Five dollars sits at a turning point in online casino banking. Below $5, most casinos restrict you to free spins with no match component — your $1 stays at $1 plus whatever the spins yield. At $5, match bonuses appear. Ruby Fortune adds 150% ($7.50 bonus), 7Bit adds 200% ($10 bonus), and Casino Rocket adds 150% with a ceiling of $1,500 across future deposits.
The practical difference matters most at the wagering stage. A 45x requirement on a $10 bonus (7Bit's 200% match on $5) means you need $450 in total wagers before withdrawing — achievable in a single session on high-RTP pokies. Compare that to depositing $1 where wagering targets drop to $45-$90 but there is often no bonus to clear, leaving you playing with just your deposit.
Progressive jackpot access also improves at $5. Captain Cooks gives you 100 chances on Mega Moolah (currently above NZ$5M), while Spin Samurai offers 50 jackpot chances. These are not available at the $1 tier at most casinos.