Players in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia can claim more than $3,500 in casino credits and up to 4,000 bonus spins this August. The offers look alike, but the value and the fine print are not, so here are the five that may be worth your first deposit and who each one may be best for.
Here are our picks for the best welcome bonuses in the U.S. right now.
Best welcome bonuses at a glance
Seven states feature legal online casinos in the U.S., including Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Those specific jurisdictions boast some of the most recognizable and leading online casino brands in the country, each of which offers new users attractive casino welcome offers and casino bonus codes.
Welcome offers compared
Online Casino
Welcome Offer
Key Term
Claim
Hard Rock Bet Casino
Up to $1,000 in lossback casino credits + 500 bonus spins
Play eligible slots for 24 hours before receiving the lossback casino credits
Hard Rock Bet Casino: Best welcome bonus for players who want the most options
Hard Rock Bet features the largest library of casino games among all regulated online apps with almost 5,000 in NJ and Michigan.
Plus, the Hard Rock Bet Casino offers a unique welcome bonus for eligible first-time customers. After making their first real-money wager, players enter into a 24-hour lossback period, during which they can play hundreds of popular games while Hard Rock Bet tracks their overall net losses.
If users end that 24-hour timeframe with a net loss, Hard Rock Bet will match it in the form of casino credits, which have a user-friendly 1x playthrough requirement. Additionally, players can also receive 500 bonus spins for the Cash Eruption slot.
Most platforms with lossback welcome offers start the 24-hour window at sign-up, while Hard Rock Bet Casino gives customers 30 days to begin the clock with a real-money wager. The downside, of course, is that there's no guarantee of users earning casino credits; only those who have a net loss will.
More often than not, licensed online casinos in the U.S. allow first-time players to claim welcome offers after depositing at least $10. That's where FanDuel Casino shines, as new users there only need to deposit $5 to qualify for the welcome bonus, which also combines several different traits. The low minimum deposit may make this the best option if you are a beginner who wants to try online casinos for the first time.
You get 500 bonus spins that are eligible for a wide variety of slots, plus $50 in casino credits. On top of that, that $50 bonus only carries a 1x playthrough requirement, which is as low as it gets among regulated online casinos.
However, users hoping to get more bang for their buck in terms of casino credits won't find it at FanDuel Casino, with competitors offering larger maximum value in the form of deposit matches or lossback offers.
BetMGM Casino: Best welcome bonus for large deposit matches
When it comes to casino welcome offers, one of the most common packages is a deposit match, which BetMGM Casino offers up to $1,000 in New Jersey and Michigan and up to $2,500 in West Virginia. On top of that, new players also receive a no deposit bonus of $25 (NJ, MI) or $50 (WV).
It's a straightforward welcome offer that sees BetMGM matching customers' first real-money deposit, so long as it's a minimum of $10. It's one of the easiest to understand and one that has helped BetMGM Casino become one of the best online casinos in the U.S.
That said, the 15x playthrough requirement on deposit match casino credits is among the industry's highest.
DraftKings Casino: Best welcome bonus for bonus spins
First-time customers at DraftKings Casino get Flex Spins, which are eligible to use on hundreds of popular real money online slots. Half of the welcome offer is in the form of Flex Spins, but the other half highlights one of the rising popular games in DraftKings' library.
The welcome offer combines two approaches used by other online casinos: bonus spins for a variety of slots and spins centered around a specific title. One drawback is that, in order to reach the maximum of 1,000 spins, users need to log into their account for 20 straight days, as DraftKings Casino issues spins in allotments of 50 per day.
Fanatics Casino: Easiest welcome bonus to understand
Few casino welcome offers are as simplistic as the one offered by Fanatics Casino. Just deposit and wager $10 or more and start claiming bonus spins for the 7's Fire Blitz Power 5 Jackpot Royale Express slot. Users know exactly what they're getting and what it takes to claim the spins.
As with the DraftKings offer, Fanatics Casino customers don't get all 1,000 at once. Rather, they need to log in for 10 straight days to claim each batch of 100 spins. And while the total number of spins is quite appealing, 100 is a lot for just a single game. It would be great to see those spins be eligible for a larger selection of slots.
When it comes to real money online casino welcome offers, there are some common terms and phrases that users should understand to grasp the real value of those promotions.
After signing up with new online casinos, players should be ready to encounter terms such as:
Term
Meaning
Playthrough requirement
Standards to release bonuses for withdrawal. A 1x playthrough requirement on $20 worth of casino credits, for example, requires players to wager $20 at least once before they can withdraw the bonus and associated winnings. Meanwhile, a 15x wagering requirement means users who receive $20 in casino credits must wager $300 to release the bonus.
Minimum deposit
Most offers require a minimum real-money deposit. First-time users at BetMGM Casino, for example, must deposit at least $10 to receive the deposit match offer, while FanDuel Casino has a $5 minimum deposit requirement. These standards are detailed in the terms and conditions of every casino welcome offer.
Time limits
Usually, customers have seven days to fulfill wagering requirements before they expire. Time limits can also apply to lossback offers, as the 24-hour lossback period may begin either upon sign-up or after players' first real-money wager. At Hard Rock Bet Casino, users have 30 days after creating an account to begin the period.
Game contribution
Slots usually contribute to playthrough requirements at a 100% rate. Table games often have a 20% contribution, which means that wagering $100 on those games accounts for $20 toward playthrough. Users should read the fine print of casino welcome offers to see exact contribution rates.
Which casino welcome offer delivers the most this August?
While every casino welcome offer has its own advantages for certain players, one stands out the most in terms of who it suits, ease of understanding and user-friendliness.
Hard Rock Bet Casino's unique lossback welcome offer checks many boxes for first-time customers. It invites players to explore and discover hundreds of casino games, and if users lose more than they win, they'll receive casino credits matching that net loss total after the 24-hour lossback period.
Even if players don't qualify for lossback credits, that means they won more than they lost, which is exactly what customers want in legal online casino gambling. If that weren't enough, eligible first-time users will receive 500 bonus spins after depositing $10 or more, which are good for the popular Cash Eruption slot.
All in all, it's a casino welcome offer that appeals to players who are dipping their toes into regulated casino gambling, as well as those who are more experienced and want to explore one of the largest libraries in the legal iGaming market
Responsible gaming
Bettors must be 21 years or older and otherwise eligible to register and place wagers. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, please seek assistance from trained professionals such as the Problem Gambling Help Network at 1-800-MY-RESET.
