Everybody loves a freebie, and this is why online casinos and betting sites offer first-deposit bonuses, reload bonuses, free spins, and other free offers. For the player, they present an opportunity to try out the games and to enhance their betting bank. For the casino, they help attract new players and can also help retain existing gamblers.
Before you can start marketing your casino, you need to ensure it meets the necessary regulations and requirements. This includes getting an appropriate license.
Countries like the UK have open, regulated markets. UK casinos can gain licenses from the UK Gambling Commission and freely market their services to British gamblers. Other countries, like Japan and New Zealand, do not have any regulatory authorities. As such, the top-rated online casinos in New Zealand are usually those licensed in places like the UK, Malta, and Curacao.
Gamblers recognize and trust licenses from these countries, which is why they are so popular. But, licensing is only the first step. Gambling editor Sam Barnard, states there is a large selection of offshore casinos for players in these countries, which makes marketing a vital part of running an online casino. Using bonuses, discounts, and free offers is a great way to enhance your casino’s marketing efforts.
1. First Deposit Bonuses
Attracting new players can be a challenge for online casinos. Ensure you have a good variety of games, a reputable and verifiable license, and a brand that you can promote online.
First deposit bonuses are a great way to attract new players. These can range from deposit match bonuses to no-deposit bonuses. A deposit match bonus means that you will match all, a portion, or even a multiple of a new client’s first deposit. Some casinos match 50% of a first deposit, while others match up to two or even three times.
It is common to have a maximum limit, for example, $100, to prevent having to pay out large sums. And some casinos set wagering requirements that must be met before the funds can be withdrawn.
2. Reload Bonuses
You need a steady stream of new gamblers on your website, but new bettors cost more in advertising and marketing dollars than existing punters. Therefore, retaining players should be an integral part of your business plan. One effective way to do this, using freebies, is through reload bonuses.
A reload bonus works similarly to a first-deposit bonus but rather than matching some or all of a first deposit, you match second and potentially subsequent deposits. These tend to be smaller than first deposit bonuses, usually around 10% up to a maximum of $100, but they can prove very effective.
3. Free Spins
Some players specifically look for sites that offer the highest first-deposit bonuses because they want to beef up their initial betting bank. Other players use an initial bonus to help determine whether they like the site and games it offers. For these players, free spins or free games can prove as appealing as deposit bonuses.
Free spins are very common on casino websites that have a lot of online slots while free games can be offered on other games like video poker. They can work on almost any game that has a set stake, but it can prove difficult to manage this bonus on games with variable stakes.
Again, it is common to place wagering restrictions on these bonuses. For example, the player might have to wager any winnings up to 20 times before they can withdraw.
4. Cryptocurrency Bonuses
Cryptocurrency has become a popular online casino payment option. Like PaySafe vouchers, cryptocurrency offers anonymous, private betting, although it does add a few extra steps to the account funding process.
For you, the casino operator, it means you can accept payments from around the world, attracting lower fees and much quicker payment processing times. The lower fees mean you can pass some of these savings on, especially in the form of crypto deposit bonuses.
Because you know that the customer will cost you less in processing fees, you can offer to match first and subsequent cryptocurrency deposits. And there are payment gateway systems available that automatically and instantly convert crypto into fiat currencies, so you don’t have to deal with the volatility of the market.
5. Loyalty Programs
Loyalty programs are another effective way to keep bettors coming back. As well as deposit match bonuses, you can also add gamification to your casino website. Show a leaderboard of players, and offer rewards for those that top the leaderboard or fulfill certain other criteria.
If a player deposits $100 or more in a month, offer them free spins. It could be enough to convince casual gamblers to deposit and stake a little more. Alternatively, offer free spins when players deposit and pay for a certain number of paid slot spins.
6. VIP Programs
VIP programs are similar to loyalty programs except they usually have higher requirements to access bonuses. These not only retain clients but they encourage bigger deposits and more frequent play. They make your bettors less likely to walk away in the hope of finding attractive initial bonuses.
VIP programs can offer access to restricted games, high-roller tables, or reserved tournaments. They can provide bonuses when players deposit certain amounts over a week or month. Some players, especially those who enjoy social games like bingo or live poker, will even appreciate cosmetic bonuses like badges or special avatars.
Conclusion
People really do love freebies, and this is just as true of casino players as it is online shoppers. Deposit bonuses and free spins are commonly used to attract new players to online casinos. Additional bonuses like reload bonuses and loyalty programs also help retain paying, playing customers because they offer something of value that customers want, for free. Bonuses do need to offer something of value, but they provide you with effective marketing tools as well as the means of attracting and retaining customers.
