Understanding No Deposit Bonuses
No deposit bonuses are one of the more common benefits of playing at an online casino versus gambling at a land-based venue. Where the brick-and-mortar casino offers restaurants, movies, and other forms of entertainment to draw in crowds their online counterparts do so with enticing offers.
Generally, no deposit bonuses will award you either bonus credits or free spins, both of which allow you to engage with the various services the casinos offer and give you a cost-free way to play their selection of games, chat to customer support and if luck favors you, try out their withdrawal process.
Given that this bonus offer allows you to do all this without spending any money to get started and have the potential for you to win real money the casinos will institute specific terms and conditions relating to bonus timeframes, eligible games and maximum withdrawals.
Avoid These 7 No Deposit Bonus Mistakes
With the excitement of jumping into a new casino or trying out the latest online or mobile slot release, it is easy to forget to check out the casino's bonus requirements.
Here are the 7 terms we always recommend knowing before you get started with a no deposit bonus offer:
1. Never claim the same bonus offer multiple times
No deposit bonuses are a fantastic way for online casinos to welcome new players and to allow you to trial the casino's games, features and services they offer without risking your own money. As with any new partnership, it is not a great look if your try to abuse their generosity by claiming this one-off bonus several times.
Whether it's due to a technical glitch that allows you to claim multiple times on one account, or whether you register multiple times to claim the bonus more than once this will be seen as an abuse of their terms of service and the bonus terms and conditions.
At best the casino will void your winnings which would not a good for you if you have had a particularly hot streak at the tables. On the other hand, it could result in the casino closing your gaming account(s) and even ban you from their group of online casinos.
We offer a wide variety of enticing free play and no deposit bonuses. Rather than claim one offer multiple times from the same operator we recommend checking out our full list of offers and claiming all the bonuses that appeal to you.
2. Always meet the bonus wagering requirements
Before you can withdraw your winnings from a no deposit bonus you will need to meet the wagering requirements in the bonus terms and conditions. Due to casino licensing regulations, the wagering requirement will be clearly listed for each bonus on offer, generally, they will be between 20x – 30x the bonus value.
What this means is that you will need to place cumulative wagers to the value of 20-40 times the value of the bonus you claimed. If you claimed $10 free with a 20x wagering requirement you will need to wager $200 before you can make a withdrawal. Simple as that.
Failing to meet the wagering requirements before attempting to make a withdrawal could see the bonus being canceled prematurely.
3. Only play qualifying casino games
When it comes to meeting the bonus wagering requirements it is also important to take note of which games contribute 100% to the completion of wagering. There are a wide variety of games, mostly online slots, which contribute 100% of the spins you play towards your wagering, this means that you can withdraw as soon as possible.
Playing games that only contribute 5%-10% or in some cases do not contribute towards wagering at all delays your chances of cashing out any winnings you may accrue. The rule of thumb is to only play 100% qualifying games during the wagering period, and then play the other casino games you may want to try out.
4. Never exceed the listed maximum bet
The intent behind a no deposit bonus is to offer you a fun and entertaining experience. This is one of the reasons the casino institutes a wagering requirement as means you will spend time playing the games.
They will also include a maximum allowed bet size as this prevents bonus abusers from claiming free money and then placing a single high-value wager with the hopes of getting lucky. Any bets you place in excess of the maximum bet will not count towards your wagering requirement and will interfere with your ability to withdraw your winnings.
Stick to the maximum allowed bets on qualifying casino games and you will genuinely enjoy the best that your chosen casino has to offer.
5. Always check minimum and maximum withdrawal limits
To limit their risk casinos will put a maximum withdrawal cap on their no deposit bonuses. In most cases this limit will be around $100 which considering that you are playing with a free bonus code is a fantastic return on your investment.
The flip of the coin is that these bonuses can also have a minimum withdrawal limit. This limit is in place to protect the casino from losing money on paying out winnings worth less than the cost of sending you the money. It makes no sense for the casino to spend $10 in banking fees to process a withdrawal of $3.
By understanding the maximum and minimum withdrawals upfront there can be no confusion or frustration when the time comes for you to cash out your winnings.
6. Know when the bonus expires
There is nothing more frustrating than to claim a no deposit bonus, get busy with life and then login to your casino account only to find that your Welcome Bonus has expired. Always check how long you have to claim your bonus, meet the wagering requirements and even make a withdrawal when you first claim a new bonus.
This allows you to enjoy the bonus while it is still active. Should life happen, it also allows you to contact the customer support team and speak to them about your situation and see what they can do to help you make the most of the time you have available.
7. Always read the full Terms and Conditions
The best online casinos will always make their bonus terms and conditions clear, and in many cases, this means having a shot list of important terms on the no deposit bonus landing page where they offer you the promotion.
As fantastic as this “easy access” view of the terms are we still recommend taking the time to open the full Terms and Conditions link to view the detailed version. This is where you can keep an eye out for the six items we listed above, and you may even pick up on a few terms that are important to you personally which you can add to the list.
When it comes to making the most of your time and protecting your money it is well worth taking a few extra minutes to review the full bonus terms.
Conclusion
No deposit bonuses are a risk-free, no-cost, way for you to trial our selection of trusted online casinos and their library of casino games. As with anything where you will be investing time and even money down the line it is always important to know the ins and outs of the process to ensure you make the most of the experience.
One of the best resources there is when it comes to giving you the peace of mind to gamble with an online casino, besides our in-depth reviews, is their customer support. If you have a bonus question do not hesitate to ask.
If you’re ready to get started here is how to claim your next no deposit bonus: