Top Christmas Casinos 2024

What bonus types are under the tree this Christmas?

The types of Christmas bonuses you can typically expect to find include welcome bonuses, deposit bonuses, no-deposit bonuses, free spins, and cashback. These bonuses can be offered on their own or as part of a wider promotion, such as a Christmas advent calendar. 

If you're unfamiliar with casino bonuses, here's my complete guide to each one, how they benefit you, and a classic example of each.

Christmas bonus type	Description	Where can I find it?
Deposit bonus	Bonus funds credited in exchange for a deposit, usually as a percentage of the deposit. These give you extra funds and more time to play games.	Vulkan Vegas
Free spins	Free rounds on slots, usually in exchange for a deposit. Can be found as part of a deposit/welcome bonus or on their own. They are ideal for those who plan to only play slots as well as boosting your chances to win.	Winz
Cashback	A percentage of losses from gameplay over a set period of time. Usually credited as a bonus. Perfect for those on a budget or looking to get maximum value.	Stake
Advent Calendars	These are a series of either related or unrelated daily bonuses, available every day throughout December, usually culminating on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.	GGbet
Prize Drops	Prize drops are large rewards casinos offer for participating in certain games or depositing a certain amount of money. These can have you in with a chance to win prizes such as bonuses or cash to a certain amount depending on your ranking.	BitKingz

How to choose the best Christmas bonus

To choose the best online Christmas bonus for you, consider the factors below. If you're unsure of your options here, I've put together a handy guide to help you.

What games do you like?

At Christmas time, many of the best online casinos will be applying bonuses to specific games that follow a festive theme, be that involving an animated Santa or a great amount of snow. Slot games are the most prominent in this case, with many new releases unsurprisingly offered with bonuses throughout December. While Fat Santa is my favourite specifically themed Christmas slot so far, you should also keep an eye out for your favourite year-round slots, which may also be getting a seasonal makeover at Christmas. Big Bass Christmas Bash and Sweet Bonanza Xmas are some of the best examples of a wildly popular slot going festive.

How much do you want to deposit?

Most bonuses require a deposit in order to claim, and Christmas games are no exception, especially if you're playing with a festive bonus. In this case, the best advice I can give is to think about how much you're willing to commit. Bonuses that include multiple parts, such as a deposit bonus with free spins, give you more variety if you only want to deposit a small amount. If you're happy to deposit more, I recommend high-roller deposit bonuses, which tend to have higher maximum bonus caps, giving you more to play with.

Christmas-specific bonuses may similarly come in multiple parts but also can come in the form of a daily offering from an advent calendar for instance. Christmas bonuses overall will have different terms, which may mean higher deposit requirements along with many other non-typical T&Cs. For instance, Vulkan Vegas' daily bonuses throughout December require a different deposit amount each day so you should consider whether you wish to make a deposit that large given the value of the bonus.

What payment options are there?

The best online casinos offer a wide range of payment methods, but not all of them can be used to claim bonuses. If you have a preference when it comes to payment methods, such as those you use for online shopping, I recommend checking the T&Cs to make sure you can use those options. Common casino payment methods that are not eligible to claim bonuses include Skrill and Neteller.

What do you hope to gain by claiming?

Think about what each bonus type actually gives you, not simply the immediate benefits. If you have your eye on a free Christmas slot games tournament, for example, it might be a good idea to pick up free spins bonuses to spin the reels at your favourite slots and get a headstart in the race at the same time. If you plan to have a good session at the live dealer tables this festive season, keep an eye out for deposit bonuses and live casino cashback offers. These help to boost your balance and mitigate any losses.

Are you happy with the bonus T&Cs?

I'm not a fan of fine print either, I cannot tell you how many times I've dealt with player complaints that stem from not reading the bonus terms and conditions. If you plan to claim free casino bonus spins for Christmas in 2024, check the bonus terms first. This is so you fully understand which games you can play, how long the free spins are valid for, and what you must do before you can make a withdrawal. The point I am trying to make here is that there are always rules, even with no-deposit bonuses, so take a minute to read the T&Cs. In this way, you can avoid excessive losses, bonus and winnings confiscation, and possible account closure.

Christmas bonus T&Cs

The terms and conditions of Christmas bonuses are so important that I'm going to go into a bit more detail. If you plan on claiming a bonus this Christmas, I guarantee you that your experience will be far more enjoyable if you know exactly what to expect.

Wagering requirements

These dictate how many times you need to play through your deposit and/or bonus amount before you can make a withdrawal. This is the big one that catches most people out, especially when it comes to free spins and cashback, which everyone assumes are wager-free. Yes, sometimes you can find wager-free cashback and free spins offers, but there are usually wagering requirements on the cashback bonus and any winnings you trigger from the free spins. The industry average is around 30x your deposit which may or may not include your bonus amount. But be aware that standalone free spins and no-deposit bonuses often have higher wagering requirements, eg. 40x, 50x, 60x or more.

Time limits

Bonuses are time-sensitive in that they always have an expiry date for claiming and wagering. If you spot a bonus, it's worth claiming it quickly, especially if it's a no-deposit bonus or a standalone free spins offer. These tend to have shorter expiry periods, eg. three days for claiming and seven days for wagering. If you don't complete the specified wagering requirements before the expiry date, your bonus and any associated winnings will be forfeited.

Game restrictions

Many bonuses can only be used on specific games. If the promotion details don't mention games, do not assume the bonus can be used on any game. Check the T&Cs to make sure you can play the games you want using the bonus. Free spins are not always available for use on any slot. Sometimes it's just a handful or even one slot that's eligible. I've seen many people assume deposit bonuses can be used to play anything, then discover certain games, such as live dealer games, are not included. A quick check of the bonus terms is all that's needed for you to avoid this situation.

Bonus caps 

Look out for the maximum amounts for bonuses, which often immediately follow the percentage, e.g. 100% up to €200. Up to €200 means the maximum bonus amount you can claim is €200. Depositing an amount higher than the maximum will not give you a bigger bonus. You can, of course, deposit more, but the bonus cap means you won't get more than the maximum.

Winnings caps

Bonus T&Cs sometimes include a cap on the amount of winnings you can claim while using the bonus. For example, €100 for free spins or a no-deposit bonus. If you want to play jackpot slots and plan to use a bonus to boost your playing time, make sure that the bonus does not include a winnings cap. If you trigger a big jackpot using such a bonus, you will not receive your winnings in full.

How to get the most out of Christmas at online casinos

Christmas is already the perfect time to take advantage of the wealth of bonuses and promotions available, but I have put together 5 tips on how to maximise your enjoyment:

1. Choose bonuses and promotions that align with your style of play.

2. Make sure you agree to the T&Cs, especially wagering requirements, before claiming.

3. Check you can claim the bonus using your preferred payment method.

4. Deposit at least the minimum amount required to claim the bonus.

5. Only play eligible games to avoid bonus and winnings confiscation.

The best Christmas offers are those that involve games you were planning to play anyway. Just be sure to read those T&Cs carefully beforehand and check for things like wagering requirements, expiry dates, and eligible games. Also, be aware of any payment method exclusions that might apply (Skrill and Neteller are commonly excluded). While using your bonus on games that are not eligible isn't usually possible anyway, attempting to do so may result in forfeiting the bonus and any winning.

Understanding bonus terms and conditions

Reading bonus terms and conditions is essential because they reveal the quality and conditions of the bonuses being offered. If you want to avoid the common pitfalls of claiming bonuses that many other players have experienced, it's vital you thoroughly review the terms and conditions.

Our experts have gone through all the T&Cs, to extract the key information that you need to know, including bonus eligibility, minimum required deposit amounts, wagering requirements, expiry dates, winnings caps and withdrawal restrictions for each of the bonus types. Every one of our recommended top casino bonuses includes the key facts, so you can choose the one that best suits you.

Note: Some payment methods and players from some countries may not be eligible for some Christmas bonuses.

The best 3 sweepstakes casinos to play at Christmas

Fortune Coins, Stake Social Casino and Luckyland Slots Casino are the 3 best sweepstakes casinos for US players. If you'd prefer to try something different, we have plenty of recommended alternatives for you to try.