New Jersey online casino bonuses are simple to use. There are two types, no deposit and deposit bonuses.
If you’ve ever stumbled upon an NJ online casino site, one of the first things you probably noticed was a huge sprawling banner targeted at new players. The contents of this ad vary from site to site, but the theme is common: Register an account and they will give you a certain amount of free money.
Are these so called no deposit and first-time deposit offers real?
Yes, they are, and we will walk you through the different types of deposits and how they work below.
New Jersey online casino welcome packages demystified
There are two types of welcome packages.
- No Deposit Bonuses: smaller bonuses normally around $20 that don’t require you to deposit funds into an account.
- Deposit Bonuses: larger bonuses around $500 that require you to deposit funds (around $100) into an account.
Both bonuses are great ways to get free money to play on a NJ online casino. Generally, no deposit bonuses are good for testing out different casinos while deposit bonuses are a great way to maximize the amount of money you have to spend at a casino you love.
Now that we know a bit more about how online casino welcome bonuses work, let’s look deeper at the different types.
What is a no deposit bonus?
As you may have gathered from the name, a no deposit bonus is a bonus that’s given to you before you make your first real-money deposit.
Generally speaking, all you have to do is successfully register with an NJ online casino site using the appropriate bonus code (if there is one), and these funds will be automatically placed in your account.
There are a few characteristics of no deposit bonuses worth noting:
- They’re generally on the small side, ranging from a few bucks up to about $30.
- Typically you will be able to cash out these bonuses, but only after you meet a certain wagering requirement.
- Even if you aren’t allowed to withdraw the bonus, you’ll always to permitted to withdraw any winnings from bonus wagers.
The truth is, if a no deposit bonus comes affixed with high wagering requirements, then more likely than not, it’ll be gone before you meet those requirements. But at least you’ll get to try out the casino’s games before you buy in with your own cash. And there is always the chance of winning.
Interestingly enough, you’ll have a better chance making money on non-redeemable bonuses.
Why? Because there are usually no (or nominal) wagering requirements attached to this offer type. As mentioned above, you can withdraw any winnings.
Can you provide an example of a no deposit casino?
Let’s look at the no deposit offer on Virgin Casino.
- During the sign-up process, you’ll notice a field entitled Promotional Code.
- Here you’ll want to enter the code 20BUCKS.
- By doing so $20 will be deposited in your bonus account immediately after your account is verified.
Remember, these funds cannot simply be cashed out. Instead, you will have to wager them on a real-money casino game offered by the site. The good news is that the wagering requirement is only 1x, and players have a full 30 days to meet that requirement.
However, the bonus itself is not redeemable for cash — only the winnings.
Given this, there’s a couple of ways to approach this offer.
- If you’re curious about the site, use the funds to make a bunch of small wagers on a variety of games, and hope you hit something big.
- Or, you might want to consider wagering it all on one hand of blackjack or some other even money game and cash out the winnings if you win. This might be your best chance to walk away in the positive.
The downside of the latter approach is that you won’t be able to check out other games. But there’s always the demo mode, which is a feature of just about every NJ online site that allows players to try the casino with fake money before they deposit.
What is a first-time deposit bonus?
The name tells it all. A first-time deposit bonus is a bonus you receive at the time of your first real-money deposit. In the NJ online casino market, they take two forms:
- 100 percent match bonus: You deposit a certain amount of money and the casino matches this amount, up to a maximum amount. For instance, if a site offers a 100 percent match up to $500, and you deposit $100, you’ll start with $200. Deposit $500 and start with $1,000. These bonuses are always subject to higher wagering requirements.
- Cashback bonus: In this instance, the casino will refund your losses up to a certain amount. So if a site offers a 100 percent refund on net losses up to $50, and you lose $50, you’ll get your initial investment back in full, as cash.
What are the typical wagering requirements on a match bonus?
It depends. If the bonus is on the high side, say $500 or more, you can expect the wagering requirement to be somewhere in the vicinity of 10x – 20x on slot wagers.
If you prefer other game types, like video poker or blackjack, the wagering requirement could be even higher, as only a portion of your wagers may contribute to meeting the requirement.
Why? Because these are considered low house edge games, so the house has less of an advantage. The online casino often sets the turnover requirement for these games higher, so gamblers won’t exploit the bonus.
There are exceptions. For instance, Play SugarHouse only requires players to play their bonus 1x on slots and video poker games before the funds are released. The downside is that the bonus amount is smaller, just $100.
The bottom line is that even the most stringent first-time deposit bonus terms will allow you to significantly cut down on the house edge. The most generous offers will allow you to gain an edge over the house while the bonus is active.
Do any NJ online casinos offer cashback bonuses?
Yes. Virgin Casino is a good example. Here’s how it works:
- Make a first-time qualifying deposit of $10 or more.
- If you lose more than 90 percent of your first deposit within seven days, you’ll be refunded an amount equal to your net loss, up to $100.
- If you lose less than 90 percent of your first deposit, but still lose overall, you’ll also receive a refund of $100 or an amount equal to the amount of your net loss — whatever amount is smaller.
- The refund is awarded as cash and can be immediately withdrawn if you decide to stop playing at Virgin Casino.
As long as you deposit $100 or less, you effectively can’t lose. Doesn’t get better than that!
The only downside is that if you win, you won’t receive any refunds from Virgin Casino. But is that really so bad? You were able to win without any risk to you.
Cashback bonuses are the safest kinds of bonuses, the casino guarantees you’ll be covered up to a certain amount. Take advantage when you can.
Why do New Jersey online casinos offer welcome packages?
Naturally, you are skeptical, because there is no such thing as a free lunch.
Why would a NJ online casinos give you free money? What’s preventing players from just taking the free money and making a run for it?
Well, there are a couple of ways that casinos prevent this from happening:
- As we discussed earlier, they sometimes ask bonus recipients to meet a certain wagering requirement before cashing out. For example, if you receive a $500 bonus, you could have to wager 10 to 20 times that amount on slots before it can be withdrawn.
- The money is only given to you if you lose. This bonus acts as a sort of guaranteed refund.
So, no you can’t just sign up for the bonus and expect to withdraw it immediately. But before you get too bummed out, think about it: You’re still playing with house money, and generally speaking, those wagering requirements set by NJ online casino sites aren’t all that high. It’s a way to safely and easily gain an edge on New Jersey online casinos.
If you’re ready to claim your deposit bonus, check out our guide on how to simply deposit money in New Jersey online casinos here.