Why Casino Bonuses are Similar to Grocery Store Samples

Consumers love a bargain, and the great strength of capitalism is the buying power this brings. With this in mind it shouldn't be surprising to find various areas of overlap between real world shops and online betting sites. Here are some of the similarities, including between grocery store samples and casino bonuses.

The Similarity Between Casino Bonuses and Samples from Grocery Stores

Grocery stores, like many other shops, try and entice customers to buy new things all the time. Some of the methods used can be pretty annoying. Nobody likes it when they pop in for some milk and bread only to find all the aisles have been changed (especially in a pandemic era where a one way system means if you miss your item you can't just go back for it). However, free samples are another kettle of fish entirely. Something for nothing always goes down well, and even if it's not for you (hair conditioner for a bald chap, for example) then usually there'll be a member of the household or neighbor who can make use of it. Plus, if it's something like a little coffee from a different make or of a different type it can be a good way to find out if something different is to your taste, without having to buy anything and risk pouring money down the drain.

The equivalent in betting to the free grocery store sample is the casino bonus. Something for nothing sounds very out of kilter with betting, but actually the two dovetail nicely. It's unusual these days to find a betting establishment that doesn't offer at least one introductory promotion, and these often include a no deposit deal such as free spins on slots, free credit for table games, or free cash that can be used for pretty much anything. The ubiquitous nature of no deposit bonuses have meant that many players are the equivalent of grocery store switchers who hop from one establishment to another, always taking advantage of new deals.

Just like the free grocery store sample, these casino bonuses enable players to try out new games without risking anything. And, unlike the store promotion, these special offers can see players win real money prizes. It's true they usually come with a withdrawal cap of a couple of hundred dollars, but if you make $200 at no risk that's not really a cause for complaint.

This does raise the question of why online betting sites offer these types of no deposit promotions. After all, online betting necessarily relies on players losing money in order to fund the site and associated costs. Well, that's true, but it's also true that players need a real chance to win otherwise they wouldn't play at all. On the specific matter of free cash and related promotions, these benefit both sites and software developers in numerous ways. The online betting industry is a fiercely competitive marketplace, with players able to pick and choose from an enormous and ever-growing number of online betting sites. Bonuses are one way for online casinos to stand out from the crowd and attract players, and then retain them with recurring promos for existing players. Not only that, software studios are always looking to foster interest in their latest creations, making it advantageous for them as well if players can try new games for free. And, of course, players like special offers and casino bonuses, like samples, are popular with those who benefit directly from them.

Loyalty Clubs are Another Similarity

Grocery store samples and casino bonuses aren't the only similarity between the special offers consumers can enjoy on the high street and wagering online. Both types of promotion are primarily aimed at bringing new product types to consumers, but stores and casinos alike have an interest in trying to encourage consumer loyalty. This actually takes on a pretty similar approach for both in the form of loyalty cards for grocery stores and loyalty clubs for online betting sites.

For stores, this typically comes with a physical card that looks and feels akin to a credit or debit card. Consumers present the card when paying for goods and thereby accumulate points, which can later be redeemed for cash value when buying. In short, it provides a small but perpetually increasing reason to continue shopping at the same place, strengthening the natural shopping habit of a customer. After all, if you have two pretty much identical stores but have built up $30 in loyalty points with one, that's the place you're going to choose.

As already mentioned, online betting sites, like real world grocery stores, are engaged in very serious competition with one another for patronage. The loyalty clubs that are commonplace in online betting sites have likewise been created in order to promote player loyalty. They function along pretty much the same lines, with players earning points with every spin of a reel or table game bet (there might be a minimum spend threshold, depending on the site). These points can usually be redeemed for a variety of prizes.

Sometimes the loyalty clubs come with a number of tiers that players can ascend through regularly playing and earning points. Higher tiers come with a faster rate of point accrual and better prizes. Promotions such as free cash tend to be the most common, available to everyone, but at the absolute top end of casino loyalty clubs players may be able to win major league sports tickets or even luxury holidays. Another frequently offered extra (which might have multiple options to win) is a free prize draw, whereby anyone in a given tier can win a lottery-sized sum of cash based on a random drawing. Needless to say, these prizes are very much welcomed by the lucky players who win them and encourage those in the loyalty club to stick with the same site.

Why Consumers like Casinos Bonuses and Samples

Everyone loves a bargain, whether that's a discount on your shopping, two for the price of one, or a free sample. Not only is it getting some shampoo, coffee, or suchlike for nothing, but canny shoppers might even find they prefer the new stuff. Similarly, online casino players will usually have their own go to games, whether that's classic cards and roulette in the table games category or specific slots. But sometimes a change is a good thing, and nothing makes that easier than promotions. Just like shoppers love grocery store samples, casino bonuses are a boon for players at online betting sites. On top of that, trying something new is always a little risky and might end up leading to buyer's remorse. But if you're trying it for free, that takes the sting out of finding something isn't to your liking.

How to take Advantage of Casino Bonuses to Sample a new Site

Because online betting sites have promotions specifically to encourage new players to sign up for an account and existing players to hang around they aren't shy about advertising them. This means that it's almost always very difficult to miss the bonuses a casino is offering, and they're often presented front and center of the homepage. Players should start by entering the promotions/banking section of the site.

Here various special offers should be clearly listed, usually in the form of a main headline that describes the basics of the promotion. As with all such things, it's as well to check the detail by clicking a given deal and seeing what the nitty gritty is. In addition to the basic value, most promos have certain conditions attached and these can materially affect the value of any bonus. One of the most common is a time limit. This isn't usually onerous, often from one week to a couple of months, but it's as well to know the situation so the calendar doesn't end up eating a promotion before you can make use of it.

The other two most important conditions to check are the withdrawal cap and wagering requirements. The cap, as it sounds, is a straight upper limit on the sum that you can withdraw from a bonus. Because of this you're usually better off shunning high jackpot games and focusing on those with the lowest house edge for table games (blackjack) or highest RTP (return to player) for slots. The wagering requirement is the total sum that must be wagered prior to withdrawal. A good average is 30x the value of a promo, with higher being worse as it both takes more time to satisfy the condition and reduces the chances of finishing in profit. Terms and conditions are usually fine but it's always wise to check to ensure you avoid becoming something of an angry shopper.

Once you've selected the bonus or bonuses that have caught your eye there are three primary methods of redeeming them. Sometimes introductory promotions are automatically activated upon signing up for a new account and you don't need to do anything beyond that. Another very frequent method of redemption is to enter a promo code to activate a deal (this should be clearly indicated for any given bonus). Last, and least common, is to contact customer service to activate a special offer on your behalf.

Other Types of Online Casino Promotions

In addition to introductory casino bonuses akin to samples from stores, and loyalty clubs that are highly similar to the card systems many shops offer repeat customers, there are plenty other types of special offer to be found at online betting sites these days.

A variant that's ideal for those with limited time is free play. Not to be confused with the zero stakes demo mode many games have, free play is essentially a free cash bonus that has a higher sum (a couple of hundred dollars, perhaps, rather than $20-30) but a much tighter time limit (often an hour or so). Once the clock ticks down to zero the promo cash vanishes but the player gets to retain any and all profits they've made during the hour of fun.

Seasonal specials are another casino bonus in line with those offered by stores, which often focus their free coupon giveaways on particular holidays. These can vary quite significantly, not least because differing betting sites have differing cultural and geographical footprints. Sites with a heavy North American player base might well have promos geared towards the Super Bowl, whereas soccer's World Cup might be a cause for freebies in more European sites (the Summer and Winter Olympics being rare cases of universal sporting events). Likewise, Christmas, Easter, Saint Patrick's Day, Valentine's Day, and the Summer Holidays are frequently used as an excuse by online casinos to provide players with special seasonal promotions.

Betting is highly entertaining and if fortune favors you can even see players win life-changing sums of money. However, there's always a slightly larger chance of losing than winning, due to mathematical necessity. Sometimes casinos help to offset the risk of loss through the use of cashback. This means that players who lose over a given period of time (perhaps a week or month) get a certain percentage (often around the 20% mark, sometimes higher or lower) back at the end of that period. Obviously it's better to win in the first place but this can be a useful feature to mitigate any losses when Lady Luck forsakes you.

There are plenty of ways in which grocery store samples and casino bonuses are similar, and this parallel can be extended to numerous other features too. And just as consumers should browse a store's wares carefully, don't be afraid to take your time when picking an online betting site and related bonuses.