Online casino gaming is a firm favourite amongst many, but what can make these games that little bit more exciting is the promise of a casino bonus offer! Casino bonuses have been around for a long time, having only progressed as the years have gone on. Read on as we take you on a whistle stop tour of the history of online casino bonuses and their purpose.
The Beginning
When online casinos were first introduced, there were only two different sites for casino aficionados to choose from, so there wasn’t a lot of competition going on. With nothing to really rival these two sites, the casino bonus was yet to be invented. However, as the concept of online casinos began to catch on, the industry began to grow at a great speed. And, because of this, there became a need for each casino site to offer something a little different in order to attract more visitors.
The first ever offer that hit the online casinos was the sign up or welcome bonus. With this, players were incentivised to come and try out a new site for all their gaming needs, with the promise of getting something for free – or at least less!
Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, these bonuses were a lot more generous than the ones that are on offer today, as well as having a lot less terms and conditions. Whilst fewer pages of rules and regulations sounds like a dream come true, at least now we can stay informed and know exactly what we’re signing ourselves up for.
The original idea behind the bonus was fairly simple – the player must deposit a small amount of money into their gaming account, and they will then receive their bonus credit. This will either equal the same amount they’d deposited, or if they’re lucky, a little more.
The new age of bonuses
Nowadays, the terms and conditions have become a little more complicated, due to the following factors:
- Increase in competition
- The number of online players
- Bonus abuse
- Newer legislation and regulations
Welcome bonuses in particular have become slightly more difficult to benefit from, especially compared to the processes from the ‘90s. Now, players will be required to place a specific number of bets or wager amount before they will receive their bonus, or be allowed to cash out their winnings. Conducting bonuses in this way allows the casino site to have a lot more control over the benefits that their players receive.
After a while, these welcome bonuses became old news, and online casinos came out with new loyalty and VIP programmes. These tend to offer you either points on your account or other incentives for those who choose to sign up. All you need to do is enter your email address, username and a password – then you’re ready to go! Another benefit of entering your email address is that you will also go on to receive new offers and promotions from the casino site, via email, straight into your inbox! Thanks to this, you’ll never miss out on the latest generous online bonus again!
