Blackjack players are treated differently than players of other games, especially when it comes to bonuses. Quite often, online casinos will offer exclusive bonuses to those playing 21. At the same time, there are rules in place for how bonuses are cleared while playing blackjack that aren’t typically in favor of the player. So there’s definitely a catch 22.
Below, I cover the types of bonuses that you can expect to see as an online blackjack player. And then I’ll tell you what to look for in the blackjack site’s T & Cs before you sign up to play so that there aren’t any surprises down the road.
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Types of Blackjack Bonuses
For the most part, you’re going to see pretty much the same bonuses that everyone else does. Most casinos offer an initial deposit bonus and then the occasional reload bonus. You might find a refer-a-friend program bonus too.
However, you’ll also find that many casinos offer bonuses specifically for blackjack players. Sometimes these are in addition to the regular bonuses being offered and other times the bonus for blackjack players is instead of the regular bonus.
The most common bonus for blackjack players will be the deposit bonus. From what I’ve seen, this bonus is generally instead of the deposit bonus for other players. It’s also smaller. But, sometimes the bonus will be easier to clear than the regular bonus. I’ll go in more detail on this further below.
Other bonuses offered specifically to blackjack players might include:
- Daily, Weekly or Monthly Bonuses
- High Roller Bonuses
Keep in mind that almost every bonus you participate in will require you to clear it, unless stated otherwise. They will need to be cleared before you attempt to make a withdrawal, otherwise your risk voiding the bonus altogether.
VIP Programs for Blackjack Players
Something I suggest looking for when shopping for a site to play blackjack at are VIP programs. VIP programs are a great way to earn bonuses, higher table limits and other incentives.
The reason why I would suggest looking for a VIP program as a blackjack player is to offset the fact that you have to spend more to earn bonuses due to the clearing requirements. For example, many casinos give players who play more often better point to cash back conversion rates. Sure, this is given to every player who plays more often than the casual player. But the bright side is that by playing more frequently, it takes less to earn the same amount of bonus money or your comp points go further — however you want to look at it.
Clearing Blackjack Bonuses
The clearing or “play through” requirements is single handedly the most important thing to be aware of when playing at a blackjack site, especially if you sign up for the bonuses.
The reason why is because casinos treat blackjack (as well as many other games) differently. I don’t know why myself, but if I had to make an educated guess it would be that it’s due to blackjack having a lower house edge. As a result, players have to wager more money than they would in other casino games to earn the same bonus.
The exact amounts will vary, but you should expect to have to wager 2 to 3 times as much playing blackjack. So, if a site’s bonus rules state that the play through is 20x the deposit plus bonus, blackjack players will likely have to play through 60x. Some sites are even higher than this. Party Casino for example has a 100x play through rule.
Something to be aware of too, is that casinos such as Cherry Red and Rushmore might word their requirements different. Instead of saying 60x the deposit plus bonus, they might say that your wager only accounts for 1/3 the normal play through. Other sites will use a percentage as opposed to a fraction. They’ll say that blackjack (and other games) only account for 10% of the normal play through requirements.
While it’s not as common, some sites will not accept money wagered on blackjack to count towards the completion of a deposit bonus. This is why it’s some important to check the T & Cs before signing up. You don’t want to sign up to a site because they have great blackjack games and a nice bonus only to find out you can’t qualify for the bonus.