Online Casino Bonuses in Connecticut

Each online casino in Connecticut has bonuses for new customers. Sometimes these bonuses will be free, with no need to spend a dime of your own to play and win real money.

Other times, you will need to deposit some of your own money first, and you’ll wind up with one of several boosts to your bankroll. You might be able to claim free spins, bonus bets, insurance or cash-back promos.

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How to qualify for casino bonuses

For the most part, anyone who can legally gamble online is free to claim a casino bonus. In Connecticut, that means everyone over the age of 21, as long as you are located within state lines. These rules also apply to anyone visiting Connecticut from another state.

However, outside of these basic qualifications, casinos do impose certain restrictions on claiming bonuses.

A typical example is a welcome bonus, which new players can only claim once upon sign-up. Casinos also often require a minimum deposit of your own money before you can trigger a bonus, normally around $10 or $20.

Connecticut online casinos also must verify the identity of anyone who places a bet with them, usually via a copy of your passport, driver’s license or Social Security number. If you fail in the verification process for whatever reason, you may not qualify for a bonus. Equally important as qualifying for a casino bonus are the terms and conditions.

Casino bonus terms and conditions

Fully understanding the terms and conditions is key to getting the most out of your casino bonuses. Never go on the headline alone, and make sure you check the fine print to understand exactly what you need to do with a bonus.

The first thing you should look for is the wagering requirement.

Also known as a playthrough requirement, this is the number of times you need to bet with some bonus cash before it becomes eligible for withdrawal. Any bonus cash you receive — whether from a no deposit bonus, a bonus bet or a boosted deposit — will have a wagering requirement.

The best scenario is just a 1x wagering requirement, which means you simply need to bet the full value of your bonus cash once. After that, it becomes regular money you can withdraw whenever you want.

However, it’s common for bonuses to have significantly higher wagering requirements, particularly if we’re talking about a lot of bonus cash.

For example, let’s say you get a 100% boost on your first deposit of $200, with wagering requirements of 15x. You’ll need to place bets totaling $3,000 before you can actually withdraw any winnings from your bonus.

Some casinos also include the value of your real money deposit in the playthrough requirement, which would mean you’d need to bet $6,000 ([$200 + $200] x 15) to unlock the cash in the case of the example above.

Wagering requirements make a huge difference to the overall value of a casino bonus. Below are some other common conditions to look out for when assessing the best online casino bonuses:

• Time limits — You usually have a limited amount of time to claim a bonus, use it and complete the playthrough requirement.
• Restricted banking methods — Sometimes using a certain payment method will disqualify you from claiming a bonus.
• Restricted games/weighted contributions — Sometimes you can’t use your bonus on certain games, particularly live dealer games. Different games may also count differently toward clearing your wagering requirements, so you may need to gamble even more on certain games to unlock the cash, particularly games with very high return-to-player rates.

Welcome bonuses and first deposit bonuses

Welcome bonuses are promotions for new players only. You can claim a welcome bonus when you register with a casino, and you normally have a limited amount of time to use it once you’ve signed up.

Welcome bonuses are often based on your first deposit, which the casino may match up to a certain limit.

Say your casino has a 100% deposit bonus that maxes out at $2,000. If you sign up and deposit $100, you’ll have $200 to play with in total — your own $100 plus $100 in bonus cash. If you deposit $500 of your own money, you’ll wind up with $1,000 in total.

While you’ll generally always be able to withdraw your own regular money, you won’t be able to withdraw the bonus cash until you meet the wagering requirement.

No deposit casino bonuses

With a no deposit bonus, you don’t need to spend or deposit any of your own money. Instead, the casino will give you a small amount of bonus cash when you register an account.

No deposit bonuses will be much smaller in value overall than deposit bonuses. In general, you might be able to get $10 or $20 bonus. As always, the money is subject to wagering requirements, but if you clear them it is a chance to play and win real money for free.

No deposit bonuses are great for lower-stakes players who don’t want to make a deposit right away, and for people who just want to test out a casino before deciding whether to commit any money.

How to clear your bonus

You need to clear your bonus cash before you can withdraw any of the proceeds or winnings. Clearing your bonus involves fulfilling all the requirements that come with the bonus — the most significant of which are the wagering requirements that we’ve talked about above.

You’ll also have a time limit to clear your bonus. Otherwise, it will disappear. Once you’ve met the wagering requirements, whatever money is left from your bonus (whether it’s more or less than the original sum) converts into cash that you can withdraw — whether it’s $1 or $1,000.

Before you can withdraw any money, the casino will need to verify your identity. This often happens when you sign up, although sometimes the casino will let you create an account and start betting without verification. You’ll still need to do it before it’ll let you withdraw.

It’s also important to play responsibly when aiming to clear your bonus. Remember that bonuses are supposed to make your life easier, so don’t go crazy playing more than you feel comfortable with trying to clear some wagering requirements before the time runs out.

What is the easiest welcome bonus to clear in Connecticut?

It’s no secret that casino bonuses can sometimes be hard to clear. Casinos need to strike that magic balance of offering a genuinely valuable bonus with achievable wagering requirements, while also not just handing out free money.

The DraftKings Casino bonus is worth up to $135. More bonus money is great since it means you get to play more games for longer, but it also likely means a higher playthrough requirement.

That’s the case here, with DraftKings offering its funds as a deposit matching bonus with a 15x wagering requirement on the deposit plus the bonus amount. The refund takes the form of site credits, which you’ll need to wager once. Any winnings from wagering the site credits are then yours to do with as you wish, likely making this the easier welcome bonus to clear.

Which type of casino bonus has the best value?

As you can probably tell by now, the best value bonus really all depends on the player.

If you’re a micro-stakes player who enjoys online casino games but doesn’t like regularly depositing money into your account, a matching bonus with a high maximum and high wagering requirement won’t be much use to you. Instead, a smaller no deposit bonus will probably be much more attractive, since you’ll be able to play at your preferred stakes, essentially for free.

On the other hand, higher volume and higher stakes players would use up a $20 bonus very quickly, for instance. For them, a boost on their deposits is probably a lot more valuable.

The extra insurance for your first 24 hours at Mohegan Sun Casino, meanwhile, is likely appealing to some players who might not quite fall into either of the two extremes above.

Are there any bonuses specifically for blackjack, craps or roulette players?

You rarely find bonuses dedicated to specific games, with the obvious exception of free spins for slots. But, unless otherwise specified, you can use deposit bonuses or bonus cash to play table games for real money.

Blackjack and online roulette games may each count toward clearing your bonus (sometimes at different rates, depending on the RTP). You won’t normally find online casino bonuses for blackjack, or any other game, though.

That said, casinos do sometimes have ongoing promotions involving select table games. There could be happy hour blackjack, for example, where you can reclaim some of your losses if you play at a specific time, or promotions for enhanced payouts on select numbers in roulette.

Why are bonuses usually geared toward slot players?

There is a very simple reason for this, and that is that playing slots online is the most popular way to gamble.

The majority of the games menu at Connecticut online casinos is slots, and by quite a significant margin. Casinos can use free spins and other slot bonuses to alert people to the latest releases, and slots normally contribute 100% to clearing the wagering requirements of any bonus cash.

Slots are also very fun and diverse. Long gone are the days of simple three-reel slot machines filled with cherries and BARs. Instead, modern slots can be more like mini Xbox games, with narratives and 3D animations, crazy expandable reels and recurring characters.

Also, unlike something like blackjack, slots rarely require any strategy. They’re all about sitting back and hoping to get lucky.

Other types of casino bonuses in Connecticut

Deposit bonuses, no deposit bonuses, and others are by no means the full story. There are plenty of other online casino promotions out there, both for new and existing players. Here are some of the most common found at existing and new casino sites:

• Free spins — A free spin represents one free turn on a real money slot. Casinos may throw in some free spins as part of a welcome bonus or hand out weekly free spins for all players.
• Reload bonus — Works in a similar way to a boosted deposit bonus, but not reserved for first deposits only.
• Refer a friend — If you get a friend to sign up, you can both reap the benefits. Normally you’ll have a unique code that you share with your friends, and if they use it when they sign up, you’ll each receive some extra bonus money or free spins.
• Refund bonuses/insurance — With these bonuses, the casino will let you claim back some of your losses over a given period of time.
• Loyalty bonuses/VIP programs — These may let you earn reward points as you play, which you can redeem for bonus cash, free spins or other benefits.

What is a casino bonus code and how does it work?

A bonus code or promo code is essentially a password that unlocks a bonus. If an online casino requires such a code to claim a bonus, you’ll likely see an optional field where you type it in as you go through the sign-up process. Once you finish the registration, your bonus should be waiting for you in your account.

Some casinos let you use bonus codes after you’ve already signed up, normally in the cashier or profile section of your account.

It’s important to remember that every single bonus you claim online comes with terms and conditions, and if you don’t fulfill them, you will forfeit the bonus.

FAQs

What is a promo code?

A promo code is like a password that you may need to use to unlock a casino bonus.

Who can claim a casino bonus?

Generally, if you’re eligible to sign up at a casino, you’ll qualify to claim a bonus. In Connecticut, you need to be at least 21 years old to create an account and located within the state to place a bet.

Are welcome bonuses legal?

Yes, welcome bonuses are totally legal. Casinos and sportsbooks use them to encourage people to sign up.

Can I reuse a promo code?

Promo codes are normally one-time-only offers. Once you claim your bonus, you can’t use the code again.

Do bonus offers and codes run out?

Yes. Both bonuses and promo codes expire, and you should check the expiration date to make sure you don’t miss out.

Can I win real money from using a casino bonus?

Yes, although there are always terms and conditions for any casino bonus you claim. There may also be a cap on how much you can win from using a casino bonus.