What is a Welcome Bonus?

The welcome bonus is a special bonus that casinos award new players for signing up with them. Basically, sign up and make a deposit and the casino matches it with one of its own – in the form of either a matching amount in bonus credits or a certain number of free spins.

The welcome bonus may be available only on your first deposit, or across multiple deposits. For instance, a casino may offer a welcome bonus of up to $2000 across your first 5 deposits, at the rate of 100% up to $400 on each of those deposits. At some casinos the percentage match may vary across the deposits.

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Types of Welcome Bonuses

There are 3 types of welcome bonuses:

  • Match deposit welcome bonus
  • Welcome free spins
  • Match deposit and free spins combo package

Match Deposit Welcome Bonus

This is THE most common form of welcome bonus – you make a deposit and the casino matches it with one of its own. The bonus is expressed as a percentage of your deposit and usually comes with a maximum limit.

For instance, a casino may offer a welcome bonus of 100% up to $100. What this means is that the casino matches your initial deposit 100%, up to a maximum of $100. So if you deposited $50 into your account the casino would match it with a $50 deposit of its own, giving you a total of $100 to play with.

The intent of this bonus is to draw new players; therefore, it is not uncommon to see casinos offering huge welcome bonuses, e.g. 100% up to $3000 – or even higher. Nowadays, there are casinos that offer match deposit welcome bonuses with no upper limit.

Welcome Free Spins

Some casinos offer a specific number of free spins – on a slot or on multiple slots – when you make your first deposit. For instance, a casino may offer as welcome bonus 100 free spins on Starburst on your first deposit.

Match Deposit and Free Spins Combo Package

Sometimes the welcome bonus is a combination of a match bonus and free spins. At most casinos offering this bonus, the free spins are offered over consecutive days.

For instance, a casino could reward you with a welcome bonus of 100% up to $500 and 200 free spins, with the free spins available at the rate of 20 free spins a day, for 10 consecutive days.

How to Claim a Welcome Bonus

To claim a welcome bonus you must first deposit funds into your account. Once your account is funded, there are different ways to claim the bonus:

  • Some casinos credit the bonus to your account automatically once you deposit funds.
  • Some casinos require you to use a bonus code. There are different ways to do this:
    • Enter the bonus code in the given field at the time of registration.
    • Visit the cashier and click the relevant bonus code from the list provided to activate the bonus.
    • Call the customer support team and provide them the bonus code for bonus activation.

Terms and Conditions Governing a Welcome Bonus

All welcome bonuses come with terms and conditions attached; here are some of them.

  • Wagering requirement: You are required to wager the deposit amount, the deposit and bonus amount, or the bonus winnings – depending on the kind of welcome bonus you are using – a given number of times to be able to redeem your winnings from it. It is expressed as a multiplier, for example 35x the bonus and deposit amount, or 40x the bonus winnings.
  • Maximum cashout limit: Some casinos place a cap on the maximum you can cash out from the winnings that you earn with a welcome bonus. Anything above the cashout limit is removed from your account.
  • Maximum single bet: Casinos may place a limit on the maximum single bet you can place while wagering requirements are in play.
  • Restricted games: Many casinos limit the number of games you can play with a welcome bonus, especially for free spins bonuses. This also applies to wagering requirements, meaning you are restricted from playing games that do not contribute toward wagering requirements.

Welcome Bonus Pros and Cons

The welcome bonus has its advantages as well as disadvantages. Here are a few advantages:

  • It boosts your bankroll and gives you more funds to play with.
  • It increases the chances of you scoring wins, especially a big win.

A major disadvantage is that it comes with wagering requirements, which means you will likely end up depositing way more than what you wanted to withdraw.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION'S

A welcome bonus is a special bonus that casinos offer to attract new players. It could be a set of free spins, a match deposit bonus or a combination of both.

There are 3 types of welcome bonuses – match deposit welcome bonus, free spins welcome bonus, and a combination of both.

That is easy; just go through the list of the best welcome bonus offers that we have compiled for you and pick any of the casinos on it for a top-class welcome bonus offer and an excellent experience overall.

To redeem the winnings from a welcome bonus, ensure that you complete the wagering requirements and fulfill all the other terms and conditions that govern its use.

If you don’t fulfill the terms and conditions associated with a welcome bonus the casino may impose a penalty on you when it comes to redeeming winnings. It could also lead to suspension or even termination of your account, in extreme cases.