FIRST 5 CASINOS

1. VC Games

VC Games offers a £25 sign-up bonus with a small wagering requirement of only 8xBonus = £200. Finnish players are not eligible for this bonus. I recommend starting with VC Games because it is a small bonus with a low wagering requirement. You can get a feel for how online casinos work without risking much of your bankroll and without being bogged down by a large wagering requirement. Note that VC Games is under the games tab of the link above, not the casino tab. VC Casino (under casino tab) also offers an excellent sign-up bonus. However, I do not describe it on this first 5 casinos page. VC Games uses Orbis software. Orbis has few table games, but it does have blackjack, which is the best choice for this bonus. Use the strategy tables and house edge information from the blackjack page listed under Orbis software. The table below gives the chance of making a gain and time required with a variety of bet sizes. See the return & variance calculator for checking other bet sizes.

Bet Size	Hands	Hours*	Chance of Gain	1 Standard Deviation
1	~180	0.7	94%	+10 to +40
2	~90	0.4	87%	+5 to +45
3	~60	0.25	82%	-0 to +50
5	~35	0.15	76%	-10 to +60

*(Rate of play is estimated at ~250 hands per hour. Maximum rate is ~300 hands per hour.)

2. Party Casino

Party Casino offers a cashable bonus of $100, €100, or £100; depending on the currency used in your location. The wagering requirement is 20xBonus = 2000. This bonus is semi-exclusive and requires signing up with the code BEATING1. Bonus Pair Blackjack, Multi-player Blackjack, and High-limit Blackjack count towards this 20xB wagering. Single Deck Blackjack does not count towards wagering. Use the strategy tables and house edge information from the blackjack page listed under Party Gaming software. The table below gives the chance of making a gain and time required with a variety of bet sizes. See the return & variance calculator for checking other bet sizes. Note that players who have previously claimed a sign-up bonus with Party Poker may be unable to claim this sign-up bonus.

Bet Size	Hands	Hours*	Chance of Gain	1 Standard Deviation
1	~1800	4.5	97%	+45 to +140
2	~900	2	91%	+25 to +160
3	~600	1.5	87%	+10 to +175
5	~350	1	80%	-15 to +200
10	~180	0.5	73%	-60 to +245
15	~120	0.3	69%	-95 to +275

*(Rate of play is estimated at ~400 hands per hour. Maximum rate is ~600 hands per hour.)

3. Unibet

Unibet offers a cashable bonus of €100. The wagering requirement is 25xBonus = 2500. Again use the optimal strategy and house edge information from the blackjack page. The table below lists the chance of making a gain and time required with a variety of bet sizes. See the return & variance calculator for checking other bet sizes.

Bet Size	Hands	Hours*	Chance of Gain	1 Standard Deviation
1	~2200	4.5	96%	+40 to +145
2	~1100	2	89%	+15 to +165
3	~750	1.5	84%	-0 to +185
5	~450	1	78%	-30 to +210
10	~220	0.5	71%	-80 to +260
15	~150	0.3	67%	-115 to +300

*(Rate of play is estimated at ~500 hands per hour. Maximum rate is ~900 hands per hour.)

4. Bet 365

Bet 365 offers a cashable bonus of $200. For countries using £ as currency, the bonus is £100. The wagering requirement is 24xBonus = $4800 or £2400. Players from Finland and the Netherlands are not eligible for this bonus. In my opinion, Bet 365 is the most reputable Playtech casino. Again use the optimal strategy and house edge information from the blackjack page. The table below lists the chance of making a gain and time required with a variety of bet sizes. See the return & variance calculator for checking other bet sizes.

Bet Size	Hands	Hours*	Chance of Gain	1 Standard Deviation
1	~4250	8	99.2%	+105 to +255
2	~2100	4	96%	+75 to +285
3	~1400	3	92%	+50 to +310
5	~850	1.7	86%	+15 to +345
10	~420	0.8	78%	-55 to +415
15	~280	0.6	74%	-110 to +465

*(Rate is play is estimated at ~500 hands per hour. Maximum rate with this SW is ~1500 hands per hour.)

5. 888.com / Casino on Net

888.com offers a $200 bonus with a total wagering requirement of $4300 = ~22xB on blackjack. The 888.com bonus comes in two parts. After depositing $200, you will receive $50 (25% of the bonus immediately). You will receive the remaining 75% of the bonus after completing wagering. Note that the wagering requirements increase for deposits with Neteller, so do not deposit with Neteller. There are several other alternatives.

The software may seem like a disappointment after using Playtech. It is slower and generally lower quality. It does not have as many extra features or games as Playtech and Microgaming. It does have blackjack, which is the best choice for this bonus. Again use the optimal strategy from the blackjack page. The table below lists the chance of making a gain and time required with a variety of bet sizes. See the return & variance calculator for checking other bet sizes.

Bet Size	Hands	Hours*	Chance of Gain	1 Standard Deviation
1	~3500	12	99.6%	+115 to +255
2	~1750	6	97%	+85 to +285
3	~1200	4	94%	+65 to +305
5	~700	2.5	88%	+30 to +340
10	~350	1.2	80%	-40 to +405
15	~240	0.8	75%	-90 to +455

*(Rate of play is estimated at 300 hands per hour with this slow SW. Maximum rate is ~350 hands per hour.)

6. Your Next Casino

The first four casinos listed above all appear near the top of the best bonuses page. You can keep working down the best bonuses page or skip through it, choosing your preferred bonuses.