At the same time, the competition between online casinos has intensified, leading gambling operators to adopt various strategies to attract new players.
In Europe, casino bonuses have become a standard practice. Essentially, new players are attracted with free money, deposit bonuses, or free spins. The goal is, of course, to give a good impression and keep the player engaged at the casino for a longer period.
In Europe companies offer more casino bonuses than anywhere else, and European players have warmly embraced them. There is especially high demand for bonuses among players in Northern European countries.
What are casino bonuses?
There are several types of casino bonuses, and new ones are constantly being developed. The common feature of all casino bonuses, however, is to provide players with value to keep them engaged at the casino for longer and encourage them to try out a new casino.
One of the most common casino bonuses is the deposit bonus. In this case, the casino offers additional bonus money on top of the player’s deposit, giving the player more funds to play with. A typical deposit bonus might be, for example, doubling the original deposit.
Another popular casino bonus, especially in Europe, is free spins. In this case, the online casino offers the player free spins on a specific game. Players might receive free spins as a thank you for registering an account or with a deposit.
As a new trend, many online casinos have started offering cash back bonuses. With this type of bonus, a portion of the player’s bets is returned over a certain period.
Why do online casinos offer bonuses?
There is only one straightforward reason for casinos to offer bonuses: to attract new players and keep existing ones satisfied. The idea is the same as with offers or discount codes in online stores.
The European market is home to a vast number of online casinos, and the competition among them is extremely fierce. The basic offerings of casinos, such as games and sports betting, are almost identical across all sites. Therefore, it is challenging to stand out in these areas.
Casino bonuses are one of the few available methods that casinos can use to pop themselves out from competitors and offer something valuable. The bigger and better the bonus, the easier it is to attract new players.
Active and existing players also expect bonuses from their preferred online casinos. If a player has lost a significant amount of money at the casino, it is in the casino’s best interest to keep that player happy by offering bonuses.
Country-specific differences in casino bonuses
Although it can generally be said that casino bonuses enjoy massive popularity in Europe, there are still differences between countries. Some of these differences are due to gambling regulations, while others stem from players’ general habits.
Casino bonuses have historically been particularly popular in Finland. Among Finns, playing casino games is common, and bonuses have been warmly welcomed. There are many so-called bonus hawks in Finland who switch online casinos purely for the bonuses.
Bonuses are also particularly popular in Norway, Estonian casinos, Netherlands, and Germany. In these countries, playing casino games is overall popular, and there are many available online casinos. The more options there are, the more bonuses are offered.
Bonuses are least favored in European countries with their own licensing systems. A good example of this is Sweden, where gambling legislation hardly allows bonuses to be granted. Casinos can offer players a welcome bonus, but ongoing bonuses to encourage continued play are not viewed favorably.
Terms and conditions of casino bonuses
Casino bonuses may sound like free money, but the truth is not so straightforward. There are many factors to consider that determine how valuable a bonus after all is.
European casino bonuses almost always come with some form of wagering requirement. This determines how many times the bonus money must be wagered on casino games before it can be converted into cash and withdrawn.
Additionally, there are other important conditions, such as which games the bonus money can be used on, the maximum bet allowed, non sticky or no sticky and how quickly the wagering requirements must be met. Often, the true value of a bonus is defined by the terms and conditions rather than the amount of money offered.
Due to the rules and conditions attached to bonuses, some players avoid them altogether and consider them a scam. It is true that casino bonuses often sound better than they actually are.
Additionally, some online casinos simply set winning caps, basically restricting how much players can withdraw from winnings earned with bonus money. If the cap is set very low, a bonus that initially sounds appealing can turn into a significant disappointment.
The impact of bonuses on player experience
One way or another, many European players enjoy casino bonuses and choose online casinos over traditional ones because of the bonuses.
It is true that, in the best case, a casino bonus can significantly improve the chances of winning. If a player cannot make a massive deposit, the bonus can provide additional spins to play with.
Casino bonuses are also a nice way to explore a new online casino if a player does not want to deposit real money right away—or at least not a large amount.
However, while bonuses can bring a lot of joy, they also cause significant headaches for many players. Sometimes the wagering requirement applies not only to the bonus but also to the deposit, effectively turning the deposited cash into a bonus.
In such cases, many players wish they had not taken advantage of the offer.