Casino Bonus – Find your best first deposit bonus casino

By Casino Professor Last updated: March 20, 2023

Looking for a casino bonus? Great, you have come to the right place. At Casino Professor we list first deposit bonus offers on Canadian online casinos. The best first deposit bonus casino sites are made for the Canadian consumer. And of course, give you more to play with when you make your first deposit.

But keep in mind, casino bonuses aren’t for everyone.

Because the money that you will receive on top of your deposit isn’t “real money”. It is bonus money that needs to be wagered before you’re eligible to withdraw any of it. But don’t worry, on this page we will tell you how it is done and you can choose whether you want to claim a first deposit casino bonus or not. Since you as a player have always the right to reject the bonus offer if you wish to do so.

And if you’re browsing our website from Ontario, you need to check the current casino bonus offer yourself from the casino’s own website. We’re not allowed to show you this information.

First deposit casino bonus list – 2023

Find the best Canadian online casino bonuses from the updated list. More information about the casino bonus itself and the bonus terms and conditions can be found on the casino review.

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Best casino bonuses in Canada

• Best Casino Bonus Canada Overall – Casino Days
• Best First Deposit Bonus Casino – Wildz
• Top Casino Bonus CA – PokerStars
• Big First Deposit Casino Bonus – SlotHunter
• Top Casino Match Bonus – Casumo
• Best Bonus at Slots Site – PlayOJO
• #1 New Casino Bonus – Wheelz
• Top Gambling Bonus – Betway

Casino bonus explained (what is a casino bonus?)

A casino bonus is an incentive given by the online casino to get you to play more. How it works is that when you make a deposit with real money, the casino adds bonus money on top of the real money that you deposited. Generally matching your deposit (100% casino bonus). Meaning when you deposit $100 – the casino will match this $100 and you have $200 to play with it. Larger bonus percentages than 100% you rarely see. 200% occasionally yes, but anything larger than that not really.

While casino bonuses are an excellent way to boost your bankroll, you should not just compare them based on the percentages and dollar amount. There are several terms and conditions that come along with the bonus money. And yes, it is bonus money, not real money that you can freely use and withdraw from the casino account. Wagering requirements are the obvious thing that you need to take a look at before claiming any casino bonus.

Best online casino bonus Canada

The first thing to take into consideration is that the operator has focused on the Canadian consumer and the local currency is available. A large casino bonus might be useless if you pay high fees on currency conversions. Best Canadian online casino bonuses are in CAD and there is support available if needed when Canadians typically are online. Since most online casinos operate across the Atlantic this is actually something to keep in mind.

We list operators that have focused on Canada and offer the basics mentioned. Something a person hunting for the best Canadian online casino bonuses would be wanting. But what are the other things that you should consider when choosing a casino bonus in Canada?

We will tell your shortly more about bonus terms and conditions, but those are always worth checking before you make a deposit with real money. So don’t be fooled by high numbers, remember to read the small print as well. If something looks too good, it usually is. A larger bonus percentage than 100% usually comes with insane wagering requirements that make it nearly impossible to wager the bonus cash. So keep this in mind. And of course, first check whether you need to activate the bonus with a code.

Bonus code – Necessary or not

Bonus codes are becoming more rare and rare nowadays. Most of the casinos will automatically add the bonus after the deposit or the player has the option to choose when making a deposit whether they want the bonus or not (when to reject the casino bonus). However, there are still some casinos online that use bonus codes. Usually, the field is visible to the cashier when making a deposit. So double-check before confirming the deposit whether you need to use a bonus code to activate the bonus.

If for some reason you did not receive the bonus do not start playing! Contact support and deal with the issue with them before playing.

Exclusive bonuses still commonly use bonus codes. These often unlock bonuses that otherwise wouldn’t be available, so it’s crucial to include them when making a deposit. On our site, we have highlighted the exclusive casino bonus so it’s easy for you to see whether the bonus is exclusive and requires you to use a specific bonus code to claim it. In some cases, just using our link will be fine to unlock the offer. Exclusive casino bonuses for the time being are however really available outside of Ontario since none of the regulated online casinos are allowed to promote casino bonuses in any form.

Casino bonus terms & conditions

As we already mentioned, bonus money isn’t free money, but bonus money. And before it is converted into real money that can be actually withdrawn from the account, the bonus terms and conditions need to be completed. Wagering requirements are pretty much the mandatory evil of every casino bonus. And of course there are some other terms and conditions that you need to comply.

Pretty much all casino bonuses have wagering requirements

So no, the bonus money really isn’t real money – keep this in mind! You can play with it at the casino, but you cannot withdraw before the wagering requirements have been met. Casino bonuses in Canada are no different from those other countries in this.

There is always wagering that applies to every casino bonus out there. Usually, the higher the bonus is (bigger %), the higher the wagering requirements are. New to wagering requirements – view the video.

What’s tricky is that a casino might attach wagering requirements to both the deposit and bonus.

That way, the relatively low x10 requirement example above would double due to both the $50 deposit and $50 bonus being included for $100 overall. Multiplying this figure by 10 results in a wagering requirement of $1000.

Rather than doing these calculations for all your online casino bonuses, you can use our wagering requirement calculator tool. This tells you how much money you need to bet to convert the bonus money into real money without the need to do any calculations yourself. Just input the details of the casino bonus to the calculator.

Casino bonus wagering calculator

This is how the casino bonus calculator works:

1. Enter the amount you want to deposit.
2. Then enter the bonus amount.
3. State what the wagering requirements are – e.g. 20 times
4. Choose if you need to wager just the bonus money, or both the deposit + bonus (should be stated in the bonus’s terms).
5. Under “Contribution%”, select how much the game you want to play contributes to meeting the wagering requirements (slots generally 100%).
6. Click on “Calculate” and you will be shown how much you need to play to turn the bonus into real money.

Other casino bonus terms and requirements

Alongside wagering, there are a number of other important factors to consider when you’re weighing up different online casino bonuses. Some of these considerations include:

• Time – Every bonus casino includes a time limit or expiry date with their offer. You must activate the bonus and complete any wagering requirements before any stipulated end dates. Otherwise, you will lose the bonus and any winnings in full. And sometimes the time limit might be very strict. eg. 7 days and if not completed within the time the bonus is automatically lost.
• Games – As we touched on above, not all games contribute the same amount to satisfying the wagering requirements. For example, a table game like roulette, online baccarat or blackjack may only contribute 50% or 0%. So make sure to check that the games you’re about to play contribute towards the wagering requirements (game contribution).
• Payment methods – There are some payment methods that you cannot use to activate a casino bonus. For example, we often see casinos not allowing deposits via Skrill or Neteller. However, this can also be extended to other e-wallets, so make sure you check if any payment methods are excluded before making a deposit.
• Minimum deposit – There is a certain minimum deposit that is needed to unlock the bonus. Usually, the minimum deposit for a bonus is the same as the general minimum deposit, but not always. Sometimes the casino might have a general minimum deposit set to 10$, but the minimum deposit to claim the bonus is 20$.
• Maximum bet – Often maximum bet for slots is 5$ per spin. Sometimes less, sometimes more. Bets exceeding the maximum allowed bet aren’t counted towards the wagering requirements. Sometimes playing on higher bets allowed might even result in a loss of bonus and possible winnings made with the bonus money.

NOTE: As online casinos frequently update their terms and conditions, we strongly recommend double-checking them when you get to their site. 

Casino bonus types available in Canada

No, the best Canadian online casino bonuses aren’t that different from other countries. And the deposit bonus is always a better bonus than the no deposit bonus. Of course, you actually put your own money in instead of putting nothing (no deposit = no money to the casino). When talking about terminology on this page, we focus on what you get when you make a deposit (no deposit bonuses view here).

There is of course the regulatory authority that can make things different in the future. But for now, bonuses are allowed. Just in Ontario, sites like ours aren’t allowed to display the bonus information to you directly. You need to visit the online casino yourself and check what is the current bonus offer available. So don’t worry, there is still casino bonus available on those as well who live in Ontario.

Sign up bonus

Sign up casino bonus as the name suggests is a bonus that you will receive after registration AKA after signing up. So all you need to do to receive is just complete filling in your personal details and confirm your email or phone number. And that’s basically it, then you have your bonus money or free spins waiting for you.

Sign up bonuses aren’t generally that large, typically you get a certain amount of free spins with the minimum bet which is generally around 10 cents. So each batch of 10 free spins would be worth around one dollar.

Like with most casino bonuses, sign up bonuses have terms and conditions related to them. You need to wager your winnings a certain amount of time before you’re able to withdraw any winnings. And to withdraw your winnings you need to verify your account.

Welcome bonus

The welcome bonus or first deposit bonus is always the best bonus. Whether in Canada or any other country.

And like the name already tells you, it’s available when you are a new customer making your first deposit. A welcome gift basically – thanks for choosing our casino! Hence the alternative name: Welcome bonus.

Generally, the welcome bonus is valid for the first deposit only, but some online casinos have a so-called welcome package. Meaning that you will get bonuses also after your first deposit.

Since it’s the best bonus, you should consider maxing it. Meaning that you claim the full bonus as the welcome bonus can be only claimed once. So for example, if the casino offers the typical match bonus (casino matches your deposit) – a 100% bonus of up to 100$. You deposit 100$ to get 100 in real money and 100 in bonus money in our account.

Bonus cash / Free cash

Bonus cash or free cash is cash that is added on top of your deposit. This is definitely the most common type of bonus used by the online gambling industry. Whether it’s a casino bonus or some other bonus (poker, betting etc.).

Deposit x amount and get x amount in bonus money. 100% or match bonus means that you get an equal amount in bonus money whereas 200% would mean that you receive twice as much in bonus money. 300% three times and so on. A cash bonus is quite a straightforward casino bonus.

But don’t get too focused on the percentage… The higher the wagering requirements are.

Free Spins / Bonus spins

Free spins or bonus spins, both mean the same thing. X amount of spins to a certain slot. Yes, usually to a specific bonus slot that has been determined by the casino. And the spins have a certain value as well. Eg. 0.50$ per spin.

Sometimes large free spins offers are indeed too good to be true. Meaning that all spins aren’t given at once. This is a typical trick used by many casino sites. So let’s say that casino advertises: “1000 Free Spins on first deposit”. You might eventually be indeed given all 1000 free spins but you might only get 10 spins a day. Meaning it takes you 100 days to claim all 1000 free spins. And if you don’t spin those 10 spins a day they are gone after the day has passed.

Loyalty bonuses

Loyalty bonuses are given by online casino sites to reward their loyal customers. If you’re someone who plays regularly, you wanna look for a casino that rewards you for being active.

Regular bonus offers are pretty sweet and many casinos reward their loyal customers in the form of regular bonus offers. Of course, in most cases, you need to make additional deposits to claim the rewards.

Loyalty bonuses can be rewards that aren’t directly related to gambling. Sometimes online casinos can reward their VIP players with something extra. Like consumer electronics etc.

Cashback

Cashback is a type of loyalty bonus. You get some money back for what you have played. So technically it really isn’t a casino bonus but more like some form of reward given by the casino.

Commonly cashback is paid weekly or monthly directly to the player’s account and can be either bonus money or actual money depending on the casino. If bonus money, normal bonus wagering, and terms apply.

At Wildz casino you can get cashback up to 20%.

Depending on the casino there might be some additional terms and conditions that apply whether the cashback is paid or not. This can be:

• The minimum cashback that needs to be earned
• The account needs to be active
• There is a maximum amount of cashback that can be paid
• The bets need to be real money bets – bonus money bets won’t accumulate cashback

Forfeitable bonus or Non-sticky bonus

A forfeitable bonus or non-sticky bonus is a bonus that you can forfeit before you start playing with bonus money. How it works is that you play with your own money first before you start playing with the bonus cash you received on top of your deposit.

When you still have the “real money” in your account you have the option to forfeit the bonus. Meaning that you can cancel the bonus.

So when would this be useful?

Let’s take a scenario where you make the first deposit of 100$ and get another 100$ in bonus money. Typical match bonus (100% up to 100$). You hit the casino slots and managed to win 10,000$ while playing with real money (the money you deposited). Done! Let’s withdraw the money and go celebrate! If the bonus was forfeitable, you can now remove that 100$ bonus cash and just proceed to continue with the withdrawal.

Some bonuses you can forfeit at any point, but in this case, you will lose both the bonus money and the possible winnings that you made while playing with the bonus cash. If you’re unsure, contact the support via chat before making any moves.

Canadian online casino bonuses – The Conclusion

So are the Canadian online casino bonuses good or bad? What are the pros and cons?

Well, it depends. If you’re an occasional gamer who doesn’t spend hours spinning slots, the casino bonus might be worth rejecting. If you aren’t really able to ever wager the bonus there is no point in claiming it. On the other hand, if you are a regular player why not. You get to play with more when you claim a casino bonus.

It will be also interesting to see what is going to happen with bonuses in the future, if and when the market will become fully regulated. For the time being, only Ontario is regulated in the whole of Canada. All legal casinos in Ontario are allowed to offer casino bonuses, but they aren’t allowed to advertise them. Meaning the casino bonus info is only available on their own website. So yeah, sorry, if your’re browsing our site from Ontario, we cannot show you any casino bonus information. So were not doing it to you just to be dickheads.

But of course, we have done some homework. And despite not showing the casino bonus info on our page, all the listed casinos on this page still offer a casino bonus when you make your first real money deposit. So if you’re browsing our website from Ontario, just click open a few top-rated casinos and check whether they have a suitable casino bonus available for you and your budget.