The best real-money casinos lure players with attractive new player packages and keep the good times rolling with recurrent promotions and deep player loyalty programs.
Here’s a quick overview of the promotions you should expect to find:
Contents
Welcome bonuses
Welcome bonuses are a catch-all for any bonus offered to new players. Unless you’re a VIP, these are probably the most high-value bonuses you’ll receive from the casino.
New player bonuses come in several different flavors. They may be no deposit bonuses, first deposit matches, free spins bonuses, lossback offers, or a combination of the above.
You’ll generally want to max out these offers, as they can be serious bankroll builders.
No deposit bonuses
As the name implies, a no-deposit bonus is a bonus you receive from the casino without depositing funds. Think of it like casino free play.
Some casinos only offer free play to new players, but the best operators regularly award it to loyal customers.
Like most other bonuses, no deposit bonuses are subject to a wagering requirement, but it’s usually fairly low. 1x is the most common threshold. These bonuses will expire if you don’t use them, so check the terms for an expiration date and plan accordingly.
Deposit match bonuses
A deposit match is still the most common bonus offered to new players. You can identify them by their unique format: XXX% match up to $XXX.
For instance, if a casino awards a 100% first deposit match up to $1,000, then players who deposit $100 will get a $100 bonus, players who deposit $500 receive a $500 bonus, and so forth. However, if you deposit $2,000, you’ll still only get a $1,000 bonus because that’s the cap.
All deposit match bonuses have wagering requirements, ranging from very good (10x or less) to poor (more than 30x). The lower, the better.
Different game formats contribute differently to the turnover. Slots usually contribute 100%, but some high-RTP options may not contribute at all. Live Casinos, digital table games, and video poker usually contribute at reduced rates or 0%.
Casinos may offer deposit match bonuses to returning players, but they’re usually smaller, like 50% match up to $50.
Lossback (insurance) bonuses
Lossback offers are surging in popularity. Think of them as a second lease on life.
The casino will track your net losses for some time, usually 24 hours, and you’ll get a portion refunded as cash or casino credits. Cash is better, although the credits usually only have a 1x playthrough requirement.
For example, a 50% lossback up to a $50 bonus offer will award a $25 bonus to a player who ends the promotional period with a $50 net loss.
Insurance bonuses show up in new player packages and recurring promotional schedules.
Free spins
It’s not uncommon to find free spins packaged with welcome bundles or as standalone promotions.
The premise is simple. The casino awards free spins to be played on specific games, usually set to a low denomination. Winnings are allocated as cash or casino credits with a modest playthrough.
Free spins will expire, so make sure to check the terms.
Bet & Get
Bet & Get is a relatively new promotional format tailored more toward casual and budget-conscious players.
Players who wager a small amount, usually $5 or $10, will receive a larger casino bonus, usually between $25 and $100. This bonus only has a 1x playthrough, making it relatively painless to withdraw.
The high return on investment of Bet & Gets is attractive, yet the ceiling on these bonuses is low compared to deposit matches.
Leaderboards
Leaderboards are among the most common recurring promotions. Players earn points by fulfilling criteria set by the casino, and if they obtain a high-ranking position, they win a bonus. The top finisher usually gets a significant four- or five-figure prize.
The problem with leaderboards is that they heavily favor hardcore players. This is because points are usually correlated to wagers. Some casinos level the playing field by limiting how many points you can earn each day.
Game of the week
Some casinos spotlight their new or most popular games through a Game of the Week promo. Players who place enough real money wagers on these games will receive small bonuses with modest playthrough requirements.
Refer a friend
Don’t sit on referral promotions, they’re among the most rewarding promos outside welcome packages.
Players who give their unique referral link to friends will receive a meaty bonus, so long as the referred person meets some basic requirements, like creating an account and making an initial deposit.
Some online casinos award bonuses to both the referral and the referred.
Loyalty rewards
Once you’ve worn out your welcome bonuses, loyalty programs will be the best way to earn kickbacks.
For each wager you make, the casino will award you a certain number of points, which will be applied toward your loyalty status and may even be redeemable for bonuses and other prizes.
The higher you climb the ranks, the more amenities you’ll unlock, ranging from exclusive promos to expedited withdrawals, personal VIP hosts, special gifts, point multipliers, and much more.
It’s worth noting that casino loyalty programs vary widely in quality. Some only support monthly programs with minimal rewards, whereas others are akin to annual retail programs, showering their VIPs with unique benefits.
If you frequent land-based casinos, consider joining an online casino that lets you apply online points to your retail status. Good choices are BetMGM and Caesars Palace Online, which have fully integrated loyalty programs.
Real money casino games available
Online casinos have soared past their original goal of creating a gaming experience that parallels land-based casino floors. Modern apps have more games than the Bellagio, including slots, a diverse selection of table games, Live Casino, video poker, and other formats that can only be found online.
Slots
Slots dominate online casino libraries, comprising about 90% of their portfolio.
Formats range from old-school steppers to video slots, Megaways, jackpot slots, and progressives. Many modern slots feature bonus buys, where players can pay to bypass the base game and get straight to the good stuff.
Online casino slots are provided by dozens of high-profile game manufacturers, including NetEnt, IGT, Konami, Everi, High 5, Konami, Aristocrat, White Hat Gaming, and Relax.
The best real-money online casinos feature a healthy mix of casino floor classics like 88 Fortunes and Cleopatra alongside online-only games like Divine Fortune. You’ll find that online slots have higher RTPs and a larger range of bet spreads than similar live games.
Most casino apps support linked progressive jackpots with prizes soaring into the six- and seven-figure range and smaller Must Drop By jackpots that hit more frequently.
Some casino apps have taken progressives to the next level. For instance, DraftKings Casino players can turn nearly every slot into a progressive via an opt-in fee.
Blackjack
Blackjack is by far the most common online casino table game. You’ll find dozens of single-deck, double-deck, and shoe games with extremely favorable player odds.
It’s much easier to find rules like surrender, 3:2 payouts on naturals, and dealer stands on 17 online than live.
Online casinos offer dozens of variants, some of which only exist in virtual space. They include 777 Blazing Blackjack, Blackjack Xchange, Match the Dealer, Four 20s Blackjack, and more.
All this, and most Blackjack games, have side-betting options. However, stick with the main game to retain a 99.5% or higher RTP.
Roulette
Due to its simplicity and relatively good odds, roulette has grown to become one of the most popular online casino games.
Whereas live players may have to fork over $10 – $15 a round for the “luxury” of playing American Roulette, the best real-money online casinos offer single-zero variations like European and French Roulette, with minimum bet sizes of $1 or less. You also don’t have to jump over other players trying to get a bet down.
Lately, online casinos have begun offering interesting new twists on roulette, like Double Bonus Spin Roulette, 100/1 Roulette, and Double Ball Roulette.
Baccarat
Baccarat is another land-based casino staple that has also grown popular online. Players enjoy its simplicity and excellent odds, with Banker bets returning nearly 99%.
Most online casinos only offer a few Baccarat games that typically follow traditional Punto Banco (commission-based) rulesets. However, online baccarat can be played at considerably lower stakes online compared to live.
Other table games
In recent years, online casinos have broadened their table games lobbies to include Craps and a variety of so-called “Carnival Games.” Expect to find at least some of the following at your favorite hotspot:
- Three Card Poker
- Four Card Poker
- Caribbean Stud
- Pai Gow Power
- Casino Hold’em Poker
- Spanish 21
- War
- 3 Card Stud
- Mississippi Stud
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em
All of these titles offer favorable rules and low minimum bets, typically starting around $1.
Live Casino
Live Casino games combine the comforts and convenience of online gambling with the social feel and pace of a live casino floor. Real dealers use physical devices like cards, dice, and wheels to determine outcomes, but all betting is handled digitally, and games are live-streamed to your preferred playing device.
From humble roots, Live Casinos now encompass more games than land-based casino floors. Old staples like Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, Craps, and poker games sit alongside online-only game shows and innovative variations of traditional games.
The main knock against Live Dealer games is that the rules are less player-friendly than their digital counterparts. That, and the minimum bets for seated Blackjack games are up considerably.
Video Poker
Video poker isn’t the highlight of most online casino lobbies. Yet, the best apps provide a decent array of single-line and multi-line games across numerous variants, such as Jacks or Better, Double Double Bonus Poker, Deuces Wild, Bonus Poker Deluxe, and Joker Poker.
The format has evolved slowly, with apps only recently adding Multi-Rise, Ultimate X, and Progressive Jackpot Video Poker. Yet, online casinos are more prone to offer wider denominations and full-pay tables than land-based casinos.
Other gaming formats
Real money online casinos have adopted a few niche formats over the years, including:
- Slingo: A hybrid slot and bingo game where players who complete lines unlock prizes and mini-games. Slingo games are often cross-branded with popular slot titles like Sweet Bonanza, Starburst, and Deal or No Deal.
- Arcade: Simplistic formats like Plinko, Mines, and Crash have taken the sweepstakes casino world by storm and are starting to find homes on online casino sites.
- LuckyTap: These games are similar to online lottery scratchers. They’re quick, cheap, and offer instant gratification.
- Virtual Sports: With the rise of regulated online sports betting, virtual sports have mostly fallen out of favor, but a few sites still support them. Players bet on the outcome of a digitally realized sporting contest, like a soccer match or a motorcycle race.
Conclusion
Before registering for a real money online casino, think about your goals. If it’s just to have fun, consider casinos with vast game libraries loaded with your favorite titles.
Regardless, do your homework first. The recommended casinos on this page are a good starting point, and by claiming their sign-up bonuses, you’ll receive a healthy bankroll boost.
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