Casino Bonus

What Are Casino Bonuses?

A casino bonus is a reward that you get to use for free. There are three main types of bonuses:

• Bonus Money. This is casino credit that you can spend on any of the casino’s games. It works just like real money except it’s virtual ‘play’ money. You can’t withdraw it, just play games with it. Since it works like real money, you can win real money with it, if you’re lucky enough.
• Free Spins. These are spins that you get to use on pokies for no extra cost. Most free spins promotions give out spins for one pokie only; it’s the casino that decides which pokie is eligible. Sometimes though, you’ll have a choice of multiple pokies to use your spins on. Each spin is worth a set amount of money e.g. 0.10 NZD and winnings are usually capped.
• Cashback. This isn’t as common as bonus money or free spins, but it’s still a worthwhile bonus to claim. The way it works is simple: you spend your own money on games and you get a percentage of your losses back as cashback. 

Promotions that give out bonuses can be grouped into two categories: those that require a deposit and those that don’t. Most online casino bonuses require you to make a deposit. A typical promotion might look something like this:

- Deposit 10 NZD and receive 100 free spins

Once you make a deposit that qualifies (i.e. it meets the requirements), the bonus will be yours. For a deposit to qualify, it has to be a minimum amount (e.g. 10 NZD or greater).

As for no deposit bonuses, there’s no deposit required. To earn this type of bonus, you either have to create an account (if the bonus is for new players) or opt-in (if it’s for current players). No deposit bonuses tend to be smaller than bonuses that require a deposit. However, they can still be worthwhile, especially since you’re earning something without having to deposit money into your casino account. 

Why Do Casinos Give Out Bonuses?

Online casinos are businesses that need to make money. They generate income from having people spend money on games. The more players a casino has and the more money those players spend, the better. 

The online gambling industry is very competitive. There are already loads of online casinos and new ones are launching all the time. For a casino to stand a chance of being successful, it has to stand out from the crowd. One of the best ways to do this is by offering generous bonuses.

Players love claiming bonuses and getting to play for free. Online casino operators are well aware of this. All casinos give out bonuses of some kind but it’s the sites with the best offers that tend to be the most successful. For a casino to attract players, it needs to have a great welcome bonus. For a casino to retain players, it has to have plenty of regular opportunities for players to claim bonuses and other rewards.

In a nutshell, it’s all about encouraging players to sign up and stay loyal to the site. If a player earns bonuses and feels rewarded, they might be less likely to join a rival casino instead. 

Welcome Bonuses

Pretty much every online casino in New Zealand has a welcome bonus. This is a special offer that’s designed to encourage new players to sign up. When a new player creates an account, they’ll qualify for the welcome bonus once they’ve made their very first deposit. 

Most welcome bonuses give players bonus money and/or free spins. A typical welcome offer might look something like this:

- Deposit 10 NZD and receive a 100% match bonus of up to 100 NZD, plus 50 free spins!

With this offer, you receive bonus money equal in value to your first deposit, up to 100 NZD. If your first deposit is 100 NZD, for example, you would earn 100 NZD in bonus money. This would give you a total of 200 NZD to spend. 

When you make a deposit and receive bonus money based on the size of your deposit, it’s called a match bonus. Then on top of this, there would be the 50 free spins. Usually, the number of free spins is fixed. No matter how much money you deposit, you receive the same number of spins. At some casinos, however, you may earn more spins for bigger deposits.

Most casino sign up bonus offers reward players for their first deposit. Some, however, give out bonuses for several deposits after the first. An example of a multi-part welcome bonus online casino offer is given below.

Each set of bonuses requires a qualifying deposit. If you qualify for the first deposit bonuses, this doesn’t automatically mean you’ll earn the next ones. You’ll have to make separate qualifying deposits to receive the second and third deposit bonuses.

We mentioned no deposit bonuses earlier. Some New Zealand casinos give these out to new players as soon as they’ve set up an account. If this is the case, you’ll be able to spend your no deposit bonus before making your first deposit. You can spend the bonus and earn some real money winnings without having to add a cent to your casino account. 

Bonuses for Current Players

New Zealand online casinos have all sorts of bonuses for current players. These are designed to reward players for staying with the casino and to encourage them to keep playing. Below is a summary of the main bonus types.

• Reload Bonus. This is a match bonus where you make a deposit and receive some bonus money. Some casinos have reload bonuses that run weekly or even daily. 
• Free Spins Offer. Many online casinos in New Zealand hand out free spins, especially when they have new pokies to promote. To receive free spins, you usually have to make a deposit.
• Cashback Bonus. Some casinos give players cashback on their losses. The cashback is calculated by adding up a player’s losses over a given period of time.
• Refer-a-Friend Bonus. Quite a few online casinos have refer-a-friend bonuses so they can gain new customers. Have a friend sign up using a special code. When they make their first deposit, you’ll earn some free bonus money.

The line-up of bonus offers varies greatly from one online casino to the next. Some sites have lots of generous promotions for current players, whereas others don’t have as many. If you’re going to join a casino, it should ideally have plenty of bonuses aimed at current players.

Your casino should offer a mix of regular and limited-time bonuses. Below is a summary of how these two bonus types work.

• Regular Bonuses. These are bonuses you can claim on a regular basis. Daily and weekly bonuses are good examples. Some casinos give players a special reward every day; they may also give out bonuses on certain days of the week, every week.
• Limited-Time Bonuses. These are one-off bonuses that can only be claimed during a set period of time. A good example is a promotion that gives out free spins for a brand-new pokie game.

Loyalty Programs

Lots of online casinos in New Zealand have a loyalty program. The purpose of this is simple: to reward players for staying with the casino. A loyalty program typically consists of multiple levels. Players start off at the first one. Whenever they spend real money on games, they earn points. Once they’ve earned enough points, they’ll reach the next level and will earn some rewards. The higher levels unlock bigger and better perks.

Some sites let players exchange their loyalty points for bonus money. As you reach higher levels, the exchange rate improves so you get more bonus money for each loyalty point. There are some casinos that let you cash in your points for other things too: you could earn free spins or even real money.

VIP Clubs

VIP clubs are a step up from loyalty programs. They’re usually invite-only. To receive an invitation, you have to be a very loyal and dedicated member of the casino. This involves visiting the casino and placing real-money bets there regularly. You don’t necessarily have to be a big spender who places bets worth thousands of dollars, though spending lots of money does help.

VIPs have access to a casino’s most exclusive perks, rewards and bonuses. Some of the benefits of becoming a VIP include:

• Access to an account manager
• Higher withdrawal limits
• Exclusive promotions
• VIP-only tournaments
• Invitations to real-life events

If you become a VIP, you’ll have the chance to earn the casino’s biggest and best bonuses. You may even have personalised bonus offers come your way. Personalised offers are based on your gameplay. If you play pokies from a particular provider, for example, a casino might give you free spins to use on your favourite provider’s pokie.

Terms and Conditions

Every online casino bonus NZ comes with terms and conditions. These are the rules everyone has to follow to qualify for the bonus. They also explain how you can spend the bonus and what limits there are.
Before you take part in any online casino promotion, you have to agree to the terms and conditions. You won’t qualify for the reward unless you do this. Some of the main points that come up in terms and conditions for casino bonuses are described below.

• Wagering Requirements. This is one of the main points you’ll see in the terms and conditions. Wagering requirements have to be satisfied before you can cash out your bonus winnings. To do this, you have to play through your bonus or free spins winnings a set number of times. If the requirement is 35x, for example, and your bonus is 10 NZD, you’ll need to wager the value of 350 NZD before being able to withdraw. Some games contribute more to the wagering requirements than others.
• Expiry Date. Every bonus expires after a set amount of time e.g. seven days. Once a bonus has expired, you can’t use it anymore. Most of the time, there’s also a time limit for satisfying the wagering requirements.
• Eligible Games. Most casino bonuses come with a list of eligible games you can spend the bonus on. Many free spins offers, for example, are for one pokie only. 
• Bet Size. When you earn free spins, each one is worth a set amount of money. This could be as little as 0.10 NZD, for example. This is decided by the casino and can’t be changed. With bonus money, there’s more flexibility. Bonus money usually comes with a maximum bet size (e.g. 5 NZD) but you get to choose your bet size, as long as it doesn’t go over the maximum.
• Cap on Winnings. For some online casino bonuses, there’s a cap on how much money you’re allowed to win. This is common in free spins offers. Any winnings you earn above the cap will be forfeited; you won’t be able to claim them afterwards.

Before you claim any online casino bonus, you should read the terms and conditions. By doing this, you’ll be aware of what the rules are and how the bonus can be spent. It’s always best to know what the rules are so you don’t break them. The casino has the right to revoke bonuses if you break the rules, even if you didn’t realise you were doing anything wrong.

The best casino bonus has terms and conditions that are easy to understand and reasonable. The wagering requirements, for example, shouldn’t be too high. If they’re around 35x or lower, that should be good enough. If there’s something in the fine print that you don’t understand, contact the casino’s customer support team. They’ll be able to answer any questions you might have. If something in the terms and conditions doesn’t seem reasonable, you don’t have to claim the bonus. All casino bonuses are optional.  

Summary

Online casino bonuses are great because they let you play for free. With free spins, bonus money and cashback you can try your luck at casino games and maybe even win. All New Zealand online casinos have bonuses waiting to be claimed. 

The first one you’ll come across is the welcome bonus online casino offer or maybe even the no deposit bonus. Then there are the bonuses for existing players, which can include reload bonuses, regular rewards and limited-time offers. 

Bonuses can be worthwhile, but you shouldn’t just claim them straight away. Always check the terms and conditions so you’re aware of what the rules are. Only claim a bonus if you think the terms are reasonable. When you do find some bonuses you like the look of, have fun spending them - hopefully you’ll earn some winnings too!