Gambling sites often give you a free cash deposit bonus when you open a 'real account'. This cash can be very useful to help you win even bigger prizes.
The most common types of bonuses are:
Matched Deposit - Whatever you deposit is matched, to a limit for example £100.
Gift - A 'gift' of a certain amount, for example £10.
Points / Tokens - Free bonus points or chips that can be staked but are never added to the 'cash amount'.
For example...
Lucky Devils current bonus of 100% match. Deposit £50, this is matched, so your stake becomes £100! Playing with a stake of £100 rather than £50 means you have a higher chance of winning more money as the stake is higher.
Some sites require a 'play thru' before releasing the bonus, meaning you have to gamble your deposit a set number of times before they add the bonus. Also restrictions are always attatched to withdrawing the bonus, check the terms and conditions, T&Cs, carefully!
Here is a list, updated weeky, of new player free bonuses with some useful notes pointed out:
Site: Lucky Devils
Type: 100% Matched Deposit
Limit: £100
T&C:
Here
Site: Coral Games
Type: Gift
Limit: £10
T&C: Here
Site: Victor Chandler (VC)
Type: Welcome Bonus
Limit: £250
T&C: Here
Site: Virgin Games
Type: Sign Up Bonus
Limit: £100
T&C: Here