First Deposit Casino Bonuses in the UK

How First Deposit Bonuses Work

There’s plenty to know about the first deposit bonus and how you can make the most of the first deposit offer.

There are many different shapes and sizes of welcome offers, all of which offer different values. When you sign up for a new online casino, you will have the opportunity to stake your claim in a first deposit bonus. This type of bonus is widely considered the most generous bonus a casino offers as it is designed to attract you to sign up to the casino. There are many different types of welcome bonuses, from reload bonuses, free spins, cashback, and combinations of each.

The first deposit bonus will vary from casino to casino, so it’s always worth shopping around to see what bonus offer will grab your attention. Once you have found a first deposit bonus offer that looks generous, then you only need to register your details and make your first deposit to trigger the bonus offer. This will give your playing balance a boost and give you more to play with when you’re exploring your new casino home. You will find that UK online casinos keep the real money balance and the bonus balance separate. This is because the bonus money cannot be cashed out until the bonus wagering is met.

About First Deposit Bonuses

The casino welcome bonus is designed to get you to sign up and pass on your personal details to the casino. These bonus offers are the ‘hook’ that grabs players’ attention and brings them into the casino. There are hundreds of online casinos, all competing for players, and one of the ways the casino operators do this is by offering the best first deposit casino bonus. With so many online casinos competing for players, the welcome bonus can be very generous with favourable terms. These bonuses can come in different forms, with first deposit bonuses designed for all budgets, including some special VIP welcome offers for those with larger bankrolls.

Once you have registered and claimed your first deposit bonus, you will get to enjoy further casino bonuses, but they will not be as generous as the welcome bonuses. The casino uses these first deposit offers to get you through the door, and then they will use the casino product and other casino bonuses to keep you playing games.

Types of First Deposit Bonuses

You will come across many different types of casino deposit bonuses. Online casinos can be very creative with their welcome bonuses, making them stand out in the industry. Although the bulk of deposit bonuses are reload bonuses, you can find some hefty welcome packages, including bonus funds, VIP bonuses, free spins, loyalty points, and cashback deals. Let’s run through the different first deposit bonus offers you can expect to find at UK online casinos.

Deposit Match Bonus

A deposit match bonus is the most common bonus offer that a casino serves to its player. This bonus offer requires a deposit to be made for the bonus funds to trigger. These bonuses are most common because they encourage players to make a deposit, there are many versions of this bonus, but the most common is a 100% match bonus. A 100% bonus will double your deposit, so if you deposited £100, you would get £100 in bonus money. However, the bonus funds are tied to terms and conditions, such as wagering requirements. It goes without saying that bonus money is not the same as real money. You will need to meet several terms before any bonus funds convert to withdrawable cash.

Free Spins on the First Deposit

Another popular first deposit offer that casinos serve to new players is a free spin welcome bonus. The free spins offer is triggered when you make your first deposit and is also used by no wagering casinos. This offer gives you a batch of free spins to be played on a certain slot game. Many free spin bonus offers will be issued over a few days; for example, if a casino offers a 100 free spins welcome bonus, the free spins will usually be credited in batches of 20 across your first five days as a player. Additionally, it’s not uncommon to get a combination bonus with a match deposit and a batch of free spins.

What is the Value of a Deposit Bonus?

Not all first deposit bonus casino offers are built the same; although some may look more generous than others at first look, that’s usually not the case. There are some underlying factors that determine the value of deposit match bonuses. When you find a casino deposit bonus, you will consider the bonus value against the deposit amount and the wagering requirements to withdraw the bonus money.

More often than not, you will find that the bigger the bonus amount, the bigger the wagering requirements attached to that offer. Of course, this makes it a lot more challenging to complete the wagering and cash out. There are a few things you should keep in mind when you work out the value of a deposit bonus UK.

1. The bonus amount: what is the maximum bonus amount?
2. The wagering requirements: is wagering attached to the bonus or attached to the bonus and the initial deposit amount?
3. Return to Player: what game has the best RTP that contributes 100% towards the wagering requirement?

You will find that wagering requirements are attached to most bonus offers, so it’s worth getting to grips with the concept behind them. Here’s how you work out what you will have left after completing the bonus wagering terms:

• The bonus amount: this is your deposit x the bonus percentage, e.g. 100% x £100 = £100;
• The total wagering amount: this is your bonus amount x the wagering requirement, e.g. £100 x 35 = £3,500;
• The expected loss: this is the total wagering amount x the game RTP, e.g. £3,000 x (1 – 0.97) = £90;
• The expected value: this is the expected reward – the expected loss, e.g. £100 – £90 = £10;
• The bonus return: this is the expected value ÷ initial deposit, e.g. £10 ÷ £100 = 0.1 = 10%.

Do keep in mind that these calculations are merely averages. The RTP (return to player) of slot or table games is based on the results of thousands of betting rounds and worked out over a long-term average. So, your betting results within a game session will likely differ.

Which UK Banking Methods Can I Claim a Deposit Bonus?

You can safely and securely transfer your funds to your real money balance through a wide and convenient choice of payment options at most UK casinos. The casino operators are obliged to provide safe and protected banking options, with iron-clad encryption technology in place to shield the transaction from potential threats. Due to regulation, UK casinos cannot offer credit card options; this is to prevent players from gambling with money that they cannot afford. Additionally, most casinos will provide a banking page where you can view the different deposit and withdrawal options, transaction times, and any fees. Here are some banking methods you can expect to find at online casinos.

• Debit cards: All UK casinos allow you to send money using your trusted Visa or Mastercard debit card. This is the most popular payment option for making transactions online, and there are no fees involved unless the casino itself charges its own processing fees. However, it’s worth noting that withdrawals through your debit card can be timely.

• eWallets: eWallet services are very popular amongst online casino players thanks to the excellent security and faster withdrawal times. Some of the most popular eWallet banking methods in the UK include PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, and ecoPayz. These eWallet services do not require you to input any of your sensitive banking information when you make payments. Furthermore, the withdrawal transaction times usually take no longer than two days.

• Prepaid voucher cards: The prepaid card deposit option is for those who are safety conscious and want to keep the payment offline. This banking method requires you to go to a store and top up the prepaid voucher account; this money is then sent over to the casino using a unique transaction code. The most popular prepaid voucher card payment is Paysafecard.

• Apple Pay/Google Pay: Many top UK online casinos now allow players to make deposits through Apple Pay and Google Pay. This payment method works by connecting to one of your banks and using facial recognition technology to confirm the transaction before completing the payment. This popular deposit option also allows you to use your standard bank card without the fuss of filling out the card details.

• Bank transfer: The traditional bank transfer option is a safe and trusted payment method. However, this option takes time to make deposits and withdrawals because of the manual process involved. You can expect to wait a few days before your funds arrive in your real money balance, and when it comes to making a withdrawal, you can be waiting up to seven days for the transaction to complete.

Claiming a First Deposit Bonus

Online casinos make it easy for new players to stake their claim in a first deposit bonus. Once you are signed up for the casino, you can easily claim your welcome offer by following a few short steps.

1. Create a new player account at the chosen online casino.
2. Head over to the promotions page and find the welcome bonus.
3. Hit the claim bonus button and copy any bonus codes.
4. Make sure you meet the minimum deposit requirement for the bonus.

First Deposit Bonus Terms & Conditions

You will find that most deposit casino bonuses come with terms and conditions attached. You should always make time to run through the terms of the casino bonus. There are a few important terms you should pay attention to as these terms determine the value of the bonus offer. When you understand what the terms are and why they are in place, you can then shop around for the best deposit bonus offers. These terms will show what casinos are playing fair and what casinos want to make it as hard as possible for players to make a withdrawal. Here are the terms and conditions to be aware of.

1. Wagering requirements: We will start off with the most important term of them all, the wagering requirement. This is the number of times you are required to wager through the bonus amount before the bonus money turns into withdrawable cash. Online casinos will place this term on bonus offers to prevent players from claiming bonus money and making immediate withdrawals, so it’s in place to level the playing field. For example, if you deposit £100 and get £100 back in bonus funds with a 35x wagering requirement, you will need to risk £3,500 in bets before the bonus converts to cash.
2. Restricted games: This term refers to the games that do not contribute to the wagering requirements. Not all online casino games are created the same; the varying volatility levels can make it easy for players to swiftly wager through the bonus funds. You will often find that most virtual tables and live dealer games won’t contribute towards the wagering but also certain slot games. It’s always worth checking out the list of restricted games in the terms. The contribution percentages for slots are usually 100%, while tables are around 5%.
3. Minimum deposit: This is the minimum amount you need to deposit to claim the first deposit bonus, which usually sits around £10 for UK casinos. This amount may differ from the casino’s general minimum deposit requirement.
4. Max win amount: The maximum win amount is not always applied to match bonus offers, but you will usually find a max win amount on any free spin offers. This is the maximum amount you will be able to withdraw from casino bonuses. This term is in place to stop players from cashing out a massive win from a small deposit.
5. Max bet amount: This term is found on most deposit bonus offers and refers to the most you can wager on a single bet that will contribute to the wagering requirements. The bet amount is in place to discourage big wins using bonus funds and, thus, complete with wagering terms without much effort. You will find that most online casinos have a max bet amount of £5. This means that if you wager more than £5 on a spin, it will not count towards the bonus wagering.
6. Excluded banking methods: This is a term that is not present at all online casinos, but some casino operators will restrict users from claiming match deposit bonuses using certain banking methods. These payment methods are usually eWallets, such as Neteller and Skrill. The reason for this is that the casino needs to pay fees on every eWallet transaction, and the fees are higher than regular banking options.
7. Expiry time: This term is present across all deposit casino bonuses and refers to the time you have to complete the bonus wagering requirements before the bonus funds are voided. The amount of time you have will vary from casino to casino and can be anything from 3 days to 60 days.

Pros & Cons of the First Deposit Bonus

With any casino deposit bonus, there are some positives and some negatives. Here are some of the pros and cons you can expect to find with the best deposit bonus casino offers.

Pros

• You can boost your balance straight away.
• You have more funds to play more games.
• It’s a great way to sample a new casino platform.

Cons

• There can be wagering requirements and other terms attached.
• The first deposit casino bonus may be restricted to selected games.

What is the Minimum Deposit Amount for a Bonus?

The minimum amount you need to deposit in order to claim a first deposit bonus casino offer will vary. Usually, the minimum amount for a UK online casino is £10, but you can find online casinos that accept deposits as low as £5, £3, and even just £1. These budget-friendly casino sites are not easy to find, but they do exist.

Are Deposit Bonuses Worth Claiming?

This will depend on the style of player you are; there are many casino enthusiasts that prefer to stay away from bonuses altogether. However, if you like to stretch out your betting budget through a bonus, then a first deposit bonus is certainly worth claiming. The first deposit bonus is usually always the most generous, with a decent bonus amount, fair terms and sometimes spins on top of the bonus funds. These bonuses are created to attract new players and ‘hook’ them into signing up. Therefore, you can enjoy a decent welcome bonus deal at a new online casino. It’s for this reason that many players will sign up to multiple casino sites, qualifying themselves for many different first deposit bonus offers.

You should always keep in mind that these casino bonuses are not designed to give players an advantage over the casino. These bonus offers provide excellent entertainment value and are not necessarily a winning advantage. For this reason, you should choose the best first deposit bonus casino offers carefully. The best first deposit offers have low wagering requirements or no wagering requirements at all.

Bonuses are a great way to explore different games, but with terms in place, it can be harder to cash out profits. UK online casino bonuses have long been a subject of abuse by discerning bonus enthusiasts. This is why you find certain terms and conditions built into the bonus offers. These terms are designed to prevent players from cashing out winnings, so make sure you pick the bonus with the fairest terms. However, the UK Gambling Commission is cracking down on bonus terms, and casinos must now be more lenient in their offering. Therefore, you can expect deposit bonuses to get fairer.

One change that the UKGC brought in was that players must always have access to their real money balance. That means that if you decide you don’t want the bonus, you can cash out your real money, and the bonus funds will be voided. This usually happens when a player struggles to meet the wagering requirements.