Online Poker Bonus?
Can anyone explain how the $ Bonuses work when you sign up for an Online Casino? I noticed that some Online Casinos offer a $100 sign up bonus. Is it free money?
Navigating the complexities of online casino bonuses can be difficult. I’ve explained the general aspects of online casino bonuses below, but be sure to read the Terms and Conditions of the casino that you decide to play at for the specifics of their bonus.
1) Amount of the bonus: When you download, install, register, and then make a deposit at an online casino, the casino will usually give you a bonus on top of your first deposit. The bonus amount is expressed as a percentage of your first deposit, up to some maximum amount. For example, as of this writing, Casino Grand Bay ( http://www.referspot.com/showadtext.asp?g=0&b=1456&w=1649&s=b ) offers a 100% first deposit bonus, up to a maximum of $250.
2) Playthough requirements: First deposit bonuses come with a playthrough requirement (also called a wagering requirement). What this means is that you are required to place wagers equalling the playthrough requirement before you can make a withdrawal. The playthrough requirement can be expressed in any number of ways, but is generally expressed as a multiple of your initial deposit. At Casino Grand Bay, the playthrough requirement is 30X your initial deposit. Therefore, if you make a $100 deposit, you would get a $100 bonus subjected to a $3000 playthrough requirement.
3) Game restrictions: Not all wagers placed at all games count equally toward meeting your playthrough requirement. In general, wagers placed at slot machines count 100% toward meeting the wagering requirement, with wagers placed at roulette, blackjack, table pokers, and video pokers counting much less toward meeting your playthrough requirement. As of this writing, the percentages at Casino Grand Bay are as follows:
(a) Slots, American Roulette and Parlor Games count 100%
(b) Table Poker, all Roulettes excluding American Roulette, Casino War and Sicbo count 5%
(c) Video Poker, all Blackjacks except Classic Blackjack, Craps and Baccarat count 5%
(d) Classic Blackjack counts 2%
Some online casinos actually bar you from playing certain games until you have met your playthrough requirement. Other casinos declare your deposit null and void if you play a restricted game!
4) Withdrawal restrictions: Once you have met your playthrough requirement, you may or may not be able to withdraw all of the money in your account. Some casinos have a minimum amount that you must have in your account before you can make a withdrawal; some casinos place a limit on the amount that you can withdraw. Both are usually expressed as a multiple of your initial deposit. For example, the minimum amount may be 2X your initial deposit, and the maximum amount may be 10X your initial deposit.
Recommendation: Find a casino that offers the games that you want to play at the lowest playthrough requirement and without any withdrawal restrictions. My favorite casinos are those that run Microgaming software… here is a list of Microgaming casinos that offer at least a 100% initial signup bonus: http://robertmedl.com/gamingooglesearch.php?as_idp=100&t=Casino&as_sof=1 . You will need to read the Terms and Conditions at each one to get the details of their initial deposit bonus.
Best of luck!
Robert
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