There are two popular clichés you’ll hear in and around casinos, whether you are exploring The Strip in Las Vegas or surfing the numerous online platforms in cyberspace. One is the house always wins and the other is there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Yet the bonuses on offer, especially online, seem at odds with both of those philosophies.
These days, all sorts of casino bonuses and rewards are there for the taking when you sign up. These might include free spins or bonus money paid into your gambling account. When you’re wagering with the casino’s money, surely there can be only one winner? As you might suspect, things are not quite that simple. However, by following these tips, you have a better chance of coming out a winner – or in other words, of beating the house and savoring that free lunch!
Be clear on the wagering requirement
The bonus will have various conditions attached to it, but the most important is the wagering requirement. This stipulates how many times you must re-bet your winnings before you can cash out. The higher the wagering requirement, the more likely you are to simply burn out the money. If you are comparing bonus offers, don’t just go by the amount of money offered.
For example, one casino might offer a $50 bonus with a 60x wagering requirement, while another offers $20 with a 30x requirement. The first looks great, but with that $50, you’ll need to place $3,000 in wagers before you can cash out. You’ve more chance of seeing some real rewards with the second offer, where you must make $600 in wagers.
Look for a choice of games
Some bonuses can only be used on a specific slot game. That’s not the end of the world, but more choice is better. For one thing, it makes for a more interesting experience, but it can improve your chances of seeing some reward from your bonus, too. The best bonus offers are not restricted to slots, but can also be played on other games like video poker. Grab offers like these with both hands!
Churn your winnings with low variance and small wagers
This point really follows on from the first two. To meet the wagering requirement, you need to make the bonus money last, with frequent small wins. If you have a choice of games, there’s no harm in chancing your arm on a high variance slot like Book of Ra to start with. But if you get lucky with a big win, you then need to shift to a lower variance game to work through the wagering requirement with minimal damage to your winnings. That’s where video poker is a perfect game to play if possible!
Enjoy your free lunch
Casinos offer generous bonuses to get new players through the door. They can afford to do so as most players will burn through them, so in reality, they are giving nothing away. However, they also know that some will beat the odds, and paying out to them is simply seen as a marketing expense. Follow the above tips and you’ll stand a better chance of joining that happy minority.