It’s a time-honoured tradition for online casinos to offer bonuses to new players. Whether it’s one of the biggest platforms in the world or a new site looking to break into the scene, invariably, there’ll be some kind of incentive for newcomers. In recent years, the state of play of this essential marketing strategy has changed drastically, with those not willing to move with the times being left behind.

Welcome bonuses have long been advertised as essentially giving away funds or free spins. Anyone who has been around the casino industry for some time will know that there was always some kind of catch. This would usually be by way of a minimum deposit and wagering requirements. It meant that the platform didn’t lose money if the bonus ended up returning a good sum to the player. Now, things look to be a little different.

Players seek free bonuses even at lower values

Conventional wisdom once dictated that the site offering the biggest bonus, be it free spin count or amount matched, would have the most eye-catching bonus. Those offering up to £1,000 matched as bonuses, for example, stand well above those with £500 in bonuses by quick, scannable comparison. The online casino player base is quite a bit wiser now, though. With more information detailing how bonuses work, players seek other bonuses.

Size doesn’t matter anymore to the player. It’s all about how much is needed to be committed to make the bonus a real, tangible reward. As has been found in a comprehensive study by KingCasinoBonus on the most popular bonus types in 2023, no-deposit free spins and no-wagering bonuses have surged in popularity at a rate of eight and 15 per cent, respectively.

First deposit bonuses saw a two per cent decline, even though the average bonus value was, at its floor, higher than either of the surging bonus types. No-deposit free spins averages at around £10 to £15 in value, but of course, are free to claim. No-wagering bonuses were between £5 and £20, and while a deposit would be needed, all of the winnings could be withdrawn, giving the bonuses value as real money rewards rather than being tied up in T&Cs.

Rise of the truly free bonuses only makes sense

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Offer something for free, and you’ll immediately find your audience. Casino bonuses, for a long time, were never truly free offers. While they certainly encouraged people to pick one brand over another, the innate appeal that can come with free samples, for example, wasn’t there once players learnt of wagering requirements. As it turns out, a free sample event can boost sales by as much as 2000 per cent, which is a result of a few influences.

The drive of reciprocity will be part of the benefit of offering free goods. If someone gets something for free that delivers them what they perceive to be value, they’ll be more inclined to return or remain. It bolsters loyalty as well as sentiment towards the brand. Particularly with casino bonuses of the past having wagering requirements or requiring deposits, both sentiment and reciprocity will be enhanced a great deal by no-deposit and no-wagering offers.

It’s now easy to see why some casino bonuses are rapidly increasing in popularity over others. In the end, giving away this kind of free sample will always resonate with users on many different levels.

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