Boost Your Stakes: A Welcome Bonus for Every South African Player
Would you like to double or even triple your playtime in an instant? You can do that by claiming a welcome bonus at your favourite South African casino. Read on to find out what a welcome bonus is, how you can claim it, and what you have to look for in its terms.
Top 3 Welcome Bonuses in South Africa
What is a Welcome Bonus?
In a nutshell, a welcome bonus is a reward you get when you register an account at an online casino. It’s like the welcome drink you get when you arrive at a party, designed to get you into the mood. Depending on the casino you choose, the welcome bonus can be something simple or a complex package of benefits.
No-Deposit Welcome Bonus
No-deposit bonuses are rewards you get simply for opening an account. They allow you to test-drive the casino, and learn its ins and outs, before spending even a cent of your moola on gambling. No wonder so many players like them - it's a lot like free money falling into your lap.
Casinos with No-Deposit Welcome Bonuses
Deposit Bonuses
Deposit bonuses, as their name suggests, are rewards you get for making real-money deposits to your casino account. Casinos usually match a specific percentage of your deposit. In the case of a casino welcome bonus, the match is rarely under 100%. What does this look like in practice?
- You register at Tusk Casino and deposit at least R100
- For your first deposit, you get a 100% match, up to R5,000
- This means that if you deposit R1,000, for example, you'll get an R1,000 bonus so you can start playing with R2,000 in total
Casinos with the Biggest Welcome Bonuses
Welcome Packages
Many casinos go further with their welcome bonuses, offering you packages of benefits for registering. These usually consist of:
- A no-deposit bonus or a pack of free spins (or both)
- Deposit matches on your first two or three deposits
- Free spins attached to your deposits
Casinos with Big Welcome Packages
How to Claim a Welcome Bonus?
Claiming a welcome bonus is easy at most online casinos. The exact method differs from one platform to another:
- You can redeem a casino bonus code from the Cashier
- You can activate a bonus directly by clicking a button or a link.
Modern casino platforms have a separate section dedicated to bonuses. Most of them make redeeming bonuses super easy by putting them right in front of you in the Cashier section. All you need to do is click a button and you’re done. But there are exceptions.
For example, Playa Bets requires you to make a deposit and play through it before you get the bonus. In this case, you can’t claim the bonus directly - you have to contact Support to get it.
The exact method of claiming a bonus can differ from one casino to another. You’ll find details about this in our casino reviews.
Welcome Bonus Terms
Not all welcome bonuses are created equal. There can be many differences between them that only become obvious if you dig into the applicable Terms. Here are some things you need to keep an eye out for when claiming a welcome bonus:
Separate Wallets
The most important thing you need to know about casino bonuses is that they are not real money! Whenever you get a casino welcome bonus, it will be bonus funds that you can't cash out without jumping through some hoops. After all, casinos are not charities, and they won't throw actual money at you for free!
Your cash and bonus balances are separate. Casinos will always favour your cash balance when you play, meaning that you'll use the cash first, and the bonus funds after the cash is gone. To "clear" a bonus, you need to complete a set of wagering requirements first.
Cashable or Not
Some casinos offer you "non-cashable" deposit bonuses. This means that the bonus amount you received is deducted from your balance when you cash out. For example, if you redeem an R1,000 bonus, win R2,000, and want to cash out, the R1,000 you received will be subtracted from your wallet, leaving you with R1,000.
Wagering Requirements
One of the most important things to look at is wagering requirements. These tell you how many times you need to play through the amount. For a cashable bonus, this is needed to "clear" it - to transfer it from your bonus balance to your real money balance.
Let's stick to the above example - the R1,000 bonus you claimed at Tusk Casino. According to the casino's Terms, you need to play through the bonus amount you received 40 times - that's R40,000 - to clear it.
Excluded Games
You can't just play through the wagering requirements as you want - casinos have terms and conditions that regulate which casino games you can use to do so. Some games contribute less than others, and some of them can be
Before you claim a deposit match bonus, make sure to read and understand the wagering requirements. They will tell you important things like:
- Whether you're required to play through the bonus amount or the deposit + bonus amount
- How much do different games contribute to the requirements (Slots usually contribute 100%, while table games, 10% at best)
- The list of excluded games that you can't use to complete the requirements
- The time limit - how long do you have to clear the bonus
- Whether the bonus is cashable or not
- Any terms and conditions that sound unfair
The Ideal Sign-Up Bonus
What does the best sign-up bonus look like?
- It's not too good to be true! If a bonus promises the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, take the promises with a grain of salt.
- It has fair wagering requirements that are not exaggerated. A 30x requirement for the bonus amount is good. A 30x requirement on the deposit + bonus amount is too high for comfort.
- It is cashable. This way, you avoid any surprises when you redeem a bonus
- You have enough time to complete the wagering requirements
- You have enough flexibility to complete the wagering requirements on the games you like.
- If you have limits on how much of your winnings you can cash out
South African Casinos with the Best Welcome Bonus
Tusk Casino
- Up to R15,000 on your first 3 deposits
- Up to 100 free spins for each of your first 3 deposits
- 40x playthrough for the bonus amount only
ZAR Casino
- 200% match, up to R30,000
- 30 free spins
- 40x playthrough on the bonus amount only
Playa Bets
- 50 free spins with no deposit required
- You can use them on Pragmatic Play slots
- 3x playthrough for the winnings
Welcome Bonus FAQ
Which casino gives you a welcome bonus in South Africa?
Every betting site and online casino in South Africa will offer you a welcome bonus.
How to claim a welcome bonus?
Claiming a welcome bonus is easy - but the specific method differs from one casino to another. Read our South African casino reviews for more on how you can redeem a welcome bonus at a specific casino.
How to use a casino welcome bonus?
You can use a welcome bonus like you would use any other casino bonus: to play games at online casinos.
Can I cash out a welcome bonus?
No, you can’t cash out the bonus itself. You need to complete the playthrough requirements before you can cash out.
Can you keep what you win using a no-deposit welcome bonus?
After completing the wagering requirements, you can keep what you win. But you’ll still have to complete any wagering requirements.