What are Live Casino Bonuses?
As many frequent players may be aware, online casinos offer a wide array of promotions or welcome offers to new and existing customers, whether they’re: free spins, a percentage of a deposit match or even extra funds to play their favourite online games.
What may be less commonly known however, is that with the rise of live casinos and live games, the availability of similar bonuses has grown at an increasing pace, at the end of the day why shouldn’t you be equally rewarded for choosing to play at a live online casino as opposed to the more typical casino offerings?
A live casino bonus is precisely what it sounds like; these bonuses are specifically available to those who prefer to wager on a range of games – such as those offered by NetEnt Live Casino – which are played against human dealers or croupiers in real time.
There are multiple types of live casino bonuses that are available at certain online casinos including specific live welcome packages, live reload bonuses and ongoing promotions for some of your favourite live games!
What are the Wagering Requirements of a Live Casino Bonus?
As can be expected, just like with the majority of welcome offers, there tend to be certain requirements that must be met before you can withdraw any potential winnings that are gained from a live casino bonus.
Typically, this means that, upon being awarded a bonus, a player must wager the amount a certain number of times, before the funds become eligible for withdrawal.
These wagering requirements vary depending on which casino you have chosen to play at, however, as an example, let’s imagine that your selected casino has offered a bonus of €50 with a 5x wagering requirement, the way in which this works is as follows:
€50 (Bonus) X 5 (Wagering requirement) = €250
So, in order to make a withdrawal, you would have to wager a total of €250 beforehand. As simple as this may sound, there is another factor that must be considered.
When calculating the amount of wagers placed, certain games contribute less towards the total than others. Usually games such as blackjack and roulette – which are amongst the most played live table games – offer a lower wagering contribution than video slots and instant win games.
With this in mind, we shall list a few examples of live casino bonuses that players can expect to see.
- 888 casino: ‘Xtra £750 in live daily bonuses.
When playing at the 888XTRA live blackjack table, players are in with a chance of receiving 1 of 12 ‘bonus cards’ that are on offer each day. The prizes range from £25-£100 and are added to the winners’ accounts as bonus funds with a 30x wagering requirement.
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- Genesis Casino: 100% up to £100 live casino welcome bonus.
Upon signing up to play at Genesis Casino and making your first deposit, players can opt to select this live casino bonus from the dropdown menu and begin playing their favourite live games – including the best from NetEnt Live! This welcome bonus does come with a 40x wagering requirement, so players will need to wager a substantial amount before their funds are made available for withdrawal.
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- LV Bet: £20 cashback if you lose your first placed bet.
The very first time a player wagers £20 on a single bet at LV Bet Live Casino and loses the full amount, the £20 will then be reimbursed to the player with absolutely no wagering requirements. Note that this offer is only eligible when playing with real money and bonus funds do not qualify.
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Can you get a Live Casino Bonus after a Previous Casino Bonus?
A number of online casinos have ongoing live casino promotions – such as that from 888 Live Casino, which we have previously mentioned in greater detail – so, in theory, the answer to this is yes.
However, if your selected casino doesn’t offer these type of recurring promotions, fear not as there are other options available to you.
Whilst fidelity to a specific online casino can often be rewarded via a loyalty programme which offers varying incentives for playing with them, there is no reason not to keep an eye out for other promotional offers elsewhere.
Making use of live casino bonuses at multiple casinos is one way of maximising the amount of bonuses you can get. If there are other offers out there that pique your interest, we suggest that you happily snap them up!
Can you get Live Casino Free Spins and a Live Casino Bonus?
As a rule of thumb, free spins are awarded for slot games and, as there are no live casino slots, this is not a type of bonus you will find at a live casino.
Fortunately, there is a wide selection of other types of live bonuses that can be taken advantage of to play some of your favourite NetEnt Live Casino games so why not grab one of them and try your hand at some of the following NetEnt Live games?
However, if indeed you are on the lookout for free spins on your favourite slot games, head on over to our free spins page and check out the huge selection of bonuses that are available.
How Much do you get as a Bonus with a Live Casino Bonus?
Just as with regular bonuses at online casinos, their live casino counterparts vary in type and amount – whether they’re: cashback bonuses, welcome bonuses or ongoing promotions.
There are a multitude of these to choose from and deciding which one’s right for you is the first step to take before sitting down at the live dealer tables and attempting to make your fortune.
If you’re searching for a casino that offers a healthy selection of NetEnt Live Casino games along with multiple bonuses to continue playing them, then we suggest taking a look at Vegas Hero.
With a live casino welcome bonus that awards 100% up to £100 on your first deposit and a weekly cashback offer of 10% every Tuesday when you take on the live dealers, you’ll have plenty of funds to keep the cards turning and the ball spinning along with a choice of many other live games.
Svenbet is another fine example of an online casino that offers great bonuses to its players who choose to play live casino games. A very generous welcome bonus of 100% up to £/€/$400 is up for grabs on your first deposit, along with a live casino reload bonus of 30% up to £/€/$700 twice per week!
Another choice could be Temple Nile, where players are offered a 3 step welcome bonus that combines to grant a total of 100% up to £500 which can be used to play on a number of NetEnt Live games such as: Live Blackjack, Common Draw Blackjack, Roulette, VIP Roulette and many more!
Can you get No-Deposit Live Casino Offers?
Once again, like free spins bonuses, many online casinos tend to offer no-deposit bonuses with slot games as their main focus. Thisis not to say this type of bonus cannot be applied to live casino games such as blackjack and roulette, but it would be relatively unlikely that you would come across such a bonus.
However, if any no deposit bonuses for live casino games were to appear, you can be sure that we would feature them here, along with the respective casinos where they would be eligible to be redeemed!
Can you get a First Deposit Live Casino Bonus?
More often than not, live casino bonuses are additional bonuses beyond the initial welcome package players receive at online casinos. However, there are certain casinos that do specifically offer a live casino bonus as an option.
Upon making your first deposit with an online casino (typically known as a welcome bonus), you may have to opt in to a live casino bonus by selecting it from either a dropdown menu or list as it may not be the default selection.
An example of this would be at Genesis Casino, as under their promotion section they state that in order to take advantage of their live casino first-deposit bonus and “Take off to the tables” you must:
- Sign Up.
- Make your first deposit and select the live casino bonus from the dropdown box.
- Get comfortable in the live casino cosmos!
Can you get a Live Casino Reload Bonus?
Reload bonuses are awarded for subsequent deposits that are made after the initial funding of an account; many of these are available for live casinos and sometimes offer multiple reload opportunities.
888 Casino would be a prime example of an online casino with live casino games that offer multiple reload bonuses – 30% up to €350 on your second, third, fourth and fifth deposits! Unfortunately, NetEnt Live Casino is not in operation on this website, so, if you’re specifically after their range of live games, you will have to look elsewhere.
SpinStation and Miami Dice are among those that do in fact offer NetEnt Live Casino whilst also giving out reload bonuses to players, so you could always begin your search there.
We hope you enjoy ‘going live’!
Playing at Live Online Casinos vs Lands Based Casinos
The very existence of live online casinos can be put down to players and their desire for realism. Live dealer games are the nearest thing that you can get to being in a physical betting hall from the comfort of your home, offering a vast array of different table games as well as modern twists that have some excellent winning potential.
However, despite their obvious similarities, here we will compare the two different gaming experiences so that you can decide which works best for you – this live casino bonuses page also has a plethora of great bonuses should you be in the mood for some live dealer action.
Similarities
There are plenty of similarities between live casinos and land-based casinos. Firstly, they both have live dealers; these are specially trained to know the rules of each game inside out as well as offering a friendly face for any game-related queries that you may have via the live chat function.
With the live online casino attempting to transport you to the glitz and glamour of a real betting hall, some providers broadcast their games live from a physical casino, which brings with it an excellent atmosphere. Other developers go down the route of hosting their live table games from a studio.
Pros vs Cons of Playing at a Live Casino
Pros:
- Live casinos are available on a 24/7 basis and have plenty of different games for players to choose from.
- There is the chance to play gameshow-type games such as Dream Catcher, which is completely different from the traditional casino experience.
- Live chat makes for an interactive experience when compared to single player table games against the computer.
Cons:
- Though live casinos use modern technology, they are still not the same as being in a physical casino.
- Packed lobbies can mean that games take longer than expected.
Mobile Live Casino
If you are a player that loves bringing the full casino experience to your device then you will probably already know this: live casinos are fully mobile optimised. This means that, so long as you have a relatively modern device, you will get the same high-quality experience on your smartphone or tablet as you would on a desktop.
Pleasingly, you do not even require Wi-Fi to access your favourite live lobby – as long as your mobile data connection is strong enough you will be able to play on the go, such as when commuting on public transport. This is possible without having to download an app and all actions – from logging in to wagering – can be done on the small screen.
This, then, is another area where live casinos excel when compared to physical casino halls – the sheer convenience of not having to get dressed up and commute gives extra time to enjoy all the other delights of life.
Live Casino Bonus
Let’s cut to the chase – all players love a live casino bonus. Whether you are new to the live dealer phenomenon or have been playing the games for years, there is sure to be a bonus that suits you. The casinos listed further up this page are all excellent in their own right – and all are reputable and fully licensed – but it is important to look further into the websites and choose one that has a big selection of live games from the biggest software developers.
Almost all live casino bonuses will be in the form of a deposit match, giving you extra funds to play with on specified titles. These can be claimed on the device of your choice, so mobile players are not at all disadvantaged, and will generally be kept separate from a gambling site’s non-live games, such as online slots, which have their own unique offer, usually involving spins.
Once you have chosen your casino and deposited, your account balance can be exchanged for chips, which can then be wagered at different tables, with blackjack, roulette and poker all incredibly popular. If you simply want to check out a specific title without having to commit funds, many websites will offer free play or a no deposit bonus.
The Best Live Casino Games
Most players that head to a live online casino will do so in the expectation that there will be a huge catalogue of different table games to play. Here are some of the most popular:
- Live Blackjack: The classic table game is even better in a live lobby as you play against the dealer to try and land 21 – or as close as possible – with your hand of cards.
- Live Poker: There are plenty of different live poker variants, so it is worth checking the rules before you stake real money; Texas hold ‘em is the most popular game type.
- Live Baccarat: Another staple of online casinos, live baccarat is available at plenty of different websites. It is a game of chance with three possible outcomes and requires no skill, so is open to novices and veterans alike.
- Live Roulette: Live roulette is massively popular for its simplicity as you try and predict where the ball will land with every spin. You will usually get the choice of the European or American variant, with the latter having the addition of a double zero.
- Live Sic Bo: A game of chance played with three dice that is more popular in Asia than Europe. Evolution Gaming has an impressive live dealer version available at leading casino lobbies.
Top 10 Live Casino Game Providers
1. NetEnt
From their NetEnt Live studios, the Scandanavian giants produce some of the most popular live dealer games around and have won over 20 awards in less than 10 years. Their stable of titles includes favourites such as Classic Roulette Live and Blitz Blackjack with most host websites offering a generous live online casino bonus when trying them out.
2. Evolution Gaming
As well as NetEnt, Evolution Gaming is the most recognisable live casino provider out there. The company has a reputation for gaming excellence and they focus on live dealer titles. As well as table games, they are renowned for their gameshow-type releases such as Dream Catcher or Monopoly Live.
3. Microgaming
Though most well known for their selection of impressive slots, Microgaming has also made a contribution to the world of live casino with a small number of games that are available 24/7 – these include baccarat, roulette and blackjack.
4. Playtech
Playtech is another name in the industry that has created some of the most entertaining and beloved slots releases in recent years. They have also made a name for themselves with live dealer table games that cater to different tastes, with speed roulette taking little time between each spin. Playtech also host tables for different languages.
5. Ezugi
A staple at many reputable online casinos, Ezugi is a brand with a track record of gaming excellence. Their live dealer options each provide something different, while players are sure to appreciate the attention to detail with live roulette having live music on demand as well as multiple camera angles.
6. Pragmatic Play
Games from Pragmatic Play are available in 4K and have been expertly crafted to work seamlessly on any device; as well as desktop, laptop, smartphones and tablets, a selection of live dealer games can also be enjoyed with VR gadgets.
7. Bet Games.tv
Players of Bet Games.TV will know that the company prides itself on providing top-notch games around the clock, 365 days a year. With 10 live games to choose from, this is a brand that is focussed on quality – they won the “Rising star in casino innovation” gong at the SBC 2019 awards.
8. Extreme Live Gaming
Extreme Live Gaming was founded in 2013 and its immediate success led to the brand being purchased by Pragmatic Play in 2018 from the Novomatic Group. This acquisition undoubtedly helped to make Pragmatic one of the most recognisable live casino names around.
9. Authentic Gaming
Since launching in 2015, Authentic Gaming has grown considerably to now supply games to multiple big-name online casinos. The company’s games a live-streamed from a selection of famous physical casinos, giving the most immersive experience possible. Authentic Gaming has also been shortlisted for industry awards in the last few years.
10. LiveG24
LiveG24 is a Malta-based software provider that has a neat selection of live casino titles. A deal signed between the company and Microgaming in March 2020 has given greater exposure to the brand’s games – as well as plenty of table games, Live Magic Card, where players bet on which hand has the highest value, has proved popular with punters for being extremely straightforward and including multipliers.