The Best Online Casino Welcome Bonuses in 2022

When signing up to a casino, welcome bonus offers are often the first thing players look for! These promotions can give your bankroll a great boost to start off with – but they shouldn’t be taken at face value. So, if you’re new to all of this, read on to learn more.

The Best Welcome Bonus Casinos – Legal & Licensed Online Casinos

#1 Welcome Race available Play with Bitcoin Top VIP programme Get 100% Bonus + 100 Free Spins 7BitCasino Review Play

#2 24/7 Support Available in multiple languages Accepts many currencies Welcome Package Up To €1,500 + 150 Free Spins 1xBet Casino Review Play

#3 11 Wager-free spins on 1st deposit 35x Wagering requirement €10 Min. deposit 100% Up To €200 On First Deposit Videoslots Casino Review Play

#4 Welcome bonus split over 4 deposits €20 Min. deposit to receive free spins 40x Wagering requirement €500 or 5BTC + 180 Free Spins BitStarz Casino Review Play

#5 Instant deposits and withdrawals 24/7 Support Available in 11 languages €2,000 In Deposit Bonuses + 200 Free Spins Tsars Review Play

#6 Bonus code: FD100 Other bonuses available Affiliated with many top developers 100% Welcome Bonus On Your First Deposit Up To €200 CashMashi Casino Review Play

#7 Welcome bonus split over 2 deposits Sticky bonus Wagering 45x Get Up To €400 + 400 Free Spins Twin Casino Review Play

#8 Split over three deposits Sticky bonus 35x Wagering requirement 200% Welcome Bonus Up To €6,500 On First Deposit + 125 Free Spins + 500 Loyalty Points Casimba Casino Review Play

#9 2nd & 3rd deposit bonuses available 40x Wagering requirement Spins on Book of Dead 200% Match Bonus Up To €500 + 50 Extra Spins on First Deposit Temple Nile Play

#10 Plus 50% on 2nd deposit up to €200 Wagering: 25x on 1st dep; 30x on 2nd Activate before depositing 100% Welcome Bonus Up To €200 On First Deposit Energy Casino Review Play

#11 VIP Club Various tournaments 10+ Gaming providers 100% up to $/€500 + 20 Free Spins Slotwolf Casino Play

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What Is a Casino Welcome Bonus?

A casino welcome bonus is exactly what it says on the tin: a reward that's granted at top casino sites to thank new players for signing up.

This type of bonus tends to be the largest in a casino’s arsenal, with many brands vying to offer a promotion that can place among the best online casino bonuses out there. Casinos all over the world offer it, from Sweden to Switzerland and Canada. In theory, welcome bonuses are also used by casinos:

• to attract new players by providing the best casino welcome bonus offer, which can include better terms and conditions; as well as
• to keep players coming back as they play through their bonus, or because the bonus comes in multiple steps.

Did you know?

Welcome bonuses can come in a wide variety of forms and sizes, as well as varying terms and conditions. Always check what strings are attached before claiming any promotions!

Types of Welcome Bonuses & How They Work

There are as many different casino welcome bonus offers as there are online casinos that offer them. Many of them fall into one of the following four categories:

• Match Deposit Bonuses

A match deposit bonus is one through which the online casino matches your first deposit by up to a certain amount.

An example of this would be a welcome casino bonus that offers 100% up to €/£/$100. That would mean that whatever you deposit up to €/£/$100, the casino will match.

This is a common type of welcome offer. In fact, you can find casinos that offer 100% deposit bonuses, 200% deposit bonuses, 300% casino bonuses, 400% casino bonuses, and even 500% casino bonuses.

All you need to keep in mind about this type of bonus is that it usually comes with a minimum deposit amount, wagering requirements, and a deadline by which time you can claim it either via the Cashier section at the casino or by using a bonus code.

Of course, you can also deposit more than the casino is willing to match, but that will not change the maximum bonus that you can receive from the casino.

• Free Spins

Free spins are another popular casino welcome bonus found at the top free spins casinos. In this case, instead of receiving credit, you will receive a number of spins you can use on eligible real-money slots.

This type of welcome bonus can either be awarded to you in several ways, including after your first deposit, or even as a no deposit welcome bonus casino offer.

Either way, they usually come with a set value (such as €/£/$0.20 per spin) and several terms and conditions that include wagering requirements, deadlines, and even max wins.

• No Wagering Free Spins

No wagering free spins work in the same way as normal free spins, but come with no wagering requirements. In other words, you can withdraw your winnings from these free spins without having to wager them a number of times. This is, of course, one of the best and most generous casino offers that exist out there.

• Welcome Package

Many casinos now combine match deposit bonuses with free spins to create the Welcome Bonus Package. These tend to be much larger in size and scope, and can also include loyalty points, as well as reload bonuses that match your subsequent deposits.

The welcome package will often be split over a number of deposits (usually 3 or 4), rather than being rewarded all at once. This is done to encourage new depositors to continue playing at the casino, by offering more and more bonus cash! Some sites, such as LuckyDays Casino even increase the maximum bonus amount that can be rewarded on the subsequent deposits, rather than tapering it off as is done at some other gambling pages!

Usually, you can claim such a bonus by using a bonus code – or by applying for it through the Bonus section before you make your first deposit. Once you sign up for it, the rest of the bonus will be awarded to you, given you have met your wagering requirements and made further deposits.

• No Deposit Welcome Bonus

A no deposit casino bonus is awarded to you without the need to make a deposit first. This can come in the shape of credit, which you can use to play all your favourite real-money casino games online, or else as free spins on selected slots.

Understandably, such a bonus usually comes with higher wagering requirements.

• Live Dealer Casino Welcome Bonus

All the online casino welcome bonuses above are usually slot-centric, and while you can use the money to play at live dealer casinos, these games will not really contribute much to your wagering requirements – if anything at all, really. Thankfully, there are various live dealer casino bonuses available out there!

Claiming a Casino Welcome Bonus: What Do I Need To Know?

We, like many other players out there, get very excited when we come across the latest welcome casino bonus. Even so, we’ve learnt that it’s important to take a step back and look at the bonus rationally.

In fact, all casino welcome bonuses come with terms and conditions, that can and will include one or more of the points mentioned below.

• Wagering Requirements

All online casinos (apart from those that offer no wagering free spins) place wagering requirements on their casino welcome bonus offer.

This is usually presented as a figure with an ‘x’ before or after, such as ‘x35’ or ‘35x’. What this means is how many times you will need to wager your bonus before you can withdraw any winnings. So, if the wagering bonus is 35x and you get a €/£/$100 bonus, you will need to wager €/£/$3,500 before you can withdraw your winnings.

A typical wagering amount is 25-45x, but it’s also important to note that different casinos (such as Lucky Creek casino) attach wagering requirements to different sums. In fact, wagering requirements can be placed on:

• the bonus money you’ve received;
• the money you’ve deposited;
• the winnings you’ve made from your free spins; or
• all, or a combination, of the above.

• Games’ Wagering Contributions

Moreover, it’s good to keep in mind that when playing through your wagering requirements, not all games contribute the same amount (from many providers including NetEnt casino provider, Microgaming site providers and EGT casino provider). Here is how much each type of game typically contributes towards the wagering requirements.

• Deadlines

Even the best online casino welcome bonus comes with a deadline – something that players often miss, but is nevertheless super important. This is is the cut-off date by which you must:

1. claim your bonus;
2. play your free spins; and
3. meet any wagering requirements attached.

• Minimum Deposits

Almost all casinos list a minimum deposit limit, which refers to the minimum amount you can deposit to be eligible for the welcome bonus.

Normal amounts at casinos that offer a welcome bonus usually range between €/£/$10 and €/£/$30, but there are other top low deposit casinos which may not offer a bonus that accept even less.

• Bonus Codes

As we have seen above, some casinos require that you input a bonus code in order to claim their welcome bonus; otherwise, you won't be able to claim it. This code will be included in the terms and conditions, in the promotional advert for the bonus, sent via email or appear in the Cashier section at the casino.

Keep in mind that some casinos won’t have bonus codes for the first deposit offer, but will do so for subsequent ones.

• Cashable vs Non-Cashable Bonuses

A cashable bonus gives you the chance to withdraw the bonus money once you’ve met the wagering requirements before the allocated deadline. This is sometimes referred to as a non-sticky bonus, and tends to be smaller in size (100% is the most common match).

A non-cashable bonus, which is sometimes referred to as a sticky bonus, means you cannot withdraw the bonus amount.

So, if you get €/£/$200 in bonus funds, meet all your wagering requirements, and finally end up with €/£/$300 in winnings, you will only be able to withdraw €/£/$100.

• Eligible Payment Methods

Before making your first deposit, it is also imperative that you check which payment methods are eligible, as these vary from one casino to another.

Normally, credit and debit cards, bank transfers, and cryptocurrencies will let you get your hands on an online casino welcome bonus, but several e-wallets will not, such as NETELLER and Skrill.

This is because these services make it hard for casinos to obtain the required player identification, thus making it harder for the casino to ensure they are meeting all the safety and anti-money laundering requirements set by law.

• Eligible Games

It is practically unheard of for casinos to give you free rein on which video slots you can play your free spins on.

Instead, the casino will indicate which specific game the free spins are for, with Play’n GO’s Book of Dead and NetEnt’s Starburst slot being the most common.

Alternatively, the welcome bonus casino may give you a choice from one developer's catalogue, with NetEnt being the most common in this regard.

• Cash-Out Limits

A number of casinos impose a cash-out limit on their welcome bonuses, which means you will only be able to withdraw up to a certain amount, even after you have met the wagering requirements.

Keep in mind, however, that the best welcome casino bonuses with cash-out limits usually have lower wagering requirements, and vice-versa.

• Jurisdiction Requirements

Casinos that legally cater to certain jurisdictions have bonus limits that they must follow. At Swedish casinos, for example, bonuses are capped at SEK100 by law, while at UK casinos, bonuses tend to be smaller than those in the rest of Europe.

• Bonus Abuse

An online casino with a welcome bonus (or any other bonus, for that matter) can cancel your bonus at any time, especially if it suspects abuse on the player's end.

Such abuse is normally defined as one player claiming more than one welcome bonus from the same brand, or that the money deposited originates from illicit sources, such as theft or money laundering.

How to Claim an Online Casino Welcome Bonus

Most casinos make claiming the welcome bonus an easy affair. Indeed, all you have to do is follow these simple steps.

1. Choose an online casino with a welcome bonus from our Top Table List Above.
2. Read the terms and conditions for the page and the welcome bonus. If you’re happy with both, register an account with the site.
3. Once you’ve signed up, check what’s needed to opt in for the online casino welcome bonus.
4. Input the code if you so need to, and make your first deposit.
5. That it! You can now start playing through your bonus!

How Do I Pick the Best Online Casino Welcome Bonus for Me?

Ironically, one of the biggest issues with online casino welcome bonuses is that there are so many of them. So here are some questions you should ask yourself before claiming any:

• What type of player am I? If you’re a high roller, then you can safely take up a large casino bonus with high wagering requirements.
  But if you’re a casual player who logs in once or twice per week, taking up anything other than no wager free spins won’t make much sense at all.
• How much money will I be playing? In order to meet an online casino welcome bonus’s wagering requirements, you’ll need to deposit quite a bit of money.
  So, again, a high roller playing through thousands in deposits per month can easily meet them, but a casual player depositing €/£/$10/20 per week will not.
• What payment method do I feel comfortable using? While most people still rely on their credit or debit card to deposit and play, not everyone feels comfortable doing so for their own reasons. Now, since some of the other, traditional payment methods are usually excluded, such players should consider joining one of the best crypto casinos, or else forfeiting the welcome bonus altogether.
• What kind of games do I want to play? If you love playing slots, then most online casinos welcome bonuses will work for you. But what happens if you prefer playing live dealer roulette, live dealer blackjack, or live dealer poker, seeing as these don’t contribute to your wagering requirements? Well, the answer is to head to a casino with a live casino welcome bonus, of course!

Other Bonuses for Loyal Players

Once you’ve settled down at your new online casino of choice, you may want to start looking at some other bonuses they may offer.

Welcome Bonuses – Summary

An online casino welcome bonus is a fantastic way to kick off your entrance into the online casino world. So long as you understand and accept the terms and conditions, this type of promotion can boost your bankroll and keep you playing for longer!