US Casino Bonuses Cheat Sheet: Find The Best Casino Bonuses Faster
| Award | Where to Play |
|---|---|
| Borgata Casino NJ | |
| Borgata Casino NJ | |
| FanDuel Casino USA | |
| BetRivers Casino USA | |
| betPARX Casino USA | |
| BetRivers Casino USA |
How Do Casino Bonuses Work?
Casino bonuses are one of the top marketing tools an online casino has. Bonuses are essentially a reward the casino gives players to keep them interested in playing. They can be tied to a deposit or a no deposit bonus that offers something for free, like free spins, cashback, a deposit boost, or loyalty points.
Casino bonuses are used to:
- Welcome new players and encourage them to sign up and make the first deposit,
- Incentivize additional deposits,
- Encourage players to log in and make regular contact with the casino,
- Ensure that players are having fun and feel valued,
- Tempt members to participate in competitions or a limited-time deal,
- Ensure player retention and loyalty.
Welcome Bonuses: What Type of Casino Bonuses Can You Claim as a New Player
Each casino bonus works differently and is offered at a different point. However, the first bonus every online player can claim is a welcome bonus. Welcome bonuses are designed to tempt you to play at one site over the competitors, so it’s always the biggest and most generous offer.
A welcome bonus can be linked to a deposit or be an online casino bonus no deposit bonus, which is free (one of the main differences with these types of US online casino bonuses is that deposit deals are much larger). Let’s start with deposit deals.
Matched Deposit Welcome Bonus: Double Your Money
The most common type of US welcome bonus is a match deposit offer. With this deal, the online casino matches the first deposit, usually doubling a player’s money. The match amount is expressed as a percentage (100%, 150%, 200%) and is generally capped at an upper limit ($500, $1000, $2000).
For example, Golden Nugget Casino offers a 100% match bonus of up to $1,000 + 200 free spins. Whatever you deposit, the casino will match dollar for dollar, up to $1000. Golden Nugget makes the offer even more attractive by adding 200 free spins! This means new players have more chances to explore the game lobby and earn extra prizes.
Is a Matched Deposit Bonus Best for You?
- A matched deposit bonus can work for every type of player, but it always comes with wagering requirements and other terms, which you need to make sure you can complete.
- The higher the wagering requirement, the harder it is to meet the bonus’s terms and conditions and qualify to withdraw any winnings you make. You should always look for match deposit casino bonuses with the lowest wagering requirements.
- Match deposit online casino bonuses with higher wagering requirements (over 15x) are only suited to high rollers.
- You can find matched deposit bonuses with 1-5x requirements (see the wagering requirements section below)
- Matched deposit bonuses are the best way to boost your bankroll as a new player.
No Deposit Welcome Bonus: Play for Free with a No Deposit Promo
Players who want to join a casino but are not ready to deposit, should claim a no deposit welcome bonus. The best online casino welcome bonus no deposit offers players $10-50 for free when they register. That’s right; it’s a completely free bonus!
Unlike the matched deposit deal, not all online casinos offer a no deposit deal. Here are our top-rated online casinos with no deposit bonus deals. To join a site and get the bonus, click “Take Me There.”
Should You Take a No Deposit Casino Bonus?
No deposit bonuses are perfect for new players because they allow you to test drive a casino without risk or financial commitment. Wagering requirements are usually attached to this deal but only come into force if you want to withdraw. Often, wagering requirements on no deposit bonuses are very low, making it easy for players to meet the conditions.
Cashback or “Risk-free” Welcome Bonuses
The final form of online casino welcome bonus is the cashback offer (sometimes called risk-free, although this terminology has been called into question, as players still bet and, therefore, risk money). A cashback welcome bonus requires players to deposit, but the casino guarantees to refund any net losses made within a certain period, usually 24 hours to 7 days.
For example, you deposit and take a cashback welcome bonus that guarantees your losses up to $500 for 24 hours, meaning any net losses you make will be refunded after your first day of play. This type of deal usually comes without or with very low wagering requirements. The only thing to note is that it applies to net losses, so the total losses when you wins are subtracted.
Casino Bonuses for Existing Players
Once the casino has a direct line to you and has secured your sign-up, they’ll start working to gain your loyalty. This means ensuring that their casino platform is where you want to spend your hard-earned money. How do they do this? With ongoing bonuses, like tournaments, free spins, reload deals, and loyalty schemes that reward every deposit you make!
Collect Reward Points with Loyalty Programs: Top 5 Bonus Casinos
As every US online casino must partner with a land-based casino, many offer integrated rewards clubs with points collection available across land-based and online casinos. Joining a casino loyalty club is a great way to boost the perks of playing and earn more rewards.
Stake.us
- Active player community
- Daily challenges, tournaments and prize giveaways
Wow Vegas
- Daily login bonuses and loyalty club
- Prize redemption available
Pulsz Casino
- Big prize giveways
- Simple and clear site design
Gambino Slots
- Join the world's most popular sweepstake casino
- Spin through the level-up lobby
Online casino loyalty clubs work just like any other rewards system. Every time you spend or play, you collect points; when you reach a certain number, you can exchange them for gifts, discounts, free spins, casino credits, hotel vouchers, and more.
Assessing the potential worth of a loyalty program means looking at the following:
- How can you collect and spend your points (is this the most beneficial option for the businesses you use?)
- What is the conversion rate of earning points?
- What is the conversion rate of spending the points?
- Does the loyalty scheme offer VIP levels?
Casual players often ignore loyalty programs because collecting points feels like a slow way to provide a reward. This is a mistake because US casino loyalty clubs offer members free monthly perks and bonuses. Plus, the points can add up quicker than you expect.
If you’re not a member of a loyalty scheme at a US casino, you’re missing out on the many ways you could earn online points and score discounts at different shops, entertainment businesses, and, of course, the casino!
US Online Casino Loyalty Clubs Ranked
Cash in on Casino Reload Bonuses
Stake.us
- Active player community
- Daily challenges, tournaments and prize giveaways
Wow Vegas
- Daily login bonuses and loyalty club
- Prize redemption available
Pulsz Casino
- Big prize giveways
- Simple and clear site design
Another way of sealing the deal and securing player loyalty is to offer reload bonuses. These work just like the match deposit welcome bonus, but offer a lower percentage match, usually between 10 and 50%.
For example, a site encouraging players to deposit and play across the weekend may offer a 25% reload match on any deposits made on Friday. If you deposit $100, you’ll earn an extra $25 on the house – a deal worth depositing for!
Reload bonuses can come with or without wagering requirements – this depends on the casino giving the deal. Like the welcome bonus, the suitability of the bonus (if a wagering requirement is attached) depends on your budget and whether you can meet the conditions.
Pick Up Extra Prizes with Free Spins
Free Spins are often given as an on-the-spot promo either because a player has spent a certain amount on a slot game, to celebrate the release of a new slot, or at a particular time of year. They can also be given as personalized deals to players who have had bad luck and need some extra encouragement to sign in and play again.
To gain and claim free spins, keep an eye on your casino inbox or the promotions page at your chosen casino for the latest deals. Online casino free spins usually have friendly terms and conditions but come with a preset bet level and may only be given on specified games – read the bonus rules in full!
| Casino | Bonus | Free Spins | Wagering | Deadline | Secure Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stake.us | - | - | - | - | www.stake.us |
| Wow Vegas | $5.000 | - | - | - | www.wowvegas.com |
| Fortune Coins | - | - | - | - | fortunecoins.com |
| McLuck | - | - | - | - | www.mcluck.com |
| Pulsz Casino | $2.3 | - | - | - | pulsz.com |
| Betrivers.net | - | - | - | - | betrivers.net |
| Gambino Slots | $100000 | 200 | - | - | gambinoslot.com |
Take on a Challenge with Tournaments
Tournaments call out competitive players and offer substantial prize pots to those who manage to win by topping the leaderboards. Usually, they run on slot machines; players buy-in (or are granted free entry as a bonus) and are given a certain amount of spins or credit to spend.
During the tournament’s set time limit, players collect points instead of scoring payouts on winning spins, which are used for rankings. The winners are those who top the charts, and the prize pot is divided between them!
Only specific sites run tournaments, but when available, they are a fantastic way to take casino gaming to the next level! They tend to suit all slot players, but this may depend on the buy-in system offered (be sure to read the competition terms and conditions before opting in!).
Cashback Casino Bonuses That Mean You’re Never Losing!
Gambling online is about maximizing winnings, and ongoing cashback deals can grant players a second chance to do this. Cashback bonuses offer to refund either a percentage of deposits or losses at the casino and generally come with looser conditions, so you can spend the refunded credits as you wish!
This type of deal is rarer at online casinos, but it is possible to find (more often, they are linked to loyalty rewards and VIP clubs as a reward). This casino bonus usually awards 10-30% cashback as an ongoing offer.
Referral Bonuses
Referral bonuses are offered at many US online casinos, and they are a reward you get if your friends join the casino using your referral code. Usually, the site will give you $50-100 for each friend that signs up and deposits.
Casino Bonus Terms and Conditions: What You Need to Know Before You Play
We’ve mentioned the term wagering requirement a few times on this page. Still, we haven’t explained this or the other terms and conditions commonly associated with online casino bonuses – let’s take a look.
Wagering Requirements
Wagering requirements are infamous and used at online casinos worldwide. They prevent players from taking a bonus and immediately withdrawing it by specifying that the credits must first be wagered a number of times. A wagering requirement is expressed as a multiple (1x, 5x,10x,30x): this is the amount you must multiply your bonus amount by and playthrough before you can withdraw any funds associated with the bonus.
For example, a casino gives a 100% match deal. You deposit $100 and get $100 for free. The casino states that wagering requirements of x5 are applied only to the bonus money. If you wager with the $100 bonus fund and hit the jackpot or sizable win (and want to withdraw), you must deposit and playthrough $500 ($100 bonus x 5= $500) before you can withdraw.
Sites apply wagering requirements in different ways, affecting a bonus’s value. They may opt for 1x wager requirements (like BetRivers and Fanduel Casinos) or higher at x30. They may also state that the wagering requirements apply only to the bonus funds or the bonus + deposit funds.
| Casino | Total Bonus | Wagering | Deadline | Secure Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stake.us | - | 0x | - | www.stake.us |
| Wow Vegas | $5.000 | 0x | - | www.wowvegas.com |
| Fortune Coins | - | 0x | - | fortunecoins.com |
| McLuck | - | 0x | - | www.mcluck.com |
| Pulsz Casino | $2.3 | 0x | - | pulsz.com |
| Betrivers.net | - | 0x | - | betrivers.net |
| Gambino Slots | $100000 | 0x | - | gambinoslot.com |
GCP
GCP stands for Game Contribution Percentage, and it is in direct reference to the wagering requirement. Within the terms attached to a bonus, it may state that different casino games contribute differently towards the wager requirements (which will again change the worth and usability of the bonus).
Usually, slots contribute 100% (meaning that for every buck spent, one dollar is equally debited from the wagering requirement total); table games for 50-25%; and Video Poker 25% (only 25c from each dollar spent contributed towards the requirement, and you’ll have to playthrough 4x the amount to cash out). The GCP changes at every online casino, so use our reviews to compare sites.
Time Limits
Casinos always give a time limit (usually 30 days) within which the bonus must be used, the requirements must be met, or the bonus funds are forfeited.
Max Bet Rules
A casino bonus may also include a maximum bet rule. This is the most players can bet per spin or round when using the bonus. If you go over the maximum bet, you’ll forfeit the bonus.
Maximum Winnings
Bonuses may or may not include a max win rule. This is the maximum amount players can win by playing with a bonus.
Qualifying Deposits
If you need to deposit to claim a bonus, you must make a qualifying deposit using an accepted payment method (some bonuses list specific payment methods that must be used and exclude others).
Picking the Best Casino Offers
When picking the best online casino bonuses, you need to have a good idea of your budget, the type of detail that interests you, and an understanding of how the most common T&Cs attached to them can alter their use and worth.
For example, a 100% matched deposit deal with a 2x wagering requirement and a 30-day time limit is much more user-friendly to those on a limited gaming budget than a deal that offers the same match (so an equal amount of free money) but a 15x wagering requirements and 7-day time limit.
Casino Cabbie’s Top Tips for Selecting the Best Casino Promotions
- Start by deciding whether you want to make a deposit. If the answer is no, play at a no deposit casino.
- If you want to make a deposit and cash in on a match deal, then decide on a budget and consider what level of wagering requirements you are happy with. Then, pick the deal that best fits your specifications from the list of best online casinos on this page.
- Looking for ongoing bonuses? Compare our top-scoring casinos to see what each offers, and read the full review for an in-depth guide to the ongoing deals at each site.
- If you plan to join a site with a loyalty club, ensure it is one you will engage with (i.e., a casino you are likely to visit or a program that has partnered with other online shops and services). This way, you can maximize the rewards and chances to collect points.
- Always understand the terms and conditions and calculate the wagering requirement before opting for any online casino bonus.
How to Claim a Bonus: Bonus Codes vs. Opting in
Online casinos list all their bonuses on their promos page. There, players can read the rules for each deal and find out how to claim the bonus. Some gambling sites use exclusive bonus codes, which give access to special rewards that are only open to players with the code. However, in most cases, you can select a bonus from the promos page and click the “opt-in” button to claim it.
New players:
- Pick a casino bonus from those advertised in our toplist
- Click “Take Me There” to automatically get the best bonus
- Complete the registration form with your name, address, and social security number
- Log in to your new casino account
- Click cashier on the main menu
- Make your first deposit, and your new player sign-up bonus will arrive
- Start playing!
- Pro-tip for getting better bonuses: sign up for the casino’s marketing emails and follow them on social media; this way, you’ll get updated on any new bonuses and exclusive bonus codes.
Casino Bonus FAQs
How do I claim a casino bonus?
First, pick one of our top-rated online casinos and click “Take Me There.” Then complete the registration form and deposit to claim your welcome deal. The operator may ask you to opt-in to a bonus or use a bonus code (if you want more details, before you sign up, read our complete casino review).
What is a casino bonus code?
Some sites require a bonus or promo code to claim an offer. If so, you can find the bonus code in our casino review. If no bonus code is given, it’s not required.
How can I find out the top bonus casinos in my state?
At Casino Cabbie, we cover the best bonuses and casinos in each US state where gambling is legal. To learn more about the gambling sites in your location, check out our dedicated state pages.
What is the minimum deposit on a casino bonus?
Every bonus that requires a deposit will state the minimum deposit amount. This is usually between $10-20.
Can I use any payment method to claim a bonus?
Most casinos accept any payment method to claim a bonus. If a payment method is restricted, it will be stated in the bonus terms and conditions and our reviews. This is one of many reasons you should always read the T&Cs before taking a casino bonus.
Are bigger casino bonuses always better?
Not always. It depends on your budget and the terms and conditions set by the casino. This is because wagering requirements can change the usability of a bonus and dictate that you must spend a certain amount before any winnings made with a bonus can be withdrawn. Generally, casino bonuses with low wagering requirements are the best offers.
Why do online casinos in the US use wager requirements?
It’s not just US-facing sites that use wagering requirements; they are used by casinos worldwide. Wagering requirements ensure players do not sign up, double their money, and cash out without spending a cent.
Are lower wagering requirements always good?
Yes! Lower wagering requirements signify a fair casino: a site confident in its games, deals, and services. For this reason, some sites, like BetRivers and FanDuel, provide 1x wagering requirements.
What is the best casino welcome bonus?
If you want to play for a short time, test the casino, and not a deposit, a no deposit deal is the best new-player welcome deal. If you’d rather double your money, then cash in on a matched deposit deal, but take note of the terms and conditions attached.
How soon can I make a withdrawal after claiming a bonus?
Once you have completed the terms and conditions associated with the bonus, you can request a withdrawal. If unsure, contact the casino care team. Requesting a withdrawal too early may result in losing a bonus.
What should I do if my bonus doesn’t arrive?
If you opt into a casino bonus and the reward is not credited to your account, you should contact the support team at the site you are using.
Which casino has the best bonuses?
BetMGM Casino USA and BetRivers Casino USA have the best bonuses for a range of ongoing players.
What casino is paying the most right now?
Casino payouts change regularly. For the current details of the highest-paying online casinos in the US, check out our top RTP casinos list.
What is the best free spin casino bonus?
This depends on which state you’re playing from. Scroll up to our free spins section above, and you’ll see a list of the sites with free spins available in your location.