Many online casinos offer bonuses to blackjack players. Such deals provide an opportunity to make additional money on the side of your play.
However, not all blackjack bonuses are great deals. Some come with unreasonable terms and conditions that can make them less valuable than slots bonuses.
With that said, you’ll want to spend some time figuring out if a blackjack offer is worthwhile before claiming it. The following guide discusses what to focus on regarding these deals and how to ultimately find out if they’re worthy.
Main Components of a Blackjack Bonus
Blackjack deals are more complex than they may appear at first glance. Here are all of the components that go into determining the value of these bonuses.
Match Percentage
Most blackjack offers are deposit bonuses. Therefore, you need to place a deposit before you’re eligible to collect bonus cash.
The casino will then match a percentage of your cash deposit to a certain amount.
Here’s an example of how this works:
- A gaming or gambling site features a 100% match bonus worth up to $250.
- You deposit $150.
- You’re now eligible for a $150 bonus.
Just like the example above, gaming sites normally match your deposit by 100%. However, you can find match percentages that are either higher or lower depending upon the casino.
For example, a generous online casino may match your deposit by 150%. Meanwhile, a less-generous gaming site might only provide a 50% match. The latter is most common with reload bonuses (covered later).
Bonus Size
You must deposit the minimum amount required by a casino to qualify for any deal. If the casino’s minimum deposit is $10, for example, then you don’t need much money to chase a bonus.
The drawback to only meeting the minimum amount, though, is that you won’t be able to earn as much free money.
Therefore, you might want to deposit more to go after more bonus cash. This is where an offer’s maximum size comes in to play.
For example, one casino might feature a 100% match bonus worth up to $100. Meanwhile, another may provide a 100% match bonus worth up to $500. If you’re a high roller, then you’ll definitely appreciate the second offer more.
Terms and Conditions
Every online blackjack bonus comes with conditions and terms attached. You must always satisfy the terms before you can start withdrawing your bonus.
As I’ll discuss more in-depth later, playthrough (also called rollover) is an especially important term. It determines how much money you’ll have to wager before you can cash out.
You also need to meet rollover within the allotted time frame. Most online casinos offer between 30 and 180 days to satisfy this term.
Of course, you must visit your account section and “claim” the bonus before even starting on the playthrough. Gaming sites normally give you three to seven days to complete this step before the offer disappears.
Online casinos also place a limit on the maximum amount that you can bet with any active bonus. For example, they may require you to wager $100 or less until satisfying rollover.
Sometimes, blackjack doesn’t even qualify for deals. With that said, you should always visit a casino’s terms and conditions section and read it carefully before pursuing any offer.
How High Is the Playthrough?
As mentioned above, rollover is extremely important regarding blackjack bonuses. In fact, it’s the main aspect that you want to consider when searching for quality bonuses.
Blackjack playthrough can vary wildly from one casino to the next. One gaming site may only attach 40x rollover to a bonus, while another might require 200x playthrough.
Here’s a comparison that shows how much more you’ll need to wager with the second offer:
Bonus #1
- You qualify for a $200 bonus.
- Rollover is 40x.
- 200 x 40 = $8,000 must be wagered
Bonus #2
- You qualify for a $200 bonus.
- Rollover is 200x.
- 200 x 200 = $40,000 must be wagered
Obviously, you want lower rollover when it comes to bonuses. Anything ranging from 30x to 60x constitutes a fair deal.
You should stay away from blackjack deals that carry between 100x and 200x playthrough. The only exception to this rule is if it involves an online casino that you love for one reason or another.
Comparing Blackjack Bonuses to Slots Bonuses
When it comes to blackjack and slots bonuses, you’ll notice that the latter features a much lower rollover. The reason why is because slots don’t pay back as much as online blackjack on average.
A standard internet slot offers between 95% and 97% RTP. Meanwhile, the average blackjack game delivers between 99% and 99.5% RTP.
Note:
Ideally, a blackjack and slots bonus would feature roughly equal rollover. You could just play the blackjack game in this scenario and profit more from bonuses.
Of course, the top online gambling sites are well aware of this situation. They attach higher rollover to blackjack deals as a result. You should compare online slots and blackjack bonus at a casino to see which delivers more value. Here’s an example of doing so:
Slots Bonus
- You qualify for a $100 bonus.
- Rollover is 30x.
- 100 x 30 = $3,000 must be wagered
- You play a slot with 96.0% RTP (4% house edge).
- 3,000 x 0.04 = $120 in theoretical losses
- 120 – 100 = $20 in overall theoretical losses Blackjack Bonus
Blackjack Bonus
- You qualify for a $100 bonus.
- Rollover is 200x.
- 100 x 200 = $20,000 must be wagered
- You play a blackjack game with 99.3% RTP (0.7% house edge).
- 20,000 x 0.007 = $140 in theoretical losses
- 140 – 100 = $40 in overall theoretical losses
In this particular instance, the slots deal provides better value despite having much lower RTP. You should get into the habit of making such comparisons. You’ll be able to figure out when blackjack bonuses are more valuable than slots offers, or vice versa.
Are Other Promotions Available at the Casino?
When you sign up and deposit at an online casino, you’re making both a time and financial commitment. Therefore, you don’t want to hop around dozens of casinos just to find blackjack deals.
The more-preferable route involves choosing a site that offers more promotions beyond just a blackjack welcome bonus. Here are some other deals to keep in mind when searching for a gaming site.
Reload Bonuses
A welcome bonus is the offer that you see flashing across a homepage. For example, you may see something like: “100% match bonus worth up to $1,000.”
Casinos put forth their most impressive deals on the homepage. After all, they want to recruit as many new players as possible. But what kind of deals do they offer after the fact?
Herein lies the importance of reload bonuses. The latter are bonuses that are available long after a welcome bonus has expired.
Gaming sites don’t usually provide as great of bonuses to existing players. Of course, there’s still some separation between quality and less desirable reload bonuses.
Your benefit more from a 75% match blackjack bonus worth up to $200, for example, versus a 50% match offer worth up to $100.
Free Bets (Live Dealer Blackjack)
Many online casinos now feature live-dealers studios. As a result, you can enjoy live dealer blackjack at numerous gaming sites today.
Free bets are common offers associated with live blackjack. They allow you to earn back losses stemming from your first bet.
Here’s an example of a free wager:
Here’s an example of a free wager:
- You place a deposit and receive a free bet worth up to $25.
- You make the first bet and lose.
- Rollover is 10x.
- 25 x 10 = $250 must be wagered
Most free blackjack bets are worth between $20 and $25. However, you may be able to find even larger offers by looking long enough.
VIP Rewards
Many online casinos feature loyalty programs that let you pick up extra rewards through blackjack. Some of the most common benefits of the other programs include:
- More deposit bonuses
- Cashback
- Free spins
- Free bets
- Higher deposit and withdrawal limits
Each loyalty program can differ from the next. You should spend time browsing a gaming site’s VIP plan. Furthermore, you want to ensure that blackjack play qualifies for all available rewards.
No Deposit Bonus
Most no deposit bonuses revolve around slots. Nevertheless, certain gaming sites also feature blackjack no deposit bonuses.
These offers let you qualify for a bonus simply for completing the registration. Afterward, you’ll receive a small amount of cash.
You use these funds to generate real-money blackjack winning. Assuming you meet the terms and conditions, you’ll be able to cash out the funds.
Here’s an example of how blackjack no deposit bonuses work:
- You complete registration and receive $20.
- Playthrough is 40x.
- 20 x 40 = $800
- You have $15 remaining after satisfying the playthrough.
You can withdraw the $15 assuming that amount meets the minimum cashout. If it doesn’t, then you’ll need to keep playing until you have enough to make the minimum withdrawal (e.g., $20).
In some cases, you may even have to deposit before cashing out the money. Again, you always want to read the terms and conditions to see what’s required.
Conclusion
Blackjack often gives you a better shot at winning than any other game in online casinos. However, it doesn’t always make for the best bonuses.
The key reason why is because blackjack bonus rollover can be insane. Some casinos require up to 200x playthrough or more!
If you run into rollover anywhere this high, then you should definitely shop around for a better deal. Furthermore, you also want to ensure that a casino counts blackjack play towards playthrough.
Blackjack bonuses can be fruitful under the right circumstances. You just need to find gaming sites that provide these circumstances.
