Playing online casino games has become a favorite pastime among many Filipinos. Especially after 2012, the industry boomed due to online platforms located outside the country. These started catering to the Philippines residents.
This article describes our expert process of selecting top casino bonuses in general and for the Philippines, in particular. We talk about bonus types and how to sign up for them, give you a list of the most popular ones and talk about game-specific rewards.
If you’re interested in the frequently asked questions regarding bonuses and Philippines-specific regulations, skip to the end of the page to learn more.
This bonus type is quite common in online casinos. A shiny welcome offer is a ticket for the casino to hook the player. These offers might be simple or contain various steps and components depending on the casino's aim while attracting customers. The simplest ones are match bonuses and include a percentage of the deposit as the bonus amount. More elaborate offers contain several steps the player needs to take before they can qualify. Additionally, they might offer free spins on select games. No deposit promotions are also common as welcome offers. This bonus type usually works on slots and table games and has a wagering requirement that's around the mid-range. That said, it's not entirely unusual to have a special low-wagering one for a short period or as a PR campaign.
Free spins are usually attached to slots of various game developers to foster partnerships with casinos. Sometimes, the companies do their own promotional campaigns, which affect all the casinos they have entries in. This bonus type usually comes with a deposit component or attached to a welcome offer. Still, it's not uncommon to have it as a separately standing offer. It's possible to get a once-off dump of 200 free spins, but most promotions ensure that you return to the casino and play through the game at least daily. Thus they portion the reward.
No deposit bonuses are fun finds at online casinos. What makes them luring is that you don't have to pay the casino from the get-go. This is, basically, free money that you get for casual gameplay. We'd recommend that you don't hope to win big with these offers, as they're a way to get you to sign up on the platform. Before taking the offer, ensure that it's not tricky and doesn't contain hidden fees and terms. Look out for the casino's reliability to ensure that it's okay to share your personal information with them.
We've talked about wagering requirements above, so you might already know that they are a part of the bonus terms and conditions that determine how many times you have to play through the deposit or the bonus. While the standard for wagering is around 30x, some casinos offer lower requirements or none at all. Anywhere between 1x and 10x can be considered "low wagering." Casinos apply this bonus type to various other ones. Short- and long-term deposit promotions, free spins offers, and even welcome ones can have low playthrough requirements. In any case, we recommend that you check the T&C for details.
Losing is inevitable at online casinos, but some platforms offer periodic cashback bonuses to balance wins and losses. These usually are a percentage of the money you lost within a period. In general, the allocation ranges from 5 to 20%. Let's say you played every day from Monday to Saturday and lost $500. If the cashback is 10%, on Sunday, the casino will return you $50. There's usually an upper limit to the amount you can get back, but that might only interest high rollers. For casual players, this is a fantastic way to extend their gameplay and make fewer deposits. You'll see these bonus types in live casinos as well as table games and slots. Also, ensure that it works in conjunction with other bonuses and doesn't interfere with their payouts.
Reload bonuses are similar to those above, but instead of basing the return percentage on the losses, they offer additional money against the deposits made. This is simply another way to incentivize people to put in the buck and continue playing. Let's say you've made a $500 deposit during the given time. Usually, it won't matter if you did it as a once-off payment or in installments. The casino will account for the percentage on offer and add the money to your account. These casino bonuses are also subject to wagering requirements, so it's imperative to check the terms and conditions.
Promotional bonuses are short- or long-term offers. The game development companies often initiate these for all the casinos their games are presented in. Creators like Play'n GO have ongoing promotions like the famous "Daily Drops and Wins." These take the shape of tournaments and leaderboard competitions with jackpot pools to share between the winners. These promotions often include free spins or other supplementary perks for returning participants to incentivize daily logins or other specific behavior. Profit maximization for a casino is another area where promotional bonuses exceed expectations. Online casinos gather a lot of personal information and navigational data on your profile, which allows them to push tailored offers right into your inbox. Before taking a promotional bonus, ensure that you're aware of the end date, allowed game list and other specific requirements it imposes.
The bonus examples described above can be tailored to fit various game types. Still, some offers work better on certain games. Let's discover the variety below.
Gambling in the Philippines has had a fascinating history. Since 1976, the country has had a regulatory body, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). It was initially formed by the president at the time to regulate land-based casinos. Today, it governs everything from gambling employment to electronic game machines. This state-owned company has renewed its control in 2007 and will be monitoring the industry for another decade.
Not only does it license any casino operation in the country (except those in the Cagayan Economic Zone, a huge tourist destination), but it also owns more than a dozen casinos. Its authority even spreads on online gambling regulations (more about that, below).
Sabong (cockfighting) has long been a local attraction for Filipinos. Today, legal and illegal betting on this entertainment variety is widespread. Mainstream sports like boxing, basketball and kick volleyball are also gaining popularity.
Filipino online and offline gambling and betting industries show promise due to foreign investment and improving regulation by PAGCOR.
Everybody understands that the scrutiny from PAGCOR wouldn’t let the conventional “play-from-your-couch” online gambling flourish in the country in a classic sense. Indeed, the corporation took control over online gambling too. e-Games Stations (PEGS) have been the only way to access domestic online casinos and sports betting platforms.
In 2012, the gambling community found a loophole in the primary legislation. Turns out that no provision banned offshore casinos from catering to Filipinos. After this exploit was discovered, online casinos and betting websites became available in the country.
Online gambling and online bonuses are “not illegal” in the Philippines. We don’t use the word “illegal” because there’s no law banning locals from claiming rewards at offshore casinos. Still, there are no extensive laws and regulations regarding bonuses either.
This means that bonus- and casino-specific conditions and limitations take over. Read the section above, where we describe the cases you might void the reward to get more information.
Top bonuses, including those in our recommended lists, carry this vital information in terms and conditions. The only thing you need to do is read the documents carefully.
If the casino has the legal base to cater to the Filipino audience or foreigners residing in the country, location-specific restrictions shouldn’t exist. The only limits are those imposed by the casino.
Check bonus terms for a specific list of games allowed on the promotion and ensure that you choose among those to avoid canceling the reward. Also, read the bonus T&C, the casino’s privacy policy and their user agreement for any details on deposit and withdrawal limits. It’s always great to be aware of any possible pitfalls.
Gambling in the Philippines is regulated from a centralized source. Thus, winner statistics aren’t transparent. Although PAGCOR has industry statistics reports, they aren’t forthcoming to announce the most significant jackpot hits on land-based or online casinos.
The only information about an actual win is a report of two people winning P1,180,622,508 in a lotto jackpot. It mentions that the victory has been the largest in the Philippines’ history.
We've talked quite a lot about casino bonuses by now. In this section, we summarize the frequently asked questions about Filipino gambling and promotions in general.
Finding bonuses is meticulous work brought to you by our experts. For a promotion to make our list, it should pass the checkpoints mentioned in the first section of this page. Bonuses change and update periodically, and we do our best to showcase the best ones for those who follow our website.
To get your hit bonus today, find the recommended list and select any offer. If a casino promotion reached there, we gave our badge of approval.
Wagering requirements (also referred to as playthrough) is a provision in bonus T&Cs that places a condition on the withdrawal or usage of the winnings from a given reward. You’ll have to cover an assigned multiple of your bonus amount or the deposit initially made.
The usual range falls between 1x and 60x, making some bonuses more appealing and easier to pull through. When we talk about the playthrough, it’s important to note that not all casino entries contribute similarly to the requirements.
You’ll need to scrutinize the bonus terms for any mention of specific game types. Typically, you’ll find that slots get you to the goal faster than the live casino or table games.
You’ll get approved for withdrawing when you’ve met the playthrough requirements. Typically, there might be additional conditions, like having passed the casino verification process and having fulfilled other terms mentioned on the T&C.
Depending on your bonus type and its original validity dates, this timeframe can range from a week to a month. If you happened to land a multi-step casino welcome bonus, the legality window tends to be longer versus simpler-to-pull-through promotions.
It’s a bit of a gray zone. While there’s no law banning you from playing as a Philippines resident, there’s not much regulation either. Therefore, offshore online casinos can operate in the country. As for local electronic gambling, special devices are spread all over the country and monitored by the official Filipino gambling regulatory body.
Theoretically, yes. If the bonus terms allow you to withdraw, there’s no reason why you won’t be able to do so. Still, ensure that you’ve met the wagering requirements and other provisions before withdrawing.
You might want to check the limits both on the bonus requirements and the casino’s general player terms. Exceeding the restriction of a one-time withdrawal might void your bonus. Plus, be careful about the amount if you have several upcoming rewards, as cashing out winnings from one of them might revoke the other.
All PAGCOR establishments accept players of 21 years and older. In the first Cagayan Economic Zone, gamblers of 18 years and older are allowed.
Legal gambling institutions pay 50% of all the winnings to the government, on top of the 5% franchise tax.
Payments for the individual players, on the other hand, are debated. The law is that gambling income below P10,000 should be taxed at 10%, and anything above that is at 20%. Still, there’s no history of the government pursuing anyone who didn’t report gambling income.
In most cases, you can claim the reward without a code. This is true for welcome offers, where you just need to follow the prompts while registering. However, some promotions will only be valid with a code. You’ll be safe to follow the steps described in the bonus claim procedures.
In most cases, you receive the casino bonuses immediately. If there’s a delay, check the bonus T&C for additional requirements.
The volatility of the game doesn’t have much to do with clearing bonus requirements. While the result might differ in terms of risk vs. rewards with high- or low-volatility titles, it doesn’t influence the speed of you moving towards the playthrough goal.
Instead, you need to play games with high wagering contributions. Most of the time, those are slots and table titles, while live dealer games only add little to the goal.
That said, high volatility titles are also rare among the allowed games, as the increased risk eventually pays off in terms of more significant rewards, and casinos rarely want that on bonus games.
Technically, each casino bonus is targeted towards a specific outcome. If you’re attentive enough, you’ll know what the casino tries to “sell” only by reading the promotion banner and the T&C.
Sure, there are some game-specific differences between the live casino and slot bonuses. The latter employ free spins and deposit match rewards, while the former focuses more on making the player’s time worthwhile with cashback, free money bets and reload bonuses.
Like watching movies and playing video games, gambling is a hobby. While money is involved, you shouldn't view it as a method to earn because of the chance component.
Everybody knows that casino games are highly addictive, especially when you’re playing for real money. Thus, to combat the adverse effects of the habit like losing grasp of reality and compulsive gambling, online platforms build in a few tools into their websites.
These mechanisms are non-offensive. The only thing you need to do is to deploy them after registration to keep yourself in check. One of them is called “Reality Check.” It reminds you how long you’ve been playing and nudges you to take a break. You can also apply monetary (deposit limits) and time-bound (time limits) restrictions.
If you already have a problem with compulsive gambling, it’d be wise to take a break. Self-exclusion will set an amount of time (a day, a month or a year) during which you won’t be able to use the website. If the issue is even more profound, you might want to close the gambling account permanently and get help from one of the organizations mentioned below.
Most gamblers believe that nobody gets their situation, which can lead to anxiety. Plus, the inability to cope with it can cause depression. But you’re not alone. Here’s where you can get help: