UK's Best Casino Welcome Bonuses

Everything you need to know about casino welcome bonuses

Welcome bonuses are often a win-win: you get a freebie to use on your favourite games and potentially bag some winnings, while the casino attracts a new player. But with so many enticing bonuses on the market, how do you work out which is best for you?

Biggest isn’t always best – you’ll need to weigh up the type and size of the bonus against the terms and conditions. Luckily, we’ve covered the all important information in this guide, so let’s take a closer look at what’s what when it comes to casino welcome bonuses.

Types of casino welcome bonuses

It certainly isn’t a case of one size fits all when it comes to welcome bonuses at online casinos, with plenty of variation in what you can claim. Let’s see what’s on the market.

Matched deposit bonus

Many of the UK’s best casino sites offer matched deposit bonuses, which reward you a percentage of your first deposit as a bonus fund. This can be anywhere from 25% to 200% match deposit, depending on the casino site you choose. You’ll only be able to bag up to a certain amount in bonus cash and virtually every matched deposit bonus has a match limit- though some are as high as £1,000.

For example, if a bonus is ‘200% up to £100’, you’d get a £100 bonus when you deposit £50. You may get your bonus in one lump sum but, at some sites, the welcome bonus reward is divided over several deposits. Either way, these are one of the most attractive offers on the market and can get you plenty of extra playtime on your favourite games.

Free spins

Ideal if you’re an online slots lover, free spins are another very common bonus and can be found at most top online casinos and slots sites.  While you may just get free spins as your welcome bonus, they’re sometimes offered as part of a bonus package with matched deposits.

Like matched deposits, some free spins bonuses increase the more you deposit, but others will simply reward a set number of spins when you make a qualifying deposit. 100 free spins is a fairly common offer, though bonuses can range anywhere from 25 to 200 free spins.

You may receive all your bonus spins in one go, or they may be split into installments, such as 100 spins split over five days. While there’s no real benefit to either structure, your style of play may mean one is better suited to you.

No deposit bonus

They say that nothing in life comes for free, but that’s not true if you get your hands on a no deposit bonus. These reward you spins or bonus cash simply for signing up and verifying your account; the ultimate ‘try-before-you-buy’ offer. No deposit deals aren’t as common as regular bonuses but can still be found at a range of top gambling sites, so keep your eyes peeled.

They’re also smaller than your typical casino welcome bonus – don’t expect to claim more than £10 no deposit cash or 20 free spins no deposit.

No wagering bonus

The rarest of all casino welcome deals, no wagering bonuses are generally restricted to no wagering casinos. These welcome rewards are few and far between, but they are out there.

No wagering refers to the lack of wagering requirements, which come with most bonuses and mean you need to wager your bonus a set number of times before you can make withdrawals. Essentially, they make it harder to cash in, but no wagering bonuses do away with this and mean you can bank any winnings straight away.

Welcome bonus terms and conditions

Welcome bonuses are all the rage among casino players, but it’s important to know that they come with strings attached. The terms and conditions can mean a bonus isn’t actually as attractive as it first seems, so let’s check out what you should should look out for in the small print.

Wagering Requirements

Unfortunately, most welcome bonuses come with wagering requirements, which means it’s not always as simple as landing a big win with your bonus and cashing in your returns. Wagering requirements mean you’ll need to bet your bonus funds a certain number of times before you can withdraw. These make it harder to turn a profit and are in place to prevent casinos making big losses off of bonuses.

Let’s take a look at an example. Say you have a ‘100% up to £100’ matched deposit bonus, and you deposit £100 to get a £100 freebie. The wagering requirements are 35x, so you’ll need to bet £3,500 before you can cash in.

You may also come across bonuses where you have to wager your deposit and bonus separately. So once you’ve claimed your offer, you’ll have to wager your deposit a certain number of times before the bonus is actually credited to your account, and then you’ll have to wager the bonus as well.

With free spins, the wagering requirements applies to any winnings you get from using your spins. Imagine you claim 50 free spins and end up with £30 profit. If the wagering requirements are 40x, you’ll need to wager £700 before you can cash in on your returns.

Game weightings

If you’re already planning how you’re going to complete the wagering requirements with your poker or blackjack skills, you may want to reconsider. This is because, at many online casinos, only a small percentage of wagers placed on these games will count towards the wagering requirements.

Generally, 100% of bets placed on slots count, but when it comes to playing online roulette, video poker and table games, contributions are reduced.  Often only around 10%-20% of wagers contribute, but they’re sometimes excluded altogether.

Win limits

Completed the wagering requirements and managed to come out with some profit? Great, now you’re probably going to want to cash in—-but remember to check how much of your winnings you’re actually able to bank.

Win limits vary a lot depending on the size of the casino welcome bonus. For a small no deposit free spins offer the cap may be just £5, whereas for large matched deposits it can be much, much higher—-well into the thousands. Either way, best to check the small print to avoid disappointment.

Time limits

Even the best casino welcome bonus won’t be around forever, so make sure you use your freebie before it expires! The time limits are usually fairly generous, such as 30 days, but they may be shorter at some sites so make sure you don’t get caught out.

You’ll also have to complete the wagering requirements within the stated time period, so don’t get caught on your heels. Sometimes the time limits for free spins are lower than those for bonus cash, which is something to be mindful of.

Game restrictions

Game restrictions most often apply ro free spins, as it’s fairly common for casinos to only allow them to be used on certain titles. But don’t worry too much, because you can bet the slots you can use your spins on are top games anyway. For example, some slots sites offer free spins for Starburst as a welcome bonus. Developed by NetEnt, Starburst is already a favourite of many slots fans.

Deposit methods

Most online casinos support a range of payment methods, from bank cards and PayPal to paysafecard and phone bill casino deposits. Keep an eye out, though. Some deposits via certain payment methods aren’t eligible for the welcome bonus.

This exclusion most commonly applies to Neteller and Skrill, two popular and widely accepted e-wallets. Both these banking options come with plenty of benefits, but be sure to check they’re eligible if you plan on using them to claim your casino welcome bonus.

Ready to claim your best casino welcome bonus?

Now you know all there is to know about casino welcome bonuses, it’s time to get out there and find your ideal match. Check out our carefully curated list to find the top offers from the UK’s best online casinos. Once you’ve settled on a site, simply sign up, claim your bonus and start playing. Just remember to check the small print!