What is a Casino Welcome Bonus? Everything You Need to Know

Casino Welcome Bonuses — Complete Guide 2024

Online casinos use welcome bonuses to incentivize new players by offering rewards after their first deposit. These bonuses typically include free spins, bonus money, and sportsbook bets. Combined with no deposit bonuses, these incentives are a vital component of the online casino experience.

This comprehensive guide will help you navigate the experience of choosing the best bonuses and show you how to get the most out of your rewards. Just remember, these offers are typically only available to first-time players.

The Best Welcome Bonuses

To get you started, we've compiled a list of our favorite welcome bonuses complete with free spins, bonus cash, and rewards that range from fiat currency bonuses to the finest crypto bonuses you can find on the internet:

1	150% up to 5 BTC + 500 Free Spins	Claim bonus
2	Up to Free 5 BTC + 300 Free Spins	Claim bonus
3	Up to $500 / 5 BTC + 180 Free Spins	Claim bonus
4	Up to 5.25 BTC + 250 Spins	Claim bonus

How to Find the Best Casino Welcome Bonus

Most online casinos offer good welcome bonuses, but not every bonus is worth taking. Newly opened casinos tend to have the best rewards because they want to attract players worldwide and establish a solid fan base. It's a good idea to check out the newest casino websites to find the best offers.

1. Determine Your Objective

It might seem obvious, but you need to understand your priorities. Some players prefer free spins for online slots to play with, while others prefer a free chip for a bet on a game of roulette. Great cashback and deposit bonuses are usually more interesting than a no deposit welcome bonus, due to a higher bonus value and lower wagering requirements.

Allow yourself plenty of time to explore your options and make sure you're clear on exactly what kind of experience you're looking for before you commit to any one casino bonus.

2. Assess the Bonus and its Conditions

Carefully review the details of the bonus you are considering, including any associated terms and conditions. Understand the requirements, limitations, and potential benefits. 

Consider how much money you’re willing to spend on each website before claiming a bonus. Some websites might need you to spend over €1000 (considering wagering odds) before you can withdraw even a mere €10 in bonus earnings, for example. As such, the bonus conditions attached to each welcome bonus should never be overlooked.

You can check out our guide on how to quickly fulfill wagering requirements if you find a bonus you like but think you'll struggle to meet the requirements.

3. Evaluate Alternatives

Compare the bonus you're considering with other similar options. This helps you determine if there are better alternatives or if you've already found the best bonus that meets your personal criteria. 

Consider everything, not only the bonus money or free spins on offer. Some casinos force you to wager a significant number of your earnings before allowing you to withdraw money, while others aren’t as strict with these rules and you’ll be able to move your cash freely after a placing a few bets. Make sure you know how to withdraw money from an online casino before playing.

4. Secure the Best Welcome Bonus

Once you've evaluated your options, choose the bonus with the most desirable terms and benefits. Take the necessary steps to claim or acquire it according to the casino's instructions.

Why Should You Use a Welcome Bonus?

The best welcome bonuses are a great way to get started in a new online casino — even if you plan to make a deposit as soon as you sign up, a free welcome bonus will boost your chances of winning! Using the money that you get from one of these bonuses will allow you to start building your wallet faster than you would if you were only using your own spare cash.

If you choose to play for the casino using your welcome bonus continually, you’ll eventually be able to withdraw some of the winnings you make by using the bonus money.

Casinos tend to reward loyalty with online casino loyalty programs. Still, since so many casinos offer welcome bonuses, the best thing you can do is register at multiple sites and try your luck with free cash or free spins. More is more!

Types of Rewards

From free spins to bonus cash, let's take a look at the most common rewards you'll find in casino welcome bonuses:

• Free spins — Free spins are the most common rewards. They provide players with bonus money after spending the free spins. Free spins are commonly found in no deposit bonuses. Remember that the value of free spins with no deposit tends to be smaller than free spins earned with a deposit.
• Bonus cash — Many casinos that offer free cash as part of a welcome bonus, either with or without a deposit. Some casinos combine no deposit bonuses with higher wagering requirements and no deposit bonuses with lower wagering requirements. This encourages players to both play for free with the cash given by the casino and to invest their own cash.
• Free bets — Some casinos with betting settings allow players to spend their money in exchange for free bets in sportsbooks instead of offering money to spend within the casino. These free bets tend to include different wagering requirements than other casino bonuses, but they're still very good offers to claim.

Why are Welcome Bonuses Important?

A great welcome bonus can indicate that you've found one of the best online casinos. These rewards are typically the first impression a new player gets when registering at an online casino. They're designed to showcase both the casino and their game catalog. As such, they can make or break a casino's reputation. 

Good welcome bonuses should balance rewards and requirements well. While many look very lucrative at first glance, it’s essential to understand the terms and conditions attached. That way, you won’t be disappointed when it comes to cashing out your earnings later on. 

Before you apply for a casino bonus, check the casino’s terms and conditions to make sure you’re eligible for the offer. You could lose out on rewards or simply waste your time if you don't check the Ts & Cs to determine if you can meet their criteria. 

Most casino games share certain similarities, but some casinos have exclusive games that make them more attractive than their competitors. These bonuses are an integral part of how online casinos showcase their unique value within online gambling communities.

The Most Popular Types of Welcome Bonuses

Online casinos use many types of bonuses to attract more players to their sites. As such, some of the bonuses have deposit requirements attached to them, while others allow you to take the money out of your account after placing a set number of wagers. Here are the most popular types of welcome bonuses:

Deposit Bonuses

A deposit bonus is a reward you get after making a real-cash deposit on a casino website. This means you’ll get a certain percentage of the money you deposit into a casino as a wagering bonus. Most sites offer a 100% deposit bonus with a maximum bonus of €100 - €200.

For example, if you opt to make a first deposit of €100 with a 100% deposit bonus, you’d be getting a total of €200 to kickstart your online wagering. Many of the best first-deposit casino bonus prizes have this exact setup.

Free Spin Bonuses

A free spin bonus is a reward that online casinos give that can only be used in certain slot games. Casinos often use games where the house has an edge of over 3%, so make sure you know what the options are before you join a new online casino and claim one of these offers. 

The main benefit of a free spin bonus is that it allows you to try out a game without spending real money. This is often how casinos showcase the best games and features on their sites.

Free Game Bonuses

The free game bonuses, also known as free play bonuses, are special bonuses that aren’t beloved by casinos but are very well received by players. These bonuses are essentially a large amount of money that gets injected into your account, but you can't withdraw any of it until you meet their conditions.

Combined Bonuses

Some websites like to offer users the chance to get two bonuses at once. These are often given when the first deposit is made. For example, many websites offer you the chance to earn an additional 100% of the money you deposited and free slot spins for certain games.

How to Cash Out a Welcome Bonus

Casinos rarely give away free cash with no attachments. There will always be conditions you’ll have to meet before cashing out a welcome bonus. Follow these simple steps before cashing out your welcome bonus:

• Read our casino reviews to make sure the casino is safe and secure.
• Visit the terms & conditions section of your online casino and scroll to “bonus offer terms”.
• Look for the bonus offer's conditions to see if you qualify - some countries might be excluded from certain offers.
• Read the requirements and consequences that opting out of the offer entails. A bonus can seem like a great idea at first, but you could change your mind later.
• Check the withdrawing terms. You might need to use a special bonus code (check our casino bonus pages) to cash out the money, or it could be done automatically once you’ve met the criteria.
• Ensure you understand the other conditions attached, like time limitations and payment processing times.

Which Casino Welcome Bonus is Worth Claiming?

Figuring out which bonuses are worth claiming and which ones are best avoided isn't always straightforward, especially if you're new to iGaming. It's worth remembering that when a casino bonus sounds too good to be true, chances are it is. You can protect yourself against potential scams by selecting a respectable online casino and avoiding sites on this online casino blacklist.

To determine whether a casino bonus is trustworthy, check out our casino bonus guide. As a rule of thumb, if the online community holds the casino in high regard, we've almost certainly reviewed it. Here are some of our favorites:

1	Wild.io Casino	9.8	Visit сasino Read review
2	mBit Casino	9.9	Visit сasino Read review
3	BitStarz Casino	9.8	Visit сasino Read review
4	7Bit Casino	9.2	Visit сasino Read review
5	Casino eXtreme	9	Visit сasino Read review

Quickly Fulfill Wagering Requirements in Any Online Casino

Wagering requirements are usually the most challenging restrictions that bonuses are subject to. Here are our top tips for making the most of your bonuses without getting bogged down in wagering requirements:

• Avoid playing games with low contribution rates. Bets placed in some casino games do not allow for the entirety of a bet to be counted toward your wagering requirements.
• Find slot games with high RTP rates to make sure that you make as much money as possible with the bonus of your choice.
• Claim bonuses with wagering requirements less than 30 times to maximize your chances of walking away with a profit.

To help you navigate bonus wagering requirements, make sure you bookmark our guide to quickly fulfilling wagering requirements, relevant for both veterans and newcomers alike.

No Deposit Bonuses: The Prizes that Come First

Welcome bonuses are world-class rewards, but you'll come across a vast number of casinos that offer no deposit bonuses before allowing you to claim larger welcome bonuses. Here are some of the best no deposit bonuses you can claim in the world's top casinos:

• mBitCasino Casino No Deposit Bonus — 50 free spins on registration
• N1 Casino Free Spins Bonus — 20 no deposit spins
• Trada Casino Sign Up Bonus — 10 Free Spins

Welcome Bonuses You Can Claim in 2024

To help you choose the right welcome bonus for you, the following are some of our favorite casino promotions that help you access first deposit rewards in the best casinos on the internet.

1	150% up to 5 BTC + 500 Free Spins	Claim bonus
2	Up to Free 5 BTC + 300 Free Spins	Claim bonus
3	Up to $500 / 5 BTC + 180 Free Spins	Claim bonus
4	Up to 5.25 BTC + 250 Spins	Claim bonus

We've also created a list of the safest casinos worldwide with this list of Inclave casinos.

Our Final Verdict on Welcome Bonuses

Casino welcome bonuses are great offers to get you started on any casino site, as long as you know how to differentiate between a good offer and a bad one. Gaining experience will give you a better understanding of how these bonuses work. You’ll be able to find a good casino welcome bonus if you follow the instructions above.

These bonuses often enhance the chances you have to earn real money. If you’re willing to accept the wagering requirements attached, be sure to accept the bonus when you first log into the casino!