That being said, just because an offer has higher requirements, does not make it a bad value. Generally, online casino games have a much higher return rate than their retail counterparts. Where the average in-person slot game will only average around 88% return, most online slot games offer a 95% return on your money. It is fully up to you where you want to start. A $250 1x is quick and easy, where a $1000 10x will take more time, but may be worth more in the long run.

Look for qualified games restrictions

Once you’ve nailed down the wagering requirements and playthrough rate, look for qualified games. Some casinos restrict the games that you can play to clear a bonus. For example, a bonus might have a 1x playthrough but it has to be cleared by playing slots. If you enjoy slots, that’s not a problem… but if you only really enjoy playing blackjack, baccarat, or other table games, that offer won’t be worth as much to you.

Sometimes casinos will even restrict you to certain slot titles. They may provide a list of slots, typically, if restricted, it will be the high ‘return to player’ machines that don’t qualify. Other times the casino may list various contribution percentages. In these sorts of scenarios it might have slots with a 100% contribution percentage, meaning $1 wagered at slots will count as $1 towards the clearance of the bonus. However, a game like blackjack might be at 20%… meaning for every $1 wagered at a blackjack table you will only clear $.20 of the bonus.

While the wagering requirements tell you how much you need to play to clear the bonus, the qualified games tell you what you need to play.

Check the expiration date

Online casino bonuses don’t last forever and knowing the expiration date will greatly inform your strategy. Generally speaking, users are given a specific window of time to clear a bonus offer. Once it expires, any uncleared bonus is lost. Expiration dates typically range from as little as three days to as much as 90 days. The longer you have to clear the offer, the better.

With that being said, don’t let a shorter expiration date turn you away. These offers are still worthwhile… but just make sure you have enough time to play to finish the requirements in time. In other words, if you don’t use it, you lose it.

Types of U.S. casino bonuses

Legal U.S. online casinos generally rely on a few different types of welcome offers. While at times you will see others, the following promotions are the most common. Keep in mind it may be possible to claim more than one at a time, too. Some casinos may offer a welcome package combo that includes both a free money component, and a deposit bonus. The best of both worlds.

We’ll start off with the best of the best. You simply can’t top a free money bonus offer. No deposit bonuses are promotions that you can take full advantage of without making a deposit. Yes, you read that correctly. Since no deposit is required there’s no financial risk to the user. No deposit bonuses are typically pretty small, since the casino is literally passing out free money, but what have you got to lose? Free money offers can typically net you between $10 and $30 which you can use to splash around and try out a few games. It will be a challenge to build a bankroll from, but it’s certainly worth the effort to try.