STEP INTO THE WORLD of casinos and unlock exciting welcome bonuses! Join now and make the most of your casino experience.
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In this guide, I'll go beyond the bonus cash and free spins you get with the best casino welcome bonuses in the UK among our partners and show which terms to take into consideration to avoid common pitfalls and maximize your bonus value.
Depending on the operator you can use the bonus money to play more of your favourite casino slots, such as Starburst, Aliya's Wishes, Big Bass Bonanza, Immortal Romance, Arena of Gold, Sweet Alchemy, or many others that are eligible. Pay attention to game contributions, deposit types, card restrictions, app restrictions, spin winnings, withdrawal terms, and other bonus terms, before making your pick from the best casino bonus sites.
Also, pay attention to mobile responsiveness and whether the casino has a dedicated app if you plan to play on the go.
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Every bonus offer, welcome or otherwise, comes with a list of terms and conditions. Much as they’re not fun to read, you must know exactly what you’re signing up for. Here are some of the key points to take note of before accepting a bonus or any other kind of deposit offer:
I'm not going to lie to you - turning your bonus cash into real cash will require an element of luck. But players get lucky all the time and it’s very common to successfully profit from the right welcome bonus.
Keep in mind that if a casino also has a sports betting section, you might be eligible for either bonus bets in the sportsbook section, or the casino bonus and free spin promotion. After spending your game bouns, keep your eye out for reload bonuses and check if the casino has a VIP program.
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Online casinos and sports betting sites attach their terms and conditions to welcome bonuses and sign-up offers. In general, players can expect to find the following terms for every bonus:
While welcome prizes at casinos for new depositors (or non-depositors!) seem pretty straightforward, there are some things players should know before claiming any bonus package.
A welcome bonus is a one-time special offer that attaches to your very first deposit at an online casino. The offer will generally give you more money to play with in the form of bonus cash. It will often also come bundled up with free spins.
Welcome bonuses are completely optional, and you’ll be able to decide whether you want to activate your offer or not during the registration or deposit process. The offer is designed to give new players a head start, exploring all the different casino game options with a boosted balance.
For example, you might be offered 100% up to £500, plus 100 free spins. That means your deposit will be matched up to a maximum of £500. If you deposit £20 you’ll get £50, and if you deposit £250 you’ll get another £250 for a total of £500. Keep in mind that the additional bonus cash comes with wagering requirements. I'll get into more detail on these further on in the review.
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Online casinos give away bonuses as incentives to pick their platform rather than the one from a rival's casino. While players can certainly benefit from big bonuses if they’re smart about which ones they choose, online casinos also benefit in the long run. Here are the main reasons why an online casino gives out the welcome offer and other bonuses to players:
Since online casinos have a great variety of games like live dealer versions of poker, baccarat, roulette, and blackjack, in addition to bingo, keno, lottery, video slots, card games, and exclusive games, deposit offers come in handy.
People have the opportunity to test the variety of games. Just keep in mind that some games have a better stake contribution than others. These player restrictions may change your mind if you want to opt-in at some casino sites.
Assuming that nothing went wrong, once you opt into your welcome bonus and make a deposit, the bonus will appear instantly in your account. What’s important to note here is that at this stage, the bonus cash isn’t eligible for withdrawal. You’ll need to wager the bonus cash for the stipulated wagering requirements before you can cash out. The good news is that you’ll be able to get started on meeting those wagering requirements almost instantly. Simply register, deposit, and get wagering to give yourself the best chance at a big win.
You absolutely can. While you can only ever claim a welcome bonus once, the majority of good quality online casinos have a ‘promotions’ section loaded with other offers and bonuses.
These are in place purposely to keep players engaged with the site long after any benefits from the welcome package have dried up. These bonuses are usually a combination of free spins, deposit match offers, network promotions, cashback, and much more. As with all promos, you must take a couple of minutes to read the terms for each before making your choice.
The things to look out for are minimum deposits, maximum win caps, wagering requirements, time limits, and game restrictions.
Welcome bonuses are designed to help players land bigger wins than they could with just a basic deposit. The catch is that there’s a decent chance you won’t win at all.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as casino gambling games never offer a guarantee of success. But with a little planning, skill and a decent dose of luck, you could see yourself withdrawing a real cash win thanks to a well-appointed welcome bonus. All you need to do is play games and place bets using your deposit and bonus cash.
Each time you win you contribute to wagering requirements. The trick is to continue your upswing until wagering is met, without running your funds down to zero.
Not really. Casino bonuses come as an added benefit to your regular deposit. However, you can consider the actual deposit made by the player in cash as a fee. Every bonus (unless it’s a no-deposit bonus) comes with a min deposit requirement.
So if you usually only deposit £10 and the bonus requires £20 to be activated, you can consider that additional £10 as an activation fee of sorts. The plus side is that the funds are yours to use as you please, and are never lost to the casino.
The short answer is that so long as you choose a quality bonus, it’s a free roll route to potentially much larger wins and jackpot payouts than you would manage with your regular deposits.
A depositor might not be able to use just any payment method to claim a casino bonus. Most first-time deposit casino bonus offers are eligible for:
If you're not sure about eligibility for your 1st dep, customer support will always have up-to-date information for you. A rare few casinos will allow you also to claim their welcome bonus with the following payment methods:
Online casinos will also have a minimum deposit amount that you have to provide before you can claim the bonus or claim games' bonus winnings.
Of course, there are themed bonuses. Here are just a few examples:
If you read through this entire blog, you’re already aware that casino bonuses are the best way to get your cash deposits to stretch. Whether it's a match bonus, a 1st deposit offer, or a registration bonus, you’ll get more to play with, allowing you the opportunity to try more games. Free spins are often linked to top casino slots like Starburst, Big Bass Bonanza, Double Bubble, Big Boom Riches, Big Bass Splash, and Monopoly Paradise Mansion. So long as you choose a fair bonus, with reasonable wagering requirements, you’ll have a reasonably good chance of turning over the offer or spin winnings and transforming them into real, withdrawable cash.
Casino bonuses add to the fun, boosting your bonus funds and transforming your deposit into an entertainment package worth getting excited about. Furthermore, you get more time to play games from top game providers such as Microgaming, NetEnt, Play'n GO, and many others. Bonus wins are always on the menu, just keep an eye on the deposit amount, spin value, bonus terms, and wager requirements before entering the promo codes.
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