What You Need To Know About Welcome Bonuses Like Free Spins

Online gambling operators today offer a range of bonuses and promotional offers to entice new participants to sign up and to keep their existing members happy by rewarding them for their loyalty.

It’s hard to find an owner of a gambling website who doesn’t offer some kind of guaranteed welcome bonus to new participants. If they didn’t, participants would look elsewhere for a site that gives them something to open a new account.

If you are new (as I once was) to online gambling or just want to learn how to get the most out of your initial welcome bonus, which is also often called the sign-up bonus, you’ve come to the right place.

I will discuss some of the main types of welcome bonuses you will most likely encounter today. I will also discuss how you can get the most out of your bonuses, reveal where you can find today’s most lucrative offers, and discuss other important things to look out for.

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What Are The Main Types Of Welcome Bonuses For New Players?

The two main types of welcome bonuses new participants can claim today are free spins bonuses and matching deposit bonuses.

When claiming a free spins bonus, you can receive a certain number of free spins to try out one or more of their online fruit machines in the real money mode, and when claiming a matching deposit bonus, the operator of that site will match your deposit up to a certain amount.

For example, the most common match bonus is a 100% matching deposit bonus, but you can also find 25%, 50%, 200, and 250% match bonuses. With the 100% match bonus, you are effectively doubling up your deposit.

In other words, if the casino you are about to register a new account with is currently giving each new participant a 100% match bonus worth up to $/€/£200, they are telling you that they will match your deposit up to $/€/£200 (or equivalent currency value).

The minimum deposit amount on gambling sites is usually $/€/£10 or $/€/£20, but it might be higher when certain deposit methods are used.

Therefore, if you deposit just $/€/£20 when claiming the 100% match bonus, you would only receive $/€/£20 bonus money on top of your deposit, so your account balance would appear as $/€/£40 (including $/€/£20 deposit + $/€/£20 extra free).

Deposit the full amount if you can easily afford it to get the most out of your bonus. In other words, depositing the full $/€/£200 would see you being rewarded with the maximum bonus value, $/€/£200, meaning you would have $/€/£400 to play with from a $/€/£200 deposit.

Some iGaming site operators might be giving away 10 to 50 free spins just for joining them, and those free spins will probably be valued at around $/€/£0.10 or $/€/£0.20 per spin, depending on the game.

Any winnings you make from your match bonus or free spins might then be capped at a certain amount or will have wagering requirements attached, which must be completed before you can start the withdrawal process.

The best welcome bonuses are the ones that don’t require a deposit, but they are much harder to find these days. If you’re lucky, you might find a site that offers 25 free spins on registration no deposit bonuses.

I’ve found plenty of bonuses like this on globally renowned gambling review sites like the official JohnSlots.com website. The bonuses their researchers find tend to be among the most lucrative with the lowest wagering requirements, which is why I trust their suggestions.

What To Remember When Claiming New Player Welcome Bonuses Like Free Spins

Before claiming an online gambling bonus, whether it’s a new participant welcome bonus or part of an ongoing promotional offer, try to remember some of the following important things:

Only claim one bonus at a time. I’ve tried claiming three new participant welcome bonuses at the same time because I didn’t want to miss out on any offers, but I found that juggling more than one bonus at a time can be a nightmare, so stick to one offer at a time
Only claim new participant welcome bonuses on fully licensed and regulated iGaming sites that reputable/trustworthy companies own and operate
Most free spins you can claim are generally only valued at £/€/£0.10 or $/€/£0.20 per spin
Wagering requirements are usually attached to all iGaming welcome bonuses and must be completed before you can cash out your bonus winnings
The amount you can win from free spins bonuses and match bonuses is usually capped at a certain amount
ALWAYS read the terms and conditions before/when claiming any online casino bonus
Some online payment methods, for example, Skrill, PayPal, or Neteller, may sometimes be excluded from the offer, so check before trying to claim any bonuses exactly which deposit methods you can use to ensure you don’t miss out
Free spins can generally only be used on certain titles

Final Thoughts

Welcome bonuses can be accepted or declined when first offered. However, if you decline the offer at first and then change your mind, it would be impossible to go back and try to claim it because your welcome bonus will have already expired.

When claiming welcome bonuses to play your favourite online fruitys, always remember to gamble responsibly.

Only max out your bonus if you can afford to do so, and remember that the most important thing you can do when you have claimed a bonus is to read the terms and conditions attached to that bonus.

Only claim online bonuses on trustworthy gambling sites, and never sign up to an unlicensed site just because of the amazing welcome bonus it might currently be offering. Unlicensed gambling sites must be avoided at all costs because nothing good will ever come from them.

Fortunately, I’ve managed to avoid these sites thanks to Johnslots and their team’s carefully handpicked suggestions. The bonuses come with relatively low/fair wagering requirements, and the Ts and Cs are always easy to understand.

Disclaimer: The above references an opinion of the author and is for information purposes only. Never gamble for more than you can afford to lose. Gambling can lead to a serious addiction. Gamble responsibly.