There are plenty of online casinos offering loyalty programs, promising to enhance your experience with exclusive rewards, as long as you stick to playing at the same site. You can get better customer service, personalised bonuses and even invites to music events, sporting events and holidays around the world.
But what exactly do loyalty programs ask of you and are they ultimately worth your while? Our guide walks you through all that these programs have to offer, highlighting the difference between loyalty programs and VIP clubs, while giving you the tools to decide if these setups are ultimately worth it.
Loyalty Programs
Loyalty programs are pretty popular, and you’ll find loads of great programs at leading online casinos. They add a sense of progression to the overall experience and give you a reason to keep playing at the same site, earning loyalty points and levelling up to unlock new perks. The higher your level, the better the offers you get.
Not all loyalty programs work the same way, but the gist is that you generally earn loyalty points by making deposits and placing real money wagers. Once you have accumulated enough loyalty points, you progress to the next level and unlock new rewards.
Joining a Loyalty Program
Loyalty programs are usually open to all players and in most cases, online casinos automatically enrol you onto their program. You start at level one and will go up the levels as soon as you get enough loyalty points. However, some online casinos will need you to opt into their program, so check the site’s loyalty program section to make sure your deposits and wagers are helping you progress up the ladder.
VIP Clubs
Whereas loyalty programs are easily accessible and open to everyone, VIP Clubs take on a drastically different approach. These are exclusive clubs which cannot be accessed by just anyone.
The perks and bonuses you get at a VIP club are way higher than what you’d find in the low and mid tiers of a loyalty program. They always tend to come with an account manager and can even offer you invitations to in-person, exclusive events around the world. They’re considered to be the most luxurious programs online casinos have to offer, reserved for players with a proven track record for consistently placing high wagers.
Joining a VIP Club
The whole point of a VIP club is exclusivity, so online casinos are very strict in terms of who gets access. You might be able to ask for the site to consider your entry into the club, but ultimately the online casino itself must present you with an invitation. This will be based on your activity at the casino over a period, as VIP club members must consistently place high wagers on the site. Once you’re in, your spot isn’t guaranteed and you’ll need to keep up your wagers to maintain your membership. The online casino can decide to revoke it if you don’t keep up the same level of activity.
The Most Common Loyalty Program Perks
Loyalty programs progressively enhance your overall experience at an online casino, with exciting additions that push your game to the next level. The actual perks and bonuses themselves will vary from one site to another, but there are a few popular perks that are consistent across the board. These enhancements go a long way in making sure you’re rewarded for sticking to one casino and playing consistently. Some of them might be immediately available for all members of a loyalty program, while others are unlocked as you advance to higher levels.
Tailored Bonuses
Bonuses are generally dished out as a one-size-fits-all. It doesn’t matter if you don’t like the games on offer or the structure of the bonus, that’s just what everyone gets. But with loyalty programs, casinos offer you deals that are tailored to your specific needs.
The site keeps track of the games you enjoy playing the most, as well as the average wagers you place, and gives you deals that are based on that information. So, if you like a particular set of video slots, you might be offered free spins that can be used on these top picks of yours. Tailored bonuses can be offered as one-offs or as weekly or monthly reload bonuses.
Personal Account Management
Top online casinos come with excellent customer service that’s available around the clock. But the general customer service team doesn’t give you much of a personalised experience. That’s where personal account management comes in. You’re assigned your very own account manager who will know everything about your activity and preferences. You can contact them at any time to ask about any issues you might be having, request bonuses or even advice.
Personal account management is generally reserved for higher loyalty program tiers, so you may need to level up your account quite a few tiers before you get this top-notch service.
Better Withdrawals
Withdrawals can be a headache at some online casinos, with slower processing times when compared to deposits and much lower maximum caps. Luckily, both withdrawal speed and caps can be improved through loyalty program perks.
You can get lightning-fast withdrawals that are processed just as fast as deposits and can also push the maximum withdrawal cap to make much bigger single transaction withdrawals from the casino. Some online casinos spread these perks out across several tiers, so you incrementally improve processing speeds and win caps with each new level you hit.
Cashback Deals
You might end up having a bad streak of luck during a particular period and lose a considerable amount of funds. Well, that’s where cashbacks can help. Cashbacks award you back a percentage of the money that you wagered or lost in a day, week, month or some other specified period.
A cashback deal might offer something like 20% back on all your losses during the previous week. Although not all loyalty programs come with cashback deals, they’re very popular and are generally offered at increasingly better percentages as you level up your account. The final tier generally switches from a loss cashback to a wager cashback.
Early Access to New Games
As an additional perk, loyalty programs can give you the chance to experience new games first-hand, before they hit the market for the general public. It’s a special treat that gives you a better idea of what to expect in the future. You can test out these new releases here and decide if they’re ultimately worth your while in the long run.
Early access may not be all that popular in loyalty programs, but it’s a staple of most VIP clubs that extend this service to their most celebrated players.
Exclusive Tournaments
Online casino tournaments can be quite fun, but when they’re offered to all players, wager limits can be an issue. They’re structured with a broad appeal that should draw in all kinds of players, so these tournaments are mostly built for casuals.
But with top loyalty program tiers and VIP clubs, you get exclusive tournaments which are catered for a more specific kind of player. Here you get more high-stakes games with much higher max bet limits and more sizable prize pools. Most tournaments are made available to players in the higher tiers of loyalty programs.
Invitations to Exclusive Events
Loyalty programs and VIP club perks can extend beyond the boundaries of an online casino. Through these programs, you can get invited to sporting events like the Superbowl, Champions League final and even MMA matches. They can also get you exclusive passes to music concerts and festivals or sort out a luxury holiday in a wonderful location.
These kinds of perks are limited for the most valued customers though and are only offered in VIP clubs and the highest available tiers at loyalty programs.
Are Loyalty Programs Worth Your While?
Loyalty programs are always worth your while, as you’ll be earning better bonuses and perks, simply by playing your favourite online casino games as you normally would. All the rewards that come with it are completely free. VIP clubs on the other hand are geared towards players with a bigger bankroll. So, unless you fit those specifications, it doesn’t make all that much sense to go after an invitation.
We recommend playing at an online casino with an open loyalty program that automatically enrols all players, giving you a great range of rewards that can significantly improve your overall experience. Visit www.masterofcasinos.com/loyalty-programs/ for more information on online casino loyalty programs, as well as suggestions for some of the best clubs you can join.
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