Casinos are always keen to tempt in new players, or entice them away from competitors. Because of this, welcome bonuses are plentiful. We've put together a quick summary of them for your convenience.
Perhaps the most obvious welcome bonus is the no deposit variety. Without putting in anything at all, you can receive several different types of bonus. One of the most common welcome bonuses is free spins worth a small value (perhaps around $30 or so). This sort of promotion is tied to specific slots. Free credits are practically the same welcome bonus but tied to a specific (non-slots) game.
Bonus cash of a similar value is a more flexible welcome bonus, as it allows you to play a wide variety of games. Free play is a little different. It involves a larger sum of money (perhaps over $1,000) and a time limit around an hour or two long. After the time ends, the bonus money vanishes but the profits stay in the player's account (if you're behind, you just lose the bonus money).
It's worth knowing that all the welcome bonuses mentioned above, and those below, usually come with a number of restrictions. These are the withdrawal cap and the wagering requirement. The cap is a ceiling on maximum winnings, often a few hundred dollars. The wagering, or playthrough, requirement is the total value of wagers that must be placed before any bonus money can be withdrawn (this is often around 30-50 times the value of the bonus). In the case of bonus cash, this can be a little trickier as different games may offer different wagering requirement rates. Slots tend to be at 100% or so but other games (particularly table games) offer significantly lower rates ($2 bet might just contribute $1 to the requirement), or not be eligible at all.
When first signing up with a casino it's common for a deposit matching offer to be available as a welcome bonus. These can vary according to both the maximum amount matched (often $100 or more) and the rate. Many match at 100% but sometimes a higher rate will be offered, so if you deposit $100 the casino might put in $125. It's also worth noting that sometimes this will only be offered as a welcome bonus for certain payment options, so double check to ensure you'll be receiving this.
This is a bit of a lateral welcome bonus, as you receive the bonus for welcoming your friend to the casino. When someone you refer joins up, you receive a small amount of cash to gamble with (typically subject to the restrictions mentioned above for cash welcome bonuses). The bonus may be paid out either when your friend signs up or makes a first deposit, or split between the two.
It's not uncommon for deposit matching to be offered alongside free spins or suchlike. Browse around to find the best offer, and keep an eye on the restrictions as these can make all the difference.