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First Deposit Bonus

First Deposit Bonus

Author: Steven D. Thompson

Updated: 14/03/2025 11:30 AM

When you sign up with a bookie, there are a number of things you must do. Alongside signing up with a safe betting site, and getting competitive odds and good features, you must ensure you get the best first deposit bonus that works with your style of play, whether this is a free bet, bet credits or any other welcome bonus.

It is not good enough just finding a welcome bonus that seems okay. The amount of choice you currently have at your fingertips is huge, and it is, therefore, foolish for you to jump at a free bets welcome bonus or deposit bonuses if they do not work with your style of betting.

In this guide, we will take a look at the best first deposit bonuses, what makes them so attractive, how they work, and the different welcome bonus options including bet credits, a free bet, matched deposits and more.

Table of Contents

Find the Best New Zealand Bookmakers That Offer First Deposit Bonuses

Finding the best New Zealand first deposit bonus betting sites is not as simple as it seems. Due to the glut of welcome bonus offers from betting sites like free bets, deposit bonuses, risk free bets, deposit match bonuses and more, you could quickly become confused about which one is right for you.

This is where our experts at Betpack come in. They have searched high and low to find the right offer of free bet options for you. They have ensured the betting site itself is safe and legitimate, before then testing every facet of the site to ensure it offers you good features as well as a generous bonus.

Read on to ensure that you get the best welcome bonus and bonus amount from a betting site that is right for you.

Claiming the right welcome bonus for you from different betting sites can be as tricky as finding the right bookmaker for you. You need to take the time to research and rank all of the available options before making an informed decision about whether free bets from certain betting sites or a matched deposit welcome bonus from other betting sites are the right ones for you.

How to Claim First Deposit Bonuses in New Zealand Bookmakers

Lucky for you, our experts have done the hard work for you, meaning that you can quickly find the top betting sites along with what they can offer you, including their welcome bonuses, how free bets work on their betting sites, the bonus amount on offer and more. Below, we have articulated how you can go about claiming a welcome bonus at different betting sites and how to get involved with the sign-up bonus bet credits.

Step 1

Finding the right betting sites

Your first step to finding the right free bet or sign-up bonus will see you finding which betting sites are right for you. You can either trawl through the internet looking for the best betting sites or you can utilise the reviews of our experts on site. They have already researched and tested all of the betting sites before then ranking them to make it even easier for you. This is possibly the most awkward step in finding the best betting sites and their welcome bonuses and sign-up bonus, but it is made far easier for you by our experts.

Step 2

Select your welcome bonus

Once you have chosen which betting sites are for you, you need to select the right welcome bonus for you. Your style of play and how much you can place as a first deposit will dictate which welcome bonus is right for you. After all, a matched deposit will see you depositing more than a free bet or standard bet credits offer, for example, while most types of welcome bonuses will have different minimum deposit amounts, wagering requirements and minimum odds.

Step 3

Sign up

Once you have chosen between welcome bonuses including free bet or match deposit options, you now need to sign up with your betting sites. To do this, click on the register/sign up/join button in the top right corner of the homepage. Fill out the registration form with your details and confirm your account with your betting sites of choice.

Step 4

Wagering requirements

Once you have signed up, you then need to opt into your bonus of choice and complete the relevant wagering requirements to unlock your bonus amount. A first deposit bonus on a free bet or matched deposit will see differing requirements like minimum odds, a minimum deposit, how the bonus is given (usually free bet credits or a free bet stake), when the bonuses expire and more. Usually, the terms are fairly easy to understand, but we always recommend ensuring you fully understand how your sign-up bonuses work.

Tips for Using First Deposit Bonuses

Using your new customer sports betting bonuses correctly can be tough to do if you are new to free bet offers at different betting sites. After all, if you are completely new to online betting sites in New Zealand, then a sports betting free bet and welcome bonus will be alien to you.

Below, we have compiled a few tips for using your free bet or betting bonuses with online betting sites, although we would stress this list is not exhaustive.

See If the Bookmaker Meets Your Needs

Do not sign up with NZ online betting sites that offer generous betting bonuses and free bets but do not cater to any of your other needs. A free bet or other sign-up bonuses will only get you so far when online betting. Indeed, once the bonus amount from the sign-up bonuses and free bets are all gone, you will be left playing with online betting sites that are well below par and do not give you the features, offers and odds that other online betting sites will give you.

Check Bonus Terms and Conditions

This is an element of betting site bonuses that some new customers do not take enough notice of when they come to signing up with betting sites or most online casinos and option into a welcome bonus.

It is important if you are depositing your own money at sports betting sites or most online casinos to unlock a deposit bonus and bonus amount, then you need to know the wagering requirements are not ridiculous. Some, or all of the bonus amount will not be available to you if you do not nail requirements like the minimum odds, needing to use a bonus code, using the right deposit methods and more. Ultimately, you do not want to waste your own money wagering with betting site bonuses that are not ever really available to cash out with.

Check the Sports Availability

Incredibly, this is another area when signing up with a betting site that so many new bettors choose to ignore. If you are a big rugby union bettor, why would you sign up with a betting site that does not offer many rugby union betting markets?

It does not matter if the betting site bonuses or the bonus amount are very generous. If you do not get everything you need from your betting site with regard to the sports and markets on offer, you should avoid that welcome bonus and find other welcome bonuses or a sign-up bonus with betting sites that cater to your sporting wants.

Best First Deposit Bonuses by Category

Feature	Bookmaker	Bonus
Best First Deposit	31bet	100% up to €500
Best Wagering	mr.play	100% up to NZ$100
Best Odds	Weltbet	100% up to €200
Best Rating	Crypto Bet Sports	100% up to €300

Advantages of Using First Deposit Bonuses in New Zealand Bookmakers

When you come to betting, finding the right welcome bonus for you at the best betting site is vital. Below, we have listed a few of the biggest reasons why they are so important, and why you should opt into betting site bonuses and free bets whenever you sign up with a betting site.

Bigger Playing Pot

Helps you to understand promotions

Can help you to learn from bad bets

They tell you a lot about betting sites

One of the major positives of using free bets or a welcome bonus when you sign up with or without a bonus code to a betting site is the bigger playing pot you get. Some bettors will not have a huge amount of funds available to them when betting, so being able to turn $10 into $20 in free bets is important. Of course, a free bet and the bonus amount it provides should not be seen as real money, but having the ability to bet with a free bet and the bet credits provided by the bookmaker enables bettors to wager more.

Other Types of Bonuses You Can Find at New Zealand Bookmakers

The choice on offer for bettors at a range of betting sites is very impressive. A free bet of some sort will give you something back, whether in free bets or otherwise when you deposit. However, there are other bonuses you can make the most out of when you become a member of different betting sites.

Reload Bonus

A reload bonus is often offered to existing players that have already enjoyed their welcome bonus and free bet. The betting site will reward their loyal players for continuing to use the site. It can be as generous as a welcome bonus free bet, although this is not always the case. In some cases the reload bonus is a way for a betting site to offer bet credits to cover some bet losses.

You may see a reload bonuses offering 50% back on a player's first deposit of the day on a certain day of the week up to $50. While this type of bonus is not as generous as a welcome bonus bet credits offer, it gives existing players something to enjoy. Ultimately, you will not get as much in bet credits in an existing customer offer as you would in a welcome bonus or sign-up bonus.

Free Bets

A free bet is the most common kind of welcome bonus on the market right now. Free bets will provide you with a proposition like 'bet $10, get $20'. Welcome bonus free bets will therefore see you wagering $10 in this instance, and if you meet the wagering requirements, then the betting sites will credit your account with $20 in free bets, it's that simple.

A free bet will allow you to quickly get down to wagering at your betting site and is a very easy welcome bonus to understand. As long as you adhere to the wagering requirements of the welcome bonus free bet such as the minimum odds and which sports betting markets you can wager on, then the maximum bonus available from the welcome bonus bets will be credited to your account.

No Deposit Bonus

A free bet no deposit bonus is one of the rarest and most sought-after betting bonuses available in the sports betting world, while it is also one of the most popular online sports betting bonuses too. Betting bonuses that do not require a deposit are so popular because, as mentioned, they do not require a deposit to unlock the bonus reward. This, therefore, means that you can usually sign up with a sports betting site and pick up the maximum bonus amount without depositing.

Usually, if you can find sign-up bonus bets like this, the actual maximum bonus amount will be very low, while the wagering requirements to cash out with the sign-up bonus bets will often be tough to complete.

VIP Loyalty Programs

A VIP program is something many betting sites haved adding to their roster. Many programs will see the betting site rewarding their loyal players for continually betting with them. The betting site will often reward active players with points, with these helping them to move up their VIP Program. From here, the player can usually access free bets, bet credits or other rewards that are not available to players outside of the VIP Program.

Cashback

If a site offers a new player a welcome bonus like cashback, it is usually seen as the perfect way for a novice to learn how to bet. The cashback sign-up bonus will see a bettor wagering their welcome bonus and, if they win, they are rewarded with the relevant payout.

However, if they are to lose, then the welcome bonus will activate and the player will receive something back. Also known as a risk free bet, this sign-up bonus will often see the stake amount from the losing bet returned as free bets or bet credits. Of course, the free bets are not real money, but you can place these bet credits on another market or bet.

How We Review the Best First Deposit Bonuses

Now that you know what sort of welcome bonus or sign-up bonus you could make the most out of, you are ready to learn how we review each of the best first deposit bonuses available. Below, we have listed our process along with why each step is so important.

Look for the Best Betting Offers

Our experts scour the internet looking for the best betting offers and free bets. This is not a quick process by any means as betting sites are releasing new welcome bonuses or deposit bonuses all the time. We therefore continually check back on the deposit bonus betting sites are offering to ensure we have the most up-to-date version of their free bet or welcome bonus available from each of the betting sites available.

Check the License and Security

The license and security of each of the betting sites on our list are incredibly important. We ensure that you are not playing with betting sites that are not licensed to operate where you are. Similarly, we ensure all betting sites that were recommended adhere to our high standards regarding safety, meaning if they seem anything but safe and secure, we do not recommend those betting sites, no matter how generous their welcome bonus or free bet offering is.

Open an Account and Verify It

Our next step is to do exactly what you would do, and that is to set up an account. We go through the same sign-up process as you, checking out the welcome bonus and free bets of the betting sites, entering any bonus code and adhering to the other wagering requirements needed. From here, we complete registration with the betting sites and verify our account.

Check the T&Cs

As mentioned before, it is vital to ensure you have read and understand the terms and conditions and wagering requirements of the welcome bonus or free bet. Wagering requirements like minimum odds, when you can use the welcome bonus, the bonus amount, how bonus bets are distributed and more are all incredibly important. We ensure these wagering requirements with the free bets or deposit bonus are fair and not impossible to complete.

Claim the Bonus and Enjoy!

Once betting sites and their deposit bonus have passed this process, we can now enjoy the bonus amount in the same way you would!

Pros & Cons of Using First Deposit Bonus at New Zealand Bookmakers

Pros

A welcome bonus and free bet increase the size of your playing pot.
Free bets can help you to understand how promotions work.
Your potential winnings increase.
Some welcome bonuses and free bet offerings could provide additional perks.
You can place slightly more risky bets when using free bets.

Cons

Welcome bonus wagering requirements can sometimes be awkward to play through.
Welcome bonus offers are only available once per bookie.
Free bet validity only lasts so long.

Signup Bonuses vs. Existing Customer Bonuses

Sign Up Bonus
Generous welcome bonus amount
Welcome bonus free bets help players to learn how to bet in some cases
Welcome bonus free bets can usually be wagered on most sports and markets
Wagering requirements of a welcome bonus can often be too high
Only one welcome bonus is available per bookmaker

Existing Customer Bonus
Existing customer offer is not usually as generous as a welcome bonus
People do not want to waste loyalty bonuses
Many loyalty bonuses are specific to a sport, match or market
Wagering requirements of an existing customer offer is usually less awkward than a welcome bonus
Some bookmakers will offer consistent free best to their loyal customers

Conclusion

Finding the right first deposit sports bonus is not ever easy to do. After all, there is so much choice out there, with this forcing your view of what welcome bonus or free bet is right for you to be clouded. Our experts have done all they can to cut through the noise and provide you with the cold hard facts that make it that much clearer when you come to pick the right free bet for you.

Using our list of the top-ranked first deposit bookmakers, you will ensure that you are signing up with the best betting site for you. However, the top welcome bonus betting sites are not completely based on their welcome bonuses and free bet offerings.

Instead, our experts also delve into the features they offer you, security, other offers, whether they offer competitive odds and more. Ultimately the best welcome bonus betting sites are not just amongst the best betting sites solely because of their welcome bonuses and free bets, instead, they also have to excel in a number of other areas too.

Ensuring you find the right sports betting site for you is incredibly important. It is not enough for the maximum bonus value of your free bet or sports betting bonus bet to be quite generous. Indeed, you need to link a good sports betting site along with excellent sports betting bonus bet credits and free bets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a first deposit bonus?

Yes, a first deposit bonus like a free bet is available to you when you sign up with most sports betting sites. Betting bonuses like free bets and matched deposits are a great way for a betting site to attract you to them over another site. Sign-up bonuses should be very generous and provide you with betting bonuses like free bets, bet credits, enhanced odds and more. A sign-up bonus should also be quite easy to unlock, with wagering requirements like minimum odds and where the bet credits can be used before unlocking the bonus bet among the wagering requirements you need to adhere to.

Which betting site has the best first deposit bonus?

This depends on what you deem to be the best sports betting bonuses. If you think that a matched first deposit bonus or free bets are the best, then your ideal betting site will be different from the next person. Similarly, if you want a sports betting site that provides welcome bonuses that pertain to minimum odds or even a bonus amount for online casino sites, then your ideal betting sites will be vastly different from the next person. Check out our list of the best betting sites ranked by our experts to find the right betting site and welcome bonuses for you.

Can I get an existing customer offer?

Yes, betting sites will provide free bets and free bet offerings to existing customers. These are given to reward customers for their loyalty. However, these free bets and free bet promotions are rarely as generous as a welcome bonus, with the bonus amount and bonus bets offering far less than a sign-up bonus would. However, you can get a good bonus amount from your betting site of choice as an existing customer free bet.

Are there wagering requirements for a welcome bonus from betting sites?

Welcome bonus bets and free bets will usually have a range of wagering requirements attached to them when you come to trying to unlock them. These will range from the welcome bonus minimum odds, which deposit methods you can use, how the bet credits are distributed into your account, and where the bonus bets can be wagered. While we can articulate to you what you must do to unlock the free bets or free bet offer, it is down to you to adhere to the terms and conditions of the free bets or free bet offer.

Can I use any payment method to unlock a bonus amount from betting sites?

Many betting sites will not restrict which deposit methods you can use when you come to unlock a free bet or sign-up bonuses. However, some sign-up bonuses and free bets will have restrictions, such as stopping you from using certain e-Wallets or crypto payment methods to unlock bonus bets or a matched first deposit bonus. Be sure you check out the terms and conditions of any sign-up bonuses like free bets or a free bet offer, with different free bets and matched first deposit bonus offers usually providing differing restrictions.

What is the best new customer sign-up bonus?

This completely depends on your style of play. If you have a decent amount of money behind you then a matched first deposit bonus is ideal as you will usually be matched 100% up to a certain amount, meaning the more you deposit, the more you will get in bet credits up to a certain amount. However, if you would prefer your betting site's sign-up bonus to be free bets, then this is also very generous too. Free bets and free bet offers are currently the most popular new customer offer available. This has seen many bookmakers looking to swell the amount they can provide you in your free bet, meaning you can really make the most out of the free bets on offer.