Online Casino Bonuses UK: for Signup & Welcome Bonuses

Choosing the Best Casino Bonus Offers

It’s amazing to see just how far the gambling world has come in the last few decades. Not so long ago, when people wanted to play games like blackjack, roulette, poker, and craps, they had to visit a brick and mortar casino. This meant they needed to use their own time and cash getting ready and driving out to a physical location, often having to spend a full evening or afternoon in the casino to really feel like they were getting value for money. It was an experience that most people could rarely enjoy due to their own busy schedules, but now, casinos are so much more accessible.

This is all thanks to the internet and the wonders of modern technology. With hundreds of different online casinos, gambling sites, and casino apps out there to choose from, anyone, anywhere, anytime can simply load up an online casino and start getting in on the fun, playing hands of blackjack, winning big on roulette spins, or putting their poker skills to the test. It can be a lot of fun to play in these online casinos, but it’s absolutely vital to make the most of every bit of money you play with, and one of the best ways to do this is through casino site offers.

Picking the Best Casino Bonuses

Since there are such a lot of casino offers and bonuses, many users can feel a little overwhelmed with all those choices and don’t really know where to start. This is only natural, and it can feel like there are many different casinos all trying to compete for your attention by promising increasingly bigger and better things. Some of the offers might even seem too good to be true, and in some cases, they really are.

Fortunately, we’re here to help break down the somewhat complex and convoluted world of online casino best offers to help you find the deals to go for and the offers to avoid. By reading through the following tips and tricks regarding online casino games and special offers, you’ll be able to make the right call and avoid wasting your time with sites and offers that simply aren’t worth it. So, without further ado, let’s look at how to find the best casino offers.

Online casino bonus guide

Casino bonuses and free spins are by far the most common marketing tool used by online casinos, whether that is to get new players to join them in the first place or to get existing customers to stay and play for longer. Bonuses aid acquisition, encourage loyalty and help casinos stand out in what has become a very crowded marketplace. Look on any games-related site and you will be inundated with mind-blowing offers that seem to be offering you the world for nothing. But are these deals everything they appear to be, or are they just a way of teasing and tempting you to part with your own cash?

There are many different online casino bonuses, each designed to attract or keep a different type of player. One thing they all have in common is a big headline offer designed to catch the eye. Their main area of advertising is online, so the focus is always on the most impressive headline bonuses that appear to be incredibly generous for potential players. However, it is important to remember that each offer will have both benefits and drawbacks and you need to look carefully at the small print to see which one works best for you and figure out how to get the best from the offer.

Types of casino bonus

Casino bonuses can be separated into two categories, depending in whether or not you need to make a deposit to qualify. You can get most no deposit bonuses simply by signing up, whereas you will need to pay in some of your hard-earned cash to get your hands on a deposit match or loyalty bonus. Many casinos offer both types of bonus to attract as many different kinds of players as they can, or you may find bonus packages that are made up of a combination of casinos’ no deposit and deposit bonus offers, with some free games thrown in for good measure.

At the end of the day, you are in control and you have a choice of hundreds, if not thousands of different casino bonus available at any one time. There will be an offer that is perfect for you if you just take the time and patience to look around and do your research. You don't have to be dazzled by the impossible headlines and the promises of riches that they bring; you can choose your casino bonus offer your way, that fits your bankroll, your timetable and the games you want to play.

Casino Welcome Bonus

When you register at an online casino you like, as a new player, you’ll be rewarded with a casino welcome bonus. Only a few casinos come without a welcome offer, but the majority will have one that consists of a match bonus on its own or a match bonus + spins.

Each casino has its welcome bonus advertised on their homepage. It’s like their business card because it’s usually the first thing you see when you open the site. You can also find the best welcome bonuses our site, including some exclusive offers that you won’t even find on the casino’s site!

Claiming a welcome casino bonus, just like any other bonus, is simple. To trigger the reward, you have to make a deposit. The minimum deposit you have to make is predetermined by the casino and usually starts at £10.

How do Welcome Bonuses Work?

With such a huge variety of welcome bonuses available online, it can get confusing trying to figure out how each of them works. So here’s the rundown of how to use one and make the most of it:

1. First of all, you’ll want to pick a casino with the best sign up offer for you and create a new account. Use our list to quickly find casinos with the most generous bonuses.
2. Now you’ll want to register and/or deposit to claim the welcome offer. Be sure to check your new account to see if the bonus has been added. It should be stored separately from your real money funds.
3. While you have fun playing eligible games with your deposit money first, the bonus cash sits in your casino account as a safety net in case you deplete your real cash.
4. If you win with your own money, you can forfeit the bonus. But if you’ve exhausted your own cash, the bonus money will give you a 2nd chance to win and continue playing for free!

How to Choose the Best Welcome Bonus

Choosing the best welcome bonus can be a minefield. But fear not, our expert casino team have gladly offered to share some of their all-time favourite tips for spotting the best gems:

• Decide on the type of bonus – this is one of the first things you’ll want to check when choosing the most suitable casino welcome bonus for you. If you are after playing slots, look for a bonus with free spins included in the offer. If you prefer playing table games, you’re better off looking for bonuses with bigger cash amounts and fewer free spins.
• Beware of the minimum deposit – the minimum deposit is another factor you’ll want to consider before claiming welcome bonuses. A low minimum deposit limit is perfect for new starters as it poses fewer risks. The lower the deposit, the less of your own money you’ll have to spend to claim your chosen bonus.
• Mind the wagering requirements – these can be exasperating for both new and seasoned players. Look for a casino signup bonus offer with wagering requirements as low as possible, ideally below 40x. Anything above 40x is considered to be too high.
• Take heed of the time limits – bonuses don’t last forever and knowing how long you’ve got left to wager your bonuses is important. Usually, you’ll have 7 days or longer, so it’s always worth looking for a welcome bonus with a more distant deadline.
• Watch for excluded payment methods – excluded payment methods can be a real con when claiming any welcome bonus. At some casinos, due to compliance regulations, players using e-wallets such as Skrill and Neteller can be exempt from receiving bonuses. In which case you’ll have to use alternative funding methods.
• Look at the games selection – Another way to choose the best casino welcome bonus is to see which games are eligible for the bonuses, especially those involving free spins. At most casinos, you’ll have a pre-selected list of specific slots you can play using your bonus cash or free spins. For example, Starburst and Book of Dead are some of the most frequently available slots to play with the signup bonuses.

How to Claim a Casino Welcome Bonus

There are a few simple steps you’ll need to be aware of when claiming your casino welcome offer. Here’s a quick checklist to see you right:

• Make sure you’re eligible: To be eligible, you have to be a new player; therefore you’ll need to pick a new casino you don’t already have an account with. You also have to be a UK player and 18 or over.
• Make sure you opt-in: Register an account and make sure you opt-in or enter a bonus code to prompt the bonuses if needed. Not all bonus offers are added automatically.
• Make sure you make the minimum deposit: To fund your new casino account and make your first deposit, be sure to use a payment method that’s not excluded from the welcome bonus offer. Don’t forget, if you’re from the UK, you can use your credit card.
• Make sure you play through your cash first: Use your real money first on eligible slots – if you don’t win and run out of real cash, you can then use the bonus as your buffer for the 2nd chance to win!

The Wagering Requirements

Wagering requirements apply to the majority of bonuses one can receive in online casinos. The term refers to the amount players are required to bet using their own money so that they can release their bonus winnings into their cash balance and then request a withdrawal. With most bonuses, players are forbidden to withdraw the bonus, the deposit and the profits related to it before they cover the specified playthrough.

Sometimes, the wagering requirements apply only to the bonus amount but some online casino operators require their players to turn over collectively both the bonus amount and the deposit amount. For instance, imagine you have claimed a 100% deposit bonus of £30 and have received the same amount in free casino credits for a total of £60.

Provided that the wagering requirement for this offer is 25x the bonus plus deposit amount, you will have to stake £1,500 of your own money before your winnings become withdrawable. The same offer would give you a far greater value if the 25x playthrough condition applies only to the bonus amount, in which case, you will need to bet only £750 of your funds before you are permitted to cash out the profits.

Another important thing to consider when claiming deposit bonuses is the time limit you need to comply with. In the majority of cases, players are expected to complete the wagering requirements within a time-frame that is specified by the casino. Those who fail to do so will have their winnings forfeited along with any remaining bonus credits.

Do keep in mind that limitations sometimes apply to the amount of winnings players are allowed to claim when playing with bonus funds. This typically is the case with games where players can bag a substantial amount relative to the bets they make. 

Pros and Cons of Playing with Deposit Bonuses

Participating in promotional offers and taking advantage of deposit bonuses adds value to players’ betting sessions and can greatly extend their play time, but there are some pitfalls one needs to beware of.

The biggest positive of these bonuses is that you are given more money to play with than what you have actually deposited. More money to play with is equal to more chances to win a nice amount. Then again, one also gets to test the new games that are added to their favourite casino’s collection for free, without putting their own money at risk.

The drawback that prevents many casino players from opting in for deposit bonuses is that there are strings attached to these offers and the bonus money one plays with are not entirely theirs, so to speak. The wagering requirements need to be met and sometimes these are rather high. Some players do not like the idea of being restricted as certain bonuses are valid only on select games from the casino’s library.

In conclusion, deposit bonuses can be a great thing for players who wish to extend their gameplay, provided that the requirements attached to the offers are reasonable enough. Obviously, a bonus with a 99x playthrough does not fall in this category. All in all, if you want more money to play your favourite casino games with, then, by all means, claim a deposit bonus. However, if you do not like to be restricted by wagering requirements, time limits, and low stakes, you can always decide to opt out of the bonus, when offered one. The bottom line is the decision is yours to make.