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How do Casino Welcome Bonuses Work?

June 20, 2022

Casino welcome bonuses are among the most sought-after gambling offers worldwide. Click here for our comprehensive guide on them.

Gambling sites usually give new players casino welcome bonuses as a thank-you for signing up. In most cases, after making a deposit, you will receive extra money to use for your play. There are many types of bonuses, so what you get and how much will depend on the specific offer. Regardless, knowing what bonuses are available is critical to choosing the right casino bonus for you.

Many percentages and maximum caps make claiming these offers more interesting. National Casino is an excellent example of a venue with various welcome bonuses, as this venue offers two deposit bonuses to new players. Join us below for a detailed rundown of how these offers work and what you need to know.

Casino Welcome Bonuses & What You Should Understand

You’ll come across numerous casino offers during your gambling expeditions, and it’s vital to understand what you’re getting into. So here are some of the most common types of welcome bonuses you’ll encounter:

  • 100% deposit match welcome bonus
  • 200% deposit match welcome bonus

100% Deposit Match Welcome Bonus

One of the most popular casino bonuses is the 100% welcome offer. For example, you may be offered a 100% deposit match bonus of up to $200. In this case, the casino will match your deposit up to $200, but not over that amount. Here are some examples.

  • Deposit $100 = $200 total ($100 deposit + $100 bonus)
  • Deposit $300 = $500 total ($300 deposit + maximum $200 bonus)

200% Deposit Match Welcome Bonus

It’s obvious that 200% casino welcome bonuses can be very lucrative, although they’re rare. This offer means that casinos will match your deposit and add more bonus money to it.

For instance, a 200% deposit match offer up to $200 means that the casino takes what you deposit and doubles it. Although you can only get the maximum amount of extra money at $200, on the other hand, you don’t have to deposit as much money to get it. Here are several examples:

  • Deposit $100 = $300 Overall ($100 deposit + $200 bonus)
  • Deposit $150 = $350 total ($150 deposit + maximum $200 bonus)

What Are Casino Welcome Bonuses?

A welcome bonus is an offer that a casino gives new players in return for signing up. The specific perks vary from one offer to another, but they usually include extra bonus money or free games. Since these offers represent an opportunity for the venue to encourage you to join its site, welcome bonuses can be very lucrative. The following are ways to activate a bonus:

  • Visit your casino of choice
  • Register a new account
  • Make a deposit
  • Claim your casino welcome bonuses

You may need to opt into your welcome offer at some casinos manually. This procedure usually includes manually choosing the offer from a drop-down menu or entering a promo code during payment. The process of claiming a welcome bonus varies from one site to the next but should be clearly indicated so you don’t miss anything. You can always contact the support team at the casino if you have any questions.

How Do Welcome Bonuses At Casinos Work?

Keep in mind that sometimes the fine print can dictate what the best online casino bonus is.

Casino welcome bonuses give you extra money to play with on top of the amount you deposit. The amount of extra money you receive depends on how much you deposit, the casino’s willingness to match your deposit, and the maximum bonus amount.

For example, a typical welcome offer is a 100% deposit match bonus of up to $100. The 100% deposit match part guarantees that the casino will match your deposit. For instance, if you paid $50, the casino would give you $50 more, but there is a limit.

The “up to $X” part tells you how much extra money the casino will give you – up to a specific limit. So, in the previous example, even if you deposit $150, the site will only give you $100 more because that’s the maximum bonus amount.

However, there’s another part to welcome bonuses: you cannot merely claim the bonus funds and immediately cash out. There’s a little something called “terms and conditions,” of which wagering requirements are a regular part. Here’s what you need to know. 

Wagering Requirements

When it comes to casino welcome bonuses, almost all such offers include wagering requirements. These requirements indicate that you will need to wager your bonus repeatedly until you reach a certain amount. For instance, the “x20” symbol shows that you need to play through your bonus (and/or deposit funds) 20 times before being allowed to withdraw your bonus and accompanying winnings. To determine how much money you need, multiply the extra money you receive by 20. Here is an example:

Imagine a 100% welcome offer of up to $100, with an x20 wagering requirement. So, you need to deposit $100 to get $100 bonus money, where the wagering requirement applies to the extra money. Therefore, you will need to multiply $100 by 20, which equals $2,000. Consequently, you must use your extra money to place a maximum of $2,000 in wagers before you can withdraw it and any winnings. Additionally, casinos often have a maximum wager policy of only $5 per round, meaning that you cannot just bet this amount quickly.

Forfeitable Welcome Bonuses

Some online gambling venues allow users to choose whether they want to play with their deposit or the bonus money first. Although it might sound strange, depending on your personal preference, you might want to try your luck with your own money first. Here is how this works: 

  • If you win, you can withdraw your winnings by giving up any extra money
  • If you lose, use the bonus money as an opportunity to get your money back

When looking at casino welcome bonuses, a forfeitable bonus basically gives you another chance to get your share of the pie. Sometimes, however, you may not want to spend your own money at first. An excellent example of this case is when you are trying out a new casino game. In other words, it’s okay to try it out but not to place any money on it. You might choose to accept a non-forfeitable deal in this instance.

Cashable Welcome Bonuses

Cashable welcome bonuses refer to whether you can keep the bonus amount or only the winnings. For example, if you win $100, you can wager the winnings and end up with $200. A cashable welcome bonus means you get to keep the total of $200.

On the other hand, a non-cashable welcome bonus means you need to remove the initial bonus money from the total winnings: $200 – $100 = $100.

The terms and conditions of a casino offer should clearly state whether you can keep all the money. Cashable welcome bonuses are also known as non-sticky bonuses, and they are the same regardless of the terminology.

Reload Bonuses

As mentioned above, a casino welcome bonus can take many forms. Some casinos will offer additional bonuses as part of their welcome package or offer, often called reload bonuses. Instead of getting a boost only for your first deposit, you may get additional money for your second, third, and fourth deposits (sometimes beyond).

However, it is not always evident if a welcome bonus package includes reloads. Regardless, the size of the offer will often tell you. If you see something like a $1,000 welcome bonus, you can assume that it is spread over multiple payments, not just one. When looking at various casino welcome bonuses, you will know there are reloads if you see an offer spread across various deposits.

About the author

Jamie Moses

Jamie Moses founded Artvoice in 1990

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