Poker bonuses offer players cash, free tournament entries, and other perks in exchange for signing up for real money accounts and making a first deposit.

Some online poker sites offer free money just for signing up, and nearly all offer an even bigger bonus to players who make a first deposit.

In most cases, bonuses offered by legal poker sites provide significant value to the player. However, every online poker bonus is different, and players should know which poker deposit bonuses are worth claiming.

BettingUSA has curated a list of the best poker bonuses for 2024.

We rank online poker promotions according to value, ease of clearing, and the trustworthiness of the operator. We also explain how all types of online poker bonuses work, how to evaluate the quality of online poker bonus offers, and what we think players should know before depositing.

Latest Poker Deposit Bonuses

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BetMGM Poker Bonus

• Available states: MI, NJ, and PA
• BetMGM Poker Bonus Code: BUSABONUS

New BetMGM Poker customers who register with the bonus code BUSABONUS receive a two-part welcome bonus when they make their first deposit:

• 100% up to $1,000 first deposit bonus
• Up to $75 in tournament tickets

New BetMGM Poker customers who deposit at least $10 receive an equal amount in bonus funds (up to $1,000) and up to $75 worth of tournament tickets based on the size of their deposit:

• Deposit $10-$499: Get $25 in tournament tickets
• Deposit $500-$999: Get $50 in tournament tickets
• Deposit $1,000+: Get $75 in tournament tickets

That’s two BetMGM Poker bonuses with a single deposit for all new customers who input the bonus code BUSABONUS when signing up.

For example, a new user who makes a first deposit of $200 would receive an additional $200 in bonus funds and $25 in tournament tickets.

Note: Players who claim the BetMGM Poker bonus receive the tournament tickets immediately but must release the deposit match bonus in increments.

BetMGM Poker players can clear bonus increments by earning BetMGM Rewards Points at the following rates:

• Players in New Jersey and Michigan must earn 10.5 BetMGM Rewards Points per dollar in bonus money
• Players in Pennsylvania must earn 12.5 BetMGM Rewards Points per dollar in bonus money

WSOP Poker Bonus

• Available States: MI, NJ, NV, and PA
• WSOP Poker Bonus Code: BUSA

New WSOP Poker customers who register with the bonus code BUSA receive a three-part bonus consisting of the following:

• 100% up to $1,000 first deposit bonus
• Up to $100 in free play
• Seven freeroll entries

The WSOP first deposit match bonus essentially doubles new customers’ bankrolls by adding an equal amount in bonus funds. For example, a new user who deposits $600 would receive a $600 bonus.

New WSOP online poker players also receive an instant free play bonus worth up to $100 based on the size of their first deposit:

• Deposit $10-$250: Get $25 in free play
• Deposit $251-$500: Get $50 in free play
• Deposit $501-$999: Get $75 in free play
• Deposit $1,000+: Get $100 in free play

In addition to all of the above, players who claim the welcome offer receive free entries to seven $100 freerolls exclusive to new WSOP Poker customers.

The instant free play bonus and tournament entries are immediately available after signing up and depositing.

However, the WSOP deposit bonus is released in $5 increments for every 50 Action Player Points (APPs) customers earn in ring games and tournaments.

Players earn 2 APPs for every $1 they pay in rake and tournament fees.

Party Poker Bonus

• Available States: NJ
• Party Poker Bonus Code: BUSABONUS

The Party Poker bonus code invites new customers to sign up for accounts in exchange for a two-part bonus consisting of the following:

• $25 instant no-deposit bonus upon registration
• 100% up to $600 match bonus on first deposit

New Party Poker players can claim the instant registration bonus by visiting partypoker.com and signing up for an account. New players who deposit at least $10 within seven days of registration also receive the 100% Party Poker match bonus worth up to $600.

The Party Poker bonus offers exceptional value compared to other online poker promotions. The one downside is that the $25 instant registration bonus only partially applies to poker because it consists of $15 for cash games/fastforward tables and $10 for Party Casino slots.

Otherwise, the Party Poker welcome bonus is all upside for a few reasons:

1. The Party Poker no-deposit bonus is a rarity in online poker because making a deposit before withdrawing is not required.
2. All Party Poker bonuses and their associated winnings are withdrawable.
3. The registration and first deposit bonuses at Party Poker have minimal wagering requirements.

Most “no-deposit” poker bonuses require customers to make at least one deposit before withdrawing their winnings, and they almost always only allow customers to withdraw their net profits.

In contrast, the Party Poker no-deposit bonus and winnings are withdrawable after meeting the offer’s wagering requirements:

• $15 no-deposit Party Poker bonus is withdrawable after playing a single raked hand
• $10 Party Casino bonus has a 1x rollover on slots (e.g., play through the bonus one time)

The 100% match bonus offered by Party Poker also has reasonable rollover requirements of 4 iRPs per $1 in bonus money.

Players earn two iRPs for every $1 they pay in tournament fees or cash game rake and clear the bonus in 10% increments.

For example, a player who deposits $100 would receive a $100 bonus and clear it in $10 increments every time they earn 40 iRPs. That’s the equivalent of 50% rakeback because the player in this example would clear $10 for every $20 they pay in rake or tournament fees.

Borgata Poker Bonus

• Available States: NJ and PA
• Borgata Poker Bonus Code: BUSABONUS

The Borgata Poker bonus is nearly identical to the BetMGM Poker bonus, other than a minor difference in clearing requirements.

New players who sign up for an account using the Borgata poker bonus code BUSABONUS qualify for a two-part welcome bonus:

• 100% up to $1,000 first deposit match
• Up to $75 in tournament tickets

Both of the incentives offered by the Borgata Poker bonus reward new players based on the size of their first deposit.

The Borgata Poker first deposit bonus rewards anyone who deposits $10 or more with an equal amount in bonus funds worth up to $1,000. For example, a new player who registers and deposits $500 would receive an additional $500 in bonus funds.

Similarly, the tournament ticket bonus offered by Borgata Poker issues free entries based on the following thresholds:

• Deposit $10-$499: get $25 in tournament entries
• Deposit $500-$999: get $50 in tournament tickets
• Deposit $1,000+: Get $75 in tournament tickets

New Jersey poker players must earn 10.5x the bonus amount in Borgata Rewards Points (BRPs), while Pennsylvania players must earn 14x the amount in BRPs.

Other than that detail, the Borgata Poker bonus is identical in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

In both states, players clear the Borgata Poker bonus in 10% increments. For example, a New Jersey player who deposits $500 would release it in $50 chunks for every 525 BRPs they earn.

Players earn up to 500 BRPs for every $100 paid in rake and tournament fees, but Borgata Poker has never answered precisely how it calculates BRP earn rates for customers.

BetRivers Poker Bonus

• Available States: PA
• BetRivers Poker Bonus Code: POKER

BetRivers Poker welcomes new players with a 100% welcome bonus worth up to $1,000.

The BetRivers Poker bonus boasts favorable terms, giving players 120 days to clear as much of the bonus as possible. Players clear the bonus in $5 increments for every $25 they contribute in rake when playing cash games and tournaments.

Any bonus money cleared by players becomes withdrawable, with no further strings attached.

PokerStars Bonus

• Available States: MI, NJ, and PA
• PokerStars Bonus Code: STARS600

New depositing customers may choose one of the following PokerStars welcome bonuses when signing up:

• Option A: 100% up to $600 first deposit bonus
• Option B: $150 in bonus play

The 100% deposit bonus provides the most value and flexibility, but the alternative offer is much friendlier to players with small bankrolls.

For example, a player with $20 to spend would get $20 in value with Option A and $150 in value with Option B.

Players who choose the 100% deposit bonus clear it for withdrawal in $10 increments for every 140 redemption points they earn. In most games, players earn five redemption points for every $1.00 they pay in rake and tournament fees.

That’s the equivalent of just over 35% in PokerStars rakeback.

Tip: New players who don’t max out the PokerStars deposit bonus on their first deposit can claim the remainder with up to two additional deposits within their first 60 days of signing up.

Meanwhile, players who choose the $150 flat bonus must play a single hand of real-money poker in any cash game or wager $1.00 on any casino game to qualify.

Once they do that, players receive the PokerStars bonus spread across the next six days as follows:

• Day 0: Two $5 Spin & Go tickets and fifty $1 Spin & Go tickets
• Day 1: 50 bonus spins on select slots (PA & MI) or $10 casino bonus (NJ)
• Day 2: Two $5 Spin & Go tickets and one $10 Spin & Go ticket
• Day 3: $10 casino bonus
• Day 4: Two $10 Spin & Go tickets
• Day 5: $30 casino bonus

It’s a much more restrictive bonus, but there are no additional wagering requirements once players qualify.

Best Poker Bonuses By State

The variety and availability of online poker bonuses varies by state due to the nature of US gambling laws.

Players in some states can choose from multiple online poker sites and welcome offers, while those in other states are limited in choice.

Players in legal US poker states can use the following comparison tables to compare all poker deposit bonuses in each state by the maximum bonus amount, clearing requirements, and effective rakeback percentage.

Note: The column titled “Clearing Requirements” in each table explains how many reward points players must earn to release $1.00 in bonus money. The following tables look similar, but some poker sites enforce different wagering requirements in different states, which impacts the effective rakeback figure. The effective rakeback percentage describes how much bonus money is cleared per dollar paid in rake and tournament fees on average.

Note 2: BetMGM Poker and Borgata Poker do not divulge the mechanics behind loyalty point earn rates beyond stating that players can earn “up to 500 points per $100 paid in rake.” That equates to an effective rakeback percentage of 48% at the high end.

New Jersey Poker Bonuses

New Jersey boasts a vibrant and competitive online poker industry with seven operators that offer welcome bonuses to new customers.

As a general rule of thumb, the most successful operators offer the best NJ poker bonuses.

Michigan Poker Bonuses

The Michigan online poker market consists of three operators, each offering a bonus worth considering due to reasonable clearing requirements and player-friendly terms.

Pennsylvania Poker Bonuses

Pennsylvania is home to four legal poker sites, each with a sizable welcome bonus and quality software.

Nevada Poker Bonuses

WSOP.com dominates the Nevada poker market. Three other poker sites have operated in Nevada at various points but failed to gain enough traction. Some of the industry’s more prominent operators have indicated they may enter the market in the future.

Until then, players can visit WSOP.com and claim a generous online poker signup bonus.

Delaware Poker Bonuses

The Delaware online poker market shut down indefinitely in December 2023 after the state lottery’s contract with 888 Holdings expired. The Delaware Lottery’s new online gambling partner, Rush Street Interactive, does not yet offer online poker.

We will update this page with poker bonuses for players in Delaware if Rush Street Interactive elects to launch online poker in the state.

West Virginia Poker Bonuses

West Virginia legalized online poker in 2019, but players are still waiting for online poker operators to launch in the state.

BetMGM Poker and PokerStars.com are likely candidates due to local casino connections and reputations for aggressively expanding into new states.

We will update this page when West Virginia online poker bonuses become available.

How Online Poker Bonuses Work

The basic idea behind typical poker bonuses is that you sign up for an account at a poker site and make a deposit. In return, the poker site adds extra money to your account.

For example, players who deposit $100 and get a $100 match bonus, would then have a total bankroll of $200 to play with.

The biggest poker bonuses tend to be reserved for new customers, but some online poker sites occasionally offer reload bonuses for existing customers.

Poker reload bonuses come in handy if you’ve been considering topping up your account for a larger bankroll.

In most cases, the amount of bonus money you receive is tied to the size of your first deposit.

Whenever you see poker promotions advertising a “100% bonus up to $500,” that percentage is telling you how much money you can get based on the size of your deposit.

If they are offering a 100% bonus, that means your first deposit will be doubled. Likewise, a 50% bonus means you’ll get an extra 50% (i.e. deposit $100 to get $50 extra).

Poker bonuses also come with upper limits on how much extra cash you can receive. If the offer is 100% up to $100, you’ll get an extra 100% on any amount for up to $100 extra.

You can still deposit more, but the amount you’ll get in additional bonus funds is capped at $100.

Clearing Poker Deposit Bonuses

If you claim your first poker bonus without reading the terms and conditions, you may be surprised to find that the bonus cash is not immediately available in your account.

Instead, the poker bonus money is labeled as “pending” until you meet certain requirements. This is completely normal.

Bonus clearing requirements are a necessary evil as online poker sites want to prevent bonus abuse by making sure you play in a minimum number of real money cash game hands and online poker tournaments before releasing the bonus cash.

Poker bonus clearing requirements vary from one poker site to the next, but it always comes down to contributing enough rake to release the bonus money.

Poker deposit bonuses are usually released in small increments after earning a certain amount of frequent player points (which are awarded for playing in ring games and tournaments).

Poker bonus clearing requirements for online poker bonuses encourages you to play in real money games, and helps the poker site keep the tables active.

Poker bonus clearing requirements also help offset the cost of the bonus, by encouraging players to play more. Active tables lead to more rake generated, and that’s how online poker sites turn a profit.

The best online poker bonuses mitigate the cost of the rake and boost your winnings.

If you are a winning player, successfully clearing poker deposit bonuses can add to your winnings. If you are a losing player, bonuses help offset your losses, which gives you more experience at the tables and more time to hone your game.

Online poker bonuses from legal poker sites are almost always a good deal for the player. Expert players often take advantage of deposit bonuses from every operator in the market.

Fastest Way to Clear Poker Bonuses

There are two basic routes you can take to clear online poker bonuses: playing in cash games or playing in tournaments.

In our experience, participating in cash games has always led to us clearing poker deposit bonuses the fastest.

Cash games move quickly; they run 24 hours a day, and it’s easy to multi-table. You can rack up a ton of frequent player points by playing in ring games.

Online poker tournaments take longer and generate less rake per hour for poker sites, so it takes longer to earn the frequent player points necessary to release a bonus.

However, it is even better to stick to the game type you know best. If tournaments are your bread and butter, stick with tournaments.

A poker bonus doesn’t offer much value if you play unfamiliar formats and lose a bunch of money trying to clear the bonus.

If you’re comfortable with both formats, cash games are definitely the way to go.

Poker Bonus Codes

Some poker sites ask you to input “promo codes” when claiming a first deposit bonus. Most of the time, the current poker signup offer is automatically applied to your account, without the use of a bonus code.

If you are signing up for an account or making a deposit and you see a blank field asking for your bonus/promo/referral code, operators are likely just tracking marketing efforts.

We keep up to date on all available poker promo codes, if you see an offer listed here and we don’t list a bonus code, you don’t need it. All players get the top-level bonus offer with or without the use of a code.

Check out our reviews for the latest online poker bonus codes at leading operators:

• BetMGM Poker Bonus Code
• WSOP Bonus Code
• Borgata Poker Bonus Code
• Party Poker Bonus Code
• BetRivers Poker Bonus Code
• PokerStars Bonus Code

Types of Online Poker Bonus Offers

Every poker bonus is unique, but most online poker bonuses can be organized into one of four categories:

First deposit bonuses are almost always the most valuable, while no-deposit bonuses and reload offers tend to be smaller but are still worth claiming.

No matter the type of promotional offer, poker players should consider each bonus individually.

Whether it’s a first deposit bonus or free tournament tickets, players need to understand the terms and conditions.

For example, if a bonus requires a player to play through X number of hands, how likely is the player to meet that condition before the bonus expires?

These are important things to consider, especially in states with multiple poker sites and many poker signup bonuses to choose from.

Poker Deposit Bonuses

Poker deposit bonuses tend to be large and enticing offers, often awarding hundreds of dollars in return for signing up for an account and making a first deposit.

Poker deposit bonuses are usually offered on a percentage match basis. For example, a 100% bonus of up to $200 will match each new customer’s first deposit on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Deposit $200, get $200 extra, subject to clearing requirements.

Remember, it’s an important thing to know how difficult any deposit bonus is to clear. Reputable poker sites clearly explain what’s expected of players to release the full bonus for withdrawal.

Poker Reload Bonuses

Poker reload bonuses function similarly to first deposit offers but are open to existing customers as well. Occasionally, a poker site will offer a reload bonus to reactivate existing players and entice dormant accounts to become active again.

Poker reload bonuses are almost always smaller than new customer offers, but they work in the same manner. Players receive extra money in return for depositing, and a requirement that they clear the bonus by participating in real money cash games and tournaments.

No-Deposit Poker Bonuses

No-deposit poker bonuses are popular for one obvious reason: players can sign up for an account and receive some money with no deposit needed.

No deposit bonuses are great for players who want to try a new poker site without going through the hassle of funding an account.

The catch with most no-deposit bonuses at online poker sites is that any winnings earned with bonus money are held captive until the player makes a deposit.

As a result, no deposit bonuses are good for trying a poker site, but players should not consider them “free poker money”.

Even so, it’s nice to take a free chance at grinding a bankroll and only making a deposit if your winnings reach the point to where it’s worth the effort to cash out.

Free Tournament Entries

Some poker sites offer free tournament entries as an add-on to a welcome bonus.

For example, a poker site may offer a first deposit bonus plus $100 worth of free tournament tickets. The tickets usually come with no strings attached.

Players can use the tournament to buy into a paid tournament for free, and cash out any winnings.

Poker Bonus FAQ