The world of online gaming is now more popular than ever before. This observation is particularly true when referring to virtual casinos. Not only are such platforms a great deal of fun, but they always have the potential to award handsome bonuses to lucky players who know what to look for. However, making the transition from the physical world into the realm of online casinos can be a bit confusing. Many are not entirely certain how an online poker bonus functions. Are such rewards truly that different from their real-world counterparts? The answers to this question could surprise you.

How Does an Online Casino Bonus Work?

Before we look at the similarities and differences between casino rewards and virtual gaming bonuses, it is important to appreciate their basic principle. Any provider wishes to attract as much business as possible. One of the best ways to accomplish this understandable need is to provide players with lucrative bonuses when they first sign up or join a room. But signing up will not make the casino any money so there has to be an incentive for the player to make a deposit, this is where the deposit bonus comes in.

This bonus essentially provides a new member with a certain amount of money that can be used towards specific games. These are two general ways in which a matched deposit bonus can be formatted:

• The company agrees to match the deposit by up to a certain amount (often referred to as a 100 per cent matched deposit bonus).
• A percentage of the total deposit is awarded within limits.

In the first case, let’s assume that the player makes a first-time deposit of £300 pounds. He or she will be presented with an equal bonus of £300 pounds. The second example employs the use of percentages. Assuming that the player deposits the same £300 pounds, the provider might offer a reward of 50 per cent of the total amount (in this case, £150 pounds). Both of these concepts are simple in principle and yet, there are still a few differences between physical casino rewards and the typical online casino bonus.

Casino Poker Bonuses Versus an Online Poker Bonus

When joining a physical casino, a points system is often employed. This is meant to accommodate for the different types of games available as well as the sizes of bets that a player will make during the competition itself. This is rather straightforward and yet, such a system does not prove itself to be adequate when looking at the world of the online casino.

When online casinos were first introduced to the public, this very same points system was used. However, members soon found ways to exploit this strategy. They would open up numerous accounts under different names; exploiting the bonus structure itself and causing the online casino to lose a significant amount of money over time. This needed to be rectified.

The solution to this problem came in the form of unique wagering and play-through requirements. Members are essentially required to play a certain number of games (hence the term “play through”) before the bonus will be rewarded. Until this threshold is reached, the additional funds will remain dormant within one’s account. Let us look at a typical example.

A player signs up with a specific online casino and he or she receives an online poker bonus worth 50 per cent of an initial deposit of up to £1,000 pounds. Theoretically, this signifies that he or she has the ability to access a total of £1,500 pounds worth of credits (and any associated winnings). However, it will first be necessary to place a portion of these funds into high-stakes matches and the rules stipulate that they play a minimum of 20 games before the reward can be accessed. This practice as well as other variants have become commonplace in the world of online casinos.

Is an Online Casino Bonus Worth It?

The types of bonuses as well as the exact terms and conditions will naturally vary between each provider. However, the principle is nonetheless the same. Players are encouraged to join a specific site in order to reap the associated rewards within a relatively short period of time. In this respect, online bonuses and physical casino promotions are really not that much different.

In order to make an informed choice, it is wise to read through all details in advance as well as the wagering requirements that must be met. Such bonuses are great ways to tap into a winning strategy.