Casino Welcome Bonuses

The Best Casino Welcome Bonuses in 2023

One of the best things about joining a new casino is the welcome bonus – but which ones are the best of them all? That’s what this guide aims to find out!

So join us as we check out which casino welcome bonuses are most worth getting this year.

1. Spin & Win –  Up to £500 Welcome Bonus!

The biggest first deposit match bonus we’ve found is the one from Spin & Win. This can reach up to £500, and that is before counting the additional £7 this casino gives to new customers! To take advantage of this offer you need to deposit at least £10 while using the code “WELCOME.” The bonus funds are available for 7 days for use on select slots, and come with a 40x wagering requirement. 

2. Spinland – Up to £300 Match Deposit Bonus + 50 Bonus Spins!

Spinland‘s welcome offer is pretty simple – deposit up to £300 (minimum deposit £20) and get 100% back as a bonus amount! In addition, you’ll also get 50 bonus spins on the ever-popular Starburst slot, all with a generous winning cap of £100 and a 35x wagering requirement. 

3. Barz – 100% First Deposit Bonus up to £300 + 50 Bonus Spins

New players joining the Barz online casino can get a first deposit bonus of up to £300, together with 50 free spins on Starburst. The minimum deposit stands at £20, while the free spins need to be used within 72 hours of being credited. 

4. Spinyoo – 100% First Deposit Bonus of up to £250 + 100 Spins!

Fancy getting a 100% first deposit bonus of up to £250 and 100 Yoo Spins on a selection of slots? Then Spinyoo is the casino for you! The free spins are given out in batches of 20 over a period of 5 days, with the spins for the 1st day being on Starburst, the 2nd on Book of Dead, the 3rd on Fire Joker, the 4th on Gonzo’s Quest and the 5th on Big Bass Bonanza.  

5. PokerStars Casino – Up to £200 Bonus + 100 Free Spins

Join PokerStars Casino and use the code “FIRST200” with your first deposit for a 100% bonus of up to £200 together with 100 free spins on Blazing Bandito, Diamond Stars Classic, Football Frenzy, Fruit Stack Deluxe, Royal Rush, Stars Invaders Classic, Tomb of Ra Classic and Wild Corral Slots. The free spins will be given out in batches across 72 hours starting from successful account verification. 

6. Mr Rex – Up to £200 First Deposit Bonus + 100 Bonus Spins

The Mr Rex welcome offer is split over your first three deposits. First, join the casino and make a deposit for a 100% match bonus of up to £200 and 20 spins on Book of Dead. Your second deposit will bring you 40 more spins on Book of Dead, as will the third, for a total of 100 spins. Both bonus funds and spins have a wagering requirement of 50x.

7. King Casino – Up to £150 First Deposit Bonus + 50 Extra Spins

King Casino offers new players a welcome bonus that totals up to £150 – just put £50 in your first deposit and £100 on your second to receive the full bonus total! The casino also adds 50 extra spins into the mix (20 with your first deposit and 30 with your second), which can be used on Book of Dead and Starburst. 

8. Pink Casino – Up to £150 First Deposit Bonus + 50 Free Spins 

The casino aimed at lady players Pink Casino has a great welcome offer consisting of a 100% first deposit match bonus that can reach up to £150 and 50 wager-free spins! You need to make a first deposit of at least £10, and the bonus funds have a 35x wagering requirement. Meanwhile the free spins, which will be awarded once you complete the bonus funds’ wagering requirement, are each worth 10p and can be played on Big Bass Splash. 

9. VBet – Up to £150 First Deposit Bonus + 50 Free Spins 

VBet has a first deposit match bonus that clocks at 125%! This way you can get up to £150 in bonus funds, so long you make a first deposit of £10 or more. The bonus funds have a 40x wagering requirement and a £1,000 max payout, and can be used on select slots. You will receive the 50 free spins in two batches once you complete the bonus funds’ wagering requirements. These have no wagering requirements and can be played on a selection of NetEnt slots, namely Jumanji, Finn and the Swirly Spin, Gorilla Kingdom, and Aloha! Cluster Pays.

10. Casumo – Up to £100 First Deposit Bonus + 20 Bonus Spins 

Opt-in the Casumo welcome offer and make a first deposit of at least £10 for a 100% match bonus worth up to £100, as well as 20 spins on Sahara Riches Cash Collect. Both bonus funds and spins have a 30x wagering requirement, and the spins are worth up to £5 per spin (or 50p per payline).  

Are Welcome Bonuses Legal in the UK?

The short answer to this question is… yes! Thanks to the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), welcome bonuses are perfectly legal, and you can find plenty of these right at Casino Hawks, not to mention this very page. That said, in the name of safety do make sure your casino of choice is indeed licensed with the UKGC before signing up. 

Why are casinos offering welcome bonuses?

As you might know, the online casino industry in the UK is one of the most competitive around. This means operators offer plenty of bonuses and other such goodies in order to attract new customers.

What exactly is a Welcome bonus?

The name says it all, really. They’re a bonus online casinos offer in order to encourage new customers to sign up and play (and, hopefully, win). There are different types of welcome bonuses out there, so go through our list and find out which type is best for you!

Why take a welcome bonus? 

Well, why not? A welcome bonus is a great way to get started as a new player at an online casino. In addition, a welcome bonus allows you to test out the casino and try out some of its games, some of which might be new to you. 

Types of Welcome bonuses:

As mentioned earlier, welcome bonuses come in many different shapes and sizes. Some consist of free spins, others a cash bonus based on your first deposit, and others might even come for free. They have one thing in common – they are given out to new players at an online casino. Confused? Don’t be, this list will guide you through all of them! 

Free Spins Welcome Bonuses 

One of the most popular types of welcome bonuses, free spins are used primarily on online slots. This makes sense, considering that slots are the most popular games available on online casinos! Free spins allow you to check out a particular game (or games) for free, providing a good taster of what the casino has to offer. Some of the most popular slots that tend to get free spins include the classic Starburst and Book of Dead, while casinos sometimes run promotions centered around the games from a specific provider.    

New Player Welcome Bonus

A common type of welcome bonus, new player welcome bonuses tend to involve a match deposit bonus. This means you can deposit an amount – usually up to £100 – and you get an equal amount back as bonus funds for use on the casino’s games.

Reload Welcome Bonus 

A reload welcome bonus can come into play when making a second deposit at an online casino. Some casinos might go a step further by giving you a weekly reload bonus in the form of a cashback that gives registered players a percentage (generally around 10%) of their deposits for that week.

No Deposit Welcome Bonus

A no deposit bonus is a type of welcome bonus that is given to newly registered players even if they don’t make a deposit. This runs contrary to typical welcome bonuses, which, as a rule, require the new player to make a first deposit before the bonus is credited to their account. 

Welcome Bonus Codes

Some welcome bonuses require entering a special code when making your first deposit. This code takes the form of a string of letters and numbers, such as “CASINOHWKS23”, and needs to be inputted in the appropriate field in the deposit page if you are to take advantage of its bonus, which can include free spins or a match deposit bonus. 

How to Withdraw Your Winnings After Using a Welcome Bonus?

So you took advantage of any of the welcome offers available on this page, and now want to withdraw the bonus and the payment from any winnings. How do you go ahead and cash out? This depends on the casino in question. Most casinos put wagering requirements on their welcome bonuses, while some bonuses might be wholly non-cashable. What to do in such cases? Glad you asked!

Cashable vs. Non-Cashable Casino Offers

A cashable casino bonus is self-explanatory – you can claim both the bonus and any winnings gained once you meet the wagering requirement. This can be either a pre-wager or after-wager bonus, with a pre-wager bonus being added immediately to your account balance after you deposit the qualifying amount while an after-wager bonus is added to your account after earning the required amount with your deposit money. This means that if you receive a £100 bonus and accumulate a total of £500, you will be able to cash out the full £500.

Meanwhile, a non-cashable bonus cannot be withdrawn by the player. As such, you will be only able to cash out any winnings accumulated once you meet the wagering conditions, without the bonus amount itself. In this case, say you get a £100 bonus and earn a total of £500 through winnings, then you can cash out just £400.

Maximum Win Limit

A maximum win limit is one of the conditions online casinos tie to their welcome bonuses. It determines the maximum amount you can win when using the casino bonus.

Cash Out Limits

As the name might suggest, a cash-out limit is the maximum amount you can cash out from the winnings accumulated by using the casino bonus.   

Bonus Percentages And Payouts

A bonus percentage is the percentage you get as a bonus after making a first deposit. This tends to be 100% in the case of a welcome bonus, meaning you get double the amount you deposited. On the other hand, the payout is the actual amount of the bonus.

Solutions for common issues 

While online casinos are, as a best, doing their best to ensure you get the bonuses you deserve, there is always a chance that some odd glitch might pop up during this process. In this case you’ll surely want to know what happens next, so here’s our list of tips to keep in mind should you run into any issues: 

1. I don’t want a welcome bonus any more 

Not wanting your bonus is something that can happen, and it’s good to know that you can either opt out of it or contact customer service. That said, make sure to browse the terms and conditions of the bonus in question as these might hold the key to your question. 

2. I can’t see the wagering progress of my welcome bonus

Your wagering progress should be available in your player account page. If that’s not the case then the best thing to do is to reach out to customer support, who should be able to help you fix the issue. 

3. My offer page is not showing a bonus

Some bonus offers will only be visible once you meet certain criteria, such as completing registration or confirming your identity, so first make sure you have met any and all requirements. Otherwise, the bonus might be available in another location. 

4. I would like to close my player account

The solution to this issue differs from casino to casino. Some online casinos allow you to close your account from within your player profile with just a couple of clicks, while others require you to contact customer support directly. If you require to temporarily close your account due to personal gambling concerns, self-exclusion and cool-off tools should be available within your account. 

Tips When Using a Welcome Bonus 

1. Always read the Terms and Conditions

They say the devil is in the details, and you know what? They’re right! Always check the terms of use of the bonus before you accept any UK online casino’s offers. 

2. Check wagering requirements before you grab a bonus

Another detail you should go through carefully. The wagering requirement tells you when and how you can withdraw your winnings – specifically by gambling them by a specified number of times. 

3. Make sure your payment methods are accepted

UK casinos exclude some specific payment methods, including certain e-wallets such as Neteller and Skrill, from their bonus offers. This means you will not be able to take advantage of the bonus should you make your deposits using this payment method. 

4. Look out for location restrictions

Perhaps obvious, but always make sure that your casino’s bonus offers are available to customers residing in the UK before joining. 

5. Check on the withdrawal times

Check on the casino’s withdrawal times so that you know when and how you can withdraw your winnings. While you’re at it, also confirm the casino’s maximum withdrawal limit. 

6. Check if your Bonus is given for one session or you have to play for a certain number of days to use it all

It is important to know whether the total number of welcome bonus spins are given in one go or staggered over a number of days so that you make sure to use them all. 

7. When in doubt, reach out to customer support

The online casino has staff to help you with any problems.

With all of this in mind, you are now ready to fully take advantage of your welcome bonuses once you join a new UK online casino!