Casino bonus for new players
Are you new to online gambling, or simply looking for the best casino bonuses the internet has to offer? If so, you’ve come to the right place. We have spent countless hours finding the most valuable online casino bonuses, and we have compiled them all on this page to make it easier for both new and experienced players who are looking for the best value. Use our guide to learn everything you need to know before picking a bonus, such as common types of deposit bonuses, wagering requirements, and much more.
Best casino bonus for the UK market
*Specific terms and conditions apply to all offers below. See reviews for complete information. 18+ limit.
| Casino | Play | |
|---|---|---|
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
What is a casino bonus?
Before you claim a casino bonus, it’s important to know exactly how bonuses work. Each bonus comes with a set of rules, and it’s essential to understand the ins and outs of a bonus before you start playing with it. While all the online casinos that are listed on this page are licensed, trustworthy UK casinos that are safe to play at, there are many shady operators out there who care more about short-term profits than providing a player-friendly experience with fair rules. Our guide will equip you with everything you need to know so that you instantly can see if a bonus is worth taking or not.
The competition in the online gambling industry has never been stronger, and there’s a neverending jungle of sites to choose from. Hundreds of them try to grab your attention every day by using flashy ads on TV and on the internet. But the truth is that most online casinos offer very similar products. They have the same games from the same providers, the same features, and the same type of promotions. The one thing that the operators can use to stand out from the competition, is the service they offer their players. Helpful support, fast withdrawals, and most importantly, good bonus offers are the things you should look for when choosing a new place to play.
When you make a deposit and claim a casino bonus, the casino will match or add extra bonus money on top of your deposit. If you deposit £100 and activate a 100% bonus, you will get £100 extra in bonus and a total of £200 to play with. This can sometimes sound too good to be true for those who have no experience with online gambling, but every bonus comes with several terms and a wagering requirement that must be fulfilled. Obviously, you can not claim a bonus, make a deposit, and run away with the extra cash: you can only withdraw your winnings and the bonus money once you have played through the bonus amount a certain amount of times. This is called wagering, and we have provided a comprehensive guide to bonus wagering a bit further down on this page.
Why play with casino bonuses
A good casino bonus will give you extra value for your money by extending your play time and increasing your chances of ending the gambling session with a profit. All casinos have a house edge against the players, but a generous and fair bonus can decrease this edge and make the gap smaller to give you a higher odds of winning. A bigger balance means more game rounds, which in turn gives you more chances to hit a nice big win that eventually leads to a profitable withdrawal.
When making a deposit, you are putting your own money on the line. Unless you get some help from lady luck and score some nice wins on the slots or table games, that money can disappear from your player account pretty quickly – this is the nature of gambling, after all. A casino bonus will let you play many more rounds on the games, and therefore give you more chances of hitting wins that keep the balance up, or that one jackpot sized win that leads to a great cashout. A 100% casino bonus doubles your initial balance, and with some luck, you have a good chance of beating its wagering requirement if they are fair and player friendly.
Of course, there are other advantages to playing with a bonus as well. New players might feel slightly overwhelmed the first time they register an account to play for the first time. Most online casinos have hundreds, if not thousands of slots available in their libraries, and not all of them are very beginner friendly. A welcome bonus will let you try out more games so that you can discover your favourites early on. It’s important to note that some games are often excluded for play with bonus funds, however, so you should always check the list of games that are not allowed with bonuses before trying out a new slot.
New players, but also experienced casino veterans and high rollers, can get a great advantage out of casino bonuses. They boost your balance whether it’s a welcome bonus, a reload bonus as a part of a casino promotion, or as a reward for being a loyal player. VIP’s and high rollers can even be treated with no deposit bonuses by playing at the right casinos. As long as you play on trustworthy online casinos and know all the terms and wagering requirements, you can safely claim a casino bonus in order to get more bang for your buck and to enhance your gambling experience.
Try selected UK casinos with a bonus
*Specific terms and conditions apply to all offers below. See reviews for complete information. 18+ limit.
| Casino | Play | |
|---|---|---|
|
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
|
How casino bonuses work
Now that you know what casino bonuses are, it’s time to learn exactly how they work so that you can use them to your advantage. Each online casino has unique bonuses that come with a unique set of rules and terms, but they all have certain things in common. In this section of the guide, you can learn how to claim a deposit bonus and how to complete the wagering requirement so that you can withdraw your winnings.
Unless it is a no deposit bonus, you need to make a deposit in order to claim a casino bonus. Depending on the casino, this has to be done in a specific way. Most online casinos let you choose to activate any bonus that is available on your player account right from the deposit page. You just need to tick the offer or choose it from a list in order to automatically receive the bonus once you have completed the deposit. At other sites, the bonus will be added to your balance automatically, without you having to do anything. While bonus codes generally are a thing from the past, many sites still use them. In these occasions, you need to locate the bonus code, either on the website or in your registration welcome email, and apply it on the deposit page in order to get the bonus on your deposit.
The way bonuses work vary from casino to casino. Most casinos combine the deposit and the bonus into one balance, and you have to complete the bonus wagering requirement before any withdrawal can be made. Other casinos have a bonus structure where you play with your real money first, which lets you cancel the bonus and withdraw your deposit and winnings as long as you have not reached the bonus balance. In general, this is the best bonus structure for the players, as it lets you withdraw a big win immediately if you’re lucky at the beginning of your playing session, and the bonus works as a “parachute” that is only activated if you lose your initial deposit. For most of these casino bonuses, the wagering only starts counting once you reach the bonus money. We are starting to see a shift in the industry, as more and more casinos scrap the traditional bonus and wagering setup, and implement wager-free bonuses or other types of welcome offers.
Best casino bonuses 2019
There are hundreds of casinos on the internet, and not only do they want you to sign up and make a deposit, but they also want you to stick around. One of the things most casinos offer their loyal players are frequent casino bonuses that will keep you coming back to play again and again. The competition in the gaming industry is tough, and this is a good thing for the players. Casino bonuses are becoming better and better, and you will really never run out of good bonuses to claim if you know where to look. This is especially true if you are an active player who makes deposits on more than just one site. There are several types of casino bonuses, and below we have listed the most common types that you will bump into.
- Welcome bonuses: when you visit an online casino for the first time, one of the first things you will see is normally banners promoting some kind of welcome bonus. Casinos use welcome bonuses to attract new players, and they are often some of the best casino bonuses that are available on the internet. There are many different types of welcome bonuses. Some casinos will not only give you a bonus on your first deposit, but also on your second, third or even fourth deposit as well. Other casinos might offer bonuses that are higher than 100%, and many welcome packages include a set of bonus spins on specific slots. You should always read through the terms and conditions and find the wagering requirement of any welcome bonus you come across, especially if it’s on an online casino that is unknown to you.
- Reload bonuses: as the name indicates, a reload bonus is a bonus for boosting your balance at a casino where you have already claimed the welcome bonus. Most of the time, these bonuses are part of some kind of promotion. If you are an active player at a good casino, you should expect to get reload bonus offers ticking to your email inbox from time to time, but this all comes down to the generosity of the casino in question. Unless you are a very active and loyal player, you probably won’t receive many reload bonus offers that are of 100% or above. Most of these bonuses range between 30% and 75%. While you won’t get as many funds to play with, the wagering requirement will generally be lower than with a higher bonus.
- No deposit bonuses: no deposit bonuses are a great way to get to know a casino you haven’t played at before, but they are not a very common sight. As the name indicates, a no deposit bonus will let you play with a set amount of bonus cash without you having to invest any of your own money. A bonus like this can be anything from a few bonus spins on a popular game, to several pounds that you can play on anything you’d like. A no deposit bonus gives you the chance of winning real money without having to invest a single penny first, but you won’t see them as often as they are expensive for the casinos to hand out. Additionally, these bonuses normally come with a bunch of strict rules such as high wagering requirements and maximum withdrawal limits. Still, they are the best place to start for newcomers to online gambling.
VIP bonuses and high roller bonuses
Some players enjoy the thrill of betting big, either on slots or on table games such as roulette or blackjack. In the online casino world, these players are often referred to as VIPs or high rollers. As a casino high roller, you can expect to get the full VIP treatment, and most online casinos will go above and beyond to make sure that you’re having a pleasant and positive experience in their casino. Most casinos have a VIP program that is reserved for loyal players who like to deposit and bet big. As a member of these programs, you can often get perks that other players can’t get access to. Faster withdrawal times, a dedicated account manager, invitations to VIP events, personal gifts, and free cash are just a few examples of common VIP casino treats. VIPs will also often get exclusive VIP casino bonuses that are much bigger than standard casino bonuses. These high roller bonuses do often have lower wagering requirements and higher betting limits as well. As a true casino VIP, you should expect to receive frequent emails or personal calls with exclusive bonuses, or be able to contact a personal manager or prioritized support if there’s anything you need.
You don’t necessarily need to be a VIP in order to get rewarded for playing. Many online casinos have automatic loyalty programs that let you unlock perks as you play. This is a trend that took off a few years ago, and most new casinos have a VIP or loyalty program of some kind these days. As you play your favourite slots or casino games you will often collect loyalty points that unlock bonus spins, casino bonuses and much more. If this is something that’s appealing to you, you should spend a minute looking at the player rewards that are available before signing up at an online casino where you haven’t played before.
Casino bonus wagering requirements
Once you have made a deposit and the bonus is in place, you’re ready to start playing. Each spin or bet you make with the bonus balance will count towards the bonus wagering. Once the wagering has been completed, the bonus money and any winnings you gained from the bonus turns into real, withdrawable cash. But how does it work, exactly?
Let’s say a new casino offers you a 100% casino bonus up to £100, with a bonus wagering requirement of x40. You decide to deposit the maximum amount of £100 in order to get a total account balance of £200. Since the wagering requirement of the bonus is x40, it means that you must play through the bonus amount 40 times before you can make a withdrawal. In this case, that amounts to £4,000. That means that if you play a slot with a £2 bet per spin, you need to play a total of 2,000 rounds in order to convert the bonus and the winnings into withdrawable cash. That might sound like a tall order, but with the high RTP of online slots, it is completely doable.
There are a few things you should keep in mind before taking on a bonus and its wagering. First of all, you should check the bonus wagering requirement to see if it’s fair. The lower the wagering requirement is, the easier it is to complete it. Most casino bonuses have a wagering requirement of between x30 and x60, and some of them specify that you must wager both the deposit and bonus amount a certain amount of times. Bonuses that double or even triple your deposit will naturally give you more funds to play with, but in return, the wagering requirement will generally be higher.
The second thing you need to look out for are excluded games and wagering weighting. The bets you make on a few selected slots might not count 100% towards the wagering, while other slots may be might be excluded completely. The reason for this is that some slots have a very low variance, while some are possible to exploit for bonus wagering. Table games and poker games rarely count more than 10% towards the wagering, due to the low variance nature of these games. That means that if you place a bet of £100 on roulette, the remaining wagering requirement will only decrease by £10. Once the wagering requirement has been completed, you are free to withdraw the bonus and the winnings from it straight to your bank account.
Important things to know about casino bonuses
Now you know everything there is to know about bonus wagering requirements, but it’s equally important to learn the most common rules and terms and conditions before taking on a bonus. Every casino bonus comes with a set of rules that are essential to know, and it’s important to read through all the terms and conditions before playing. Luckily, most bonuses share similar types of rules. Because of that, we have compiled the most common bonus terms and conditions that you will frequently bump into at most casinos. But as every bonus is unique, it’s still important to check the terms of each individual bonus.
- Maximum betting limit: most bonuses have a maximum betting limit in place. This means that you are not allowed to bet more than a certain amount per spin or line on a slot machine, or per round on a table game. These limits are normally between £2 and £5 per spin, but you should always check the exact limit as it can vary a lot from casino to casino.
- Excluded games: certain games are often excluded for bonus play. This could either be slots that have an extremely low or high variance, or games that can be exploited. Some games are allowed but count less than 100% towards the wagering progress. This could be the case for certain slot machines or table games such as roulette, blackjack and video poker. You should be able to see a list of all excluded games in the bonus terms and conditions, or by asking the support.
- Maximum withdrawal limit: to limit their risk, some casinos have maximum withdrawal limits in place on their bonus offers. This is most common on welcome bonuses and no deposit bonuses. If a bonus has a withdrawal limit of 50 times the bonus amount and you receive a bonus of £100, you will only be able to withdraw £5,000 – even if you win more than that amount.
- One bonus per person: this rule is in place in every online casino. Only one account is allowed per person, address or IP. The casinos will check your IP and address when processing your withdrawal, and if they notice that the same bonus offer has been claimed on the same person or household, they might forfeit your winnings.
- Verification: trustworthy casinos that are licensed by the MGA and UKGC are required to verify your identity to combat fraud and money laundry. This process is often called KYC (know your customer). When you make a withdrawal, you might be required to provide a copy of your ID, a utility bill, payment information and more before your withdrawal is processed. Luckily this is a one-time thing, so once you have verified your account you won’t need to do it again unless you change some of the information.
These are the most common bonus terms and conditions that you must know before taking on a bonus. If you breach one of these terms, even if it’s accidental, you risk losing your winnings since the casino will have the right to forfeit your bonus funds. Most casino complaints on the internet are from players who lost their winnings and withdrawals due to betting too much without knowing the maximum limit or because they played a slot that is excluded. It’s not a good situation to find yourself in, so make sure to really study the terms before playing.
Summary
You are now an expert on online casino bonuses, and ready to take on a bonus for yourself. On this page, you can find some the best UK casino bonuses on the internet. Online casino bonuses enhance your gambling sessions by giving you extra funds to play with, thus extending your play time and giving you more chances of hitting that one huge win that will lead to a nice payday. There are several different casino bonuses available, including welcome bonuses, reload bonuses, loyalty bonuses, and VIP bonuses, and it’s important to be able to identify a good or a bad bonus in order to make the right choices.
When playing with a bonus, you must be aware of two things: the wagering requirement, and the bonus terms and conditions. The wagering requirement is the number of times you need to play through a bonus before the funds turn into real, withdrawable cash. The terms and conditions will tell you which games you can and can not play, and how much you can bet per spin when playing with bonus funds. All in all, a good bonus will make your casino sessions a lot more enjoyable. Use our website to find the best casino bonuses and more guides that help you become an expert casino player.