Best Online Casino Welcome Bonuses 

Online casino bonuses come in many forms, but the most popular is the welcome bonus, awarded when you sign up at an online casino. It’s a casino’s way of enticing you to try out their platform, and the perfect way to boost your bankroll right out the gate.

Once you’ve triggered a welcome bonus, it will appear in your casino account as bonus funds. You’ll need to meet the offers terms, conditions and wagering requirements before you can withdraw the bonus and any winnings you make playing with it.

Below, we list the best online casino welcome bonuses for Indian players.

What is a Welcome Bonus? 

One of the biggest differences between online casinos and their land-based cousins is that online casinos offer a variety of bonuses to attract and retain players. The welcome bonus is usually one of the biggest offers that serve to extend your gameplay and, if luck is on your side, score you a win.

Offers differ from one casino to the next, but the concept is the same. The best online casino welcome bonuses are given to you when you sign up and make your first deposit. Some bonuses are divided up over your first couple of deposits, others are only available with your first deposit. It all depends on the casino.

Here are a few facts about a casino welcome bonus:

• Players usually only receive a welcome bonus when registering a new account.
• A welcome bonus is available to only one player, IP address or account within a household.
• The sign-up bonus is the largest type of bonus a casino typically offers.
• Even the best online casino welcome bonus comes with terms, conditions and wagering requirements.
• The welcome bonus takes different forms, depending on the casino.
• There is usually a minimum deposit amount required to trigger the offer.

How Does a Welcome Bonus Work?

An online casino welcome bonus is a form of credit that the casino operator deposits into your account when you meet the terms of the promotion.

We’ll discuss the different types of sign-up bonuses a little further down, but keep in mind that nothing is for “free,” otherwise the operators would be out of business. Bonuses always come with strings attached but knowing that terms will help you make the most of the offer.

To make sure you don’t just grab the bonus, withdraw funds and head off to another casino, a welcome bonus will almost always come with wagering requirements.

Wagering Requirements for Welcome Bonuses

The infamous wagering requirements. These are put in place to protect the casinos from fraud and money laundering, and players from abusing the offer.

Any legit online casino attaches terms to their promotions. If they don’t, we see it as a red flag and suggest you pick another casino from our top list.

The wagering, or playthrough, requirement for a welcome bonus is different at each casino, but it can be anything from 10x to 70x. This means that any winnings you make from the bonus must be played through a specified number of times. Sometimes, the casino requires you to play through the winnings, the bonus funds and your deposit amount.

This is why we recommend choosing welcome bonuses with achievable wagering requirements.

On top of wagering requirements, a welcome bonus usually has other restrictions, such as game contributions. Not all games count towards the playthrough requirements, so even if you wager your own money, it might not count.

Generally, video slots count 100% towards the requirements, but some titles may be exempt. Other games, like the live dealer, video poker or table games contribute smaller amounts.

When you read our India Casinos reviews, you’ll find details of each casino’s welcome bonus and wagering requirements, so you know exactly what you’re getting into before you accept an offer.

Different types of Welcome Promotions

As you can see, the best online casino welcome bonuses are ones that have fair wagering requirements and minimal restrictions. But you need to know about the different welcome promotions that you’ll come across and different online casinos.

• Match deposit bonus – this is the most common welcome bonus at Indian online casinos. While an operator may promote the offer as “free,” it’s not really free. You need to deposit a minimum amount of money to claim the bonus. Usually, the more you deposit, the bigger the bonus. This deposit can be written as “claim up to NIR5,000 with this 100% match deposit bonus,” for example.
• Staggered match deposit bonus – this offer comes with a higher match percentage, dished out over your first couple of deposits. For example, you may receive a 100% match deposit up to NIR1,000 for your first deposit and a 50% match deposit up to NIR750 for your second deposit. Each deposit bonus will have wagering requirements.
• Free spins – free spins go hand-in-hand with a match deposit welcome bonus. They can be awarded in one batch or staggered over several deposits. The casino usually specifies which slots can be played with the free spins, and the free spins come with their own terms and wagering requirements.
• Live casino bonus – this is a bonus you can use on live dealer games, and you can claim the offer when making your first deposit.
• Mobile casino welcome bonus – some mobile casinos offer exclusive welcome bonuses when you sign up with your mobile device. It’s a great way to boost your initial bankroll on the go.

Maximise the Value of your Bonus

There are a few things you can do to maximise the value of your casino welcome bonus. As we’ve stressed, not all bonuses are equal, so while one might suit you, another might not.

Before you choose a welcome bonus, decide what works for you, especially when it comes to those wagering requirements.

Below, we outline how to pick an offer and make the most of it.

1.Choose a welcome bonus

Firstly, you need to choose what type of offer you want. Most sign-up bonuses come in the form of match deposit bonuses, giving you a bonus based on how much money you deposit.

It’s important to keep in mind that the funds you get from a welcome bonus are bonus money. It’s not cash that you can withdraw right away.

2.Check the wagering requirements

When you’ve found an offer at one of our recommended Indian online casinos, it’s time to check out how feasible it is. We always mention the wagering requirements in our casino reviews. The higher the number, the harder it is to clear.

The rule of thumb is any wagering requirement around 35x or less is pretty good. Also note if the operator wants you to wager your bonus, your deposit or both.

3.Note the time restrictions

Next, look at how long you have to play through the bonus. It’s the timeframe you have to hit those wagering requirements before the bonus expires.

You want the time frame to be as long as possible, but the standard is around the 30-day mark.

Be careful with the time restrictions. Some casinos remove the bonus from your casino account when the time is up. Some remove the bonus along with any winnings you made from it.

4.Read the free spins’ terms and conditions

It’s common to get free spins with a match deposit welcome bonus, usually for use on a predetermined slot game.

Free spins are always a lucrative addition to a welcome bonus, and very occasionally they come with no wagering requirements, so whatever you win, you get to keep as cash.

But sometimes the winnings are moved into your bonus balance and you’ll need to wager the winnings along with the bonus amount you triggered when you claimed the welcome bonus.

5.Take note of the deposit requirements and winning restrictions

It’s common for some payment methods to be exempt from a welcome bonus. It usually applies to e-wallets like PayPal, Skrill and Neteller.

There is a good reason for this. It’s because these payments can be used anonymously, and it makes it harder for the casino to track who has claimed the bonus.

Another point to take note of is the minimum deposit amount. Sometimes, the casino has a general minimum deposit requirement and a different amount for the welcome bonus. There is also usually a cap on how much you can win using the bonus.

This may all seem like a lot of hard work, but we’ve done most of it for you and you’ll find such details in our casino reviews. But, knowing what you’re getting into before you even claim a welcome bonus will make sure you get the most out of the offer.

Dillip Badu

India Casinos Content team is lead by Dillip Badu, an expert in all matters of gambling with over 20 years of experience in creating content for online casino and betting sites. Dillip has worked for the Hindustan Times and was a Cricket consultant for the Times of London before starting an online gambling and casino content company in New Delhi.