One of the biggest perks to playing at online casinos is all of the different bonuses they offer. These bonus offers are nice because they allow you to win a lot of money away from the actual casino games. However, you should also realize that the world of online casino bonuses can be a confusing and disappointing place if you don't understand the different types of bonuses, as well as their wagering requirements. So to help clear up any confusion, here are the different online casino bonuses available, and a discussion of wagering requirements. 

Signup Bonuses

The first bonus players come across is the signup bonus, which is a reward that's given on the first deposit players make at a casino. A common example of a signup bonus would be a 100% match deposit bonus up to $500. So if you deposited $300 under this deal, you'd be playing for $300; deposit $500, and you'd be playing for the max possible of $500.

Keep in mind that you'll need to meet the minimum deposit requirements to qualify - i.e. some casinos make you deposit $20 to qualify for the match bonus. Also note that some signup bonus deals are split into multiple deposits instead of just the first one. For instance, a $10,000 welcome bonus could be split into ten 100% match deposit bonuses up to $1,000.

High Roller Bonuses

This is a different kind of signup bonus that's reserved for big depositors. An example of this would be if a player needed to deposit $1,500 to receive a $1,000 bonus. In most cases, high roller bonuses are flat rewards so if a player was to deposit $2,000, they would still get $1k.

No Deposit Bonuses

While the majority of signup bonuses require that players make a deposit, a no deposit bonus only requires that a person completes the casino signup process. For example, players might get a $10 no deposit bonus that's immediately available for wagering purposes after completing the signup process at a casino.

Loyalty Bonuses

Most online casinos offer a VIP program, which rewards frequent players with cash bonuses and other prizes. As for the cash rewards, these are often referred to as loyalty bonuses where players at certain VIP statuses get specific bonuses. For instance, a player at the top VIP level might receive a $100 cash bonus every month just for attaining this status.

Wagering Requirements

Unfortunately, online casino bonuses aren't just handed over, and players need to earn them by meeting the wagering requirements. You can find these requirements by looking at the terms and conditions for each bonus you're interested in.

The main thing you need to look at is how much money needs to be wagered before the bonus can be cashed out; this is usually measured by a certain multiple of the bonus and/or deposit amount. For example, some casinos require you to wager 30 times the bonus plus deposit amount. In the case of a 100% match deposit bonus up to $200 bonus, this would be $12,000 [30 x ($200 + $200)].

Another important thing you should look for in the fine print includes whether the bonus is cashable. For example, some casinos will allow you to cash both the actual bonus and winnings out after meeting wagering requirements, while other casinos only let you cash out winnings accrued from the bonus. The bottom line in all of this is to read the terms and conditions closely, so you know exactly what you're getting from each bonus.