It might sound a bit strange to some, but players are actually in control when it comes to playing in online casinos. Competition is fierce in the online casino industry and providers must think of new ways to attract players. One of the best ways to do this is by giving new players a casino bonus they can’t refuse. This creates a rather unique situation, as the most a visitor of a land based casino can expect is a free drink.
The best casino bonuses come in all kinds of forms: we’ve got the welcome bonus, then we have the popular free spins, and some casinos even hand out no-deposit bonuses. As you can probably imagine, casinos aren’t too keen on handing out free money, which is why most promos come with terms and conditions. In our complete guide about casino bonuses we’ll cover everything you need to know about bonuses and promos waiting for you to get grabbed. We’ll discuss how these bonuses work and how to know if they’re any good or not.
How casino bonuses work
With the current pace of new online casinos being launched in Canada, we expect most players won’t need to complain about the amount of options available. The online casino business is a fully digital industry which is why casino websites from all over the world are readily accessible in Canada as well. One of the ways a casino can get your attention is by offering fun promotions and bonuses. What you should bear in mind is that bonuses in Canada are investments for casino operators to make players sign up to their site. They put a lot of energy into providing players with both an ultimate experience and generous bonus offers. Bars offer happy hours to attract the crowds, online casinos offer bonuses.
How to know if casino bonuses are any good
Although bonuses come in different forms, not all bonuses are equally beneficial. This is due to the fact that a bonus isn’t the same thing as free money and you can’t really blame casino websites in Canada for attaching terms and conditions to their bonuses. This way they avoid new players signing up for a free bonus and immediately withdrawing the money they make. The bonus terms do make a huge difference as they determine whether a bonus is any good or not. In order to know whether a casino bonus is convenient we advise you to check the:
- Wagering requirements: also called roll-over requirements or play-through requirements. This basically means that the bonus money has to be wagered an x amount of times before it is cleared and becomes available for withdrawals. The wagering conditions can apply to the bonus money, but also to the free spins and cashbacks. This is probably the most important and confusing part of bonus terms and requires the most attention. Rule of thumb: the lower the wagering requirements, the better. A lot of casino work with roll-over requirements of between 30x and 50x.
- Validity: bonus money will need to be used within an x number of days or weeks. The validity can differ per bonus type, which means the validity can differ between a deposit bonus and a free spins spins, despite the fact that these are often offered together in a welcome package. Make sure to check the validity for each bonus.
- Minimum or maximum bet: bets come with minimum and maximum stakes. Maximum bets are determined for each bonus in order to avoid players having a chance of placing a sky-high bet and winning a huge amount with free money.
- Minimum deposits: in order to claim a deposit bonus, players will need to deposit a minimum amount to be eligible for the bonus money. The minimum deposit amount is often very reasonable and most of our recommended casinos work with minimum deposits of either 10 or 20 CAD. This bonus term shouldn’t cause any problems.
- Game-oriented bonuses: some casino bonuses are meant to promote a specific game or slot provider. These can be individual games that are temporarily promoted or a partnership with a particular game developer. Don’t force yourself to play games you don’t enjoy or don’t understand just to claim a bonus.
- Excluded countries: some bonuses aren’t available to players residing in certain regions or countries. There may also be bonuses that differ per country in terms of bonus money and free spins. When you access a casino site from an IP-address in Canada, the available bonus should automatically adjust to the Canadian market.
- Platform dependent: some providers feature a lot more than just an online casino and offer a live casino and a sportsbook as well. In that case, the bonus may have a different validity per platform. This means that a welcome bonus is only available for one platform and can’t be used for the other. Often live casinos are excluded.
- Game category: the same applies to game types. Most casino bonuses are valid for slot games and partially or fully exclude table games and/or live casino games. Most bonuses that can be claimed for slot games work with a limited list of slots. The list of valid games should be included on the page with bonus terms.
- Banking method: it’s also very common that a specific payment option gets excluded from the bonus. This often concerns e-wallets like Neteller and Skrill and isn’t very common for transactions made with Interac.
Does the bonus work with rather flexible terms and conditions if you go through all the requirements listed above? Then it’s fair to say that the bonus gives you a fair deal, while the opposite is true if it limits you in enjoying the promo. Whether a casino bonus is any good or not will clearly depend on your own needs and preferences, but the less strict the terms, the more feasible it is to claim your bonus. The checklist above should give you a better idea.
How to claim casino bonuses
While the lobby with casino games is the main reason why most players visit online casino websites in Canada, the whole idea of claiming new bonuses is rather enticing as well. Online casinos in Canada can be very generous when it comes to handing out bonus money to their new and loyal visitors. Those who are new to online casinos in Canada may need a quick step-by-step guide on how to obtain a casino bonus. This is how things work.
1. Learn more about bonuses
Before you start chasing every online bonus you come across, we recommend you to carefully study which types of casino bonuses exist and which ones work best for you. The first kind of casino bonus you will most likely encounter is the casino’s welcome package. Welcome bonuses are usually made up of match bonuses and/or free spins. Match bonuses require new customers to make a deposit first, while most free spins do as well. Nevertheless, casinos also offer free spins which can be part of a promotional deal or a loyalty program. Sometimes, online casinos will offer no-deposit bonuses that don’t require any deposits or cashbacks that give you back a percentage of your previous losses. As bonuses can also take the form of slot tournaments or giveaways, you’ll probably understand why it’s a good idea to learn more about bonuses before you start claiming them.
2. Find a proper Canadian Casino
To take advantage of the best online casinos bonuses in Canada, you will also need to do your own research and find adequate casino sites to consider joining in Canada. There are a lot of casinos to choose from online, but not all websites actually hold a licence that is valid in Canada. You’ll therefore need to make sure that your preferred online casino has a valid licence from a trusted regulator in Canada. Proper regulation means proper rules and this also means that consumers are better protected in case of any disputes or other problems. In order to obtain a licence in Canada, casinos will need to follow the gambling laws of the jurisdiction and make sure they keep on following the rules in order to keep their licence.
3. Sign up for an account
Once you have picked one of our recommended casinos in Canada, the next step is to sign up and create an account. This is usually a very straightforward process; this starts with clicking on the button that can be found in the top right corner of the website that says something like “Sign Up”, “Create Account”, “Join Now”, or “Register”. By clicking on this button you will go to the registration form which is the moment you will be asked to fill in some personal details. Some personal data you will be required to provide are your name, date of birth, email address and phone number. Make sure to use the right details as these will be used as well once you request a withdrawal. Once you’re done you’ll need to activate your account by clicking on the activation link or code sent to your mail or telephone number.
4. Read the bonus terms and conditions
It is very important to go through all the bonus terms before claiming it — this is something we can’t stress enough. Make sure you read all there is about the casino bonus you’re interested in and don’t miss the small font. Usually there are separate conditions for the bonus itself, but our advice is to check the general bonus terms as well. While doing so, we recommend you to pay extra attention to the wagering conditions. Please scroll back to our section “How to know if casino bonuses are any good” to get a full explanation on this matter.
4. Make a deposit
Most casino bonuses (no deposit bonus being the most common exception) require players to make a deposit. In order to become eligible for most types of bonuses, including the welcome bonus, you will need to go to the cashier, choose a banking method out of the list of available options and deposit your funds. With your funds credited to your online casino account, the welcome bonus should be instantly added — this holds for both deposit bonuses and free spins. Sometimes, you may need to check a box that asks you to give your permission to claim the welcome bonus.
5. Make sure to fill in the bonus codes
At a lot of online casinos in Canada, promos come with bonus codes, which are usually made up of small combinations of letters and numbers that you need to type in to confirm that you wish to claim the bonus. The bonus codes are generally listed very clearly, somewhere alongside the bonus offer description. All you need to do is copy them and paste these bonus code in the right field and you’re good to go. Make sure to double check whether you’re using the right code for the right bonus. This should be easily visible as you should receive a confirmation that you’ve just claimed the bonus.
6. Follow the next steps
The next steps are pretty straightforward and you can’t really go wrong if you carefully follow the steps given by the casino website. Each casino promo works with a bonus description and a list of steps. Sometimes there might be something specific you’ll need to do.
How to make a profit from casino bonuses?
You will understand by now that online casinos don’t hand out free money because they want you to win. The only thing they want you to do is play on their site and as casinos always win in the long run it’ll most likely be the casino website that gets the most out of the deal. At the same time there’s always a chance you can make a difference in the short time as we’re still talking about games of chance that come with fully random results. To get the most out of your promo and possibly make a profit from your casino bonus, we recommend you to always:
1. Check the wagering requirements
We already pointed out the importance of checking the wagering requirements and this is also the first thing you’ll need to do if your objective is to make a profit from your casino bonus. Pretty much all casino bonuses work with wagering requirements and the lower the requirements, the more likely you are to make a profit. Ideally, you would need to stick to the best casino bonuses that come with fair requirements. Reasonable wagering requirements mean that the bonus doesn’t force you to keep on playing in order to withdraw your winnings.
2. Wagering contributions
This rule is also very important as not every game has the same wagering contributions. Most bonuses are meant for slot games and this is why slots usually contribute for a full 100%. Games like Roulette and Blackjack generally contribute a lot less to the wagering requirement and there can be a difference between online table games and live table games. Something important to note here is that not all slot games are valid for the bonus, but that most casinos work with a selection of slots that can be played with bonus money.
3. Stick to the max bet per spin
If you’re in a winning mood you might consider raising your stake, but in case you do, you will need to check whether you’re not breaching the rules. Most bonuses work with a maximum bet per spin which is done to avoid players walking away with extraordinary big wins. Every bonus will state a maximum bet per spin and make sure you always stick to this maximum amount.
4. Finish your credits
It is very important as well to finish all your credits before you play with bonus money. Make sure your credit is as low as 0 before you claim a bonus. This basically means that it’ll need to be 00,00 CAD as most bonuses require you to play with your own money first before wagering any money that is part of a welcome bonus or other deposit bonus. Not doing so will get you into problems when you’re ready to withdraw your winnings.
5. Big win? Drop your bonus
If you have won a nice amount and you want to withdraw the money immediately, you might be able to do so if you drop your bonus. This will also mean your bonus credits won’t be valid anymore, but most people wouldn’t worry too much about this as they’ve just made a big win. Please note that you’ll need to request this by contacting the customer support desk of the casino you’re wanting to join and that it should be stated in the terms and conditions whether this is possible or not, as not all casinos accept this. You can always go ahead and ask the casino and see whether this approach works for you.