There are many factors that go into choosing the proper online casino. In fact the decision to choose a particular online casino is probably the most important decision that a player can make. If they choose right they will be rewarded with a fair and enjoyable gambling experience. If they hurry their decision and choose wrong they may be punished by a lousy gambling experience, a loss of wagers in an unreasonable fashion, and in the worst cases, a loss of their identity and a lifetime of personal struggle. Sound a little harrowing? Well unfortunately the floors of the online gambling halls are littered with the hopes and dreams of novice players that rushed too quickly into a website that sounded enticing. It pays very well to take your time and choose the right casino.

Once the right casino is chosen, and one of the determining factors might very well be, a good initial bonus should be had. If an online casino does not offer a solid initial offering it might be an indication of the quality of service that the online casino provides. This is far from being set in stone and the fact that a casino offers a mediocre sign up bonus might simply indicate that their resources are elsewhere.

One of the best ways that a player can earn money on their gambling is through the use of an online casino’s rakeback program, if they happen to offer one. Rakeback programs are often times misunderstood, or not heard of altogether. Some players think of a rakeback as type of an investment program. A rakeback program allows a player to receive a percentage of the money back that they have wagered. This allows players to continue to finance their bankroll with funds that have already been wagered. This is something that is only found in the online casino environment and should always be taken advantage of. A player might see a 3% rakeback, for example, in one casino and choose to disregard this casino in favor of a casino that offers a $250 sign up bonus. The novice player might see that the sign up bonus is better but the more experienced online gambler will realize that the 3% rakeback will pay off many times over that of the sign up bonus. Rakeback programs were designed to encourage and reward customer loyalty.

While sign up bonuses are a great way to get started they should never be the determining factor in the search for the next great online casino. By searching for casinos that offer a good sign up bonus, and offer continuing bonuses and rakeback programs that reward loyalty, an online casino gambler will be able enjoy their chosen game without the worry of wasting money.

Personally I find the number of different types of bonuses available confusing to the point of irritation. I mean really, how on earth am I supposed to know the difference between a free spin intro offer and a no deposit casino bonus; a monthly top up incentive and a first deposit match bonus? At the end of the day free is free, so if it’s being given to me it must be good, right?

Due to this some what naïve attitude coupled with the confusion regarding the many many many different types of bonuses, it turns out that I’ve been a bit of an idiot. It seems that I have made enough bad decisions for the entire online gaming community with regard to mis-understanding the values of bonuses, and I’ve decided to share my insights with the world in the hope that my mistakes won’t be repeated.

I really went wrong when I got sucked into one off sign-up bonuses. This is how it would go; I’d say, “oh look they’re giving me $100 for free, I’ll go there”. What I didn’t do was look to see what the terms and conditions were of those sign up bonuses; I also didn’t look to see what the ongoing bonuses and promotions were. So, I am now registered with several sites, all of which, have my payment details, have credit of mine in them, however it is credit that I can not withdraw due to something to do with wagering requirements; plus I’ve since given these sites more money even though they only gave me a one off bonuses, just because I was registered with them, so now on my second and third deposit it’s all a one way street - I give they receive.

The error of my ways has now been pointed out to me; staggered promotions are better. A staggered promotion will be a deposit match bonus but instead of matching just one deposit, it will match the first 3, 4 or sometimes even 5, either with a 100% match or a smaller percentage. The advantage of this type of bonus over the one off sign-up bonus is that it commands sustained interest in the site, but it also allows you, or rather me, to spread out my ‘free play’ and really make the most of it. A further advantage of the staggered bonus is that it is usually left for the player to decide when to take advantage, meaning that the player does not have to take the bonus at a particular time but rather he will get the bonus whenever he chooses to make his second deposit, or third deposit etc. This enables for more control of one’s own bankroll taking the bonus credit into account.

I’ve discovered that the big sign up one off promotions are good, but the glitz of the bonus tarnishes quickly and what is left is usually not that impressive.

I really hope this information is useful.