Explained: First Deposit Bonuses

Last Updated on March 3, 2023, written by Amelia Cassiday

The best online bingo sites offer absolutely loads of bonuses and promotions to their players, however there is one bonus that always stands out above the others: the first deposit bonus. The best online bingo offers are nearly always first deposit bonuses, and this is simply because they offer much higher rewards than all other bonuses and promotions.

It’s not unusual to find that a first deposit bonus can triple, or even quadruple, your initial deposit at an online bingo site, and these means that gamblers can enjoy loads of bonus money – bonus money that can be used to play all kinds of bingo games, as well as online slots and table games. There are some things you should look at before accepting a first deposit bonus though, and we’re going to look at them in detail below…

Rollover Requirement

The first, and arguably the most important, thing to look at is the rollover requirement. This is rarely openly advertised and is instead found deep within the terms and conditions. The rollover requirement is expressed as a percentage and it tells you how many times you’ll have to gamble the bonus funds before they can be withdrawn. If you attempt to withdraw funds before you have met the rollover requirement, you will find that the withdrawal request is denied.

It might be worth using an example to explain the rollover requirement more. Let’s take an average rollover requirement, which would be 35x, and say that you’ve received a bonus worth £20. You will have to now make £700 (£20 x 35) worth of bets before you can make a withdrawal. It is therefore clearly the case that the lower the rollover requirement, the more chances you’ll have of withdrawing any funds. So, always check the rollover requirement before accepting bonus funds!

Expiry Date

The next thing to look at is the expiry date, as you really don’t want to end up losing your funds before you’ve had the chance to use them! The expiry date is another thing that will be found deep in the terms and conditions, and most online bingo sites give you as decent amount of time to use your bonus funds. Be careful though, as there are some sites that only give you 24 hours to use your funds, and this clearly isn’t long enough. So, don’t risk losing your bonus funds – check the small print on the day you receive them!

Specific Games

The final thing to check is whether the funds have to be used on specific games. This is more common when receiving free spins to use on online slots, however some bingo bonuses also have these restrictions attached to them. It is important to check for the following reason: if you play a game that isn’t compatible with the terms and conditions, you’ll find that your own money is used instead. As it is clearly preferable to use the bonus funds before you use your own money, it’s clearly important to check this part of the small print.

So, there you have it: three things to look for before you accept a first deposit bonus. You’ll find that the first deposit bonuses offered by different sites can vary wildly, but it is important to not only look at the size of the bonus. Instead, you should consider the bonus size, but also consider the terms and conditions as well. After all, what use is a massive bonus if you find it expires in just a day, or if it has a huge rollover requirement attached to it?

You’ll find that all sites we recommend offer bonuses with good and honest terms and conditions, so why not read our reviews and see which of our recommended sites is perfect for you?