Definition of the first deposit bonus

The first deposit bonus, or welcome bonus, is a promotion that is given by the casino operators to new players. This bonus is usually given in the form of cash, and is subject to an initial deposit of money from you. The bonus is added to the amount of your deposit, but it is subject to special terms that you should understand.

General characteristics of a first deposit bonus

• It is expressed as a percentage of the amount of your deposit.
• It is capped.
• You only get it if you are a new player.
• You cannot cash it immediately. It is subject to many conditions that are often widely exaggerated in some casinos. Because each operator has its own rules regarding bonuses, read them very carefully.

Note that some operators have several casinos, and that you may not qualify as a new player if you are already registered as a player in one of their other casinos. If in doubt, call for customer service.

Welcome Bonus: a formidable marketing weapon

Online casinos are engaged in a war without mercy on the internet. To increase their popularity and profits, they do not hesitate to engage in a bidding war with bonuses and offers of all kinds left, right and center. The welcome bonus is currently very effective in getting new players.

Apparently, 75% of players choose their casino based on their welcome bonus. It is “the” main criterion in their choice of site(s). We strongly recommend that you carefully read the rules associated with the various bonuses offered by the operator, but that you also take into account other factors such as:

• whether the operator is licensed or not,
• whether the operator is member of an independent audit group such as eCogra or not,
• the availability or their customer service (how easy it is to reach, the hours at which it can be reached, the languages ​​it speaks)
• whether or not it requires you to download software to your computer to be able to play,
• whether or not you can play from your mobile phone,

and so on.

This list is not exhaustive. You need to decide which criteria are most important to you, and make your decision based on these.

As we already mentioned, most players choose their site based on the proposed bonus. They particularly look at its amount. The bigger, the better. That’s why some online casinos do not hesitate to display bonuses of several thousand dollars on their home page.

What do you think of a bonus of $5,000 versus a bonus of $200?

You are certainly more “attracted” to the bonus of $5,000. But, if you look closely at the conditions attached to these bonuses, it is more likely that you will benefit from the $200 bonus than from the $5,000 one. Explanation: the conditions to withdraw the bonus of $5,000 will, in all likelihood, be exaggerated compared to those for the bonus of $200. Do not consider the amount of the bonus by itself, look carefully at the conditions that you’ll need to meet in order to be able to eventually convert the bonus into real money and withdraw it from your account.

Again, it’s up to you to decide what is acceptable or not. But if you take the playthrough as a criterion, for example, the smaller the playthrough, the better your chances of converting your bonus into money eventually. So you’ll want to choose a playthrough of 10x over a playthrough of 30x. But always read carefully the terms attached to the bonuses. Not only do these vary from one casino operator to the next, but they may also vary depending on the game you play. With some casino operators, the conditions apply to the amount of the bonus only, but with others, these conditions apply to both the amount of the bonus and the amount of the deposit. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, read carefully the rules posted by the online operators with regard to their bonuses.

Say “no” to the bonus

Sometimes, the bonus that is offered to you will only reduce your chances of winning. You need to evaluate them carefully, and, again, carefully read the conditions attached to the bonus. Here are a few guidelines:

• a playthrough higher than 30x is extremely difficult to accomplish, so avoid casinos that offer it!
• table games, such as Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, are generally excluded from the calculation of the playthrough; if you are interested in playing these games, then the bonuses will be useless to you, so reject them!
• Slots typically offer an interesting risk vs reward ratio; it’s probably “the” game where bonuses make sense!

Conclusion on bonuses

It is difficult today not to see a casino or an online site that offers bonuses. It is now a tool in their marketing arsenal. Whether it’s a first deposit bonus, a second deposit, a third deposit, a weekly, a monthly, or any other type bonus, you should not rely on appearances. You should carefully read the conditions that come with the bonus, to make sure you are at least likely to “benefit” from the bonus money, i.e. be able to convert it to real money into your account in order to withdraw it.

Some sites, especially the sports betting sites, offer a bonus of $10 or $20 only to their new players. Ridiculous compared to the bonuses of several thousand dollars that are offered by online casinos, isn’t it? Well, not exactly. In fact, most operators that offer bonuses tend to associate the word “free” with them. But the only bonuses that come close to being “free” bonuses, i.e. bonuses awarded without – or at least with a minimum of – conditions attached, are the “very small” bonuses.

Don’t fall in the trap. Be an advised player. Do your due diligence, and be safe online.