Casino Bonus
Our list of the Best Online Casinos for December 2023
Every US online casino will offer a bonus to their players. They are offered to new players to entice them to join the casino and are also offered to existing ones to keep them playing on the site. There are several different types of bonuses such as a no deposit bonus, match bonus, and freespins. When you are looking to join a site or are already playing on one, you always need to look out for a USA casino bonus to get free casino money to pad your gaming bankroll.
In this article, we will tell you all you need to know about casino promos regarding what types are offered, wagering requirements, how to get them, and how to read the terms and conditions.
How we pick the best offers
We want to pick the best casino bonuses for your gaming style, so we look over the Internet to find online casinos that have them for you. We do our due diligence into looking at the various options for US players. Through our extensive research we have found the best sites that offer promotions and then relay that information onto you.
Play at a Licensed Online Casino
No matter what online promos you are looking for, you first need to make sure you play at a licensed online casino, even if it is a smartphone gambling site. A casino such as this will be licensed by a legitimate gaming body that sets strict regulations that must be followed. A licensed online casino is legal to play at and, most of the time, you know they are legal as well, being partnered with a retail casino.
In terms of an online casino bonus, you can also get them at an offshore casino if you decide to play there if you do not live in a state where online casino gambling is legal. However, we strongly recommend you do not play at offshore online casinos. The main reason is they are not required to follow the same strict guidelines as US legal online casinos do. You should be aware that there are also legal sweepstakes sites and social gaming sites that may offer online
US CASINO BONUSES
You will find that a US real money casino is easy to find with all that there are available. The most common promotionn types are a match bonus, free spins, no deposit bonus, refer a friend bonus, and reload bonus. These will all give you the chance to get free casino money.
WELCOME BONUS
The most common bonus is a welcome bonus, which is used by online casinos to entice players to join the site. Usually, it is a match bonus where the casino will match your initial deposit, often, up to 100%. On top of that you will often find a welcome bonus that not only matches your deposit but also gives you freespins.
NO DEPOSIT BONUS
A no deposit bonus is one where you get something where you do not have to make a real deposit at a US online casino. You will either get a little bit of money or free spins and you can use them to check out the online casino and what they offer and it will not cost you anything.
FREE SPINS
Free spins are a common type of promotion. You can get free spins through a no deposit bonus, a deposit bonus, as part of a welcome bonus, and if you are already a member of an online casino. In the last part, they can offer them to existing players simply for playing there or offer them as benefits in a VIP/loyalty program.
WAGERING REQUIREMENT
A wagering requirement will almost always come attached with a US casino bonus. The casinos are generous in offering bonuses but they are there to make money and a wagering requirement is one of the ways they do that. You will see them in the terms and conditions of the bonus and it is the money you have to wager at the site before you can withdraw it.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
All bonuses will come with terms and conditions. You will see the wagering requirement there as well as other info such as the time you have to meet the requirement, the games you can play, how much certain games count towards the wagering requirement, and more.
Types of Promotions
Welcome Offer
The most common type of offer you will find is a welcome bonus. One example is the bonus you get from Unibet Online Casino that you can read about in our review. There are so many online casinos these days that they all try to attract players by offering them a lucrative welcome deal. Typically, a welcome offer comes in the form of a match bonus where the online casino will match your first deposit, usually 100%, up to a certain amount of money. A casino promo like this is a great way to get started with some extra money when you start to play.

An example of a welcome match bonus is a casino offering you 100% on your first deposit for up to $1,000. This means that for any deposit up to $1,000 the casino will match it by putting the bonus funds into your account. If you take full advantage of this match bonus and deposit $1,000 the casino will give you $1,000 of free casino money.
You need to be aware that most of the time a casino bonus will come with wagering requirements. Let’s say that for the example above the requirement, also called a playthrough requirement, is 20x. That means that you will have to bet 20x the bonus money before you can withdraw those funds from your casino account. So in this case, you will have to bet $20,000 on the site (20 x $1,000) before the money can be withdrawn.
Often, with a welcome match bonus, the casino will not just match your first deposit but will also give you a certain number of freespins. For example, you may see a 100% match bonus up to $1,000 plus 50 free spins playing a specific slot game. With a wagering requirement for this type of bonus, you will have to play through 20x the bonus money amount before you can withdraw any winnings you get from the freespins.
Reload Bonus
A reload bonus is just like a welcome match bonus, but it is for deposits made to the online casino after your initial one. While many of the welcome offers are a match bonus of 100%, typically, for a reload bonus with a US casino, they tend to be from 25% to 75%. Often you will see a daily bonus, which is a reload bonus for making a deposit on a certain day of the week. You may see something like this:
Monday – 25% match bonus up to $500
Tuesday – 50% match bonus up to $400
Wednesday – 75% match bonus up to $250
Thursday – 50% match bonus up to 250
Friday – 75% match bonus up to $200
Saturday – 50% match bonus up to $200
Sunday – 25% match bonus up to $750
If you decide to take advantage of the daily reload bonus on Tuesday and deposit the max amount of $400 the casino will match 50%, so you will see $200 in free casino money in your account. One thing that you need to be aware of is that the more money the casino matches the higher the wagering requirement will be. If the Tuesday match bonus we used as an example has a playthrough requirement of 15x, it means you will have to bet $3,000 (15 x $200) before you can take the $200 in bonus money out of your online casino account.
Also, as with a welcome match bonus, many online casinos will also offer freespins for a reload bonus.
No Deposit Bonus
A no deposit bonus is just what the name says. You will get a bonus and you do not have to make a real money deposit. The casino can offer a no deposit bonus in the form of cash or freespins, which we will touch on in the next section. If a casino offers you a no deposit bonus, they will give you a little bit of bonus money to play with in your casino account. Typically for a no deposit bonus the casino will give you from $25 to $50 to play with.
A no deposit bonus is a great way to explore an online casino and what they have to offer and it will not cost you anything. You can check out the games they have, the betting structure, and the layout of the site. You can play with the free casino money to see if you like the online casino and want to join it. If you do not like the casino and what they offer, it will not cost you anything when you take advantage of a no deposit bonus.
You can keep the money won from a no deposit bonus but you will have to make a real money deposit and then fulfill the wagering requirement. You need to be aware that since the casino is offering you free money the wagering requirement will be higher and that is always the case for a no deposit bonus.
If a casino offers a no deposit bonus of $25 with a playthrough requirement of 30x it means that you will have to bet 30x the bonus money and any money won from it before you can withdraw the money from your account. If you take advantage of this USA casino bonus and win $25 you will have to bet $1,500 (30x $50) – $25 bonus $25 money won, before you can take out the $50.
Free spins
There are plenty of free spins available at most online casinos. We mentioned before that free spins can be associated with a welcome match bonus or a reload match bonus. There is also promotions for freespins with both no deposit and deposit options.
No Deposit Freespins
A no deposit freespins bonus is just like a no deposit bonus but rather than get cash to play with you will get a number of freespins to use playing slots. An example of a freespins no deposit bonus is a site giving you 30 free spins playing the popular slots title Starburst. The casino will specify if the freespins can be used on one specific slots title, a few of them, or their entire library. The casino will also specify the bet amount for the freespins and since they are free, the bet amount will not be much, say 10 cents each. When you use freespins, you will almost always not be able to use them playing progressive slots titles.
Ok, so you get freespins, but can you keep the money if you win any with them? The good news is yes. The bad news is that just like the no deposit bonus for one with freespins, there will be a higher wagering requirement to get the free casino money. Since there is not a set amount of money, the playthrough requirement will be for any money won from the free spins.
Let’s say you get 30 freespins with a playthrough requirement of 30x. Lady Luck is on your side and you win $40 from the freespins. In order to keep that money will have to make a real money deposit at the online casino and wager $1,200 ($40 x 30) before you can withdraw the bonus money won from your account.
Deposit Free spins
With a deposit free spins bonus, the online casino will give you free spins after you make your initial deposit at the site. Considering that you are already spending money at the casino when you make a deposit, you will be given more frees pins and there will be a lower wagering requirement. The online casino will specify the minimum amount you need to deposit to get the free spins and, again, they will also specify which games you can play.
An example of a deposit free spins offer is 75 free spins with a deposit of at least $20 with a playthrough requirement of 15x. Just like the no deposit freespins deal, you will have to bet 15x the money won from the 75 free spins before you can withdraw it from your account. The deposit free spins bonus can be for your first deposit or any after.
Online casinos always award players with free spins, so there can be a daily bonus for it or you can get them if you are in a casino’s loyalty program. Usually, in a loyalty program, there are different levels for it and the more you wager the higher level you will be in and the more benefits you will receive. Typically, for programs like this, the casino will reward players with such things as bonus credits, free spins, and bonus cash.
If you are given the free spins make sure you know the wagering requirement for them, so you know exactly what you have to do to keep the free casino money. One of the advantages of getting free spins as a bonus in a loyalty program is that since you are wagering at the site to win them the playthrough requirements are very low. You will oftentimes find a 1x playthrough requirement and sometimes there are none.
Oftentimes, you can set up desktop and mobile alerts, where the casino will notify you when there is a free spins bonus available.
Refer a Friend Bonus
A refer-a-friend bonus is simple to understand. If you refer another player to the online casino, you will receive a bonus, usually cash around $50. Not only that but the person you referred to the site will also get that bonus money. Read the terms and conditions of this type of offer, as the site will typically cap the number of players you can refer to the site such as 10.
Social Casino Offers
A social casino is one where you can take advantage of many types of games and play with your friends for fun. A social casino means you can play with other players. All social casinos are free to play at, as there are bet credits used instead of playing for real money. However, that does not mean that there is no social casino special offers.
For a social casino, you are not given bonus money or freespins, but betting credits to use on the site. Usually, you can get a social casino promo for winning or placing in a tournament or by hitting a certain winning combination playing slots. There are also some social casinos that will give a bonus when you hit a certain hand playing blackjack.
No Wagering Requirement
There are bonuses out there that do not have wagering requirements and there are even specific no wagering casinos. Typically, a bonus such as this will offer a certain number of freespins when you make a minimum deposit. Considering there is not a playthrough requirement, the bet amount for freespins is very small and you can usually play specific games.
Loyalty Programs
Many online casinos will reward loyal players in the form of a loyalty/VIP program. These are free to join, and, often, you are automatically in it after you register at the casino. As previously mentioned, these programs are usually tiered where the more you bet, the higher tier you will be in and the more perks you will receive.
You will get points for every bet made and then you can redeem those points for rewards. Not only can you get freespins, betting credits, and bonus cash but you can also get exclusive bonus offers as well.
Terms and Conditions
Every casino offer will come with terms and conditions and they are not only the wagering requirements, even though that is a big part of them. It is vital that you read the terms and conditions of the offer so you know exactly what you need to do to keep the free casino money. Every casino will have the terms and conditions and often, you will see them on the bonus and promotions page. You can click on the bonus and then read the terms and conditions. You need to be aware that they are usually in fine print and many people miss out on them and then are not aware of them in knowing about the casino bonus.
The terms and conditions will usually have such information about who is eligible for the promotion, what is exactly offered, the time period you have to clear the bonus, and the games that you can play.
The time period is something that you need to be aware of for any type of promotion. Not only will you have to fulfill the wagering requirement but also do it within a certain amount of time. If you opt into a casino bonus, you have to know how long you have for the playthrough requirement. For example, if there is a match bonus of 100% up to $500 with a playthrough requirement of 20x and a time period of 14 days, it means that you must wager $10,000 on the site ($500 x 20) within 14 days before the bonus money is released to your account for withdrawal.
Another key thing you need to know about the wagering requirements is the games that count towards it. These will be spelled out in the terms and conditions. Typically, nearly all of the casino’s games will count towards the wagering requirement but they do not count the same.
For example, for a certain bonus you will see that slots titles count 100% towards the playthrough, while table games may only count 10%. This is important since if you opt into a bonus and you like to play table games, such as blackjack or roulette, you have to play those games many more times to fulfill the requirement. So, if you need to get to a $5,000 requirement, you will only get 10 cents towards it for each dollar spent playing table games while getting the full $1 for playing slots.
How to Get a Casino Bonus
It is easy to get a bonus, as you just have to check out the online casino. On the main page, they should have a link such as promotions, bonuses, or rewards. You can click on the link and then check out the different bonuses offered. Then you can read the terms and conditions of them and see if it is something you would like to take advantage of.
If you are a new player, you can also check out the casinos to see what type of welcome bonus they have. It has been mentioned many times in this article but it is vital that you look at the wagering requirement for the bonus. You need to be sure that you can meet that so you can keep the free casino money.
Many times, beginning players simply look for the most lucrative welcome match bonus without knowing the playthrough requirement. Online casinos know this, which is why they offer a lot of bonus money but to get that money you will have to spend a significant amount at the online casino. One thing you need to know is the more lucrative and generous a bonus is, the higher the wagering requirement will be. This is why for a no deposit bonus, in the form of money or free spins, it is always on the high side, as you are not spending any money to get it.
Bonus Codes
A casino offer can have a bonus code or it may not, as you can see if it does in the promotions page at the online casino. If it has a bonus code, you can copy and paste it and then input it when you click on the specific bonus. If it does not have a bonus code, you simply opt into the bonus to get bonus money or freespins.
There are many casino affiliate sites out there that offer special bonuses for affiliate online casinos. These will always have bonus codes that you will need to input when you opt into a bonus. Affiliate sites are solid ones to check out since sometimes you can find better bonuses on them than the online casino itself. So, do a little research to find a bonus where you can pad your bankroll with some free casino money.
Summary
As you can see, there is no lack of casino bonuses out there to take advantage of. Anytime you play at an online casino you need to regularly check the bonuses offered so you can get things like freespins or free casino money. If you are a new player then bonuses can be great to get a head start on your bankroll with something like a match bonus, or check out the casino for free with a no deposit bonus or no deposit freerolls bonus. These types of bonuses are a great option if you want to see what a casino has to offer before you make a real money deposit.
A casino bonus is a great way to enhance your gaming experience by getting extra money. The more money you have to play with the more it increases your chance to win. So check out the casino bonus and pick the best one for you and the best ones are those that offer you the most and are attainable.
ONLINE BONUSES
What is the best US casino bonus?
There is not a clear-cut answer for this but the best bonus is the one that is best for you and is attainable. If you want to check out a casino for free, look at a no deposit casino bonus. If you are joining a casino and want free money, check out a welcome match bonus. Look at our reviews of US online casinos with bonuses to find the best one for your gaming situation.
What is an example of a bonus wagering requirement?
For nearly all types of bonuses, there will be a wagering requirement, which is also called a playthrough requirement, attached. It is the amount of money you have to wager at the casino before the bonus funds are released into your account. If a welcome bonus is 100% up to $1,000 with a 20x requirement it means you will have to wager $20,000 ($1,000 x 20) before you can withdraw the bonus money from your online casino account.
What is an example of a match bonus?
An example of a typical match bonus you will find often is 100% up to $1,000. If you deposit up to $1,000 the site will match that total up to $1,000 in bonus money into your account. You can play with that money but not be able to withdraw the bonus money until you fulfill the wagering requirement. You will find a match bonus for a welcome offer or reload offer with the latter having a lower match percentage, typically 25%-75%.
What is a social casino bonus?
A social casino is one where you are playing against other players but not for real money. Many of the games available at an online casino can be found at a social casino. A social casino bonus is one where you are not given bonus money or free spins but rather betting credits to use on the site. Often a bonus such as this will be awarded for winning or placing in a tournament or hitting a certain winning combination playing slots.
Can any player get a bonus?
Yes, any player has the chance to opt in to an online casino bonus. You must be of legal age to play at an online casino and get a bonus, and upon registration, you will have to go through a verification process that will make sure you are of age to gamble online in a legal manner. There are bonuses that are exclusive to VIP/loyalty program members and while those programs are free to join you have to make a real money deposit and wager on the site.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are bonus codes?
A bonus code is a set of numbers or letters, and often both, that you will have to input at the casino in order to get the extra cash. Some offers will require a bonus code, while others will not and they can easily be found at the site itself by checking on the bonuses and promotions page. There are also casino affiliate sites that offer bonuses, sometimes better than the casino itself, and for their bonuses, they will always have a bonus code.
Can I get a bonus without depositing any money?
Yes, these are called no deposit bonuses. As the name suggests you do not have to make a real money deposit to get it, as you can get a little bit of money to play at the site or a specific number of free spins. A no deposit bonus is a great way to explore an online casino to see what they have to offer before making a deposit. Since you are not making a deposit the wagering requirements for no deposit bonuses are on the higher side.
How much money can I get from a casino promo?
That all depends on the promo. You can get a few dollars, typically around $25, or 30 free spins with a no deposit bonus, and some welcome bonuses will offer a thousand dollars and in some cases more. The money you can get will also depend on if you can fulfill the wagering requirement, which you have to do to keep the bonus funds. You also have to be aware that the more lucrative the offer, the higher the wagering requirement will be.
Do I have to opt in for a bonus at an online casino?
No, you are not required to opt in for any offer when you play or sign up at an online casino. While it is advantageous to opt in for a bonus to pad your gaming bankroll, you do not have to do so. If you are a casual player and do not play often why get a bonus where you have to wager a significant amount of money to get the bonus money? You can still enjoy an online casino without a bonus.
What is a Loyalty/VIP Bonus?
A loyalty/VIP program rewards loyal players that frequent the site often. It is typically a tiered program where you get points for every bet made. The more points you accumulate the more benefits you can receive. Often, an online casino will offer exclusive bonuses for members. One of the nice things about loyalty/VIP programs is that the wagering requirements are low, and can be none since you are already playing at the site.