This text represents a detailed guide to casino welcome bonuses. Players new to online gambling or just not familiar with the concept will find out everything they need to know, from why these exist and what types of signup offers there are out there, over how to recognize really good ones, to understanding important terms and rules.
Why Do Welcome Bonuses Exist?
The online gambling industry is a very competitive niche. There are countless online casinos out there already with new ones being opened regularly. Thus, players have plenty of options to choose from when deciding where they want to spend their money and try their luck.
Although most casinos do try their best to offer something unique, many of them are quite similar at the end of the day. There are some slots, some table games, and maybe a range of live dealer tables. So, how does the operator convince a player they should play on their site instead of one of their competitors?
By using welcome bonuses, of course. If a customer is trying to make up their mind between several casinos that are quite similar, they’ll probably go with the one that has a better signup bonus. But there isn’t a one-fit-all model that operators could apply here so they come up with different variations of bonuses to try and meet the expectations of as many players as possible.
Looking at everything explained thus far, there is really a lot to worry about when picking a welcome bonus. All casinos will try their best to make their offer sound awesome but that’s marketing. The truth about any bonus is only revealed when all these factors are added together and compared.
Every player should look for a bonus that best fit their personal preferences, style of play, and average deposits. For example, a high roller bonus that offers a 200% boost for anyone who deposits over $500 is worthless to a casual player who only deposits $20 at a time. Likewise, a bonus containing 100 extra spins worth $0.10 isn’t of interest to someone who is used to spinning slots at $5 a spin.
So, it’s important to look at a welcome bonus as a whole and see what is being offered. For small stakes, casual players, bonuses with plenty of extra spins can be great as they add a lot of value to the deal. If a casino offers a 100% match on the $10 deposit and50 extra spins, that’s basically another $5 to play with.
Less experienced players should also check out wagering requirements and make sure these aren’t exaggerated. The turnover of 30x to 35x the bonus amount is usually quite reasonable and that’s something to aim for, if possible.
And, finally, it is important to check that list of restricted games. We all have certain favorite slots and discovering a particular game you love is restricted after you’d already claimed the bonus can be a big disappointment.
So, taking a few minutes to read through those terms and conditions is worth it. Many players make the mistake of assuming these will be the same as they were on the last casino they played on. While there will likely be some similarities, every operator has its own way of doing things and the only way to know for sure is by reading through those terms.
When talking about welcome bonuses, it’s important to know there are two major groups of these that are usually termed as sticky and non-sticky bonuses. The difference between these is quite substantial and it’s something players should know about.
Sticky Bonuses
Some casinos give welcome bonuses that are immediately mixed with the original cash balance. The moment you take the bonus and start playing, all the funds are put together. So, players no longer have a chance to cash out their funds until they meet the requirements of the welcome bonus – not even the funds they deposited originally.
Until a few years ago, most welcome bonuses were of the sticky nature and it’s easy to see why these aren’t the best for the players. While the extra cash is nice, being restricted in terms of withdrawals never is. Luckily, the market has started to shift more towards the other group as of late.
Non-sticky Bonuses
This second group of welcome bonuses is much more player-friendly. The way these bonuses work is by keeping bonus funds separate from the actual cash balance. The player gets to use their own money first and if they happen to win playing with their funds, they can freely withdraw any winnings and only have to forfeit the bonus.
If the player loses the original deposit, only then the bonus comes into play, together with any rules and restrictions that may apply. So, basically, it is the second chance that player wouldn’t have otherwise so there is no downside whatsoever regardless of what rules may be in place for the bonus itself.
For those wondering why would anyone choose a sticky over a non-sticky welcome bonus, the answer is usually in the amount. Sticky bonuses often offer a bigger match of 200% or more, so players get a much bigger bankroll to play with.
Important Terms & Rules to Know About Welcome Bonuses
The first part of this text focused on different types of welcome bonuses and provided an overview of what’s out there. Now, we can move on to seemingly smaller but actually very important things to know about bonuses.
As mentioned, casinos want to welcome players but also protect their businesses. Over the years, the industry has come up with a certain set of rules that applies to almost all bonus offers out there, at least in general. Exact numbers and requirements may vary and players should always read particular terms and conditions but almost every single bonus will include stipulations mentioned further in this text.
Wagering Requirements
When a casino provides a welcome bonus for the player, they are giving it so that the player can use the funds to play some games and potentially get lucky. However, what they don’t want to happen is for someone to simply take the bonus money and immediately withdraw the whole lot.
To prevent these types of things from happening, almost all casinos attach certain wagering requirements to their bonuses. This term stands for the number of times the funds need to be turned over before a player is allowed to cash out.
For example, a welcome bonus of $100 with 30 times wagering requirements will require a player to place a total of $3,000 in bets before a cashout. Thus, the player is free to use the funds for play but they can only withdraw once the casino is satisfied the funds have been used the way they were meant to be used.
Maximum Bet
For similar reasons, casinos will also usually set the maximum bet a player is allowed to place on a single spin of a slot or a round at the tables. Usually, the maximum bet is around $5, although it can be bigger or smaller, depending on the site.
This is to make sure players aren’t just going from one casino to another taking bonuses and betting huge until they get lucky. While there are some who aren’t particularly happy with these kinds of restrictions, it isn’t hard to see why casinos wouldn’t condone this manner of play with bonus funds. Those who want to play big stakes and try their luck can do so freely on their own money, of course.
Restricted Games
What games a player can or can’t use their bonus funds on vary greatly from one casino to another. There is really not a single set of rules here but restricted games are usually listed in relevant terms and conditions.
Sometimes, a welcome bonus will only be available for slots. Sometimes, other games are allowed as well, but their contribution towards wagering is reduced. There are also casinos that will exclude particular slots and restrict them while the welcome bonus is active.
Logic behind some of these restrictions isn’t hard to understand. For example, a casino doesn’t want players to use low-risk roulette bets to make the wagering and cash out. However, some operators do take things too far on occasion and restrict certain games and video slots just because these have a slightly higher return to player.
| Casinos | Bonus | Min. Deposit | WR | Payment Methods | Claim Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win.Casino
|
$140,000
+ 50 Free Spins
18+ Only, GambleAware.org, T&C Apply.
|
$10 | 40x (Bonus & Deposit) |
18+ Only, GambleAware.org, T&C Apply.
|
|
FortuneJack Casino
|
$100,000
+ 500 Free Spins
18+ Only, GambleAware.org, T&C Apply.
|
$20 | 30x (Bonus & Deposit) |
|
18+ Only, GambleAware.org, T&C Apply.
|
Bombastic Casino
|
$30,000
18+ Only, GambleAware.org, T&C Apply.
|
$20 | 40x (Bonus & Deposit) |
|
18+ Only, GambleAware.org, T&C Apply.
|
Casinobet
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$27,500
+ 125 Free Spins
18+ Only, GambleAware.org, T&C Apply.
|
$20 | 50x (Bonus & Deposit) |
|
18+ Only, GambleAware.org, T&C Apply.
|
Sun Palace Casino
|
$7,000
SLOTS200
18+ Only, GambleAware.org, T&C Apply.
|
$20 | 50x (Bonus & Deposit) |
18+ Only, GambleAware.org, T&C Apply.
|
There are three large main groups of welcome bonuses out there. Although casinos try to vary things in certain segments, they mostly stick to these main categories to make things simpler for the players.
No Deposit Bonuses
Like the name suggests, these are bonuses that are given to players without requiring them to deposit any of their own money. Not surprisingly, these are quite popular as they provide an opportunity to try the casino and potentially even win some actual cash without any risk involved. Usually, players need to verify their email or their phone number before they can get a no deposit welcome bonus. After that, they can use the money almost as if it were the actual cash they deposited although certain restrictions usually apply. On top of this, most no deposit bonuses have a maximum win cap, so it doesn’t happen someone goes on a hot run and turns $10 into $5,000.
Cashback Bonuses
Match bonuses make up the biggest percentage of all welcome bonuses. They offer players a chance to receive a cash boost from the casino based on the amount they deposit. For example, a casino can offer a welcome bonus of 100% up to $200. This means that any money a player deposits up to $200 will be effectively doubled. So, if they took the full bonus, they’d have $400 to play with. Rules for these bonuses are not as strict as those for no deposit offers but they still exist. While casinos do want to make their players feel welcome, they also need to protect themselves from those who’d just want to get money out of the site with no risk. So, it’s a balancing act.
Free (Extra) Spins
Another popular way used by casinos to welcome new players is by giving them extra spins for certain popular slots. These spins have their base value and on every winning spin, they’ll result in those winnings being added to the player’s account. How these free spins’ winnings are treated varies from one casino to another. In some instances, players are free to keep all of their winnings and do with them as they like immediately. In other cases, winnings are treated like bonus funds and restricted by the same rules that apply to these funds, which are discussed a bit later in the text.
Wagering requirements are also known as playthrough requirements. WR are part of the terms and conditions for a no deposit bonus. Wagering requirements are multiplier rules associated with the promotion. It indicates precisely how many times Players must rollover the bonus before they can withdraw any funds.
A $20 no deposit bonus subject to a 30X wagering requirement means that players must wager their bonus amount a total of 30 X ($600 in bets) before cashing out any payouts. Any attempt to withdraw without meeting the playthrough requirement will invalidate the bonus + payouts in the account.
The portion of the offer that is subjected to wagering requirements is usually indicated in the bonus terms and conditions. Wagering requirements can be applied to both deposit match bonuses and free spins bonuses, and in some cases, wagering requirements may also be applied to your deposit amount.
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Figuring out if a welcome bonus is actually good is a process that involves looking at all these different factors like the match percentage, wagering requirements, restrictions, etc. At the end of the day, you, as a player, can determine what kind of a bonus is good for you.
You should try your best to play by the book when using bonus funds. If you do happen to break the rules by accident, some casinos might let you get away with it. However, almost all of them have rules that allow them to confiscate all of your funds if this happens.
Wagering requirements represent the number of time bonus funds need to be turned over (wagered) before the player is allowed to cash out their winnings.
Sticky bonuses won’t let you withdraw any funds until you’ve met all the wagering requirements and other terms. Non-sticky bonuses let you play with your own funds and withdraw any winnings made using those funds freely – the bonus comes into play only after the original deposit is gone.
A welcome bonus is a casino bonus offered to new players as a gift. These bonuses are used by casinos to attract new customers and can be quite valuable and help improve the overall quality of your online gambling experience.
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