Best Welcome Bonuses in New Zealand 2024

In order to get bonus money from a real money casino, you, first of all, need to claim it. You will never get a bonus from a casino just because you visit their site for the first time and decide to play games there. In most cases, the bonus claiming procedure is similar, with slight differences based on the bonus type you apply for. So here is how it works.

1. Create an account 

You should register a new account on a casino site regardless of the welcome bonus that you wish to claim.

2. Claim a bonus 

Some casinos provide no-deposit welcome bonuses to their customers right after registration, and there is nothing to be done on your end. In some cases, you will need to claim a bonus from your casino account and even enter a bonus code. Otherwise, you will need to contact customer support to claim your bonus money. The good news is that you can quickly check this information in the welcome bonus online casino terms and conditions.

3. Make a deposit

If you want to apply for a deposit welcome bonus, you will need to make a deposit to get extra money. Keep an eye on a min deposit amount, bonus percentage, and the max bonus size in order to understand what’s expected on your end to get a bonus and how much money you can get in return.

All in all, we strongly recommend that you check bonus terms and conditions when applying for a bonus as all the details for a particular offer are outlined there.

Although safe and secure casinos provide different welcome bonus offers to their customers, there are three main bonus types that you can find: 

• Deposit welcome bonuses that are based on a deposit and are added to your account once you top up your casino account.
• No deposit signup bonuses that are paid out instantly once you register a first-time account;
• Free spins to newly registered players that can be used in particular casino slots. 

As a rule, mobile casino welcome bonus offers are identical to the ones that you can find in a desktop version of a casino. Of course, there are some exceptions, but they are quite rare. So no matter what device you use for gambling, you will hardly suffer from the shortage of different bonus offers. Keep reading to know more about every bonus type.

Deposit welcome bonuses

A first deposit bonus, sometimes known as a “welcome” bonus, matches your initial investment with bonus money paid out by an online casino. For instance, in the case of a 100% deposit welcome bonus of up to NZ$1000, a casino will double every dollar you deposit and give you up to NZ$1000 in bonus money. Deposit welcome bonuses do not have a fixed size and vary based on your deposit within a fixed min/max range. You can even get a bitcoin welcome bonus if you make your first crypto deposit.

Signup bonuses

A no-deposit bonus is exactly what it sounds like. Some casinos actually provide their newly registered customers with free money without even requiring a deposit from them. Signup bonuses might come in a form of free casino cash or free spins with no deposit required. As a rule, signup bonuses are relatively small as they are offered with a single purpose – to give new players a chance to get to know a casino policy and games better.

Welcome free spins

A free spins casino bonus is one of the most common bonuses you’ll come across. It may come as a single bonus offer or as a part of another promotion. Just as its name suggests, welcome bonus free spins are free of charge and allow you to spin the reels of pokie machines without needing to make a deposit. So if you are a fan of pokie games, then a free spin bonus is a perfect-match welcome offer that you should definitely go for. However, you should remember that you may be restricted to free spins in particular games only and within a set timeframe. So keep an eye out for casino terms and conditions associated with this bonus before signing for the offer.

Welcome bonus packages

Many high-roller casinos offer what is known as ‘welcome packages’ covering a few deposits at once. These bonuses are typically the most lucrative deals online casinos offer since you can count on multiple gains. A welcome bonus package is designed for active casino players ready to make multiple deposits and get rewards for them. As a rule, a welcome package is a pack of bonuses paid on the first and every subsequent deposit that you make. Thus, you can get rewards on up to five first deposits. You may also find a combo of bonus money and free spins as a part of a casino welcome pack.

Pros:

• The opportunity to grow your bankroll significantly
• You can explore new games without putting your cash at risk
• The chance to develop a winning strategy by using bonus money in the game
• You can test casino services with zero risk
• The chance to test out multiple games before picking the one you want to play

Cons:

• There is normally a maximum cap amount that prevents you from withdrawing bonus money winnings over a particular amount
• With no-deposit bonuses, wagering requirements are typically high
• Welcome bonuses come with bet limits, which you are required to stick to
• The eligible games are typically minimal with these offers
• You should be ready to lose real money when fulfilling your bonus wagering requirements

There are many good things about claiming welcome bonuses, but you will benefit from bonus offers to the maximum if you diligently stick to the casino’s terms and conditions. These are normally relatively player-friendly at most online casinos, but in some cases, the conditions are so stacked in favor of the house that there isn’t much value on offer. So before claiming a welcome bonus, make sure you read all of the terms and conditions and keep an eye on the following:

• Playthrough (wagering) requirements: you need to be aware of the number of wagers that you need to make in order to withdraw your casino online welcome bonus profits.
• Max withdrawal: all casinos have different limitations in terms of max withdrawal amounts. You will never be able to cash out hundreds of thousands of dollars within a single transaction since most casinos have max bonus winning restrictions.
• Covered games: as a rule, casinos limit the number of games that you can play with bonus money. So you need to check in advance whether your target game is covered in the list.
• Min deposit: this requirement refers to deposit bonuses and free spins; it outlines the minimal amount of a deposit that you need to make in order to claim a bonus from a casino.
• Bet limits: most online casinos accept bets within set limits, and you need to be aware of how much you can wager in a particular game in order to plan your gambling budget accordingly.
• Game contribution rates: as we have already mentioned, you will need to meet wagering requirements in order to be eligible to cash out your bonus profits. And this is where game contribution rates come into play. They show off the percentage of bonus money wagered on it that contributes to meeting the playthrough requirements.

Apart from the above, geo-restrictions and bonus expiration terms matter. As a rule, casinos restrict residents of some countries to claim some of their welcome bonuses. Therefore, we strongly recommend ensuring that your country is not a part of the restricted list before you make your first deposit or register an account hunting for a particular bonus offer. 

On top of that, most welcome bonuses expire over some time (in a week, month, or so). Keep an eye on bonus expiration terms to use the bonus money to the fullest before expiration. Let’s dive deep into the key bonus terms and conditions so that you do not have a chance to miss out on a single important detail.

There are no online casinos that give wager-free welcome bonuses. We understand that wagering requirements might be some of the most onerous constraints that any bonus can face. That’s why knowing all the details of wagering (playthrough) requirements is important when registering at the best welcome bonus casinos. 

A wagering requirement is a specified amount of real money you must bet before withdrawing your welcome bonus profits. In most cases, you’ll have to gamble your deposit amount 30 to 40 times before you can cash out your winnings, so you need to plan your gambling budget accordingly. For you to get the max out of an online gambling welcome bonus without being stuck due to strict wagering requirements, it is best that you follow the below tips:

• Playing games with low contribution rates should be avoided. Some casino games do not enable you to count the whole amount of your stake toward your wagering requirements
• Find games with high RTP rates to ensure that you make the most money with the bonus of your choosing
• Claim bonuses with wagering requirements of 30 times or fewer to increase your chances of profit

Most players find withdrawal limits to be annoying. Let’s be honest, there is nothing you can do but comply with it. Some players have issues with these limitations simply because they are tempted to gamble their winnings rather than wait for their next withdrawal to be available. That’s why it is so important to know max allowed withdrawal amounts.

When providing a welcome bonus to their customers, some casinos may limit how much you can withdraw from this offer. And the restrictions can be very much different. Some minimum deposit casinos, for example, may only let you withdraw up to ten times your initial deposit. Others set a particular amount that you cannot exceed. Always read the bonus terms and conditions if you don’t want to be caught off guard when requesting a withdrawal.

Depending on the casino, your withdrawal limit may be daily, weekly, or monthly. It will also be of varying size. Some casinos will enable you to withdraw NZ$2000 every week, while others will allow you to withdraw even more. Let us now explain how these constraints function. Withdrawal restrictions can be set based on three factors:

• Max withdrawal amount per transaction: The casino determines the maximum amount you may withdraw in a single transaction. If you wish to withdraw NZ$2000, but the restriction is set at NZ$1000, you should run a transaction twice
• Time: In this case, an online casino restricts the number of withdrawals you may make over a certain period of time (one or two withdrawals per week for example);
• Time and money: It is the most widely used withdrawal limit. It combines the two prior constraints that we have just seen. You will, for example, be able to withdraw NZ$1000 or NZ$2000 every week or so.

In short, a minimum deposit requirement simply means that you need to make a minimum deposit to be eligible to claim a casino welcome bonus on offer. For example, if the casino is giving a 100% deposit bonus, the terms and conditions may state that the minimum amount to get the bonus is NZ$20. The real minimum deposit limit is determined by the value of the bonus you want to claim as well as the casino you play at.

Some online casinos, for example, establish the minimum deposit for bonuses as the site’s general minimum deposit limit; others, particularly when it comes to high-roller incentives, set up a higher minimum deposit limit. In general, the most common minimum deposit limit is around NZ$10. Of course, some of the higher casino bonuses, particularly those aimed at high rollers, can reach hundreds of dollars, although this is quite rare.

Bet limits reflect the max/ min amount that a casino allows its players to wager on a given game. If, for example, you attempted to wager NZ$50 on a game where the casino wasn’t comfortable taking bets over NZ$10, you’d likely receive some sort of error message with the indication, “Limit: NZ$10.”  Bet limits aren’t set – they vary from one casino to another. What’s more, they can change depending on the game you’re playing, and even then, they may vary from one table to another. 

What does the term “max bet” mean for players? It’s quite straightforward. If you’re using bonus money, don’t bet more than the maximum amount specified in the offer’s rules. Don’t play a NZ$7 spin if it’s set at NZ$6.50. We understand how tempting it is to get carried away when you suddenly get a lot of additional money to play with. It would, however, be a great disappointment if you won a jackpot only to have your riches taken because you violated that rule.

This isn’t a major concern for most casual gamblers because most of them play at modest stakes, such as NZ$0.50 or NZ$1 every spin, to stretch their budgets. So, in terms of stakes, betting NZ$5 on a spin is already fairly big. Thus, as long as you don’t get too carried away, the max bet limit doesn’t influence most players. If you are the type of player who views casino promotions as a chance to have fun and does not have retirement plans depending on your bonus earnings, this rule is unlikely to affect you.

Some bonuses come with a list of games for wagering. So it will be hardly possible for you to pick a random game from a casino portfolio and play it with bonus money. As a rule, covered games vary depending on a chosen bonus. Thus, you will be allowed to use free spins in a couple of pokie machines, while a no-deposit bonus can be used in pokies, keno, scratch card, and some table games.  

The game contribution rate is the percentage of bonus money wagered on it that contributes to meeting bonus wagering requirements. Traditionally, the contribution rate for house-friendly games, such as pokies, keno, and scratch cards, will be 100%. It might be closer to 10%, 5%, or 0% for more player-friendly table games. However, this percentage may vary from casino to casino. 

The majority of online pokies, keno, and scratch cards contribute 100% of the gameplay. These games typically have house edges ranging from 4% to 6%, which helps you cash out bonuses more quickly and with min investment. Of course, contributions for table games and pokies will vary by industry. However, here is a short overview of contribution rates per game that you can expect:

• Baccarat – 0% up to 25%
• Blackjack – 0% up to 25%
• Caribbean stud – 10% up to 50%
• Craps – between 0% and 25%
• European roulette – up to 25%
• French roulette – up to 25%
• Hold’em poker – 10% up to 50%
• Let Em Ride – 10% up to 50%
• Keno – in most cases, 100%
• Red Dog – between 10% and 50%
• Slots – between 0% and 100%
• Video poker – up to 25%

Take your time to dive deep into casino bonus terms and conditions to get an idea of game contribution rates and any exclusions or other limits.

Casino welcome bonuses are excellent ways to get started on any online casino site. Now that we’ve gone through all of the different welcome offers you might come across in your online casino journey as well as the terms and conditions associated with them, you’re armed with the knowledge to choose the best that is right for you! So take your time to explore the most generous welcome bonus casinos in New Zealand and start off your gambling journey on the right foot.