Cashback Bonuses

Cashback rewards are a type of promotion that's often seen in online casinos, and they're essentially a special type of bonus that's earned in a different way than most. Instead of depositing and having your bonus based on a percentage of your deposit, the value of a cashback bonus is frequently determined by the amount you play or net losses over a given time. There are a few different ways that this type of promotion can be offered, and the following breaks down the possibilities to make it easier for players to know what to expect.

Cashback Based on Net Loss

What's probably the most popular type of cashback reward is one based on net loss during a period of time. For example, if a player has a net loss of $200 with a 15 percent cashback offer, that would equate to a bonus worth 15 percent of $200, which is $30. This would be on top of any promotions or bonuses that the player earned already from depositing or other activities, so it's important to not just look at "15 percent" and think that it's not worth your time. It's icing on the cake and a second chance to win at your favorite games by getting money you wouldn't have received otherwise, and that's something that should always be welcomed.

The Total Wager Method

A second way to calculate the value of a cashback bonus is through a percentage of the total amount of wagers made. This is less popular in online casino play and much more popular in online sports and bingo games, but you will see it available for online casino promotions sometimes, especially with loyalty programs. To give an example, if you have a 1 percent cashback reward on slots, and you play 1,000 spins worth $0.25 each, you've wagered a total of $250. A 1 percent cashback reward on that play would be $2.50. That might not sound like a lot, but what it breaks down to is the equivalent of ten free spins on the same game.

And this gets back to a central tenet that you'll need to make sure you keep in mind when it comes to any type of cashback reward: They are rarely the primary promotion or source of bonus value that you'll be getting. Instead, they'll be an addition to some other primary source of value like a big deposit bonus.

Terms, Conditions and Getting Your Bonus

The range of terms and conditions for these promotions varies quite a bit. Some are treated like cash that's added to your account with no restrictions, and others are treated like bonuses with wagering requirements that have to be met before you can cash out. Along these lines, you can also be paid out on different schedules. Some pay out regularly every day, week or month, and others allow you to release your cashback to your account whenever you want provided that you've met some kind of minimum amount. This can be as low as $1.00, so it's not nearly as restrictive as it might sound.

The Bottom Line on Cashback Bonuses

Getting free money for playing something you were going to be playing anyway is a deal that no one can really be unhappy with. Even though there are different ways that online casinos might handle cashback, the bottom line is that it's even more value than you were going to be getting through the other promotions you've taken advantage of, and that's something that players will always appreciate because it gives them more chances to bet and win.