Casino Welcome Bonuses

What Are Casino Welcome Promotions?

A welcome or sign-up bonus is a promotion offered exclusively to new players to encourage them to join the site. To claim one of these bonuses, you must create a new account and either verify your account or make a deposit, depending on the specific promotion. There are a variety of rewards available, including 60 free spins at Slotozilla, hundreds of dollars in bonus funds, free bets, and generous cashback offers.

Varieties of Welcome Offers

Welcome promotions come in many forms, each offering unique rewards based on the specific terms of the promotion. Due to the number of available options, we recommend getting to grips with how they work and what they offer. We’ve broken down the most common types of welcome offers you’ll find at Canadian casinos.

The exact method required to claim these bonuses will vary from site to site. Some will require you to enter promo codes, and others will require you to verify your account.

Non-Cashable vs. Cashable Welcome Offers

Deposit bonuses can be split into two distinct sub-categories: cashable and non-cashable. Understanding the differences between these promotions allows you to better judge their potential value, so we’ve examined both options in detail.

Cashable Welcome Offers

These promotions allow you to cash out the initial bonus amount as long as you meet the playthrough requirements. For example, you deposit $100 and receive an additional $100 in bonus funds. While using your funds, you win an extra $200, giving you $300 in bonus funds. As soon as you clear the wagering requirements, the full $300 is converted to your real money balance and is available for withdrawal.

Non-Cashable Offers

Non-cashable bonuses, also known as “sticky bonuses,” do not allow you to withdraw the initial bonus amount, even if you meet the playthrough requirements. Using the same example, you receive $100 in bonus funds and earn an extra $200 while playing.

Once you’ve cleared the playthrough requirements, only the additional $200 will be converted to your real money balance and can be withdrawn. To compensate for this, these bonuses often have lower wagering requirements.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Welcome Offers

Despite their positive features, claiming a sign-up bonus has some negative aspects. To help you make an informed decision, we’ve highlighted the key pros and cons below.

• Offer an initial boost to your bankroll

• Can extend your gameplay session

• Allow you to try new games in a low-risk environment

• Often require meeting playthrough requirements before you can withdraw your winnings

• May be limited to specific games

• Often come with a limited time to use them

No Deposit vs Match Deposit Welcome Bonuses

On the face of it, no deposit bonuses may seem like the superior option for new customers, but both no deposit and match deposit bonuses have positive and negative aspects. We’ve explored the key differences in the table below.

Claiming a Sign-Up Bonus

Thanks to the streamlined onboarding process offered by most modern casinos, it’s now easier than ever to claim a welcome bonus. Our experience has shown that you can often create an account and receive a reward in under five minutes. To help make sure your experience is as stress-free as possible, follow our guide below:

1. Choose a bonus: Review our list of recommended options and select the one you want to claim.
2. Read the T&Cs: Visit the site via our link and read through the T&Cs of the bonus before claiming it.
3. Sign up: Create your account by filling in the forms provided.
4. Make a deposit: Once your account is up and running, complete any verification requirements and make a deposit. Remember to enter any bonus codes you’ve been given.

As our tests have shown, that as soon as your deposit has been processed, your reward will be automatically credited to your account.

Understanding the Terms and Conditions of a Welcome Bonus

Many people dismiss the terms and conditions of a promotion as a waste of time, but they contain key information about your bonus – if you know where to look. To drive home the value of reading the T&Cs, we’ve highlighted the most important aspects to look for, such as:

Wagering Requirements

Also known as playthrough requirements, this condition outlines how much you need to use your bonus before you can withdraw it. For example, you earn $10 bonus funds with 40x wagering requirements. This means you’ll need to play $400 worth of casino games before your winnings become eligible for withdrawal.

Game Contribution

As part of the wagering requirements condition, casinos will adjust the contribution level of each game, dissuading players from choosing high RTP games such as blackjack. The contribution level of a game can range from 100% to 0%. Following the above example, if you play a game with a 100% contribution rate, you only need to play $400 worth of games. However, if you choose a 10% contribution rate game, you’ll need to play $4,000 worth of games.

Maximum Bet

You must not exceed the maximum bet size when clearing your playthrough requirements. Casinos often implement this condition to stop players from betting their entire bonus balance. If you exceed the maximum bet limit, the casino reserves the right to remove your rewards from your account.

Deposit Requirements

There are two different types of deposit requirements. The first is the minimum deposit amount, which dictates how much you need to deposit to claim the promotion. This can vary from site to site but usually is around $10.

The second is the eligible payment methods. Some casinos will not allow you to claim an offer when making a deposit from specific payment methods, even if you meet the minimum requirements, so always check the T&Cs before funding your account.

Bonus Validity

Once you’ve created your account, the bonus will be available to claim for a certain period. You will lose access to it if you do not claim it within the allotted time. The rewards you receive will also come with an expiration date. You must use them and clear any wagering requirements before this date, or they will be removed from your account.

Eligible Games

Based on our experience, many bonuses are only eligible for use with specific titles or genres of games. This is a common condition of free spins bonuses, which are often restricted to one or two slots. You can find a list of all eligible games by checking the T&Cs of your promotion.

Win Caps

Some casinos implement a win cap into their T&Cs, limiting the amount you can win from your bonus. For example, let’s say your promotion offering 50 free spins no deposit in Canada has a $50 win cap, but you have won $150 in bonus funds. Once you clear your wagering requirements, only $50 will be transferred to your real money balance, while the rest of your bonus funds are removed from your account.

How We Evaluate Casinos With Sign-Up Bonuses

To ensure that our experts bring you the very best casino welcome bonus offers, they work from an approved review checklist. Each expert follows this checklist to ensure that we hit the key aspects of each site that matter the most to the average Canadian player.

1. Check the licensing and security: The first thing our experts do when reviewing a casino is check its licensing status. Only sites that have a valid gaming licence from a recognized authority make it onto our list of recommendations. We also check the site’s security features, looking for the latest tech, such as SSL and firewalls, to ensure you’re adequately protected.
2. Read the T&Cs: We read through all of the terms and conditions for each casino promotion. This allows us to warn our readers against sites with unreasonable conditions and highlight those that offer player-friendly T&Cs, such as low playthrough requirements and high win caps.
3. Claim the welcome package: Once we’ve read through the T&Cs, we create an account and claim the sign-up package. By claiming and using casino rewards, we can provide a complete picture of the overall experience, including the true value of promotions and how easy it is to use.
4. Play eligible games: After receiving rewards, our team tries a variety of different casino games, covering genres such as slots, live dealer, and table games. We also take a close look at the different game developers that work with the site. This allows us to get a clear idea of the quality of a site’s gaming options.
5. Withdraw winnings: Finally, we withdraw our winnings. We can fully evaluate a casino’s banking options by making multiple deposits and withdrawals. Our experts look for sites that are easy to use, have various payment options, and do not charge transaction fees.

Why You Should Claim Sign-Up Bonuses

Based on our observations, welcome offers come with many benefits that make them an appealing option for both new and experienced gamblers. To help you understand why they’re such a popular option, we’ve explored their positive aspects in the list below:

• They boost your bankroll: The primary reason why so many players claim casino bonuses is because they increase the size of your bankroll. For example, if you claim a 100% matched bonus, you’ll double your initial deposit, giving you twice the funds to play with. This gives you great value for money on your deposit that you wouldn’t have received if you didn’t claim the offer.
• They reduce your financial risk: Using a casino promotion does require you to use your bankroll. This makes it an appealing option for players who want to minimize their financial risk. It also allows you to try out different casino games, knowing you won’t lose your bankroll while trying something new.
• They increase your playing time: Claiming a promotion allows you to play longer than you would if you hadn’t claimed it. This additional playing time allows you to get to grips with a new game or spend more time enjoying your favourite titles.
• They improve your jackpot odds: By receiving additional funds that you can use to play your favourite games, you increase your odds of hitting a jackpot. For example, if you deposit $10 and play a jackpot slot at $0.10 per spin, you have 100 chances to hit the jackpot. However, if you claim a welcome bonus and receive an additional $10, you now have $20 to play with, giving you 200 chances to win the jackpot.

Most Popular Casino Games You Can Play With Sign-Up Promotions

Casino promotions allow you to play different games, giving you access to the full range of options. If you’re struggling to decide what to play first, our experts have explored the most popular games you can play with your rewards:

• Slots: One of the most popular casino games, online slots come in a variety of themes and designs, making them an appealing option for Canadian players. The best sites offer thousands of unique slots, each with varying gameplay features, such as jackpot slots, Megaways slots, and classic slots.
• Live dealer games: Live casino games offer a uniquely immersive gaming experience from the comfort of your own home. They use professional-standard equipment and real dealers to offer a truly authentic casino experience. You can enjoy a variety of games in the live dealer format, including game shows such as Crazy Time and Mega Wheel, as well as old favourites such as roulette and baccarat.
• Crash games: A relatively new gaming format, crash games offer an increased level of player interaction and the potential for large wins. As the multiplier increases, you can select the perfect time to cash out and secure your profit. The risk of the multiplier crashing at any point also adds a layer of excitement, making it an appealing option.
• Table games: Classic casino games such as blackjack, roulette, and baccarat are popular among Canadian players due to their low house edge. These games are also easy to learn, making them accessible for beginners, and offer multiple betting options with the chance of a large payout.

Expert Tips for Using Sign-Up Bonuses

Our experts at Slotozilla want to make sure you make the most of your bonus once you’ve claimed it, and have provided some helpful tips that will allow you to do just that:

• Read the T&Cs: Before claiming any casino offer, always take the time to read the T&Cs. This allows you to understand the true value of the promotion and avoid those with unreasonable T&Cs.
• Set a gambling budget: While casino promotions reduce your financial risk, we advise that you always set a gambling budget. By setting an affordable budget and sticking to it, you can enjoy online gambling without worrying about the financial impact.
• Look for low-wagering bonuses: When comparing bonus offers, we recommend looking for the ones with the lowest wagering requirements. Bonuses that have low playthrough requirements are much easier to convert, giving you a better chance of winning real money.

Promo Codes for Sign-Up Bonuses

Our research shows that, a bonus or promo code is a unique string of letters or numbers that can be entered during the account creation or deposit process to trigger your bonus. If your casino requires a promo code to release your rewards, you’ll find it in the marketing materials and the terms and conditions.

Promo codes can be used to claim sign-up packages and ongoing promotions. They’re often found on the casino’s promotions page, so we advise checking before claiming a bonus. Some gambling sites offer exclusive casino bonus codes to their existing players via emails, texts, and posts, so make sure you’re signed up to your casino’s mailing list to receive the latest promotions. To ensure your promo code is valid and hasn’t expired, always review the promotional period specified on the casino’s website.

Mobile Casino Sign-Up Bonuses

One of the advantages of joining a modern Canadian casino is the access to a top-quality mobile gaming platform. While playing at these casinos from your mobile device, you get access to the same welcome package you’d receive on the desktop site, allowing you to claim your bonus while on the move. Some casinos will even offer their players exclusive bonuses for downloading and installing their mobile app, giving you even more incentive to game on the go.

Welcome Bonuses – What We’ve Learned

To sum up, sign-up offers are a great way for players to boost their initial bankroll and get good value for money on their first deposits. These promotions come in different formats, offering a selection of rewards such as bonus funds, free spins, and free bets. It’s important that you fully understand what each bonus offers before you claim it, as this allows you to pick the best option for your gaming preferences.

Before claiming any promotion, we recommend reading through the T&Cs to avoid those with unfair terms and conditions. To find the very best offers, make sure you check out our list of expert recommendations and remember to always gamble responsibly.