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

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

Casino Welcome Bonuses — Complete Guide 2023

Online casinos use welcome bonuses as an incentive to attract new players by giving away rewards after their first deposit. Free spins, free bonus money, or free sportsbook bets are common reward offers. Together with no deposit bonuses, these are integral parts of a player's online casino experience.

wild-io-casino-welcome-bonus.jpg
The Wild.io Welcome Package: 20 Free Spins No-Deposit + 10BTC

 

This guide helps you get the most out of your casino welcome bonus and helps you learn more about the bonus offers out there. Keep in mind that welcome bonuses are often only for first-time players.

The best welcome bonuses come with fair wagering requirements. Using multiple accounts or programs that hide your IP address are seen as frowned-upon behavior. We strongly recommend you avoid this practice if you want to stay away from legal trouble.

The Best Welcome Bonuses

It's great to know what welcome bonuses are, but trying out welcome bonuses key to understanding what’s being offered. We've compiled a list of our favorite welcome bonuses to help you start a journey with free spins, bonus cash, and rewards that range from FIAT-currency bonuses to the finest crypto bonuses on the internet.

1 Up to Free 5 BTC + 300 Free Spins Claim bonus
2 200% up to 5 BTC + 500 Free Spins Claim bonus
3 Up to $500 / 5 BTC + 180 Free Spins Claim bonus
4 Up to $5,000 (or 5 BTC) + 100 Spins Claim bonus
5 €/$100 + 30 Free Spins Claim bonus
6 Up to $6000 Match Deposit Bonus
Up to $6000 Match Deposit Bonus
SS250, SS100
Show bonus code
Claim bonus

How to Find the Best Casino Welcome Bonus

Most online casinos offer good welcome bonuses, but not every bonus is worth taking. Inaugurated casinos tend to have the best rewards because they want to attract players from around the world and establish a solid fan base. It might be good for you to check out the newest casino websites to find the best offers.

We have more tips to find the best online casino welcome bonus.

Searching in Online Casinos

It might seem obvious, but never underestimate the importance of a thorough search when it comes to online casinos. While some bonuses are extremely good, others might not be as great and could make your online experience stressful.

Avoid rushing through your search and make sure to closely read the terms and conditions of each website before committing to their bonuses.

Comparing Casino Welcome Bonuses

Comparing websites is another critical part of your research. If you feel like you’ve encountered a quality bonus, compare it to the ones you find in other online casinos. Take everything into account, not only the bonus money or free spins that it offers.

Some casinos force you to wager a great 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 freely move your cash after a few bets.

Reviewing Bonus Terms & Conditions

Consider how much money you’re willing to spend on each website before you take a bonus. Some websites might need you to spend over €1000 (considering wagering odds) before you’re able to withdraw even a mere €10 in bonus earnings. Never underestimate the bonus conditions attached to each welcome bonus.

You can always rely on our guide on how to quickly fulfill wagering requirements if you find a bonus that you like but struggle to fulfill its conditions.

Why Should You Use a Welcome Bonus?

The best welcome bonuses are a great way to get started in a new online casino — it doesn’t matter if you plan to make a deposit as soon as you begin, a free welcome bonus is sure to boost your chances of becoming a winner! Using the money that you get from one of these bonuses will allow you to start building your wallet more quickly than you would if you only started your journey with a few dollars to spare.

bitstarz casino welcome bonus
A 4-part welcome bonus awaits at BitStarz - with up to 5 BTC in prizes!

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

Casinos tend to reward loyalty, but since so many casinos are offering welcome bonuses, the best thing you can do is register at multiple sites and try your luck with your free cash or free spins!

Types of Welcome Bonus Rewards

From free spins to bonus cash, there is an unlimited number of rewards that await in the world of casino welcome rewards. Let's take a look at the most common ones that you can find in the world's finest casinos:

  • Free spins — Free spins are the most common rewards in the world of welcome bonuses. They provide players with bonus money after spending the free spins and they often form part of no deposit bonuses all over the internet. Remember that the value of free spins with no deposit tends to be smaller than free spins earned with a deposit.
  • Bonus cash — You'll be able to find casinos that provide you with free cash as part of a deposit bonus or no deposit bonus. Some casinos combine no deposit bonuses with higher wagering requirements and no deposit bonuses with lower wagering requirements to encourage players to both play for free and with their own cash!
  • Free bets — Some casinos with betting settings allow players to spend their money in exchange for free bets in sportsbooks rather than simply 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.

The Importance of Welcome Bonuses

A welcome bonus is the first impression that a new player gets from an online casino, and they'll help you identify the best online casinos. These bonuses look extremely lucrative at first glance. It’s important to understand the intricate rules that come attached to these bonuses so you won’t be disappointed when attempting to cash out on your earnings. 

Before opting to apply for a casino bonus, check the online casino’s terms and conditions to make sure you’re eligible for the offer. Not checking this section might mean that you lose out on your rewards if you don’t meet their criteria. Welcome bonuses are also put in place to attract users into some of the casino’s most popular games.

bovada welcome bonus
Bovada offers a $3,000 welcome bonus to every newly-registered player!

These bonuses are usually aimed at new players that have never joined the site before, even if they have played online casino games in the past.

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 online casinos and help them consolidate themselves as well as their communities.

There are many types of bonuses that online casinos use to attract more players onto their sites. As such, some of the bonuses have deposit requirements attach to them, while others allow you to take the money out of your account after placing a set number of wagers. We’ve compiled a list of the most popular types of welcome bonuses.

Deposit Bonuses

A deposit bonus is a reward that you get after making a real-cash deposit on a casino website. This means that you’ll get a certain percentage of the money you deposit into a website 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 life. Many of the best first deposit casino bonus prizes have this 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 keep an eye out t before you join a new online casino for one of these offers. 

Furthermore, a free spin bonus allows you to try out a game without having to spend real money on it. Likewise, online casinos offer these rewards as welcome bonuses to show people the best features of their sites.

Free Game Bonuses

The free game bonuses, also known as free play bonuses, are special bonuses that aren’t too popular between casinos, but they are very well received by the players. These bonuses consist of a large amount of money that gets injected into your account, but you’re unable to withdraw it until you meet their conditions.

Combined Bonuses

Some website 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 as well as free slot spins for certain games. The LordLucky free spin deal, for example, combines bonus cash with free spins on first deposit.

How to Cash Out a Welcome Bonus

As we’ve said, there are certain conditions that you’ll have to meet before cashing out a welcome bonus. Casinos use these bonuses as opportunities to introduce new players to their site, but they rarely give away free cash with no attachments. These are some simple steps that you’ll have to follow before cashing out your welcome bonus.

  • Read our casino reviews about a casino 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 any conditions that the bonus offers have and see if you qualify for it (some countries might be excluded from certain offers)
  • Read the requirements and consequences that opting out of the offer brings. You might think that the bonus is 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
  • See if there are other conditions attached to the deal. Casinos could take some time to process payments — you might not be entitled to your reward after a certain period
red dog casino welcome bonus cashable
Not all welcome bonus are cashable like Red Dog bonuses.

Which Casino Bonus is Worth It?

Some casino bonuses sound very tempting, but at the end of the day, they are nothing but scams (or simply impossible to cash out). Avoid these casino bonuses by selecting a respectable online casino. If you’re new to the online scene, you’ll struggle to differentiate between a reliable offer and a shady one.

Regardless, there are many methods that will help you determine whether a casino bonus is trustworthy. For example, if the casino is held in high regard by the online community, it has probably been reviewed by us.

1 mBit Casino
9.9
Visit сasino
2 Wild.io Casino
9.8
Visit сasino
3 BitStarz Casino
9.8
Visit сasino
4 7Bit Casino
9.7
Visit сasino
5 Super Slots Casino
7.4
Visit сasino

What Are Welcome Bonus Wagering Requirements

A wagering requirement is money you have to bet before you’re able to withdraw earnings from a welcome bonus. In most cases, you’ll have to wager the amount of your deposit from 30 to 40 times before you’re able to cash out. This could mean you make a ton of cash, so casinos often limit the amount of money that you can cash out at once from your free bonuses.

There are almost no online casinos that offer wager-free welcome bonuses, and those that do often include other conditions that are hard to fulfill. Thankfully, we have a guide on how to quickly fulfill wagering requirements that will be extremely useful for veterans and newcomers alike.

The wagering requirements of a welcome bonus tend to be much lower in new casino websites, as they’re looking to attract more customers than already-established online enterprises. We encourage you to look for welcome bonuses on these new sites first.

Quickly Fulfill Wagering Requirements in Any Online Casino

Wagering requirements are usually the most challenging restrictions that bonus are subjected to. We've written a complete guide that will help you easily fulfill the wagering requirements from your favorite bonus without a hassle or struggle. You can read our full guide here, but we'll also tell you some must-know pieces of advice in this article.

  • 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 towards your wagering requirements.
  • Find 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.

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 you claim their large welcome bonuses. Let's take a look at some of the best no deposit bonuses you can claim in the world's top casinos:

Welcome Bonuses You Can Claim in 2023?

It’s important that you have access to a list of casino promotions that help you gain access to first deposit rewards in the best online casinos on Earth.

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. Experience will allow you to get a better understanding of how these bonuses work. You’ll be able to find a good casino welcome bonus if you follow the instructions we’ve provided you today or visit our best welcome casino bonuses overview.

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

Last updated  June 1, 2023

Frequently asked questions

Most casino welcome bonus can only be claimed once. You can claim more than one welcome bonus if the casino offers a bonus package.

A 100% welcome bonus is a casino bonus that matches 100% of your deposit in free cash, essentially doubling the money that you'd otherwise get.

Casinos give gifts as incentives to attract new players and to provide loyal players with extra cash.

The best legit casino in which to claim a big welcome bonus is Wild.io, which offers 10 BTC in free bonus cash.

Most online casino welcome bonuses are the most lucrative bonuses of the casinos that give them away. The general rule of thumb is that welcome bonuses offered by legit casinos are worth it.

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About the author

Marco

Marco

Chief Content Writer

Marco

Chief Content Writer

Marco holds the title as Chief Content Writer and has a Mass Communications Major with a Specialization in Digital Marketing. He's an experienced casino writer with more than half a decade of gambling-related work on his back. He took a keen interest in gambling as a young adult and started writing expert content for the casino and sports betting niche in 2015. Now, he specializes in online slots, table games, and sports betting – producing well-researched content on all fronts of the iGaming world. He's also a regular contributor to Quora, where you can ask him anything related to online gambling and he’ll happily answer!

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