For "What are casino bonus codes?", start with how the offer is built. A welcome offer is rarely one bonus. It is usually a package spread across several deposits, each with its own match percentage, ceiling and conditions, and sometimes with free spins attached. The headline adds the parts together, which makes the whole look larger than any single step. Taking the package apart shows what each deposit actually earns and what it asks in return.
A match bonus adds a percentage of the deposit, up to a ceiling. A hundred percent match up to a stated maximum doubles a deposit that stays under the ceiling, and adds nothing to the part above it. Higher percentages usually come with lower ceilings or heavier wagering. Comparing offers by the bonus a planned deposit would actually receive, instead of the largest figure in the banner, keeps the comparison honest and often reverses the order of two competing offers.
No deposit bonuses give a small amount of credit or a few spins for registering, with no payment at all. The conditions are the tightest of any offer: high wagering, a low cap on what can be withdrawn and a short deadline. Identity checks usually come before any withdrawal, and one such offer is allowed per person or household. Treated as a free look at a casino, a no deposit bonus is useful; treated as a way to earn, it rarely is.
Every offer names a qualifying deposit, a minimum below which no bonus is paid. Some also require a code at the cashier or a tick in an opt in box before the payment, and a deposit made without it rarely earns the bonus afterwards. Certain payment methods, often electronic wallets and prepaid cards, are excluded from welcome offers in the terms. Checking the method and the code before paying avoids a deposit that quietly earns nothing.
No deposit offers give credit or spins for simply registering, so casinos pair them with high wagering, a low withdrawal cap, a short deadline and one claim per household.
Some offers need a code at the cashier or at sign up before paying, and a deposit made without it rarely earns the bonus afterwards.
A sticky bonus is removed at withdrawal, leaving only the winnings above it, while a cashable bonus joins the balance once wagering is met.
Each tier unlocks only after the previous one is claimed, often within a set number of days from registration, and later tiers usually match smaller percentages.