Many researches under online casino players show that the first deposit bonus is in the top 3 of criteria to find a new online casino. With such large competition it's very difficult for online casinos to get new players, therefore the first deposit bonus has to be attractive to potential players together with favorable terms and conditions. However what is really the best first deposit bonus and what do you need to pay attention to when you compare these bonuses. This article intends to provide useful information and tips about the first deposit bonus.
What is the first deposit bonus?
At every online casino you can receive a bonus with your first deposit. There is only 1 casino where you don't get a bonus which is No Bonus Casino, they have a unique concept which is perfect for people who don't like to take bonuses. Therefore, if you don't intend to take a bonus in an online casino than No Bonus Casino could be a good option.
The name first deposit Bonus says enough about the meaning of this bonus. It's the bonus you get when you make the first deposit. This is in 70% of the casinos a bonus of 100% and in other cases 150% welcome bonus or even 200% first deposit bonus. The maximum varies a lot between €100 and €500.
Most casinos give you the option to disable the first deposit bonus or you can contact the helpdesk if you don't want the first deposit bonus. Because of the wagering requirements connected to a bonus, it's not always comfortable to take the bonus. We will address this later in the article
First deposit bonus in more steps
Some casinos offer large bonuses of 100% up to €500 or €1000. In most cases you will get this in more steps/deposits and not with your single first deposit. If you get a maximum of €1000 with your single first deposit then we advise that you read the terms and conditions very carefully because they must be very strict.
An example of a first deposit bonus in steps is at BGO Casino where you get a bonus of 100% up to €200 for the first deposit, 100% up to €300 with the second deposit, 100% up to €300 with the third deposit and 100% up to €200 with the fourth deposit, making it a total of €1000 maximum.
So always read the content of the first deposit bonus when there is a big maximum bonus amount because the first deposit might only be up to €200 or €300.
Free Spins with the first deposit bonus
Some casinos also offer free spins alongside the first deposit bonus. The free spins can be rewarded in various ways. The most common are:
- You get the free spins automatically when you make your first deposit with or without using a promotion code
- You need to contact the live chat support to get the free spins like with Omni Slots
- You get the free spins in parts, for example 20 free spins daily for the next 7 days
- The casino promotes free spins, however they give a bonus for the value of the free spins. Sometimes they don't have the technical facility to give free spins or they believe that a bonus has more advantages for the player. Players can play on all games with the bonus and are not limited to 1 or 2 games in case of free spins.
Always read the bonus terms for the free spins / free bonus because in most cases there is a maximum pay-out amount for winnings earned with free spins or free bonus and there can be a wagering limit for bonus money and if you go over this limit the casino is entitled to cancel your withdrawal request.
Wagering requirements
Nothing is for free, this also applied to online casinos. Each bonus, including the first deposit bonus have wagering requirements and we always advice you to read this very carefully. You don't want to lose a big win because you didn't meet the wagering requirements.
Below we have listed some common wagering requirements and tips when you use a bonus
- Read carefully if you can, pay-out the bonus amount or only the winnings you make with the bonus. This depends on the individual casino and where you can only pay-out the winnings the bonus amount will be deleted once you request the pay-out
- Read if you have to wager only the bonus amount or the bonus amount and the deposit. If you see a casino with very low wagering requirement (for example 20 times) chances are that you need to wager the bonus amount plus the deposit amount. For example: you make a deposit of 50 euro and you receive a bonus of 50 euro and the wagering requirement is 20 times, then you need to wager a total of 1000 euro (20x50 bonus + 20x50 deposit)
- In most casinos to reach the wagering requirement only slots count for 100%. Other games count for a lower percentage and some games like roulette and baccarat don't count at all. On Roulette you could put 50 euro on black and 50 euro on red and then it's very easy to reach the wagering requirements without losing money.
- Most casinos have a maximum bet when you play with bonus money. They do this to prevent big winnings with bonus money because many slots have bonus rounds with multipliers which can give you big winnings and players place higher bets and spins with bonus money than with their paid money.
What are the best first deposit casinos?
This depends of the situation and your needs as a casino player. Read through the scenarios below to help you to choose the right casino for you:
1. You don't want to receive any bonuses
You can do three things:
- Choose any online casino you like and don't select the bonus offer
- If there is no option to select a bonus then ask the support to delete the bonus. Be mindful not to play first as it then can't be deleted.
- Choose a casino who don't offer bonuses like No Bonus Casino
2. You are a highroller
In this case you need to find a casino which offer a high maximum bonus to get the best out of the bonus offer. A good choice could be Slots Magic where you can get a bonus of 100% up to €1000. So with a deposit of €1000 you will receive another €1000
3. You make small deposits
In this case you need to choose a casino with a high bonus percentage and then it won't be necessary to look at the maximum bonus. There are casinos who offer a welcome bonus of 200% for example.
4. You like to receive free spins
In this case you need to choose a casino who also give you free spins with your first deposit. There are many casinos who also give free spins but we recommend Omni Slots where you get 50 free spins with your first deposit.
Final tip
Whichever casino you choose, always read the bonus terms before you make your deposit. This might take 10 minutes, however it will be worthwhile in the long run as those 10 minutes may save you encountering problems afterwards. Also look out for the 'too good to be true' offers. In these cases you definitely need to read the terms very carefully because in the end every casino needs to earn money.
