Casino bonuses are offered by online casinos to entice new players to sign up and to help keep existing players playing at their casino. The main type of bonuses that they offer are no deposit bonuses, welcome deposit packages (which include a variety of first deposit bonuses), and free spin bonuses for when players sign up or make their first deposit.
Top Welcome Casino Bonuses
The following is a list of South African online casinos that offer some incredible welcome bonuses and free casino bonuses.
South African mobile casinos also cater to such players by offering no deposit bonuses, thereby allowing players to get a taste of real-money gambling without being required to make a deposit with their own cash. Check out our list of recommended No Deposit mobile casinos and enjoy the best gaming without staking your own funds.
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Different Types of Casino Bonuses & How They Work
Browsing through casino bonuses can be incredibly intoxicating thanks to big numbers and equally big promises, but things aren’t always as they seem.
These days, there are a million-and-one different casino bonuses out there for players to claim, with each site promising a bigger bonus than the rest. But dig a little deeper, and the bonuses aren’t always as they first seem.
So, what are the typical casino bonuses that players should be expecting to claim and what are the essential bits in the terms and conditions that we need to understand?
Let’s take a look at the different types of casino bonus, how they work and what to look out for in the small print.
Typical Casino Bonuses
There are numerous different casino bonuses available for players to claim when playing at any of their favourite sites.
However, to cut through the fluff and go straight to the nerve, we’re going to take a look at the three most common bonuses at the majority of casinos.
Fixed Bonuses
A fixed bonus allows players to claim a one-value sum when meeting the specific criteria found in the terms and conditions.
Fixed bonuses may be as small as R10 or as much as R10,000 depending on the bonus and casino in question. A minimum deposit will often be required to protect the casino from players taking advantage of these fixed bonuses.
For example, if an online casino offers a R50 welcome bonus for all players depositing R50 or over, each player will receive the fixed R50 bonus irrespective of the amount wagered.
Match Percentages
A match percentage bonus allows players to claim a percentage of their original deposit(s) as their bonus rather than a simple fixed amount.
Match percentages will vary from casino to casino and bonus to bonus, ranging from as little as 10% to as high as 1000%, adding the most value to those players depositing the largest amounts.
For example, if a bonus offers a 150% match bonus on their first deposit and a player chooses to add R20 to their bankroll, a R30 bonus will be added to their account, totalling R50 in playable funds.
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Free Spins
Free spins are exactly what they say on the tin – they’re free spins that are awarded to players as a bonus, often for signing up with an online casino.
The free spins will often be awarded for use on one, or a limited handful, of different games, usually with high volatility to lessen the chances of players winning massive amounts.
Free spins will also come with criteria surrounding the maximum bet and maximum winnings for the spins. It’s not uncommon to have small maximum bets per spin as well a small maximum cap of winnings from the spins.
The Associated Terms & Conditions
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It’s no secret that these bonuses aren’t usually quite as good as they seem, but it’s nothing a quick dive into the associated terms and conditions won’t clear up.
But what should you be looking for in the small print to keep yourself in with the chance of a great deal?
Wagering Requirements
Wagering requirements are the single most important part of any gaming bonus.
Written as a multiplied figure (e.g. 45x), the wagering requirements let players know just how many times funds need to be wagered before any withdrawals can occur.
These terms can be enforced on the deposit, the bonus or a combination of the two so it’s important to know and to check – they can add up incredibly quickly.
Game Contribution
Wagering requirements, frustratingly, don’t hold for all games offered in a bonus and players can often count on a game contribution table to throw a spanner in the works.
The game contribution table, such as the example below, will limit some games from contributing to the overall wagering requirements, meaning even more cash needs to be wagered before bonus funds can be withdrawn.
| Game category | Stake % Contribution |
| Slots (all varieties) | 100% |
| Blackjack (all varieties) | 10% |
| Roulette (all varieties) | 10% |
| Casino Poker (all varieties) | 10% |
| Baccarat (all varieties) | 10% |
| Video Poker (all varieties) | 10% |
| Craps (all varieties) | 10% |
| Casino War | 10% |
| All other games | 100% |
Note: A 10% stake contribution means the wagering requirements multiply by a factor of 10.
There are countless other bits and pieces in the terms and conditions to look out for, but armed with the wagering requirements and game contribution table, the majority of knowledge is on your side.
The Takeaway
Although there are a plethora of different promotions out there, we can narrow that down to the three main bonuses offered by online casinos.
However, it’s not the bonus that provides the most value, but the associated terms and conditions. By keeping an eye on the wagering requirements and game contribution, players can make the judgement for themselves whether a bonus is what it claims to be.
There are generous bonuses out there, but it’s up to the player to question the quality of each.
When it comes to exploring bonus offers and opportunities, there certainly is no such thing as a one size fits all policy. Each online casino open to players from South Africa decides what sort of bonuses it is willing to make available. This includes the total value of those offers, the structure of each, the minimum requirements needed to unlock the offer, the terms and conditions related to each bonus, and any additional incentives or follow up promotions.
Welcome bonus packages
A casino welcome bonus package is usually the single biggest offer that an SA online casino will make to you as a new player. As the name implies, this is usually an offer made up of various incentives, specifically designed to help new players get a solid start at the online casino. More often than not, most welcome bonus packages consist of some sort of a cash match offer, as well as a set of free spins, which get bundled with the cash offer to sweeten the deal.
Most SA online casinos will offer a percentage match on your first qualifying cash deposit -- a first deposit bonus, most often 100%. This means that your deposit is then effectively doubled instantly, giving you a bankroll that is twice as big as you initially started with. The free spins are often also allocated to a specific slot that is on promotion at the casino. A popular slot that free spins are allocated to is NetEnt’s Starburst, one of the most popular video slots on the web.
Bonus Types: Get to Know Your SA Bonus Offers
The beauty of being able to enjoy a diverse range of bonus possibilities, is that you can easily find one that suits your specific gaming needs. In other words, if you are mainly an online slots player, finding great bonuses which include a few free spins, or even a bonus entirely made up of free spins is ideal. On the other hand, if you prefer table games like roulette or blackjack, getting a cash match on your deposit will allow you to really push the boat out and get the most out of your online gaming. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular SA online casino bonus offers, promotions, and related incentives.
No deposit free spins
No deposit free spins are the ideal way to get to know a prospective SA online casino, and sample a few top slots, before committing any money to it. These are extremely popular options among South African online gamblers as all you need to unlock the offer is to register a free account with the casino. One of the biggest advantages to no deposit free spin offers, is that you get to keep whatever you win from them, provided you follow the terms and conditions that the free spins offer comes with.
Deposit free spins
Slightly different to no deposit free spins in so far as, in this case, you will be required to make at least minimum first deposit into your new player account in order to unlock them. Not all deposit free spins are offered on your first deposit, some SA online casinos may offer these as an incentive on any one of your follow up deposits.
High roller bonus
High roller bonuses are a very special sort of offer that not all SA online casinos will offer. These are specifically designed to accommodate players that wish to make bigger deposits into their casino accounts in order to make significantly larger wagers at the tables or machines. High roller bonuses usually have much higher deposit limits to accommodate the desire to play at much higher levels. Some SA online casinos will also offer additional incentives such as higher VIP reward points, entry into VIP clubs at automatically higher tiers, cash backs on certain wagers and more.
Additional Offers, Promotions and Incentives
Most top SA online casinos wish to do more than just capture the interests of new players. In order to be a really successful online casino operating in South Africa, it is vitally important that all existing players get to enjoy a range of ongoing incentives, promotions, and other benefits. Among the most common ongoing rewards schemes are the player points and VIP club schemes. Once you’ve signed up with an online casino in South Africa and made your first deposit, wagered your money on a few of their games, you will automatically start earning player points. These are reward points that the casino gives you for every wager you place. The ration is usually one point for every R100 wagered but also depends on the individual online casino. VIP clubs are not always automatic, and this also depends on how the individual online casino operates. However, all VIP clubs are structured in tiers, with each successive level offering bigger bonuses and other rewards.
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Bonus Wagering Requirements
Every bonus offer that you decide to take up, whether a no deposit free spins offer, a full welcome bonus package, or a high roller bonus, all come with wagering requirements. Wagering requirements, also referred to as play through requirements, are essentially the number of times the casino expects you to wager your bonus amount (or bonus + deposit amount) before you will be able to withdraw any money from your casino account. Most wagering requirements range from between 35x, 40x, or 50x, again depending on the individual online casino. While it may seem a bit steep at first, keep in mind that games like video slots will contribute 100% towards your wagering requirements, making it quite easy to get through.
No Deposit Casino
Online casinos are becoming the number one form of entertainment for South African gambling enthusiasts. The sheer amount of quality gambling options now available to SA players has more than doubled over the past two years alone. This means far more gambling destinations and far more gaming options for 2019. While it is incredible to be in a position where one can enjoy the very best international casino games, being able to explore far more, and wider is made possible through a myriad of special offers and rewards, collectively known as bonuses and promotions.