The Welcome Bonus
The first online casino bonus offered to a new player is usually called a Welcome Bonus. To receive this you need to be a first time player with the online casino and you need to sign up. The sign up process sometimes includes a download and registration where you get a personal identification and password. For a big online casino bonus you must first deposit money into a real account with the online casino. However, it does happen that an online casino gives a bonus also to a player that wants to play for fun without money. This amount is usually small but still adds to the online gaming experience. Some online casinos have put limits on who can receive their bonuses. This is because of fraud and usually a restriction will be put on a country. To cash out your bonus you will have to wager a certain amount of times. This varies from casino to casino.
Tournaments and special prizes
Many online casinos spice up the gaming experience with tournaments. This is where you can measure your online gambling skills against an international crowd. To enter a tournament you must first be a member of the casino. As mentioned above, this is done by registering and creating a player account. You might find free online casino tournaments but they usually don’t offer as attractive prizes as the real money ones. Once you are a member of an online casino you simply need to keep track of when the different tournaments are starting. The prizes can be in form a collected sum of money by the participating players, special hardware or fun trips. You can participate in many online tournaments at once but you need to make sure to know when they start and end and to conduct yourself properly when in this more social setting. The online casino has the right to turn down any player that doesn’t adhere to its regulations or doesn’t behave appropriately.
Loyalty Programs
When you join an online casino you will most likely be signed up immediately to their online casino Loyalty Program. When you start to play you will collect points that can later on be switched to more gaming, cash or prizes. To be eligible for this kind of promotion you just need to sign up. In most online casinos it is all carried out automatically. If you are specifically interested in the online casino points system you need to make sure to know what games will actually reward you points. This way you can better concentrate your efforts and make the most of this feature. Some casinos call their Loyalty Programs VIP Club. Depending on how many points and how much you play you can receive special bonuses and promotions just for you. It is wise to check out the details of the conditions for such programs so that you don’t miss out on your rights.
Debbie Graham – Section Editor 2007-08-28