Welcome bonuses are usually the first thing people see when choosing a new online casino, but lots of bonuses require new players to make considerable qualifying deposits in order to receive them. The best low deposit casinos are willing to provide players with ample bonus funds or free spins without first having to spend lots of their own cash, which will give you plenty of opportunity to properly explore a new online casino before deciding whether it’s the right fit for you.
The two most common welcome bonuses you’re likely to see at online casinos are matched deposit bonuses and free spins, but as the amount you’ll receive from matched deposit bonuses depends entirely on how much you’re willing to deposit, the majority of the best low deposit offers come in the form of free spins. Some of these low deposit free spins offers will give players over a hundred free spins simply from a $10 deposit, which is a fantastic deal. To discover more about what kind of low deposit offers are currently on the market, scroll down and compare some of our favorite low deposit casinos.
Are Low Deposit Casinos Legal?
Low deposit casinos are legal in any of the states that have legalized online casino gambling – not to be confused with online sports betting, which is legal in many parts of the US. At the time of writing, the states in which online casino gambling is legal are:
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- West Virginia
Keep in mind that some low deposit casinos will be available in certain states and not in others, as each individual state is responsible for introducing and managing its own regulatory legislation and licensing processes. Big US casino brands like BetMGM and DraftKings, however, have online casino licenses in multiple states.
If you live outside of one of the states listed above and are considering offshore gambling, it’s important to be aware that offshore gambling is illegal in some states, and even in those that haven’t made offshore gambling explicitly illegal, we don’t recommend betting at an unlicensed and unregulated casino. A license from a trusted gaming control board like MGA – the Maltese Gaming Authority – ensures that an online casino is held to strict regulatory standards of fairness and security. As such, every single one of the online low deposit casinos we review are fully licensed.
How We Find the Best Low Deposit Casino Offers
There’s a lot to consider when choosing a new casino site, so we take a number of factors into account when reviewing the best low deposit casinos.
License and Safety
As previously suggested, the first thing we look for when reviewing a low deposit casino is whether it’s licensed by a legislative gaming body such as the MGA, or more local state regulators like the DGE – the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. If a low deposit casino is not licensed, then we cannot guarantee that the site is secure and the players are protected.
Bonus Size and Type
Our next consideration is the size of the bonus that’s being offered. A low deposit bonus is all well and good but it’s important that the bonus itself is big enough to be useful. Whether it’s a bunch of free spins, a generous amount of bonus funds, or both, we want players to be appropriately rewarded for their qualifying deposits.
Terms and Conditions
Every low deposit casino offer will be subject to terms and conditions. Some of these have the capacity to completely nullify your bonuses, so it’s vital that you read the smallprint before signing up to a new online casino. Here are some of the most important T&Cs you need to be aware of:
- Wagering requirements – Wagering requirements refer to the amount you will have to wager before you can make cash withdrawals from your bonus funds or free spins. For example, if you’ve received $20 worth of bonuses with wagering requirements of 40x, you would have to wager $800 (40 x $20) before withdrawing any real money. It’s also important to know that for free spins, the wagering requirements are attached to your winnings, as opposed to the sum of your bonuses.
- Eligible games – This condition usually applies to free spins. Certain low deposit free spins offers will only be eligible for specified slot games. In fact, free spins are often limited to a singular slot game, so make sure your free spins are attached to a game that you’re happy to play before opting in.
- Game weighting – Certain game types will contribute more to clearing your wagering requirements than others. Slots, for example, will almost always contribute 100%, which means that they are typically the most efficient means of clearing your wagering requirements, while live dealer and table games tend to be a little lower.
- Time limits – Different low deposit casino bonuses will have different time limits attached to them, meaning that you will only have a limited period in which you can use them and clear the wagering requirements. This usually varies from anywhere between one week and one month.
- Winnings caps – There will usually be limitations on how much you can win from your bonuses. This, unfortunately, is often the catch with low deposit bonuses, but these ceilings typically aren’t too high, and any real cash earned from your bonuses can be considered a win, because it’s not always easy to satisfy those wagering requirements.
- Payment restrictions – Certain payment options—usually e-wallets like PayPal—might be excluded as qualifying deposit methods for your low deposit bonuses. The safest course of action is to make your first deposit with your bank or credit card, and then any subsequent payments with your preferred alternative payment method.
Games Library
Of course, it’s also vital that once you’ve signed up, made your deposit and received your bonus funds or spins, there’s plenty of games available on which to use those bonuses. So when looking at low deposit casinos, we not only look at the quality of the bonus, but at the quality and variety of the games on offer – from slot and table games to poker and live dealer titles.
Mobile Functionality
With many players opting to play jackpot slots and casino games on their phones, it’s crucial that a low deposit casino offers excellent mobile functionality. The best online casinos in the USA offer dedicated apps to provide the smoothest navigation and gameplay. Failing that, a casino’s mobile site should make it easy to browse the games library and claim the latest bonuses.
Customer Support
It’s vital that players can get prompt and helpful support should an issue arise when claiming a low deposit offer. The best sites offer 24/7 live chat support, along with the option to get in touch via email or phone. An extensive FAQs section is another positive, as it allows players to get quick answers to common queries regarding banking options, deposit limits, or anything else.
Site Design and UX
Browsing a low deposit casino’s range of offers and games should be a straightforward and enjoyable experience. We give top marks to sites that are quick to load, have an attractive and clean aesthetic, and offer useful filtering options like a software provider search.
How to Choose and Receive Your Low Deposit Casino Bonus
If you’re unsure of how to pick your new low deposit casino bonus, here’s a quick step-by-step guide on how to find the best offer for you.
STEP 1
Research
Browse all the best low deposit casino bonuses on Compare.bet and find one that takes your fancy.
STEP 2
Read the T&Cs
Once you’ve found a bonus you like the sound of, read the terms and conditions to make sure you know how to make the most of your bonus.
STEP 3
Click through, sign up, opt in and deposit
If you’re happy with your chosen low deposit bonus, click through to the online casino, sign up, and make your first qualifying deposit. Don’t forget to opt in or enter any promo codes if these are required for your chosen online casino bonus.
STEP 4
Claim your bonus and play
Once you’ve followed these steps in line with the terms and conditions of the offer, you should see your bonus funds or free spins appear in your account. All that’s left to do then is go ahead and play! Be sure to have fun and gamble responsibly.
Low Deposit Sign Up Bonuses
One of the best ways to pick up casino rewards is to register with a new site and claim a welcome bonus. Here’s a breakdown of the two main types of low deposit sign up bonuses on offer.
Matched Deposit Bonus
With a matched deposit bonus, an online casino will match your deposit amount with bonus credit to use on games across the site. It’s a great way to get a bit more bang for your buck when you join a new casino. Plus, if you’re playing a low deposit casino, there’ll be plenty of flexibility in how much you spend and claim. At DraftKings, for example, new players can claim a 100% match bonus up to $100 in free credits. To get started, all that’s required is a minimum deposit amount of $5.
Free Spins
Free spins are another popular type of sign up bonus at low deposit casino sites. You can only use them on online slots, and there are typically just one or two selected games that are eligible for the bonus. Still, free spins are ideal for getting to grips with slot games and having a bit of fun. Sometimes, they’re offered in conjunction with a matched deposit offer — one example is Golden Nugget Casino’s welcome offer, where there’s up to $1,000 in bonus credit up for grabs, along with 200 free spins for the 88 Fortunes Megaways online slot game.
Bonuses for Existing Customers
Low Deposit Bonuses for Existing Customers
The good news is that once your welcome offer has dried up, there are plenty more opportunities to pick up low deposit casino bonuses. In fact, promotions for existing players often come with even lower deposit demands, if any at all.
Reload Bonuses
Reload bonuses are essentially matched deposit offers for existing players. The casino will give you a heads up that one is available, and you’ll have the option to make a deposit and claim some bonus credit.
Cashback
Cashback deals don’t require a deposit as such, as they instead refund a percentage of your losses. Cashback may be awarded daily, weekly, or monthly, and is typically set between 0–10%. Of course, it’s important to play responsibly and not lose more than you can afford, but it’s still a plus to get some of your cash back if you have a bad run.
VIP or Loyalty Rewards
Many low deposit casinos give players the chance to collect loyalty bonuses just by playing online casino games. At some casinos, players collect points as they play and can exchange these for rewards such as free spins. Other sites operate a tiered system where you climb the ranks to access perks like higher deposit limits and competition entries.
Games to Play with your Low Deposit Casino Bonus
The best low deposit casinos will offer players plenty of variety when it comes to game selection. Here is a list of the most common types of games you’re likely to find.
Slots
xSplit Hoarder xWays – Nolimit City
Slots one of the most popular types of casino game, and can be played using a number of different low deposit casino bonuses. The best software providers to look out for here are NetEnt, Microgaming and Play’n GO, but there are a number of other game developers—both established and up-and-coming—who produce exciting and innovative slot games. Different slot games will suit different budgets and gameplay preferences, so spend some time browsing and playing slot demos to find the right games for you.
Table Games
Lucky Blackjack – Yggdrasil
Table games like blackjack, roulette and baccarat remain some of the most popular options at online casinos. These games provide a much more classic, stripped back online casino experience in comparison with the often exuberant slot games. If you’re not familiar with the rules of these common casino games, make sure to do some research before deciding where to stake your cash, because once you know what you’re doing there’s a lot of fun to be had at the tables.
Do be aware, however, that table games will usually contribute less to clearing your wagering requirements than slot games, so if you’re trying to make cash returns from your low deposit bonuses it’s often best to stick to the slots.
Video Poker
Jacks or Better Double Up – NetEnt
Video poker combines the worlds of 5-card poker and slots and is available to play at all the best low deposit casinos. The aim of video poker, much like regular poker, is to get the best hand possible. After you’ve made your bet, you hit deal to receive 5 cards, and then you get the opportunity to select which cards, if any, you’d like to discard or hold on to. The slots-esque reels are then spun again to reveal your final hand, which pays out according to the paytable, which usually runs from royal flush down to jacks or better. As such, video poker is essentially a slot game that requires a little bit of skill, making it an extremely fun alternative, especially for poker fans.
Live Dealer Games
Lightning Roulette – Evolution
Live dealer games are table games or game shows that are live streamed from real-life casinos and studios, resulting in highly immersive and authentic online casino experiences. The top software developer for live dealer games is Evolution Gaming, which provides hundreds of successful live dealer titles. If you want to play live dealer table games, we recommend Evolution Gaming’s Lightning Roulette and Blackjack titles, which are presented by highly professional live croupiers, but if you fancy something more extravagant, try out Monopoly Live or Cash or Crash game shows.
Casino Low Deposit Payment Methods
As touched on previously, it is usually a good idea to use your debit card to make your first casino deposit, just in case alternative payment methods will exclude you from your low deposit bonus, but we still expect the casinos we review to support a range of deposit and withdrawal methods. Here are some of the most popular payment options at low deposit casinos.
Debit and Credit Card
Every low deposit casino will let you pay using your Visa or Mastercard debit card, and these deposits will always qualify you for your low deposit bonuses. Alternatively, at US online casinos you can also pay using your credit card, a luxury which isn’t afforded to UK players.
The convenience and widespread availability of debit and credit card payments is perhaps their greatest asset, as when it comes to withdrawing these payment methods can be significantly slower than others. However, with the recent introduction of Visa Fast Funds, which rapidly increases the withdrawal speed of Visa withdrawals, withdrawals can appear in your bank account within 30 minutes.
e-Wallets
e-Wallets like PayPal, Skrill and Neteller are some of the best and most popular payment methods at low deposit casinos. Each provides highly secure instant deposits and fast withdrawals from your digital wallet, requiring only an email address and password to make payments. For mobile users who have an e-wallet app, payments can be verified with touch and face ID, making depositing even faster.
The main downside is that e-wallets are sometimes excluded as qualifying deposit methods for low deposit bonuses, but you can always use a debit card deposit first time around, and then use your preferred e-wallet for all subsequent transactions. It’s also important to bear in mind that you may incur small transaction fees when using Skrill and Neteller, but PayPal won’t charge you for using its service.
Paysafecard
Paysafecard is a prepaid card service that can be used to make instant deposits at low deposit casinos. Paysafecard vouchers can be purchased either online or at various sales outlets across the US, and then users can enter their voucher’s 16-digit card number to deposit at online casinos. As funds can’t be subsequently added onto your Paysafecard, this payment method can’t be used for withdrawals, but it is one of the most secure depositing options at all online casinos.
Trustly
Trustly is an Open Banking payment service that facilitates fast and secure transactions to and from your online bank account, without redirecting you to your banking app or requiring you to enter any personal details. All you need is your bank log-in details, and Trustly will take care of the rest. As no sensitive details are required, and it features the latest data-encryption and fraud protection technology, Trustly is extremely efficient and secure. Unfortunately, you won’t find it at every low deposit casino, but we highly recommend giving it a go when available.
Pay by Phone Bill
Pay by phone bill services such as Boku are another instant, deposit-only payment method that requires only a phone number. If you’re on a mobile contract, the deposit amount will be added to your monthly phone bill, and if you’re a PAYG (Pay As You Go) or prepaid mobile customer, the payment will simply be deducted from your balance. Again, the lack of necessary security details makes this method extremely quick and simple, which will appeal to a number of users.
PayNearMe
PayNearMe is another popular deposit option for US casino players. When you select PayNearMe at the casino’s cashier page, you’ll be given a unique barcode. Take this barcode to a local CVS, Family Dollar, or 7-Eleven and pay using your preferred payment method. One of the main benefits is the option to deposit with cash, but PayNearMe also gives you the option to use a bank card without having to share your card details with the online casino.
Play+
Play+ offers customers a prepaid card that can be used anywhere a Discover card is accepted, be it online, in stores, or at an ATM. The card uses funds stored in the user’s Play+ account, meaning it essentially functions as an e-wallet. Users can top up the balance using a debit card and also use it to deposit and withdraw funds to and from their casino account.
Cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum can be used to both deposit and withdraw at a number of US low deposit casinos. Crypto casino sites like 7Bit and Katsubet offer welcome bonuses starting at just 0.001 BTC, so there’s plenty of low deposit bonus options available for those who prefer to use crypto, who will also find that cryptocurrency withdrawals are some of the fastest of all online casino payment methods.
Claim a Low Deposit Bonus On the Go
Claiming a low deposit bonus on your mobile works in much the same way as it does on other devices. Whether you choose to download a site’s native app, or simply spin the reels straight from your mobile browser, claiming a bonus with a small deposit is easily done.
Once you’ve signed up, made a deposit, and claimed your rewards, you can access your bonus funds or free spins from your mobile. In fact, as your account is linked across devices, you can still access the bonus at a mobile casino if you claimed the bonus on a laptop.
All that’s left to do then is fire up your favorite casino games — you can play from any location whenever the mood strikes. We always recommend downloading a casino’s mobile app if there’s one available, as it makes the whole process smoother. DraftKings and BetMGM are two of the most popular low deposit casinos that offer dedicated mobile apps.
Gamble Responsibly with Your Low Deposit Bonus
While on the face of it claiming bonuses from small deposits may seem like a no brainer, it’s important not to be reckless with these types of promotions. Naturally, lots of deposits can add up, regardless of how small they are. To keep gambling fun, it’s vital you only ever bet what you can afford to lose, and don’t opt into deposit bonuses with any expectation of winning money.
Top Tips for Making the Most of Low Deposit Bonuses
Like any form of gambling, there are ways to get the best value from a free bonus. Here are our top tips on how to use a low deposit casino bonus effectively and responsibly:
- Stick to your budget – If there are wagering requirements attached to an offer, it may be tempting to stretch your budget in order to fulfill them and convert your bonus winnings into cash. However, betting only what you can afford to lose is paramount. We recommend keeping things fun by using a bonus to try out a site and its games, rather than attempt to turn a profit.
- Play low volatility games – Slot games with low variance are less risky than high volatility games. You’re more likely to land small, consistent wins and avoid long winless runs, meaning your low deposit casino bonus may last longer.
- Check the terms and conditions – Although a low minimum deposit amount is always welcomed, other T&Cs attached to an offer may not be so player-friendly. In this case, it may be best to pick a different bonus instead. You can check out our list of the main terms to be aware of like wagering requirements, time limits and game weightings further up the page.
Claim Your Casino Low Deposit Bonus
Low deposit offers are some of the best offers you’re likely to find at US online casinos. If you want to be on the receiving end of a generous welcome bonus without having to deposit large amounts of money, browse through our list of the best low deposit bonuses and find the right casino for you. Once you’re settled on a specific online casino, click on the ‘Claim Bonus’ button, receive your bonus and start playing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Different low deposit casinos will suit different types of casino players, so we couldn’t possibly choose a favorite site. To find a casino perfectly suited to your personal preferences, read through our reviews of all the best low deposit casinos, and choose one that takes your fancy.
Yes, most low deposit casinos will allow you to play free demos of their casino games. You will have to make an account first, however, and you won’t be able to play for real money. Though technically not ‘free’ as you would have had to make a qualifying deposit to receive them, free spins will also be available at most low deposit casinos.
Payout speeds vary considerably depending on both the casino and the payment method used. Your best chance at an instant payout is using fast withdrawal payment methods like PayPal, Neteller and Skrill, making sure you have completed all your KYC checks and are requesting withdrawals during your online casino’s working office hours.
Yes, most online casinos will accept credit card payments as a qualifying deposit method for low deposit bonuses, but it’s always a good idea to double check just in case.
There are plenty of different types of low deposit bonuses, each with different terms and conditions and rewards involved. It really comes down to personal preference which is the best for you, but we always like to see a bonus with no or low wagering requirements.
Sometimes. Live casino games may be excluded from certain offers, so be sure to check the T&Cs before you opt in.
Absolutely — if there are playthrough requirements to contend with, you’ll need to wager your bonus amount a certain number of times to convert any winnings into withdrawable cash. With a no wagering offer, any winnings from the bonus can be cashed out straight away.
It’s rare to see a minimum deposit amount lower than $5, so this tends to be the best deal around — DraftKings’ $5 minimum deposit welcome bonus is a good example. Occasionally you may find a no deposit bonus that requires no funds at all, but the rewards tend to be a lot smaller and may come with more restrictive T&Cs.
