There is a huge number of Canadian casinos that attract users by offering generous welcome bonuses for newbies. New players in Canada simply need to make a deposit, fill in a promo code, and activate the bonus. Usually, online casinos give a 100% match bonus totaling thousands of dollars. Sounds great, but there is even more to this. The top-rated online casinos suggest you playing regularly, and get loyalty privileges and various monthly prizes. Check out the best online casino bonuses below.
Best Casino Bonuses
These online casinos offer various bonus types including a welcome bonus. Some of these casinos like BitStarz and 888 Casino offer a no deposit bonus for new players. BitStarz’ players can get 20 free spins, while 888 Casino clients are eligible for $88 as bonus money that can be spent on any game from slots to poker. This is a small sign-up bonus without a deposit.
Some casinos give first-deposit bonuses that can contain money and free spins for specific slots. The bonus intends to promote slots by giving players a chance to play for free. However, there is a real possibility to win money. This isn’t big money, though, especially if you make a minimum deposit of around $20.
There are huge bonuses too. For example, JackpotCity awards you an enormous amount of money as a deposit bonus of up to $1,600. All you have to do is to make your first deposit. You can use the bonus and play games even on your mobile phone.
Some casinos offer wager-free bonuses. Play OJO rewards new players with 50 free spins. Once you play them on slots, you can withdraw your winnings.
What Are Casino Bonuses
The world of online casino promotions is big. And, in this article, we will tell you everything you should know about casino bonuses.
First of all, you should understand that a casino bonus is an incentive that casinos create to attract players. They aren’t really free even though they say “free money” or “free spins”. In most cases, even when casinos offer a no deposit bonus, these bonuses come with wagering requirements. Of course, you can beat it with the bonus winnings, but often your own money comes into play.
Though, there is nothing bad with using casino bonuses. This is just the way a casino can show you around. Experienced players are ready to play with a portion of bonus money. But they choose a casino bonus carefully that we also suggest you to fo if you are a newbie here.
How to Choose Casino Bonus
Not all casinos offer reliable bonuses. As we said earlier, one should be careful with wagering requirements. This is the most unpleasant thing for casino players. So, how can you avoid the huge play-through requirements and truly enjoy the bonus? Follow the steps to learn how to select bonuses.
Use legit casino
The first step you need to do is to discover safe aspects of the casino site you’ve chosen. Make sure it is officially regulated by gambling authorities. For this, look for the casino’s official license, and check the fair gaming signs. The license is very important because it shows the level of reliability of the gambling operator. So, if you see that the casino holds a license from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) or the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), for example, it means that the casino is safe and trusted. As for the fairness of games, you can check if the casino site has a seal of approval by an audition company such as eCOGRA.
Look through the Bonus Terms
Before claiming a bonus, you need to make sure it is beneficial. Visit the promotion page and find the terms and conditions of the bonus you are interested in. Pay close attention to such points as a maximum win, min and max bet, qualifying games, expiry date, and wagering requirements. Once again, it’s very important to find the “wagering requirements” condition. These requirements are made to ensure that you will not cash out the bonus money before using it. So, after you deposit and claim the bonus, you will have to play the bonus through 20 or 35 times, for example. Try to choose bonuses with 0 or low wagering requirements, not more than 50x. This question is yet to be discussed later in this post.
Every casino has different terms and conditions. We recommend reading them before you claim the bonus to understand what you will have to do.
Check comments
At the end of the day, we recommend reading the players’ feedback. Reading real comments, you can find the real information about bonuses, pitfalls, withdrawals, and its waiting time, plus overall advantages and disadvantages that other players could notice. Players always say true-to-life opinions about casinos.
Types of Online Casino Bonuses
As we said earlier, online casinos offer various bonuses from sign-up promos to cashback and loyalty rewards. So, let us dive deep into this question and explain to you all the types of bonuses that you can meet at the best Canadian casinos.
Deposit bonus
A deposit bonus is the most popular type of casino promotion. It forms almost all welcome offers, but not only new players get the chance to enjoy the deposit bonus. Existing casino players also get deposit bonuses. Though, you’ll find them under a different name — reload bonuses.
The amount of deposit bonus depends on how much you deposit to a casino account. It is calculated from the percentage of the match (which is usually 100%). Besides, it can be limited by the maximum amount the casino can give to you. In other words, you can’t get more than this max limit even though you deposited twice bigger.
An example of a match deposit bonus: 100% bonus of up to $500. If you deposit $500, you’ll get another $500; a total of $1,000 on your casino account. But if you deposit $100, you’ll be able to spend on games only $200. Or if you deposit $700, you’ll get $500 as it is the limit. So, your balance is $1,200.
Low Deposit Bonuses
Some casinos attract new players with low deposit bonuses. They allow players to deposit as low as $1 or $5 and play games for real money. Check out the best $1 offers below:
No Deposit Bonus
No deposit bonus allows players to play real money games without risking their own money. Practically, you can register at a casino, claim the no deposit bonus, play, and quit. This isn’t so fun, but it can be your first real money casino experience.
No deposit offers often include free spins. But some casinos give free bonus money that you can play with. Normally, a no deposit free spin bonus is given for particular slots. In other words, you can’t use the spins on any slot you like. There are one or two qualifying slots and free spins that are activated once you open the game.
The best no deposit deals are at these online casinos:
Free Spins
Again, free spins or extra spins. They are slots-only bonuses because only in slot machines you can make a few spins. Often they come with sign-up offers, welcome packages, and level-up rewards. As soon as they appear in your account, you can use them in online slots. However, make sure which slots exactly are participating in the promo. Free spins are accurate promotions.
Besides, you should remember to check the terms and conditions of free spins. Even when a casino offers 200 free spins, usually you can’t use them all right away. In most cases, this amount of free spins breaks down in several days like 20 spins across 10 days.
The best free spins bonuses are:
Wager-free bonuses
The most favorite type of bonus for all players is a wager-free bonus. This is a bonus, in the T&Cs of which you won’t find a wagering requirement. Online casinos simply let you enjoy the bonus instead of freaking out about the rollover. Yes, such bonuses exist, but they are very rare to find. Some of the best wager-free bonus casinos are:
Payment method bonuses
Yes, there is a kind of bonus that relates to payment methods. Simply put, you can claim a special bonus when making a deposit via a certain banking option. Usually, such bonuses are made for bitcoin players. Thus, if you deposit with BTC, you’ll get a loyalty reward that is much higher than the one for players that use regular payment methods. Check out the best bitcoin bonuses below:
Cashback
Cashback bonuses are becoming more and more popular among online casinos in Canada. Well, everybody knows what cashback is. In the case of online casinos, it is a percentage of the amount that you spent on games paid back to you. Many casinos allow you to withdraw these funds. But some sites credit the cashback on your bonus balance. Consequently, you can use the cashback on games plus fulfill the wagering requirements applied to all general bonuses.
Usually, online casinos won’t pay back more than 20% of your losses. But this percentage is still quite good, right? Check the best cashback casinos here:
Loyalty and VIP bonuses
Only existing players are eligible for this type of bonus. A loyalty bonus or a VIP bonus is a reward that you receive from a bonus as a sign of appreciation that you stay with one and only casino for a long time. As a rule, online casinos use a tracking system to make sure you are a long-term player.
The best thing about it is that you can influence this tracking scheme. In fact, players see it as a rewards program with a progress bar and a status. The more you move through the progress bar, the higher your status, hence the bigger your reward. To move through the levels, all you need to do is be active at the casino and play games for real money.
Online casinos can have different loyalty programs, that is why you need to check the terms of participation. Besides, some casinos have VIP clubs for the most appreciated players (those that make high stakes). This is a closed VIP club with exclusive rewards for VIP players. They receive casino bonuses, loyal conditions such as lower wagering requirements and faster withdrawals, physical items like smartphones and jewelry, tickets to public events and trips.
Here are the best loyalty program casinos:
Deposit lotteries
A few times during the year, online casinos can arrange so-called draws or lotteries. Typically, to take part in a lottery, you need to make a deposit. But conditions can vary depending on the casino. There can be small lotteries giving away free spins prizes and big lotteries with expensive gifts like cars or iPhones. In 2021, BitStarz casino arranged a draw of a Tesla car for its birthday.
The best lottery bonuses are to be found at the following casinos:
High-roller bonuses
Players that have a thick wallet and place high stakes are called high-rollers. Obviously, these players aren’t interested in standard casino bonuses even if it seems huge like $2,000. High-rollers look for extremely huge bonuses that are worth more than $5,000. In fact, most online casinos won’t offer you more than this sum of money. But this is only a welcome offer. All the other high-roller bonuses are in the VIP clubs where high-stake players plan to get.
Best welcome bonuses for high-rollers are:
All You Need to Know About Bonuses
Bonuses are awesome things at first glance but should you look at them carefully, they aren’t as shiny as you think. For sure, some bonuses are really nice, and it’s cool to know that such casino bonuses exist. But the majority of bonus offers come with certain requirements and conditions, after reading which you don’t really want the bonus anymore. All in all, you might think differently. Our purpose under this heading is to explain everything that bonuses contain behind the sweet cover. So, keep reading to be more informed on this topic.
We should warn you in advance that all things we mention later can vary from casino to casino. So, it’s not necessarily true for all sites and all casino bonuses. For each individual bonus, you should check the terms and conditions yourself.
Wagering Requirements
The most unwelcomed thing by many players is wagering requirements. Players don’t like it because it takes them away from their winnings because each spin is random; it can’t guarantee that you will win or lose.
Wagering requirements are attached to most deposit bonuses and free spins. This limitation dictates the number of times you must wager the bonus amount before you can cash out your winnings. When you use the bonus money, all stakes (winning or losing) will count towards the requirements.
Besides, all winnings that you make with the bonus are locked in your bonus account until you clear the playthrough requirement. This way online casinos protect themselves from bonus abuse on your side.
There are sites that attach no wagering requirements to the bonus, but their number is small. We mentioned the wager-free bonus casinos earlier, by the way.
Most gambling sites offer quite normal wagering requirements around 30x and less. But also there are sites that will require you to wager the bonus amount plus the deposit amount 50 times or more. And this task is way more difficult to perform. So, pay attention not only to how many times but also to what amount is subject to wagering requirements.
Maximum Win
This limitation is often attached to free spins bonuses. Many free spins casinos will make a note in the terms and conditions that you can only take a certain amount of win, regardless of how much you actually won. For example, you use free spins and win $500, but the casino gives you only $100 as this is the maximum win that you can cash out.
It sounds annoying, but this is another way for a casino to protect its own funds. Remember that the house always wins. So, when you decide to claim a sort of no deposit bonus or free spins, check out the maximum win amount.
Minimum Deposit
Well, this term is quite clear. Simply put, to be eligible for a bonus, you need to make a minimum deposit. Minimum deposit limits differ from casino to casino, but usually, it’s about $10, $20, or $30.
Many casino promotions also have such a requirement. For example, to participate in a slots race or a tournament, you should have made at least one deposit. In fact, any casino promotions and bonuses first require a deposit and then give you the perk. This doesn’t refer to no deposit bonuses, of course.
Restrictions on Payment Method
Some casinos might not give you a bonus if you deposit real money via a “wrong” payment method. Yes, sometimes bonuses aren’t given to players that use Neteller or Skrill e-wallets. And in general, it isn’t recommended to use e-wallets for your first deposit. But you can select the “restricted” payment option when you make future deposits (without bonus) or withdrawals.
Qualifying Games
Most casinos that offer no deposit bonuses and free spins specify online slots that you can play with the bonuses. You should check which games you can play, and which of them are restricted. Often, you can see it right on the promo ad: the casino dictates that you can use 50 free spins on “Book of Dead”, for example.
Game Contribution
This condition relates more to deposit bonuses. Not all casino games fully count towards the wagering requirements. Only slot games contribute 100% towards the requirements. All the other games have a smaller contribution.
Very often, table games and live games are off-limits at all. Though, depending on the casino terms, they can contribute from 10% to 50% as well as progressive jackpot slots. This happens due to the different payback percentages (RTP) of games. In other words, playing live casino or table games, you have a higher chance to win than playing slots. That’s why the contribution towards bonus play-through is low.
Expiration Date
Bonus offers aren’t eternal. They expire just like any other promotion you take part in. Usually, within a specific time frame, you need to manage several tasks: make a deposit, claim a bonus, and meet the wagering requirements. If we speak about welcome bonuses, they expire 2 weeks after registration, in most cases.
Other casino promotions can be active within 30 days after the launch of the promotion. Always pay attention to how much time is left till the bonus expires. It can save you time and money. For example, when you’ve just now seen a tournament promo with $100,000 in the prize pool, it would make no sense to participate if it expires in 24 hours.
Betting Limit
All bonuses and promotions, especially match deposit and free spins bonuses, have maximum bet limits. You can’t just get $1,000 from a casino and stake it all on one game round. Casinos prevent you from this by attaching a betting limit.
Sometimes, casinos limit the maximum bonus bet size with a percentage like: it should be no more than 10% of your deposit. But if you claim free spins, for example, the casinos will tell how much you can bet per spin. Usually, it’s no more than $5. If you dare to place a higher wager, it will be considered as a breach of terms and conditions. Consequently, you won’t get paid your winnings on free spins.
You can avoid all unwelcome consequences by using the bonuses right. Simply read the bonus terms and conditions beforehand. Make sure to understand everything they state. If you didn’t catch any piece of information, contact the customer support center and clarify the point.
How to Use Casino Bonuses
Although there’s a high demand for casino bonuses, not all players understand how to use them. The topic of bonuses is especially tough for new players because they need to be attentive when making their first deposit alongside claiming the welcome bonus. One wrong move and the bonus is not attainable anymore.
Fortunately, online casinos always remind you of what you should do to claim a bonus. They will put the reminders at almost every step you take. Besides, online casinos will notify you by email that you’ve got an unused bonus and that it expires in a few days if you don’t claim it now.
So, quick advice here is to be attentive to everything a casino tries to tell you, especially in the fine print. But additionally, you need to know how to use casino bonuses yourself. Here, we will give you a short guide that can help you claim a bonus right.
How to claim a deposit bonus
- Hopefully, by this moment you’ve already chosen your best bonus and registered at a casino. If not, what are you waiting for?
- Usually, all bonuses (except for no deposit offers) are claimed during the deposit. So, go to the cashier section and start making your first deposit.
- The deposit form should include the field with the bonus code (if required) or a box that you need to tick, thus enabling the bonus option. Tick the box or provide the bonus code.
- Complete the deposit form and submit the request. Make sure to have made a minimum deposit or more and that your payment method allows claiming the bonus (you’re not using an e-wallet).
- Wait till the funds appear on your casino account.
- The bonus should also be displayed in your rewards or bonus section.
- Activate it following the instructions of the casino.
How to claim a no deposit bonus
Claiming a no deposit bonus is a much easier process than the previous one. It doesn’t involve making a deposit. All you need to do is follow these steps:
- Select a casino with a no deposit bonus.
- Click on the registration button.
- Fill out the form with the personal information required. Usually, casinos ask for your name and surname, email address, phone number, date of birth, and house address. But there are sites that don’t require any private info but your email address or a phone number.
- For no deposit bonuses, there should be a box in the registration form that you need to tick. This way you allow the casino to give you the bonus or free spins.
- Confirm the registration and login to your casino account.
- Find the bonus in your rewards section and activate it.
A no deposit bonus casino can give you the bonus without you ticking the box. Sometimes, you can notice the no deposit bonus waiting for you in your account as soon as you sign up. But still, you need to claim it before using it. Make sure to read the bonus terms and instructions on how to claim it right and how to use it.
How to play with a bonus
Once you activate your bonus, you need to spend it on online casino games. All bonuses are different and you should not rely on our guide only. The most informative guide on how and where you can use the bonus is provided by your casino, in which you claimed this bonus. So, use our following guidance with only informative purposes.
First of all, you should remember that online casinos let you play with the bonus funds only after you’d your own money that you deposited. Unless you are playing with a no deposit bonus, you should first play games with your own money. While you are playing with real money balance, you are allowed to choose any games. But when the cashable funds are over, your bonus money comes into play. From now on, follow the steps below:
- Depending on a casino bonus you’ve got (bonus money or free spins), you need to check what games are allowed to play with the bonus. Find this information in the bonus T&Cs.
- Open a qualifying casino game. If you use bonus money, it is better to select slots because they will help you meet the wagering requirements faster.
- Play the games at the allowed bet (min and max bet limit reminder).
- Try to meet the wagering requirements by wagering the bonus amount the required number of times (keep the max bet limit).
How to Withdraw Bonus Winnings
As you play games with a bonus and complete the wagering requirements, you can win some money that will be credited to your real money account. Once the money is cashable, you can withdraw it. However, make sure the amount of money is enough to match the minimum withdrawal limit. If everything is okay, follow these steps to cash out your bonus winnings.
- Visit the cashier page and select the ‘Withdraw’ section.
- Select the payment method.
- Enter the amount of money you want to cash out.
- Confirm the request and wait for the money to appear in your bank account.
Waiting can take from a few seconds to few days, depending on the payment method you’ve chosen. To withdraw money fast, we suggest that you use e-wallets or crypto wallets. These methods are the fastest for withdrawals. Bank cards and bank transfers can take a couple of days to process your transaction.
Besides, your online casino will probably ask you to verify your account, and only after it the casino will work out your withdrawal request. Verification also takes several hours or days, so be prepared for it. However, we recommend that you verify your account right after registration, so that by the time that you decide to cash out, your account will have been verified. Thus, your withdrawals will be processed faster on the side of the online casino as well as on the side of your payment operator.
Conclusion
In this long post, we have covered all aspects of online casino bonuses. We also described many casino factors that you should pay attention to when choosing a bonus. You just need to make a little effort and analyze the casino’s characteristics before claiming an offer. Keep in mind that not all casino operators are fair. Sometimes they attract users with big welcome offers but, in fact, for some unknown reason you just can’t claim the bonus or withdraw your money. That is why we recommend playing at reliable online casinos. Pick a casino bonus that suits you best from the list above and register your new casino account.
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