Bonus Offers as a Marketing Strategy at Online Casinos

Whether you gamble regularly or have just heard, or read, about casinos, you have probably come across the phenomenon of bonuses. Today, most UK online casinos offer such awards to their players, but the design of them varies from casino to casino. Some grant them purely as welcome offers, while others offer them as a way of rewarding their loyal customers.

Ultimately, however, all types of bonuses are a way for gambling operators to promote their products and services in order to attract new customers and retain existing ones.

Bonuses Are Key to Staying Ahead of the Competition

As mentioned, there are a variety of bonuses available in the UK and the international gambling industry today. What they all have in common, however, is that in one way or another they give gamblers a little extra to gamble for – whether it is a $1 deposit bonus or 100 Free Spins.

And the reason they offer these great bonuses is simply because competition in the industry is high and constant, as online casinos and sportsbooks are constantly being established. In order to survive, bonuses are an inevitable marketing ploy.

What Are the Various Casino Bonuses?

Since the advent of the internet, online casinos have seen the opportunity to reward customers for either signing up with them or for being loyal customers, or both. When they realized how players flocked to free offers, bonus distribution became a strategy that the vast majority of online operators began to use. But if all casinos offered similar bonuses, no single casino would stand out. Hence the variety of bonuses on offer.

Deposit Bonus

The most common bonus at casinos today is the deposit bonus. As the name suggests, players must make a deposit before they can claim the bonus. The offers vary, but the most common is that the player’s deposit is matched by a certain percentage, or that the player receives a certain number of free spins after the deposit is made.

A deposit bonus is usually given to the player as a welcome bonus when they register on the platform and make their first deposit. Such a bonus is a great offer for players who want to test the waters and find a casino that matches their wants and needs.

Reload Bonus

Some casinos choose to reward their loyal players with a reload bonus, which you can qualify for as long as you have made a deposit at the casino. However, a reload bonus is usually not as generous as welcome bonuses, but it can still be a nice addition to your gambling experience.

Cashback Bonus

Last but not least are the so-called cashback bonuses, which are a relatively new addition to the bonus collection online. With such an offer, you will get back part of your losses, depending on the percentage that the casino has set in its terms and conditions. Some casinos offer these bonuses daily, while they are rarities that you only can claim once a month at some.

What Is in It for the Casino?

As a player, there are many benefits to claiming a bonus at a casino, as you can potentially get more money to gamble with, while also having the opportunity to try out different casinos for less of your own cash. But how do casinos profit from these generous offers, besides attracting new customers? Well, they do so by the terms and conditions, which is why it is important to always read the fine print before making a deposit.

Something that all players should be wary of is the so-called wagering requirements that the vast majority of bonuses come with. Although wagering requirements exist mainly to prevent illegal bonus hunting, they are also a way for online operators to ensure that players invest in them and bring them profit.

In short, wagering requirements mean that players must wager for a certain amount before they can convert their bonus money into real cash. The higher the wagering requirement, the more difficult for the player and the more the casino can potentially profit from the bonus.

Summary

As the UK and global gambling industry continues to grow, existing operators are being forced to do what they can to maintain their position. Bonuses have thus become a tool for most to attract new customers, as people seem to love anything that is free.

As well as being used as a marketing strategy, many casinos actually profit from the offers as conditions such as wagering requirements apply. This means that players have a wide range of bonuses to choose from, but also that they have to make sure that they win rather than lose by claiming such offers.