What is a casino bonus and how does it work?

Online casino deposit bonuses vary wildly from one casino to the next, from bonuses totaling less than £100 to those stretching into thousands.

Don’t judge a bonus solely by the pound figure though, as the terms and conditions play a crucial role in determining the value of one casino bonus offer over another.

Luckily, we’ve done extensive research into the topic so know what’s what, and will give you the edited highlights so you can make your own mind up as to whether a particular casino’s deposit bonus is worth taking or not.

Whether it’s a free casino no deposit bonus from one of the longest standing online casinos or a free no deposit casino bonus, we have all the information you need on the best casinos and their bonus offers. When you are thinking of opening a new casino account – and there’s nobody stopping you from opening as many as you want! – then let Casino Gorilla be your guide to the best casino bonus offers.

We have all the information you need on the best casinos and their bonus offers in many different languages

Many UK casinos periodically do short term high value offers to get an influx of new players, so make sure you stay up to date by reading our news and reviews.

How to Claim a Casino Bonus? Playing at online casinos is a lot of fun and the experience is even more rewarding when you claim a nice casino bonus when registering at a new casino. Our furry friend has put together a simple guide for claiming a regular or no deposit bonus and starting to play. Remember that it is worth checking out the terms and conditions of each casino when you deposit real money. Estimated time required: 5 minutes Needed tools: Casino account Needed supplies: Some money Compare the Casinos First you should compare the casinos and their bonuses on our casino lists to find your favourite one. Create an Account Register at the casino through our link to claim the possible exclusive offer and create an account with your personal details. Deposit Money Playing with no deposit free spins can be fun for a while, but by depositing real money you will maximise your bonus rewards and chances of winning big time. Play the Casino Games Whether you love slots or table games, it is time to enjoy them as long as you have money on your account. Collect the Winnings If you end up winning money, you can withdraw them whenever you like. It often takes only a few minutes to withdraw them to your bank account.

The Most Common Casino Bonus Types

Welcome Bonus

Practically every online casino has a welcome bonus on offer. This bonus is:

specifically for new players

can only be claimed by those who haven’t yet created an account at the casino

Most welcome bonuses reward you for making your first deposit. Once you’ve got your account set up, you’ll have to link a payment method such as PayPal to it. After you’ve done this, simply go ahead and deposit some money into your casino account. You should then qualify for the casino’s welcome bonus. Most of the time, your first deposit has to be of a minimum amount for you to qualify for the welcome offer.

Welcome bonuses vary greatly in what they offer:

Most of them give you a match bonus, where you make a deposit and receive a percentage of your deposit back as free bonus money. If it’s a 100% match bonus of up to £100, for example, and you deposit £100, you’ll receive a free £100 in bonus money on top of your deposit – you’ll end up with £200 in total to play with.

Some offers reward you with free spins as well. If you receive free spins from a welcome bonus, you’ll usually get a set number of them and they’ll either be usable on all the casino’s slots or a select few.

A lot of welcome bonuses reward you for making your first deposit. At some casinos, you’ll continue to receive bonuses for several deposits after your first.

Free Spins

As mentioned above, free spins are a type of bonus you can receive from welcome bonuses. You can also receive them from many other types of casino bonus. Free spins are simply spins of slots that you get to use for no extra cost. They’re still real-money spins that give you the chance to win actual money, even though you’re not paying for the spins. Just think of them as spins that the casino’s paid for on your behalf.

If a casino offers free spins, you’ll typically receive a set number of them; they may be credited to your account in batches over a number of days. Sometimes, free spins can only be used on one or a few slots. Sometimes, there are no restrictions as to what slots you can use free spins on.

With free spins, there are usually some restrictions:

The value of each spin is usually a fixed amount determined by the casino operator.

There may also be a limit on how much real money you can win from using free spins.

Then, of course, there are wagering requirements. More often than not, you’ll have to play through your winnings and/or deposit a set number of times before you can cash out.

Here you will find online casinos that offer the most free spins with their welcome bonus:

Online Casino Free Spins Information Read review and play BGO Casino Up to 500 free spins Just spins the Mega Wheel and win up to 500 Free Spins on your first deposit. Gorilla wishes you good Luck! Review Frank & Fred Casino 300 free spins Get 300 free spins on starburst split over the next 30 days. Review King Billy Casino 300 free spins As part of your welcome bonus, you’ll receive 300 free spins on Starburst slot game and Fruit Zen slot game. Review Amazon Slots Casino Up to 500 free spins Spin the Mega Reel and win up to 500 free spins. These spins can be played on Starburst. Review

Reload Bonus

Many online casinos offer reload bonuses, which are designed to give your balance a boost. These work in the same way as match bonuses you get from welcome offers, though they can be claimed by anyone who’s signed up to the casino, not just new players.

Reload bonuses credit your account with some bonus money. The amount of bonus money you can receive varies depending on the offer and how much you deposit:

50% reload bonus

you deposit £20 into your account

you’ll be credited with a free £10 in bonus money.

The main difference between bonus money and real money is that bonus money can’t be withdrawn. For a standard reload bonus, your winnings are credited to your account as bonus money. Once you’ve met the wagering requirements for that particular offer, your winnings will be converted into real money. Then, you’ll be able to withdraw them. More often than not, you’ll be able to use bonus money and pretty much all of a casino’s games; if not, you should still be able to use it on most of the games at least.

When it comes to meeting the wagering requirements, some games contribute more than others. Slots, for example, usually contribute 100%. Table games, on the other hand, may contribute just 10% at some casinos.

No Deposit Bonus (Free Online Casino Bonus with No Deposit)

A no deposit bonus is a bonus you can claim without needing to make a deposit into your casino account. If a casino’s advertising a no deposit bonus, all you’ll have to do to qualify for the bonus is simply set up an account. Claim this bonus and you’ll get:

a small number of free spins or a small amount of bonus money to play with.

The size of the bonus is a lot smaller than the bonuses you’d get from a typical casino welcome offer.

The purpose of no deposit bonuses is to give players a free preview of what the casino has to offer. If you claim this type of bonus, you’ll get to try out some of the casino’s games without needing to have funded your account. If you decide to keep on playing at the casino, you can go ahead and make your first deposit. On the other hand, if you fancy trying out another casino instead, you’re free to do so and you won’t have wasted any money. Not every online casino has a no deposit bonus available.

Every casino with this kind of bonus on offer will also have a regular welcome bonus you can claim as well.



Here are the best no-deposit bonuses right now:

Online Casio No deposit bonus Further Information Read review Trada Casino 10 free spins Get 10 Free Spins on Wolf Gold upon registration. No deposit needed. Review Yeti Casino 23 free spins Sign up on Yeti Casino and receive 23 Extra Spins on Starburst or Joker Pro. Review 32Red Casino £10 free bonus Redeem £10 free money on registration. No deposit required. Review Dr Slot Casino 20 free spins Enjoy these 20 free spins when you register - no deposit needed. Review

Cashback Bonus

Another type of bonus you may come across at online casinos is the cashback bonus. This particular bonus isn’t as widely available as bonus money or free spins, but it’s still worth claiming if you happen to come across a casino that offers it.

The way cashback bonuses work is pretty straightforward:

You play casino games with real money over a period of time.

Your net losses are totalled and you’re credited with a percentage of your losses as cashback.

If you end the time period with a net profit, you won’t qualify for cashback; it’s only if you’ve made a loss that you’ll qualify.

Sometimes, cashback is credited as bonus money that you can’t withdraw

Sometimes, you’ll receive cashback as actual cash that you’re free to withdraw at any time.

The amount of cashback on your losses you receive is usually between 5% and 25% or so.

Here you will find the best cashback bonuses for both new and existing players right now:

Online Casino Cashback Bonus Further information Read Review No Bonus Casino 10% Cashback Bonus You will always receive 10% Cashback on No Bonus Casino. The Cashback is calculated based on your lost deposit. 10% cashback will be available 24 hours after your initial deposit. Review Cashino 10% Cashback Bonus Play Rainbow Riches slot games on Tuesdays and you're protected by 10% Cashback on Cashino Casino. The maximum cashback is £500. Review All British Casino 10% Cashback Bonus You will always get 10% Cashback on All British Casino. Cashback offers are for all registered players. Review

VIP Bonus

If you want to live the high life at online casinos, you should aim to become a VIP. Most of the time, you’ll have to prove your loyalty to the casino and show you’re a top player before you’ll be granted VIP status. Some casinos, such as Monopoly Casino for example, don’t specify the exact requirements to become a VIP, but generally speaking you need to visit the casino very frequently and spend lots of money playing its games.

VIP bonuses are usually a step-up from the sorts of bonuses you receive before becoming a VIP. These bonuses and offers are commonly offered to those who have been granted VIP status.

birthday gifts

exclusive tournaments just for VIPs

invitations to special events hosted by the casino brand

enhanced customer support

higher deposit/withdrawal limits

faster withdrawals

At some casinos, once you’re become a VIP you’ll always be a VIP (so long as you don’t close your account down, of course). At other casinos, you need to meet particular requirements every so often to gain VIP status for a limited time. If you want to keep you VIP status, you’ll have to keep meeting these requirements. For example, you may need to have wagered a minimum amount in the last three calendar months to gain VIP status for the following calendar month. Therefore at some casinos, you have to keep earning your status as a VIP.

Loyalty Bonus

Not only are online casinos keen to get you to sign up, they’re keen to keep you coming back for more. That’s why many of them have a loyalty scheme that offers bigger and better rewards the more you play at the casino.

Loyalty schemes usually have a number of tiers. You earn points by spending real money on the casino’s games and the more points you’ve earned, the higher your tier will be. Each tier will offer more bonuses and more generous perks than the one before it.

Many of the bonuses mentioned on this page will be available through a typical loyalty scheme. Some casinos also reward you with comp points. These are points that, once you’ve earned enough of them, you can exchange them for bonus money or even cash. As you progress along the loyalty scheme, the exchange rate for converting your comp points may go down, making the points even more valuable.

At some casinos, the VIP club is incorporated into the loyalty scheme. For example, if the loyalty scheme has six tiers, let’s say, the last one may be for those who received an invitation only. To qualify for an invitation, you would have to reach the highest tier possible (i.e. the one before the VIP tier) and regularly spend lots of money on the casino’s games.

Refer-a-Friend Bonus

Online casinos are keen to have as many people as possible sign up and spend money playing casino games. A particular promotion designed to increase player numbers is the refer-a-friend bonus. This bonus rewards every time someone you’ve recommended the casino to signs up to it. At some casinos, there’s a limit to the number of friends you can invite to the casino; at others, there’s no limit and you can keep on claiming the bonus or everyone you encourage to sign up.

To claim a refer-a-friend bonus, you’ll need to have your friend create an account:

most of the time, your friend will have to make their first deposit, claim the welcome bonus and meet any wagering requirements before you’ll receive your refer-a-friend bonus.

Usually, your friend has to sign up using a link that you’ve sent them by email or through social media. This way, the casino will know that you’ve effectively encouraged someone to sign up, so they’ll reward you with the bonus.

Free Cash

The name says it all: free cash is simply money that’s credited to your account at no extra cost. You’re able to do with this money whatever you wish. You can spend it on the casino’s games, or you can withdraw it whenever you like. Since it’s cash and not bonus money, there won’t be any wagering requirements you’ll have to meet. As soon as you have free cash in your account, you can go ahead and cash it out.

You won’t find too many casino promotions that reward you with free cash. There are still some pretty good free cash offers, though you may have to search for a while to find them. Other types of bonus, such as free spins and bonus money, tend to be favoured by online casino operators.

To recap, bonus money usually has to be wagered before you can make withdrawals; with free cash, you can make withdrawals straight away.

High Roller Bonus

Casino sites cater for all sorts of players, from beginners on a budget to high rollers with loads of money to spend and everyone in between. If you’ve got a decent-sized bankroll and are prepared to spend larger sums of money on your bets, you should find plenty of casino bonuses that will help give your balance a boost.

The main bonus that high rollers should look out for is the welcome match bonus or the reload bonus. Both of these, as previously mentioned, reward you with a percentage of your deposit as bonus money. These bonuses are great for high rollers because the more you deposit, the more you’ll get in bonus money. Most of the time, there is an upper limit on how much bonus money you can claim from this type of bonus. Still, high rollers should be able to find a casino with a good amount of free bonus money on offer easily enough.

High rollers will find many generous welcome offers that will give them the chance to make their budget go that much further. Of course, those with plenty of money to spend will want to join the VIP club so they can gain access to extra special treatment and specially tailored bonuses just for big spenders.

Forfeitable Bonus

Even though bonuses are generally worth taking advantage of, sometimes players just don’t want to claim them.

The main reason is the wagering requirements.

People would rather just play with their own money, than have to play through their deposit and/or bonus loads and loads of times before they can make withdrawals. Once you’ve claimed a bonus, you should be able to remove it from your account easily enough. Bear in mind that should you decide to do this, you’ll lose any winnings you’ve earned from that bonus. You can also forfeit a bonus before you’ve started using it.

Before you forfeit any kind of bonus, make sure you read through the associated terms and conditions so you know exactly what happens if you decide to forfeit. In fact, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the fine print of every bonus you claim. Have a look through the terms and conditions before claiming a bonus so you know what the requirements and restrictions are, as well as how much you can actually claim. A lot of online casino promotions require you to opt in to qualify; to opt in, you simply have to tick a box to show you want to claim the bonus. If you don’t want to claim the bonus for any reason, simply don’t tick the box.

200% Casino Bonuses

Here is a list showing all the 200% casino bonuses that are available at the moment:

Online Casino First Deposit Bonus Read review The Online Casino 200% / £50 + 50 Bonus Spins Review Cherry Gold Casino 200% Bonus Review Unibet Casino 200% / £200 + 190 Free Spins Review Sir Jackpot 200% / €60 + 50 Free Spins Review Jackpot Slot Casino 200% / £100 + 25 Bonus Spins Review

400% Casino Bonuses

There is only one 400% casino bonus online casino right now, and it does not accept UK players, but for players for other countries this is a good option.

Casino Deposit Bonus More Information Go to website Casino Superlines 400% / 1000€ New players get a massive 400 % bonus on their first deposit up to €1000. Be sure to read the terms and wagering requirements. Play

500% Casino Bonuses

At the moment there is only one 700% casino bonus for new players. UK players are welcome to use this bonus.

Online Casino First deposit bonus More information Read review BetVictor 700% / £70 Betvictor Casino rewards new players with a £70 welcome bonus. Deposit and wager at least £10 on any of the casino games and you will get a massive 700% bonus up to £70. Review

Example of a casino bonus

The most common casino bonus on offer from online casinos is the deposit bonus – and often this is the one which makes up the bulk of a new player welcome offer.

The casino deposit bonus matches your first – and sometimes as many as your first four or five – deposits by a percentage or series of percentages. There will be a maximum casino bonus which can be claimed, and you will have to complete a wagering requirement before you will be able to cash out your casino bonus.

Let’s take a hypothetical example from a made-up site called ‘Banana Casino’.

Example of a Casino Bonus In order to attract new players, Banana Casino offers a maximum casino bonus of $500, based on the players first three deposits as follows: 1st Deposit: 100% matching casino bonus up to £100

2nd Deposit: 25% matching casino bonus up to £200

3rd Deposit: 50% matching casino bonus up to £200

This is quite a common welcome bonus offer, and doesn’t stack up that well when we consider that to claim the maximum £500 available in bonus funds, you would need to make deposits worth a total of £1,300 over your first three deposits.

Other casinos simply offer a single first deposit casino bonus that can often seem very generous, but it’s always worth reading the small print before getting excited. Casimba Casino, for example, offers 100% welcome bonus on deposits up to £500. Sounds good, right? Well, that’s until you find out that these casino bonus funds are held separately from cash deposit funds, and that you have to wager the bonus 35 times before being able to withdraw any winnings that came from that casino bonus.

How to Claim Casino Bonuses

If you’re going to claim a casino bonus, the first thing you’ll need is an active account. Here’s how you go about setting up your casino account:

Visit the casino and find the sign up link Fill out the registration form; you’ll be asked for personal and contact details, as well as a username and password

If the casino has a no deposit bonus on offer, you’ll be able to claim this once your account has been set up; you may need to authenticate it by clicking on a link sent to your email address.

For welcome bonuses, you need to make a deposit into your account. To do this, you’ll need to link a payment method to your account. Once your payment method has been verified, you’ll be able to fund your account. To claim the welcome bonus, your first deposit has to be of a minimum amount, e.g. £10. Depending on the offer, you may be able to claim a bigger bonus by making a larger deposit.

Most other casino bonuses can be claimed once you’ve made a deposit. As previously mentioned, some bonuses require you to opt in; others require you to enter a promo or bonus code. If a bonus specifically requires a code, you should see it advertised at the casino somewhere.

Getting your hands on casino bonuses is quite straightforward. If you get stuck along the way or there’s something you’re not sure about, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the casino’s customer support team.

Casino Bonus Codes

Bonus codes, or promo codes, are short codes made up of numbers and/or letters. Some casino bonuses require you to enter a specific code in order to qualify for the bonus. A lot of the time, the casino will have the code on display so you can find it, copy it and enter it easily enough.

You may also come across codes for casino bonuses at third-party affiliate and review sites. These sites usually have codes for lots of different casinos listed, along with details of the promotions and what bonuses you can claim.

Casino Bonus Terms and Conditions

We’ve already mentioned terms and conditions and how it’s important you look through them. In the terms and conditions for casino bonuses you’ll find all the rules that you have to abide by, as well as any limits on the bonuses you can earn from the promotional offer and what the requirements to claim the bonuses are. Some examples of what you might come across in casino bonus terms and conditions are listed below:

Minimum age to claim the bonus

Restricted countries whose citizens can’t claim the bonus

Payment methods you have to use to qualify

Minimum deposit amount

Maximum size of bonus money available

Number of free spins available

Value of each free spin

Limit on your winnings

Bonus expiry date

Wagering requirements

The terms and conditions can vary greatly depending on the casino you’ve signed up to and the promotional offer you’re looking at. This is why it’s recommended that you always look through the terms and conditions for each bonus you’re thinking of claiming. A lot of the time, the main points will be displayed alongside the promotional offer; you’ll have to click on a link to see the full terms and conditions. Instead of reading through just the main points, get into the habit of reading all the terms and conditions.

Bonus Wagering Requirements of Casino Bonuses

In days gone by, it was possible to instantly withdraw casino bonus funds. Online casinos soon cottoned on to the problems with that business model, and these days you must make a certain number of bets before you can withdraw your casino bonus. This is referred to as the ‘wagering requirement’ to release your bonus and is a multiple either of the bonus alone or of the deposit plus bonus.

A typical example might be a wagering requirement of x40 your bonus. This means that if you took our full Banana Casino bonus of £500 that you would have to play through a total of £20,000 before it could be withdrawn. It’s not easy, but with a bit of luck on your side and by playing games with a high return to player, it is certainly possible.

This is why sometimes the biggest welcome bonuses aren’t the best. If you signed up with a casino offering a £200 casino bonus on a £100 deposit, but had a 40x wagering requirement, you’d have to play £8000 worth of bets before being able to withdraw any winnings from the casino bonus. If you had just £100 casino bonus but still with 40x wagering, you’d only have to play £4000 worth of bets – still a considerable amount, but worth knowing nonetheless.

However, if your main reason for visiting the casino is to have fun playing some games, then simply opting for a big online casino deposit bonus and a load of free spins will keep you entertained for a good while, and you could even come out of it with a tidy profit.

Here are the best wager-free bonuses right now:

Online Casino Wager-free Bonus Further information Read Review PlayOJO 80 free spins Enjoy 50 Free Spins on Book of Dead slot game. After your first deposit claim 30 Extra Free Spins. No wagering requirements. Review BGO Casino 10 free spins There is 10 Free Spins for new players, no deposit, no wagering requirement. Review Videoslots 11 free spins Make your first deposit and get 11 wager-free spins on Starburst slot game by NetEnt. Review

How to Find the Biggest Online Casino Deposit Bonuses

Size of casino bonus and the wagering requirement the two most important factors to take into consideration when searching for the best casino bonuses at online casinos. Some casinos offer big casino bonuses, but with wagering requirements that are too difficult to complete in a limited time period. At Casino Gorilla we’ve searched through all the terms and conditions, so you don’t have to, and can let you know about the best casino bonus offers around.



Here are our recommendations of the biggest casino bonuses available right now:

Online Casino First Deposit Bonus Bonus in Pounds Read review Pokerstars Casino 100% / £500 + 20 Free Spins £500 Review Casimba 100% / £500 + 50 Bonus Spins £500. 18+. New players only. 1 bonus offer per player. Min. deposit £20. Max. bonus bet is £5. Bonus spins on selected games only and must be used within 72 hours. Bonus funds expire in 30 days, unused bonus funds will be removed. Bonus funds are 100% match up to £500 on your 1st deposit, 25% match up to £1000 on your 2nd deposit, and 50% match up to £500 on your 3rd deposit. Bonus funds are separate to Cash funds, and are subject to 35x wagering the total bonus & cash. Only bonus funds count towards wagering contribution. Terms Apply. BeGambleAware.org. Review Wixstars Casino 100% / £300 + 50 Free Spins £300 Review TonyBet 100% / £300 + 50 Free Spins £400 Review Playzee Casino 100% / £300 + 100 Bonus Spins £300 Review

Are Casino Bonuses Scams?

Many people are wary of casinos that offer free money, thinking that there must be something fishy about such a deal, but offers like this are usually not scams. New and old casinos want to attract new players, and offering a big casino bonus is a great way to do this while making sure people will stick around and at least play their games. Whilst it is true that the wagering requirements attached to some casino bonuses is much more difficult than others, but even when it can take a while to cover the wager requirement so you can withdraw bonuses, at least you are getting to use the casino’s money to check out the site.

The Casino Gorilla will put you on the trail of the best casino bonus offers around, and you can trust us to get you the best deals out there with the fairest wagering terms.

It’s really important that you check whether a casino is licensed and has a good reputation before depositing any money at all. We’ve reviewed over 100 online casinos and have the most up to date information on which casinos provide the best player experiences and, of course, provide the best welcome bonuses.

The Casino Gorilla’s Casino Bonuses are Always Up to Date

There is nothing more annoying than trying to claim a casino bonus only to discover that it is out of date, and that the new promotion isn’t up to scratch. The Casino Gorilla knows how that feels, which is why we keep a careful eye out to ensure that we only show you the latest casino bonus offers available. Check our casino reviews for up to date casino bonus information and comparisons of all the best online casinos, such as the 32red Casino, slot expert Videoslots and also high quality PlayOJO.