What is a welcome bonus?
First, let’s try to clarify what is meant by Welcome Bonus. Many gaming and betting operators offer new members the possibility of obtaining a “bonus”. It’s a promotion that allows you to play for free. So you can obtain an increase on the amount deposited in the account, be reimbursed in case of losing bet. Also participate in prizes and progressive bonuses and so on. This is a method adopted by betting sites to attract new users.
Welcome bonuses, as the word itself suggests, are aimed exclusively at new customers. For those who do not already have an active gaming account with the same operator. So let’s talk about a promotion that can only be accessed with the first registration.
How many welcome bonuses are there?
Having clarified the concept of welcome bonus, let’s now understand what types of bonuses are most in use. Nowadays there are the most diverse ones. Each operator applies “his own recipe” by mixing and merging several bonus variants into a single one.
Bonuses that integrate the refund on the first bet lose and the increase on the first deposit. Welcome promotions that allow you to get a reward by sending your identity document + free spins for slot. In short, the combinations as you can imagine are many. Yes, but you may be wondering, what are the most common welcome bonuses?
First deposit bonus
It is certainly among the most historic and used by betting operators. It’s easy to understand both for users and as regards the terms and conditions that apply to it. For example, a welcome bonus of 100% of the deposited amount up to €50 will mean that by depositing €50, you will have a 100% bonus of €50 in your account. The user who has obtained this bonus will see €100 in his gaming account equal to €50 deposited and €50 bonus.
Bonus on first 3 deposits
This promo, similar to the one seen previously, extends for a period that can go from 30 days to 90 days. The intent of the bookmaker is to spread the bonus over a longer period. So it keep the user close to making 3 “increased” deposits from the welcome promotion. The deposit bonus percentage could be the same in the case of 3 top-ups or progressive, making the third deposit more “attractive”. An example? The promotion could include 50% on the first deposit up to €100; 100% on the second deposit up to €200 and 200% on the third deposit up to €400.
No deposit bonuses
The no deposit bonus is undoubtedly the Eldorado of bettors. Its name already reveals the great peculiarity appreciated by users. Since it is “no deposit”, the user sees an amount credited to the game account in the form of bonus money. He can already have fun without having to make a deposit. The amounts that we have been able to collect by comparing various betting sites with no deposit bonuses vary from €10 to €30 according to the operator.
Unfortunately, there are not enough of these offers. Users have to fall back on welcome bonuses that provide for a first top-up on the account.
Losses Refund and First Play Refund
We could summarily divide the refund bonus into two subcategories: the one that provides for losses (daily, weekly or monthly) and the one that concerns the first bet (whether it is a winner or a loser).
These are two rather different mechanics:
In the first case, the reimbursement of losses takes place by applying a percentage (e.g. 50%) on the daily, weekly or monthly expense (amounts played – amounts won) on sports bets and is paid within a limit (a particular day of the week or on the date predetermined by the terms and conditions).
In the case of a refund on the first bet, the operator undertakes to compensate the user on the amount of the first bet regardless of whether it is a winning or losing outcome. Even in this case very specific terms and conditions apply which could include criteria such as: minimum odds, minimum number of events in the case of multiples, pre-match and live bets and so on.
In reality there would also be a third option which concerns the refund on the first losing bet. In this case, the difference with the refund on the first bet is that it must be non-winning.
Tranche betting bonus
Some betting sites, for some time now, have also put bonuses on the market that can be obtained in tranches. Let’s talk in detail about promotions that are “unlocked” in several tranches and respecting the criteria dictated by the bookmaker. To make it easier to understand, let’s take an example:
We could find ourselves faced with a welcome bonus that provides €240 in weekly tranches of €10 in the first 6 months of participation in the Betting Club. To participate, you need to bet at least €25 a week on single line multiples of 3 or more selections (min. odds 3.00).
However, this promotion is not very common among operators so it will seem more familiar to recognize the deposit bonus or the one on sending the document.
Refer a friend bonus
The refer a friend bonus is a non-exclusive promotion to the gambling market. In fact, it is present in many marketing strategies of other sectors such as e-commerce, banking, and many others. This is the so-called “word of mouth” which however rewards the user (and also the friend) with a bonus usually around €5-€10 per new member. It is therefore easy to obtain as it will be enough to present a new player via link or code to get a reward.
Document sending bonus
This is the bonus often linked to account verification where the user is required to send a copy of the front and back of the identification document to finalize the registration and allow the operator to verify its validity. The amount is not very high and often varies from €5 to €10.
