Best Casino Bonuses UK
Finding the best casino bonus can be a tough challenge if you’re unfamiliar with how bonuses work or where to find reliable offers. Bonusland is here to help you out with the following guide that explains all there is to know about online casino bonuses. Keep reading to find crucial information about casino bonus offers, or check out the comparison table and choose the best casino bonuses right there.
Key takeaways:
- Casino bonus offers add a ton of fun to your gameplay
- Many different bonus types available: from bonus money to bonus spins
- Trustworthy casinos offer great bonuses with fair terms
Summary:
Every online casino offers bonuses to find new customers, keep loyal players happy or promote new games and features. A casino bonus is a great way to get acquainted with an online casino, get more funds for gambling and extend the fun or explore new casinos and games. If you’d like to find the best casino bonus, use the comparison tables here at Bonusland to find reliable licensed online casinos with lucrative offers.
Top Casino Bonuses in the UK 2023
Bonus offers are eligible for new players and terms & conditions apply! 18yrs+ Only!
PlayOJO Casino
- All wins and bonuses paid in CASH with no restrictions
- Deposit £10 get 80 Wager Free Spins
- First deposit only. 50 Free Spins on the Book of Dead slot. Min deposit £10. Excl. new players in N.I. Each Free Spin valued at 10p. OJO’s Rewards and Game Play policy applies.
Captain Spins
- 520 Bonus Spins
- Trustly Pay & Play
- 18+ New players only. One welcome package per player. Max bonus bet £5, Min deposit £20 1st deposit: get 100 bonus spins, 2nd Deposit: get 120 bonus spins, 3rd deposit: get 140 bonus spins, 4th deposit: get 160 bonus spins. All spins are on slot game Book of Dead only. Bonus funds must be used within 30 days and bonus spins within 7 days. Max winnings from bonus spins are equivalent to the number of spins awarded. Spins winnings credited as bonus. Bonus funds separate to Cash funds, and are subject to 35x wagering and withdrawal requirements. Terms Apply. BeGambleAware.org
Jonny Jackpot Casino
- Exciting games
- Chances to win big
- 18+. New players only. One welcome package per player. Max bonus bet £5, Min deposit £20, 1st deposit: get 100 bonus spins, 2nd Deposit: get 75 bonus spins, 3rd deposit: get 125 bonus spins, 4th deposit: get 50 bonus spins, 5th deposit: get 150 bonus spins. All spins are on slot game Book of Dead only. Bonus funds must be used within 30 days and bonus spins within 7 days. Spins winnings credited as bonus. Bonus funds separate to Cash funds and are subject to 35x wagering and withdrawal requirements. Terms Apply. BeGambleAware.org.
Dunder Casino
- 100% up to £100 + 100 Spins in Bonus
- Valid on first deposit only. Wagering on reload bonus: 60x. Wagering on bonus spins: 30x. Wagering must be completed within 30 days. Max bonus bet £5. Bonus is valid for a total of 21 days. Game weighting and standard bonus terms apply.
WixStars Casino
- £50 + 100 Extra Spins in Welcome Package
- 18+, Welcome Bonus: New Players only. Min Deposit: £20. Max bonus £100. Wagering requirements 35x bonus amount, spins valid for 24hrs, on selected games. Full T&C apply. BeGambleAware
TheOnline Casino
- £500+ 50 Spins in Welcome Bonus
- New Customers only, +18, Verification needed for UK players. No deposit, Max bonus £5. Valid on: Shamrock N Roll, Mayan Marvels and Candy Swap. Wagering x100, Max winnings capped at £20 T&C's apply.
Jackpot Mobile Casino
- £5 NO DEOSIT BONUS
- New Players Only, Max. Conversions €/$/£20, Only on Shamrock 'n' Roll, Mayan Marvels and Candy Swap, 100x Wagering, Age and Address Verified Players only, T's & C's apply.
Casino.com
- £100 + 200 Spins at 1st deposit
- NEW CUSTOMERS. MIN DEPOSIT £20. 40 FREE SPINS ON FIRST DEPOSIT. 160 FREE SPINS AFTER FIRST DEPOSIT (20 PER DAY). MAX WIN £100. 20X WAGERING. DEPOSIT BONUS 40X WAGERING. EXPIRES 30 DAYS FROM ISSUE. ELIGIBILITY, GAME, PLATFORM, PAYMENT RESTRICTIONS AND T&CS APPLY
Mr.Play
- 100 Bonus Spins + £200 Bonus in Welcome Package
- Mobile friendly
- VIP Exclusive Club
CasinoLuck Casino
- Huge Selection of Slots
- Wide range of payment methods
- Min. deposit: £ 20. Max. bonus: £ 50. Offer valid on first deposit. Offer only applies to new players from the UK.
FAQ
Are casino bonuses legit?
Yes, casino bonuses are legitimate offers. In fact, all proper online casinos offer a casino bonus to new and existing customers. Casino bonuses act similar to discounts at stores and belong to the casino’s general marketing strategy. That’s why there’s no reason to find casino bonuses unreal – these are legitimate offers.
Which UK casino offers the highest no deposit bonus and free spins?
If you’d like to find a UK casino that offers the highest no deposit bonus and free spins, see the comparison here at Bonusland. We strive to bring you the cream of the crop: you can compare tens of casino bonuses and find the most suitable ones, including no deposit bonuses and free spins.
How does a deposit bonus work?
Deposit bonuses work similarly to online store discounts. When you make a ‘purchase’, or in other words, deposit money to your casino account, the casino will give you a certain amount in bonus funds in return for that deposit. A deposit bonus is granted right after making an appropriate deposit, and it will be available on your account as deposit bonus funds.
Can I win real money with casino bonuses?
Yes, you can win real money with casino bonuses, whether dealing with bonus spins or a regular welcome bonus. All casino bonuses allow playing real casino games, and you can win real funds that are withdrawable later on once you fulfil the bonus terms.
How do free spins work?
Free spins work similarly to free game rounds. When you receive a free spins bonus, your bonus spins are added to the relevant slot game. Once you open the slot machine, free spins are automatically displayed, and you can start spinning the slot without having to use your own funds.
Can I win a jackpot with free spins?
Yes, sometimes you can win a jackpot with free spins, though it depends largely on the specific online casino, the offered slot game and free spins bonus terms. Not all slot machines allow activating the jackpot game with free spins, so it depends on the situation. Make sure to get acquainted with bonus terms properly before attempting to trigger a jackpot.
How to withdraw the casino bonus?
You can withdraw the casino bonus once you’ve fulfilled the wagering requirement and other appropriate bonus terms, according to the casino’s conditions. Every bonus offer has certain withdrawal terms, including playthrough requirements, and you can only withdraw the funds once you’ve complied with the terms.
What does a wagering requirement mean?
The wagering requirement is a condition that sets the amount you must wager at the online casino before you may withdraw your bonus money. For instance, a 30x wagering requirement means that if you received a £10 deposit bonus, you must place wagers for £300 before you can withdraw the initially received £10 deposit bonus.
How to claim a casino bonus?
To claim a casino bonus, you need to follow the casino bonus terms. Some casino bonuses can be claimed via a specific bonus code, some require a simple deposit or just signup. You can find the exact requirements and guidelines on the casino’s website.
How much money can I get with a deposit bonus?
The amount of money you can get with a deposit bonus depends on the exact casino bonus offer and the size of your deposit. Many UK online casinos offer deposit bonuses up to hundreds and thousands of pounds! Find the biggest casino bonuses right here from Bonusland by checking out our casino comparison list.
Where can I find casino bonuses in the UK?
If you’d like to find casino bonuses in the UK, you only need to use the comparison lists found here at Bonusland. We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the best casino bonus offers available for UK customers, so just take a look at the list and take your pick.
What is an Online Casino Bonus?
A casino bonus is a special promotion that’s granted to casino players for either signing up, making a deposit or playing on the casino site. Most online casinos offer various casino bonuses, and now, players almost expect to receive bonuses regularly.
Casino bonuses have become an unshakeable part of the iGaming world, so you can only expect to find even better casino bonus offers from British casino sites.
While it may seem weird to receive ‘free money’ from gambling sites, it’s not that weird. Think of a casino bonus as a discount. You’re becoming the casino’s client and giving your valuable time and money to the site, so a little token of appreciation – some bonus money or free spins – is the least the site can do.
In practical terms, a casino bonus comes either as bonus money or free spins. The first may be used for almost all casino games, similarly to your own deposited funds. The latter is meant exclusively for online slots and acts as free game rounds for the chosen slot games.
Either way, bonus credit gives you more gambling funds and thus, extends your options on the casino site.
How to Choose the Best Casino for Bonuses?
The first step toward finding the best bonus offer is to find a reliable online casino where you can gamble safely. UK customers can enjoy tens of high-quality online casinos, but choosing the best option is not always straightforward.
Sometimes, the sheer volume of choices is overwhelming; other times, it’s not easy to distinguish trustworthy sites from not-so-reputable websites.
You may stumble upon subpar online casinos or even fraudulent ones if you’re not careful!
Bonusland is here to help you out – you can find properly licensed casinos from our comparison on this page, or keep reading to find some essential tips that guide you through the selection process.
License
If you’d like to find the best casino, there’s a simple principle to follow: every good online casino has a legitimate gambling license.
All UK casinos should have a license from UKGC (the UK Gambling Commission). This license ensures that gambling is completely safe, the casino is regulated, and you can place your bets without having any worries.
In fact, you should never play at any casinos that don’t have a proper license. Some foreign online casinos may claim to be safe, but you can’t trust the site as long as they don’t have a legitimate license.
Only choose casino bonus sites that come with a UK or Maltese gambling license. These are the most trustworthy and reputable gambling authorities.
Casino Games
There’s no use of a deposit bonus if there are no casino games for you to play. All gamblers have different taste: some enjoy slots, some enjoy live casino games, and some want to place sports bets.
There’s a casino bonus for every taste, but before claiming a welcome bonus, you should ensure the casino’s game selection matches your expectations.
If you’d like to play slots, an online casino with free spins would be the best way to go. If you enjoy live casino, you should keep an eye out for live casino deposit bonuses. The same goes for all casino games and bonus offer selection.
In addition to the game selection, you should ensure the online casino collaborates with safe game providers. Some of the top online game providers in the industry include Microgaming, NetEnt, Play’n Go, Playtech, Yggdrasil, Relax Gaming and others.
Bonus Requirements
All bonuses, including deposit bonuses and free spins have different conditions, including the size of a qualifying deposit, minimum deposit requirements, wagering conditions, game restrictions, etc.
Some online casinos are known for higher requirements while others tend to be a bit more lax. Though there’s no clear cut rule, you’ll easily notice how some casinos may have 50x wagering conditions while others may only ask 25x playthrough on your first deposit bonus, for instance.
The best casinos have transparent rules and flexible terms. Keep in mind that bonus terms are normal and even more, having some sort of rules on how bonus funds contribute towards your experience is a hallmark of a trustworthy casino. You should stay away from casinos that tend to have too lax rules or no rules at all.
But compare the general casino bonus terms between casinos and choose the one that tends to have better rules, overall.
Payment Terms
You can get the most out of your online casino experience only if you add some real cash funds to your account. To do that, you need to make a certain minimum deposit by using available payment methods.
Most UK online casinos allow depositing money with bank transfers and electronic wallets. Skrill, Neteller and PayPal may be available at many online casino sites as well.
First and foremost, you should choose the casino according to the payment methods available.
Second, go through the casino’s withdrawal conditions. Depending on the online casino, withdrawals may take anywhere from 24 hours to several days. Some UK casinos have especially speedy withdrawals which comes handy if you’d like to receive your free spins winnings as soon as possible.
Double-check the minimum deposit and withdrawal limits too since these may vary at casino sites. Usually, the minimum deposit is around £10 to £20.
Diversity of Promotions
It’s one thing to claim a lucrative first deposit welcome bonus, but have you thought about what happens once you’ve used up the first deposit bonus funds? Slots and live casino games are fun, but we all want to enjoy some casino bonuses every now and then.
The best casino sites offer plenty of different regular promotions and rotate the casino bonus offers almost every week or month. This keeps things fresh and lets loyal players extend the fun.
Even if you’re not sure you’d like to use a bonus or you don’t want to claim a reload bonus every month, it’s good to know you have that option available. That’s why it’s recommended to sign up at online casinos with more bonus offers and especially casinos that offer more than just the first deposit bonus funds.
Customer Support
Have a question on the size of a qualifying deposit? Don’t know how to use bonus bets or how bonus funds contribute towards real cash? What are the max free spins winnings or when are the bonus spins credited to your account? All these questions can easily be solved by reaching out to the casino’s customer support.
The best online casinos have superb customer support that’s available either 24/7 or at least most of the day, every day.
We recommend reaching out to the customer support via live chat before opening the account or using deposit bonuses since this is the best hands-on way to get an actual understanding of how the online casino operates.
Mobile Casino
Most online casinos these days have optimized their sites for mobile use. Some UK casinos may have special mobile apps, but usually, you can access all slots and live casino games by just signing in via your mobile browser.
Thanks to HTML5 technology, games work smoothly in any mobile browser, regardless of the device. You can use mobile online casino sites via Android or iOS phones, it really doesn’t matter.
When trying to find the best online casino for max cash bonuses, do a quick mobile checkup and see how the casino looks like on your phone. You can even try some free games to see how games load and function.
Some modern UK casinos may have a special mobile bonus offer just for those who sign up via mobile devices.
User-friendliness
Last but not least, the best online casino sites don’t just offer shiny welcome bonus offers or free spins that stagger you with its size. The top online casinos have stellar user-friendliness that makes you come back, simply because it’s so easy to navigate around the site.
Seemingly, this doesn’t count much, but just like you wouldn’t expect the bonus funds count that much, user-friendliness is essential. Luckily, this is easy to figure out: take a quick look at two different online casino sites and you’ll notice right on the spot which one appeals to you the most.
How to Claim a Casino Bonus?
Claiming an online casino bonus is much easier than you might have thought. In a nutshell, you must find a suitable casino bonus, act according to the terms and conditions and just play your desired casino games. It really is as simple as that!
However, we at Bonusland understand how claiming a first deposit bonus may seem strange at first, so that’s why we’ve put together the following quick step-by-step guide that walks you through the process.
1. Choose the Best Casino Bonus
After reading the above tips and checking out the Bonusland comprehensive casino bonus list, you should be equipped with enough knowledge to find the best casino bonuses in the UK.
Simply pick the kind of casino bonus that works for your desires. If you’re looking to play slots, bonus spins are the best way to go. If just looking to get the most out of your cash funds, a regular welcome bonus might fit the bill. Just use our online casino bonus comparisons and take your pick.
2. Read the Bonus Terms
You can’t choose a casino bonus without reading the bonus terms. Clearly, no casino offers free money just like that – the ‘catch’ with bonuses lies in the bonus terms. We really can’t emphasize this enough. You must always read bonus conditions properly and make sure you’re completely on board with anything.
Most arguments at online casinos arise from gamblers who’ve failed to actually read the bonus terms and later realize what a big mistake it was. Don’t be one of those gamblers and read the casino bonus terms first.
3. Sign Up and Opt In
Once you’ve read the terms and agree to everything, you can proceed with the sign up. Signing up at online casinos is easy and in most cases, takes just a couple of minutes.
To sign up, you have to provide some personal information and confirm your account according to the casino’s guidelines. Before making your first deposit, you might also have to provide a copy of your identity document to prove your identity. This is a standard procedure at all online casinos.
After signing up, check out the exact guidelines for claiming the bonus. Keep in mind that sometimes, there might be opt in required for claiming the bonus. If so, you’ll see some bonus notifications on your online casino account right after sign up.
4. Deposit Money
Now comes the most important step: your first deposit. Double-check the bonus terms and make sure you know the size of a qualifying deposit. If the minimum deposit to claim the casino bonus is £20, you should deposit at least £20.
As mentioned, there might be opt in required before you can activate the bonus properly. Sometimes, there might also be a bonus code required. You can find such specifications right in the bonus terms.
5. Play Casino Games
After making a qualifying deposit, you should now have an active casino bonus. Congratulations! You’re now ready to play desired games.
Since you have an online casino bonus on your account, you should keep in mind to fulfil the wagering requirement, so you may have to first use your cash funds and you can use only bonus funds after finishing up with the real money balance. This is generally how your balance will work on most online casinos.
In any case, enjoy the casino bonus and have fun!
6. Withdraw the Bonus Amount
The last step in the casino bonus process is to wager through the bonus until you can withdraw the funds.
If you’re properly followed the online casino bonus conditions, you shouldn’t encounter any troubles with wagering through the offer. You can follow your wagering progress on your account, so you can always keep an eye on how much more you have until you have real cash funds on your account, not only bonus funds.
After playing through the bonus and getting your bonus amount fully on your account, just make a withdrawal request and depending on the online casino, it should be transferred to you within a couple of days.
When Should You Use Casino Bonuses?
It’s one question to find bonus offers, but it’s completely another thing to figure out whether it’s even reasonable to use the bonus. Here’s the honest truth: you shouldn’t grab every casino bonus offer. In fact, some bonuses might be better left untouched.
You might find this claim to be strange coming from us since Bonusland is all about providing you with the best casino bonus options out there, but the truth is, not all bonuses are worth your time. And in some situations, it’s wiser to simply play with real cash stakes.
If Your Budget is High Enough
One of the main reasons you may want to reconsider the bonus is if the wagering requirement is very high (over 50x). Filling that high of a requirement may simply be out of reach for your gambling budget, and that’s okay.
If it looks like you don’t have enough funds to wager through the bonus, there’s no point in even accepting the offer since you can’t really withdraw it later anyway.
Accept only bonus funds that you can realistically wager through, considering your available gambling budget.
If There are Suitable Games
Not every welcome bonus or deposit bonus can be redeemed for every casino game. Some offers, like free spins, are meant for specific games only. You may find an offer for 100 free spins, but if you don’t even like the slot games that come with the offer, there’s no point in grabbing that offer.
The same goes for live casino games, for example. The bonus might be meant for just blackjack, but if you enjoy roulette, there’s no point in accepting a blackjack bonus, now is there?
Don’t let yourself be fooled by big bonus numbers. Go for bonus offers only if they match your game expectations and taste.
If There’s No Win Limit
Some bonuses, especially no deposit free spins or other no deposit casino bonus offers, may have harsh limitations, including a winning cap.
A winning cap means you simply can’t win or withdraw more than set with the limit. Even if you strike gold with your free spins, you can’t get the money because of the win limit.
Some bonuses may have win limits as low as £500.
Ideally, you should always opt for bonuses without any win limits; otherwise, you may face a rude awakening later.
Types of Casino Bonuses
Online casino offers come in many different shapes and forms. When you open any casino bonus sites, you may find tens of different types of bonuses, ranging from free spins for slots to free bets for sports betting.
Casinos must constantly invent innovative and entertaining offers to keep up with the competition. That’s why even good old deposit casino bonuses may differ. Below, we highlight some of the main bonus types you’ll likely encounter at any British casino (though you may find some variations to these main types).
No Deposit Bonus
No deposit bonus is definitely he most desirable online casino bonus. The reason is simple: this casino bonus doesn’t require any minimum deposit. In fact, the only thing you must do to claim the casino bonus is signing up on the online casino site.
No deposit bonus may come as cash funds or free spins and in both cases, you don’t have to use your own money whatsoever.
Receiving a bonus amount without having to use any real cash funds is completely risk free and thus, most desired by players. However, this kind of a welcome bonus is reserved just for first time registrations and the actual bonus amount received is small, usually no more than £10-20 or 10-20 free spins.
A no deposit bonus may also have a cap on max free spins winnings and you may see a condition saying ‘max bonus conversion equal to lifetime deposits’ which means that despite the bonus amount being granted without a qualifying deposit, you might not actually receive the bonus cash until you deposit some real money on your account.
No Wager Bonus
Another very popular casino bonus is the no wager bonus which may come as a welcome bonus or a regular deposit bonus.
A no wager casino bonus means that the whole bonus amount is instantly available as real cash and doesn’t require any wagering. In other words, the bonus funds count on your account will be zero and your account will only be credited real cash funds.
With this kind of a welcome bonus, you won’t have only bonus funds available for playing – you’ll have just real cash that you can easily withdraw right away, if you’d like. If you receive no wager free spins, all free spin winnings will be instantly yours.
Free Spins
Now we’ve come to the most popular type of online casino bonuses: free spins. No other online casino bonus is as popular and lucrative as free spins.
Free spins are meant just for online slots – these grant a free betting round for the particular slot machine. Free spins are offered by online casinos almost every week: casinos may offer free spins on newly released slots or just to treat loyal customers. Whatever the case, most casinos have tens of bonus spins available all the time!
Free spins may be divided into several different categories, but in a nutshell, the main principle is always the same.
- No deposit free spins – In this case, free spins are granted without any minimum deposit required. Some UK casinos may offer free spins to newly registered customers as a token of appreciation. The main downside of no deposit free spins is the small number of spins credited on your account, but on the other hand, there’s no risk involved.
- First deposit free spins – Contrary to the previous one, these free spins require a qualifying deposit. First deposit free spins can belong to a bigger welcome bonus or be a standalone offer. In any case, you’ll have to make a certain minimum deposit to receive the bonus spins. Since it’s a deposit bonus, you may receive hundreds of free spins!
- Jackpot spins – On some very rare occasions, UK casinos may offer bonus spins on jackpot slots. Jackpot slots include a specific bonus round with a jackpot game that may bring a life-altering jackpot win, if you should be lucky enough to trigger the max win. Since jackpot spins may bring enormous bonus wins, you might not encounter such free spins too often.
- WinSpins – WinSpins are a new kind of free spins that work similar to bonus bets on sports betting. WinSpins require previous real money spins made by you up to a certain amount. Once you’ve fulfilled that requirement, the online casino will credit free spins to your account. The main difference here lies in the fact that WinSpins require previous real money spins by you, whereas regular free spins credited on your account don’t require anything except a possible first deposit.
- No wager free spins – At the end of the day, every gambler hopes to get these exact free spins credited on the gambling account. If you receive no wager free spins, all free spin winnings are automatically added to your account as actual money, not bonus amount. You won’t have to worry about any max cash limits or how game contributions vary since you won’t have to fulfil any playthrough requirements. However, no wager free spins are quite rare bonus offers and you may only receive a small number of such bonus spins.
First Deposit Bonus
Some of the best casino bonuses out there are first deposit bonus offers, offered as a part of a welcome bonus. First deposit bonus is matched to your first deposit, so the actual size of the online casino bonus depends directly on how large is your qualifying deposit.
Let’s say you find a first deposit bonus of 100% up to £200: max bonus equal to 200 quid. In this case, you can only get up to £200, even if your first deposit is larger. However, if you should deposit £50 as your first deposit, you’ll get only £50 since the first deposit bonus was a 100% one.
When you’re dealing with a first deposit bonus, it’s essential to note the percentage and pound range of the bonus since deposit bonuses are related to those numbers.
Some first deposit bonus offers may offer 100%, some 200% or 50%. On some rare occasions, UK casinos may offer 300% as a welcome bonus, but 100-200% tends to be the most common range.
Note that all first deposit bonus offers have a certain minimum deposit limit too.
Welcome Bonus
Almost every UK casino offers a welcome bonus. As the name states, a welcome bonus is a special promotion that’s meant as a welcoming treat to new customers.
A welcome bonus is a one-time-only kind of deal that can be claimed only after signing up or making your first deposit. You can never use another welcome bonus in the casino if you’ve already signed up previously.
Of course, you can always sign up at several different casinos to reap the rewards from several different welcome bonus packages.
Welcome bonus offers tend to include either a deposit bonus or free spins (or both). Many casinos apply welcome bonus packages to several first deposit sums, so you may find a welcome bonus that’s granted on the four first deposit amounts.
This makes the welcome bonus a bit more tricky than you might have initially thought. If the welcome bonus package comes with £1000 that’s granted on the first four deposits, it means you must actually make four deposits to claim the full welcome bonus.
However, even if the welcome bonus is released over a longer time period, no one forces you to make several deposits. You can easily just use the initial deposit bonus and forget about the rest – the choice is up to you.
Reload Bonus
A reload bonus is another type of a deposit bonus, but in this case, it’s meant for repeating customers who already have an account. The casino awards you with additional bonus funds when you add more funds to your account.
Reload bonuses are very common and might be offered regularly. These deposit bonus offers always require a certain qualifying deposit and may come with common wagering requirements.
Live Casino Bonuses
A live casino bonus is another typical deposit bonus, but this time, you’ll find the bonus valid just for live casino tables and nothing else.
Some casinos offer live casino deposit bonus promotions as part of a welcome bonus, some organize new tournaments and events to promote their live dealer section. Either way, received bonus funds count only in the live dealer section, nowhere else.
Sometimes, a live casino deposit bonus is meant for a specific live dealer table, like blackjack or roulette. Often, these bonuses may be quite specific, so you should read the terms carefully before jumping on the welcome bonus wagon.
Mobile Casino Bonus
As you may have guessed from the name, a mobile deposit bonus is a specific casino bonus that’s meant solely for activating on a mobile device.
Times are changing and mobile casinos have become much more popular, so casinos may be inclined to promote their mobile offering more heavily. That’s where a mobile welcome bonus comes in handy: it’s a great way for the casino to find new customers.
Mobile free spins or deposit bonus funds work similar to regular casino bonuses, except for the fact you can only redeem the offer if you sign up via a mobile device.
Free Bets
Though we’ve mostly focused on casino bonuses in this guide, there’s another type of a casino promotion you may encounter at some bigger UK casinos: free bets.
Free bets work similar to free spins, but the difference lies in the fact free bets are meant solely for sports betting. Like free spins, free bets grant free betting rounds. You may find this bonus valid just for sports bets and the bonus funds count only towards sports, no other casino sections. If you receive free bets, you must make sports bets.
Some betting sites may offer risk free bets which act similar, but may require a prior real money bet made by you. If you lose your bet, the betting site will return your money with the free bet.
Cashback
Among all the online casino bonuses, cashback may be one of the coolest.
When you receive cashback, it means that the casino is literally giving you some of your money back, just because you didn’t get lucky and lost some money.
In this case, you’ll find the max bonus equal to a percentage of your losses. At most casinos, the cashback bonus amount will be about 10% of your previous week’s losses.
Luckily, you may find the bonus valid continuously, unlike with a welcome bonus or free spins that may expire soon. Cashback bonuses tend to run on casino sites all the time as simple extra perks.
The good news is that because cashback means your own funds are returned to you, cashback bonuses tend to come without any wagering requirements, so you won’t have to worry about max bet limits, having any opt in required or figuring out how game contributions vary. Just take your money and continue playing!
Bonus Code Offers
A welcome bonus, free spins or deposit bonus offers may be activated after simply making a minimum deposit or signing up, but sometimes, you need to use a bonus code. In these cases, you won’t even get the offer, unless you redeem a bonus code during the deposit.
A bonus code may activate many different bonus offers, depending on the casino. Sometimes, you’ll get free spins credited to your account, sometimes a bonus code is required during the first deposit just for unlocking a welcome bonus.
This is another example of why bonus terms matter so much. If you want to understand how long the bonus valid will be, how to use the bonus code or how to unlock your free spin winnings, it’s essential to get acquainted with bonus conditions.
Bonus Terms and Conditions
Obviously, casinos don’t give away free money out of the goodness of their heart – that’s simply not a sustainable business practice. Casino bonuses are, first and foremost, marketing tactics that aim to bring in new UK customers to the gambling site.
While you can still reap great benefits from this marketing approach, you should understand that every online casino bonus has strict terms and conditions.
From bonus betting limits (such as max bet allowed) to game restrictions or even payment method restrictions, you can only enjoy a successful casino bonus experience if you consider and follow all the terms.
Wagering Requirement
The wagering requirement, also called the wagering contribution or playthrough requirement, is the holy grail of bonus terms, and it’s the one tricky thing you must always figure out before using any bonus offer.
We can’t stress this enough: you MUST always make sure you understand the wagering contribution fully.
The wagering requirement is a condition that determines how many bets you must place to receive the bonus funds as real money and be able to withdraw the sum.
If you don’t do real cash stakes enough to release the bonus funds, you simply can’t withdraw the bonus money, and it will stay as only your bonus funds on the account until the expiration.
The wagering requirement is the reason why you have real money and bonus funds separate on your account balance. Since you have bonus funds separate, you can always keep a close eye on exactly how much you still have to wager through.
Now, you may be wondering how wagering actually works. Let’s say you received 100 free spins, got £10 as free spin winnings, and your free spin winnings came with a wagering requirement of 30x. If you’d like to receive the £10 you won and withdraw it to your bank account, you should place bets amounting to £300.
This is how bonus wins and playthrough largely works. The wagering requirement varies, some bonus wins may even come without any contribution requirements.
Also, not all games actually count towards the wagering requirement: game contributions vary (with slots usually covering 100% and live casino games either 10-50% or not at all).
While the wagering requirement may seem like you have to make enormous cash stakes to receive the max cash, note that all your winnings along the way help since you can use the new winnings to bet more and more. This way, getting the maximum bonus and filling the requirement becomes much easier.
Bonus Conversion Limits
The max bonus conversion is probably one of the toughest requirements to grasp, and it’s not something you may encounter at every online casino.
However, a few casinos may apply a very strict limit on the maximum bonus amount, and you may find a bonus condition saying something like “max bonus conversion equal to lifetime deposits”.
What does that exactly mean? In layman’s terms, it means that the max bonus conversion, a.k.a the maximum bonus amount you can convert to real money, equals the number of deposits you’ve made on that casino site.
The max bonus conversion, thus, will be equal to your deposits and the ‘conversion’ simply implies the amount that can be ‘converted’ from the bonus money to real money.
This kind of limit on bonus wins may be more common on no deposit free spin winnings.
Maximum Win
One of the toughest conditions you’ll encounter concerns bonus wins.
Some casino bonus offers, especially no deposit free spins, have limits on the free spins winnings you can receive or withdraw. Even if you win a jackpot with bonus spins, you can’t ever withdraw the jackpot because of the maximum win limit.
Maximum bonus wins are not that common on deposit bonuses, but some online casinos may apply a win limit there too.
Because of these harsh limitations, it’s crucial to read the bonus terms – otherwise, you may hit max free spins winnings and be unexpectedly stopped from withdrawing bonus wins.
Minimum Deposit
You must make a qualifying deposit if you’d like to use a deposit bonus. Every casino bonus has a certain minimum deposit required for the bonus. If your deposit is below that minimum deposit level, your account won’t be credited with the bonus.
At most casinos, the minimum deposit is around £20.
In addition to the general qualifying deposit limit, you should consider the maximum bonus you’d like to receive.
The size of your minimum deposit will determine the size of your deposit bonus. If the deposit bonus grants 100% up to £100 and your first deposit is £50, you’ll receive a £50 deposit bonus.
So, in addition to considering the general minimum deposit, you should also consider the max bonus equal to your deposit.
Accepted Payment Methods
Though most online casinos are quite flexible in their payment method options, the payment method you use for the first deposit can easily ruin your chances of activating the bonus. Some payment methods are restricted from deposit bonuses, so if you use such payment options to add cash funds to your account, you simply can’t activate the bonus.
Your qualifying deposit must be made with an appropriate payment method. A regular bank transfer or card payment is suitable at most UK casinos, but electronic wallets like PayPal, Skrill or Neteller may be excluded.
The qualifying deposit methods depend on the casino. If you’re not sure whether you are using a qualifying deposit method or not, it’s always wise to contact customer support.
Game Restrictions
First deposit free spins or bonus money may seem lucrative, but you can’t necessarily use the bonus for all casino games. In fact, the bonus credit may be quite limited, and you may be able to use the casino bonus only on certain games.
This applies especially to free spins and bonus spins which can used specifically for online slots (and not even all slots). That’s just the mechanics of free spins: bonus spins can only be activated for certain games since it’s technically not doable any other way.
You may receive 100 free spins, but you can only spin one slot machine (or a couple of different ones). This restriction means your gambling session won’t be as well-rounded as you might have hoped since you’re limited to one game.
Best casino bonuses are obviously more flexible. Bonus credit that comes with a deposit bonus is usually more versatile as you can use it for most games. Even then, game contributions vary when it comes to the wagering requirement, so you might still be quite limited to your game selection.
Usually, slots count fully, but other casino game contributions vary, depending on the casino.
Game restrictions are one of the reasons why some gamblers avoid bonus offers since they don’t want to be limited in their gambling options, so you should definitely consider the restrictions and make sure you’re satisfied with your deposit casino bonus or the offered welcome bonus.
Expiration Date
All bonuses expire at some point, but it’s incredibly important to note exactly when your bonus funds expire. The thing is, sometimes, bonuses last for a very limited time, and before you know it, you may lose out on the offer.
Or even worse, you may be halfway done with wagering through the bonus wins when you realize your bonus expired. That’s a surprise you don’t want to have at a casino site.
There are two deadlines to note on every bonus offer:
- The time available for claiming the offer, i.e. the general validity period
- The time allocated for fulfilling the wagering requirement
Both are important. Before making your first deposit, you should double-check how long are free spins valid: sometimes, you can only use the free spins within 24 hours, for example. However, you may have up to 30 days to fulfil the wagering requirement.
The time allowed for both activation and playthrough depends on the online casino and the bonus offers. Sometimes, you have just a few days, sometimes, you have a whole month. As you see, the expiration date is tricky, but it’s a simple condition to follow, so don’t neglect to check the expiration time.
Max Bet
No matter the bonus, there’s always a max bet involved. If you have an active bonus, you simply can’t make bets over the allowed max bet limit.
The max bet depends on the casino, but often, it’s no more than £5 to £10, and it’s applied to all bets made on the site until you either fulfil the wagering requirement, or the bonuses expire on your account.
The max bet means you can only spend a certain amount per gambling round. For instance, a max bet of £5 means you can only spin online slots with a bet size that’s a max of £5 per spin.
Max bet isn’t too harsh of a requirement for most gamblers since most UK customers won’t likely place high bets anyway.
You may be wondering why a max bet limit applies to casino bonus offers after all. The reason is simple: the max bet inhibits how much your deposit bonus or free spin winnings may become since you can’t simply make big bets.
Your spin winnings in slots, for instance, depend directly on the size of your bet. The bigger the bet, the bigger the win. However, if players have huge bonus wins, the casino may lose its profits since players simply win too much. In a worst-case scenario, the casino may go bankrupt.
Basically, to avoid gamblers having too high bonus wins, a max bet is applied, which keeps the bets a bit smaller until gamblers have wagered through the received welcome bonus funds.
Tips for Using Casino Bonuses
Casino bonuses may seem complicated if you’re a novice player, especially after reading all the above. Bonusland is here to equip you with all the knowledge you need to make informed decisions, including some crucial tips on how to get the most out of your bonus credit.
Below, you’ll find some essential tips you should always follow, no matter the type of bonus you’ve planned on using. While no strategy or trick can guarantee wins or success in online casinos, it would be remiss to discard these important tips.
Make Small Bets
We understand the thrill of your first casino experience. The adrenaline rush, the new bonus spins credited on your account, the sheer volume of available games – it’s all exciting. This excitement may make you crave to bet big because, after all, you’re there to have fun, right?
However, placing big bets is the exact one thing you shouldn’t ever do when using an online casino bonus.
In fact, many online casinos have a max bet limit for those with an active bonus on their account, so even if you’d like to play big, you simply can’t.
But even so, you simply don’t want to bet big because it makes it much tougher to actually fulfil the wagering requirement.
Imagine this: you got your free spins winnings credited to your account and have to fulfil the wagering requirement. You have £100 on your account and decide to place two £50 bets. If you lose these two bets – which is likely to happen since slots are highly volatile and won’t pay out on every spin – your account will be empty, and that’s that.
But imagine using your funds by placing £1 bets. This allows making 100 spins, and you stand a far better chance of winning money. Sure, the wins might be small, but at least you have a chance to wager through the free spins winnings.
Experts recommend placing bets that are no bigger than 1-3% of your total bankroll.
Don’t Use Only Bonus Funds Received on First Deposit
The first deposit bonus is often one of the most lucrative ones, but why restrict yourself to only bonus funds received on your initial signup?
Actually, some of the best casino bonuses are granted to loyal customers who’ve stayed at the casino for longer. You may get plenty of free spins, repeat deposit bonus offers or other great benefits you wouldn’t ever get as a new customer at the British casino.
Most online casinos offer match deposit bonuses regularly, some organize tournaments and competitions, and some send out offers with bonus spins to newsletter subscribers.
Don’t restrict yourself to only the bonus funds you see for new customers. In fact, you don’t have to use the first deposit bonus at all, and instead, you may enjoy bonuses later on.
Follow the Activation Guidelines
It would be foolish to think that all free spins or bonus amount offers work the same. While bonuses are definitely quite similar, there are some crucial differences and one of those is the way you must unlock the bonus.
Make sure you always hit the required minimum deposit that’s necessary to activate the bonus. This limit doesn’t necessarily coincide with the casino’s general minimum deposit limit. For instance, you may deposit £10 on your casino account, but you’ll find the bonus valid only for gamblers who deposited at least £20. The size of your first deposit matters.
Likewise, always check whether there’s opt in required to get the spins credited to your account or whether the offer will be just automatically activated on your account.
Make Sure to Follow the Wagering Requirement
As you saw from the above section, every bonus amount comes with various conditions. Many novice gamblers rush to activate the bonus offer, but completely neglect the terms and conditions that are written below the bonus offer.
Sure, sometimes those terms and conditions are written in such a tiny font it’s hard to actually read them, but the fact remains: bonuses always come with strings attached, and it’s your duty as a gambler to get acquainted with the bonus terms before agreeing to the offer.
We can’t highlight the importance of this enough: if you use bonus money, make sure to follow the wagering requirements and other terms properly. If you neglect any terms, there’s a good chance you’ll either lose the cash funds or won’t be able to withdraw the credit later. Either way, neglecting the bonus terms will likely ruin your gambling experience.
Some gamblers even blame the online casino later for having harsh terms, but truth be told, it’s your job to read the terms and only use such bonus spins or deposit bonuses that you feel comfortable with.
Not every bonus is for every gambler. You shouldn’t rush to use a bonus if you’re not 100% okay with the attached requirements.
Don’t Forget the Expiration Date
All bonus funds expire at some point, some earlier than others. Sometimes, the bonus expiration date may be just seven days away. If you don’t consider this tiny factor, you stand a good chance of losing your bonus completely.
In fact, one of the most common reasons gamblers lose their bonus is failing to keep up with the expiration date.
Make sure to follow the date meticulously. Take note of when you got your bonus spins credited on your account, how long you will have an active bonus and how much time you have to fulfil the wagering contribution.
You may even want to mark the date down in your calendar or just use the bonus bets immediately, so you wouldn’t forget about the bonus amount later.
Play High RTP Slot Games
It’s important to note that since slot games are based on luck, you can’t do much to win more or get more out of your free spins. However, one trick to potentially increase your free spins winnings is playing slots with a higher RTP.
High RTP slots count quite massively towards getting the biggest return on your ‘investment’. RTP determines the general percentage of wins attributed to players over millions of spins.
You may not feel the RTP rate while using your free spins bonus, but as a rule of thumb, higher RTP slots count better since the winnings tend to be more consistent or higher than regular slots.
For instance, if you play a slot machine with an RTP of 97% versus a slot with an RTP of 95%, you’ll likely feel the difference.
This strategy is handy for wagering through the free spins winnings more easily since you’ll have more funds at your disposal. Thus, you’ll need to use less of your own funds and may find it easier to fulfil the wagering contribution.
Don’t Try to Cover Losses
The most important principle to follow at any online casino: gamble responsibly and don’t try to win more or deposit more funds to make up for any losses.
Remember, casino games are all about luck. All games are based on a random number generator, and you can’t use any tactics to purposely recover losses – that’s simply not how gambling works.
If you lose money, accept the losses and move on. Don’t ever try to cover your losses because nine times out of ten, you’ll likely lose even more.