The Best Welcome Casino Bonuses in the Industry

What is a better way to start your casino adventure than with a big welcome package that will keep you playing for days? Not only that but the competition in the industry is becoming increasingly fierce and the offers only get bigger and better. Down below you can find some of the most lucrative ones provided by some of the best-established venues out there. And if you keep reading, you can learn more about the different types of welcome bonuses and how they work.

Different Types of Casino Welcome Bonuses

Welcome offers are by far the most powerful promotional tool in the hands of online casinos and can take a variety of shapes and forms. By far the most common one is the match bonus and free spins packages. There are however many other ways a casino may try winning you as a customer and we are going to cover the most common ones. Without further ado, let’s get right to it and help you find out which one is the best for you.
Welcome Match Bonus

This is something almost all online gaming venues nowadays have on offer. To put it simply, this is an amount of free cash that is credited in proportion to your initial deposit. For example, if a casino offers a 100% welcome bonus of up to €200, it will double your balance up to the given amount. The percent ratio and the maximum amount can vary but are always a factor.

Bigger bonuses on the other hand usually are made available over a couple of deposits. A venue may have a starting bonus of up to €1,000. Once you visit the bonus page however you can see that it breaks down into something like this:

  • 100% up to €500 on your first deposit
  • 50% up to €250 on your second deposit
  • 50% up to €250 on your third deposit
Live Casino Welcome Bonus

Live Casino starting bonuses usually come as complementary or stand-alone promotions. They are no different than a regular match bonus, with the sole difference being that you can only use it at live casino tables. It is rarely restricted to a certain type of casino game, but this is possible nonetheless. What is more, the wagering requirements are usually lower here given the nature of the games. In addition, you are usually limited up to a certain bet amount and low-risk strategies are often excluded.

Welcome Free Spins

Some casinos prefer welcoming new players with free spin offers instead. There can be a couple of variations of this promotion. You can either get free spins just for signing up (no deposit required), get them on your first top-up, or get them without wagering requirements. The latter option is by far the most optimal one for you, as you will keep everything you win without further complications.

Welcome Bonus Package

These are usually offered by the biggest venues out there and most commonly consist of a match bonus or a series of match bonuses and free spins. In some cases, the casino may even throw a Live Casino bonus into the mix. What you should know is that these are always subject to a rollover requirement and sometimes to certain geo-restrictions.

Welcome Comps

Online casinos with well-developed loyalty schemes often offer new players a certain amount of comp points to give you a proper introduction. They on the other hand can be redeemed for cash or for other prizes, especially if there is a store for trading in points. However, don’t get too excited when you receive a thousand bonus points, as they are usually worth a euro or two. So, if a venue offers welcomes comps, make sure to get familiar with its loyalty program to know how much they are actually worth.

Understanding Welcome Bonus Wagering Requirements

Wagering requirements, also known as staking or rollover requirements, determine how many times you would have to stake a given bonus before you can cash out. With that being said, they can apply to the bonus amount, to the deposit and bonus amount, or the free spin winnings. If for example, a bonus has a 35x(d+b) requirement, it means you would have to stake the total sum of the bonus and deposit amount 35x. Should you deposit €100 and get €100 in bonus money, you will be able to withdraw winnings only once you stake a total of €7,000. 

Now, that you are familiar with the wagering requirements, it is time to talk about game contributions. Not all game types contribute the same way to the requirements. In most cases, slots for example contribute 100%, e.g. every euro you stake is deducted from the wagering requirements. However, live games may contribute only 20%. This means that for every euro you stake, only 20c counts towards the requirements. This information along with the wagering requirements is always available on the bonus page and you should always get familiar with it before playing with house money.

The only bonuses that have no staking requirements are the so-called wager-free bonuses. Some casinos offer such to attract low-stake players and they are usually very small – from €5 to €20 at the most. Free spins can also be wager-free but they are rather hard to come by.

Things to Keep in Mind When Playing with a Welcome Bonus

You can claim a welcome bonus only once

It makes sense as you are a new client only once. However, this restriction applies to your IP as well. This means that if you are sharing a household and a member has already claimed the welcome bonus of a given casino, you won’t be able to qualify. You can walk around this however if you have a dynamic IP. If that is your case, you would simply have to reset your router to get a new IP.

A welcome bonus may be different or not available for your market

At ListCasinoSites, we always list the standard welcome bonus of each venue. In some cases however it may differ across the different markets. If you click the Play Now button on one of our review pages and get a different bonus from what is stated, you can rest assured that it is the best the casino has to offer for your location.

Claiming a bonus from a casino group

Often casinos are part of a big group and the owning company may place certain restrictions. Some groups for example allow you to claim a welcome bonus at only one of their casinos. Others may require you to wait for certain amount of time before qualifying for a bonus at a sister venue. This is an automated process and is only something to bear in mind.

You don’t have to claim the full amount of the bonus

Big bonuses often come with high wagering requirements, which makes it especially hard to withdraw any winnings. However, you can only claim a small portion of the bonus and then deposit some extra money to get a small edge and to have a bankroll big enough to tackle the requirements. What is more, claiming a small match bonus may release a big batch of free spins which can be well worth it.

FAQ

  • Do all online casinos offer a welcome bonus?

    It is a very common practice for venues to include a sign-up bonus but this is not always the case. There are major brands out there that solely rely on their good reputation to attract new players. Most new brands however tend to offer a welcome bonus in one form or another.

  • How do I claim a welcome bonus?

    First and foremost, you would have to create a new account for the given venue and make a minimum qualifying deposit as stated under Bonus T&Cs. Once you meet these requirements, the welcome offer will be available under Promotions/Bonuses and you would have to simply claim it. Bear in mind that some casinos automatically assign their starting bonus and you won’t have to do anything else but start playing.

  • Am I required to play with a welcome bonus?

    No, it is always a choice but in some cases, a bonus would get automatically added to your account. If that is your case and you prefer playing with your own bankroll, you can always contact customer support and ask for a cancellation.

  • Can I claim a welcome bonus my Android or iPhone?

    Absolutely, all online casinos nowadays provide the same experience on mobile and desktop, and you can switch back and forth without losing incentives. With that being said, casinos may have a special starting bonus on mobile but never the other way around.

  • Is it worth playing with a casino welcome bonus?

    It mostly depends on the type of the bonus and the wagering requirements you would have to meet. If you find it practically impossible to cover the requirements with your bankroll, you are likely to only rack up experience from playing with house money.

  • Can I meet the wagering requirements with own money?

    Yes, you can make a deposit to trigger the sign-up bonus and you can add more money to increase your bankroll afterward. This will only increase your chances of meeting the wagering requirements.