What Is a Casino Welcome Bonus?
A casino welcome bonus is an incentive an online casino offers to attract new customers to join them. Consider it a gift once you register or make your first deposit at the casino. Often known as first deposit or sign-up bonuses, most online casinos in the UK offer welcome bonuses.
Types of Welcome Bonuses
Online casinos offer many types of sign-up bonuses. All are designed to get you to register and stick around, and most require you to deposit. Some don’t, though, so it’s important to know the difference.
The best casino welcome bonus depends on your personal preference, so it’s imperative to understand the different types available. Here are the most popular welcome bonus types:
- First Deposit Bonuses: deposit welcome bonus offers require you to make a deposit to get a bonus. It normally consists of a 100% sign-up bonus up to a certain amount (i.e. 100% bonus up to £100). In this example, depositing £100 would give you a £100 bonus. These types of offers have minimum and maximum deposit limits.
- No Deposit Bonuses: not that common, no deposit offers allow you to play without having to make a deposit (i.e. only registration is needed). These types of bonuses are usually small (i.e. £5 or £10), giving you the chance to sample the offerings at a casino.
- High Roller Bonuses: reserved for players with deeper pockets, high roller offers are big deposit offers up to £500 or higher. Less and less common due to regulations set out by the UK Gambling Commission, these types of offers are available to existing players once they’ve proved they deposit bigger amounts.
- Free Spins Bonuses: becoming increasingly popular lately, casinos reward new customers with free spins when they make their first deposit. These are usually valid on popular slot games such as Starburst (NetEnt) or Book of Dead (Play ‘n GO). Free spins offers allow players to try popular slots at UK casinos. This is deemed as a slots welcome bonus essentially.
- No Deposit Free Spins: like no deposit bonuses, some offers will reward you with free spins without having to deposit any funds. These are available on the most popular slot games and will tend to be 5-20 free spins. These offers also have high wagering requirements and max win limits.
- No Wager Free Spins: these are free spins with no wagering requirements. Sometimes requiring a deposit and sometimes not, most no wager free spins bonuses need a deposit to claim them. You will find this kind of offers mainly at UK slot sites.
- Cashback Bonuses: these are bonuses offered when you lose at an online casino. Cashback offers are typically offered on losses. A 10% cashback bonus will see you get 10% back of all your losses. Although uncommon, cashback is normally offered as an ongoing offer for existing players.
How to Choose the Best Welcome Bonus
As you have read above, finding the best welcome bonus in the UK can sometimes be tricky. Here at Online-Slot.co.uk, we’ve broken down all the areas you need to consider to make an informed decision.
Forming part of the welcome bonus Terms & Conditions, here is what you need to look at when considering a casino sign-up bonus:
| Wagering Requirements | Deposit Limits |
| Cashout/Max Win Limits | Max Stake/Bet Limits |
| Eligible Games/Slots | Payment Methods |
| Expiry Dates | Bonus Codes |
Wagering Requirements
Casino welcome bonus wagering requirements are multiplier conditions representing the number of times you need to play through (wager) a bonus or deposit plus bonus before withdrawing any winnings and/or the bonus itself. With most wagering requirements specifying you play through a bonus between 30 and 50 times, a £100 bonus, for example, will need to be played through to the tune of between £3,000 and £5,000.
Some casino welcome bonuses require the wagering requirements to be completed on the deposit amount only or both the deposit and bonus amounts. If you take up a 100% bonus match, deposit + bonus wagering requirements are effectively double that of deposit-only wagering requirements.
The best welcome bonuses come with wagering requirements under 40 times.
Deposit Limits
All casino sign-up bonus offers come with deposit limits, i.e. the minimum and maximum deposit amounts allowed to claim the bonus. For a typical 100% welcome bonus up to £100, you would need to normally deposit between £10 and £100.
Our detailed casino reviews specify the minimum deposit amount required to be eligible for the casino welcome offer. If a bonus offer is 100% up to £100, depositing more than £100 would mean you get a matched bonus up to £100. Depositing under the minimum deposit means you won’t get the bonus offer.
Some welcome bonus casinos will demand a higher minimum deposit of £20 or higher to restrict bonus abuse. The minimum amount is stated clearly in each of our online casino reviews.
Cashout/Max Win Limits
Increasingly common these days, a UK casino welcome bonus will have some kind of cashout or max win limits. This means that there is a maximum amount you’re allowed to win or withdraw from the bonus. The max win limit limits liability and risk for a particular online casino.
Max Stake/Bet Limits
Although not mandatory with all UK welcome bonuses, casinos will specify a maximum bet/stake per spin when clearing the wagering requirements. This tends to vary between £2 and £5. If you were to be playing a slot game, the most you could bet per spin would be £5. for example. If you go over this per spin, it won’t count towards the wagering requirements. These restrictions are normally in place for slots welcome bonus, though.
Eligible Games/Slots
Even with the best casino welcome bonus, it will be valid on certain casino games and slots. Most online slots contribute 100% to the wagering requirements. However, high RTP slots such as Book of 99 from Relax Gaming (99%) will be excluded.
The list of excluded slots can be found in any casino’s bonus Terms & Conditions text. Assume that slots with a high RTP rate or extremely high volatility will generally be excluded. Other casino games, such as blackjack, won’t be allowed for the wagering requirements or contribute 5% or 10% in total. Progressive jackpot slots are normally excluded, too.
Payment Methods
An important factor to consider is what casino payment methods are allowed for casino welcome offers. Debit cards are widely accepted, as are PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. E-wallet solutions, including Neteller and Skrill, won’t be allowed generally.
It’s imperative that your first deposit has to be made using an eligible payment method. As specified in our detailed reviews and in the Terms & Conditions, the payment method used needs to offer fast cashouts with no fees. Apple Pay and Google Pay, where accepted, are great options as they are essentially funded by your bank account. To be certain of claiming a signup bonus, use your debit card.
Expiry Dates
Expiry dates or timeframes for a casino welcome bonus have become increasingly common these days. The expiry date specifies the timeframe in which you need to claim the bonus and complete the wagering requirements. UK casinos generally set expiry dates within a few days or even a month.
Bonus Codes
Not as common these days, a casino welcome offer may require you to enter a bonus code upon registering or depositing. These are normally valid for exclusive welcome bonuses. However, most bonus codes are automatically pulled into the registration or deposit process.
Specified in our casino reviews, using a bonus code will ensure you get the best welcome bonus possible. Without the bonus code, you may not receive the sign-up bonus or exclusive offer.
Cashable or Sticky Welcome Bonus?
It’s important to understand whether a casino welcome bonus is cashable or sticky (i.e. non-cashable). With most casino bonus offers being cashable, you can keep and/or cash out the winnings once you fulfil the welcome bonus terms and conditions. However, you need to know how the differences affect your balance.
A cashable welcome bonus is a bonus where you can keep all the winnings and the bonus once you complete the wagering requirements and other conditions.
Example: 100% bonus up to £100 with 30 x wagering requirements. You will need to wager the bonus 30 times before cashing it out. Depositing £100 will give you a £100 bonus. This means you will need to wager £3,000 (£100 x 30 wagering requirements). Do this, and you can withdraw the bonus and all winnings.
A sticky or non-cashable welcome bonus allows you to play with the bonus but not withdraw or keep the bonus. It helps you accumulate winnings which can be cashed out. If you got a 100% sticky bonus up to £100 and won £200 on top of the bonus, you would be able to withdraw the £200 but not the £100 bonus.
On the flip side, sticky welcome bonuses tend to be bigger than cashable offers so you have a higher chance of increasing your bankroll and winnings. They are not that common amongst UK casinos, though.
Casino Account Verification
As per the regulations set in place by the UK Gambling Commission, online casinos need to verify the name, address and date of birth of a player before allowing them to gamble.
Prior to taking up a casino welcome bonus, you should be informed of the types of identity documentation that may be required to verify your account. It should also specify the circumstances in which documentation would be required and how you should provide the documentation to the operator. Here is what you’ll be asked for:
| Identity | Driving License, Passport, ID/National Card |
| Address | Bank Statement, Utility Bill (no older than 3 months old) |
| Payment Method | Proof of payment (i.e. photo of debit card, screenshot of PayPal account) |
Most UK casinos will automatically try to verify your identity when you complete the registration process. This can be done by the details you enter when signing up. If this is not successful, head to the ‘My Account’ section once you sign up. Here, you will find a dedicated section where you can upload documents securely. Verification of your account will be done in a matter of minutes in most cases but may take up to 24 hours.
Casino Welcome Bonus Terms and Conditions
We’ve touched on it above regarding the different parts of the T&Cs to consider when choosing casino welcome bonuses, but what are the specifics? Here’s a breakdown for you:
- Geographical restrictions – All bonuses listed here will be available to all players in England. But it’s worth checking if you’re based in Northern Ireland, as some UK welcome offers can exclude this country.
- Bonus codes: Some promotions list a bonus code that you will need to enter to activate the bonus.
- Player limitations: Welcome bonuses will be limited to 1 player or account. Furthermore, it may also be 1 per household. This means, for example, that you can use the offer, but your brother wouldn’t if he lived in the same house.
- Expiry dates: You usually get a certain amount of time to use the bonus. Typically, it’ll be within 24 hours, 7 days, or 30 days.
- Minimum deposit: This can differ per casino, so just check how much you need to deposit initially. It’s often £10, but it could be £20 or more.
- Payment restrictions: You may not be able to deposit with some payment options to claim certain casino welcome bonuses. For example, e-wallets are often excluded.
- Game restrictions: Some promotions only let you, for example, bet on a certain set of slots.
- Wagering: You might sign up at a UK casino with no wagering free spins, which is great. However, most operators will need you to turn over a certain amount of the bonus. That might be 20x, 25x, 40x or even 50x.
- Game contributions: Double check the game weighting in the T&Cs, as video slots may contribute 100% to the bonus wagering, but jackpot slots may only contribute 10%, for example. Not all games contribute 100%.
- Max win limit: The majority of welcome bonuses will have a maximum win limit, so just make sure you’re happy with it. It could be £20, it could be £100, or it might even be £500.
How to Claim Your Welcome Bonus
You should now understand everything to look out for when choosing the best casino welcome bonuses that suit your needs. But how do you claim one? If you don’t already know, follow this simple step-by-step guide, and you won’t go wrong:
- Find a casino welcome bonus that you like from our list of the best ones on this page.
- Make sure you understand the T&Cs of the offer you want to get.
- Register for a new account by clicking through to the casino.
- Opt in and enter a bonus code where needed.
- Deposit the minimum amount needed using an eligible payment option.
- Play through the bonus and adhere to anything needed to meet the requirements.
Summary
Hopefully this page has given you a better understanding of casino welcome bonuses, the different types available and how to choose the best offers. The list of the best offers will certainly help.
A slots welcome bonus tends to be different to regular casino offers so that is something to bear in mind. Wagering requirements allowed on your favourite game or slot provider’s game may be the deciding factor. It may be the payment method. Hopefully, we’ve broken down all the information so you can make an informed decision.
FAQs
A casino welcome bonus or sign up bonus is a reward for new players when joining an online casino. It’s basically an incentive for registering an account and making a first deposit.
Online casinos offer incentives to get you to register and play there. With so many casinos to choose from, there are different kinds of welcome offers. These include deposit bonuses and free spins.
Yes, casino welcome offers are reserved for new players only. These are used to attract new customers. Once a customer, the casino will incentive you with a variety of promotions and offers.
This depends on your preferences as a player. You may prefer a deposit match bonus or a no deposit offer. If you’re a slots player, you will prefer free spins.
Yes, before you withdraw the bonus or any winnings, you will need to complete the wagering requirements outlined in the Terms & Conditions. Once they have been met, the bonus and winnings will be withdrawable.
Online slots tend to contribute 100% to the wagering requirements whilst casino games like blackjack are often excluded or contribute up to 10%. High RTP or jackpot slots tend to be excluded too. Slots bonuses are valid on a particular slot game or slots by a certain provider.
Yes, there can be many. These include wagering requirements, expiry dates, payment methods, bonus codes, max cashout limits, max bet amounts, eligible games and deposit limits.
