How can I find the best Welcome Bonuses?

You can do your own research or check out our CasinoAus list of recommendations. There we analyse all welcome bonuses and free spins, so you can easily take the best bonuses at the top online casinos in Australia.

How long does it take to get a Welcome Bonus into a player account?

Once your deposit is confirmed, your selected online casino will credit your bonus into your player account immediately. So, you will be good to go to use it and enjoy the games.

How much do I need to deposit to get a Welcome Bonus?

Usually, the required deposit for bonuses is higher than a minimum deposit set up by an online casino, so make sure you read the bonus description.

What requirements are applied to Welcome Bonuses?

Online casinos ask players to meet certain wagering requirements. This term means the specific number of times you need to play through the bonus before you can win real money from it. Also, there may a restricted list of online pokies you can use free spins on. It is always recommended to check the Terms & Conditions before you start playing.

Can I claim a welcome bonus on live casino games?

It depends. Some casinos are more lenient with which games count toward wagering requirements. Most often casinos only allow you to fulfil wagering requirements on most slots and some table games. That said, since live casino has become so popular, some smart casinos offer welcome bonuses specific to live casino games.

What is an online casino Welcome Bonus?

This is a special offer newly registered players get at many online casinos, in order to explore more games. Usually, it includes the real money bonus match and an amount of free spins that can be utilised on specified pokies games.

Do all online casinos offer welcome bonuses?

Not all online casinos offer welcome bonuses, but many do to attract new players. It’s best to check the promotions page of the casino to see if a welcome bonus is available.

Do welcome bonuses expire if not used?

Yes, welcome bonuses typically have an expiration date, which is stated in the terms and conditions. If not used within this timeframe, the bonus and any associated winnings may be forfeited.

Can existing players claim a welcome bonus?

No, welcome bonuses are usually reserved for new players only. Existing players can look for other promotions and bonuses specifically designed for them.

Can I use a welcome bonus on mobile casino games?

Yes, most online casinos allow you to use welcome bonuses on both desktop and mobile games.

Best Welcome Bonuses For Australia Casinos 2024

Jamie Bungaree | December 25, 2017 | Updated on: August 20th, 2024

When you join an online casino, you can expect some amazing offers like sign-up bonuses. These bonuses mean extra cash and perks for new accounts but come with rules. This guide explains the types of bonuses, eligible games, wagering requirements, and key terms. Read on to learn more!

How Do Welcome Bonuses Work?

Welcome bonuses are essentially marketing tactics casino sites use to attract new players. The promise of extra real-money is a strong selling-point, so casinos typically bend over backward to offer new players the best bonuses in order to get them to sign on.

Not all casino bonuses are created equal, however. Sometimes a big matching bonus isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Wagering requirements come into play (more on these later), and there are always terms you have to satisfy before you can withdraw any winnings.

Here’s a bit more about how they work before we get into more details about what to look out for:

A Percentage of Your Deposit

When you sign up at a casino, they will match your deposit with a certain percentage up to a certain amount of money. This could be done in one lump-sum deposit or divided into smaller parts to make the Welcome Bonus Package, e.g. 100% up to $200.

In many cases, casinos will stagger the bonus amount so you have to come back and play for a few consecutive days in order to get your full value.

A Specific Cash Amount

Sometimes, instead of receiving a certain percentage of your initial deposit, a casino will offer a new player a cash amount (e.g. $50). This amount may also be divided into a few different instalments and credited to a player account in smaller amounts.

How to Claim A Welcome Bonus

As we said before, wagering requirements have to be met in order to cash out your Welcome/Sign up Bonus. Once wagering requirements have been met, funds are then released and a player can easily cash out all the winnings.

Every casino has different wagering requirements. For example, some casinos will ask a player to bet a certain amount of times, others will require a player to bet a certain amount of money before cashing out.

How to Sign Up For An Online Casino Welcome Bonus

When you decide to claim a Welcome Bonus at an online casino, the first step is to understand the type of bonus being offered. Once you have this information, you can proceed with the sign-up process to claim your bonus. Here’s how it works:

Registration: Start by filling out the registration form on the casino’s website. This form will ask for basic information such as your name, email address, date of birth, and contact details. Make sure all the information you provide is accurate to avoid any issues later on.
Creating an Account: After filling out the registration form, you will need to create a new account. This usually involves setting a username and password. Keep your login details secure, and choose a password that is strong and unique.
Entering Promo Codes: Some casinos require promo codes to activate the Welcome Bonus. If this is the case, you will be prompted to enter the promo code during the sign-up process or before making your first deposit. Make sure to enter the code correctly to ensure you receive the bonus.
Making a Deposit: Once your account is set up, you’ll need to make a deposit to qualify for the Welcome Bonus. Select your preferred payment method and follow the instructions to deposit funds into your account.
Receiving the Bonus: After your deposit is confirmed, the Welcome Bonus amount will be credited to your player account. The bonus will be applied according to the terms and conditions (T&Cs) of the offer. For example, if the bonus is a 100% match up to $100, and you deposit $50, you will receive an additional $50 in bonus funds, giving you a total of $100 to play with.

Signing up for a Welcome Bonus is a straightforward process, but it’s essential to pay attention to the details to ensure you maximise the benefits. Always take the time to read the terms and conditions carefully and follow the required steps to claim your bonus correctly. This way, you can enjoy your extra funds and enhance your online casino experience.

Types of Online Casino Welcome Bonuses

Australian players should know that not all welcome bonuses are the same. There are lots of different types available. Have a read through the list below and figure out which ones are best for you!

Free Spins Bonus

If you love pokies, seek out a good free spins bonus. These are usually combined with deposit-match bonuses as an added perk. We’ve seen 150, 200 and up to 300 free spins on some games!

No Deposit Bonus

This bonus is exactly what is sounds like. You don’t have to make an initial deposit to qualify for bonus funds. Expect the bonus amount to be smaller than a deposit match bonus, but it’s a great way to play some games (and possibly win real money) without risking your own bankroll!

Deposit Match Bonus

Deposit match bonuses are the most common type of welcome bonus. Casinos will typically match your initial deposit up to a certain amount. For example, if the welcome bonus on offer has a 100% match up to $500, that means the casino will match your deposit 100% up to $500 giving you $1000 to bet with!

Live Casino Welcome Bonus

Most welcome bonuses only allow you to fulfil wagering requirements on specific games. These usually include all pokies and some online table games, but live casino games don’t often count. That’s where the live casino welcome bonuses come in. These are bonuses available specifically for players who love the live casino experience.

Cashable Welcome Bonus

Most casino bonuses are cashable bonuses. It just means that you can cash out any winnings once your wagering requirements are met. Once those have been completed, you’re good to take your bonus winnings with you!

Non-cashable Welcome Bonus

These are also called play-only bonuses. You receive a bonus amount to play with, but the amount gets deducted from your overall winnings when you cash out. They’re a bit of fun money to play and practice with.

Welcome Bonus Wagering Requirements

Earlier we mentioned wagering requirements for bonus offers. Simply put, wagering requirements are how much you need to bet in order to withdraw bonus winnings from your account.

For example, if you have $1000 in your account, but $100 of that are winnings gained with bonus money, you need to meet the site’s wagering requirement in order to withdraw that $100.

Wagering requirements vary by site. In most cases they’re somewhere between 30x-50x. If you’re confused by what that means, let’s do a little math. If you get an initial welcome bonus worth $100 and the wagering requirements are 30x, that means you have to bet $3000 (30x$100) before you can cash out.

Further to this, casinos often give you a specific timeframe in which you need to fulfil the requirements—we’ve seen as little as 7 days up to a month. Keep this in mind before signing up.

Finally, most casinos have a specific number or type of game you can use to fulfil wagering requirements. Most often, all slot games are included, but it’s rarer to find table games and live casino games. Most of these types of games have their own specific welcome bonuses. If you’re a dedicated blackjack player, you might be disappointed to find out that your wagers don’t count toward your bonus. It’s important to know this information up front.

Understanding Welcome Bonus Terms & Conditions

When it comes to welcome bonuses at online casinos, it’s crucial to understand the terms and conditions (T&Cs). While it might be tempting to skip reading them, this is one case where you really need to know what you’re getting into. The T&Cs explain the wagering requirements, the eligible games, and the timeframe you have to meet these requirements.

You can usually find the T&Cs in the footer of the casino’s webpage or on the information page for the welcome bonus. Here’s what you need to look for:

Wagering Requirements: This tells you how many times you need to bet the bonus amount before you can withdraw any winnings. For example, if you get a $50 bonus with 30x wagering, you need t bet $1,500 before you can cash out.
Eligible Games: Not all games count towards meeting the wagering requirements. The T&Cs will list which games you can play with your bonus money.
Timeframe: There’s usually a limited time to use the bonus and meet the wagering requirements. Make sure you know how long you have so you don’t miss out.
Deposit Match: The bonus often matches a percentage of your deposit. If it’s a 100% match and you deposit $50, you’ll get an extra $50 in bonus money.
Maximum Bet Limits: Some bonuses have a maximum amount you can bet per game or spin while using the bonus money. Exceeding this limit might void your bonus.
Withdrawal Limits: There might be restrictions on how much you can withdraw from your bonus winnings.

Understanding these points can help you make the most of your welcome bonus and avoid any surprises. Always take the time to read the T&Cs carefully before accepting a bonus. This way, you can enjoy your online casino experience fully informed and ready to play.

How We Choose Casinos With The Best Welcome Bonus

Choosing a casino with the best welcome bonus is no easy task. There are several things we consider when making our list of recommendations. The overall welcome bonus amount is one thing, but we also look at the casino’s reputation, safety and security features, eligible games, other promotions, appropriate licensing and more before the make our list. Here are a few more details:

Reputation

First and foremost we look at a casino’s overall reputation in the industry. New players enter the market all the time and they’re not all above-board. Before a casino makes our list, we always look at customer reviews, other third party reviews, and play them ourselves, of course.

Safety & Security

A casino doesn’t make our list if the security features aren’t up to minimum current standards. This means they need to have SSL certification in place and preferably more.

Eligible Game Selection

Not all casino games count toward a welcome bonus’s wagering requirements. We look for casinos that have lots of eligible games to play. You don’t want to get stuck spinning the same pokie machine over and over.

Additional Promotions

A great welcome bonus is one thing, but we look for casinos that offer existing players great perks, too. We especially like cash-back bonuses, monthly specials and the all-important VIP rewards program.

Licensing & Regulations

Any online casino worth playing at will be fully-licensed and regulated by any number of global governing bodies. We also ensure it has access to problem gambling supports and resources as well. This is important to our team and should be important to players as well.

Banking Options

Let’s face it, getting your money into an online casino is easy, but getting your winnings out may be a different story. Casinos usually have tons of deposit options but more limited withdrawal options. Our favourite casinos have a wide array of convenient and speedy options for both.

Five Tips For Claiming Online Casino Welcome Bonuses

Welcome bonuses can be exciting because they offer a means of playing without using your own money. But remember, the bonus is a match of your own deposit. For example, if you deposit $50, you’ll get an extra $50, making it $100 total. Always check the wagering requirements and read the terms and conditions to make sure you understand how the bonus works before you claim it.

To make the most of your Welcome Bonus, here are 5 tips in mind:

This could mean different things to different people. If you love spinning real money pokies, look for a welcome bonus that has lots of free spins included. If you’re a high roller with cash to spare, look for a bonus that has a high match percentage and maximum amount. Bigger isn’t necessarily better, it’s all about personal preference!

In order to receive the maximum bonus, you have to deposit the maximum amount. If the welcome bonus is offering you 100% match up to $350, you need to deposit $350 to get the maximum amount. If you choose to deposit $250, then you’ll receive $250 leaving $100 in potential bonus cash on the table. Play responsibly within your limits, but it’s important to understand how to get the max amount.

Receiving and withdrawing winnings with a bonus are all subject to terms and conditions.

Deposit bonuses require you to deposit before being able to access your bonus. No Deposit Bonuses allow you to use your bonus amount without making any form of deposit up front. These amounts are usually smaller, but they let you have a chance to win real money before you spend a penny. That said, if you do win, there will be wagering requirements to fulfil before you can withdraw any cash winnings.

In order to withdraw any winnings gained from bonus funds, you must meet a casino’s wagering requirements. These are usually expressed in a multiplier meaning you have to wager an amount over and above your initial deposit, sometimes up to 50x. We like to see casinos in the lower end of the range especially if you received the maximum bonus amount.

If you want to really take advantage of all the welcome bonus offers, you can simply join more online casinos. Again, just be mindful that you also have to deposit your own real money to get them. That said there are no deposit bonuses out there that allow you to get a bonus without spending a dime. More on that below.

Best Welcome Bonuses For Australia Casinos 2024