History of Deposit Bonuses

Every time you turn around today, online casino bonuses are in your face and email. And depending on the online casino, it might be in your social media profile for exclusive rewards and perks. But have you ever asked yourself how online casino bonuses came to be? How about together we explore the lucrative history of online casino bonuses?

Thank Traditional Casino Bonuses

Online casinos can never thank brick-and-mortar casinos enough for paving the way for online casino bonuses. Before casinos expanded, they were relegated to cities like Reno, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Montenegro, and Macau.

To compete against rival casinos, the land-based casinos offered reward points for their members. These reward points became the foundation for today's mega online casino VIP clubs. These casinos distributed branded cards to their members to help them keep tabs on the games they play, which builds points. These reward points translate to favorable room rates or sometimes free room and board.

As the 1990s progressed, so did the internet. While you won't find a dial-up modem today, the first wave of online casinos began on dial-up modems. The first online casinos were offshore casinos due to licensing agreements. However, today, many American states support online casinos and sports betting.

The inaugural online casinos enticed new members to join through welcome bonuses. Again, these welcome bonuses were modeled after the regular casino bonuses.

Gaming Developers Role in Casino Bonuses

Real Time Gaming and Wager Gaming Software were two of the first online casino game developers. To help new members join their brand of online casinos, they often included bonus codes with their installation software. New members then received a CD with the coupon code to be entered on their computers. This is how the modern-day casino bonus codes got their start.

The CD bonus code was also the birth of the modern-day no-deposit bonus. With this risk-free bet, sometimes as low as $5, players worldwide found it too hard to pass up these online casinos.

As the Internet Evolved

As the internet evolved, so did casino bonus codes. With more bandwidth came better streaming from these online casinos. With more emphasis on web design and functionality, so did a more extensive customer base. With the more significant customer base, online casinos had to compete harder against rival online casinos for members. As a result, the deposit bonus was introduced, and no-deposit bonuses increased.

Today's deposit bonuses often include a 100% matching worth thousands of dollars in bonus money. Also, no-deposit bonuses expanded to have larger free chip values and generous free spins to draw you in.

Online Tournaments and Bonuses

In the 2010s, offshore casinos led the way with tournaments, including poker tournaments. As a result, freeroll and tournament bonuses were born. And as New Jersey became the first state to legalize online gambling, sports betting, and online poker, the rise of American casinos took bonuses another notch.

Determine to compete against the top offshore casinos like Ignition, American online casinos combined their rewards programs from their brick-and-mortar casinos with their online casino brands. This opened the door for players to quickly build and advance through the loyalty levels to stack exclusive bonuses and prizes.