One of the questions we are often asked here at Online Casino King is “Do I Need to Accept the Bonus when playing at an Online Casino”?
There are so many online casinos out there (that´s one of our aims, to make it easier to find your way through this maze and compare like for like). And the main promotional tool you´ll see is the “FREE MONEY BONUS”. That´s no surprise really, as everyone likes a freebie. But is it really a freebie- and should you bother with the bonus?
Well, the first thing we should just underline, is that you don´t NEED to accept the bonus. It is not obligatory. In fact, in some cases it is better not to take the bonus.
When you are deciding on an online casino offer, don´t use the bonus offer as your only criteria. Make sure you are satisfied that the casino is well run, is licenced, has the games that you want to play, pays out fast and has a good repututation. if you can tick all of these boxes AND get a huge bonus that suits you, all the better, but don´t just make a decision on this one factor.
So should you accept the bonus? Well that depends mostly on the games you will be playing. Most, if not all, bonuses require you to play a certain amount of bets before you cash out any winnings. Check what the terms are before you accept the bonus- it will be called the wagering requirement, or play through requirement or something.
Generally speaking, these average around 25x (in which case you have to bet the bonus 25 times before cashing out). A x10 requirement would be a good one. A x50 would be a poor one. Check it before you accept: we have seen them as low as x4 and as high as x100. On the the reviews at OnlineCasinoKing we always list the bonus amount AND the wagering requirement so that you can quickly compare (correct at time of writing the review, and we try and keep this as accurate as possible if the offer changes).
Also check to see if you have to play through the bonus AND your deposit or just your bonus. Avoid bonuses that make you play though your deposit as well.
Finally, check to see if there are any restrictions on the types of games that you´ll need to play to meet the wagering requirements. Most bonuses only let you play slots (or give you a penalty for playing higher payout games like blackjack). But they might not. Again, read the terms and conditions. Good luck!
