Choosing an online casino these days is becoming increasingly difficult, simply on account of the fact that the sheer number of online casinos trying to outbid each-other through the bonuses and promotions they offer, is quite overwhelming. Finding a good offer is not the issue here, finding the best one is.

Probably the most important factor in assessing an online casino is the bonus package it offers. Don't let yourself be blinded by the enormous sums some casinos advertise. You will never get any cash straight up from any online casino, no matter how much you deposit (there are a few exceptions to this rule though), and even if you do, you'll be tied to fulfill the play-over requirements before you're ever allowed to cash out.

A casino bonus can be correctly assessed through keeping on eye on a combination of factors.

The percentage match that one gets on his first deposit is such a factor. When the casino says you get a 200% match on your first deposit, up to $300, it means you get $300 if you deposit $150, but not more than that, even if you deposit more. The full value on that "bet" is obtained by depositing exactly $150.

The bigger the match percentage, the better the bonus value should be in theory. Just about the most important thing in bonus assessment is the turn-over requirement. In order to have their bonus money credited to their real money account, players need to play the bonus money over a set number of times. The bigger the play-over requirement, the less value there is in the bonus. It is not at all advantageous to play the money over and over while constantly betting on negative expected value. Another matter regarding the bonus redemption is the following: some casinos do not count certain games when it comes to turn-around. These games are usually the ones with the smallest EV- (like betting on red or black, odd or even on roulette), which basically allow the player to get a large amount of money turned over with minimal risks involved. Casinos which feature many restrictions on many such reduced house-edge games, are usually trying to make it difficult for their players to get their hands on the bonus, which is bad news.

Not all casino bonuses work the way I described above, but they all require unlocking. Take Victor Chandler Casino (VC Casino) for instance. They offer their players two options when it comes to the bonus: one option says the player needs to wager £750 in order to be eligible for a £50 bonus. Once the wagering requirement is complete, the player can claim his bonus, which will be transferred to his account right away. For high rollers, VC features a different bonus option: by generating £5,000 a player will earn £200 in bonus.

Ladbrokes Casino offers a 100% match on initial deposits in the old-fashioned way. The bonus money however, won't hit the player's account until he's played at least four times the value of his initial deposit. A 4-time play-over requirement is pretty advantageous actually, if you take it into consideration that there are casinos out there which require players to play their initial deposit over more than 10 times. That's pretty good value in Ladbrokes Casino right there. Once the play-through requirement is complete, players have to fill out a form to request their 100% match, up to a maximum of £100.

A second deposit is also rewarded in a similar fashion, up to a £50 maximum.

Ladbrokes offers a pretty original live dealer feature, in which players can actually play against the casino's own live employee.

William Hill features a much more intricate bonus structure than the above named sites. They have a tiered structure, with levels from 1 to 20, which sets different rewards according to how much a player wagers.

The player will have 30 days to obtain the wagering requirement for any of the tiers, starting from the moment he/she has placed his/her first bet.

William Hill is a casino in which I had to pleasure to play myself. It features more games than one could cover in a day. Its graphics crisp and clear, it is the definition of a high quality online casino experience.

Don't be ignorant like most online poker players out there. Take advantage of a rakeback deal, and never play another hand without rakeback again. This edge is something no successful online poker player does without.