There are many different types of casino bonuses that you can avail of and these include welcome packages, signup offers, no deposit specials, free time deals, free spins, high roller offers, cashback and reload incentives.

Welcome Package - The welcome package offered by online casinos is sometimes multiple bonuses that are packaged as one main offer. These are available to all new players who sign up for a real player casino account. Many of these are advertised to players as large sums of cash, so when you see this it is important to read the specifics of the offer. In most cases you will find that with welcome packages players receive a particular percentage over a number of deposits. This might be 100% on your 1st deposit, 150% on your second deposit, 50% on your third deposit and so forth until the cash sum is reached. It is quite usual to see these packages advertised as "$3,000 Welcome Bonus", so when you see this you can be sure that a package deal is being offered.

Sign-up or First Deposit Bonus - This is type of promotion is offered to new players receive when they first register to Canadian online casino sites. The sign-up promotion can be anything from a welcome package to a no deposit offer. The sign up bonus is used as an incentive to get new players to create an account with the casino and this is where the majority of casino competition comes into play. The better the signup offer, the more likely people are to sign up for a casino account. Most commonly, the signup offer is a first deposit bonus and this is free casino money that is offered to players when they make their first deposit. Players usually receive a percentage on their first deposit in free credits which gives them a larger bankroll to play with. These signup offers will also have a limit to the amount of free cash a player will receive, so you will probably see something like 200% bonus up to $500 free. In this example, a $250 deposit would attain the maximum free credits ($250 x 200%). A deposit of $100 would attain $200 extra credits. The same is true for sports betting. If you're interested in wagering on sports events in Canada, these sites offer similar promotions.

High Roller - The high roller promotion is aimed at those who like to deposit large sums of money and play for larger jackpots. With these offers players usually have to deposit $1,000 or more and they receive a percentage match bonus in return. These promotional offers are not for normal players and when you sign up as a high roller player there are normally some additional perks that you receive too. Again it is advisable to read the conditions and wagering requirements attached to these special offers.

Cashback - The cashback offer is a great way to recoup your losses. Many casinos offer a monthly cashback incentive where players receive a percentage of their losses back at the end of each month. This is usually between 10 and 15%. This special offer can also pertain to your deposits and players receive a percentage cashback on the amount that they have deposited during the month. If an online casino offers a cashback promotion, be sure to check whether it is on your losses or your deposits so that you know exactly what you are getting.

Reload - Reload bonuses are special offers that reward existing players to make another deposit after claiming all of the welcome offers. These promotions are quite common to retain customers. You might receive a reload offer once a month, over the course of a weekend or as a one-time offer. These promotions are given as a percentage of your deposit amount.

No Deposit Offers - The no deposit bonus became very popular in 2011 with more and more online casinos offering this type of promotion in a bid to encourage more players to sign up. The great thing about the no deposit incentive is that all new players can claim free casino money without having to make a deposit first. This allowed them to test out all the casino games and if they decided to stay on and make a deposit they were still eligible to claim the first deposit promotion that was being offered by the casino. The no deposit deal proved to be very successful indeed and in some cases players were able to withdraw their winnings once they reached the wagering requirements. There are still no deposit offers available today and if you want to test a new casino risk-free, these are the offers to look for.

Free Time - The free time incentive is somewhat similar to a no deposit offer and there are many online casinos that offer this to new players. Players are given free casino chips and an allotted amount of time in which they try to win as much as they can. You do need to check the conditions for these types of offers and many restrict the games you can play. It is also worth checking whether you get to keep some or all of your winnings. Again, for those who want to try out a new online casino, this is a great promotional offer to take advantage of. If you decide to keep playing at the casino, you can claim the welcome package that is being offered too.

Free Spins - The free spins incentive is where an online casino gives new players a number of free spins on their online slots or a specific online slots game. Players receive these free spins when they sign up for an account and can then try to win as much as they can. You will find that progressive jackpots cannot be won with this type of promotional offer. If you decide that you enjoy playing at the casino you will still be eligible to claim the first deposit offer or welcome package that is available to all new players.

Game-Specific

If you prefer to play very specific casino games, such as Jack's or Better video poker or Vegas Strip blackjack, it is worth keeping an eye out for deals specifically for your favourite game. These promotions can be for slot machines, video poker, blackjack and more. If this sounds like something that interests you, be sure to look for the special coupon codes that are typically required to redeem these promotions.

Slot Machines - If you are a slots enthusiast, a slots bonus is going to really benefit you. This is a promotion that can use solely for playing the slot machines offered by the casino. They can come in the form of free spins or deposit incentives. If you claim a 100% slots bonus up to $500, it will mean that the extra credits you receive can only be used to play slots games. It is advisable to check the terms and conditions attached to this offer as you may void your winnings if you use your free credits to play other games.

Video Poker - A video poker bonus is perfect for those who prefer to spend their time playing video poker games. This is another promotion that you can choose to claim when you sign up for a real player account. The extra credits that you receive with your deposit can be used to enjoy all the video poker games that the casino has to offer. The wagering requirements will be different than the welcome package or any other offer, so it's advised to review them to determine exactly what games you can play.

Blackjack - Blackjack has risen in popularity and many online casinos now offer blackjack promotions for players. This allows players to use free credits to play blackjack games with a unique set of wagering requirements, terms and conditions. If you choose a blackjack bonus, you will not be eligible to choose any of the other sign up offers that are listed at the casino. If you enjoy playing only blackjack games, then this is the deal for you.

Other Table Games - When you see Table Games offers, these promotions are traditional for table games that exclude blackjack, such as roulette, baccarat, craps and more. The full list of eligible games will be provided in the terms for this deal and it is worth reading them to ensure that your planned game play doesn't void your winnings.

Software-Specific

Online casinos license software from the same providers so quite often, the difference between two casinos will be in the promotions that they offer. Here a few of the most popular platforms:

Microgaming - Microgaming is the world's largest provider of online gaming software. They offer a download and an instant play version of their casino. There are over 600 unique games in the download version and over 300 in the instant play version. Most Microgaming casinos offer very attractive promotions, no deposit bonus offers or the unique Free Time promotions which give players the first 1 Hour Free to play casino games and keep their winnings. Microgaming bonuses are some of the fairest online today due to the ClearPlay System that they use. With ClearPlay, players can get a clear view of the wager requirements needed to fulfil the terms and conditions. Since wager requirements are often quite complicated to determine, especially after making a variety of bets over time, this type of transparency is really valuable to players.

Playtech - Playtech casinos typically offer welcome packages, high roller deals and game-specific promotions. They are well-known for huge welcome packages that span over multiple deposits up to a year after registration. They are also known for offering the lowest wagering requirements on the web today. It is worth noting that some Playtech promotions are cashable, while others are not. Also known as "sticky", non-cashable bonuses can be used to wager, but you cannot withdraw the promotional credits.

NetEnt - Famous for their java-based 3D slots games, NetEnt casinos have become popular in Canada within the past 2-3 years. NetEnt casino software does not support coupon codes, but Canadians can still expect attractive deposit and no deposits that are automatically credited to the player account. Since the strength of this software platform are the 3D slots, this software features "free spins" bonuses. Free spins are offered on all games or specific games that are featured every month - depends on the operator. Also these free spins are either automatically available or may need to be requested from customer support - again, operator dependent.

RTG - RealTime Gaming (RTG) casinos offer a range of great promotional offers - probably more than anyone else. They are known to offer some of the biggest numbers in the industry - both deposit and no deposit bonuses. Reload deals and game-specific promotions are also offered to reward players for playing. In order to redeem any of the offers listed at a RTG casino, you will need to use bonus codes which have to be entered into the cashier section when making a deposit.

Rival - Rival casinos are known for their high percentage deals, free time bonuses and frequent no deposit promotions. It is advised that you read the terms and conditions for each promotional offer before hitting the claim button though - many Rival Casinos have high wagering requirements and max withdrawal limits which make some promotions too good to be true.

Betsoft - Betsoft casinos are hugely popular for their 3D slots games, but the software doesn't support bonuses. With the current structure, players in Canada can expect very basic deposit rewards such as 100% up to $100 free. Some Betsoft casinos do offer things like contests and free spins, but most offer a percentage multiplier on a player's deposit.

Online casinos have to pay high fees when players use credit cards to make their deposits. Lower fees are charged on e-wallets such as Moneybookers and Instadebit and many of the top online casinos will reward players for using these low fee banking methods. Players can get an additional 5 - 15% bonus with every deposit they make with these casino payment methods:

Moneybookers - Moneybookers, now called Skrill, is one of the most popular online payment methods available. You can add money to your Moneybookers account via bank transfer or credit card where deposits and withdrawals are made easily to and from your casino account. Regulated and monitored by the Financial Services Authority in the United Kingdom, many online casinos offer a 10-15% Moneybookers bonus with every deposit.

InstaDebit - Becoming hugely popular in Canada, InstaDebit is an online account that allows users to make deposits and withdrawals directly from your bank account. Registration is super-fast and InstaDebit is easy to use. Some Canadian online casinos offer an InstaDebit bonus between 5-15% with each deposit.

Ukash - Ukash is an online payment service based in the UK that is quickly making advances in Canada. You don't need a credit or debit card. Instead, visit a local store that displays the PayPoint sign and request a Ukash voucher for the amount you want to deposit in your favourite casino. Casinos typically offer a 5-10% Ukash bonus with every deposit.

Neteller - Neteller was a Calgary based casino payment solution that became hugely popular when Paypal was purchased by eBay and quickly withdrew from processing online casino payments. As a Canadian company, Neteller chose not to accept Canadian casino customers due to liability issues. Although still popular in Europe, Canadians cannot take advantage of Neteller bonuses.

Redeeming many of the special deals and promotions from online casinos can be more difficult that you might expect. Some online casinos use coupon codes that you have to enter into the cashier section of the casino. Others use bonus codes that have to be emailed to the customer support team in order to receive the promotional deal. There are also other promotional offers that are automatically added to your account unless you state that you do not want to receive any promotions. 99% of the time, the method used relates to the casino software being used. Here is a brief overview of how to redeem these promotions:

Coupon Codes (in the cashier) - If the online casino you choose to play at requires that coupon codes be used when claiming any of the special offers and promotions they have up for grabs you need to be aware that these codes must be entered into the cashier section of the casino before you make your deposit. If you make your deposit without entering the code required you will not be able to redeem the promotion. This is especially important if you are a new player at the casino as the welcome packages offered will be forfeited if you do not follow the instructions correctly and you will lose out on a great deal of free casino money.

Bonus Codes (via email) - When coupon codes are not supported by a specific software platform, casino deals have to be redeemed by email. Players are required to email the code to customer support who will then add the free credits or free spins to your account. Normally, the initial deposit is required before contacting the support team and these extra credits will then be added to the account within 24 hours or as the terms and conditions state.

Automatic Credits - Some online casino bonuses are automatically credited to your account as soon as you meet certain requirements - whether it is simply a deposit or by making a certain number of wagers. Instant no deposit bonuses are often available as soon as the registration is complete. With every promotion, there are terms and conditions. If you are not content with these terms, players are required to email customer service to discontinue the automatic free credits.

All casino promotions are designed as an incentive to attract customers to complete a specific action. These promotional credits are not instantly converted to real money or online casinos would be out of business. Terms and conditions are something that all Canadians should be aware of prior to redeeming a free casino bonus. Here are the five major aspects to review in the terms:

Cashable - Cashable bonuses are promotions that become available for withdrawal once a player has met with the wagering requirements attached to a promotional offer. Microgaming casinos use ClearPlay as a special type of cashable bonus. These are weighted at different percentages and the free credits are gradually converted to cash whilst you complete the wagering requirements.

Non-Cashable - Non-cashable bonuses are often called sticky or phantom bonuses. These are promotional credits that can be used to wager on games, but the free credits cannot be cashed out. A phantom bonus will disappear when you cash out, but the sticky bonus will remain in the account until you wager and lose it all.

Wagering Requirements - While online casinos may seem very generous, they do have criteria in place to stop the system being abused. These are generally called wagering or play-through requirements. You will always find these hidden away in the bonus terms and conditions and every casino has different wagering requirements. Typically, you will see wagering requirements between 20-30x. This means that the free credits must be wagered 20-30 times before they are eligible to be withdrawn. Some casinos require the deposit amount plus the bonus amount to be wagers X number of times before an eligible withdrawal. It may sound simple enough, but many casinos apply different wagering percentages to different games. It is common for slots games to count toward 100% of the wager requirements, but games like roulette and blackjack can be much less - perhaps only 2-10%.

Excluded Games - Excluded games are pretty much exactly as they appear - they are games that do not count towards the wagering requirements. Be aware of these before you start playing. Some casinos you void your bonus if you play these games with the promotional credits.

Maximum Withdrawals - When it comes to online casino bonuses, the max withdrawals relate to the maximum amount of your winnings that are eligible to withdraw if promotional credits were used to win. This is common with no deposit bonuses, free spins and free time offers. Understandably, this is an important clause - especially if you win a progressive jackpot worth thousands or millions, the amount that you are eligible to withdraw is capped. The max withdrawal amount will be listed in the terms and conditions, but will not likely be listed for standard sign-up and welcome packages.