Best Welcome Bonuses in Australia 2024

A casino welcome bonus is one of the greatest advantages you get by signing up with new online casino site. In this guide, find out all about what a welcome bonus is, how it works, and how you can get it!

Best Sign-Up Bonuses for Australian Players

Different casinos offer varying sign-up bonuses targeting different clientele. We ranked the top Aussie online casinos and their welcome bonuses and curated this detailed list:

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What is a Welcome Bonus?

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A welcome bonus is the bonus you get when you first deposit at an online casino. Basically, it’s the casino’s way of welcoming you as a member. With this bonus, you’ll get your hands on the best offer the casino has, and often, you even get more than one bonus.

Many online casinos won’t just give you one welcome bonus, but actually a whole welcome bonus package. In these bonus bundles, you can get a boost on not just your first deposit, but also on your second, third, fourth, and sometimes even fifth deposit. In total, you’ll sometimes be able to claim thousands of dollars as a bonus. However, not all casinos have the same welcome bonus package, so make sure you check the offers from each individual casino.

What tends to be true, is that the welcome bonus is a much better and bigger bonus than what you can get as an active player at a casino. While match deposit bonuses are often capped at 100% for reload bonuses, a casino welcome bonus can give you a 200% welcome bonus, 300% welcome bonus, 400% welcome bonus, and we’ve even seen 500% welcome bonuses.

The bottom line is that a casino welcome bonus is the best bonus you can get, so you better make the most of it while it’s available!

Welcome Bonus Advantages and disadvantages

Like all things in life, welcome bonuses at Aussie casinos have pros and cons. Here are some of the benefits and disadvantages of playing with them:

  • Pros

  • You’re likely to get to at least double your deposit with a large match bonus.
  • More likely than not, you’ll also get free spins in a welcome bonus package.
  • You get to try out the casino’s features and games without risking too much of your own money.
  • Cons

  • Your deposited funds will often be tied up in a wagering requirement for the bonus.
  • If you’re lucky and win, you can’t withdraw bonus winnings before you’ve completed the wagering.
  • You might not be able to play all types of games in the casino with your bonus funds.

Types of Casino Welcome Bonus

There are many types of welcome bonuses you can get at Australian online casinos. Here, we’ve described some of the most common ones that you might come across.

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Match Deposit Bonus

A match deposit bonus is the most common form of casino bonus, and it’s also the most common type of welcome bonus. The casino will match your deposit with a certain amount. Normally, you’ll get to at least double your money!

But it’s not only the match percentage that tends to be big, also the maximum bonus money you can claim will often be huge. For example, at NeoSpin, all new Australian players get to claim a welcome bonus of 100% up to $10,000!

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Free Spins Welcome Bonus

A free spins welcome bonus can be given instead of a match deposit bonus. Usually, it’s given in addition to a match bonus as part of a welcome package. You can expect to get anything between 25 and 200 free spins that you can play for free on a pokie machine.

You won’t always get all spins credited to your account at once, as they can be split over several days. For example, at Bizzo Casino, your first deposit will trigger 100 free spins, in addition to the match bonus. You get to play 50 spins immediately and the next batch of 50 free spins gets added the next day.

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Bitcoin/Cryptocurrency Welcome Bonus

Many online casinos give cryptocurrency users an even bigger welcome bonus than what is offered to fiat users. Sometimes, this bonus will apply to all cryptocurrencies, and sometimes only to some. Typically, you’ll get a bigger match bonus as well as a higher max bonus amount.

One of the Australian online casinos that offer a Bitcoin welcome bonus is Joe Fortune. They will match your first deposit with a 150% bonus, which is 50% more than what they offer fiat users. The maximum amount you can claim is $2,000.

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Cashback Welcome Bonus

Getting a cashback bonus instead of the usual welcome bonus is rare, but not unheard of. Usually, this type of bonus will be most appealing to high rollers. This is because this player segment often prefers a form of insurance on their large deposit instead of having their real money tied up in a wagering requirement.

Although a cashback bonus is not as common as a classic welcome bonus, it’s a type of bonus you’ll often get when you’re an active player. For example, at NeoSpin, you can get up to 20% cashback every single day!

Where to Find a Welcome Bonus Offer

Finding a welcome bonus is never hard, as you’ll find this type of bonus at all online casinos that accept Aussie players. All you’ll need to do is scroll to the top of this page and take your pick. The only thing you need to make sure of is that you’ve never registered with that particular casino before.

You’ll also need to make sure that you’re eligible for the bonus. Most often, this means you have to be 18 years or older, reside in Australia, and your family members (that you live with) can’t be registered at the casino. If all that checks out, you can simply sign up and claim your welcome bonus.

How to Claim an Online Casino Welcome Bonus

You need to complete certain steps to claim an online casino welcome bonus. This three-stage process details how to go about it:

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Register At The Casino

The first step in claiming an online casino welcome bonus is to create an account. Choose a casino from our top list and click the button ‘Play Now’ to go to the casino. Fill in the registration form with your basic personal information. This takes less than a minute, and once you’re done your casino account is activated.

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Deposit and Claim Your Bonus

To claim your bonus, you just go to the cashier and select your payment method and the amount you wish to deposit. If you can see a bonus on the deposit page you can select, then do so. If not, you may have to enter the welcome bonus code to collect the offer. Enter your promo code and complete your deposit.

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Play and Convert Your Bonus

Your deposit and your bonus funds will be added to your account instantly, and now all you need to do is play a game. You’ll need to keep on playing until you can fulfil the wagering requirement for your bonus. Once that’s done, your bonus winnings will be converted to real money that you can withdraw.

What is a Sign-Up Bonus?

A sign-up bonus is basically the very first bonus you get from an online casino – even before you make your first deposit. It’s a bonus granted to you for not doing anything else than registering as a player at the casino.

Not all online casinos offer these kinds of bonuses, but some do. What you’ll get is usually a small amount of bonus money, like $5 or $10. Or, you might get something between 10 and 50 free spins on a pokie machine.

If you get a registration bonus, and what you get, is completely up to the casino. Even though this is a great way for the casino to attract players, it also attracts a lot of “bonus hunters” – which the casino doesn’t want. A “bonus hunter” is basically a player who signs up with casinos just to get the free bonus, without intending to stick around and be a regular patron. Due to this, more and more casinos have chosen to not offer no deposit sign-up bonuses anymore.

How to claim a free registration bonus

If you do get offered a registration bonus, then it couldn’t be easier to claim it. All you need to do is sign up with the casino by registering an account. This is done by providing your name, email, address, mobile number, date of birth, and gender. You might also be asked to verify your email address or your phone number.

As soon as that’s done, you can log into your account and the free no deposit bonus will be waiting for you. Navigate to the bonus section of your account and you can activate the bonus there. Some casinos require you to claim the bonus by contacting the support team via live chat, but that’s not very common.

Once your sign-up welcome bonus is active, you can start using the bonus. If you got free spins, just head to the pokie where the spins have been credited. All you need to do is spin the reels and what you win from the free spins will be your bonus. If you got bonus money, simply choose a game and start playing.

What to Consider Before Choosing a Casino Welcome Bonus

Not all casino welcome bonuses are created equal. And, not all offers are as good as they seem. Before you choose to opt for a welcome bonus, there are some things you should consider and evaluate.

Wagering Requirement Type

There are multiple ways a wagering requirement can work. Sometimes you need to wager only the bonus and other times you need to wager both your bonus and the deposit you made. This also means that you sometimes have to wager your deposit before you start wagering the bonus, while you other times start the bonus wagering straight away. This has to be considered together with the wagering multiplier.

Wagering Multiplier

The actual wagering requirement is shown as a multiplier, and the lower this is the better the bonus offer is. The industry standard is 35x wagering for only the bonus, while it’s 30x if you need to wager both the bonus and the deposit. Use this as a benchmark to evaluate how good or bad the wagering requirement is.

Match Percentage

One thing that’s really easy to check, and understand, is the match percentage. The higher this is the better. As a general rule, any welcome bonus that gives you less than a 100% match is not worth taking. That is unless there are some extra bonuses you get as well, such as free spins or other bonus types.

Bonus Value

The value of the bonus is important to consider. You’ll usually have to make a minimum deposit to qualify for the welcome bonus. Typically, this is somewhere around $20, but certain bonuses can require a higher minimum deposit. There’s also the maximum bonus value that you need to consider. Make sure that this is high enough to give you a match for your entire deposit.

Bonus Expiry

This is also known as the validity period. It’s the timeframe you have to claim and use your bonus. Most casinos give players between 7 and 14 days to claim an offer after registration, but some have even shorter expiry times. Also, make sure that you check the timeframe you have to wager through your bonus before it’s forfeited.

Deposit Methods

Not all payment methods can be used to claim a welcome bonus, so you have to check that your method qualifies. For example, some casinos won’t allow you to use e-wallets or prepaid vouchers to claim welcome bonuses, such as Skrill, Neteller, and Paysafecard. Other bonuses might be eligible for only certain payment methods, like Bitcoin or Neosurf.

Available Games

Not all bonuses are made for all types of games, and looking into this before you opt-in for the bonus is crucial. Actually, many casinos only allow for a standard welcome bonus to be used for playing pokies. So, if you wish to play live casino games or table games, you need to ensure that the bonus can be used for these game types as well.

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Which Type Of Casino Welcome Bonus Is The Best?

Which welcome bonus is the best one is highly dependent on what kind of a player you are. And, how much you intend to deposit. Below you can check what you should consider based on your player type.

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Best Welcome Bonus for Small Depositors

If you’re a casual player and you intend to only deposit a small amount you should look for high percentage matches. Or, many free spins that can be claimed with only a minimum deposit.

A high percentage match can make even a small deposit into a fairly big bankroll. If you find a bonus that for example offers a 250% match, a $20 deposit will turn into a $70 bankroll. With this, you get to play for a long time.

Many welcome bonuses have a fixed number of free spins that you get simply by making a qualifying deposit. This means that you can deposit the minimum required amount, and then get just as many free spins as players who deposit more. This is an excellent way of making the most of your money. With some luck, you can get a big win even from a free spins bonus.

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Best Casino Welcome Bonus for High Rollers

High rollers are usually more concerned by the maximum amount that’s claimable from a bonus. Casinos that offer a large match percentage might cap the maximum claimable amount low.

That means a big deposit won’t get as much from the bonus as you might think. For example, if you get a 250% match bonus up to $500, a $200 deposit is all it takes to max out the bonus. For high rollers, that’s not a lot. So rather look for a lower match percentage that matches a large amount.

Free spins are often part of a welcome package, but this is not a good offer for a high roller. Free spins are played at the minimum bet possible in a pokie, so what you can potentially win will be small potatoes for a high roller.

Furthermore, a true high roller should also look into the maximum bet terms for playing with bonus funds. The standard for casinos is around $5 as a maximum bet, but some casinos enforce a max as low as $2.

 

Welcome Bonus Terms & Conditions

The terms and conditions associated with welcome bonuses often include wagering requirements, bonus validity periods, excluded games, and maximum win limits.

Generally speaking, an online casino will require you to wager your welcome bonus a certain number of times before winnings can be converted into real cash. Likewise, most casinos will allow only specific games to count towards the playthrough requirements or set a limit on the maximum win that can be earned from a bonus.

You must familiarise yourself with the exact terms and conditions before taking advantage of any casino welcome offers.

Maximize Your Bonus with a Welcome Bonus Package

Even though we refer to a bonus as a welcome bonus, as in singular, we might in fact mean a welcome bonus package. A bonus “package” can in turn refer to two different things.

  1. A welcome bonus package can be given on one deposit, and it will contain two bonuses. For example, you might get a match bonus as well as free spins.
  2. The other form of welcome bonus package can be multiple bonuses that stretch over many deposits. You might get a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and even 5th bonus. That way you get to enjoy welcome offers more than once.

If you’re hunting for the best Australian casino welcome bonus, then a multi-leveled package is the best way to go. This allows you to get a bankroll boost on many deposits, and thus you increase your chances of winning. The best welcome bonuses at Australian casinos are all listed at the top of this page.

Play Your Favourite Games with a Welcome Bonus

Most online casinos offer a wide range of slots and table games that qualify for their welcome bonus. Popular games include Pokies, Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat, and Video Poker. You can usually play these games to meet the wagering requirements set by the casino when claiming the bonus. But, keep in mind that different wagering contributions might apply, so make sure you check the terms of your selected welcome bonus offer.

Pokies

Pokies are popular among online players as these offer a huge selection of titles with great graphics and plenty of bonus features. Welcome bonuses at most casinos will allow you to try out the games with an enhanced bankroll, which increases your chances of winning big.

Typically, pokies contribute 100% towards your wagering requirement.

Roulette

Roulette is one of the oldest casino games, and its popularity in online casinos is undeniable. Roulette welcome bonuses make it easy to make the most out of the game by playing with a larger bankroll.

Just keep in mind that roulette games usually won’t fully contribute to the bonus wagering. Often, only between 5% and 25% of your bets are counted towards the turnover.

Blackjack

Blackjack is a classic card game that requires skill and strategy. It has become hugely popular, with many casinos offering welcome bonuses that can be used on blackjack games. These bonuses help you increase your bankroll and extend the playing experience and fun!

Just keep in mind that most casinos only count between 10% and 35% of bets towards the wagering requirement. And, make sure you don’t breach the maximum bet allowed while splitting or doubling down.

Baccarat

Baccarat is a popular game that is easy to learn but hard to master. Online casino welcome bonuses for baccarat games allow you to enjoy more hands without needing to wager any more of your own money. This allows you to practice and try out various strategies and even potentially win real money.

Most often, the wagering contribution for baccarat games is between 10% and 25%.

VIDEO POKER

Video poker is an excellent game if you want to play in a relaxed environment without worrying about other players. As in all skill-based games, an increased bankroll can help you optimise your strategy or simply practice your skills. And for this purpose, a welcome bonus can come in handy.

Just be aware that video poker won’t contribute 100% towards the turnover requirement. Typically, only 10% of your bets will be calculated for the bonus wagering.

Aussie Casino Welcome Bonus FAQ

Which Australian casino has the best welcome bonus?

Of the sites we recommend, Stellar Spins has the biggest welcome bonus. You get to claim a total of up to $10,000 + 200 free spins across 5 deposits. However, which bonus is the best is an individual choice, so have a look at the top of this page to find other alternatives. To find out more about the bonuses and terms, click your way into our casino reviews for a detailed overview.

 

Is a welcome bonus free money?

No, a welcome bonus is not considered to be free money. In order to claim a welcome bonus, you’ll need to make a deposit. Then, you’ll need to wager through the bonus before you can make a withdrawal of your winnings. The only exception is if you get a free sign-up bonus. This is a no deposit bonus, and once you’ve completed the wagering you can withdraw real money without having to make a deposit.

 

Can a welcome bonus be used for progressive jackpots?

Typically, you can’t use bonus funds to play games with a progressive jackpot. At least, you won’t be eligible to win the jackpot. This is because you won’t be contributing to the jackpot, and therefore you won’t be eligible to win it. However, once you’ve converted the bonus money from your welcome bonus into real money, you are free to play progressive jackpot games.

Will I always get free spins in a welcome bonus package?

No, there is no rule that says that you’ll always get free spins as a welcome bonus, although it is very common. Many Australian online casinos offer a welcome bonus package where you get both a match deposit bonus and free spins. To find these offers, simply have a look at the welcome bonuses we’ve listed at the top of this page.

Can I withdraw real money from a casino welcome bonus?

Yes, as soon as you’ve completed the wagering requirements attached to your welcome bonus you can make a withdrawal. However, keep in mind that the wagering requirement is likely to be quite high, so it’s not a given that you’ll be able to fulfil the turnover needed. Also, note that there might be a maximum win limit that’s applicable to the welcome bonus. Read the bonus terms for your specific welcome bonus to get all the details.

 

Maddison Dwyer

Senior Writer & Queen of Cards

Maddison, a graduate from the University of Queensland with a degree in journalism, has turned her sharp analytical skills towards the casino world. Specializing in blackjack and roulette and more, she guides enthusiasts through the complexities of gambling strategies.

Her background in ethical storytelling enriches her approach, making her insights into casino gaming both trustworthy and engaging.

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