How bonus play actually works on-site
At Casino Nanaimo, bonus play is not money in your pocket. It comes as gaming credits - usually loaded onto your Encore Rewards card, sometimes issued on a voucher - that you spend on eligible slot machines, electronic table games, or live tables. You cannot cash it out, you cannot gift it to someone, and it never turns back into regular funds. Each specific offer sets its own rules: how you earn the credits, which games they work on, and how long they stay valid.
Everything runs through Encore Rewards. Without an active card in your hand, you simply do not take part. No card means no ballots tracked, no bonus play loaded, no valid entries into any draws. Joining Encore Rewards does not cost anything, but it is done face-to-face at the rewards desk inside the property at 620 Terminal Avenue, Nanaimo, British Columbia.
Promotions cycle through a few familiar formats: slot draws, table game free-play pools, food-and-play bundles, jackpot-linked campaigns, one-off or seasonal tournaments. The prize amounts and dates shift from promo to promo and sometimes change more than you expect. Checking casinonanaimo.com right before you head over usually saves you a wasted trip - it is not just a box to tick.
What is actually on offer
Below is a snapshot of promotion formats confirmed from official Casino Nanaimo materials. Exact dates and numbers are tied to specific campaigns and may change.
| Promotion Type | Verified Detail |
|---|---|
| Tables Golden Bonus | C$13,000 total free-play prize pool; qualifying buy-in C$200 cash; max 10 ballots per person per day |
| Dine and Play | C$15 bonus play after spending C$10+ per person on food or non-alcoholic beverages at The Well Public House |
| Jackpot Bonus Campaign | Up to C$36,000 in bonus-play prizes across the prize pool |
| Slot and ETG Draws | Periodic draws with free-play prizes for Encore Rewards members |
| Seasonal Tournaments | Draw-based and tournament formats; prize amounts vary by campaign |
One concrete example: the Tables Golden Bonus ran from March 1 to May 28, 2026. The Dine and Play promo, as documented, required a minimum age of 19 and allowed only one redemption per person per visit. These are not odd exceptions - they show how offers here are usually structured. Every promotion comes with its own eligibility rules, and they are worth reading in full before you turn up at the cage or the desk.
There is one more general point that matters. For any draw-driven promo at any casino, the “must be present to win” condition quietly trips people up again and again. It is better to plan around that before you go than to find out at the last second.
Claiming a table game bonus
With table game draw promotions, the overall flow is similar each time, even if the names and dates change.
First, drop by the Encore Rewards desk and make sure your membership shows as active. If you do not have a card yet, that is where you start.
Then check the current promo terms. They are usually printed at the desk and listed on casinonanaimo.com, including qualifying games, buy-in amounts, prize pool basics, and draw schedule.
Once you know you are in the right window, go to a qualifying table and buy in with cash at the required threshold. For the Tables Golden Bonus, that meant at least C$200 in cash.
While you buy in, hand your Encore Rewards card to the dealer or the floor supervisor so your qualifying play gets tagged. That is how your ballot or entry is counted.
After that, you receive confirmation of your ballot or entries and, just as important, a clear draw time or session time.
You then actually need to be at the draw location when the draw happens. If your name or card number is called and you are not there, the prize is forfeited with no exceptions, and the staff move on to the next eligible person.
If you are selected, you are directed to collect your bonus play - either back at the Encore Rewards desk or where staff tell you to go at the time.
Then you play it. Bonus play must be used on eligible games inside the time window listed in the promo terms, or it simply expires quietly.
Claiming a dining-linked bonus
The Dine and Play style offer runs on a slightly different, more straightforward track.
You start by eating or drinking (non-alcoholic) at The Well Public House inside Casino Nanaimo and spending at least C$10 per person on qualifying menu items.
Hold on to your receipt. When you finish, bring that receipt and your Encore Rewards card to the place indicated in the promotion materials - usually a redemption point on the floor or the rewards desk.
Staff then confirm that you meet the minimum age requirement of 19 or older.
Once that is done, C$15 in bonus play is loaded onto your Encore card as part of the Dine and Play structure.
You then use that bonus play on eligible gaming machines before the expiry time written into the offer. If you were thinking of using it the same evening, note that it loads right at the moment of redemption, not overnight or later in the week.