Best Casino Bonuses

This casino bonus guide aims to help both new and experienced casino players better understand casino bonuses. It offers tips and advice from veterans of the online casino community about how to make the most out of the various offers available.

Please note - Bonuses are subject to change. All information correct at the time of writing.

Most casinos offer a range of bonuses to attract customers to play on their sites. At a glance, many of these offers seem very enticing. However, once you start to read the Terms and Conditions they begin to get much more complex than they initially seemed. Sometimes, online casino promotions can even be misleading, even for an experienced player – to a point where the government gambling watchdog (UKGC) has had to intervene. This guide aims to iron out these complexities and give advice on how to choose the best UK casino bonuses available.

There are a number of types of casino bonuses, and you should take a moment to consider which is the best casino bonus for you. This could depend on the games you like to play, how much money you are willing to deposit or whether you wish to increase your bank roll. You may also like to think about whether you are looking to use certain sites just in the short-term or longer. Different casino and UK slot sites offer different loyalty perks for long-term customers that won’t be available to you if you dip in and out of lots of casinos. However, the advantage of signing up to a number of casinos is that you can take advantage of a multitude of welcome and sign up bonuses. Be sure to visit our dedicated 200% casino bonus offers page to get started.

The majority of new UK casino sites offer a welcome bonus or first deposit bonus to new players. These typically offer a welcome cashback or a matching bonus up to a certain amount. Be mindful of the Wagering Restrictions that come with these bonuses.

For example; 888casino currently has a first deposit bonus of 100% up to a maximum deposit of £200 (minimum deposit £10).

A reload bonus is rather like a welcome bonus except that it is only available to existing customers. You will typically get a percentage of your deposit matched – usually 30 to 60%. Note the wagering requirements needed in order to withdraw your winnings.

These bonuses are fairly self-explanatory. Usually upon signing up to a casino you will be granted a certain number of free spins bonus rounds on the slot machines. The majority of casinos will need you to register a payment method before granting the free spins, although some do not require a deposit. As such it is not always a free casino bonus, but you do get additional gaming time.

It is worth following online casino social media pages, not least because some of them are quite funny (see PaddyPower…). Often, they will advertise temporary offers to their followers; ranging from ad hoc deposit bonuses to free spins. At times these offers can even be offered in real time exclusively to those who are currently playing on a site. For example, a promotion may be running on side bets at a Blackjack table or on other table games. To take advantage of these offers, simply head over to the relevant tables when they are advertised. On a similar note, it is worth checking the email address linked to your casino account fairly regularly as they will often send through the latest casino bonuses such as free Poker tournament tickets, promotions and perhaps even an instant bonus in cash!

These bonuses are similar to cash back offers from major retailers and banks. You deposit funds into your account (often using a specific promo code) and receive a percentage back in either cash bonuses or voucher codes in return.

These bonuses are self-explanatory. No deposit is required (although they will often require payment details) to receive your bonus. Make sure you sign up with an eligible payments method (such as a UK bank account) to take advantage of such offers. Note the wagering requirements before you are able to withdraw your winnings though.

Many sites offer daily challenges or seasonal themed bonuses. These are usually advertised as you log into the site and can be accessed by depositing using promotional codes. These challenges vary and can often be directed towards specific games so keep an eye out for relevant offers for you.

Most casinos have a loyalty bonus system. Often, they will use a point scoring system whereby your profile levels up depending on the games you play and how much you wager. As you level up you receive different rewards – ranging from free poker tournament tickets to an instant cash bonus.

If you like to splash your cash on online casinos then you may be eligible for certain VIP and High Roller perks. Typically, the minimum deposit required to qualify for such bonuses is much larger – but in turn the dividends are better.

A win match bonus is very similar to welcome bonuses in that your deposit will be matched with bonus currency once specific wagering requirements have been met.

Casino bonus codes are similar to daily and seasonal promotions. These codes change fairly regularly and online casinos generally advertise them whenever you log into your account. In order to benefit from these codes, simply use them when you deposit funds into your account. Often there are minimum deposit requirements for these codes to work, and on some sites it can take up to 48 hours for your bonus to materialise. Again, many of these codes are tailored to specific games so keep an eye out for promotions relevant to your playing habits.

In order to withdraw bonuses from your bank roll you often must fulfil certain wagering requirements. Generally, you must wage your bonus a certain number of times before it is transferred into your ‘real money’ balance and is eligible for withdrawal. Often different types of games contribute differing amounts to the wagering requirements. It is worth noting this before you decide on which offer to go for since if you only play games which contribute a small percentage to the wagering fulfilment it will be harder to complete the requirements and win money. There are also sometimes maximum cashout amounts associated with different bonuses, so be sure to be aware of this while selecting which ones to go for. Visit our dedicated page on low wagering casino bonuses to find a detailed guide containing all you need to know.

When choosing which casino to play with consider the following things… Firstly, it is advisable to thoroughly read their bonus policies and wagering requirements – particularly with regards to possible variations in game contribution rates. From this information select a casino which offers a bonus best tailored to the games you play most often, whether it be online slots, video poker or roulette. It is worthwhile to set up accounts with multiple casinos to make best use of the welcome bonuses they offer. Be wary of signing up to too many mailing lists however, or you may become bombarded with offers and promotions you would rather not have. Perhaps set up a specific gambling email address with which to sign up to online casinos with.

When choosing online casino sites always make sure that it is fully registered and reputable. Look for the UKGC (United Kingdom Gambling Commission) logo at the bottom of the casino webpage and make sure to verify that their deposit and payment methods are secure. The UKGC is the official watchdog (it is an independent non-ministerial government department) for the UK Gambling industry and investigate into fraudulent gambling institutions. The online gaming sector is worth £4.7 billion per annum and as with many recent developments in the internet age, regulation is often slow to react. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) recent launched an investigation into casino bonus UK offers and promotions to make sure they were not misleading in breach of customer protection law. In response, many online casinos made formal commitments to changing their bonus promotions and the way they market them. No reputable casino will ever ask for your full bank details in order for you to withdraw your money.

Casino bonuses can be a great way to vary your online casino experience and if properly understood can be used to build your bank roll and have fun! However, many casino bonuses often are not as good as they seem upon first glance. But with this guide and lady luck on your side they can be valuable.

Gambling can be great fun, but can also be addictive. Only gamble what you can afford to lose. When the fun stops, stop. Good luck!