On this page you’ll find a comparison of the new player sign up bonuses that are on offer from the Microgaming casinos that come recommended by us. All of the bonuses in the list are up to date and are regularly checked for accuracy.
The bonuses come in a variety of different ranging from simple deposit matches through to complicated welcome packages that are spread over multiple deposits. Many of the sites also offer some kind of free bonus – such as a free chip, free spins or free play time. More information on these kinds of bonuses can be found on our no deposit bonus page.
It is important to realise that online gambling is global, and some of the offers listed on this page may not be available to players from particular countries. For this reason, we have complied a series of lists of the best Microgaming casinos based on the players country, including the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada – if you’re from one of these countries we highly recommend you check out the relevant guide. We should also point out that no MG casinos accept players from the USA (the reasons why can be found here).
Microgaming Casino Bonuses Explained
In the early days of online casinos, bonuses were handed out like candy – they came with tiny wagering requirements and no games were excluded. But then groups of savvy players started to realise that they could very easily walk away from a profit using these bonuses, and the casinos realised that the rules of the game had to change.
There are still a lot of worthwhile bonuses out there that can give you a better chance of winning, but the glory days of playing 200% cashable blackjack bonuses that have a 10x playthrough are long gone. In this section, we’ll guide you through the different kinds of bonuses that are available today, and hopefully teach you a little about what to look out for when claiming a bonus.
What Is A Casino Bonus?
Casinos offer bonuses as a way of attracting new players. Many casinos will also offer loyalty or redeposit bonuses to their existing players, but in this article we’re specifically talking about the new player offers. These introductory bonuses generally consist of up to three parts:
- No Deposit Bonuses – No deposit bonuses are freebies given to players without the need to risk a single penny of their own money. These offers tend to be relatively low in value (they are free, after all) and may come with a maximum amount that can be won from them. See out no deposit casino bonus page for more details about these bonuses.
- First Deposit Bonus – Most casinos offer a bonus based on the value of your first deposit. The amount you receive in relation to you deposit varies between casinos – some offer a simple match (eg: you deposit £100 and they’ll add £100 of their money) whilst others offer high percentage bonuses (eg: deposit £100 and get £200 extra). Whilst the latter may sound like it is always the best option, bear in mind that higher percentage bonuses often come with more stings attached.
- Second Deposit Bonuses – Finally, some casinos spread their welcome bonus over a number of deposits. So a casino might offer a 100% bonus on each of your first three deposits rather than one larger bonus. When casinos offer multiple bonuses you will generally have to meet the playthrough requirements of the first bonus (or bust out) before you can claim the second. Also, some casinos that offer multiple bonuses only allow you to claim the welcome bonuses until you cash out – so if you have a big win on your first bonus and withdraw it, you might not be able to claim any of the other parts of the welcome pack.
Casinos may offer one, two or all three types of promotion to new players. Many casinos also offers added extras when you make your first deposit, regardless of the amount. These can be thought of as the icing on the casino bonus cake and include things such as as free spins, bonus comp points or free entry into a new players casino tournament.
Types Of Casino Bonus
It is important to realise that not all casino bonuses are equal – and the terms and conditions that are attached to a bonus can make the difference between a great bonus and a terrible one. One of the most important things to look at is whether or not the bonus is withdrawable. Looking specifically at this factor there are three types of bonus:
- Fully Cashable – A fully cashable bonus is one that can be withdrawn in full once the wagering requirements have been met. So if you deposit £100 and receive a £100 and have £300 in your account after completing the WR, then you can withdraw all £300. Most Microgaming casino bonuses are this type (thankfully).
- Phantom – Often considered a type of sticky bonus, phantom bonuses are bonuses that can be played with, but not withdrawn. These bonuses tend to be for higher percentages or amounts than their fully cashable cousins and should be played more aggressively. For example, if you deposit £100 to receive a £200 phantom bonus and then have £500 in your account after completing the WR, the £200 bonus will be removed from your balance when you make a withdrawal. Meaning you receive £300 in real money.
- Sticky – True ‘sticky’ bonuses aren’t very common these days, but they used to be popular in the early days of high percentage bonuses. These bonuses act just like a phantom bonus in that you can play with them, but not withdraw them. However, with a sticky bonus once you have met the WR you can withdraw your cash balance and leave the bonus in your account. So if you deposit £100 to receive a £200 sticky bonus, meet the WR and have £500 in your account, you can withdraw the £300 ‘cash’ part and leave the £200 bonus in your account to continue playing with.
Wagering Requirements
Throughout this article we have been referring to something called the playthrough or wagering requirement (WR). This is a set amount that you are required to wager (bet) on casino games before you can withdraw the bonus or winnings made from the bonus – this is to stop you from immediately withdrawing the free money without even playing.
The amount you need to play will be a multiplier of the bonus received and varies between casinos and some casinos have nice low and player friendly wagering requirements. In the current climate, any playthrough of a 30x the bonus or less is considered good. Many players see a playthrough of 30x – 60x the bonus as acceptable, and above this it’s getting a bit silly.
So if you deposited £100 and received a £100 bonus with a 30x wagering requirement, you need to place bets worth £3,000 before you can withdraw the bonus and it’s associated winnings. Whilst this may sound like a lot, it really isn’t and the average player will usually turn over their deposit somewhere in the region of 40x during a session anyway (when playing without a bonus).
Sometimes casinos will restrict the games you can play with the bonus – such as ‘no blackjack’, ‘no progressive jackpot games’ or ‘only slots’. So make sure you check the terms and conditions of a bonus to see that the game you want to play is allowed before taking it.
Having said this, many online casinos (especially Microgaming casinos) these days will let you play whatever game you want, but will apply a different ‘weighting’ to each game. Slots usually always count for 100% so if you have a bonus with a 3000 chip WR, you need to place 3000 worth of bets on slots. Roulette may count for 50%, meaning that if you want to play roulette you would need to place 6000 worth of bets on roulette to complete the WR (6000 x 50% = 3000). You could also play a combination of games such as 2000 worth of wagers on slots and 2000 on roulette (2000 Slots + 2000 Roulette @ 50% = 2000 + 1000 = 3000).
Game restrictions and weightings will differ between casinos (although many casinos in the same group will use the same format) – so it is important to check the bonus terms and conditions carefully. The requirements should be clearly stated – if you have any questions whatsoever, check with customer support before playing.
Microgaming ClearPay Bonus System
One feature that makes many Microgaming casinos awesome is the ClearPay bonus system. This feature is intended to make casino bonuses simpler and easier to understand. Not all casinos that offer Microgaming games have it, but most casinos that operate the standalone Microgaming product will.
With the ClearPay system, your funds are separated into a ‘Cash Balance’ and a ‘Bonus balance’. These are then combined into a total balance that can be used for playing games, but only the ‘cash balance’ is withdrawable. Some Microgaming casinos will let you withdraw your cash balance at any time, forfeiting the bonus balance, whilst others will not let you withdraw until all of your bonus balance has been converted to cash.
The ClearPay system keeps track of your wagering requirements and automatically moves funds from your bonus balance into you cash balance as you play. This means that you know exactly where you stand at any one time.