Repeat after me: Simon Says this is where you’ll find the best deposit bonus casino.
I use my decades of experience in the casino industry to research and test every platform. My opinions are authentic and knowledgeable, and I think you’ll have fun while getting genuine value.
Here, I explain precisely what I look for in a casino. I also reveal why you can trust my findings and how Simon Says is different. To kick things off, below are the best deposit bonus casino sites in the UK.
100% bonus up to £100 & 50 free spins
on Diamonds of the Realm when you make your first deposit.
Bonuses and promotions value
I get that online casinos don’t want to give away their profits. They’re businesses, after all. But sometimes, I come across online casino promotions that simply aren’t fit for purpose.
Therefore, I only recommend platforms in my comprehensive online casino reviews that offer genuine value, giving you bonus cash or free spins from an attractive welcome bonus.
I give top marks to casinos that offer bonuses with no or low wagering requirements, preferably no higher than 30x. It’s not fair, in my opinion, for you to spend thousands of pounds just to unlock a bonus of £100 or less.
You’ll see that I also examine the terms and conditions and interpret the jargon for you. I consider how long you must play through the wagering terms, whether any payment methods are excluded from the offer, and which games you can play to satisfy the conditions.
When I’m done examining the best deposit bonus casino options, I consider how a site rewards loyal players. I review the casino’s ongoing promotions and bonuses and look at ways that you can top up your balance in the future. Ultimately, I’m looking for the best casino sites offering long-term value to everyone, not just new sign-ups.
So, when I recommend the best casino sites, you can be sure that their bonuses offer genuine value. I also present the terms and conditions so you know exactly what to expect before signing up. No hidden surprises, I promise.
Licensing credentials, independent auditing
Simon Says: “I shudder when I see affiliate sites recommending casinos to UK players that operate under shady licensing credentials. Your safety while gambling online is paramount, and you need recourse should something go wrong.”
The only way to ensure your safety is to play at legal online casinos within the UK market. These sites must be licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.
I will never recommend casinos that operate under far-flung licensing agreements issued by Curacao or other offshore hideaways. If a casino isn’t licensed and legitimately available in the United Kingdom, I won’t recommend it to you. It’s as simple as that.
I also do extra research to determine which companies perform audits and assurance testing at the casino. After all, an independent, trustworthy organisation should verify that the casino games are fair with provable RTPs and payouts.
That’s why I offer the best ratings to sites that work with eCOGRA and iTechLabs. This way, you can be assured that the games you’re playing offer a fair and reasonable chance of winning. In other words, they aren’t rigged.
Game variety
In my view, the best casino sites offer over 1,000 games. Though quantity isn’t everything, this is a decent number to cover all bases, including:
- An excellent variety of slot machine games from 20+ top studios like Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, Hacksaw Gaming, and Playtech.
- Progressive and in-game jackpot slot machine games that offer huge potential wins. While I love playing jackpot slots, the RTPs tend to be lower than in classic slots.
- Megaways slots that offer over 100,000 different ways to win each time you spin the reels. I recommend my favourite Megaways online casinos here.
- A solid selection of classic RNG table games, including numerous roulette, baccarat, blackjack, craps, and video poker variants.
- A well-stocked live casino lobby with game shows and live dealer titles from studios like Evolution, Pragmatic Live, Ezugi, and Playtech.
There are many ways to choose a casino game, but I always advise checking its return to player (RTP) before playing. This indicates how much, on average, the game pays out over time. The higher the RTP, the lower the house edge, so it pays to do your research.
Simon Says: “The industry average for RTP in casino games is 96%. So, if you want to increase your winning chances, resolve to play only games with published RTPs of 97% or higher. Given that casino games are based on luck, this is the only foolproof way to nudge things in your favour when playing online slots.”
If you’re a casino newbie, here are five of my favourite high RTP slots that you will find at most of the best deposit bonus casino sites in the UK:
| Slot Game | Developer | RTP | Max Payout |
| Ugga Bugga | Playtech | 99.07% | 1,000x |
| Book of 99 | Relax Gaming | 99% | 12,075x |
| Blood Suckers | NetEnt | 98% | 1,014x |
| Starmania | Nextgen Gaming | 97.87% | 500x |
| White Rabbit Megaways | Big Time Gaming | 97.24% | 13,000x |
You can also play blackjack games, which tend to have an RTP range of 98% to 99%. Oh, and if you’re a roulette fan, play European or French Roulette over American Roulette. European roulette has an average RTP of 97.3%, while American roulette has a standard RTP of 94.74% to account for the additional zero on the wheel.
Also, I’ve noticed a growing trend of instant-win games at online casinos in the UK over the last couple of years. While casinos have stocked online scratch cards for a while now, crash-style games like Aviator and Big Bass Crash have now really come to the fore.
These games can be fun, and I’ve enjoyed playing them myself, but be careful. They’re immersive, and it’s not easy to gamble responsibly while playing them. The temptation is to stay in the game for as long as possible to maximise the potential multiplier. If you play these games, use time and deposit limits and only bet what you can afford to lose.
Secure payments and fast withdrawals
When I started playing at online casinos several decades ago, a bank transfer was pretty much the only payment method available. Though a minority of players still process a bank transfer to fund their casino accounts, most today prefer other, more user-friendly methods.
When I’m reviewing a casino, I like to see the following secure payment options available:
- Debit cards: Visa and Mastercard payments are accepted at practically every online casino in the UK. This is perhaps the most straightforward way to add funds to your account. Please note that it’s illegal to gamble in the UK with a credit card, and rightly so, in my view.
- E-wallets: Personally, I like to gamble online with PayPal, the most used e-wallet in the world. It’s free, secure, and instant for deposits. Also, when it comes to cashing out, PayPal withdrawals tend to be much faster than other methods. You can also use Skrill and Neteller at most UK casinos, though due to money-laundering regulations, you can’t often access bonuses when you deposit via either method.
- Pre-paid cards: Though a bit fiddly, pre-paid cards like Paysafecard can be handy for online gambling sites. You buy a pre-paid card equal to a specific value and enter the code on the casino. You can then throw the card away, and when the money’s gone, it’s gone. The main reason to use a pre-paid card is to help with responsible gambling, so from this perspective, I’m all for it.
- Mobile wallets: A growing number of online casinos in the UK now accept Apple Pay and Google Pay. If you’re playing casino games on your phone, this is highly convenient and a great way to get started. Just remember that most casinos don’t process withdrawals via mobile wallets, so you’ll have to switch to a debit card or bank transfer to access your winnings.
A word on crypto. I’m not against online crypto gambling, and I’m well aware of popular sites in other jurisdictions, such as Stake.com, BC.Game, etc. – that offer thousands of games and the chance to bet with Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, and other currencies. However, crypto gambling is illegal in the United Kingdom. You should not use a VPN to access crypto sites licensed offshore, as you may have to forfeit any winnings should KYC checks be required.
There are plenty of excellent licensed online casinos to choose from in the UK without going down the crypto route. If you have Bitcoin that you want to gamble with, use a crypto exchange to switch your BTC for GBP and play at one of the safe, secure, and licensed sites that I recommend above.
Mobile play at a deposit bonus casino site
All of the best casino sites are available on mobile devices. However, you need to decide whether you want to play on a mobile browser or by downloading the casino’s unique app.
In my view, downloading and playing on an app is better. The gameplay is seamless and it’s easier to get in touch with the customer support team should you have an issue. Also, when you play on an app, it’s easier to access the casino’s mobile promotions, which you might miss when playing on a mobile browser.
Either way, I always check that the sites I recommend are mobile-friendly, polished, and easy to access on smartphones and tablets.
Responsible gambling support
One of the best things about the UK Gambling Commission is its insistence on the promotion of responsible gambling. All sites that are licensed by the UKGC should have a responsible gambling portal or policy that you can refer to while playing.
In my view, gambling is a personal choice. It’s legal in the UK and provided you’re 18 or over, you can make an informed decision on whether to gamble while accessing online casinos.
That said, I think casinos are responsible for fostering an environment of responsible betting. This is why I always check that my recommended casinos provide tools and tips to encourage responsible gambling. Specifically, I like to see deposit limit tools, time-out options, and self-exclusion protocols, should customers wish to use them.
If you’re struggling to keep your online gambling habit under control, my advice is to stop playing at once and seek help. You can speak to your friends or family members first, but if you don’t feel comfortable, reach out to GamCare. It’s a great organisation for free gambling support, and you can get help via WhatsApp, text, phone, or email.
My casino rating process
Frankly, some online review sites recommend deposit bonus casino sites solely because they’re incentivised to do so. They don’t scratch the surface or lift the lid on what the casino actually offers and how it performs against its competition.
I’ve decided to do things differently.
I’ve put my 20+ years of experience in the gambling industry to good use. I have developed a 20-point review process that I use to rate every online casino. It covers many of the topics I’ve touched on above, including security, games and software, bonuses, payments, mobile compatibility, and customer support.
It ensures that all my reviews are thorough, fair, and objective. If a casino doesn’t meet my high standards or fails in one crucial area, you won’t see it on Simon Says.
As a keen casino gamer myself, I know what to look for on legitimate platforms. I encourage you to trust my judgment as I do all the hard work for you in recommending safe, secure, and legit online casinos in the UK market.
Enjoy Simon Says, and be lucky.