Are Online Casino Welcome Bonuses Worth Doing?

If you’re just getting started with casino offers then things may seem a little confusing. The transition from sports offers such as free bets and refunds to casino bonuses isn’t always an easy one as there are many differences. Just like how there are different types of sports offers, casino offers vary also. You may be offered free spins, deposit bonuses, no-deposit bonuses and even the terms of each of these bonuses vary depending on the casino. In this post we’ll be looking at welcome bonuses and if they are worth doing.

Welcome bonuses are offered by the majority of online casinos to new customers and although some do offer free spins or no deposit bonuses, it is the standard deposit bonuses that we will be focussing on. These are generally where you make a first deposit and are given a bonus as a ‘thank you’. You’ll see these advertised across the Internet and on television. Although, that may change if new regulations are introduced.

The catch with these bonuses is that they come with wagering requirements which is what puts many players off. However, despite high wagering requirements, these bonuses can still be profitable when played the correct way.

An example of a welcome bonus would be: ‘Deposit £100 and get a £100 bonus with x35 wagering’. This means that if you deposit £100, you will receive another £100 as a bonus but the bonus amount needs to be wagered thirty-five times in order to withdraw it or any winnings generated from playing with it. In this case, the wagering requirement would be £3,500 (35 x £100).

In order to calculate the EV (expected value) of a casino offer such as this, you need to use an advanced casino calculator as using a standard EV formula will not take into account various factors such as stake size and variance.

What to look for in an online casino bonus

As well as the wagering requirement of the bonus, there are a few other things to consider when deciding on whether to accept an offer or not.

Available Games

You may have your favourite games but not all online casinos will offer them. Some game providers do not feature on all casinos and so if you’re wanting to play a specific game with your bonus, check that it is available first. The RTP of games can also vary between casinos which is also worth checking as this can make a big difference as to whether the offer is profitable or not.

Licencing & Regulations

You should only play at online casinos which have the proper licences. Casinos should state the regulatory body, usually found in the footer. For example, William Hill Casino is licenced and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission and カジノ 日本 is licenced by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA).

Deposit & Withdrawal Options

It’s important to make sure that you are able to deposit and withdraw using your preferred method. Online casinos offer different methods of funding your account such as debit/credit cards, e-wallets such as PayPal, Neteller or Skrill or via bank transfer. Certain payment methods may also be excluded from specific offers and so it’s essential that you check the T&C’s prior to making a deposit to ensure to qualify for the offer.

Reputation

If you haven’t used a certain casino before then it’s a good idea to do a bit of research on them first. It’s likely that other players have used them and have taken the time to leave a review on websites for others to see. You should be able to gain a good understanding of whether a casino is trustworthy or not by doing a Google search for them and reading some of these reviews.