Understanding Casino Bonuses: A Guide for New and Repeated Players

A casino bonus is a promotion by internet casinos to welcome new players or keep repeating players coming.

They are all varying sizes and shapes, but they do share one thing in common: they give you additional cash to play. This can be by matching the amount of your deposit (like depositing 100 DKK and receiving a 100 DKK bonus), giving you slot machines bonuses, giving you free spins, giving you gift rewards to play, or just giving you an amount of cash to spend however you like.

Because the whole point of a casino bonus is to get you to play at the casino, the bonus will usually be attached with conditions and terms. These might be in the shape of wagering requirements, game prohibitions, and other restrictions. These are worth knowing, so you can read more below this page or in our separate guide to wagering requirements.

Types of Casino Bonuses

As you can see, there are many types of casino bonuses. Below, we will describe some of the most popular ones that you will encounter at Danish online casinos.

Welcome Bonus

A welcome bonus is intended for new players to a casino and is given when opening a player account. The welcome bonus is usually the largest and most desirable one at an online casino.

Welcome bonuses come in many forms and sizes, generally in the form of a deposit bonus, free spins, or a no deposit bonus.

Free Spins Bonus

Free spins bonuses are maybe the most utilized casino bonus on the globe. They give you free spins that can typically be played on one or more defined slot machines.

Others provide free spins with the welcome bonus but also frequently provide them to regular players or under a VIP reward scheme.

Deposit Bonus

The most usual form of casino bonus in Denmark is a deposit bonus (a match bonus). This involves having your deposit doubled by a casino up to an amount. You might, for example, receive a 100% bonus of up to 500 DKK.

No Deposit Bonus

The most common is a no deposit bonus (also known as a free casino bonus, or no deposit bonus). Here, you receive the bonus without having to risk your own money.

Bonuses tend to be smaller in value than deposit bonuses, though with the advantage that you have nothing to lose. However, since the casinos are technically giving away money or free spins for nothing, the no deposit bonuses aren't as prevalent.

Loyalty Bonus

VIP schemes used to be very common in casinos. Players gained points playing and moved up levels. The higher the level, the more rewards and benefits.

This type of loyalty program is less common now, even though the majority of online casinos continue to reward loyal players with bonuses, but just less discreetly—most commonly by means of electronic mail newsletters or text messages.

Reload Bonus

A reload bonus in a casino is a deposit bonus given to players who deposit additional money in their gaming account. It's a bonus for existing players that operates exactly like any normal deposit bonus.

Cashback Bonus

We typically recommend cashback casinos to readers looking for the best value for money. In a cashback bonus, the casino gives back a portion of what you lose on a weekly basis.

With internet casino bonuses, there are many different types to come across. Some of them are clearly more popular than others and are easier to find. You can find all of these bonuses, though, at some internet casino or other.

Terms and Conditions for Casino Bonuses

Whatever casino bonus you choose to gamble with, there will be terms and conditions. These will vary greatly from bonus to bonus and from casino to casino, so it's never a bad idea to read them thoroughly.

As Danish casino bonuses must be brought into line with the terms of the Danish Gambling Act, there is a level of consistency in terms and conditions—especially at the casinos operating on the edge of what is permitted by law in Denmark.

In the following few sections, we'll discuss the most important types of terms and conditions you'll encounter when playing with an online casino bonus. We recommend that you take some time to read them so you'll exactly know what you're getting yourself into when you accept a casino bonus.

Wagering Requirements

"Playthrough requirements" or "wagering requirements" are the total amount of money you must wager before you can withdraw any winnings you have accrued using a bonus.

In Denmark, the maximum allowable betting requirement for casino bonuses is 10 times your deposit and bonus. For example, if you are awarded a 100 DKK deposit bonus on a 100 DKK deposit, you would have to bet as much as 10 x (100 + 100) = 2,000 DKK before requesting a withdrawal.

Games Covered by the Bonus

When you gamble with a casino bonus, you are always to check what games the bonus can be played on and what games contribute towards the wagering requirement.

For free spins, you will most probably be limited to one or more specific slot machines. When there is a wagering requirement, it is typical that certain slots or live casino are excluded from the 10x (deposit + bonus) required.

Minimum Deposit

There is usually a minimum deposit required to be eligible for an online casino bonus. If you don't deposit the minimum, you won't get the bonus.

Maximum Deposit

Sometimes there will be a maximum deposit as well. As an example, on a 100% deposit bonus up to 1,000 DKK, the maximum deposit to receive the bonus is usually 1,000 DKK.

But a few sites allow you to make a deposit over the limit of the bonus. You receive only the bonus up to the limit, yet your whole deposit can be wagered. The wagering requirement is only applicable to the portion of your deposit that receives a bonus.

Maximum Winnings

To ensure bonuses aren't too expensive to casinos, some include a cap on winnings that can be achieved via them. This works by eliminating any winnings gained through a bonus over a certain amount and failing to credit it to your account.