$1, $5 and $10 deposit casinos in Canada: what a small deposit gets you

You do not need $100 to try an online casino. Many casinos that accept Canadians take deposits of $10 or less, and some promotions start at $1. A small deposit is a sensible way to test a site before trusting it with more. But a low minimum comes with conditions: the welcome bonus may need a bigger deposit, your bank may charge a fee that is large next to $5, and the withdrawal rules decide whether a small win ever reaches your account. This article goes through each of those, with the numbers.

Three different minimums

"Minimum deposit" can mean three different things, and casinos do not always say which one they advertise.

• The account minimum. The smallest deposit the casino accepts at all.
• The payment method minimum. The smallest deposit for a given method. Interac® e-Transfer, cards and crypto can each have their own floor, so the account minimum is not always available with the method you want to use.
• The bonus minimum. The smallest deposit that triggers the welcome offer. It is often higher than the account minimum: a casino can take a $10 deposit and still require $20 or more for the bonus.

Before you deposit, check all three in the cashier and the bonus terms. If you deposit $10 at a casino whose bonus starts at $20, you play without the bonus, and most casinos will not add it afterwards.

What $1, $5 and $10 get you

• $1. A $1 deposit is almost always a promotion: a set number of spins or a small credit for a one-dollar first deposit, not the casino's normal minimum. The spins usually come with their own wagering requirements and a cap on what you can win. Read those terms before you count the spins as value.
• $5. Enough to open an account and play low-stake games. At $0.20 a spin, $5 is 25 spins. It rarely meets a welcome bonus minimum.
• $10. A common entry point for a real deposit, and at some casinos the floor for the welcome offer too. With $10 you can test the games, the cashier and support, and you have enough balance to request a withdrawal if you win.

The fee problem with small deposits

A bank fee that is small next to $100 is large next to $5.

Whether you pay to send an e-Transfer is set by your bank and your account plan. CIBC's e-Transfer page lists a $1.50 fee to send a transfer; RBC's lists no fee to send. On a $5 deposit, a $1.50 fee is 30% of the money before you have played. On a $10 deposit it is 15%. On a $50 deposit, 3%.

What to do about it:

• Check whether your account plan includes free e-Transfers. Our Interac e-Transfer page covers fees, and the Canadian banks page covers limits.
• If your bank charges per transfer, one $20 deposit costs less in fees than four $5 deposits.
• Do not use a credit card to get around the fee. Most big banks treat a casino charge as a cash advance, with a fee and interest from day one.

Small deposit, bonus: the maths

A bonus on a small deposit looks generous and is hard to cash out, because the wagering requirement scales with the bonus.

Example: you deposit $10 and get a 100% match, so $10 of bonus money. The wagering requirement is 35 times the bonus: $350 of bets before the bonus and its winnings can be withdrawn. On a slot with a 96% RTP, $350 of bets cost $14 on average, more than the $10 bonus. Most of the time, the balance runs out before the wagering is done.

That does not make small-deposit bonuses worthless. It means they buy playing time, not profit. If you want the cleanest test of a casino, deposit without the bonus and keep the option to withdraw at any time.

Before your first deposit: check the withdrawal side

A small deposit only makes sense if a small win can come back to you.

• Minimum withdrawal. If it is higher than what you deposited, a small win stays in the account until it grows.
• Withdrawal method. Some casinos take Interac deposits but pay out another way. Our guide to Interac at casinos shows which casinos list Interac for withdrawals.
• ID check. Expect to send ID and proof of address before the first withdrawal, whatever the amount.
• Withdrawal caps. These matter less on small wins, but they exist. MyEmpire's terms, for example, cap withdrawals at $750 a day at the first VIP level; Mino's at $800 per transaction and per day.

New brands launch every month; this month's are in new online casinos in Canada.

Where to find current minimums

Minimum deposits change with offers, so each casino's page on SpinsPilot shows the minimum the casino states for Canadian players, next to the current offer. Start with all casinos or all bonuses.

Small deposits and your budget

A small deposit limits what you can lose in one go, which is a good reason to start small. It does not limit how often you can deposit again. Set a monthly budget before you start, and use the deposit limit in your casino account: most casinos let you cap deposits per day, week or month. You must be 19 or older to gamble online (18 in Quebec and Manitoba). Free, confidential help for every province and territory we serve is on our responsible gambling page.