Best Online Poker Bonuses For Biggest Winnings in the US

American gamblers had been playing poker for many years, like other casino games, but they were forced out of the American space by a conservative movement in the early 1900s. They returned towards the end of the 20th century, and in fact, Planet Poker became the first online poker casino to deal with real money online poker in 1998. Then came the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006, which restricted many gambling franchisees’ online activities and forced most casino and poker sites out of the US. In 2011, the US Department of Justice declared online poker, casino games, and lotteries as legal if approved by a state. Nevada and New Jersey were the first two states to pass bills that regulate online poker sites’ activities in their states. Online Poker launched in both states in 2013.

Today, it is also legal in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Delaware. Online poker casino bonuses are rewards for poker players that encourage them to keep playing at a particular casino. Gambling regulations demand that an online poker site must partner with a land-based casino to begin operations in a specific state. There are about 7 poker rooms across 4 states that have legalized online poker rooms. However, none is yet to launch in West Virginia. This article provides an overview of the common poker casino bonuses, how to find them, and take advantage of them.

Best Poker Casino Sites

888 Casino

$500

Payments

+5

Visit Review

Golden Nugget Casino

$1500 + 200 FS

Payments

+5

Visit Review

PokerStars Online Casino

$600

Payments

+5

Visit Review

Types of Online Poker Casino Bonuses

Poker casino bonuses are of a wide variety and are designed to keep you coming back for more. They all follow the same general pattern and can be either of the following:

• Online poker no deposit bonuses: A no deposit bonus is just as the name implies – free cash that the poker room gives new players to try out their real money games before making their first deposit. The bonus can be as high as $30 and usually has a wagering requirement.
• Match bonuses: Like many online casinos, most poker rooms match the bettor’s first and sometimes second deposit to 100 percent, up to about $1,000. The bonuses also have a wagering requirement that is significantly higher than that of no deposit bonuses.
• Free tournament entries: New players at Poker rooms offer occasional free entries into tournaments with guaranteed prize pools. Pokerstars, for example, provides a depositor freeroll ticket, which provides a free pass into a contest that runs on the last Sunday of every month.
• Loyalty or VIP Programs: Loyalty programs are usually a tier-based scheme that rewards loyal players with rewards as they move through the ranks. Some offer flat rates as well, and you can use the bonuses to earn free cash or gain free tournament entries.
• Reload bonuses: Reload bonuses are designed to encourage old players to keep making deposits too. The poker room will also match their deposits, although the percentage is a lot less than welcome bonuses.
• Occasional promotional offers: Each poker room tends to have unique promotional offers that make them enticing in their own right. Check out the poker site for current offers and how to take advantage of them.

Many of these bonuses require promo codes to activate them. There are also wagering requirements, no matter how small, and time limits usually apply. It is essential to find out the wagering requirements before signing up for a bonus, which may influence how easy it is to claim it.

How Do Online Poker Bonuses Work?

While these Poker casinos want to encourage and incentivize new players, they do not intend to run at a loss, which would happen if every new player were to cash out their bonuses. As such, each bonus offer comes with a wagering requirement that the players must meet before they can cash them out. At poker rooms, the Return To Player (RTP) on games is a vital consideration as this determines how likely you are to win and claim your bonus when you wager the bonus on a particular game. Consequently, you must also identify any games excluded from those you can wager the bonus on. All these considerations will give you a better chance of claiming that freebie.

How To Claim Online Poker Casino Bonuses

As explained, claiming a bonus offer could be anywhere from pretty easy to extremely difficult. Note that these bonuses are not restricted to welcome offers alone.

• Identify the Bonus offer that works best for you: This is paramount. If you don’t have much to deposit, it might be counter-productive to sign up at a poker casino with a huge matching deposit bonus.
• Register: This is pretty obvious. Once you identify your preferred provider, you need an account to qualify for the bonuses. Some poker casinos give you bonuses for just signing up, while some others require you to make a deposit first. You may need a promo code too.
• Meet the wagering requirements: Each bonus offer has a unique wagering requirement before you can claim it.  It is key to check the site’s website for their Terms and Conditions before signing up for any offer.

Online Poker Casino Bonuses on Mobile Apps

Mobile apps are on the rise in the US, with almost every online site now operating a mobile app. These apps are available on Android and iOS and mostly operate as efficiently as the web versions. The offers on the sites tend to be the same on the apps, but there is hardly any specific bonus for playing on a mobile app.

Online Poker Casino with Bonus Codes

Across the four states in the US where online poker gambling is legal and currently operates, the following poker rooms are the top providers with promo codes.

How to Find The Best Poker Casino Bonus?

Research is key to finding the best bonus offers. Asides from those listed above, there are a few others that don’t require bonus codes. Check out poker casino review pages for more details.

Poker Variations to Play With Poker Bonuses

There are four major poker variations you can play online, and you can play most with the bonuses. They include:

• Cash games
• Poker tournaments
• SNGs
• Fast-Fold Poker

Conclusion

Poker casino bonuses are useful to help new players get up to speed with how the games work and also have the advantage of providing earnings with little or no deposit. On the flip side, the wagering requirement can sometimes be too much to handle. In all, it’s a good proposition, and you should check them out available offers when signing up at a Poker casino.