Bonuses are part of the way that online casinos work. It is one of their major weapons in luring players into their virtaul doors, and away from their competitors. And there are so many different types of online casino bonuses that I thought I'd better dedicate a page to explaining more about them and how they work.

Welcome Bonuses
I thnk every single casino online offers one of these. They usually match a player's first deposit with some sort of bonus money. The matching percentage varies greatly from casino to casino. The larger your first deposit, the more bonus money you can claim.

Some casinos also have bonuses for your second, or third deposit as well. Often the match percentage changes, so you might find a 100% match on the first deposit, and 50% match on the second, and perhaps a 25% match on the third. Just take a moment to read the casino's website if you want to take advatage of one of those offers.

Neteller and Firepay Bonuses
The banking method you choose to use when making a deposit makes a difference to the casino. They pay processing fees on player transactions, so they would like to encourage players to use some methods instead of others. And since it's really improper to penalize a player for making a deposit, what they do is encourage players to use a particular deposit method by giving them a bonus.

You will find many online casinos offering bonuses for every deposit made using Neteller or some other preferred banking method. These bonuses can add up, so it pays to be aware of casino bonuses like these.

Because it would be too easy to let players deposit $100, give them $100 bonus, and watch them cash out $200 without ever spinning a slot reel or seeing a card, casinos have some conditions in place. In order to see the T&C for the bonus, go to the promotions or bonus page, and look for a link titled Terms and Conditions. There you should find information on these important items.

Wagering Requirements
This is the amount of wagering you have to do before you can cash out the bonus money and claim it as your own. The wagering requirements are very different from casino to casino. Another thing to check is the casino's . . .

Excluded Games List
Yes, that's right, not only do you have to wager so much before you can cash out the bonus, but you can only do it at certain games. The excluded games list started when someone noticed you can wager a LOT at the roulette table, and never really risk a thing. Put a lot on black, a lot on red, and just a little on 0, and there you go. A lot of wagering, no risk.

Excluded games lists vary from casino to casino as well. Roulette and Craps are usually on the list. Sometimes Blackjack since the house edge is so very low on that game. Sometimes you'll find Video Poker on the list. Slots are almost never on the list.

Before you plan on playing for a bonus, check the casino's excluded games list.

Even though it's appealing to think about cashing out the free money the casino give you, as you can see, it is bothersome keeping track of everything. Instead, some casinos like Jackpot Joy offer the bonuses for wagering only. You can use them to win money, but you can't cash them out.

When my wife first played at Jackpot Joy, she lost all of her deposit, and only the bonus money remained. She could use that bonus money in her account to continue playing, but couldn't cash it out. So, she played with it. And, luckily she hit a $500 winner. She was able to cash out her winnings without any problems, and that made her happy.

Are Bonuses Confusing?
At first they are, at least I think so. That's why I wrote this page. But, as long as you know what to look for there won't be any unpleasant surprises. And, they really do add time to a playing session. I know in more than one case it was the bonus cash that turned a short losing session into a long winning one for my wife or myself.