You’ve probably heard of casino bonus codes.
They’ve existed since the inception of online gambling.
If you’re a seasoned online gambler, you’ve most likely typed a slew of codes in return for welcome bonuses, reload bonuses, and free cash deals.
You’ve definitely utilised bonus codes to offer unique bargains and measure your marketing efforts if you’re an internet marketer.
But what if you’re none of these things?
That’s fine; we’ll go over bonus codes in depth later in this tutorial.
Because casinos still employ them, even though they aren’t as popular as they were 7-15 years ago.
So, whether you’re a gamer or a marketer, or both, knowing what they are, how they function, and how to use them is a good idea.
Both of you will benefit from this guide.
What are bonus codes and how can I use them?
What is the purpose of bonus codes?
Bonus codes can be used for a variety of things.
They are utilised in the following ways:
To be eligible for numerous promotions. For the purpose of publicising these offers.
To keep track of specific marketing campaigns.
Bonus codes are created by casinos to correspond to the specific promotions they conduct.
How are bonus codes used by players?
Players can obtain these codes through the casino’s website or from one of the casino’s partners.
Then, when they make their deposit, they enter the code at a specific time.
This is merely an illustration.
This is handled differently in each casino.
They can also change the name of the bonus code.
A bonus code, for example, could be referred to as a:
Login Code Promotion Code a discount code
Discount code Discount Code
And so forth.
But, for the most part, they all accomplish the same goal.
The player inputs the code to receive a special promotion from the casino or a partner (typically referred to as a “affiliate” or “publisher”).
How Do Casinos Make Use of Bonus Codes?
Codes are used by casinos and affiliates to promote and monitor various offers.
For example, a casino might be marketing seven different offers right now.
As an example, here’s what an offer may look like:
100% match up to $500 as a welcome bonus.
Use the promotion code: WelBon500 to get a $500 bonus. Reload Bonus: Get a 50% bonus up to $300 when you reload your account.
Use bonus code: ReBon300 to receive a $100,000 bonus. Freeroll for new players. Free100k is the bonus code to use.
And so forth.
The gamer would enter the desired offer’s code.
They can make as many deposits as they want and enter as many codes as they want (unless the casino specifies otherwise).
The only requirement is that they finish each offer in the sequence in which they requested it.
The casino can then examine their tracking data to see which codes are used the most frequently.
This would provide them with a better understanding of:
Which marketing campaigns (advertising materials, messages, and so on) are the most effective? (best).
Which offers are the most popular among their customers?
This information could be used by the casino to generate more effective advertisements and attractive offers.
Bonus code usage by partners
Affiliates are also given bonus codes by casinos.
Affiliates are partners who are compensated for each real money lead or customer they refer to the casino.
Publishers are another name for them.
Bonus codes are used by affiliates for a variety of reasons.
Consider the following example:
To promote one-of-a-kind offers that can’t be found anywhere else. To help them develop and advertise their brand.
To keep track of their affiliate marketing campaigns.
An affiliate (and, to a lesser extent, the casino) will employ codes to track and determine the following:
Which promotions (bonuses, VIP, cashback, freerolls, etc.) are the most effective?
Which offers result in the most sign-ups?
Which promotions result in a higher number of real-money customers? Which banner or ad positions are the most effective? Do you think a text link or a banner will bring you more customers? Is a header banner, sidebar banner, in-content banner, or footer banner bringing in more customers? Which marketing method is more effective? Are you seeing an increase in signups as a result of SEO? What is social media? SEM? PPC? PVV?
Purchases made directly?
All of this information is gathered by the affiliate.
They use it to build more successful marketing campaigns and better deals for their visitors.
BE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT
Affiliates appear to use this information in the same way as casinos do.
This is due to the fact that they do.
They both want to increase the number of consumers they have.
However, the methods they employ and the media they employ to achieve their objectives are frequently disparate.
Now, this marketing material may not appear to be very useful to players at first look… at least until you understand that you may search for these special codes to obtain the finest casino discounts.
So, what exactly are we trying to say?
It pays to do your homework once you’ve decided which casinos you’d like to join.
That with a little research, you may locate a unique offer worth hundreds or thousands of dollars more than practically everyone else’s promotions.
But, before you get too enthusiastic, keep in mind that this isn’t as successful as it used to be.
Bonus codes used to be so popular that they were displayed on every affiliate’s website.
The casino gave them more unique and exclusive discounts to promote the more players they sent and the higher the quality of clients they sent.
Before joining a casino, it used to make sense to perform a lot of research.
Going straight to the casino isn’t the only option.
But what about today?
Not at all.
Bonus codes continue to be used.
Players continue to share them on their personal websites.
However, there aren’t many exclusive bargains to be found.
Today, codes are primarily used for tracking or to provide players with unique offers at specific periods.
For example, to receive a welcome bonus that is only applicable when you initially sign up, you may need to input a code.
Then there’s one that only applies to a player’s second deposit.
After that, you’ll receive a coupon for your third deposit, and so on.
The casino’s website frequently lists these codes.
That’s even if you don’t require a code.
In many situations, the bonus will be added to your account automatically after you join up or make your first deposit.
BE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT
Because promotions are now delivered automatically, it’s a good idea to read our page on how casino deposit bonuses operate.
Many terms and conditions apply to casino promos.
You may not pay out unless you meet these requirements.
Many players prefer to decline the casino’s offer for this and other reasons.
However, you should usually do this before making your initial deposit.
**However, each casino operates differently, which is why you should read our bonus page in order to completely get how everything works.
Even if bonus codes aren’t often used, it’s a good idea to understand what they are and how they work.
They are still used to track and tag players in relation to affiliates and the deals they provide.
And if the player isn’t assigned to the correct partner, he may not receive the deal he expected when he originally joined up.
Ethics and player tracking
Casinos employ bonus codes for a variety of reasons, including tracking.
But it’s not just about keeping track of promotions and marketing initiatives…
… as well as affiliate recommendations from players.
To track referrals, online casinos use a variety of marketing advertising (banners), URLs (text links), bonus codes, and other methods.
However, each casino has a unique tracking system.
This causes uncertainty for practically everyone involved because no one knows for certain what a player must do in order to be associated with a given affiliate, i.e. the precise deal they are giving.
This is significant for both the affiliate and the player because the affiliate only gets paid when a player is tagged to them (and eventually makes a deposit), and the player only gets a special deal if they are tagged to the proper person.
A URL is the most frequent method of tracking and tagging players to affiliates (or even internally to casinos) (text link).
Except for a short piece of the URL containing a unique code, number, or ID exclusive to each affiliate, the text link used by casinos is the same for all affiliates.
This enables casinos to identify the origins of new clients.
This is how most consumers are labelled.
Casinos, on the other hand, sometimes utilise codes to track signups.
The following is taken from a casino affiliate programme:
“Yes, I can confirm that if a player clicks on your tracking link and then enters a promo code (although only a few affiliates use promo codes), the player will be tracked to the affiliate who entered the promo code.
This is credited to the player and functions as a final ‘click’ with cookies.
“I hope that was clear.”
However, other codes have nothing to do with cookies or tracking and simply include the URL.
Any code provided by the casino is purely for promotional purposes.
And sometimes none of this matters because a player may have been directed to another affiliate site long before they clicked on the link/offer that lead to their registration.
As a result, a player may not receive the offer for which they signed up.
A note on ethics + some clear cookies
It used to be typical to hear players (and affiliates) protest that they weren’t getting the deal they signed up for.
When they clicked the ‘Affiliate A’ link (for whatever reason, perhaps research), they were probably being cooked, but they didn’t join up.
They didn’t go to the casino until they clicked the ‘Affiliate B’ link, which offered a better bargain.
As you may expect, this results in confusion and rage.
Affiliates aren’t compensated for referrals, and players aren’t given the offers they expected.
In the end, knowing what cookies are is beneficial.
When you interact with a website, it stores information or tags on your computer in the form of cookies.
Depending on the offer, the first cookie you’re assigned isn’t always the one that sticks.
They can also be overwritten in some cases, such as with bonus codes.
This is most likely perplexing.
That’s because it’s true.
It’s perplexing for both marketers and players because every casino does things differently, and if you don’t do things correctly and in the correct order, both the player and the affiliate will miss out on what was promised.
As a result, affiliates began requesting that players erase their cookies prior to clicking on their links.
Each browser has its own method for deleting cookies.
However, the main idea is to go into your browser history and look for an option to delete cookies and other site data.
BE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT
If you’re not sure where to start, glance through your browser’s history and preferences.
You’ll probably discover many options for clearing your browser’s history and data.
You will be free of any cookies that have been assigned to you if you do so.
That means the next link you click – whichever offer you like – is the one that stays with you.
Finally, a word on ethics.
The ethics of requiring clients to erase their cookies before clicking links is hotly debated.
More so a few years ago than now.
Almost every bonus or rating website featured a page detailing how to erase your cookies a few years ago.
That way, they could make sure the player was associated with them rather than a previous partner or website.
Here’s why some people are upset about it:
To begin with, they believe affiliates who ask customers to remove their cookies are simply piggybacking on someone else’s marketing or casino brand.
Someone puts in all the effort – conducting research, writing reviews, developing marketing campaigns, and so on – just for someone to come in and steal their (potential) consumer.
Because they didn’t perform any of the work or contribute anything of value, that partner doesn’t deserve to be signed up.
That’s logical.
The cookie clearing affiliates, on the other hand, claim that they may have been the first to draw the consumer OR that they could have done a better job persuading them to join.
It’s also possible that they have an offer that the player truly desires, which is the most crucial factor to consider.
Then there are affiliates who argue that affiliates who target bonus code searchers bring no value at all, regardless of whether they are the first or last contact.
Here’s a quote from a seasoned gaming buddy.
He mentions poker, but the following also applies to the casino side:
My negative is probably not the same as other people’s.
I’m becoming more concerned than I should be about what other websites are doing.
Personally, I find sites that SEO “Poker Site XYZ Bonus Code” to be unsettling because I believe these search phrases bring no value to the poker rooms and are simply scalping other associated gamers.
Another person responded with:
True, and I’m willing to wager that many of these affiliates are diverting traffic away from actual affiliates on sites where bonus codes overrule affiliate cookies.
Isn’t it perplexing?
It’s also frightening since, as a player, you have no idea what to click on or do to ensure that the correct affiliate is credited, let alone how to secure the deal you want.
The best thing affiliates can do is explain how their tracking works to each casino they partner with.
Then, even if it means asking gamers to clear their cookies, build marketing campaigns with that in mind.
Because you have no idea what URL or bonus code will work, the best thing you can do as a player is to look out for your own interests.
Take advantage of the best price you can find, even if it means deleting your cookies first.
That way, everyone wins… most of the time, at least.
Random Important Things to Know About Bonus Codes for Players
Here are some key points to remember regarding bonus codes that don’t fit anywhere else:
Make sure you know what you’re getting into before you sign up.
A bonus code is still for a deposit bonus that has terms and conditions that you must agree to and follow. Bonus codes aren’t required for many (if not all) of them. Any offer made by the casino will very certainly be immediately accepted. They will tell you if you require a code. Otherwise, don’t be too concerned about it. Copy and paste is the best approach to enter the code if at all possible. You won’t make any mistakes this way. Capital letters aren’t a problem. It has no effect on the code. Some bonus codes have an expiration date. Searching for “casino name bonus code 2016” is one way to uncover the most recent offers. Simply substitute the casino’s name for the casino’s name and the year for the most recent year. You might also look for a specific month. Bonus codes are frequently associated with ‘no deposit bonuses’ in search engine results for whatever reason. They are not interchangeable. A no deposit bonus is a little amount of money offered by a casino without requiring you to make a deposit first. Sometimes you’ll need a code, and other times you won’t.
However, these are two quite different things.
That’s all there is to it.
Inference
That’s all there is to it when it comes to casino bonus codes.
I wouldn’t be overly concerned if you found this unclear or uninteresting.
Because, let’s face it, bonus codes aren’t used very often these days.
Many websites and casinos still display them, but mostly to keep you up to date on their specials or to ensure you receive the exact deal you want.
And I believe this is due to the fact that casinos have made things easier.
Most of them simply have a few offers, such as a first deposit bonus, a second deposit bonus, a third deposit bonus, and so on, that players may only earn at certain points in the customer lifecycle.
Outside of tracking, there isn’t much of a need for a code.
That said, it’s useful to understand how everything works.
When it comes to marketing or claiming an offer, you never know when to use one.
And that’s all there is to it.
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