In the heyday of the Las Vegas resort casinos, each casino tried to set itself above the others by offering something unique and exciting. They started by trying to have the best shows, the best artist in residence, the best restaurants and shopping. From there it got wilder and even more fun. The New York New York Casino added a rollercoaster, the Paris Las Vegas Casino built a half-size Eiffel Tower, the Luxor added a pyramid (though in fairness they removed their indoor Nile River ride at the same time) and Circus Circus expanded to include not just a permanent circus but an indoor amusement park as well.
Today, online casinos have the same status as those resort casinos used to have. The gambling industry has been completely upended by the sudden increase in popularity of online casinos and it is an exciting time to be involved in the industry. With so many online casinos operating, there is a ton of competition. Unlike the resort casinos of the 1990s, online casinos aren’t using over the top gimmicks to attract new players and keep the old ones. Instead, they’re using welcome bonuses and loyalty programs.
Welcome bonuses have become a huge selling point for players, and online casinos advertise them heavily. Generally, welcome bonuses are meant to make it even easier to get started playing. To achieve this goal, most welcome bonuses include things like free spins on a top slot machine game, deposit matching or even a no deposit bonus credit.
Loyalty programs are nothing new, we’re all familiar with the ones run by grocery stores and major retailers such as Lidl. Online casinos have loyalty programs too. Loyalty programs keep players coming back by offering perks like early access to new games or events, free credits or spins and entry into special tournaments.
The newest online casinos in Ireland are often the online casinos with the best bonuses and loyalty programs. This is because they’ve had time to see what everyone else is offering and go from there. By examining the market, they can provide bonuses that aren’t offered by other online casinos or ones that are slightly better.
It’s a very smart strategy and this is where cashback bonuses come in. They are a new type of online casino bonus that has a few varieties. In this article, we’ll take a look at how cashback bonuses work and the types that are currently being offered by leading online casinos.
How do cashback bonuses work?
Cashback bonuses are a loyalty reward where the online casino credits the player a percentage of their losses. So, even if you’ve played a losing hand, your entire wager isn’t lost and you can get some of that cash back. It softens the blow of a loss and lets players continue playing, even if they’re near the end of their online casino budget.
Online casinos with cashback offers usually give them at a set percentage. The most common cashback percentage is 10%, though some will boost that up to 15% on certain occasions. In rare circumstances, you can even find a 20% cashback bonus, but this is unusual.
Cashback bonuses are typically calculated based on daily or weekly losses, so they aren’t instantly awarded. Some casinos award smaller amounts of cashback as free spins instead of game credits. Many online casinos will have one cashback rate for regular players and a higher rate for their VIP players.
Types of online casino cash back offers
Welcome bonus
When a player signs up with an online casino, they can, and often should, choose to accept the welcome bonus. A cashback welcome bonus is a way to make those welcome bonuses last longer. The cashback bonus applies to any wagers made with the welcome bonus credits. The typical welcome bonus wagering requirements still apply, but the cashback welcome bonus can make it easier to reach those requirements.
Reload bonuses
Welcome bonus deposit matching usually only applies to the first one to three deposits that a player makes. A reload bonus is a loyalty reward for players who make an additional deposit. Sometimes there is a time limit that the deposit must be made within. The cashback promotion is typically applied to the deposit and the reload bonus credit, which extends the amount you can play even if you have a few losses.
Cashback on losses
Cashback on losses is the most common form of cashback bonus. This is a regular promotion for returning customers that can be opted-into. The cashback is offered as a percentage of the amount that the player has lost on a daily or weekly basis. This percentage can range from 5 to 20%.
Some online casinos will couple their cashback on losses promotion with a loyalty or VIP program. Once a player has gained VIP status, they can qualify for a higher cashback percentage. In some cases, this percentage is as high as 35%!
As we mentioned above, cashback on losses is not credited to the account immediately. Depending on if it’s calculated daily or weekly, the cashback credits will appear in a player’s account once a day or once a week. This can make it a nice perk to wake up to on a Monday morning!
Cashback on total bets
Cashback on total bets is more commonly seen at sportsbooks rather than online casinos, but since many companies now offer both, there is a bit more crossover. Cashback on total bets isn’t just free money on every wager you make, that would be too easy! Instead, cashback on total bets is offered as a special promotion on certain types of bets or for bets on certain events. This is a great way for people who are new to online gambling to try it out without any real risk.
Online casinos in Ireland with cashback bonuses
Slot Paradise
Slot Paradise is one of Ireland’s new favourite online casinos. As the name might suggest, it is particularly popular with fans of slot machine games. In fact, it has one of the largest slot machine libraries in the business and features games from developers such as NetEnt, Microgaming and Red Tiger. They are fully licensed and part of one of the major international online casino families.
The cashback bonus at Slot Paradise only applies to losses on slot machine games. The cashback is awarded at 10% of the player’s daily losses and is credited to their account each day. Obviously, this casino is ideal for slot fans, but it probably isn’t a great choice for players who prefer to play table games such as poker and blackjack.
Doggo Casino
Doggo Casino is one of the youngest casinos on our list, but they’ve raced to the top. It’s the perfect choice for players who love dogs since the entire theme focuses on man’s best friend! Their game library has a great balance of slots, table games and live casino games. Another positive feature is that the majority of their games are optimised for mobile, so players can enjoy their favourite games without having to download a new app.
Doggo Casino has a slightly more complicated cashback promotion. They are offering 20% cashback on Saturday and Sunday for play on certain live casino games. On Mondays, there is a 20% cashback on losses across the entire casino. Their customer support team can be reached by email or through their live chat feature.
Crocoslots Casino
Despite the silly name, Crocoslots manages to achieve a healthy balance of having a fun swamp mascot without feeling too juvenile and silly. Crocoslots has over 1,000 slot machine games but all that choice doesn’t mean they focus on quantity over quality. The majority of their titles come from leading studios and developers. Crocoslots also provides plenty of options for table games, including both regular and live dealer versions.
Crocoslots cashback bonus is only offered on Sundays. On Sundays, there is a 10% cashback on losses for all players. While this isn’t the best cashback deal, their welcome bonus and reload bonuses make up for it. Some reviewers have found that deposits and withdrawals aren’t processed in the time frame and verification can be tricky. This may change as Crocoslots has time to develop as a casino brand.
Happy Spins Casino
Happy Spins Casino may not be able to guarantee that they’ll make you happy, but they come pretty close! They have over 2,000 games in their library, with more than enough options of every type. Alongside the traditional casino games, they also offer virtual sports and scratch card games for players who would like to try something different.
Happy Spins Casino offers players a 10% daily cashback bonus. While this is a great start, unfortunately there is no loyalty or VIP program, so there isn’t a chance to get cashback at a higher rate. For casino fans who also enjoy sports betting, it’s important to note that Happy Spins does not have a sportsbook.