Countdown to Christmas: Advent Calendars at Online Casinos

During this holiday season, a thrilling countdown awaits, and no, it’s not Santa checking his gift list. We’re talking about the enchanting tradition of online casinos' advent calendars, which are packed with surprises. Read on as we unwrap how these digital calendars transform the holiday season.

Advent calendars date back to the 19th century when 24 doors concealing a small prize were used in anticipation of the big day. Online casinos have adapted this concept to engage players by offering daily and even weekly promotions in the hopes of building a more engaging and entertaining countdown toward Christmas. 

As you can imagine these are always front and centre of all your favourite casinos come December first so there would be little point in explaining how to find these, however, the concept may seem a bit tricky to grasp.

How Online Casino Advent Calendars Work

In short, every day in the lead up to Christmas day, you can ‘open’ a new door on the casino site’s calendar and get a special bonus.

Like traditional advent calendars, the ones on online casino sites usually include 25-day promotions starting from December 1st. Each new day brings a new, distinctive reward with larger prizes up for grabs at longer intervals, such as tournament rewards once a week or unique offers on particular days.

Daily and Weekly Bonuses

The order of the season for many online casinos here is variety, players can expect a creatively diverse range of prizes as you unwrap the daily rewards of an online casin’s advent calendar. The following are some of the daily surprises you should expect:

No-Deposit Bonuses

These will be regular features on your advent calendar and may come in numerous forms such as they do throughout the year. You can expect free spins or even match bonuses all without a deposit required.

Cashback Offers 

Not too common a bonus on many advent calendars, should you come across a festive cashback offer it will most typically bring what players have come to know and love about them. This will let you take back a portion of your losses. What you should look out for is for Christmas extras here such as a relaxation of the wagering requirements or possibly a very high return percentage. 

Special Tournaments 

Many online casinos will run a tournament to accompany the calendar where tickets or tokens to play will be issued through the daily advent bonuses. A player will need to complete a certain requirement in order to be eligible but this will bring a whole host of other potential bonuses. 

Reload Bonuses 

Similar to the cashback offers, reload bonuses will probably occur once a week if not more for the duration of the advent calendar. Many times this will have stipulations replicated from the casino’s typical reload offers which can be game dependent. These offers may remain consistent or escalate week on week to give players more value at Christmas time. 

Which Are the Most Exciting Game Types to Play at Christmas Time?

Game-specific bonuses are often included, especially if the casino offers different types of games. 

For example, the most popular games are slots, and these will either be vamped up to bring some festive cheer or even themed specifically for the holiday season. Slot enthusiasts will receive free spins, bonus rounds or increased multipliers. 

Table game lovers could also be treated to cashback offers, deposit matches or entries to exclusive tournaments with significant cash payouts.

Christmas and Advent Calendar Terms & Conditions

Before delving into the festive spirit at any online casino, make sure you understand and are willing to fulfil the terms and conditions applied to these very particular bonuses.

Wagering Requirements

Casino advent calendars tend to buck the trend of usually associated with bonuses and can come with low or even without wagering requirements. They can even be activated for free without needing to make a specific deposit!

Time-Frames

Time constraints for casino bonuses are complex at the best of times, however, Christmas bonuses especially on an advent calendar will be far less lenient. You should ensure you are fully aware of how long a bonus will last before you play with them, Some bonuses in this context may not even last a day given that a new bonus will be unveiled the next day.

Game Exclusions

Game exclusions are pretty common for many online casinos, in some cases bonuses are only applicable to a single game such as is common for a free spin offer. I would recommend having a look at some Christmas themed games at this time of year as the bonuses potential is high.

Max Cashout

When it comes to Christmas bonuses, most commonly no-deposit bonuses, there is often a limit to how much you can cashout. This very simply means you can only win so much money when playing with this bonus. This is by no means a limit that is applicable to all Christmas bonuses, so just ensure to read the terms and conditions before playing with any bonus so as to avoid any nasty surprises. 

Restricted Payment Methods

It's entirely possible that a player will be required to use a specific payment method in order to benefit from a certain bonus. If you want to use a certain bonus make sure that you're ready and willing to use the payment methods that a casino stipulates.

Prizes & Rewards

Rewards from advent calendars vary depending on the terms and conditions set by the online casino. Some platforms offer a mix of virtual and actual physical prizes, while others only have one. 

It’s even possible for some lucky players to end up with real-world rewards. For example, a casino may have signed memorabilia by top sports or poker players up for grabs, or offer free trips to Las Vegas.