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Information about deposit bonuses
Casino bonuses are one of the key driving forces behind a thriving online gambling market, and deposit bonuses are the most common variety.
If you've ever made an online casino deposit, then you've probably claimed one already – or at least been offered one. That's because they're a common tactic for casinos to attract and keep customers.
While these bonuses can work out as something extra for you to take advantage of, they do often come with restrictions that limit what you can do or even how much you can win from them. Being aware of these restrictions is crucial if you are to make the most of a deposit bonus. It's also very important to trust the casino offering it.
This page is here to help you deal with these issues and more, by guiding you towards the best deposit bonuses out there, and what you need to do to benefit from them.
Types of deposit bonus
'Deposit bonus' is an umbrella term that covers various types of bonuses. We can, however, group these bonuses into various categories, which we summarise below.
- Welcome (first deposit) bonus
For your first deposit(s), you may be offered a welcome bonus. This is the most common bonus type, rewarding new players with extra spins, credit or another perk as a thank-you for signing up and depositing with the casino.
These free spins or prepaid credit are transferred to your account balance as soon as your deposit is confirmed, providing you've claimed it correctly.
As mentioned, casinos don't like to give away more than necessary, which is why they only allow one welcome bonus per player. That doesn't mean that you can't get follow-up bonuses, like a reload bonus, but you'll only get a maximum of one opening offer.
- Reload bonus
You may also receive bonuses for further deposits, which are often referred to as reload bonuses. These bonuses are often offered to players who haven't been active for a while, to "get them back".
Often the casino adds the bonus to your account automatically with an eligible deposit, but you may need to claim them with a bonus code or another action, too.
- Loyalty bonus
Online casinos love regular players who keep making deposits and sometimes choose to reward them with a loyalty bonus. These are often part of a loyalty package, which may also include access to a VIP club, extra privileges (like higher withdrawal limits), or entry into prize draws.
How do deposit casino bonuses work?
Deposit bonuses are made up of extra credit, prepaid spins, or another type of perk that the casino adds to your account. What they all have in common is that they are credited in connection with a deposit. In other words, you need to make a deposit to claim (sort of "buy") the bonus.
Once you've claimed the bonus, it will automatically be added to your account. You are then free to use the bonus, however, there are normally some restrictions that come with it. Here's a summary of some of the most common.
- Wagering restrictions (WR)
Most of the time, you won't be able to claim any bonus winnings right away. First, you have to meet the bonus's wagering requirements. These are expressed as a multiple of your bonus and/or deposit amount, with a range of 25x to 50x being the most common – though you can meet bonuses with no (or really low) wagering requirements.
Here's a quick example of how it works:
EXAMPLEYou receive a bonus of £5 with a wagering requirement of 40x the bonus figure. This means you must bet £200 (£5 x 40) before you can access any bonus winnings.
This might seem harsh, but remember casinos don't really want to give away money (and it wouldn't be a sustainable business if they did). They just want to get your attention before you read the small print, which is why it is important to always read and understand the terms!
- Stake and win limits
Another way for casinos to reduce their bonus payouts is by restricting how much you can bet on a game when using bonus funds. They might also limit the amount you can win from a bonus.
- Game restrictions
Some casino games offer very high Return to Player (RTP) percentages so casinos may ban you from using your bonus in these. Free spins are normally given on a specific slot, and bonus funds might only work on specific games. There might also be restrictions on which games count towards the wagering requirements.
If all this is a lot for you to take in, then don't worry. Each deposit you find on Casino Meter will have a handy information box that will tell you everything you need to know about WR and bonus limits at a glance. You can also use our filters to find a bonus fitting your preferences (more on that later).
How to select the best UK deposit bonus for you
When looking through the list of bonuses on this page, you'll notice that each one has a special expert rating assigned to the casino offering it. This is a score calculated by Casino Meter's team of experts according to strict performance-related criteria.
We advise you to start with the casinos that have the highest score possible so that you maximize your chances of a safe and fun playing experience. It also helps if you pick the best possible bonus, of course. You find the ones we rate the highest by making sure 'Best Bonus' is chosen in the drop-down menu.
Here are some of the main aspects that we look at when choosing these:
- The bonus's terms and conditions
- Its wagering requirements and bonus terms
- How easy it is to access the bonus
- The value of the bonus
You'll also see vital details about each bonus in its information box, such as a bonus code (if there is one) and how long it will take you to receive the bonus. For a more personalised section, we also have sorting and filter tools for you to use, which we'll go through in the next section.
As well as the 'Best Bonus' sort option, you'll see several other factors s that allow you to reorder the list using the drop-down menu. It should automatically be set to Best bonuses by default, which means the bonuses will be ordered from best to worst. However, there are some alternative sort tabs:
- Newly added
Put the newest bonuses at the top of the list with this option. - Biggest value
You can prioritise the bonuses with the most value by selecting this. - From newly opened casinos
This option lets you see bonuses from the newest sites, which often have extra-special offers as they try and build a customer base.
Once you've had a look at the sorting options, you can also look at reducing the number of bonuses on the list with our advanced filters such as:
- Maximum cash out
Toggle this limit to find only bonuses with your desired level of cash out. - Wagering requirements
WR is the bane of many players, but you can find bonuses with the lowest ones possible with this filter. - Bonus value
Find bonuses with the highest value possible by adjusting the range on this filter.
Once you're done with these, you'll have your own curated list of deposit bonuses for you to choose from!
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is it possible to earn a living from bonuses?
No. There are two reasons for this.
- Bonuses are typically only worth a small amount, and they are often subject to strict wagering restrictions and win limits.
- Bonus hunting is frowned upon among online casinos, so they often take measures to stop it from happening.
That's not to say that you can't enjoy a little something extra from your bonus, but it's not going to pay the bills!
How many deposit casino bonuses are there?
The number of deposit bonuses available changes depending on the day of your search.
While there are many unlicensed casinos that offer deals, we recommend you stick to only those on this page. This is because every casino here is licensed by the Gambling Commission (GC), which holds each site to strict standards, and is rated and reviewed by our expert team to list only the best.
What's the best deposit bonus?
The million-dollar question!
The answer is subjective in that everyone has different requirements. However, if you'd like to see what our team of experts rate as the best-value bonus, then head to the top of the list of this page and sort by 'Best bonuses'. This will show you the deposit bonuses on this page sorted from best to worst.