A Guide to the Best Casino Bonus Offers for UK Players

When you’re looking for a new online casino, the welcome offer no doubt plays a big part in your decision. Pretty much every online casino offers some kind of deal to entice you to join them over the competition. To identify the best, there are various factors to take into consideration. The best bonus very much depends on the type of player you are, and what is good for 1 person will be different for another. In this article, I’ll explain all the vital info related to the various offers available, to help you identify which will best suit your needs.

Overview of the Best Casino Bonuses in the UK
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This table gives an overview of the 10 best offers. As you can see, there is more than just a welcome bonus on offer. On this page, I will not only present the new player deal, but also how the operator rewards its loyal players. You will also see all the important info about the various offers to help determine which are best for different kinds of players.

The Various Bonus Types and How to Identify the Best for You

In order to determine the best type of deal for you, you should consider how much you usually tend to deposit, and also what games you are interested in playing. These two factors will help to identify which offers are most suitable. Here we will look at the various types of offer available in more detail before looking closer at their conditions.

The New Player Offer – Deposit Bonuses and Welcome Packages

The welcome bonus is the most common type of offer and is typically awarded when you make your first deposit. The amount varies from one operator to another. Many casinos will provide a 100% match deposit, meaning that for every pound you deposit, you will get the same amount rewarded in extra funds. The percentage of the welcome offer can vary from as little as 50% up to 300%. The other important consideration is the maximum amount awarded. If you accept a 100% bonus with a maximum limit of £100, then the reward will be capped at £100, regardless of whether you deposit £100 or £1000. So if you are intending on depositing a bigger amount, it would be best to look out for the deals with a higher maximum amount.

Comparison of First Deposit Bonuses and Welcome Packages

When it comes to welcome packages, the new player offer is spread over numerous deposits. The percentage usually varies across each deposit, like the Betway new player package, which provides 100% on top of the first deposit, 25% on the second and 50% on the third deposit. Across all three deposits, there is a maximum amount of £1000 to be taken. There are numerous offers like this available, which provide really good value for money if you intend to make several deposits.

No Deposit Casino Bonuses – Free Play and Free Spins

For some players, particularly those who are new to online casinos, there are some offers available which allow you to try before you buy. These types of deal require no deposit and are a great way to try out some of the games with no risk involved. They even give you a chance of winning real money. Some operators provide free play, with no restrictions on the games you can play, such as the £10 free offer at 32 Red. Others are intended for use on a selection of games, such as the massive £88 no deposit bonus for new players at 888 Casino. This can be used to play a choice of 5 games, including roulette, blackjack and slots, with the game selection varying from time to time. Some operators offer free spins for their no deposit offer. As the name implies, these are only for use on slots, with some operators allowing them to be used on all slot machines, where as some are for a set selection of games.

Special Deals for Certain Games

Operators try to provide what their players want, and as such, many offer a choice of bonuses depending on the type of games a customer is interested in playing. In addition to the welcome bonuses which can be used to play all games, there are those which are intended to play specific games. For blackjack and roulette players, who have no interest in playing slots, there are specific table game offers available. Likewise, players who only intend to play slots will have no interest in a table game deal. There are also offers provided by some operators which can be used to play live dealer games. These are particularly appealing to fans of live games, as many casinos exclude live game play from wagering requirements.

Offers for: Wagering Requirements More Information
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Live Games (£10 free + £250)* 50x Click here!
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Extra Rewards for Selected Payment Options

Some casinos will reward players depending on the payment method they use to deposit into their account. Generally, players can earn an extra 10-15% for using certain e-wallets, like Skrill and PayPal, or prepaid cards like paysafecard. This is a very uncommon type of offer and is provided by very few operators. In fact, we have not found any operators with a UKGC licence who currently provide this type of deal.

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The only payment related reward found during our thorough research is the PayPal offer from 888 Casino. When players make their first deposit with PayPal and use the promo code paypal30, an extra £30 will be awarded on top of the regular welcome bonus.

Casino Bonus Codes – Do They Give you More?

Everyone loves a bargain, so it’s no surprise that we often receive queries from our readers regarding bonus codes. Many new players see a promo code box on the casino registration form, and want to make sure they are getting the best value for money. However, codes are rarely used these days to provide a better deal. Yet many operators have not updated their software to remove the option, even though it is now redundant.

In previous years, many sites advertising online casinos would list special codes. When a new player entered this code on the registration form, it served as a way of tracking how many new players they had recruited, and they would receive commission for this. Yet what many players came to realise was that these codes did not offer any kind of exclusive offer, as they were led to believe, and they simply got the regular welcome bonus. In the interests of clarity and player satisfaction, online casinos removed the requirement for these types of codes, and usually the welcome offer is awarded by default.

How are Codes used Nowadays?

So given the previous paragraph, you’d think bonus codes are no longer used right? Well that’s not quite the case. They are still used, but for different reasons. Special codes are no longer used to track new player referrals, instead they are used as a way of choosing between various different bonus options. Where a casino supplies a selection of different offers, or limited time deals, players may need to insert a code to benefit from the offer. Any such codes will always be listed on the casino website, in the promotions section. We have collated the small number of codes available which will secure an improved offer, as you can see in this table.

Bonus without Code Bonus with Code Codes for Promotions To the Casino
fun888, JPMon, TablesTue, WinWed, TravelThurs, FreakyFri, SLN20, RICH30, Blackjack20, to the offer
to the offer
to the offer
*Exclusive offer for our readers

Also, codes may be required to participate in special promotions, and these will need to be entered when making a deposit. An example of this is the 888 Casino Daily Deals promotion. For each day of the week, there are various deposit bonuses that can be earned. In order to benefit from the promotion, you will need to enter the code corresponding to the offer when making a deposit. All relevant codes can be found listed on the promotions page of the site. Some operators will also send special offers to their current players by email, including relevant codes that need to be input to benefit from the special promo.

Pay Close Attention to Terms and Conditions

Before accepting an Offer, it is incredibly important to read and understand the terms and conditions attached to it. This will help avoid frustration and despair later down the line when you hit a brick wall trying to withdraw your winnings. I have heard many complaints from players who felt cheated when they could not cash out, yet in fairness, this could have been avoided by taking the time to read the promotional conditions. Any bonus given by a casino will have certain conditions attached to it. In order to prevent it being instantly withdrawn, they have wagering requirement, meaning that the bonus, and sometimes the deposit too will need to be played through a certain number of times before any winnings can be withdrawn. These playthrough requirements vary from one operator to another, with a typical amount being around 30 x the bonus, or 20 times the bonus + deposit.

Wagering Requirements Validity Different Conditions
30x Bonus 90 Days Premium Package needs to be wagered in 7 Days
30x Bonus + Deposit 30 Days £10 Free: 50x Amount + Winnings
50x Bonus unlimited
40x Bonus unlimited £10 Free: 50x Amount to be wagered within 7 days
35x Bonus unlimited Free spins winnings to be wagered 35x within 3 days
20x Bonus + Deposit 30 Days Live Bonus released once deposit is wagered 8x
50x Bonus + Deposit 30 Days £10 free: 30x Amount, Live bonus released once deposit is wagered 15x
35x Bonus unlimited Winnings from free spins to be wagered 35x
40x Bonus + Deposit 30 Days £10 Free: 20x
45x Bonus 7 Days Live Bonus: 20x; £5 Free Slots Offer: 40x

So what happens if you try to withdraw your winnings before meeting the wagering requirements? It varies across different operators, but generally speaking, the bonus, and all winnings that were made from it will be deducted from your account. If a player has not familiarised themselves with the terms and conditions, then this can cause much dissatisfaction, particularly if you have amassed significant winnings which you can no longer get your hands on.

It’s also important to know how long the offer is valid for. If you do not meet the playthrough requirements within the specified time period, then any bonus funds, and usually any winning you have made with it will be forfeited. Generally speaking, the validity period is around 30 days, but there are others that have shorter and longer validity. Take for example 888 Casino, whose welcome offer is valid for 90 days. There are even some offers, like the welcome offer at 32Red, which have unlimited validity. So your extra money will remain in your account until you meet the wagering requirements. Whereas you have just 7 days to meet the wagering requirements at Betfair Casino. So it’s important to consider how often you are likely to play, in order to select a deal which will give you chance to meet the playthrough requirements before it expires.

It’s also worth noting that different types may have different requirements. Generally speaking a no deposit bonus will have a higher wagering requirement, and may have a shorter validity period. It is also not uncommon to be required to playthrough any winnings from free spins a set number of times.

Different Contribution for all Games

As we’ve seen, casinos attach wagering requirements to their offers to avoid immediate cash outs. Previously, bonuses were abused to meet these requirements, by placing bets only on low risk games. Take for example certain blackjack variants, where the house edge can be reduced to 0.5%, or even less when using a perfect strategy. In such cases, the casino stands to lose out, and as such, different weightings have been added across the various casino games to even things out. As such, only a percentage of any money wagered on games which have a very low house edge generally counts towards wagering requirements. Whereas games which have a lower RTP, such as slots and scratch cards generally count 100% towards playthrough.

Slots Roulette Blackjack Video Poker Casino Poker other
100%* 25% 20%* 20%* 25%* 0% – 100%
100%* 25% 10%* 15% 25%* 0%
100%* 20%* 10%* 10%* 50%* 0% – 100%
100% 20%* 20%* 10% 20%* 0% – 100%
100% 20%* 10% 10% 20%* 5% – 100%
100%* 50%* 50%* 5% 50%* 0% – 100%
100%* 10% 10% 10% 10% 0% – 100%
100%* 10%* 10% 10%* 10%* 0% – 100%
100% 8% 8% 8% 8% 0%
100% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
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How much each game contributes towards wagering requirements is the decision of each operator, and the weighting of games varies from casino to casino. Some operators exclude certain games from wagering requirements all together. Take the Mr Green welcome offer for example, only bets on slots will count towards playthrough, with all other games excluded (0%). This type of weighting is also evident where a casino offers a reward for a specific type of game. As InterCasino provide a choice of welcome bonus, either for slots or table games, any bets placed on slots will not count towards playthrough requirements for the table bonus, and vice-versa. Where game specific deals do not exist, it can generally be assumed that the lower the house edge of a game, the lower the wagering contribution.

Are there any Casinos without a Bonus?

Whilst it’s true that every casino offers some kind of welcome offer, you do not have to accept it should you so wish. Whether you want to avoid worrying about meeting the wagering requirements, or perhaps you’ve had a bad experience with an unfair offer previously, how do you avoid getting lumbered with a bonus when most are added by default? There are a couple of ways you can play without accepting a bonus. The first is to choose a casino where you need to opt in to get the extra reward. Where this is the case, by not opting in, you will only play with the money you have deposited. Alternatively, if you want to join a casino where no such opt in is required, simply contact the customer service team. I would advise to do this before you make your first deposit, or before you make any bets.

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A good example of a casino where you can play without a bonus is 32 Red. As there are a variety of welcome packages you can choose from, you need to opt in to any offer before it will be added to your account. So you can simply make your first deposit and play your favourite games, with no extra funds automatically added to your account.

Promotions – Rewards for Existing Customers

As we’ve seen, the welcome bonus is offered by pretty much every operator to entice you to join their casino. But after benefiting from this one time deal, what incentive is there for you to keep playing, rather than moving to another operator to claim another welcome bonus? This is where promotions come in to play. Operators want to keep their players happy and retain their custom, and therefore offer a variety of perks and special offers for existing players to benefit from. These can include all manor of things, such as slots tournaments, prize draws and extra deposit rewards.

Some operators perform much better than others in terms of the promos and special offers they provide for existing players. A great example is 888 Casino, who provide a wide variety of regular promotions for players to take advantage of. These include the Daily Deals promo, where players can earn extra rewards every day to play specific games. Also, they provide special offers for live games, including daily roulette and blackjack promotions, where players can win extra gifts. InterCasino also performs well when it comes to rewarding their existing players. They provide special promos that change each month, providing bonuses, cash back and extra loyalty points. They also feature a unique “My Bonus 4 Life” promotion, which offers specially tailor-made offers each and every month to their customers. At the other end of the spectrum, Betway and Leo Vegas offer very little in the way of promotions after the welcome package has been awarded.

In addition to promotions, another way that operators reward their existing customers is through loyalty schemes and VIP programmes. The loyalty schemes work by providing players with points when they play games. Players collect these points and when they have a certain amount, they can be exchanged for either real cash or extra bonus funds. For those who play and deposit regularly at a casino, there is often a VIP club available. The perks of being a VIP vary depending on the operator, but usually include a dedicated personal account manager, VIP exclusive games and promotions, higher loyalty point conversion rates and many more added benefits.

Conclusion: Wide Variety of Rewards to Suit Different Types of Players

So as we’ve seen in this article, there are various types of casino bonus available, and finding the best one for you depends on various factors. The free no deposit offers are a great choice for new players, who want to try out the casino and its games with no risk involved. The free play offers from InterCasino, 888 and 32 Red are good choices here. They even provide the opportunity to win some real cash. The welcome bonuses offer the biggest amounts, with some casinos rewarding just the first deposit, and others providing a welcome package where extra funds are provided over a number of deposits. The size is not the only consideration when considering how good a deal is, it’s also really important to check that there are favourable conditions. Ensure you check the playthrough requirements and how long the offer is valid to ensure you find one that is suitable for you. The 888 casino welcome bonus performs well here, with the lowest wagering requirement, and a massive 90 days to meet the playthrough requirements.

What’s more, if you want to play a specific game, like roulette or blackjack, then check the weighting of the games towards the wagering contribution. It’s also worth considering a casino that provides an offer specifically for these types of games, such as the table games bonus from 32 Red. Finally, consider the promotions offered by the casino. It is always worth choosing an operator that will continually provide rewards for their loyal players, rather than seeing no more benefits after having made your first deposit. When considering promotions for existing players, 888 and InterCasino lead the way in terms of the sheer volume and variety they offer.