With an extravagant choice of casino bonuses, there is one particular bonus deal that stands out from the rest. Yes, we’re talking about a magnificent birthday bonus! A birthday bonus is a reward that an online casino offers to a player on their birthday. Unlike other bonus offers, a birthday bonus has a personal touch because it has to do directly with the player. It’s a unique gift designed to celebrate a special day in the life of a gambler. Let’s take a closer look at this amazing promotion and see how to benefit from it.
How a birthday bonus works
There’s a reason why online casinos ask new clients to submit their date of birth during registration. You enter your date of birth and the gambling site remembers it only to surprise you with a bonus when the time has come! Some online casinos give birthday bonuses automatically. You enter your personal account and see a notification that a birthday bonus has been added to your bankroll. Usually, the notification also contains a link to the Bonus Terms which explains on what conditions the casino is willing to give you the reward.
However, this is not always the case. Sometimes, a player needs to claim a bonus by writing to customer support. Also, don’t be surprised if the support asks you to send them a scan of your ID to prove that it’s actually your birthday. As you can see, there's no standard procedure, and each casino handles this issue differently.
Types of birthday bonuses
Since igaming platforms follow their own rules for providing birthday bonuses, players need to be very careful and study the details of each bonus offer that comes their way. Depending on when you’re given a reward, birthday bonuses come in the following types:
- Birthday bonus. Most of the time, you get your birthday bonus precisely on your date of birth.
- Birthday week bonus. However, some casinos expand the celebration period. If, for example, your birthday is on Wednesday, a casino may credit a bonus to your casino account on Monday, i.e. at the beginning of your birthday week.
- Birthday month bonus. Finally, some igaming platforms stick not with dates but with months. If, say, you were born in April, your birthday bonus can be credited to your account as early as April, 1st.
On top of that, birthday bonuses are split into two types based on whether or not they’re attached to a deposit.
- Deposit birthday bonus. At some casinos, a required condition for obtaining a birthday bonus is to make a deposit to your account. Yes, we know it’s not quite fair but here we are. In this case, a bonus is calculated as a percentage of your deposit amount. That is, the more money you add to your bankroll, the juicier will be the reward. The bad news is that the bonus amount is usually capped. Let’s say, you’re looking at a 30% birthday bonus up to $300. This means that the casino won’t pay you more than 300 bucks, no matter how big your deposit is. This is how casinos protect themselves from squandering too much money on bonuses to players.
- No-deposit birthday bonus. Now this is a great birthday offer that players keep their fingers crossed for! There are casinos that don’t force their clients to fund their accounts in order to get a rightfully deserved birthday gift. You just get a nice bonus and that’s it!
How to pick the best birthday bonus deal
If you’re adamant about hunting down the best birthday bonus deal, you have a lot of work ahead of you. It takes time to scrutinize birthday bonus offers from different casinos and pin down the one that suits you. Below we’ve listed the things that you need to pay close attention to when making a choice.
- Wagering requirements. Unlike regular birthday gifts that you get from your family and friends, a birthday bonus is a tricky fellow. Most online casinos provide bonuses on certain conditions known as “wagering requirements.” Be sure to find out how many times you need to play through your bonus amount before the casino allows you to withdraw your bonus and winnings. On a brighter note, there are few casinos that have no wager attached to their birthday bonus. In this case, you’re free to spend your gift on your favorite games and then cash out your winnings without a hitch.
- Deadline. This is another vital characteristic of a birthday bonus. When accepting a bonus, you need to know when it expires. Yes, casino bonuses have an expiration date, just like a bottle of milk that you bought at a local grocery store! Depending on the casino terms, a bonus offer may be valid on your birthday (e.g, just 24 hours). Other casinos display a more player-oriented approach, making a bonus last a week or even an entire month around the player's birthday. There’s nothing good about being rushed, so 24-hour bonuses are hardly a worthy choice. After all, what if you’re busy and can’t possibly visit the gambling site on your birthday? In this case, the bonus will expire and you will be left with nothing. With a bonus which is valid for a week or a month, you’ll have plenty of time to decide how you’d like to spend it and fully enjoy the opportunities that it brings.
- Selected games. Your birthday bonus may be valid for a limited selection of games. This goes for cash gifts and free spins alike. In case of free spins, they usually come with a list of eligible slots. If you choose to rebel and spend your bonus on other games, you won’t be able to withdraw your winnings.
- Maximum winnings. Alas, we’re not yet done listing all possible restrictions that players may encounter when accepting a birthday bonus! Some igaming platforms cap the amount that you can win using your birthday bonus. Huh! These casinos must have serious reasons to believe that a birthday person is destined to hit a lucky streak! Anyway, once your winnings have reached a predetermined limit, your bonus becomes void. Yeah, that’s definitely unfair but unfortunately the casino is the boss!
FAQ on a birthday bonus
- How much is a birthday bonus?
- If it’s a deposit bonus, then its amount will depend on how much money you’ll add to your account but no more than a predetermined limit. If you’re dealing with a no-deposit bonus, its amount is usually fixed and ranges from 10 to 100 US dollars.
- Can I opt out of a birthday bonus?
- Of course. Like all casino bonuses, a birthday bonus is optional. You don’t have to accept the bonus if you don’t like its terms or if you avoid using casino bonuses altogether.
- How do I activate my birthday bonus?
- The procedure for getting a birthday bonus differs from casino to casino. Sometimes, you need to contact the casino in order to claim your birthday bonus. The casino administration will verify your date of birth and activate the bonus for you. Once it’s done, the bonus will be credited to your casino account. Some gambling sites make things easier for players and provide bonuses automatically.
- Do casinos give cash as a birthday bonus?
- Not necessarily. A birthday bonus deal may take the form of a cash gift, free spins or a combination of both.
- Is a birthday bonus worth accepting?
- Whether or not a bonus is worth your while depends on the wagering requirements and other terms. If you see that a bonus comes with an unrealistic wager or must be used within a period of time which is too short, our advice to you is to pass on such an offer. If you’re using a birthday bonus as a criterion for choosing an online casino to play at, be selective. Don’t let a casino lure you into a bonus dealf of questionable worth. The choice of igaming platforms nowadays is huge, and you’re sure to find plenty of online casinos with more attractive bonus deals.
Final word on a birthday bonus
Although a birthday bonus is only given once a year, it makes it all the more exclusive in the eyes of a gambling audience. A birthday bonus is a great way to make a player feel cared for and appreciated. In a world where your closest friends may forget about your birthday, it’s nice to see that an online casino remembers such an important day in your life and even pampers you with a special gift. If not for wagering requirements and other pitfalls, it might be an ideal gift! Well, let’s hope that Australian online casinos will take a course towards stripping their birthday bonuses off at least some of the harsh requirements they have today!
