The Best Casino Welcome Bonus Offers in the US

How We Review the Best Casino Bonus Sites

When our expert team conducts a casino review, it takes into account a range of important criteria. Let’s take a look at the main points of reference we use when scrutinizing the best casino bonus sites.

• Licensing and Safety – We will only recommend an online casino sign up bonus from a licensed site. The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) audits licensed casinos and imposes sanctions on any that break their terms of contract. Licensed sites also use SSL encryption to keep your data secure.
• Bonuses – Kicking off your time on an online slots site with a quality casino offer is the ideal situation. For this reason, we look closely at the rewards up for grabs in a casino welcome bonus when conducting our reviews, and also consider the ongoing promotions available for existing players.
• Bonus Terms and Conditions – It’s no use claiming a big bundle of free spins or bonus cash if there are stipulations preventing you from withdrawing any winnings. We look closely at the playthrough requirements and other terms such as win caps and payment exclusions to bring you the most player-friendly deals.
• Games Library – While a casino offer may only apply to a few select games, when playing with your own money you’ll have the pick of the whole games library. The best sites offer a wide variety of games covering slots, progressive jackpots, table games, live dealer, bingo, Slingo and more.
• Banking Options – For many players, instant deposits and fast withdrawals are a priority. Others are simply glad to see their existing e-wallet listed as a payment option. Our reviews run you through the full list of banking options available at a site, and provide pros and cons of each method to help you choose which to use.
• Mobile Functionality – It’s important that a site’s slot titles and other casino games are smooth to play on mobile. That way, you can use whichever device suits you on any given day. The best sites offer a dedicated mobile app for iOS and Android — failing that, you can access the games library and other features through your mobile browser.
• Site Design and UX – The best online casinos are a joy to use thanks to slick navigation and engaging site design. We look out for handy filtering tools such as a software provider search, and assess the ease with which players can find what they’re looking for.
• Customer Support – It’s vital that players can get prompt support from the customer service team should any issues arise. Support is typically available through live chat, email, phone or web form, and is ideally available 24/7. If the support team is only available during office hours, we inspect the FAQs pages to ensure common queries are accounted for.

Are Online Casinos Legal? 

Despite online sports betting now being legal in over 25 states, online casinos are only legalized in the following US states:

• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Michigan
• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• West Virginia

If you’re playing at a licensed online casino in any of these US states, then you’re gambling legally. Even though betting and gambling at offshore casino sites is technically legal in certain US states, we cannot verify the legality or licensing processes of offshore online casinos, and as such we highly recommend that users stick to regulated online casinos that are available in your home state. 

Types of Online Casino Sign Up Bonus

There are a number of different types of sign up bonuses available at online casinos in the US. Below is a list of the kinds of online casino sign up bonuses you can expect to find, from the most common to the least. 

Matched Deposit

The majority of online casinos will offer matched deposit welcome bonuses. These bonuses will match the value of your first deposit and return that amount to you as bonus funds. For example, BetMGM will offer new players a matched deposit bonus worth 100% up to $1000. This means that if you were to deposit the minimum $10, BetMGM would return an extra $10 to you as bonus fund. Equally, if you were to deposit $1000, you’d receive $1000 in bonuses. 

Free Spins

Free spins are the second most common type of online casino sign up bonus, and are in fact often received on top of a matched deposit bonus. Golden Nugget Casino, for example, offers to match your first deposit up to $1000 and provide you with 200 free spins. Unlike matched deposit bonuses, however, the amount of free spins you receive isn’t dependent on the amount that you deposit. Instead, depositing the minimum amount—usually $10—will see you receive the same amount of free spins as you would if you’d deposited $1000.

It’s important to be aware that some free spins can only be used on specific slot titles. In Golden Nugget’s case, you can only use your free spins on 88 Fortunes Megaways. 

No Deposit Bonus

A no deposit bonus is somewhat of a rarity in the world of online gambling, but they’re a rather nice surprise when you do come across them. As the name suggests, these are bonuses that don’t require you to make a deposit in order to claim them. While this may sound appealing, these bonuses are usually comparatively small, and often have win limits attached to them, meaning it can be near impossible to convert them into cash. Plus, $10 is often quite a small price to pay for some of the bonuses that these online casinos hand out.

No Wagering Bonus

A no wagering bonus is an equally rare sight at US online casino sites. The overwhelming majority of bonuses will come with wagering requirements, which determine how many times you will have to wager the value of your bonus before withdrawing any real cash. If you’ve received $20 in bonus funds, for example, with wagering requirements of 30x, you would have to wager $600 (30 x $20) of your own money before you could withdraw any winnings. 

No wagering bonuses, then, are bonuses that don’t require its recipients to satisfy any wagering requirements, which means that any winnings you manage to make from either your free spins or bonus funds are entirely yours to keep. 

Sportsbook Bonus

A number of top US online casinos also offer a sportsbook, and these tend to come with their own betting bonuses. The best US gambling sites, like BetMGM and DraftKings, offer separate bonuses for their online casino and sportsbook, meaning you can benefit from two excellent online casino sign up bonuses. 

The best and most common type of sportsbook bonus is a free bets offer, which gives players a certain amount of free bet funds when they deposit a certain amount. What’s more, these usually don’t come with any wagering requirements, so if you haven’t already, we recommend you explore any sportsbook bonuses on offer. 

Casino Bonuses for Existing Players

Don’t think that the bonuses will stop as soon as you sign up – the best online casinos will continue to offer a range of promotions that reward existing players. While these usually aren’t as substantial as those grand sign up offers, they can provide a welcome boost when the chips are down. 

Reload Bonuses

Reload bonuses will reward you—up to a certain amount—for a specified number of subsequent deposits after receiving your initial online casino sign up bonus. Like a sign up bonus, you will have to satisfy minimum deposit requirements to qualify for these bonuses, but they will keep you stocked up on nice rewards in your first couple weeks at a new online casino. 

In some cases, these reload bonuses can be as big, if not bigger, as your first deposit welcome bonus. 7Bit Casino, for example, will reward players on their first four deposits, the last of which being a 100% Bonus up to $3500.

VIP and Loyalty Programs

VIP and loyalty programs, as their name suggests, look to reward players for their loyalty. These are often tiered systems in which players accumulate loyalty points—which will be given different names, depending on the casino—simply by depositing and/or playing. As players advance up the tiers, they gain access to the more premium rewards and benefits. These might simply be progressive bundles of free spins, but they can also constitute faster payouts or exclusive prizes like sporting tickets. 

Casino Cashback

Cashback bonuses will return a percentage of your losses—usually around 10%—back to you. These bonuses often come without wagering requirements, sometimes making them one of the few unconditional bonuses available at online casinos. That’s not to say that players should feel more comfortable taking losses, however, as a loss is still a loss. Cashback bonuses merely soften the blow somewhat. 

Promo Codes

A number of casino bonuses, both for new and existing players, require a promo code. These codes can be advertised in a number of ways, such as on the website itself, through emails, on social media or in public places. Essentially, you shouldn’t have to look very hard to find these promo codes, but it’s important that you don’t forget to enter them when opting in to your bonuses.

Casino Welcome Bonus Terms and Conditions

Every online casino sign up bonus will come with terms and conditions, and as a result, they are never as valuable as they initially appear. Though this is disappointing, being aware of the different conditions will help you to circumvent a number of the more inhibiting requirements. Below is a list of the most important terms to be aware of. 

• Wagering Requirements – As touched on previously, wagering requirements refer to how many times you will have to wager the value of your bonus before withdrawing any real money. These vary significantly, but the industry average stands at around 35x.
• Minimum Deposit – Almost every welcome bonus will require you to make a minimum qualifying deposit. This is usually $10, but can sometimes rise to $30.
• Time Limits – Online casinos will impose time limits on your bonuses. This means you might have anywhere from one week to one month in which to use your bonuses and clear any wagering requirements before they expire.
• Winnings Caps – Frustratingly, there will often be restrictions on how much you can win from your bonuses. This is another figure that tends to be different at every casino, so make sure you’ve checked to see how much you actually stand to win from your welcome bonuses, remembering that wagering requirements could make things difficult regardless. 
• Payment Exclusions – Some payment options—typically e-wallets like PayPal, Skrill and Neteller—might be restricted as deposit methods for your bonuses. Just in case, the best course of action is to use your debit or credit card for your first payment, and then switch back to your preferred alternative payment service for all subsequent deposits. 
• Game Restrictions – This condition will usually only apply to free spins welcome bonuses. A lot of the time, free spins can only be used on specified slots. Sometimes this is one slot in particular, so make sure it’s a game that you’re going to enjoy before signing up.
• Game Weighting – Leading on from the last point, different types of casino games will contribute more to clearing your wagering requirements. Slots, for example, usually have 100% game weighting, while other games—such as table games, poker and live dealers—will contribute much less, so it’s worth checking the game contribution table in the terms and conditions if you think you’ve got a shot at satisfying those wagering requirements.

What to Play with Your Online Casino Sign Up Bonus

Once you’ve signed up, made your first deposit and claimed your welcome bonus, you’ll find a whole host of different games waiting to be played. If you’re unfamiliar with online casino games and don’t know quite where to start, here are some of the most popular types of games for you to try.

Slots

Slots are undoubtedly the most common and popular type of game at online casinos, and pretty much all welcome bonuses are tailored to slot games. You’ll likely be immediately greeted by hundreds of different slot titles when you first enter your new casino site, and we understand that it can be difficult to know which games to choose. 

To help you out, the most esteemed providers of slot games are NetEnt, Microgaming and Play’n GO, so their games are a good place to get started, but we simply recommend trying out as many demos as you can in order to discover what kind of slot you’re looking for. You can also head over to our dedicated slots page to learn more. 

Blackjack

Even those who have never played at an online casino will likely be at least somewhat familiar with blackjack. One of land-based casinos’ most classic card games, blackjack translates very well to the online casino market and there are many different titles to choose from, each offering a similar experience. The rules are simple: try to get as close to 21 as you can without going bust. Blackjack can be exciting and frustrating and relies on an appealing mix of luck and skill.

Roulette

Roulette is another popular land-based casino game that has been adapted to the online market. Though equally as popular as blackjack, roulette is a markedly different game that takes place on a roulette wheel. The player places bets on where they think the roulette ball will land before the wheel is spun, with payouts varying according to the probability of each result. Players can bet on a number of different outcomes, including a color (red or black), a number (from 0-36), or various selections of numbers.

Video Poker

Video poker is a game that will appeal to fans of both the slots and the classic card game. Instead of playing against others, video poker is played against a slot-like machine.

After making your bet, you press ‘deal’ to reveal your five-card hard. You then get the option of whether to discard or hold onto specific cards. After doing so, the cards you’ve decided to discard are replaced by new cards, with the aim of getting the best possible hand.  These hands are then paid out according to traditional poker-hand rankings, from royal flush down to either two pair or jacks or better, depending on the game. 

Live Dealer Games

Live dealer games are the most immersive and atmospheric games at online casinos. The most outstanding provider of live games is Evolution Gaming, whose games, which feature real-life croupiers, are live-streamed from casinos and studios from around the world. If you want to feel like you’re right there in the casino, you can play classic games like blackjack and roulette in authentic environments, or you can go for a more extravagant experience with live game shows. Some of these games feature extremely high jackpots, so are great for the more high-rolling players, but there’s no need to play with large amounts if you want to play more casually. 

Baccarat

Baccarat is most famous for being James Bond’s game of choice, although it was swapped for Texas Hold’em poker in 2006’s Casino Royale. As you’d expect from a game favored by 007, baccarat is a classy card game that is, in some ways, similar to blackjack. Like blackjack, it is played with the dealer, but the winning hand is that which gets closer to 9 rather than 21. If you go over 9, the second digit is the important one (i.e. if you had a 10 and a 9, totalling 19, your final amount would be 9). 

Another crucial difference between baccarat and blackjack is that players can bet on three outcomes: their hand winning, the dealer’s hand winning, or a tie, so it’s not simply a case of you vs. the dealer. However, there are a number of different baccarat variants, so make sure you’ve researched the rules of your particular game before you start making bets.

Craps

Craps is a centuries-old casino game that is thought to have been brought from London to New Orleans in 1805. In craps, players bet on the outcomes of a pair of dice. If you play live craps, players will take turns to be the shooter who rolls the dice. In solo craps, you’ll click the ‘roll’ button each time. The first roll is the come out roll. Players who bet the pass line win if the come out roll adds up to 7 or 11, or lose if it adds up to 2, 3 or 12. Any other number becomes the ‘point’ — to win, you’ll then need the point to be rolled again before a seven. There are other bets you can make too, once you get the hang of this entertaining and unique casino game.

Making the Most of Your Casino Welcome Bonus

If you’re worried about your welcome bonus going to waste, here are some quick tips on how to make the most of it:

• Understand the T&Cs – The most important thing is that you’ve read and understood all the relevant terms and conditions. Being oblivious to things like wagering requirements, payment exclusions, minimum deposits and time limits are a sure-fire way of missing out on your bonuses. 
• Pick the Right Bonus for You – We’ve said it before, but different bonuses really will suit different players, so make sure you’ve picked a suitable bonus. It’s no use claiming a bunch of free spins if you’re not going to play on the slots.
• RTP and Volatility – RTP (Return to Player) rates and volatility refer to the frequency with which individual slot games payout. A high RTP rate of 98% theoretically means that a game will payout 98% of all the money wagered on it, while low volatility means that a slot will payout frequently but in small amounts. Though these are helpful guidelines, it’s important to remember that these things are calculated over millions of spins, so will almost certainly not be replicated in your individual play.
• Playing Weighted Games – Be sure to not forget about game weighting. If you want a shot at clearing your wagering requirements, you’ll most likely have to be playing slots, which are often the only games that contribute 100%. 
• Gamble Responsibly – Finally, and most importantly, don’t let your gaming habits be dictated by a bonus. Wagering requirements can make it near impossible to convert your bonuses into withdrawable cash, so don’t break the bank trying to satisfy them. Most bonuses are most appropriately seen as low-risk ways of getting acquainted with a new online casino.

Qualify for Online Casino Bonuses Using Different Payment Methods

It’s important to remember that while a casino app may offer a wide range of banking options, certain payment methods may still be excluded from claiming bonuses. For this reason, it’s good to have a backup that you’re happy to use when you’re ready to claim free spins bonuses or other rewards. Here are the most common payment methods available to use at USA casino sites.

Gamble Responsibly With Your Betting Bonuses

While a casino offer can provide great ways to have fun playing your favorite games, it’s important to use bonuses wisely. A casino welcome bonus is often best thought of as a means to try out a new site and get to grips with the games, rather than a commitment to fulfilling costly playthrough requirements. Using bonuses sparingly and appropriately ensures gambling stays fun.

Warning Signs for Problem Gambling

It can be easy to get carried away with gambling, so it’s important to be aware of the potential warning signs of addiction:

• Chasing losses
• Being secretive about gambling or lying to loved ones
• Feeling stressed by your gambling habits
• Losing interest in other areas of life
• Betting more than you can afford

There are organizations that can help you or someone you know with a gambling problem. Gamblers Anonymous organizes meetings and signposts hotlines that offer support. The National Council on Problem Gambling also provides a 24-hour confidential helpline — available through phone, chat or text.

Claim an Online Casino Sign Up Bonus

Now that you’ve heard all there is to know about sign up bonuses, read through our reviews of the top welcome bonus casinos. Once you’ve found the right bonus for you, click on the ‘Claim Bonus’ button to sign up, make your deposit and start playing!