Poker Sites Giving Out Instant Bonuses

by Josh H | Owner and Editor-in-Chief

Every online poker room loves to flash big bonus numbers in front of players, but almost none of them actually give players this promised money upfront. Every site listed on this page gives instant bonus money to new players. — Every online poker room loves to flash big bonus numbers in front of players, but almost none of them actually give poker players this promised money upfront.

While deposit bonuses have become standard fare over the past 15 years for online poker rooms looking to entice new customers an instant and playable bonus is very rare.

The oversized bonus numbers advertised everywhere you look actually come with a laundry list of requirements that would shame a law professor.

An instant bonus allows you to use your bonus funds instantly in a cash game or as a tournament buy-in.

It helps give you an added boost and pad your bankroll before you even sit down at a game.

These can be very refreshing compared to sites that require extensive playing time, rollovers, and a lack of withdrawals in order to earn the bonus.

Fortunately, there are still a few poker sites left that let you have the bonus money right away. Below are my top choices for poker instant bonus offers.

Online Poker Sites with an Instant Bonus:

Poker Site	Instant Bonus	Incentive Requirements	Link
BetOnline Poker	$135 in free sports bets. Can eventually be transferred to poker room.	Any deposit, including the $25 minimum.	Claim the free bets
ACR Poker	20 free Jackpot Poker tournaments. Guaranteed to be worth $50.	Any deposit starting at $20. Log in at any time daily to claim.	Get your first instant tournament buy-in
Bovada	100% of your deposit matched instantly for casino games or sports play.	Any deposit using any method.	Claim the 100% match

BetOnline

Name: BetOnline Poker
Website: BetOnline.ag
US Players accepted: Yes
Bonus: 200% and $135 in free bets
Traffic: #2-3 in US market
In operation since: 1991 in brick-and-mortar form
Full review: BetOnline review

Instant Bonus

$135 in free bets
$50 instant free mobile bet
$25 live dealer free bet
50% instant free sports bet
Roll it over enough and transfer it to poker or cash it out

Play at BetOnline Poker Now

More on the BetOnline instant bonus

This poker room has taken a different approach to the instant bonus, giving a standard play-required sizable 200% bonus but adding in a 50% instant sports bonus and $135 in instant free plays.

The 50% sports instant bonus credits an extra 50% of your deposit to the sports section, allowing you to bet simply with bonus money. Roll it over enough times by continuing to win and you can cash it out or transfer it to the poker section.

BetOnline also has numerous free bets, allowing you to make an instant bonus bet and get a loss refunded. This includes a $50 free mobile bet and a $25 free live dealer bet.

ACRPoker

Name: ACR Poker
Website: AmericasCardroom.eu
US Players accepted: Yes
Bonus: 100% and 20 free Sit and Gos
Traffic: #2-3 in US market
In operation since: 2001
Full review: ACR Poker review

Instant Bonus

20 days of free Jackpot Poker tournaments
Instantly given on any deposit
Log in every day to get $2-6 free Tourney Bucks
Save them up and enter a $40 Jackpot tournament free
Use them daily to enter a free $2 tournament each time

Play at ACR Poker Now

More on the America’s Cardroom instant bonus

A newcomer to this space, ACR Poker added a new instant bonus and it’s probably the most unique of them all. After you make any first deposit ($25 is the minimum) you’re given 20 free Jackpot Poker cards, which you unlock every day in the rewards section of the software.

You’ll need to use ACR bonus code ACRBTF in order to qualify.

Each card is worth between 2-6 Tourney Bucks, which can then be used to enter any Jackpot Poker tournament for free. Jackpot Poker is a Spin and Go 3-handed tournament with the winner taking the whole prize pool. There is a chance that the prizes will equal more than the buy-ins. Jackpot buy-ins are $2, $10, $25, $40.

Be sure to redeem the tournament bonus daily

You have to redeem the cards daily, but if you do you’re entitled to at least $40 of free tournament buy-ins, which might be the most generous instant bonus available. You can save your Tourney Bucks to use on a bigger buy-in or just play free $2 tournaments every day you unlock a card.

It’s a different idea and you don’t have to do anything other than make a deposit and log in to get 20 days of free tournaments.

Although this isn’t technically a poker bonus, I’m including it as Bovada is one of the few dependable all-in-one gaming options available for US players.

Bovada Casino

Name: Bovada
Website: bovada.lv
US Players accepted: Yes
Bonus: 100% instantly
Traffic: #1 in US market
In operation since: 2000 (under Bodog brand)

Instant Bonus

100% instantly for sports and casino play
Use the bonus money right away
20% instantly for Bitcoin deposits
Roll it over through gameplay and cash it out
The quickest payouts in the US market

Play at Bovada Poker Now

More on the Bovada instant bonus

In the old heyday of online poker Bovada was the US king of instant bonuses, offering a simple 10% extra on top of any deposit. They may have taken a break from that beloved offer, but they’ve improved it to 50% on sports play, 100% on casino play, and 20% extra instantly on any Bitcoin deposit.

If you’re making a deposit it’s tough to beat the Bovada instant bonus, which goes right to your bankroll. You can use it immediately in the sports or casino sections, playing only with your bonus if you’d like.

Bonus clearing requirements can be done easily

There are playing requirements before you cash out the instant bonus section of your deposit, but they’re easily earned through normal gameplay. The most important part is that you can use it immediately, unlike just about every other bonus out there.

What is a poker bonus?

Poker bonus, in a nutshell, is the extra money added to your account by a poker room as a way to welcome you to their site and to give you some extra money to gamble with.

On paper, a 100% or 200% deposit bonus is a great thing and it often lures players to sign up as they believe that they could deposit $100 and start playing with $300.

Although this is far from true in most cases, that’s how a majority of poker rooms advertise their bonus offers.

Instant poker bonuses are a real rarity these days. What will usually happen after you deposit is this:

You receive the promised amount in your bonus account.
This amount is released in certain increments ($5, $10, etc.) as you play.
This makes most poker promotions a discount on the rake you pay.

If you are relatively new to the poker world, let me explain this in a bit more detail.

How poker bonuses (usually) work

In most instances, you actually have to play poker before the bonus is released to your account. For example, PokerStars requires you to earn redemption points in order for them to release your wager.

Every $1 paid in rake is worth 5 redemption points, and you can earn your bonus in $5 increments for every 100 redemption points you earn. It’s similar to how wagering requirements at online casinos are met, and it takes quite a long time.

You shouldn’t take this the wrong way: this doesn’t make deposit poker bonuses a bad thing at all. In a way, it is still free money as long as you decide to play with a certain online room.

Although every online poker site offers some sort of bonus to its players, it’s almost always deceptively difficult to clear. That’s why instant bonuses are so valuable.

What is an Instant Poker Bonus?

Online poker rooms do whatever they can to advertise their bonuses as if they were cold hard cash added to your account and immediately ready to be used for playing.

Instant poker bonuses are the opposite of this. They are actually credited to your account as soon as you deposit.

Understanding the needs of players, especially those new to poker, I try to find bonuses that are made immediately available – at least partially.

Different Types of Instant Poker Bonus Offers

Instant poker bonuses are awarded in different ways from different operators. Some are awarded as deposit match bonus whereby you receive a percentage of your deposit as bonus money while others offer up free tournament entries when you first fund your account.

Bonus Cash

A number of top online poker rooms will provide their instant bonuses as money that is credited to your account right away. This type of promotion allows you to bet your chips in cash games or poker tournaments using your bonus funds.

Tournament Tickets

For your instant deposit poker bonus, other sites will give you free tournament tickets instead of cash – or grant you the opportunity to enter some exclusive poker freerolls. I’m quite a big fan of these types of promotions, as there can be some very, very lucrative prize pools in the tournaments that you’re given the ticket for.

No Deposit Bonuses

These are the holy grail of online poker bonuses. Unlike other welcome bonus offers where you have to make a deposit, a no-deposit bonus gives bonus cash or a tournament ticket away for free simply for being a new player and completing the registration process.

Special bonus codes are usually required for players to claim these offers, and wagering requirements are likely to apply to your winnings. For more information on no deposit poker, check out my in-depth guide.

Recreational and small-stakes players will probably prefer instant bonuses

For people putting in dozens of hours at the tables every week this may not be that big of a deal, but recreational players tend to appreciate $50 right now much more than a distant promise of potential $200 sometime down the line.

In some cases, I managed to track down bonuses that don’t even require a deposit.

Although no deposit bonuses are pretty much extinct by this point in time, we do our best to find those still available and bring them to the attention of our regular visitors. One can never know, that seemingly insignificant free money could be the start of a great poker adventure. It’s been known to happen!

Frequently Asked Questions

✅ How can I get an instant poker bonus?

Instant poker bonuses are few and far between in the online poker world, so you’ll have to search quite a while to find one – or, simply check out BeatTheFish’s recommendations for poker bonuses that you can claim right away.

✅ Is there a time limit for using an instant poker bonus?

Most online poker rooms will require players to use their bonus within 30 days.

✅ How frequently are instant poker bonuses offered by online poker platforms?

They are really not all that common at all. Nowadays, most poker sites require you to play using your deposited funds before the bonus money is released.

✅ Do I need to deposit money to receive an instant poker bonus?

In most cases, you’ll have to visit the cashier page and make a deposit before you can claim an instant poker bonus. In some instances, however, there are no deposit poker bonuses that don’t require any deposits to be made.

Josh H( Owner and Editor-in-Chief )

Josh is one of the world’s most respected online gambling experts. He has been featured on outlets such as CardPlayer, the World Poker Tour, Google News, and Forbes. Josh has nearly 20 years of experience reviewing poker rooms, casinos, and online sportsbooks. He launched Beat The Fish in 2005, which has been peer-certified as a trustworthy gambling portal. Josh’s proven systems and extensive knowledge of the iGaming industry have been used by thousands of online bettors to make more informed decisions.