Signing Up For Welcome Bonuses - Five Tips
Welcome bonuses often offer impressive amounts of money to new players and it’s easy to let your common sense go out the window when you’re faced with hundreds of dollars in ‘free’ money.
That said, the best advice is to never forget the true value of the bonus. You will get a matching percentage from your own deposit only—so if you’re only willing to put in $50, that’s the amount you can expect to recieve in bonus cash ($100 total).
Always check the wagering requirements that are applied and read the terms & conditions before you sign on the dotted line.
Here are a few things that all new Australian casino players should be aware of when signing up for a welcome bonus.
This could mean different things to different people. If you love spinning real money pokies, look for a welcome bonus that has lots of free spins included. If you’re a high roller with cash to spare, look for a bonus that has a high match percentage and maximum amount. Bigger isn’t necessarily better, it’s all about personal preference!
In order to receive the maximum bonus, you have to deposit the maximum amount. If the welcome bonus is offering you 100% match up to $350, you need to deposit $350 to get the maximum amount. If you choose to deposit $250, then you’ll receive $250 leaving $100 in potential bonus cash on the table. Play responsibly within your limits, but it’s important to understand how to get the max amount.
Receiving and withdrawing winnings with a bonus are all subject to terms and conditions.
Deposit bonuses require you to deposit before being able to access your bonus. No Deposit Bonuses allow you to use your bonus amount without making any form of deposit up front. These amounts are usually smaller, but they let you have a chance to win real money before you spend a penny. That said, if you do win, there will be wagering requirements to fulfil before you can withdraw any cash winnings.
In order to withdraw any winnings gained from bonus funds, you must meet a casino’s wagering requirements. These are usually expressed in a multiplier meaning you have to wager an amount over and above your initial deposit, sometimes up to 50x. We like to see casinos in the lower end of the range especially if you received the maximum bonus amount.
If you want to really take advantage of all the welcome bonus offers, you can simply join more online casinos. Again, just be mindful that you also have to deposit your own real money to get them. That said there are no deposit bonuses out there that allow you to get a bonus without spending a dime. More on that below.
Different Types of Welcome Bonuses
Australian players should know that not all welcome bonuses are the same. There are lots of different types available. Have a read through the list below and figure out which ones are best for you!
Free Spins Bonus
If you love pokies, seek out a good free spins bonus. These are usually combined with deposit-match bonuses as an added perk. We’ve seen 150, 200 and up to 300 free spins on some games!
No Deposit Bonus
This bonus is exactly what is sounds like. You don’t have to make an initial deposit to qualify for bonus funds. Expect the bonus amount to be smaller than a deposit match bonus, but it’s a great way to play some games (and possibly win real money) for free!
Deposit Match Bonus
Deposit match bonuses are the most common type of welcome bonus. Casinos will typically match your initial deposit up to a certain amount. For example, if the welcome bonus on offer has a 100% match up to $500, that means the casino will match your deposit 100% up to $500 giving you $1000 to bet with!
Crypto Welcome Bonuses
It’s no secret that casinos love cryptocurrency. Some like it so much that they offer players even bigger bonuses if they play with crypto vs. Regular currency. We’ve seen some cases where you could 25%-30% more bonus money just for depositing bitcoin when you sign up.
Live Casino Welcome Bonus
Most welcome bonuses only allow you to fulfil wagering requirements on specific games. These usually include all pokies and some online table games, but live casino games don’t often count. That’s where the live casino welcome bonuses come in. These are bonuses available specifically for players who love the live casino experience.
Cashable Welcome Bonus
Most casino bonuses are cashable bonuses. It just means that you can cash out any winnings once your wagering requirements are met. Once those have been completed, you’re free and clear to take your bonus winnings with you!
Non-cashable Welcome Bonus
These are also called play-only bonuses. You receive a bonus amount to play with, but the amount gets deducted from your overall winnings when you cash out. They’re a bit of fun money to play and practice with.
Welcome Bonus Wagering Requirements
Earlier we mentioned wagering requirements for bonus offers. Simply put, wagering requirements are how much you need to bet in order to withdraw bonus winnings from your account.
For example, if you have $1000 in your account, but $100 of that are winnings gained with bonus money, you need to meet the site’s wagering requirement in order to withdraw that $100.
Wagering requirements vary by site. In most cases they’re somewhere between 30x-50x. If you’re confused by what that means, let’s do a little math. If you get an initial welcome bonus worth $100 and the wagering requirements are 30x, that means you have to bet $3000 (30x$100) before you can cash out.
Further to this, casinos often give you a specific timeframe in which you need to fulfil the requirements—we’ve seen as little as 7 days up to a month. Keep this in mind before signing up.
Finally, most casinos have a specific number or type of game you can use to fulfil wagering requirements. Most often, all slot games are included, but it’s rarer to find table games and live casino games. Most of these types of games have their own specific welcome bonuses. If you’re a dedicated blackjack player, you might be disappointed to find out that your wagers don’t count toward your bonus. It’s important to know this information up front.
Understanding Welcome Bonus Terms & Conditions
All information relating to welcome bonuses will be clearly laid out in the terms and conditions. We’re all used to hitting “accept” without reading them, but this is the case where you really want to be sure of what you’re getting into. T&Cs are there to help you understand the wagering requirements, the games, and the timeframe in which you have to fulfil them.
You can usually find them n the footer of the webpage and also on the information page of the welcome bonus itself.
It’s important to note that all casino bonuses will be subject to terms, so it’s good to familiarize yourself with them all when you’re deciding on an online casino.
How to Claim A Welcome Bonus
As we said before, wagering requirements have to be met in order to cash out your Welcome/Sign up Bonus. Once wagering requirements have been met, funds are then released and a player can easily cash out all the winnings.
Every casino has different wagering requirements. For example, some casinos will ask a player to bet a certain amount of times, others will require a player to bet a certain amount of money before cashing out.
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