Casino Welcome Bonus UK 2024: Claim first deposit and casino sign up bonuses
Casino welcome bonus offers are everywhere in the UK. And claiming an online casino welcome bonus is one of the great joys for new players in the UK. It can be a one-off deal. Or it can be a multi-part offer that provides a sign-up bonus, multiple deposit bonuses and free spins on Starburst, Book of Dead and other super popular online slots.
In this article, we’ll be going over all of the different types of online casino welcome bonuses you can expect to find.
Signing up at welcome bonus casinos has never been so much fun. So, let’s kick off with a list of the best welcome bonus casinos in the UK…
Best Casino Sign Up Offers UK 2024
Key Takeaways for Welcome Bonuses UK
What is an Online Casino Welcome Bonus?
Good question. When you’ve been around the iGaming industry as long as we have, you tend to take these things for granted. But let’s get back to basics, explain what a welcome bonus actually is and explore the different types you’re likely to find at welcome bonus casinos in the UK.
A welcome bonus is, usually, the first deal offered to new players who sign up at an online casino. We say ‘usually’ because, sometimes, there will be a no deposit bonus or free spins provided to those for simply registering a new account. Whereas, a welcome bonus is normally offered at the time of making your first deposit at the casino. There may be additional deposit bonuses and other deals offered too, but we’ll go over the various bonus types at welcome bonus casinos later on.
For now, then, a welcome bonus is the first deposit bonus and is usually the best pound-for-pound offer you will receive from your new online casino. You may also get more bites at the cherry, with second deposit and third deposit bonuses, as well as up to 100 free spins, for example. As you would expect, it varies from casino to casino. But because every UK casino brand wants you to play at their site, you’ll find plenty of healthy competition and great deals.
Types of popular Welcome Bonuses in UK Casinos
Every welcome bonus is different. Sometimes, you will get a one-off matched deposit bonus. Other times, you will get multiple deposit bonuses. These will spread out across your first few days or weeks at the casino. The multi-part bonuses tend to be referred to as welcome bonus packages – to distinguish themselves from the one-time-only deals. Some will include a handful of free spins and others will shower you in them. Others will forgo the usual casino bonus paradigm and instead offer their players lucrative cashback offers – these are particularly appealing for VIPs.
Below, we’ve included an explanation of each of the different deals you might see included in a UK online casino welcome bonus…
Casino Sign up Bonus
This one (AKA registration bonus) is a bit of a catch-all term and it can mean many different things. Generally speaking, however, it is a deal that is provided without having to make your 1st deposit. Instead, you can expect something like 50 free spins, £25 in bonus funds or (in the case of sports betting sites) a £10 free bet. There will be a wagering requirement attached or other restrictions. But you won't have to make a deposit in order to start using your bonuses at welcome bonus casinos.
No Deposit Bonus
This one does exactly what it says on the tin. No deposit casinos ensure players can claim bonus funds without having to make a deposit. Therefore, this is an excellent opportunity for new casino players to play games without risking their own money. However, it's worth noting that, as with a sign up bonus, there will be terms and conditions attached. One of them will almost always be that winnings are considered bonus money and must be wagered a certain number of times before withdrawal.
Free Spins Bonus and Bonus Spins
All free spins casinos in the UK must call their offer bonus spins. That's because, as discussed elsewhere, any free spins winnings credited will be considered bonus funds until the player completes the attached wagering requirement. One very rare exception to this is no wager free spins. However, all bonus spins give players a fantastic way to try out some of the best casino slots available. And there's nothing to stop you from winning money while completing the wagering.
Matched 1st Deposit Bonus
This is the most common form of casino welcome bonus. Typically it will be written as a 100% bonus up to £200, for example. That means the casino will match your deposit up to that maximum bonus amount. So, if you deposit a maximum of £200, the casino will add £200 in bonus funds, so you can play with a total of £400. Of course, you could also deposit, say, £50 and play with £100 instead. Again, a wagering contribution will apply to the deposit, the bonus or both.
2nd and 3rd Deposit Bonuses
These are almost exactly the same as the first deposit bonus mentioned above. Except that they will give you additional bonus funds on your second and third deposits respectively. (There may even be a fourth or fifth deposit bonus at some online casinos, too!) Just keep an eye on the percentages used. You might well see the percentages drop down from 100% or 200% first deposit bonuses to something like 50% on your second and 25% on your third, for example.
Cashback Bonus Money
This one is quite different and is often favoured by high rollers and VIP players. That's because cashback casinos provide a form of insurance policy against a bad run of form. For example, you might get back up to £500 on any losses over your first week at the casino. So, if you win, all good. But if you lose, you will get some of your money back in the form of additional bonus money. Again, the bonus money must then be wagered a certain number of times before being withdrawn.
Other Online Casino Bonuses
There are lots of variations on the above. The online casino bonus money might be tied to live casino games, for example. Or, if the online casino has a sports betting section, then you might qualify for a £50 free bet – either instead of or in addition to your online casino bonus. Loyalty bonuses are another common one. Or you might be able to make a deposit in order to receive high-value bonus spins. Just go through all the casino bonus offers to see which one you prefer.
How to Choose the Best Casino Welcome Bonus for you
Have a quick look over the lists of UK welcome bonuses we’ve included above. These should give you a great overview of what’s out there. Then decide what works best for you. For example, do you want a casino deal with plenty of bonus spins? Or would you rather have the insurance policy of a cashback bonus instead?
Alternatively, are you just looking to maximise the amount of bonus funds you’ll have available by picking the highest percentage deposit match bonus with the largest maximum bonus amount? Or, on the other hand, perhaps you’re looking for something that enables you to spread your welcome bonus funds across slots, live table games and sports betting? All are valid ways of going about it. So it’s largely down to personal choice.
Once you’ve decided, we’ve made it dead simple to sign up, claim an active bonus and start playing those bonus spins. In fact, clicking on any of the UK casino bonus offers on this page will take you directly to the sign-up page of the online casinos. From there, it’s a matter of filling in some basic details, making your first deposit (if required) and exploring the casino’s features.
So, go ahead with that now or continue reading to find out more about online casinos and their various forms of welcome bonuses, bonus spins and other types of bonus credit. We give you the full lowdown on welcome bonus casinos.
How to Withdraw your Welcome Bonus winnings and Free Spins winnings
Linked to the above, you’ll naturally want to withdraw any winnings resulting from your bonus funds and your free spin winnings as soon as you can. Just be sure to complete the wagering requirement and any other targets within the given time limits.
If you’re not sure if you’ve done everything correctly, get in touch with the customer support team. A member of the team will be able to tell you exactly what you have left to do. Or whether you have already met the wagering contribution. After that, withdrawing bonus winnings and free spin winnings is dead simple…
First of all, head over to the cashier area of the site. Often this is located in the player account settings or alongside the deposit options. From there, you should see your bonus or free spin winnings. If so, all you need to do is choose one of the payment methods available from the dropdown menu. Then, enter the amount you wish to withdraw this time and follow any additional onscreen instructions.
See, we told you it was easy peasy! Just note that most withdrawals are not instantaneous at welcome bonus casinos. Check out our payment methods guide for more info on this!
New Casino Sign Up Bonuses April 2024
| Rank | Casino | Cash bonus with 1st deposit | Free spins with 1st deposit | Terms and Conditions | Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit
100% up to 100 £ |
Free spins with 1st deposit 50 Free Spins | Read review Play | |
| 2 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit 100% up to 50 £ | Free spins with 1st deposit 0 Free Spins | Read review Play | |
| 3 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit
100% up to 100 £ |
Free spins with 1st deposit 50 Free Spins | Read review Play | |
| 4 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit
100% up to 100 £ |
Free spins with 1st deposit 100 Free Spins | Read review Play | |
| 5 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit 100% up to 200 £ | Free spins with 1st deposit 0 Free Spins | Read review Play | |
| 6 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit
100% up to 200 £ |
Free spins with 1st deposit 50 Free Spins | Read review Play | |
| 7 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit
50% up to 50 £ |
Free spins with 1st deposit 30 Free Spins | Read review Play | |
| 8 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit
100% up to 50 £ |
Free spins with 1st deposit 25 Free Spins | Read review Play | |
| 9 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit
100% up to 50 £ |
Free spins with 1st deposit 20 Free Spins | Read review Play | |
| 10 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit 1000% up to 2000 £ | Free spins with 1st deposit 0 Free Spins | Read review Play | |
| 11 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit 100% up to 100 £ | Free spins with 1st deposit 0 Free Spins | Read review Play | |
| 12 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit 100% up to 200 £ | Free spins with 1st deposit 0 Free Spins | Read review Play | |
| 13 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit
100% up to 100 £ |
Free spins with 1st deposit 30 Free Spins | Read review Play | |
| 14 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit
100% up to 300 £ |
Free spins with 1st deposit 100 Free Spins | Read review Play | |
| 15 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit 121% up to 300 £ | Free spins with 1st deposit 0 Free Spins | Read review Play | |
| 16 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit
100% up to 100 £ |
Free spins with 1st deposit 100 Free Spins | Read review Play | |
| 17 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit 100% up to 66 £ | Free spins with 1st deposit 0 Free Spins | Read review Play | |
| 18 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit - | Free spins with 1st deposit 50 Free Spins | Read review Play | |
| 19 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit
100% up to 200 £ |
Free spins with 1st deposit 50 Free Spins | Read review Play | |
| 20 |
|
Cash bonus with 1st deposit
100% up to 111 £ |
Free spins with 1st deposit 77 Free Spins | Read review Play |
How to use Casino Bonus Codes at Welcome Bonus Casinos
Whenever a casino bonus requires a bonus code, we include it right on the offer. We even make it dead simple to copy the bonus code so you won’t make any mistakes by typing it in manually. But maybe you’re wondering what a casino bonus code actually is? Here’s how it all works at welcome bonus casinos…
UK casinos use bonus codes to prevent everyone from having access to the same deal – or to prevent bots from spamming their offers. So, when you see a bonus code offer on GamblingAuthority, you can be sure that you’re getting an exclusive welcome bonus. Or at least one that’s not available to the general population in some way. And applying them is easy as pie.
Once you’ve copied the casino bonus code, click the link taking you to the casino’s sign-up bonus page. There, you will find a field for pasting in the bonus code. Then, fill in the rest of the required details and you’ll be up and running in a matter of seconds. After that, enjoy your bonus funds!
The Pros and Cons of Online Casino Welcome Bonuses in the UK
While it's perfectly possible to start playing at a UK online casino with your own money, we heartily recommend taking up some of the best casino bonuses available. There are many reasons for this. Chief among them is that you probably won't be entitled to such great casino bonus offers once you've already tried a few other promotions. Another reason is the sheer number of bonus spins you get with welcome bonuses – these additional free spins will give you an opportunity to try out new casino games. And lastly, we'd argue that you might as well try for some bonus wins – after all, you don't have to complete any wagering requirement and can instead let the bonus funds expire. Here's an overview of some of the other pros and cons…
Pros
- Sign-up bonus funds are available without making a deposit
- Additional playing funds during your first few weeks
- Bonus spins are included for some of the best casino slots
- Some welcome bonus casinos feature multiple deals
- Opportunity to try out many different online casino bonuses
Cons
- Wagering requirements are quite high at some online casinos
- Free spins might not be included in some welcome bonuses
- There may be restrictions on what casino games can be played
- Certain payment methods might be excluded from bonuses
- Having to be aware that T&Cs apply to your online casino bonus
Understanding UK Welcome Bonus Casinos and the Terms and Conditions 📝
Getting to grips with the often extensive terms and conditions attached to UK welcome bonuses is vital. And arguably the most important of these regards the wagering requirement. For example, you might see something like bonuses are subject to 35x wagering. That might be confusing for the uninitiated. But have no fear – we’re going to break down the most important elements of these bonus terms for you.
We’ll also go over the various limitations that apply to different types of bonus wins and max bet restrictions on bonus spins credited to your account. And if you want to gamble responsibly, you’ll need to check what T&Cs apply each time.
The Wagering Requirements at Welcome Bonus Casinos Explained
If you claim a welcome bonus of £100, you might have to play through that amount 35 times to complete the wagering requirement. But what does that mean in plain English? Well, 35 times 100 equals £3,500. So, essentially, this rule is saying that you will need to play through (or wager) £3,500 on eligible casino games.
That sounds like a lot of moolah (and it really is) but don’t forget that you are not simply handing over that money to the online casino. In fact, it’s more than possible to win while wagering that money, so you could come out even further ahead. All that matters is that you risk £3,500 on certain casino games.
Also, it’s worth noting that there may be a time limit placed upon the wagering requirement. This means that you will only have, say, 30 days to wager the required amount. That sounds like you can take all the time in the world, but some online casinos aren’t so generous with their time limits.
So, we’d say it’s worth completing the wagering requirement as soon as you can. In that way, you can withdraw whatever winnings you have left over and get back to exploring all of the different games without any restrictions.
Bonus Time Limits and Max win Limits at Welcome Bonus Casinos
You’ll need to make a minimum deposit when claiming your bonus funds in the first place. This won’t be much – it can often be as little as £10. But before you do that, have a read through whatever T&Cs apply. For example, when claiming a welcome bonus from a UK online casino, be sure to check how long you have to play your bonus funds and complete the wagering requirement. Otherwise, your bonus funds might be voided, meaning any winnings will be lost, too.
Also, your bonus funds are separate from cash funds in most instances at welcome bonus casinos. So, we recommend following the rules to the letter to avoid losing out. Another important one at welcome bonus casinos is the max winnings rule. This simply states that you can only win up to a certain amount with your bonus funds.
The same thing might apply to free spin winnings, too. For example, let’s say you have 50 bonus spins for Book of Dead. Well, you can freely play those bonus spins on the selected titles but you might reach the £100 cap after only playing 30 of those spins, for example. Anything beyond that wouldn’t count towards your free spin winnings and you wouldn’t be able to withdraw anything beyond that £100.
Still, £100 is still a decent sum in anyone’s book. It’s just a way for welcome bonus casinos to protect themselves from players winning thousands in free spins winnings. So, always check the max free spins winnings rules in the T&Cs.
Casino Games Restrictions and Percentages at Welcome Bonus Casinos
Most slots count towards the wagering requirement 100%. However, many others might be excluded or else only contribute a lower percentage. Therefore, it’s well worth reading through the full terms and conditions of any casino deal you decide to take up. For example, you might see something like the wagering contribution of video poker or live casino is 5%.
Now, of course, you can still play video poker to your heart’s content. But it’s worth noting that it will take you much longer to complete the wagering requirement if you only stick to those games. In fact, to make it less of a slog, we recommend using your cash funds to complete the wagering requirement on games contributing 100%. This will make things much easier at welcome bonus casinos!
Welcome Bonus Casinos – conclusion
We hope you’ve enjoyed our guide to welcome bonus casinos. UK players will find welcome bonus casinos everywhere online. That’s because they are undoubtedly the ones that draw in casino players. Finding great welcome bonus casinos from the hundreds out there is the difficult part. But if you look over our list of welcome bonus casinos above, you’ll be one step ahead of the game. You can also read reviews of our recommended welcome bonus casinos in the same spot. Then, it’s just a matter of finding the best welcome bonus offer for you. And, don’t worry, we only recommend welcome bonus casinos licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.
Welcome Bonus Casinos FAQ
Which UK gambling site has the best casino bonus and can I also get free bets for sports?
This is a difficult one because everyone is different. However, we've done our best to provide a range of different UK online casinos on this page along with their welcome bonus and free spins on Starburst and other top casino games like Book of Dead, for example. Many of these UK casino sites also offer sports betting and poker, so be sure to read our online casino reviews.
Where can I find the best casino bonus in the UK?
Finding the best online casino bonus in the UK is easy. You just need to decide whether you prefer a large amount of welcome bonus funds, a larger percentage for your qualifying deposit or if you want something like 50 bonus spins credited on your favourite online slots. You might even decide that a cashback offer would be ideal. Check out the deals above for more info.
Can I win real money with online casino bonuses in the UK?
Yes, as soon as you have an active bonus at a UK casino, you can start trying to win big. The same is true of any free spins bonus. Just note that there may be a max win amount specified in the T&Cs. If that's the case, your bonus winnings can only add up to the max winnings. There may also be max free spins winnings rules in place, too. As always, read if certain T&Cs apply.
Can I claim multiple welcome bonuses or are they only for new players?
As implied by the term "welcome", these types of UK casino bonuses are reserved for new players and are often restricted to one deal per household. So, while you can often find multi-part online casino bonuses as a new player, you cannot claim them more than once. However, there's nothing to stop you claiming sign up bonus funds from multiple UK online casinos.
How do I withdraw a casino welcome bonus and free spin winnings in the UK?
So long as you meet the minimum deposit or qualifying deposit, the wagering requirement and you keep your bonus funds separate to cash funds, you'll be able to withdraw your bonus winnings and your free spin winnings. So if you have some bonus wins and customer support confirms you've done everything required, you can withdraw your bonus winnings as usual.
What are casino bonus wagering requirements and what is a max bonus bet?
We cover this in more detail above, but if that was TL;DR, here's a summary. UK online casino bonuses usually require that you wager around 30-35 times your bonus amount before being able to withdraw any bonus winnings or bonus spins winnings. As for a max bonus bet, that's a separate rule that states you can only bet up to a certain amount with your bonus funds.
Do I have to take an online casino welcome bonus or can I just play casino games with real money?
It's up to you. And if you want to gamble responsibly, then it's worth considering whether the best casino bonuses meet your requirements or whether you'd rather try to get some bonus spins winnings instead. Plus, you can always play the games with your own cash funds and then be able to withdraw your casino winnings without meeting any wagering requirement.
What's the difference between free spins and bonus spins at UK online casinos?
In the UK, these are the same thing. So, your bonus spins winnings are the same as your free spins winnings. It's just that the UKGC discourages the use of free spins when there are wagering requirements or other rules in place before being able to withdraw any free spins winnings. After all, if you have to meet a wagering requirement then the spins are not "free".
With an education from the University of Cambridge and while working with iGaming for the last 6 years, Stephen has obtained a lot of knowledge about the industry. He usually writes about the different types of online casinos, casino bonuses and various gambling strategies.
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