A casino welcome bonus is one of the greatest advantages you get by signing up with new online casino site. In this guide, find out all about what a welcome bonus is, how it works, and how you can get it!
Different casinos offer varying sign-up bonuses targeting different clientele. We ranked the top Aussie online casinos and their welcome bonuses and curated this detailed list:
A welcome bonus is the bonus you get when you first deposit at an online casino. Basically, it’s the casino’s way of welcoming you as a member. With this bonus, you’ll get your hands on the best offer the casino has, and often, you even get more than one bonus.
Many online casinos won’t just give you one welcome bonus, but actually a whole welcome bonus package. In these bonus bundles, you can get a boost on not just your first deposit, but also on your second, third, fourth, and sometimes even fifth deposit. In total, you’ll sometimes be able to claim thousands of dollars as a bonus. However, not all casinos have the same welcome bonus package, so make sure you check the offers from each individual casino.
What tends to be true, is that the welcome bonus is a much better and bigger bonus than what you can get as an active player at a casino. While match deposit bonuses are often capped at 100% for reload bonuses, a casino welcome bonus can give you a 200% welcome bonus, 300% welcome bonus, 400% welcome bonus, and we’ve even seen 500% welcome bonuses.
The bottom line is that a casino welcome bonus is the best bonus you can get, so you better make the most of it while it’s available!
Like all things in life, welcome bonuses at Aussie casinos have pros and cons. Here are some of the benefits and disadvantages of playing with them:
You’re likely to get to at least double your deposit with a large match bonus.
More likely than not, you’ll also get free spins in a welcome bonus package.
You get to try out the casino’s features and games without risking too much of your own money.
Your deposited funds will often be tied up in a wagering requirement for the bonus.
If you’re lucky and win, you can’t withdraw bonus winnings before you’ve completed the wagering.
You might not be able to play all types of games in the casino with your bonus funds.
Finding a welcome bonus is never hard, as you’ll find this type of bonus at all online casinos that accept Aussie players. All you’ll need to do is scroll to the top of this page and take your pick. The only thing you need to make sure of is that you’ve never registered with that particular casino before.
You’ll also need to make sure that you’re eligible for the bonus. Most often, this means you have to be 18 years or older, reside in Australia, and your family members (that you live with) can’t be registered at the casino. If all that checks out, you can simply sign up and claim your welcome bonus.
You need to complete certain steps to claim an online casino welcome bonus. This three-stage process details how to go about it:
The first step in claiming an online casino welcome bonus is to create an account. Choose a casino from our top list and click the button ‘Play Now’ to go to the casino. Fill in the registration form with your basic personal information. This takes less than a minute, and once you’re done your casino account is activated.
To claim your bonus, you just go to the cashier and select your payment method and the amount you wish to deposit. If you can see a bonus on the deposit page you can select, then do so. If not, you may have to enter the welcome bonus code to collect the offer. Enter your promo code and complete your deposit.
Your deposit and your bonus funds will be added to your account instantly, and now all you need to do is play a game. You’ll need to keep on playing until you can fulfil the wagering requirement for your bonus. Once that’s done, your bonus winnings will be converted to real money that you can withdraw.
A sign-up bonus is basically the very first bonus you get from an online casino – even before you make your first deposit. It’s a bonus granted to you for not doing anything else than registering as a player at the casino.
Not all online casinos offer these kinds of bonuses, but some do. What you’ll get is usually a small amount of bonus money, like $5 or $10. Or, you might get something between 10 and 50 free spins on a pokie machine.
If you get a registration bonus, and what you get, is completely up to the casino. Even though this is a great way for the casino to attract players, it also attracts a lot of “bonus hunters” – which the casino doesn’t want. A “bonus hunter” is basically a player who signs up with casinos just to get the free bonus, without intending to stick around and be a regular patron. Due to this, more and more casinos have chosen to not offer no deposit sign-up bonuses anymore.
If you do get offered a registration bonus, then it couldn’t be easier to claim it. All you need to do is sign up with the casino by registering an account. This is done by providing your name, email, address, mobile number, date of birth, and gender. You might also be asked to verify your email address or your phone number.
As soon as that’s done, you can log into your account and the free no deposit bonus will be waiting for you. Navigate to the bonus section of your account and you can activate the bonus there. Some casinos require you to claim the bonus by contacting the support team via live chat, but that’s not very common.
Once your sign-up welcome bonus is active, you can start using the bonus. If you got free spins, just head to the pokie where the spins have been credited. All you need to do is spin the reels and what you win from the free spins will be your bonus. If you got bonus money, simply choose a game and start playing.
The terms and conditions associated with welcome bonuses often include wagering requirements, bonus validity periods, excluded games, and maximum win limits.
Generally speaking, an online casino will require you to wager your welcome bonus a certain number of times before winnings can be converted into real cash. Likewise, most casinos will allow only specific games to count towards the playthrough requirements or set a limit on the maximum win that can be earned from a bonus.
You must familiarise yourself with the exact terms and conditions before taking advantage of any casino welcome offers.
Even though we refer to a bonus as a welcome bonus, as in singular, we might in fact mean a welcome bonus package. A bonus “package” can in turn refer to two different things.
If you’re hunting for the best Australian casino welcome bonus, then a multi-leveled package is the best way to go. This allows you to get a bankroll boost on many deposits, and thus you increase your chances of winning. The best welcome bonuses at Australian casinos are all listed at the top of this page.
Most online casinos offer a wide range of slots and table games that qualify for their welcome bonus. Popular games include Pokies, Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat, and Video Poker. You can usually play these games to meet the wagering requirements set by the casino when claiming the bonus. But, keep in mind that different wagering contributions might apply, so make sure you check the terms of your selected welcome bonus offer.
Pokies are popular among online players as these offer a huge selection of titles with great graphics and plenty of bonus features. Welcome bonuses at most casinos will allow you to try out the games with an enhanced bankroll, which increases your chances of winning big.
Typically, pokies contribute 100% towards your wagering requirement.
Roulette is one of the oldest casino games, and its popularity in online casinos is undeniable. Roulette welcome bonuses make it easy to make the most out of the game by playing with a larger bankroll.
Just keep in mind that roulette games usually won’t fully contribute to the bonus wagering. Often, only between 5% and 25% of your bets are counted towards the turnover.
Blackjack is a classic card game that requires skill and strategy. It has become hugely popular, with many casinos offering welcome bonuses that can be used on blackjack games. These bonuses help you increase your bankroll and extend the playing experience and fun!
Just keep in mind that most casinos only count between 10% and 35% of bets towards the wagering requirement. And, make sure you don’t breach the maximum bet allowed while splitting or doubling down.
Baccarat is a popular game that is easy to learn but hard to master. Online casino welcome bonuses for baccarat games allow you to enjoy more hands without needing to wager any more of your own money. This allows you to practice and try out various strategies and even potentially win real money.
Most often, the wagering contribution for baccarat games is between 10% and 25%.
Video poker is an excellent game if you want to play in a relaxed environment without worrying about other players. As in all skill-based games, an increased bankroll can help you optimise your strategy or simply practice your skills. And for this purpose, a welcome bonus can come in handy.
Just be aware that video poker won’t contribute 100% towards the turnover requirement. Typically, only 10% of your bets will be calculated for the bonus wagering.
Of the sites we recommend, Stellar Spins has the biggest welcome bonus. You get to claim a total of up to $10,000 + 200 free spins across 5 deposits. However, which bonus is the best is an individual choice, so have a look at the top of this page to find other alternatives. To find out more about the bonuses and terms, click your way into our casino reviews for a detailed overview.
No, a welcome bonus is not considered to be free money. In order to claim a welcome bonus, you’ll need to make a deposit. Then, you’ll need to wager through the bonus before you can make a withdrawal of your winnings. The only exception is if you get a free sign-up bonus. This is a no deposit bonus, and once you’ve completed the wagering you can withdraw real money without having to make a deposit.
Typically, you can’t use bonus funds to play games with a progressive jackpot. At least, you won’t be eligible to win the jackpot. This is because you won’t be contributing to the jackpot, and therefore you won’t be eligible to win it. However, once you’ve converted the bonus money from your welcome bonus into real money, you are free to play progressive jackpot games.
No, there is no rule that says that you’ll always get free spins as a welcome bonus, although it is very common. Many Australian online casinos offer a welcome bonus package where you get both a match deposit bonus and free spins. To find these offers, simply have a look at the welcome bonuses we’ve listed at the top of this page.
Yes, as soon as you’ve completed the wagering requirements attached to your welcome bonus you can make a withdrawal. However, keep in mind that the wagering requirement is likely to be quite high, so it’s not a given that you’ll be able to fulfil the turnover needed. Also, note that there might be a maximum win limit that’s applicable to the welcome bonus. Read the bonus terms for your specific welcome bonus to get all the details.
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