If there’s anything that has been driving change in the online casino industry in recent years, it’s bonuses. While some pundits had long considered that the age of good bonuses was over as a result of overzealous bonus hunters watering down the prize potential, things have turned around massively in the past couple of years.

All of the big casino platforms now offer an ever-increasing array of creative, competitive and highly lucrative bonuses as they compete for the biggest slice of the consumer market. Given that the online casino industry is set to continue growing at a rapid pace, set to be a whopping 20% larger and valued at around $60 billion according to Statista, it’s no surprise that bonuses are getting ever more generous.

While some features of bonuses are classic mainstays that don’t seem to be going anywhere, there are some more innovative bonus schemes being rolled out by the top online casinos, with how effective these are at earning customer loyalty remaining to be seen. Let’s take a look at the biggest emerging bonus trends in the online casino industry, to see what offers we can expect in the year ahead.

Bigger Value

One of the most striking trends seems to be that in absolute terms, the sheer cash value of bonuses being offered by casinos is on the up. While a typical casino bonus a few years ago may have been a comparatively paltry $100 worth of free spins, massive platforms like Betway Casino are now offering $1000 welcome bonuses, having used their considerable resources to up the ante considerably and face down any competition. This very recent trend can be seen across pretty much every industry.

For example. while big airlines used to reward loyalty with perks such as free drinks and upgrades, in 2018 major carriers such as JetBlue now offer free stays in 5 star luxury resorts and thousands of dollars worth of free travel. Similarly, even banks are now offering much more than just a branded pen to new account holders, with titans like HSBC going all out with free travel tickets, checking bonuses, shopping vouchers and more. If one thing is positive, it’s that we can only expect to see the size of the bonuses from online casinos (and everyone else) rise in the intense global competition for loyal customers.

Loyalty Bonuses

While welcome bonuses may be the words on everyone’s lips within the casino world, it’s looking like loyalty is what truly pays off these days. Luring in first-time players may be a big part of the strategy for many casinos, but the sands are shifting fast, as they start to seriously consider how to keep their most dedicated players from jumping ship to another casino, much in the same vein that the big Vegas casinos do. The result has been a marked rise in the size and frequency of loyalty bonuses, which can now be accumulated more quickly over the course of gameplay than was once possible, and tend to be much more generous than in the past.

High Roller Bonuses

Everybody loves a high roller, and this is never truer than with casinos. While land-based casinos like Caesar’s Palace put the full works on for high rollers, online platforms operate a little differently. In the past, many online casinos simply considered the big winnings made by high rollers to be enough, but not anymore. High rollers are valuable, and their large deposits and dedicated play time deserve just as much attention online as in land-based casinos.

Luckily the digital realm is taking notice, with high roller rewards such as more free spins and games for high deposits becoming much more common than they once were. Also more common nowadays is the potential for much larger winnings for anyone who has the cash to place big deposits. It’s heartening to see online casinos now going the extra mile to look after their high rollers, just as they would in a land-based casino.

The Return of No-Deposit

While the no-deposit casino bonus may have dropped out of the industry lexicon for a while, becoming more difficult to find, they are back with a bang across the board. The aforementioned Betway regularly releases smaller no-deposit bonus codes which players eagerly snap up, and other casinos have started to follow suit, fuelling a resurgence of the practice. The principal appeal behind a no-deposit bonus is that it tends to be more convenient for the player. Although the actual size of the bonus tends to be smaller, it’s also more time-efficient and feels like less of a commitment for those just wanting to test out a casino they haven’t used before.

Bitcoin Bonuses?

No one can accuse online casinos of not accepting technological change. They were among the first platforms to adapt to the rise of cryptocurrencies, with many allowing users to play slots, blackjack, roulette and the rest with a number of different cryptocurrencies – not just Bitcoin. This has led to rumours swirling about a future in which players are given rewards and bonuses if they choose to play with cryptocurrencies rather than cash, as online casinos seem optimistic about the future of crypto and want to encourage the use of it as much as possible. While we can’t know for sure just yet, expect to see a lot more of this kind of stuff in the year ahead.

If you want to find out more about the best casino bonuses and trends, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today by dropping us a quick message.

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