Welcome bonuses: the biggest number is not the best offer
A welcome package is the one bonus a casino designs to be compared, which is exactly why the headline is the least reliable part of it. A 400% match sounds generous until the terms show 45× wagering on deposit-plus-bonus and a €5 max bet; a modest 100% up to €200 at 25× on the bonus alone routinely leaves more withdrawable money on the table. Our cards state the numbers that matter side by side.
The comparison that actually works
Reduce every package to the same three questions. How much must be turned over in total — multiplier × its base, the single biggest value factor? What is the maximum bet while wagering — breach it once and most operators void the bonus and its winnings? Which games count at 100% — table players should assume they are excluded until the weighting table says otherwise. Multi-part packages (first three or four deposits) repeat the exercise per deposit, and later instalments usually carry worse terms than the first.
Claiming it right
Verify your account before depositing, not after winning. Check the minimum deposit that activates the offer and the expiry window against how much you actually play. And if the terms fail any of the reading above, the strongest move remains available: deposit without the bonus, keep your balance withdrawable from the first spin, and let the casino earn the second deposit.
Sticky or not: the clause people miss
Some welcome bonuses are "sticky": the bonus amount itself is never withdrawable, only the winnings above it, and it is deducted at cashout. Others are "cashable": once wagering is met the bonus is yours. Two offers with identical percentages and multipliers can differ by the whole bonus amount on this line alone. The card says which kind an offer is where the operator states it; where it does not, assume sticky until the terms prove otherwise.