A first deposit bonus is the one-off offer a site gives when you fund an account for the first time, usually a percentage match, a batch of spins, or both. It can be claimed once per person, per site, and the qualifying deposit is the number that decides what you actually get. Check the minimum deposit, the cap on the match and the wagering on every listing below.
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The first deposit bonus is the biggest offer most sites will ever give you, and the only one you cannot go back and claim later. That combination is why it is worth ten minutes of reading rather than one click.
It is also the offer the rules changed most in 2026. Since 19 January, wagering requirements have been capped at 10 times the bonus, and incentives that require two different types of gambling are banned outright. Headlines that once hid a 50x or 65x play-through cannot do so any more, which makes the deposit requirement, the cap on the match and the expiry the things that now separate a good welcome offer from a poor one.
What "first deposit" actually means
It means the first time money reaches that account, and it is normally one per person, address, household, device and payment method. Duplicate accounts to claim it twice and both are usually closed with the bonus voided, which is a term operators do enforce.
It also means the offer is gone if you deposit without opting in. Many sites require a tick box or a promo code at the cashier, and crediting is not retrospective. If there is a code on the listing, use it on the first deposit or the offer does not exist for you.
The three shapes a welcome offer comes in
Almost every first deposit offer is one of these, or a combination.
| Shape | How it behaves |
|---|
| Percentage match | Bonus funds worth a share of your deposit, up to a cap. A 100% match up to £50 gives £50 only if you deposit £50 or more. Deposit £10 and the bonus is £10, not £50. |
| Fixed spins | A set number of spins on named games, credited on deposit or drip-fed daily. Their worth is the spin value multiplied by the count, and the spin value is usually 10p. |
| Match plus spins | The most common welcome package. Each half often carries its own terms, so the wagering on the bonus funds and the wagering on the spin winnings can differ. |
| Bonus on spend rather than deposit | The reward arrives after you have staked the qualifying amount, not when you deposit it. The money is at risk before the offer lands, and this wording is easy to miss. |
The qualifying deposit is the number that matters
A headline reads "up to £200". The qualifying deposit decides how much of that is available to you, and most players never get near the cap.
What a 100% match up to £200 is worth
Deposit £10: bonus £10. Total to play with, £20.
Deposit £50: bonus £50. Total, £100.
Deposit £200: bonus £200. Total, £400.
The advertised number is the ceiling, not the offer. Work out what the bonus is at the deposit you were actually going to make, then compare that figure between sites, because it is often smaller than a flat offer elsewhere.
Wagering, now that it is capped
Licensees must not apply wagering requirements that make customers play through bonus funds more than 10 times. That is the maximum, not the standard, and there is still a meaningful difference between an offer at the cap and one at half of it.
Two details decide how long a requirement takes. The first is what the multiplier applies to: the bonus alone, or the deposit plus the bonus. The second is game weighting, which sets how much of each pound staked counts. Slots normally count in full, while table, video poker and live dealer games often count at a reduced rate or not at all.
A £50 bonus at 10x, two ways
Applied to the bonus: £500 of qualifying stakes.
Applied to deposit plus bonus, on a £50 deposit: £1,000 of qualifying stakes.
Same multiplier, same headline, twice the work. The terms will say which basis applies, and it is the first thing to check after the deposit requirement.
The terms that quietly decide the outcome
Beyond wagering, these are the conditions that most often turn a promising welcome offer into a disappointing one:
| Term | What to look for |
|---|
| Maximum bet while a bonus is active | Commonly £5 or less. Exceeding it can void the bonus and everything won with it, and it is the most common reason a complaint is rejected. |
| Maximum conversion | A ceiling on how much bonus money can become cash. A capped win on a large bonus can be worth less than a small uncapped one. |
| Expiry | Bonus funds and spins usually last days rather than weeks, counted from crediting rather than registration. |
| Excluded payment methods | Some sites exclude certain e-wallets from bonus eligibility. Depositing with the wrong method can forfeit the offer silently. |
| Eligible games | Spins are usually tied to one title. Return to player differs from game to game and is published in the game's own information panel. |
| Verification | Identity checks are required before any withdrawal. Completing them early avoids a delay at the point you want your money. |
What the advertising rules already guarantee you
The advertising codes require the significant conditions of an offer to appear clearly and prominently wherever it is promoted, with the full terms no more than one click away. Significant conditions include eligibility, any requirement to deposit your own money, wagering and withdrawal restrictions, and time limits.
They also say an offer cannot be called free if you must risk your own money to qualify, and cannot be called risk free unless you stand to lose nothing. Treat both phrases as a reason to open the terms rather than as a description of the deal. Every listing on this page states its significant terms for the same reason.
How to compare two welcome offers properly
1
Fix your deposit first
Decide what you were going to put in, then read every headline at that number rather than at the cap.
2
Find the requirement and its basis
The multiplier matters less than whether it applies to the bonus or to deposit plus bonus.
3
Look for the ceiling
Maximum conversion or maximum win tells you the most this offer can ever be worth.
4
Check the clock and the games
Expiry, eligible titles and weighting decide whether the requirement is realistic in the time allowed.
A bigger bonus is not the same as a better one
The largest headline on a page is rarely the best offer for the deposit most people make. A modest match with a low requirement and no conversion cap can be worth more in practice than a four-figure percentage that needs a deposit you were never going to make, and clearing a large bonus means staking a large sum, which is not a neutral act.
The useful question is not how big the bonus is. It is what it is worth at your deposit, and what you would have to do to turn any of it into cash.
Playing safely
A welcome offer is designed to get you playing and to keep you there. Decide what you are prepared to lose before you claim one, set a deposit limit at the same time, and treat a play-through as money at risk rather than money in hand.
Every site listed here is licensed by the Gambling Commission and must offer deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion. If gambling stops being entertainment, free confidential help is available from GambleAware and the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, and GAMSTOP blocks access to every licensed British gambling site for a period you choose.
