Types of UK Casino Bonuses
Each casino bonus has its own uniqueness to it – they all come in different shapes and sizes. There are pros and cons to each one, too, and it isn’t easy to pick when there are so many available to you. Let’s run you through the different types of casino bonuses so that you can understand them better.
Free Spins
Video slots have been rising in popularity over the years, and so too have free spins bonuses. You’ll come across numerous offers of free spins either on their own or as part of a welcome bonus package, typically alongside a deposit bonus. Many UK casino bonuses tend to offer this type of offer on games such as the Starburst slot from NetEnt or Book of Dead by Play’n GO. These are 2 very popular UK video slots.
But casinos also move away from these 2 typical choices to include free spins on other slots such as Blue Wizard or Gonzo’s Quest. It’s a great chance to test some of these slots if you’ve not yet played them, especially if they’re part of a free welcome bonus where no deposit is required.
You’ll find that no wager free spins are increasingly popular. This allows you to keep what you win when you play a popular slot game. The offers tend to be on the slots mentioned above too.
No Deposit Bonus
These are pretty rare these days, but no deposit bonuses still exist. The amount offered on these promotions is small, but it’s always a great chance to use this casino bonus to test out a new slot. Furthermore, there are a few that come with no wagering requirements, which is always great to see.
Deposit Bonus
This is arguably the most popular offer on the market. A lot of the best casino welcome bonuses are usually a percentage up to 100% or 200% of your first deposited amount, and some of the leading deposit casino bonuses like this can spread over 2, 3 or even 4 deposits.
For example, a 200% casino offer for new players may be available with a certain operator. If you deposit £50 initially, you will get £100 extra to play with.
Typically, maximum limits are attached, such as an offer of up to £50 or up to £100, but the top casino bonuses come with fair and attainable wagering.
Many casino welcome bonuses often include free spins as part of their sign-up offer, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled for those.
Reload Bonus
Casino reload bonuses are very similar to your typical new customer offer, but they’re usually available to existing players and often have a lower percentage attached to them. It’s simply a way of encouraging players to play more and acts as a reward.
Using it is a great way of getting comfortable at a particular casino rather than moving on to a new one. You may need a bonus code with these, you may not, but they do tend to have lower wagering requirements than the best casino offer from a new operator, which is a big plus. These kinds of promotions include:
- One-time reload bonuses
- Daily reload bonuses
- Weekly reload bonuses
- Monthly reload bonuses
Cashback Bonuses
These aren’t too common nowadays, but some UK cashback casinos will give you back a percentage of your losses over a certain period. This can be over 24 hours, a week, or even a whole month.
Mobile Casino Bonuses
As more and more people switch to a mobile-first way of betting and established and new online slot sites improve their mobile betting experience, it’s only natural that you’ll see mobile casino bonuses around as operators want to encourage you to utilise your mobile for convenience.
Some UK casino bonus sites even offer an exclusive promotion just for mobile players by not making it available to desktop users. LeoVegas bonuses are a good example of this, as they take a mobile-first approach and often have smartphone and tablet bonuses running. Although not always, these can also have lower wagering requirements attached.
But it’s worth noting that it’s not just the mobile promotions that can be claimed. Many of the best casino bonuses can be claimed on mobile as well as on a desktop rather than one or the other.
What Makes a Good Online Casino Bonus?
With not too much to choose between the best casino bonuses on the market, it’s not always easy to identify which ones are better than others. You need to go deeper and look at the following:
- Wagering Requirements
- Maximum Payouts
- Minimum Deposits
- Deposit Restrictions
- Expiry Dates
- Country Exclusions
- Eligible Games
- Bonus Codes
There might be a nice-looking casino bonus offering a 100% deposit of up to £250. While this looks great on the surface, you dig a little deeper to discover that the wagering is set to 75x, you can only deposit with a debit card, and winnings are limited to £50. This suddenly becomes one of those casino offers you want to avoid.
Let’s expand on the above points to help you understand exactly what to look out for with new casino bonuses.
Wagering Requirements
Some of the best casino bonuses have no wagering requirements, which is great, and there are some out there. But most of them will, and it’s important that you understand them fully because there comes a point where a certain figure is simply unrealistic and very difficult to achieve.
Let’s use an example. You’ve just registered and have claimed a new casino bonus that offered you £100. Here’s a useful table to show how much you need to wager to meet certain wagering terms listed:
| Wagering Requirement | Wagering Amount |
| 1x | £100 |
| 5x | £500 |
| 10x | £1,000 |
| 20x | £2,000 |
| 30x | £3,000 |
| 35x | £3,500 |
| 40x | £4,000 |
| 45x | £4,500 |
As you can see, the higher it gets, the more unrealistic the overall bonus becomes. Many operators will tend to be around the 35x or 40x mark. Anything over that would start to become unattainable, and there are some casino bonus sites out there that offer 60x and above, so that’s why it’s always essential you understand the wagering terms.
Maximum Payouts
Many casino bonuses these days have a maximum limit set on any potential win. Every casino is different, but we’ve seen values anywhere from £25 up to £500. It’s great if you want to find an offer with no limitations, but there are few and far between nowadays.
The maximum win is typically set to £100 at many of the best casino bonus sites, but make sure you understand everything before committing.
Minimum Deposits
Most of the best online casino bonuses require a deposit of at least £10 or more. This is the most common value, but we have also seen minimum initial deposit levels set at £20 or £50. With promotions that reward you for a 2nd, 3rd or 4th deposit, you’ll be required to deposit more than once. However, some no deposit bonuses around won’t require a deposit at all for you to claim the offer.
If you want to deposit under £10, check out our minimum deposit UK casinos. You can deposit as little as £1 and find a list of casino bonuses where you need to deposit £10 or less.
Deposit Restrictions
It’s important to check the eligibility requirements and make sure you’re happy with the options available to you as some don’t include popular e-wallets like PayPal, Skrill or NETeller. Even casinos with Apple Pay might not allow deposits with the iOS payment method for the initial offer upon registration.
If this is the case, our advice would be to use another payment method for the deposit bonus and then switch to your preferred method after that. You should bear in mind that e-wallet payment methods are normally the quickest to cash out so if this is important to you, you need to play at a fast withdrawal casino in the UK.
Expiry Dates
There will always be a time limit on your casino bonus. Whether it’s 24 hours, 3 days, 7 days or maybe even 30 days, you won’t come across one without an expiry date. Make sure you take note of the timeframe, as you will lose any bonus you don’t use in time.
Country Exclusions
We’re just focussing on UK casino bonuses here, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any country restrictions here because there are. If you live in Northern Ireland, there will be some promotions you simply cannot get. The Isle of Man is often in the same boat, so double-check the offer if you like outside of England just to make sure.
Eligible Games
Wagering contributions vary and must be considered with any casino offer. For example, playing progressive slots when they only contribute 10% to the overall wagering requirements is not the way to go, as it will take you 10 times as long as a slot that contributes 100%.
Here’s one example of the wagering contributions you may come across in the Terms and Conditions of some of the latest casino bonuses:
- Slots = 100%
- Blackjack = 25%
- Roulette = 25%
- Baccarat = 10%
- Video Poker = 10%
- All Other Games = 0%
Bonus Codes
Some of the best casino sign-up bonuses will come with a bonus code attached. You will need to make sure you enter this when depositing or registering. If you need one but fail to enter it for whatever reason, get onto customer support, as they may be able to add it for you on their end.
Pros & Cons of the Best UK Casino Bonuses
There are advantages and disadvantages to everything, and the top casino bonuses are no different. Here’s a useful table that will help you understand the good and bad points:
- Available at the majority of trusted casinos
- Key T&Cs are clear
- Deposit not always needed
- Bonuses for new and existing players
- Many different types to cater to all players
- Often more than 1 available
- Experience and learn the gameplay
- Try new slots with Free Play
- Prolongs your game time
- Maximum win limits can apply
- Low spin value on free spins
- Unattainable wagering at times
- Expiry date can be short
- Some payments may be excluded
How to Claim the Best Casino Offers in the UK
Most casino sign-up offers follow the same pattern in terms of how to claim them. It’s really quick and easy to get one, just follow these simple steps:
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1
Choose a BonusPick a welcome offer from our list above of the best around.
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2
Understand the T&Cs
Read the terms of the offer to ensure you are happy with them.
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3
Pick a Casino
Click through to your chosen casino bonus on the link by hitting the ‘Visit Casino’ button.
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4
Register
Sign up for a new account and verify your ID if required.
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5
Enter the Bonus Code
If one is required, make sure you enter it when prompted. More often than not, one isn’t needed but always check to make sure
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6
Deposit
Make a minimum initial deposit as mentioned in the terms of the offer.
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7
Adhere to Wagering Terms
Make sure you meet the wagering requirements within the timeframe specified in the terms of the welcome bonus.
It’s as simple as that with the majority of UK casino bonus sites. If you’re in any doubt, the operator should have an easy guide to follow where the promotion is listed on the website.
All UK Casino Bonuses are Safe at Online-Slot.co.uk
There’s often cause for concern when you’re on the lookout for a new casino to play at because you’re not sure just how safe and secure they are, especially if they’re new to the market. But rest assured we thoroughly test every casino that hits the UK market and list only those that are trustworthy and safe.
SSL Encryption technology of 128 or 256-bit is always in place to ensure your personal data is never compromised, and each casino with a valid licence from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is reputable. You can see if they hold one in the footer of their website, but every single UK casino we list here at Online-Slot.co.uk is perfectly safe to register and deposit funds at.
Feel free to take a look at our UK casino sites page. We go into detail about what to look out for in a good casino and we’ve also got a list of the best around at the moment. We update the page regularly too so that you have the most up-to-date information.
Casino Bonus Tips & Tricks
Now you know how to claim a signup offer, we’ve got some tips for you so that you can get the most out of your casino bonuses:
- Invest time in researching the casino to determine if it aligns with your specific requirements.
- Evaluate the available promotions for both new and existing players, ensuring you fully understand the terms and conditions.
- Choose games that contribute 100% towards meeting the wagering requirements.
- Opt for games with a higher return to player (RTP) rate to maximise your potential returns.
- Sign up for email or SMS notifications to receive exclusive bonuses and updates on new promotions.
- Activate push notifications on your mobile device to stay informed about any new promotional offers.
- Contact customer support to ask about upcoming promotions that may be of interest.
- After claiming the welcome offer, stay vigilant for ongoing promotions specifically designed for loyal players, as casinos often reward existing customers with additional bonuses.
Best Casino Bonuses FAQs
More and more casino bonuses are being added as the year goes on. With new casinos coming into the fold or simply with established operators switching things up, there’s always something for everyone. We’ve listed the best casino bonuses around on our page.
Most casino bonuses are certainly worth your time and effort. Not only do they provide you with a reward such as a deposit bonus or some free spins, but it’s also a great opportunity to use these kinds of offers to try some games you may not have necessarily played with your own funds.
Casushi and Duelz Casino both have great sign-up offers. It’s difficult to know which casino has the best welcome bonus or other bonuses once you’re an existing player. That’s where we come in. Choose from the bonuses listed on this page.
If it’s a welcome offer, you need to register, deposit, possibly enter a bonus code and play through any wagering requirements. It might be slightly different with ongoing promotions once you’re an existing player.
There are plenty of top casino offers at UK casinos, but it’s difficult to pinpoint who has the biggest as there are so many other parts to consider. You might see an operator with a £1000 welcome offer. However, the wagering could be 75x for example. So another operator with a £200 bonus and 30x wagering becomes more appealing due to the lower wagering. Just because a casino offers a huge amount, it doesn’t make it the best.
