Welcome Bonuses: A Concise Overview of the Main Varieties



Opting to register at a reputable online gambling establishment comes with many benefits. One of these happens to be the fact that you can expect to enjoy several offers of free cash and free spins on selected slots as long as you maintain a functioning account with the virtual betting website.

However, the very first reward you will be offered, otherwise refered to as a welcome bonus is widely considered to be one of the most attractive of these offers. Promotions of this kind generally belong to two categories: deposit and no deposit bonuses.

Deposit Welcome Bonuses

Welcome Bonuses

Offers in this category have a reputation for being particularly generous and require a deposit to be paid in order for you to be eligible for them.

  • First payment match offers:Quite frequently welcome bonuses are offered in the form of match bonuses. This involves the establishment matching the first payment you make (it must be above a minimum specified amount) up to a set limit. For example, an online casino may offer 200% for initial deposits of up to $150 with $20 being the minimum required betting amount. Hence an initial payment of $180 will earn you an extra $300 to wager with.
  • Match offers for additional payments: Certain establishments may actually go even further and award newly registered clients for their second and even third payments (a number of them also offer free cash for the fourth payment as well). A gambling website in this category may offer a 100% match offer for first payments up to $250, a 50% match reward for second payments up to $150 and a 25% match offer for third payments of up to $100. At such an establishment, an initial payment of $300 will result in a payment of $250, a second payment of $160 will provide you with an extra $75, while a third payment of $70 will provide you with an extra $25. As a result, an initial deposit of $530 spread out proportionally over three payments will mean an extra $350 paid to your account.

No Deposit Welcome Bonuses

Welcome Bonuses

As their name suggests, these offers do not require any minimum payments to be made. As a result, they are also another popular option among fans of online casino games. Quite often, they take the form of cash or free slot spins.

A virtual gambling establishment in this category may offer a welcome bonus of $5, while another may provide 25 free spins to new clients.

Key Points Worth Noting

Welcome Bonuses

Understandably, the idea of receiving free spins or large sums of cash can be quite attractive to clients. However, it is worth noting that these offers come with conditions that must be fulfilled. Both varieties of welcome bonuses come with playthrough requirements (the number of times a bonus must be wagered before any winnings can be withdrawn).

In certain cases, a time limit may be imposed on these offers following which they will no longer be valid, resulting in any winnings and remaining spins or cash also being voided. What's more, certain establishments are also known to impose maximum limits on the amounts of cash which can be won using no deposit offers.

As a result, it is necessary to read the terms and conditions of any promotional offers you are interested in to ensure you are aware of all the specified requirements. Doing so will ensure you will be able to make an informed choice as to whether you would wish to proceed with the reward or not.