awards you with a 100% match deposit bonus up to ₹10,000. However, this time, the wagering requirements are 35x (ON THE BONUS + DEPOSIT).

If you’ve made a deposit of ₹500, you’ll be awarded an extra ₹500 automatically. To redeem this bonus money, you’ll have to wager {35x (₹500+₹500)= ₹35,000} in real money within the stipulated seven days.

What’s the secret to meeting the wagering requirements quickly?
Wagering requirements vary from one online casino to another. There are those that have low wagering requirements of say 20x. There are others that use the standard value of 25x-30x the bonus amount. But there are those that have high wagering requirements of 50x the bonus+ deposit amount. Regardless, there are tips and tricks that you can help meet these wagering requirements easily.

  • Trick #1: Always pick a casino that has a fair wagering requirement number. This is the first step to easily meeting wagering requirements
  • Trick #2: Different games contribute differently to the wagering requirement. The majority of the slot games contribute 100% towards the wagering requirement. Therefore, it’s highly advisable that you always play slot games
  • Trick #3: Enrol to the casino’s VIP program. The higher you progress up the VIP program, the better terms you are given towards meeting the wagering requirements

Traditional vs. Sticky Bonuses

Do you know there are instances that you cannot withdraw your bonus money, even after meeting the set wagering requirements? It’s not because the online casino doesn’t want you to, but because there are bonuses that cannot be withdrawn.

At the online casinos, you are bound to come across two types of bonuses.

  • Traditional Bonuses: They are also referred to as withdrawable bonuses. These ones are largely offered as sign up bonuses though you can also claim them through regular promotions. Once you’ve met the set terms and conditions, you can always withdraw these bonus or use them as you please at the casino
  • Sticky Bonuses: They are the complete opposite of the traditional bonuses. Sticky bonuses are sometimes referred to as non-withdrawable bonuses. A sticky bonus is any amount awarded to you purely for wagering purposes i.e., you can only use them at the casino – to play the games, but you cannot withdraw them.

Given the nature of the sticky bonuses, they tend to last indefinitely and can remain in your account for as long as you can think of. Also, you can use them to play real money games and win real cash, which is subjected to wagering requirements.

How to Claim Your Casino Bonus

To claim your bonus money, you need to follow the steps below.

Step 1: Create an account at the online casino of your choice

Step 2: Complete the email confirmation procedure. Also, complete the verification process as you cannot withdraw the bonus money while your account remains unverified. Account verification procedure involves sending you government-issued ID, and a scanned copy of your utility bill

Step 3: Make your first deposit to receive the welcome bonus offer. In other instances, you may have to opt into the promotion. If this is the case, visit the promotions page and click on your desired promotion. Opt into it and make the deposit as required to claim the bonus

Congratulations! You now have your bonus. To withdraw the bonus money, meet the set wagering requirements as specified in the terms and conditions section.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Casino Bonuses

It’s understandable that the title of this section might raise a few eyebrows and it’s understandable! After all, everything that has a positive side has a negative aspect to it. This is also applicable to online casino bonuses. On the surfaces, these casino beaus may look juicy and attractive to players, when you examine them closely, there’s usually a caveat to the bonus.

Putting aside the fact that you are gambling with the house’s cash, there are a few other reasons why casino bonuses can be such a potent ally.

  1. Bonuses Eliminate or Reduce The Risk Factor
    Entering into the online casino world is pretty easy and stress-free when you know you don’t have to reach out to your cash for the first deposit. After all, you are still new trying to learn the ropes and a little bonus – such as the free spins and no deposit offers – can go a long way to clear your doubts. Sounds incredible right?
  2. Bonuses are a Sign of Reliable and Trustworthy Online Casino
    Generally speaking, only casinos that are well established and have a large player base can afford to offer bonuses. The reason behind this is simple and easy to understand: giving players free cash needs a certain level of trust from the player’s and casino’s end. For this reason, only the cream of the crop casinos such as Betway, ComeOn! Dafabet and 10Cric can afford these freebies.

Disadvantages of Casino Bonuses

High wagering requirements associated with the bonuses. This is usually the main disadvantage associated with casino bonuses. Some sites have WR as high as 50x that you have to meet within a short period of time. This locks out most of the casual players with a limited bankroll

Limited time period to meet the high wagering requirements. Can you imagine spending ₹50,000 within a week as a casual player? I can’t see myself doing this as this too much money! A casino that has this short time frame for you to meet the wagering requirement isn’t genuine in our opinion.

Maximum win limitations. If a casino is genuine in its intentions to award you with free cash, why impose a maximum win limit that you can claim using the bonus money?