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How Casino Welcome Bonuses Work
Casino welcome bonuses usually comprise of either a mix of, or one element of: free spins, a deposit match, bonus cash or cashback. However, before you put your details in and select a bonus you should always read the T&Cs first - this includes one very important deciding factor of whether or not the bonus is 'worth it' and that factor is wagering requirements.
Check the T&Cs - How Wagering Requirements Work
The T&Cs, or terms and conditions is a legal agreement between the player and the casino. These are oftentimes 'boring' details that most people (unfortunately) ignore. However, you should always read the bonus terms, because while offers may seem similar, specific differences make some bonuses worth more than others.
The most common limitation attached to casino bonuses is the wagering requirement (also known as the playthrough requirement). It dictates how many times you must wager your welcome bonus before withdrawing the winnings.
Most online casinos have playthrough requirements between 30x and 50x, but you can sometimes find offers with 10x, 5x, 1x, or ones with no wagering requirements.
Usually, only the bonus amount must be wagered, but some casinos apply the requirement to both your deposit and bonus. For instance, if you deposit C$10 and get a 30x wagering requirement on a C$10 bonus, you'll need to wager C$300 (30 × 10) before you can withdraw.
If the deposit bonus wagering requirement applies to your C$10 deposit and C$10 bonus, you must wager C$600 (30 × 20).
To make the most of your bonus, it's important to read the fine print carefully and be aware of what each casino's bonus entails. If you're unsure what to watch out for, we dive deeper into the common casino bonus traps to avoid.
How a Deposit Match Works
The bonus amount always depends on both the percentage and the maximum cap. If you would rather start small, our low minimum-deposit casinos let you trigger a match with a modest first deposit. If you're new to match bonuses, this makes it easier to understand how much you'll get. Most casino bonuses https://www.bonus.ca/casino-bonus are set as a percentage, usually between 50% and 200%. This tells you how much bonus cash you'll get based on your deposit.
Let's break down a sample of 200% up to $500 bonus:
If your initial deposit is C$50, you get C$100 bonus: C$50 × 200% = C$100 bonus
- Total balance: C$150 (C$50 deposit + C$100 bonus)
To get the maximum C$500 bonus, you'd need to deposit C$250: C$500 ÷ 200% = C$250 deposit
- Total balance: C$750 (C$250 deposit + C$500 bonus)
Many online casinos offer bonuses on your second, third, fourth or even fifth deposits. It is very common that you get the biggest bonus match with your first deposit (100%-400%), though, while the following offers will give you 75%, 50% or even 25%.
Types of Welcome Bonuses
As mentioned earlier, the most common welcome bonuses you will commonly receive are a deposit match, free spins and cashback. To get the most from your casino bonus hunt, we would recommend scouring the no wagering and low wagering casino bonus offers before looking at anything else. We would recommend this as it's the lowest risk - you simply spend your deposit to unlock the offer, and whatever you win from your deposit and the bonus you get to keep!
- Deposit match welcome bonus: Some welcome bonuses will offer a deposit match, which is pretty much what it says on the tin. The casino will match your deposit. This comes with a capped deposit match and a percentage. More times than not it will be a 100% deposit match which means the casino will double your deposit. Sometimes the casino will offer a second, third, fourth or even fifth deposit match - but this usually decreases in percentage. For example, the second deposit you get 50%, on your third deposit you get 25% and so forth.
- Free spins welcome bonus: Free spins are to be played on the casino's slot games, and can be offered on their own as a standalone '100 free spins', or alongside another offer such as a deposit match. For example, '100% deposit match up to C$100 and 50 free spins'.
- Cashback welcome bonus: This welcome bonus will return a percentage of lost funds up to a certain amount. For example, if the offer is 100% and you have a $20 net loss within 24 hours, the casino will return your $20 the next day. However if the offer is 50% you will receive $10 back the next day. The bonus money could be credited as cash, but commonly it will have wagering requirements attached.
- No wagering welcome bonus: The best kind! This means there are no playthrough requirements on the bonus, so once you have unlocked it - whatever you win is yours to withdraw.
Best Welcome Bonuses by Brand
The best online casino welcome bonus is obviously subjective to some point because maybe you don't like slots, so the free spins offers don't appeal to you and you prefer a deposit match. Similarly you might be a high roller who wants cashback and isn't interested in deposit matches or free spins.
However, we at BonusFinder define the best welcome bonuses by pure value and brand trustworthiness so here are our top three expert picks:
Sports Interaction Casino
At Sports Interaction Casino new players can get a welcome bonus of 100% up to C$3,000 deposit match + 50 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza (no wagering on free spins!/ 30x on the bonus). Sports Interaction Casino is one of our low minimum deposit casinos so to claim the bonus, use our bonus code WELCOMEBONUS and deposit just C$10.
New players will be welcomed with over 1,500 casino games with sports betting options available too. Within the casino games section you will also find the Maple Moolah jackpot games - Canada's own take on the Microgaming staple Mega Moolah jackpots. Other perks are the app has great ratings (4.5 stars) and live casino titles with real dealers, streamed in HD are also available!
PlayOJO
PlayOJO is famously known for its generous no wagering welcome bonuses and right now they have a great offer of 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza (no wagering!) with a C$10 minimum deposit.
At PlayOJO there are over 3,000 casino games to choose from including slots and live casino titles from industry giants such as Evolution, Playtech and Play'n GO. And for those who are fans of a jackpot slot you have over 290 to play at PlayOJO, ka-ching!
7Bit Casino
One for the high rollers: 7Bit Casino delivers new players a 325% up to $10,800 deposit match + 250 free spins on Elvis Frog in Vegas (1st deposit) Dig Dig Digger (2nd deposit) Wild Cash x9990 (fourth deposit) . This offer is spread across four deposits and requires a minimum deposit of C$40 to activate the welcome bonus.
7Bit Casino provides strong cashback offers for their VIPs, ranging up to 20% cashback depending on your tier - a perfect perk for the big spender. The casino also mainly runs on crypto so if you're a crypto casino fanatic then this could well be the perfect place for you. Other Canadian casinos with standout welcome offers include Yukon Gold, Lucky Nugget, Tonybet, Betway, Casumo and Party Casino.
How to Claim Your Welcome Bonus
Claiming a welcome bonus shouldn't take any longer than five minutes, if everything is running smoothly. Here are five steps to be on the way to claiming your next welcome bonus:
- 1. Select a casino from our list: Have a look at our list of the best welcome bonuses in Canada. We make sure that every casino is legal and are safe for players to play at.
- 2. Create an account: When registering, you must create an account with the following information, such as: your name, address, a valid mobile number, ID and email address.
- 3. Opt-in or enter a casino bonus code: Before finishing creating your account make sure you've selected an offer/opted in, or entered your bonus code to make sure you qualify for the welcome bonus.
- 4. Deposit to claim your welcome bonus: Once you've confirmed you are opted in to the offer and have created your account you will need to make your first deposit to qualify for the bonus. Always check the minimum deposit needed to qualify for the bonus or else you may risk having to forfeit it.
- 5. Complete the wagering requirements: Once you've received your bonus you will have to wager it to meet the wagering requirements before you're able to withdraw any real money so ideally pick low wagering welcome bonuses..
Responsible Gaming
When choosing a casino, having responsible gaming resources available should be at the top of your list. This includes: deposit restrictions, time-outs, self-exclusion options and more. And to help control your spending, always set budgets and take note of how much you have spent. Stop when the fun stops, and never run yourself dry trying to meet wagering requirements.
If you or anyone you know are struggling there are plenty of responsible gaming resources and charities available across Canada, such as the Responsible Gambling Council who offer direction on where to seek help as well as resources to guide you - or someone else - on a journey to more responsible play.
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