No matter their location, online casino players care about three things: Safety, games, and bonuses. When reviewing online casinos for each country, we can guarantee the first two, but operators cannot always freely set up their promo calendars.
We created this guide to clarify the situation and explain why a casino might generously reward UK punters while not offering anything to Spanish players. However, tracking the full range of online casino bonus restrictions is impossible, so we decided to focus only on the most popular markets.
Australia casino bonus restrictions
Online casinos are illegal in Australia. However, sports betting sites licensed by the local territories can operate in the country. Several local and offshore betting sites (bet365, TAB…) legally offer odds to Aussie punters, but since 2019, they cannot advertise welcome offers. This change came into effect through the National Consumer Protection Framework for Online Gambling amendment.
Bonuses for existing players are still available, but you won’t find them unless you register with the service.
Canada casino bonus restrictions
Except for Ontario, online casinos operate offshore in Canada. The lack of universal gambling laws makes it possible for CA gambling sites to create welcome and ongoing bonuses as they see fit. All sorts of deals are available to players, and the T&Cs are along the industry lines (40x wagering requirements).
Finland casino bonus restrictions
In Finland, players have to settle for a state-owned enterprise – Veikkaus Oy – or risk playing at offshore online casinos breaking the country’s gambling laws by accepting Finnish players.
Nonetheless, change is on the horizon, with ongoing bills to open the door to locally licensed casino sites. The main thing holding the bill back is the proposal to outrightly ban all bonuses and affiliate marketing in the country.
The specific casino bonus restrictions in Finland are still under debate.
Germany casino bonus restrictions
Online casinos have been legal in Germany since July 2021, when the German Interstate Treaty on Gambling came into effect. Although there aren’t any explicit casino bonus restrictions in Germany, the maximum monthly deposit limit is capped at €1,000, so the same applies to deposit bonuses.
Greece casino bonus restrictions
Greece has a thriving iGaming market with big international casinos and local brands legally operating through permits issued by the Hellenic Gaming Commission since 2020. Although online casino bonuses are fully allowed, affiliated sites like ours cannot advertise them freely. To find out more about each Greek online casino’s offers, you are forced to sign up with them.
New Zealand casino bonus restrictions
Like Canada, New Zealand doesn’t have a local body overseeing online gambling activities. Therefore, NZ is considered a grey iGaming market and operators licensed by the UKGC or MGA casually accept Kiwis.
The lack of local boundaries provides operators with utter freedom to set up casino bonuses as they see fit.
Spain casino bonus restrictions
Gambling in Spain was regulated early since the Spanish Gambling Act of 2011 was passed. Through it, the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego was established to license online casinos and set the rules they should abide by.
Restrictions in place include welcome bonus caps and limited promos for existing players, and their advertisements.
Sweden casino bonus restrictions
Sweden licenses international online casinos and provides several localized services. The flourishing iGaming market has been damaged by some major online casino bonus restrictions, though. In Sweden, online casinos can only offer a single welcome offer – no follow-up deposit bonuses, free spins, weekly reloads, or anything else. Naturally, locals have slowly turned to offshore online casinos despite the risk.
United Kingdom casino bonus restrictions
The UK has one of the most robust iGaming regulators in the world. The UKGC constantly refines its bonus regulations to ensure players are treated fairly by iGaming sites. Among the several guidelines it sets out, the following bonus terms must be in place:
- Clear communication of bonus restrictions
- Separately displaying cash and bonus funds
- Option to cash out deposited funds and associated winnings at any time
- VIP offers and loyalty schemes have been banned
Certain terms, like free spins, have also been banned in the UK due to their implications.
United States casino bonus restrictions
The United States doesn’t have federal laws that regulate online casino gambling in a unified way. Each State is free to legalize online casinos and pass regulations. A handful of States have done so to this day, and no major restrictions are in place regarding bonuses. The only ones relate to the wording of bonuses, with terms like free bets not being used anymore.
Understanding online casino bonus restrictions
An online casino might focus its operations on a single country. In this case, bonuses are laser-focused to attract locals based on their gaming habits, often using influencers to attract players through social media too.
The majority of big brands acquire several licenses and attempt to attract players from several countries. This is done through a single site with different language settings or completely separate websites.
Even if a casino is licensed to operate in your country, certain games might not be available. That’s because gaming studios must hold licenses for the same jurisdiction too.
Turning to our topic, licensing authorities have different rules and regulations in place, often aligning with the national gambling policies. A gaming authority might choose to restrict all welcome offers or promotions too. Others set specific rules on how bonuses must be worded, the maximum bonus caps, T&Cs, and so on.
Online casino regulations surrounding bonuses come from a good place. Government authorities typically establish them to protect players from unsolicited marketing activities and overspending for an opportunity to grab larger offers.
Restricted vs varying casino bonuses
Online casinos accepting players from various countries might also provide different bonuses to players based on their location. This doesn’t always have to do with laws and regulations, but more to align their strategy with what their competitors offer and pierce through the noise.
For example, most casinos in the UK provide bonuses of up to 500 pounds, while Canadian casinos casually exceed 2,000 CAD. Therefore, it is normal for a casino to adjust its marketing strategy to be aligned with customer expectations.
The above is sometimes necessary, too, so that the casino offers localized bonuses in terms of currency.
Summary
Online casino bonus restrictions come from a good place. Regulators try to protect players from overspending or falling prey to advanced marketing strategies that gambling sites refine 24/7.
Although some casino bonus restrictions have cleared the air and help beginners enjoy casino offers without feeling scammed afterwards (UK), others help illegal gambling flourish (Sweden). Countries that haven’t yet passed any major casino bonus regulations are likely to in the future (USA).
The line between protecting players and overregulating online casinos is thin, and in my view, it is better to take a lighter stance than leading players to the casino black market.