Ready to join a new casino? Eager to make a deposit and play some games? If so, there could be a first deposit bonus waiting for you. As the name suggests, these bonuses are offered to all players who make their first deposit and meet the qualifying terms and conditions.
It’s a great way to introduce yourself to a new site and secure some extra funds to play its games.
What is a First Deposit Bonus?
In simple terms, a first deposit bonus is a bonus that you collect with your first deposit.
But there is more to it than that.
The term is often used when there is a welcome package bonus on offer. These bonuses usually include a mixture of matched deposit bonuses, free spins, and cashback. More importantly, they give you bonuses across multiple deposits.
The first deposit bonus is simply the first one that you collect. But it’s also often the biggest one, giving you the highest matched percentage on your deposit or the most free spins.
What Do I Need to Collect a First Deposit Bonus?
Bonus requirements vary from site to site, but there are a few things that remain consistent across all of them. These terms must be met before you can collect a first deposit bonus:
- Age: As a legal requirement, you must be at least 18 years old to join an online gambling site and collect a first deposit bonus in the United Kingdom.
- New Player: You can’t collect a first deposit bonus if it’s not your first deposit. You must be a new player. Even if you joined the site many years earlier or were a member before a name change, you will be excluded from the bonus.
- One Account Per Household: Bonus terms and conditions often state that a first deposit bonus is only available to one player per IP/household. Technically, this means that you might be refused if a family member has collected the bonus. However, we don’t know of many occasions in which this rule has been enforced.
- In the UK: To join a site in the UK and collect its bonus, you must be in the UK at the time that you register. As the site will run a check on your name and address, you must also be an official resident of the country.
As with any online gambling bonus, the site reserves the right to cancel the offer at any time, even if you feel like you haven’t done anything wrong. If they have reason to believe that the terms and conditions have been broken, the bonus may be void and your account may be suspended.
You can complain all you want about this, but it won’t get you anywhere. A gambling site is entitled to keep your money safe and provide you with a fair gaming experience. If they mess up in that area, their terms and conditions won’t save them. But if you disagree with a bonus and the way it was handled, there is very little that you can do.
When this happens, we recommend filing a complaint through the site (if they have a complaints procedure), and then leaving reviews on third-party gambling communities and review sites if that fails.
The best gambling companies often task their customer support teams with responding to bad reviews and dealing with complaints. These teams nearly always have more power than the first line of customer support. They are also more willing to listen and are usually desperate to keep their players happy.
What Are the Steps to Collecting a First Deposit Bonus?
The process for collecting a first deposit bonus is usually the same regardless of where you deposit and play. The steps include:
1. Find the Right Casino and Bonus
First, look for a site that actually has a first deposit bonus. These are easy to find as we have done all of the work for you. Just browse through the site we have linked and reviewed, check the terms, and then follow the link to the website.
Remember, there’s more to a site than a first deposit bonus, so be sure to check the other features as well, including loyalty promotions, games, software, and customer support.
2. Sign up and Verify Your Details
The links on this site will often take you straight to the bonus and sign-up page. From here, just enter your details and then confirm.
Be as clear and as accurate as possible when entering your personal details. All online gambling sites in the UK are required to conduct Know Your Customer (KYC) checks on their players. This means that they have to verify that you are who you say you are.
They do this by running a soft credit check on your details. It’s the sort of check that an insurance comparison site would run and it allows them to confirm your details without requesting any further info.
It’s a soft check, so it won’t impact your credit rating. It will appear on your report and you will be able to see it if you regularly check your credit report. But it won’t hurt your score or reduce your chances of getting a loan.
If you don’t have a credit history and aren’t on the electoral roll, this check may fail. In such cases, you will be asked to complete additional verification checks, such as submitting a photo ID and proof of address.
This is also why you should refrain from using a pseudonym or deliberately entering false details. It won’t do you any favours.
3. Make a Qualifying Deposit
When your account has been opened and is ready to go, make a qualifying deposit.
Most first deposit bonuses require a minimum deposit of at least £10, but some go as high as £20. You can check the latest minimum deposit requirement by scanning the terms and conditions.
If you miss this requirement, you won’t get the bonus, so be sure to double-check.
*New players only. Min deposit £10. 100% up to £100 + 30 Bonus Spins on Reactoonz. Bonus funds + spin winnings are separate to cash funds and subject to 35x wagering requirement. Only bonus funds count towards wagering contribution. £5 bonus max bet. Bonus funds must be used within 30 days, spins within 10 days. Affordability checks apply. Full T&Cs apply. 18+ BeGambleAware.org. Please play responsibly. #ad
*New players only. Min deposit £10. Bonus funds are 121% up to £100. Bonus funds are separate to cash funds and subject to 35x wagering requirement. Only bonus funds count towards wagering contribution. £5 bonus max bet. Bonus funds must be used within 30 days, spins within 10 days. Affordability checks apply. Full T&Cs apply. 18+ BeGambleAware.org. Please play responsibly. #ad
4. Use Your Funds
Your first deposit bonus funds should land in your account within a few minutes. If there are free spins included as part of the bonus, you may need to wait up to a day for them to appear in your account.
Once you have the funds or the spins, you can prepare to play.
5. Clear the Wagering Requirement
After using your bonus, you need to clear the wagering requirement before any of those funds can be withdrawn.
Also known as a playthrough rate, this requirement tasks you with wagering the bonus funds a specific number of times. If, for instance, the wagering requirement is 50x and you collect a £100 bonus, you must wager £5,000.
It sounds like a lot, but it’s important to remember that this is a wagering amount and not a loss amount.
If you spend £100 on slot machines and win £200, your balance will be greater, but you will still have £100 less on your wagering requirement.
There is a time limit for this wagering period and there will also be limitations placed on the maximum bet size, as well as the games that you can play. Many first deposit bonuses exclude progressive jackpot slots and several other games from the wagering period.
You can still play one of these games, but the wagers won’t contribute to your wagering requirement.
FAQs about First Deposit Bonuses
First deposit bonuses are offered by all types of gambling sites. The exact number of bonus credits and freebies you get will vary, but the terms are usually very similar.
The average minimum deposit is just £10. Some sites let you deposit as little as £5 though, and others require £20 or more. If you fail to meet this deposit requirement, the bonus will be void and no amount of complaining to the support team will activate it.
First deposit bonuses are usually available on mobile and desktop. You may also find the occasional bonus that is offered exclusively to mobile players. However, such bonuses are rare.
Yes, these offers are provided by the majority of UK casinos, sportsbooks, bingo sites, and poker sites. Before joining, make sure the site is regulated and secure.
Once you have finished with your first deposit bonus, you should take another look at the promotions section and see if there are any other bonuses to collect. Where there’s a first deposit bonus, there’s usually a second deposit bonus, and you could even find a third, fourth, and fifth deposit bonus.
If not, it’s still not the end of the road. The best UK casinos usually provide a plethora of promotions to their most loyal players, including loyalty schemes, VIP schemes, reload bonuses, and regular free spin rewards.
