Every time you visit an online casino’s website, or a site that reviews or discusses online casinos, you’ll see references to casino signup bonuses. You might see them listed under lots of different names: deposit bonuses, match bonuses, play bonuses, but the idea is the same: a signup bonus just for joining the casino.

So, what is a casino sign up bonus? Why does an online casino want to give you money for nothing?

A casino signup bonus is anything given to new customers in order to encourage them to play at an online casino site. Usually, this is what’s called a deposit bonus, where the casino gives you some amount of money to use in the casino based on how much money you deposited into their website. A casino might advertise a 100% matching deposit bonus of up to $500; this means that for every dollar you put into the site on your first deposit, they’ll give you an extra dollar to play with, up to a maximum of $500.

There are other kinds of casino sign up bonuses too. No deposit bonuses are signup bonuses where you don’t have to deposit anything at all! Simply create an account, and the casino gives you a small amount of money that you can start playing with right away. Something for nothing is always good, and with a no deposit bonus, that’s what you get.

So, why do casinos offer these signup bonuses? Mainly, they need to encourage players to join their sites. They hope that you’ll continue playing long after you’re done with the bonus money, so that their small investment will give them a long term customer. On the other hand, it’s a great thing for gamblers, because there’s really no downside: no matter how much you get, having bonus money is better than getting no signup bonus at all!

We hope this helps you better understand what a casino sign up bonus is. If you’d like to get a better idea of what casino signup bonus is right for you, take a look at our Online Casino Bonus Directory.