Free cash, matched deposits, free spins – these are all the amazing perks we see we can opt in for when visiting an online casino, but unfortunately they come with a little thing called terms and conditions.
The T&C’s on promotions at reputable online casinos generally outline the wagering requirements necessary to clear the bonus as real cash – as there’s no such thing as free cash. However, if you read our detailed guide on the best games to clear bonuses on you’ll feel as though there is.
Best online casinos for bonuses
All online casinos aim to get players to their site, and do so by offering welcome bonuses and regular promotions. However, only reputable online casinos have detailed and fair terms and conditions attached. We only recommend playing at secure sites such as the many we list below as you won’t be able to clear it at all if you opt for a rogue site – they generally have unfair terms and can ultimately end up locking your account for not adhering to them.
Popular online casino bonuses
There is an array of bonuses available at online casinos – many of which can be cleared fairly easily. The most common bonuses are detailed below.
- No-deposit bonuses: Players are granted a small amount of cash or a number of free spins without making a deposit – generally all you have to do is register an account. Winnings are generally capped or wagering requirements are attached
- New player bonuses: When players sign up and go to make their first deposit they can opt in for the welcome bonus – generally matched deposits, along with some free spins. Wagering requirements are attached to the matched deposits, and sometimes the free spins
- Free spins: A number of free spins are awarded either by making a deposit or opening an account. Wagering requirements are generally attached to winnings, though they may not be, or winnings can be capped at a certain amount
- Loyalty points: Loyalty programs are available where players are instantly a part of once they’ve made their first deposit. Points are accrued as players make their deposits and wager it on games and there are generally tiers players can climb up – the higher they go the better the benefits. There aren’t wagering requirements attached here, but certain games can accrue points faster
Best online casino games to clear wagering requirements
The best online casino games to use a casino bonus on, irrespective of the type of bonus from the list above (except for one), are the pokies.
Clear wagering requirements:
When it comes to wagering requirements – the amount you need to wager in order to clear the bonus – the pokies are the best games to play to clear the turnover amount as each wager made on the reels contributes 100% to the total amount.
For example, Roxy Palace offer up to $350 over two deposits, with the first deposit up to $150 matched by 100%. However, both the deposit and bonus needs to be wagered 25x. So if you deposit $100 you will receive $100 but you will need to wager $200 by 25x, amounting to $5000 to clear the bonus as real cash. Since every wager you make on the pokies contributes 100% you can clear it the quickest on pokies.
Wagers on table games usually only contribute 5-20%, or sometimes nothing at all, which means it will take longer to clear the bonus (or you won’t be able to at all).
Free spins:
Pokies are the obvious choice when it comes to free spins bonuses since they can only be used on these casino games.
Any winnings may have wagering requirements and as we have mentioned above are best cleared using the pokies.
Some online casinos don’t have wagering requirements on their free spins however, such as Guts Casino – just be sure to read their T&Cs before you jump in.
Loyalty tiers:
Loyalty points are also accrued best via the pokies, with the usual points system at most online casinos offering one point per one casino credit on the pokies.
Table games on the other hand can require 10 to 100 casino credits per point depending on the game (Classic Blackjack at Royal Vegas requires 100 credits per point while other blackjack titles see 20 credits per point).
No deposit bonuses:
The only bonus to debate against the pokies being the best game to use a casino bonus on is the no-deposit free cash (the no-deposit free spins can only be used on the pokies however).
This is because free cash is generally awarded and any winnings available to withdraw are capped so you can use it on any games with a limit on your winnings.
For example, 32 Red Casino offers $20 free cash just for opening an account with the online casino and you can use this on any game offered – all winnings are just capped at $100.
Therefore, for all bonuses (except for the no-deposit free cash bonuses) the best games to opt for to clear their terms and conditions are the pokies.
Best pokie to clear casino bonuses
What’s more is we recommend playing Blood Suckers by Net Entertainment, as this pokie offers the best house edge of online pokies available at 2% (still quite high compared to table games but this is why pokies contribute 100% to wagering requirements).
This will give you the best chance at scoring winnings while clearing the bonus, but be careful to read the terms and conditions of the bonus you are clearing as some exclude this pokie from counting (such as G’day online casino).