How to read a welcome bonus
Every site on this page advertises a welcome bonus, and the headline is the least useful number on it. The figures that decide whether a bonus is worth claiming are the ones in the table on each card:
- Match percentage and cap. “150% up to A$300” and “100% up to A$300” both cap at A$300; the first needs a smaller deposit to reach it.
- Minimum deposit. From A$10 to A$70 across our list.
- Turnover multiple and its base. 2x to 6x. Few sites say plainly what the multiple applies to. Crikey7 ties it to total winnings and Bonza7 and Dinkum33 to final remaining credit, without saying whether that is a betting requirement or a balance target; some sites use a winover, where the balance itself must reach the multiple. Our bonus terms report shows the wording site by site.
- Maximum withdrawal. The most you can cash out from bonus play. From A$800 to A$20,000 where stated. This is the figure most players miss.
- Claim structure. One claim, or a 150% total split into three 50% claims across three deposits.
- Eligible games. Pokies only at almost every site, sometimes with named excluded studios.
The list above is sorted by the printed turnover multiple, lowest first. That is the figure every site publishes, but it is not like for like: the same number can be a betting requirement at one site and a balance target at another, so check the rule on the card before you compare two bonuses on the number alone.
Worked example
A A$100 deposit on a 100% match at 3x turnover on deposit plus bonus: A$200 balance, A$600 to bet before withdrawal. At a typical pokie return of 96%, A$600 of bets costs about A$24 in expected losses; the bonus is worth roughly A$76 in expectation, before the cap.
The same deposit on a 50% match at 2x on deposit plus bonus: A$150 balance, A$300 to bet, about A$12 expected cost, bonus worth roughly A$38. Smaller, but cleared in a third of the time, which matters if you play in short sessions.
A 100% match at 6x: A$200 balance, A$1,200 to bet, about A$48 expected cost, bonus worth roughly A$52 in expectation and a long grind to get there.
Rules that void a bonus
Read the terms for these; they appear on most sites here.
- Full-line betting. All paylines must be active. Reducing lines voids the bonus.
- No feature buy or save. Buying free-game rounds or saving them while a bonus is active is prohibited.
- Apply before playing. The bonus must be applied to the deposit before the first spin.
- One promotion at a time. Deposit bonuses cannot be combined with rebates or other deposit promotions.
- Remaining credit forfeited. Some sites clear whatever is left in your balance when you withdraw from bonus play.
Where to go from here
The full terms as published are on each site’s review page, with the date we read them. For a no-deposit trial first, see no-deposit bonuses. For sites paying rebates on losses, see cashback and rebates.
