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There has been a huge variety of bonuses over the years, with many sites offering incredible cash match bonuses on your first few deposits. We’ve seen 1000% bonuses previously, but now that is all a thing of the past. The introduction of the UK Gambling Commission saw the range of outlandish bonuses and promotions dimmish, as well as the number of sites offering them. So, we are now left with a few reputable gambling brands to choose from. But what does this mean for you? And more importantly which casino bonus is best for you to choose from?
Bonuses Available in Online UK Gambling Sites
Although the variety of bonuses is now limited, there will be slight differences between what each site offers. This is because although they must comply with regulations, they still want to remain competitive and attract new players to their welcome bonuses, or regular players back.
Your choice of best casino bonus will always be a personal preference, but you will want to consider a few elements such as terms and conditions.
The types of bonuses available online could be one of the following, although this list is not exhaustive.
- Cash Match Deposit Bonus,
- Cashback Bonus,
- No Deposit Bonus,
- Loyalty Bonus,
- Free Spins / Spin the Wheel Bonus.
So, lets delve a little into what each one means, so you can determine if they are right for you?
Cash Match Deposit Bonus
The use of cash match bonuses tends to be for new players, to attract them to the site and entice them into playing. For the majority of casinos, it will be on the first three times you add credit. It’s a percentage-based bonus and there is normally a maximum and minimum amount. For example, if you were to add £10 credit on your first deposit and the cash match was 200%, then you would get £20 in bonus credit on top of the £10 you added.
By providing us with the extra credit, the casino is giving us the opportunity to play around on a number of games, in the hope that we stay with them in the long term. There will be wagering requirements and game weightings attached, but we’ll explain what that means further in this article.
Sites who offer cash match bonuses are;
Cashback Bonus
This type of bonus is more predominantly offered to regular players, as a way to keep them coming back for more. Again, there will be conditions attached which will include max and min limits. But in general, if you are eligible for the bonus then by playing on the casino you will be accruing bonus credit back. This credit will be paid into your account on a periodic basis, so that you can use it for additional gaming. Some sites will limit their cashback promotion to certain games, such as slots only; so read those terms and conditions beforehand.
Sites who offer cashback bonus are;
No Deposit Bonus
This was the bonus we all loved, and you could find it everywhere! Sadly, those days are gone and gambling sites which offer no deposit bonuses are few and far between. But what does a no deposit bonus mean? Well to put it simply, it’s bonus credit given to a player when they register with a casino or slot site, with no deposit needed. You’re essentially given credit for free, which is the reason that many sites stopped offering this form of promotion as it was seen to support some players addictions. As with any bonus there will be terms and conditions attached, especially wagering requirements.
Sites who offer no deposit bonuses are;
Loyalty Bonus
As you will imagine a loyalty bonus tends to be over the long term, when someone is playing regularly on the site. What that bonus is, will depend on the site you have picked. Some offer additional credit, some bonus spins and with others it can be more tangible rewards such as vouchers for shops. For most it works a little like a boots card, so for every pound spent you get a coin and so many coins will lead to a reward.
Sites who offer loyalty bonuses are;
Free Spins / Spin the Wheel Bonus
After many casino and slot sites removed the no deposit bonus, they adopted the spin the wheel bonus to entice new players. For most sites you simply deposit a minimum amount of credit and then you will be given the opportunity to spin the wheel. It will have a number of exciting rewards available and whatever it lands on is yours.
The other option is free spins which you can sometimes be given without the need to deposit any credit. This tends to be connected to a specific slot game such as Gonzos Quest. You’ll either receive them in your casino wallet after you have completed registration, or if required, once you have made your first deposit. They will more than likely have terms and conditions attached to them, so it is worth taking a look at them before you accept.
Sites who offer spin the wheel bonus are;
How to Choose the Best Casino Bonuses UK
As you can see, there are plenty of online casino bonuses to choose from, with each site bringing a unique twist. The bonuses will vary in size and will each have specific elements in their terms and conditions, for example wagering requirements. But you will find that in general most rules applied will be the same and this is because of the minimum standard of regulations set out by the UK Gambling Commission.
The first step to choosing the right casino bonus for you, is to determine what you specifically want from it. Do you prefer to try a site without spending any money, or is that not an issue? Are you a table casino player and as such free spins isn’t something you’d want? Do you even want a welcome bonus at all because of the terms and conditions attached to them such as wagering requirements? It will be a very individual choice, but hopefully the fact that we have given you options for each type of bonus will make it easier.
What are Wagering Requirements and Game Weightings
We’ve mentioned them a few times, so it would be worthwhile if we explained what they both were.
Wagering Requirements
Whether it’s a cash match bonus or free spins, you will find that most sites will attach wagering requirements. This is so you don’t claim the bonus, win from it, and withdraw the money and move to another casino. Wagering will tie you in to the site until you fulfil the requirement and then you can withdraw.
Wagering requirements are shown as a multiple of a set amount, for example 40x or 60x. Remember the cash match bonus we discussed above, so for example depositing £10 to a 100% cash match would give you £10 bonus credit. If the wagering requirement was 65x, then you would have to play through £650 (65x multiplier x £10 bonus credit) worth of credit before you could withdraw any money.
If the bonus is free spins, then the multiplier is worked out against the amount of credit you have won in total from those spins.
As you play through your credit then your wagering requirement will decrease, and you should be able to monitor it on the wagering calculator that most casinos have on their accounts section. The amount in your account will remain as a pending balance until the requirements are met and then anything left over will move to your main casino wallet.
Game Weightings
Game weightings significantly impact your wagering requirements, so it’s important to mention them too if you’re looking at the best online casino bonuses in the UK. As you’re working through the wagering requirements, it’s important to know that not every game you play will have equal value. The games have something called game weighting and each section for example slots, bingo and table casino’s will be different. The percentage weighting of the games you choose will affect how quickly or slowly your wagering requirement reduces.
So, for example, you will find most slot games have a 100% game weighting, if you wager £1, then £1 will be removed from the wagering requirement. For the table casino fans it’s not quite as cut and dry, because the weighting on most sites for blackjack is about 10% and on roulette 25%. If you wagered £1 on blackjack then only 10p would be removed from the wagering requirement and 25p for roulette.
Summary of Which Casino Bonus is Best for you?
Hopefully this has clarified a lot for you in terms of what casino bonuses are out there. The key is to find an honest and transparent gambling site which can be difficult, but we have provided you with our top picks. If you prefer to choose your own, then we would always suggest ensuring that the site is licenced by the UK Gambling Commission and Malta Gaming Authority. This will put you on a good footing straight away and if you have any problems, you can inform them and the site may be removed from their register.
Other than that, your choice of bonus is a personal one and depends on whether you don’t mind being tied into conditions such as wagering requirements. Some players choose to simply play and not be tied in at all, but we know many of you love a freebie.