Online Casino Bonuses in Canada

Welcome Bonus [Sign Up Bonus]

The Welcome Bonus, also known as sign-up bonus, is one of the best bonuses for Canadian players. The purpose of a welcome package is to attract new players to the online casino site. Players can then receive their sign-up casino bonus once they start making deposits into their account. As you might expect, the top online casinos usually offer great online casino bonuses. While there is no set blueprint for what a welcome bonus has to look like, they often include the following bonus offers:

As mentioned, there is an array of welcome packages to be found online. Some offer a few hundred Canadian dollars, while others offer thousands. Players need to do some research though, as bigger may not always mean better. This is because big bonuses can sometimes have bigger wagering demands. Therefore, we advise checking the welcome bonus wagering requirements before taking advantage of a sign up bonus.

Reload Bonus

The Reload Bonus is like a deposit match bonus or a percentage match bonus. These are offered to existing players to keep them funding their accounts. Players cannot claim these whenever they want, but the casino will offer them fairly often. The amount on offer will depend on each site. Moreover, players will have to make the required deposit in a set amount of time to claim the bonus.

Cash-Back Bonus

The Cash-Back Bonus offers players the chance to get some of their gambling losses back. No one likes to lose money. Unfortunately, this is likely to happen from time to time at online casino sites. Typically, cash-back bonuses allow players to get between 5% and 25% of their losses back. These bonuses don’t come along that often, so when they do it is a good idea for players to accept.

Refer-a-Friend Bonus

The Refer-a-Friend Bonus is given to players who refer a friend to the internet casino. When the friend creates an account, they’ll be able to give the name of the player who referred them. Once they make their first deposit, a bonus will be given to the player who referred their friend.

High Roller Bonus

The VIP Bonus is akin to the above-mentioned loyalty bonuses. There is one big difference, though. When we talk about loyalty bonuses, these are open to all players. VIP bonuses, however, are invitation only. This only happens when players often make large deposits and wagers. Thus, high rollers will also enjoy bigger bonuses.

No Deposit Bonus

The No Deposit Bonus is one of the most beloved bonuses that online casinos offer. As the name implies, players can claim the bonus without making a deposit. However, this is strictly for new players. It allows them the chance to test out the site before choosing whether to make a deposit. To claim a no deposit bonus in Canada, all a player has to do is create their account. No deposit gifts will be quite small, such as $10. But it’s enough to give a new player a taste of what to expect in terms of a game. Many online betting sites in Canada have also started giving away free spins instead of credits.

Loyalty Bonus

The Loyalty Bonus is a casino reward bonus offered to consistent and committed players at an online casino site. Online betting sites in Canada know that it’s not enough to attract new players. You have to keep them engaged and happy, too. To do this, many online casinos have loyalty programs which reward the player for playing and depositing on their site often. Players will then climb new loyalty program tiers the more they play. Naturally, higher tiers offer better rewards. So it can really be worth it to try to climb the ranks.

Banking Bonus

The Banking Bonus is not all that common. They are also not very popular at Canadian online casinos. Still, they can be a nice extra bonus for some. A casino often gives out these bonuses when promoting a new form of banking. Players who use and comply with a specific banking method will earn some extra rewards. Such as extra funds or free spins.

What are the Best Welcome Bonus Casinos for Canadians?

If you’re a Canadian player looking to max out your deposit buck, you have plenty of outstanding options. Below are three online casinos offering great welcome bonuses for Canadian players:

What Are Casino Bonus Codes and How Do They Work?

Casino bonus codes are codes given to players that can be exchanged for casino reward offers. For example, a casino may offer a 200% match bonus on your first deposit if you use the code WELCOME when making your first deposit.

The way a casino bonus code works is simple. When signing up for an account or making a deposit, you will be presented with a bonus code or promotional code box. If you have a code, you will enter it in the box. Codes that are still valid will then apply the offer to your account. In our earlier example, if you deposit $100 and enter code WELCOME, you will have $200 in bonus money applied to your account.

The most common casino reward code offered is a Welcome Bonus code. Other times, you’ll receive bonus code offers for reload bonuses. Most bonus codes consist of bonus money, but some will also provide extra spins.

Pay close attention to the terms of the bonus code offer. Sometimes these codes are only applicable for the first deposit, such as a welcome bonus code. For some reload bonuses, you must have made a prior deposit or deposited within a specific time-frame to use the code. Other times, bonus codes are only available during certain times, such as a reload bonus code that’s only available on Monday.

Many people wonder what the catch is when getting these types of casino bonuses. The truth is, players always need to keep the specific terms and conditions in mind. When casinos first started to give bonuses, it wasn’t long before players began abusing the system. Often they would claim the casino rewards bonus before quickly cashing out. This caused the online gambling sites to lose a lot of money. Because of bonus abusers, casino sites in Canada and around the world introduced wagering requirements.

If a player claims a bonus, there is a wagering requirement attached to it, such as 30x or 40x. Say, for instance, you claimed a bonus and have CA$1000 in your account, including the amount deposited. If it has a 30x wagering bonus, you will need to wager a total of $30,000 to release the bonus. Each type of game also counts as different amounts towards the wagering requirement. If you wager $1 at an online slot, it will count 100%, or $1 towards the wagering requirement. However, certain table games will not count at all or might only count 10%. So, a CA$1 bet on one of these games will only count as CA$0.10.

Players need to make sure they know the wagering requirement to avoid confusion when they try to withdraw their money.

Do Sign Up Bonuses Vary Depending on Your Deposit Method?

Casino bonuses can indeed vary depending on which deposit option you are using. For example, you may receive a larger deposit bonus by making a deposit using Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. Other times, some casinos will not allow you to use free spins bonuses when making a deposit using Skrill or NETELLER.

Why do casino bonuses vary based on the deposit method? There are multiple reasons. One of the most common reasons is that casinos are trying to encourage additional deposits via specific deposit options. Bitcoin users are often a beneficiary of larger deposit bonuses. Other times, a casino will offer a special bonus offer when they add a new deposit method.

Those of you planning to gamble via a mobile device need to check to see if there are any special mobile deposit options. Some casinos will accept deposits via services such as Payforit and will offer a larger deposit bonus than standard deposit methods.

Are Sign Up Bonuses Only Good for Specific Games?

Sometimes you will run across sign up bonuses that are only applicable for specific games. The most common examples are casino bonuses offering deposit free spins. These casino bonuses often only allow you to use those spins on a specific slots game or group of games. Sometimes, online casinos give spins to promote a specific game, meaning the extra spins are only applicable to that game.

Also, pay attention to the terms of the wagering requirements for the bonus. Many casinos will restrict certain games from counting towards the wagering requirement. Often, certain table games such as craps are restricted, but other casinos will restrict specific slot games from counting towards the wagering requirement.

Are Sign Up Bonuses Good for Table Games?

Other games, such as blackjack, will contribute less—and sometimes it’s a lot less. Some casinos will contribute between 10% and 50% of each blackjack bet to the wagering requirement. A casino with a 10% contribution for blackjack will contribute only $.10 of every $1 wagered to the playthrough. That means you’d have to wager $20,000 in blackjack to clear a 20 times playthrough on $100.

Pay close attention to the wagering requirements and the percentage that each game at the casino contributes. This information can be found in the Terms and Conditions of the casino reward offer. If you cannot find these terms, contact customer support for the casino.

Also, note that some casinos will not allow you to cash out before completing your playthrough requirement. Otherwise, you will forfeit your entire bonus and any progress you’ve made towards completing the playthrough.

Can Sign-Up Bonuses Translate into Real Money on Withdrawals

Yes, sign-up bonuses can translate into real money on a withdrawal, provided that you meet the terms of the playthrough requirements. However, as explained earlier, your bonus will be subject to a high playthrough requirement.

Also, all casino reward offers are subject to a time limit. The time limit varies depending on the casino. Many will give you 30 days to clear your deposit. However, it’s not uncommon to see a time limit as short as a week.

Those playing on free spins bonuses should also check to see if the free spins have a time limit. Some casinos require you to play your free spins within 24 to 72 hours of making your deposit. Otherwise, you’ll forfeit your spins.

Are My Online Casino Winnings Taxable in Canada?

No—Per the Income Tax Act, casino loving Canadians are not subject to income taxes on online casino winnings. However, there is one exception. If you’re a professional gambler or all of your annual income comes exclusively from gambling, your winnings may be taxed. Professional gamblers in Canada should consult an accountant or tax attorney for more information on taxes.