Casino bonus offers are special promotions that are designed to attract new players to an online casino as well as retain existing ones. In this article, we'll discuss what we look for when comparing bonuses, the various types of casino bonuses that are available, and what games can be played with bonuses. We'll even tell you how to take advantage of casino bonuses in a strategic way in order to make the most out of the free gaming they make possible.
The Best Casino Bonuses for Kiwi Players
Not all casino bonuses are equal, and some are quite a lot better than others. We'll tell you what we look for when comparing bonuses in a moment, but for those of you who want to get straight to the exciting business of grabbing one, here are the top NZ casino bonus offers currently available.
What We Look For When Reviewing Casino Bonuses in NZ
Compiling our list of the best online casino bonuses in NZ at any given time involves looking at all of the available deals and seeing how they fare in each of several key areas. The main criteria that we consider are as follows:
Bonus Size
The first thing that we look at, like most players, is how big the bonus is. We don’t believe that size is everything, but if a number of bonuses are equal in all other respects, it makes sense to put the biggest ones at the top of the list.
Players Requirements
We next consider what the casino requires from the player in order for the bonus to be given. While we like the bonus itself to be as big as possible, we also want the player requirements to be fairly modest so that it can be enjoyed by all.
Terms and Conditions
The third aspect we look at concerns the terms and conditions of the bonus being offered. It’s no good having even a generous casino bonus if the attached conditions mean that most players will have no chance of enjoying every cent of it. For a casino bonus to make our list, its terms need to be fair and balanced.
Originality
Another thing we consider is how original the bonus offer is. This is the least important consideration, but it’s always nice to see a casino go the extra mile by coming up with a bonus that is genuinely fresh and exciting, rather than hashing out a generic offer that we’ve seen a hundred times before.
Different Types of Casino Bonuses
As you explore the world of online casinos, you'll discover that there are many different types of bonuses being offered. Despite that rich variety, most bonuses can usually be sorted into one or more of four main categories, as detailed below.
No-Deposit Bonuses
These are bonuses that are awarded to players without any deposit being required. Most commonly, they are designed to reward those who simply sign up for a new account by providing a few personal details, including their email address. In that case, they can also be referred to as a sign-up bonus. Because there is no need to invest any of your own money when taking advantage of a no-deposit bonus, the value of the bonus is usually quite modest.
Deposit Bonuses
These bonuses are offered as a reward for players making a deposit into their online casino account. Deposit bonuses can therefore be expected to be a lot more generous than their no-deposit cousins. First deposit bonuses are the ones that are most widely advertised and those are obviously aimed at new players. However, this type of bonus can also be aimed at existing players in order to retain their interest and loyalty over the long term.
Free Spins Bonuses
Free Spins bonuses are ones that give you a stated number of free spins on one or more pokies. The pokie games that they can be used to play will be clearly stated with the bonus details, but essentially the free spins will give you the chance to win without paying to play. This type of bonus can be given as a no-deposit bonus or as part of a deposit bonus.
Bonus Funds Bonuses
These casino bonuses will give you bonus funds when you make a deposit of your own money. They tend to be described as a percentage value of your bonus, along with a maximum figure on the amount of money that can be claimed. For example, a 100% deposit bonus of up to NZ$500 would give you a 100% bonus on your deposit, matching it dollar for dollar. However, it won’t give you more than NZ$500, even if your deposit exceeds that value.
What Games Can You Play with Casino Bonuses?
Taking advantage of a casino bonus in New Zealand is always a good idea because it allows you to play games at the casino's expense. If you're wondering what kind of games then read on because we're about to tell you.
Live Casino Games
Whether or not Live Casino games can be played with your bonus funds will depend entirely on the venue. Some online casinos offer bonuses that are generic in nature and can be used for both regular and Live Casino games as you prefer. Other casinos have separate bonuses for their regular and Live Casino areas, so if you want to play Live Casino games at one of those venues you will need to make sure that you take advantage of the bonus that lets you do that.
Table Games
Those of you who like to play table games such as blackjack, baccarat, roulette and so on will be able to enjoy all of those with bonus funds just as you can with real money. Again, there may be some exceptions at certain places, but usually, a casino will allow you to play a good variety of table games so that you can try your favourites and see how you like what the venue has to offer.
Pokies
The most popular games at any modern online casino are pokies, so it shouldn’t come as any surprise to hear that bonuses can be used to play plenty of them. This much should be obvious when we’re talking about free spins, as pokies are the only games that free spins can be used for. However, if you claim a welcome bonus in the form of casino funds you will be able to use those instead of your own cash to play whatever pokies the venue allows.
- Some casinos will allow you to play all of its pokies with no exclusions, while others will put certain pokies - such as those with the biggest progressive jackpots - off-limits for free spins and bonus funds.
Are VIP or Loyalty Programs Considered Casino Bonuses?
Many online casinos run loyalty programs that award points to their customers as they play games. These programs aren't bonuses in themselves, but the points that are given can be collected and redeemed for bonuses, and that makes them just as valuable. Loyalty points can be used to get free spins, special deposit bonus deals, actual cash funds, and, in some venues, physical rewards such as meals or stays at an associated land-based casino restaurant or hotel.
Bonus Terms and Conditions Explained
Terms and conditions are an important topic because they outline a number of things that are good to know about any given bonus. Here are the main things to look for when reading through the small print:
- Bonus Details: What exactly is being offered? Whether it's free spins, a deposit bonus or a combination of the two, the terms and conditions will tell you exactly what you can get when you participate in the promotion.
- How to Qualify: What do you need to do to get the bonus? If you only need to sign up for a new account, the terms and conditions will state exactly that. If you need to make a deposit of your own money as well, they will state how much you need to put into your account to qualify for the offer.
- Bonus Expiry: How long will you have to enjoy the bonus? Most bonuses will expire if unused after a certain length of time. The small print will tell you how much time you will have to use any bonus that is awarded.
- Wagering Requirements: When will you be able to withdraw any winnings that you make from your free spins or bonus funds? The terms and conditions will tell you what the wagering requirements are for the bonus. For example, if they say that the bonus will need to be wagered 10 times, then you won't be able to withdraw it until you have done that.
There may be other details given in the terms and conditions apart from the ones stated above. For this reason, it's a good idea to make checking the small print a habit if you want to avoid any surprises later on.
What Does a Typical Bonus Look Like?
There are numerous types of bonuses, and each carries different perks as well as terms and conditions. The most sought after bonus is the deposit bonus that rewards players with a particular percentage match of their deposit. For example, an online casino offers a deposit bonus of 100% up to NZ$100, and if you deposit the maximum amount, you’ll receive another NZ$100 from the casino. The wagering requirement is set at 35x the bonus money (NZ$100), which makes NZ$3500. This means you have to wager NZ$3500 before you can withdraw any bonus money. Some casinos, however, require players to wager their deposit plus the bonus.
Using a similar illustration above, you would have to wager your deposit (NZ$100) plus the bonus money (NZ$100) 35x. This works out as NZ$100 + NZ$100 = NZ$200 x35 = NZ$7000.
This implies you’ll have to wager NZ$7000 before you can withdraw any winnings from the bonus.
How to Cash Out Your Casino Bonus as a Kiwi Player
When you play games with casino bonus funds, you will have just as much chance of winning as when you play with your own money. You might, therefore, want to make a withdrawal at some point. Here's how to go about it.
First, you need to make sure that you have met any and all wagering requirements that relate to the bonus funds. These will be described in the terms and conditions, as discussed earlier. If you haven't wagered your bonus fund the required number of times then no withdrawal will be possible.
If the wagering requirements have been met, you will need to initiate a withdrawal by visiting the Cashier or Account area of the casino. This will involve choosing a payment method that you want to use to make the withdrawal and entering the amount of money that you want to take out of your account.
You should note that most casinos will only allow you to make a withdrawal using a method that you have already used to make a deposit. It's worth checking about this before making your first deposit so that you can choose your method with future withdrawals in mind.
Advantages of Casino Bonuses
We always like to see casinos offering bonuses because they give players a number of advantages. Three of the main ones are:
Free Gaming
Casino bonuses, as we said earlier, allow you to play games without paying for them. It might be 50 free spins on a particular pokie or bonus funds to spend at the gaming tables, but either way, it’s valuable free gaming.
A Chance to Explore
Because you can play more games with bonuses than you can without them, they give you a chance to explore a new casino in greater depth. This makes a decent first deposit bonus ideal for anyone who wants to dip their toes in the water before deciding whether or not to stick around for the long term.
Insight
A third advantage that most people don’t recognise is that bonuses give you an insight into how a casino treats its players. If the terms and conditions of a bonus are fair or even generous to players then that’s a good sign. But if the small print seems skewed against players then it’s equally profitable to be aware of that anti-player attitude as soon as possible.
Casino Bonus Strategies
Having discussed casino bonuses in some depth, we can now touch on a couple of ways in which players can use them strategically. Here are two casino strategies that we're particularly fond of.
- Get a Bonus Education - Our first strategy is to use casino bonuses to teach yourself to play new games that you aren't yet familiar with. We all tend to make mistakes when learning any new skill, but any mistakes that you make when playing new games won't matter too much if you're using bonus funds. This makes bonuses particularly valuable to anyone who wants to play a game that involves an element of skill, such as blackjack.
- Pursue Big Dreams - If you've always wanted to try and win big money by making bets on long shots or landing a progressive jackpot, look for a casino bonus that will let you do those things. That will enable you to keep your own cash for more general gaming and the bonus cash can be used to fund your pursuit of bigger dreams like landing a substantial win.