Best Online Casino Bonuses and Promotions 2024

Casino bonuses at online casinos give you extra reasons to sign up, play casino games, and win real money! A casino bonus can be free, extra money when you deposit, or free spins on your favourite slots. I've hunted down the best bonus deals at PlayCasino's selection of the best online casinos in South Africa. After trying them all, my top bonus for December 2024 is the 🎁 R500 Free No Deposit Bonus at Springbok Casino🎁.

What are Online Casino Bonuses?

A casino bonus at an online casino is a profitable reward or incentive for joining a casino, depositing money, and/or playing regularly. It’s a special offer that gives you extra money, free spins, and other perks to play real money games. These bonuses are the casino’s way of saying, “Welcome!” or “Thanks for sticking with us!”. They’re not just a marketing trick—they’re there to give you more to play with, try out new games, and keep the fun going.

Types of Casino Bonuses and Offers Available via PlayCasino

Here's a closer look at some of the most popular bonuses today and the online casinos with the best bonuses.

Welcome Bonus

A welcome bonus is are exclusively for new customers, made available when you register an account and/or make your first deposit. The two most common welcome bonuses are free slot machine spins and having your first deposit matched by the casino.

Deposit matches are usually stated as a percentage and have a cap. For example, let’s use a bonus that is a 100% match, up to R1,000. So, if your first deposit is R100, you will receive R100 as a bonus. If you deposit R250, the casino will credit you with an additional R250.

The newest deposit matching trend is spreading it out over the first three or four deposits. Typically, the cap will be lower with each deposit.

How to Claim a Welcome Bonus

1. Choose a welcome bonus online casino and navigate to the sign-up page.

2. Create an account by entering the personal information requested.

3. Choose the bonus that you want.

4. Review the terms and conditions to ensure you can meet the set requirements.

5. Select your preferred payment method and make an initial deposit – unless you’ve chosen a no deposit bonus.

6. If required, enter the bonus code and finalise the payment.

7. Your account will be credited with the Welcome Bonus.

No Deposit Bonuses

My favourite type of casino bonus is the no deposit bonus since it lets me play for free at an online casino without having to deposit any of my own money. When you create your online casino account, you immediately receive a credit of a certain amount so that you can begin to play without initially spending your own money.

No deposit bonus can be free cash to play with, free spins on slots or as “chips” for certain table games.

How to Claim a No Deposit Bonus

1. Choose a free no deposit casino.

2. Create an account and complete the registration process as described above.

3. If required, verify your email address.

4. Once your account is active, the no deposit bonus will automatically credit to your account.

5. Start playing for free!

Free Spins Bonus

When you’re playing at an online casino, you deposit real money that you can wager on a range of games to win more real money. When an online casino offers free spins as a bonus, you can play slot games without using your own money. Even though you haven’t bet with real money, if you win, you get to keep your money – that’s quite the perk!

High Roller Bonuses

Many enjoy playing penny slots or betting token amounts on each hand of blackjack. For some people, though, it’s “go big or go home”. For those players, there are high roller bonuses. These bonuses are typically only available to players who have deposited or wagered a certain amount.

Low Wagering Bonuses

To prevent players from simply withdrawing their bonus money without putting any of their own in, online casinos have wagering requirements. Often, these will be incredibly high, making it almost impossible actually to benefit from the bonuses. Some are as high as 30x the bonus amount.

This can be really frustrating for players, especially when these details are hidden deep in the terms and conditions. Seeing how negatively this can affect a casino’s reputation, some online casinos have begun offering low wagering bonuses.

Daily, Weekly and Monthly Promotions

Everyone enjoys having something to look forward to throughout the week or month. Online casinos in South Africa keep players excited to come back, often through daily, weekly or monthly promotions or bonus offers. An example of a popular monthly promotion is free hands of blackjack on the 21st of every month.

Daily bonuses tend to be a small number of free spins or a cashback bonus. Weekly bonuses are generally slightly larger and can include deposit matches. Monthly bonuses may be a larger version of any of these or even a promotion package of all three.

Game Specific Bonuses

With game-specific bonuses, the bonus applies only to a certain game or small pool of games. For example, a free spin bonus that gives you 50 free spins on Starburst or Diamond Fiesta is a game-specific bonus. With a game-specific bonus, you may only use the “chips” you win on one particular table game or table games from one developer.

Mobile Bonuses

Many online casinos have websites optimised for desktop and mobile, but some have taken the next step and have their mobile apps. You can download these mobile apps and play from anywhere with access to the internet. To encourage players to use their apps, online casinos offer bonuses that you can only claim when you download the app, activate a mobile account, and make your first mobile deposit.

Exclusive Casino Bonuses

Anyone can play at online casinos, but exclusive casino bonuses exist to reward those players who have earned VIP status or joined a loyalty rewards program. Players can typically opt-in to a VIP program after their first deposit. However, some online casinos require players to earn a certain number of comp points before they become eligible.

Comp points are points given for each wager made. If you’re familiar with video game systems, consider them as experience points you gain as you play. These points add up to boost you through the levels of the VIP program. At each level, the benefits improve. These exclusive bonuses include free spins, chips, match bonuses, and cashback rewards.

I’ll let you in on a little secret: readers of this site can access an extra exclusive bonus! I’ve worked with several casinos to get our readers some bonus offers that aren’t available to the general public. All you need to do to claim this bonus is click on the link, copy the bonus code, and paste it when prompted.

Online casino bonuses can be a great way to choose which casino(s) to create an account with. Not every bonus is going to be perfect for you. The right bonus for you will depend on your playing style, the types of games that you like to play, and how frequently you play. You should also consider whether or not you’re going to bet enough to be able to meet a high wagering requirement or if you should search for low wager bonuses.

At the end of the day, you have to choose the bonus that works best for you, and some casinos focus on one type of bonus. You can choose between free no deposit bonus casinos, free spins casinos, or cashback casinos.

One important thing to remember is that casinos only advertise how wonderful their bonuses are and how much free money you can get. They do not, however, generally mention the terms and conditions of those bonuses. You will have to sift through the fine print – or trust us to research it for you – to find out exactly how to collect a bonus. The terms and conditions surrounding bonuses can also give insight into how legitimate and trustworthy an online casino is.

Understanding Bonus Offers

Like everything to do with gambling, there is a lot of specialized jargon surrounding bonus offers. This can confuse players, especially those new to online casinos. If you still have questions after reading our guide and the terms and conditions for the bonus you’re interested in, contact customer support for the casino. They will be able to answer your questions accurately and in detail.

A Closer Look at the Top 3 Best Casino Bonuses

There are different types of bonuses depending on what you're looking for. Here are my top three picks for online casinos that offer top-notch bonuses and why they rank top of my list.

Springbok Casino offers an R500 Free No Deposit Bonus, an excellent opportunity for new players. To get this free bonus, create an account, log in, and redeem the code PLAY500. You'll instantly receive R500 free to play! This bonus lets you enjoy a wide range of games at South Africa's leading online casino without any initial deposit, making it a great way to start your gaming experience​

Easybet offers a special R50 Sign Up Bonus + 150% First Deposit Match, a fantastic deal for newcomers. Once you sign up, the R50 bonus is automatically credited to your account. No deposit needed! Use this free bonus for any sports betting and lucky numbers + 25 spins on Sweet Bonanza. It's a great chance to explore their gaming and betting options without spending your own money.

Silversands offers an enticing R400 Free Casino bonus for new players. Here's how it works:

1. Join Silversands Casino for Free: First, you must open a new account with them.

2. Deposit and Get Your Bonus: After setting up your account, you must redeem the code 'PLAY400' at the Cashier section to receive your R400 added to your account.

3. Play and Win Big: With the bonus, you can choose from over 250 top-rated games. This allows you to explore various games and potentially win big.

In addition to an R400 Casino Bonus, Silversands offers up to R8888 as a match bonus. The casino offers new and exciting games like Magic Mushrooms, Rudolph Awakens, Empress Wu, and The Mariachi 5.

Using an example is the clearest way to explain how casino bonus wagering requirements work.

In our example, a casino has a welcome bonus that matches 100% of your first deposit, up to R1,000. It has a wagering requirement of 10x the bonus amount.

If you deposit R100, the bonus will also be R100. Your account will then have R200 in it. You will need to hit the wagering requirement to withdraw the bonus money (the R100 added to your initial deposit). In this case, you will have to wager R1,000 (10 x R100 = R1,000).

In addition, many online casinos have a time limit within which you must meet the wagering requirements. Depending on the type of bonus, it could be anywhere from one to 30 days. You will most likely need to make a further deposit to hit the wagering requirement in time – unless you run into a string of incredibly good luck.

Do All Online Casino Bonuses Have Wagering Requirements?

Yes, all online casino bonuses have wagering requirements. Without a wagering requirement, you could claim a bonus and withdraw the money without spending any of your own money. There are very rare exceptions to this rule. Any marketing materials for bonuses without wagering requirements will clarify this, as it is a major selling point.

Casino Bonus Terms & Conditions

Keep in mind that you should always consider the Ts & Cs of any bonus. Some of these are:

Deposit Requirements

Nearly every online casino has a deposit requirement. You need to deposit this minimum amount to claim a bonus. Obviously, this doesn’t apply to no deposit bonuses!

Playthrough/Wagering Requirements

Wagering requirements are also known as playthrough requirements. This is the amount of money you need to play through – or wager – before you can withdraw any bonus money. Sometimes it applies to any winnings made from the bonus money as well.

Time Restrictions

Time restrictions are there to get you playing as much as possible, as quickly as you can. Many bonuses have a limited validity period. To keep the bonus, you must satisfy any requirements in the set amount of time. For free spins, this means using them within the time window, while for cash bonuses, it means hitting the wagering requirement before time runs out.

Winning Caps

Winning caps are the maximum amount of money you can claim from a bonus. If you have great luck with progressive jackpots, I advise you not to use your bonus to play them, as you could lose out on any winnings over the cap amount.

Restricted Currency/Payment Methods

Certain bonuses are only available to players using a specific currency or payment method. The most common kind of bonus like this that you will see is crypto bonuses. These are rewards only for players who deposit cryptocurrency.

Country Restrictions

Some bonuses are only available to players from certain countries or regions and not others.

• Check out our list of the best South African casino bonuses.

• Consider the benefits of each bonus against your playing style.

• Create an account with the casino.

• Read through the terms and conditions.

• Follow the steps to claim the bonus.

• Don’t ignore the wagering requirements or time limit.

• Be mindful of any country or currency restrictions before depositing your own money.

How casinos calculate bonuses will vary depending on the type of bonus. Deposit match bonuses give you a percentage of your deposit as a bonus. Maths makes a lot of people nervous, so I will demonstrate with an example:

• A casino offers a 50% deposit match bonus with a cap of R1,000 and a minimum deposit of R100. The wagering requirement is 30x the bonus PLUS the deposit.

• If you deposit R200, your bonus will be R100 (50% of R200).

• To make the wagering requirement, you will have to wager R9,000 since that is 30 x (R200 + R100).

• Any deposit over R2,000 will only get you a bonus of R1,000 because that is the bonus cap.

This is a general example, so read the terms and conditions for the bonuses that you’re considering to make sure that you understand the calculation.

Why Are PlayCasino South Africa's Casino Bonus Experts?

• PlayCasino comprises 7 industry experts. Although each has their field of expertise, we also work together as a team.

• We have over 700 casinos in our database (this is a growing number)

• Online casino bonuses are our favourite. Rest easy knowing that we check everything so you don't have to.

• Before publishing any casino bonus information, we put in over 100 hours of research.

• Our sales team always tries to find the best possible deals for our readers. We only recommend operators that offer good value to our readers.

Credible Sources Behind Our Content

We are committed to providing you with reliable information. Our team has conducted thorough research and fact-checking, using only reputable sources to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. Please reach out with any questions.

• Online Casinos - South Africa | Statista

• Exploring high stakes: Gambling trends in South Africa | The Media Online

• South African Department of Trade and Industry

• South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF)

• Gambling White Paper: Socially responsible incentives

• Financial Intelligence Centre Act