Best Welcome Bonuses 2025

While most players visit online casinos for engaging and immersive casino and live casino games, getting a bonus or two enhances the gameplay experience. The best online casinos offer a variety of bonuses to cater to your entire stay at the casino, beginning with welcome bonuses.

Welcome bonuses come in many forms, including deposit bonuses, free spins, and, if you’re fortunate, no deposit bonuses.

This article familiarises you with the different types of welcome bonuses, the simplest steps to claim your own, and the casino games that are likely to offer them.

What is a Casino Welcome Bonus and how does it work?

A casino welcome bonus is one of the best casino bonuses and your first initiation into the world of online casinos. It incentivises new players after registration by boosting their initial bankroll for more chances to explore casino games for the possibility of winning real money with as little of their own funds as possible.

The bonus works simply by matching a player’s initial deposit up to a certain percentage. If you’re fortunate, you may encounter welcome bonuses that go as far as the fourth deposit and add free spins to the package to capitalise on specific online slots.

For example, common offers include a 100% deposit match up to €500, which means a €500 deposit is doubled.

They also come with specific terms and conditions like wagering requirements, expiry dates, and eligible games.

Pros and Cons of Welcome Bonuses

Common Terms and Conditions of Welcome Bonuses

It’s easy to get excited when you first stumble on generous welcome bonuses. However, there are important terms and conditions to pay attention to if you want to make the most of your bonus.

We explain them below.

Wagering requirements

Wagering requirements determine the number of times you have to play through the bonus amount before you can withdraw any winnings. They may vary from low to high wagering requirements, for example, from 1x to 30x.

For example, 30x on a €200 welcome bonus means you need to wager €6000 before withdrawing.

Game contributions

Different games, like online slots, table games, and live casino games, contribute differently to the wagering requirement. Thankfully, online slots, the most popular casino games, usually contribute 100%, while table games contribute 10–20%.

Minimum deposit

The least amount you must deposit to activate the bonus.

Maximum bonus

This is the upper limit of the bonus you’ll receive. For example, 100% up to €100 means €100 is the maximum bonus you can receive.

Expiration date

Every welcome bonus comes to an end eventually, determined by the expiry date. It indicates the timeframe within which you must use the bonus and fulfil the wagering requirements; otherwise, it’s forfeited.

Eligible games

Often, welcome bonuses, including bonus funds and free spins, are restricted to specific games.

Maximum bet

This is the highest bonus amount you can wager per spin for online slots or hand for table and live casino games.

Eligible countries

Despite most online casinos being available in many countries, welcome bonuses may vary or be unavailable depending on the jurisdiction.

Types of Welcome Bonuses available

Whether you prefer online slots, table games, or cryptocurrency payments, there are various welcome bonuses to cater to almost any player's taste and preference. Here are seven.

Deposit match bonus

Deposit matches are the most common welcome bonus at online casinos where they match a percentage of your deposit. For example, a 150% deposit match up to €300.

No deposit bonus

No deposit bonuses are the rarest welcome bonuses where players receive a small bonus without making any deposit.

Free spins

Free spins come in various amounts, like 10, 20, or 30 free spins, that are applicable to specific online slots. Examples of some commonly eligible online casino games include Gates of Olympus and Big Bass Bonanza.

Multi-tier welcome package

This welcome bonus is often a large amount of bonus funds and free spins spread across several deposits, going as far as the fourth deposit. Each deposit usually has a different deposit match percentage and number of free spins.

Cashback bonus

Cashback bonuses serve as insurance by returning a percentage of losses as bonus funds with low wagering requirements to sweeten the deal.

High roller bonus

Players who make significant first deposits are specifically targeted with these large bonuses.

Cryptocurrency bonus

Tech-savvy players who are familiar with the world of cryptocurrency receive this bonus in the form of Bitcoin, USDT, or other available cryptocurrency.

How to choose the best Welcome Bonus in 2025

Several online casinos claim to offer the most generous welcome bonuses, which makes it difficult to make a decision through all the noise. However, certain criteria simplify the process and help identify the best options.

Size of the bonus

Watch out for welcome bonuses offering higher upper limits for deposit matches or multi-tier bonuses that run over several deposits. For example, a 100% deposit match up to €1500.

Wagering requirements

The size of the bonus is only as great as favourable low-wage requirements. Generally, wagering requirements below 30x are considered favourable.

Selection of games

Eligible games make or break how much fun you’ll have using your welcome bonus at well-established or new casino sites. This means you need to check whether the casino games, like online slots or table games, you prefer are not only eligible but also contribute a high percentage to the bonus wagering requirements.

Time limits

Online casinos with reasonable bonus expiry dates give you sufficient time to meet wagering requirements.

Casino reputation

When narrowing down your welcome bonuses, your best bet is with those holding reputable licences from organisations like the Malta Gaming Authority and the United Kingdom Gambling Commission. Additionally, you can dig deeper by visiting review sites to narrow down casinos with a majority of positive player reviews.

Compatible payment methods

While a cryptocurrency welcome bonus may be generous, it is important that it's compatible with your preferred payment method. Furthermore, some online casinos restrict welcome bonuses to specific fiat casino payment methods, including bank cards like Mastercard and Visa, and exclude e-wallets.

Terms and conditions

Familiarise yourself with the fine print to avoid being met with unexpected restrictions and limitations once you’ve already spent considerable time and welcome bonus funds.

Mobile compatibility

If you’re a player that’s usually on the move, it helps to know whether the welcome bonus is available either through a mobile-optimised website or mobile app.

How to Claim a Welcome Bonus

The process to claim a welcome bonus is seamless by following these easy steps.

Choose an online casino

Select a licenced and reputable online casino offering a welcome bonus.

Sign up and login

Click the sign-up or register icon to enter your personal details like full names, email, and password. Verify your account and login using your username and password.

Select payment methods

Once logged in, find your way to the cashier or banking section of your account to choose an eligible payment method for the bonus. After making the minimum deposit, you may be prompted to enter a bonus code if you have one.

Accept bonus and bet

After accepting the prompt for the welcome bonus, it's credited to your account, and you can start betting.

Common Payment and Deposit Methods for Welcome Bonuses

There are various payment options that give you access to welcome bonuses at different online casinos. While some may be common, like bank cards and e-wallets, others may be less common, like cryptocurrencies.

Here they are:

• Credit/debit cards like Visa, Mastercard, and Maestro are the most common and most widely accepted payment methods at online casinos.
• E-wallets like PayPay, Skrill, and Neteller are the next best thing, preferred for their fast payment processing.
• Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin are on the rise, with crypto casinos popular for providing anonymity, a high level of security, and low fees.
• Prepaid cards like paysafecard allow players to remain anonymous and track their balance while playing casino games.
• Mobile payments facilitated by Google Pay and Apple Pay are also great options, especially for players always on the move who prefer to play on mobile devices running iOS or Android.
• Instant banking through Trustly and Klarna enables casinos to offer the deposit and play feature to instantly process bank payments to quickly access welcome bonuses.

While selecting a payment method at the best online casinos, remember to consider other factors like processing speeds, fees, and the eligibility of the method for the bonus.

Casino Games that Offer Welcome Bonuses

While there are several casino games catered to by welcome bonuses, you’re likely to stumble across these five common game categories.

• Online slots are the most popular, often contributing 100% to the wagering requirements. The popular options include Starburst and Gonzo’s Quest.
• Blackjack is preferred for its variety of options, basic strategies, and simplicity compared to other table games. The common options include Perfect Pairs Blackjack and European Blackjack.
• Roulette games, including staples like American roulette and French roulette.
• Video poker is preferred for its skill-based gameplay despite its moderate contribution to wagering requirements. These include Three Card Poker and Casino Hold'em.
• Live dealer games often have a special live casino welcome bonus and typically contribute 10-20%. These may include game shows like Crazy Time and Dream Catcher.

While the above five are the most common, you may also occasionally find titles from scratchcards, baccarat, and keno contributing to wagering requirements of welcome bonuses.

Welcome Bonuses, FAQS

Which online casino has the biggest welcome bonus?

Wild Casino has the biggest welcome bonus, up to €5000 and 125 free spins.

Are There Wagering Requirements for Welcome Bonuses?

Yes, there are wagering requirements for the welcome bonus. For example, one of the most common ones is 30x.

Can I Withdraw My Welcome Bonus Immediately?

No, you’ll need to comply with the wagering requirements before you can withdraw any winnings from a welcome bonus.

What Are the Benefits of a Welcome Bonus?

The benefits of a welcome bonus include increased opportunities to play your favourite casino games, less financial risk, and more opportunities to win real money without spending any extra money.

What Happens If I Don’t Meet the Wagering Requirements for a Welcome Bonus?

If you do not meet the wagering requirements for a welcome bonus, it will be forfeited once the expiry date elapse.