The real-money bankroll is gone and all you can do is switch over to the casino’s “practice” mode while deciding on your next move. Should you whip out the credit card and purchase some more chips or let it be? The deciding factor for many is whether or not their chosen casino offers players a reload bonus. Reload bonuses are special incentives used by online casinos to convince returning players to add more money to their account once it has run dry. Gamblers need to understand the ins and outs of such a bonus as well as keep a few rules in mind when taking on a the responsibility of a reload bonus.
These promotions are strictly for returning players. New players signing up get their own special treatment in the form of welcome bonuses, but these new recruits may want to look ahead and see whether a casino offers secondary bonuses before laying down their wagers the first time. Most reload promotions take the form of percentage bonuses. This means that when a player chucks down a certain amount of money, they will get bonus funds based on how much they give. For example, a 100 percent reload bonus means a player who puts $50 in their account will receive $50 in extra bonus chips and their bankroll therefore starts at $100.
There are a couple of “catches,” though, which aren’t really catches but rather regulations for being able to use their money. The bonus funds might be subjected to a playthrough amount, similar to those in a welcome bonus. What happens is that the above player who now has a $100 bankroll may need to make wagers that equal 30 times that bankroll, or $3,000 in bets, before he or she can withdraw any winnings. Players may also find they are limited to playing certain games, or must not make certain wagers, like zero-risk wagers, while playing through their bets. Dependable online casinos will state these requirements clearly on their Web site on the same page as the reload bonus is advertised.
One of the biggest requirements for cashing in on a reload bonus is the fact that the player must have a bankroll of zero or as close to zero as possible. Many online casinos will allow a player to have less than $1 in their account before being able to take part in the reload promotion. Subsequently, the player must have either met all of the reload bonus requirements or have reached a zero balance before he is able to use the next reload bonus that is offered to him. The good news is that most reload bonuses are independent of other bonuses. Some casinos may offer daily, weekly or monthly bonuses. Some may even stipulate that they are only good for the first deposit of the month or are only available on specific days of the week, such as a Monday reload. However, players usually are not required to deal with tiered bonuses or ones in which a bonus is only available if you have taken part in a sequence of bonuses up to that point.
Most reload bonuses are redeemed by typing in a bonus code while making the deposit, and unlike welcome bonuses, reload bonuses are not given automatically, meaning it is easier for the player to choose whether to participate in the bonus. This is different from many welcome bonuses where the player may be required to contact casino staff before making a deposit to specify that he or she does not want the bonus.