How to claim a welcome bonus
Seven steps, from reading the terms to your first withdrawal. Most take a minute or two.
Claiming a casino welcome offer isn't complicated, but a couple of the steps are easy to rush, and those are usually the ones people regret later. So we've written it the way we'd explain it to a friend sitting next to us: what to do, and why each step is there.
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1 Read the significant terms before anything else
Every offer on this site shows them in full, right under the button. You're looking for four things: the minimum deposit, the wagering (how many times, on what), the deadline, and any cap on what you can cash out.
Here's what that means for you: if any of those four would change your mind, you've found out before handing over your card details, not after.
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2 Check you can actually claim it
You need to be 18 or older and living in the UK. Welcome offers are for new customers only, and some groups limit them further. The ProgressPlay brands, for example, say their offer is limited to 5 brands within the network.
If you've registered with GAMSTOP, you won't be able to sign up. That isn't a glitch to work around; it's the self-exclusion doing its job.
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3 Register with your real details
Name, date of birth, address, email and phone. Use real information: UK licensed casinos have to verify your age and identity, and a mismatch will hold up any withdrawal. Some ask you to confirm a mobile number by text during sign-up.
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4 Set your deposit limit now, not later
You'll be asked about limits during registration. It's tempting to skip the screen. Don't. Choose a daily, weekly or monthly figure you'd be fine losing, because a limit set on a calm day is worth ten set in the middle of a session.
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5 Make the qualifying deposit
Deposit at least the minimum. If the offer lists a code, enter it where the cashier asks. Two things trip people up here:
- Payment method. The Vegas Mobile Casino and The Online Casino terms exclude Skrill and Neteller deposits.
- Depositing more than you meant to. A 100% match up to £25 gives the same bonus for a £25 deposit as for a £200 one.
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6 Use the spins and track the playthrough
Free spins are usually locked to one game at a set value. Once they've been played, their winnings (and any bonus) start counting down against the wagering requirement. Keep an eye on the deadline: 7 days for spin winnings at some casinos, 30 at others.
Stick to the max bet while a bonus is active. At the Skill On Net brands that's 10% of your bonus plus spin winnings, capped at £5. Breaking it can cost you the bonus.
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7 Withdraw, or walk away
Once the playthrough is done, what's left (up to any conversion cap) is real money you can withdraw. UK rules mean your age and identity are normally checked before you can play, but a casino can still ask for extra documents at any point, so keep your ID handy.
And if the playthrough starts to feel like a chore, stop. You can usually ask to cancel a bonus, and at some casinos a withdrawal request cancels it automatically. Either way, finishing a wagering requirement is never an obligation.
The offers this guide applies to
Quick links to the reviews, each with the full terms and a worked wagering example:
- PlayKasino min. £20
- Swift Casino min. £10, code SWIFT
- The Online Casino min. £10
- Vegas Mobile Casino min. £10
- Luna Casino min. £10, code LUNA