What can possibly be better than playing your favorite games at an online casino? Playing your favorite games at an online casino with the casino’s money, of course! And by using an online casino’s bonus codes or coupons to take advantage of a promotion, you can do just that!

While not all Internet casinos have bonus codes, a significant percentage of them do so it makes sense for you to be familiar with them and understand how they should be used. Just like online casinos differ from one another yet offer the same if not very similar games, bonus codes differ from one casino to the next, but they are all basically keys you can use to unlock some free cash to play with.

Bonus Codes and Coupons Defined

In a manner similar to how people pronounce the word “potato” differently, depending on where they live, online casinos offer either bonus codes or coupon codes that you can use to top off your bankroll. Regardless of the term a given casino uses to refer to the word and/or alpha-numeric combination you have to use to take advantage of a promotion, bonus codes and coupon codes are the same thing.

A bonus code ordinarily references the name of a casino, a specific promotion currently offered by the casino, a holiday and/or the dollar or percentage amount of the bonus related to that coupon.

It’s important to note that some rooms refer to their codes in many ways. The most common is bonus code, but you may also see offer code, promo code, promotional code, coupon code, deposit code, or more. These are all the same thing: bonuses that are activated by entering a specific code.

How to Use Coupon Codes

How you use a bonus code depends on the casino you’re visiting, but the steps involved are generally the same no matter where you play. Generally speaking, you will enter the relevant bonus code in a casino’s cashier when making a deposit. Other rooms require you to activate a bonus prior to making a deposit, while creating your account.

There are some rooms that don’t use any type of bonus codes. These rooms will automatically activate their opening bonus offer upon a first deposit.

Types of Bonus Codes

Bonus codes differ from one another in various ways, including the different types of bonuses they relate to and the games you can use your bonus funds to play. As mentioned above, casinos normally separate the bonuses they offer into different categories, such as new player bonuses and monthly promotions. Because many of them offer game-specific bonuses, casinos also group their promos by game. As a result, they assign different sorts of coupon codes to each type of promo they offer.

Coupon codes also differ from each other in the context of how many times they can be used. You can use some bonus codes more than once to take advantage of a promotion you’re fond of multiple times, while others can be used only one time.

It’s also common for some online casinos to offer specific bonus codes for the type of game.

Coupon Code Terms and Conditions

Regardless of which casino you choose to redeem a coupon code at, the bonus you get will invariably come with some terms and conditions. It is critical that you review the casino’s general terms and conditions as well as the T&Cs affiliated with the bonus you get to learn how you can clear the bonus, how long you have to satisfy its wagering requirement and what you should not do while clearing your bonus.

How to Clear a Bonus – Wagering Requirements

Every bonus you claim is going to have what is referred to as a “wagering requirement” or “playthrough requirement.” A wagering requirement is the number of times over the amount of your bonus or the amount of your bonus plus your related deposit you must bet before your bonus is cleared. You must clear your bonus before you can take money out of your account. If you don’t, you will forfeit your bonus and all of the money you won playing with it.

Sometimes, casinos have different wagering requirements for a single bonus based on the games that you play. If you were to try to clear the slots bonus at a casino, the wagering requirement may be 25x. If you opted to clear the table games bonus, the playthrough requirement may increase to 40x.

In other instances, casinos have different wagering requirements for the same bonus that are based on the country in which players live.

It is never advisable to assume that the terms and conditions that a casino has for one bonus will be the same for the other promotions it offers. While we do our best to make the terms clear, you should always take the time to review the T&Cs of the casino and the individual bonus you are going to claim before using the relevant coupon code to get it.

Timeline to Clear Bonuses

Some casinos have a timeline during which you must clear a bonus while others don’t. If you don’t succeed in clearing your bonus by the prescribed deadline, your bonus and related winnings will be voided by the casino. Typical deadlines are 30, 60 or 90 days after you open your account or make your first deposit.

However, some rooms, allow an unlimited amount of time to clear a bonus and never expire. This makes their bonus codes that much more valuable.

Restricted Games

Online casinos ordinarily have a list of restricted games. If you play a restricted game after you have redeemed a coupon code and are trying to clear a bonus, your bonus funds and related winnings will be withdrawn from your account immediately and you will not get them back.

The games that you’re not allowed to play while clearing a bonus vary by casino, but normally include the following: Craps, Roulette, Baccarat, Pontoon 21, War, Sic Bo and Pai Gow Poker.

If the coupon code you use is game-specific, you will not be able to play any game(s) other than the one(s) permitted under the terms of the bonus.

Where to Play

No matter where you play, coupon codes can be invaluable when you are trying to increase or, even better, multiply your bankroll. Just remember that if you don’t abide by their terms and conditions or you take a withdrawal from your account before you clear the bonus you claimed, they can cost you because you’ll lose not only your bonus, but your winnings, too.

With that said, FTR has identified the best online casinos around and compiled lists of each. You can see our top casinos above.