This is one of the most common questions asked by newcomers to the world of online casinos. However, it is a surprisingly difficult question to answer. This is because a no-deposit bonus can be a welcome bonus, but a welcome bonus isn’t necessarily a no-deposit bonus. There are a lot of similarities between the two, but also a good number of differences.

On this page, our goal is to tell you the difference between a no-deposit bonus and a welcome bonus. This way, you will understand a bit of the terminology surrounding the two. At the same time, we also want to highlight the areas where they share similarities.

What is a no-deposit bonus?

A no-deposit bonus is exactly what it says on the tin. It is a bonus that is not reliant on you depositing anything into your account. As you can imagine, these bonuses are incredibly rare. This is because most online casinos are not massive fans of giving something away for free. When you do see no deposit casino bonuses, most of the time they are going to be for newer online casinos – new platforms that may struggle to attract customers based on the strength of their brand name alone. These bonuses are also often quite limited in what you get. Don’t expect a no-deposit bonus of hundreds of pounds.

As we said, you should bear in mind that most online casinos will never even dream of offering a no-deposit bonus, and in many cases, it isn’t worth hunting down an online casino just to get the no-deposit bonus, as the bonus will be so paltry and the terms and conditions so restrictive that it just isn’t worth it. Still, if there is a no-deposit bonus available at an online casino you would have gambled at anyway, there’s no harm in taking advantage of it.

No deposit bonuses are so limiting that they are often just a good way to test out a website, rather than a method to make some cash from an online platform.

What is a welcome bonus?

As we said before, a no-deposit bonus can be a welcome bonus, but a welcome bonus isn’t necessarily a no-deposit bonus. A welcome bonus will normally require you to deposit your selected platform.

A welcome bonus is any bonus an online casino gives you just for signing up for the platform. This is far more common than a no-deposit bonus. We don’t think we have come across a single legit online casino that doesn’t offer a welcome bonus.

Welcome bonuses can take all sorts of different forms. This can include:

• Free spins at slot machines. However, do bear in mind that you’ll often be limited to very specific slot machines with this type of bonus.
  

• Matched deposits. This will be, by far, the most common welcome bonus that you’ll find. Matched deposits do exactly what they say on the tin. They’ll match whatever you deposit, up to a certain amount. It can often be quite a hefty match too. Although, remember that this will be in the form of bonus cash (more on that in the next section).
  

• Bonus cash. This is rare, but some online casinos will offer it as a welcome bonus. This is just a fixed bonus. So, deposit something, and you get a fixed amount of cash back. Quite simple.
  

So, why do online casinos offer welcome bonuses? Well, because it is a way to get people through the door. Similar to how esports tournaments attract players with prize pools and exclusive rewards, online casinos use welcome bonuses to entice new customers. Both industries understand the value of offering initial incentives to build loyalty and engagement in a highly competitive space. In a crowded online casino market (and there are thousands of online casinos out there), you need to do everything in your power to pull in new customers, and welcome bonuses have proved, repeatedly, to be the best route to take.

The similarities between the two

As we said, there are similarities between welcome bonuses and no deposit bonuses, beyond the fact that they are actually bonuses.

The main similarity is that no matter the type of bonus, you are not going to be given free money that you can withdraw right away. No business is in the habit of giving away money. Instead, bonuses will have a rollover requirement in place. This means that whatever you win from the bonus cash will need to be played through several times before you can withdraw anything. This can be as high as 40-50x. The chances of you actually withdrawing cash are slim. A bonus is a way to test out an online platform with the lowest amount of risk. No deposit bonuses will often have far higher rollover requirements than other bonuses.

There will also be limitations on the types of games that you can play with the bonus (at least, in most cases). Again, there are likely to be a lot more requirements in place if you use a no deposit bonus.

If you wish to find out the requirements and limitations for all the bonuses, an online casino must list them in the terms and conditions. It is one of the requirements for running an online casino in the United Kingdom. So, have a good look through the terms to see what is expected of you. You’ll quickly realise that the limitations are very restrictive, which is why you should never choose an online casino based on the strength of its bonuses alone.

Final thoughts

There are a few differences between a no deposit bonus and a welcome bonus. A no deposit bonus requires absolutely no deposit on an online platform, whereas a welcome bonus may require a deposit (but not necessarily). Both will be similar in that there will be restrictions on any bonus cash that you do receive, though.

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