If you are a slot player and are looking to clear bonuses while playing your favourite slot machines then you are in luck. When it comes to bonuses, online casinos cater more to slots players than any other sort of player.

Practically any bonus offered by an online casino is able to be cleared at slots. That’s not the case for many other games. You will often see in the terms and conditions of a bonus that only play at slots or keno will count for the wagering requirement. Or they may set specific requirements for table games such as Blackjack and Roulette, in that it only counts for 20% of the wagering requirement.

That is not the case for slots. Due to the RTP (Return to Player), online casinos are quite happy to allow you to clear bonuses at slots knowing that in the long run, they’re going to come out on top. They usually will allow you to clear the bonus at any slot – whether it is a classic 3-reel, or a progressive jackpot 243 ways slot machine.

So the good news is that you will be able to clear the wagering requirement for the bonus you claim at your favourite slots. The slightly bad news is that not all bonuses are created equal.

There are so many slot sites out there and they all offer a wide variety of different bonuses. It’s not a case of just claiming the deposit bonus that gives you the best return for your initial deposit. There are so many other factors to consider.

In this article, I’m going to cover the common deposit bonuses found at online casinos and highlight what makes a casino bonus the best, compared to other bonuses. This will be more focusing on negative traits you wish to avoid from a casino bonus.

Deposit Bonuses:

Deposit bonuses are the most common bonus you will find. “Deposit $100, and get a 100% match bonus.” “Deposit $50, get a 250% match bonus” etc. The biggest mistake people make is looking for the bonus with the highest return, and not paying attention to any other factors related to the bonus.

The first thing you should do is pay attention to the wagering requirement. The lower the wagering requirement, the better. The higher the wagering requirement, the more likely you are to go bust. If you are comparing two bonuses, both 100% to $100, and one has a 35x wagering requirement while the other has a 40x requirement? Then the 35x one is the best bonus as you have to wager less.

Pay attention to if the rollover is just for the bonus funds, or if it is for the deposit too. That is a common mistake people make. They may advertise a lower wagering requirement but are factoring in all the money in your account, and thus it results in the rollover being twice as long.

The best deposit bonuses don’t have a time limit, allowing you to chip away at it when you feel like it. Ensure that the bonus won’t expire after 7 days, as you don’t want to be forced to try and meet the requirement.

Deposit Bonuses with Extras:

One thing a lot of online casinos do these days is offer extra rewards with their deposit bonus, to make it more appealing. Free spins and free scratch cards are two common options offered with a deposit bonus.

While on the surface that seems great, some of these extras employ almost predatory wagering requirements, such as larger wagering requirements on any winnings. So be sure to look at what you’re actually getting with these. Often, the free spins are only worth a few pennies per spin, and aren’t even really worth it.

So look into what is actually offered, and if there are any maximum prizes available to be won from it. These extras aren’t often as good as they appear.

The best bonuses in this category are the ones that offer these sorts of promotions with no strings attached.

No Deposit Bonuses:

A no deposit bonus is fairly simple; you sign up at an online casino, they give you a small amount of money to play with, and then you gamble it at slots.

But what makes a no deposit the “best”? Make sure you don’t have to play one particular slot. Also, pay attention to the wagering requirements. Some of these no-deposit bonuses have high wagering requirements. You also want to check if the wagering requirements expire when you lose the money, or if they stay around affecting future deposits.

Some no-deposit bonuses will void a site’s initial deposit bonus, so look into that too. Finally, check what the maximum winnings available are. Often these casinos will limit you to maximum winnings of $100 based on a $10 no-deposit bonus, meaning if you get lucky and you win $300 off a spin, you will only be able to claim $100 of it.

The best no-deposit bonuses are ones that don’t have hefty wagering requirements, are clear as to what games you can play, and don’t carry over the wagering requirement if you end up losing it all.