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No Deposit Bonuses
How a No-Deposit Bonus at an Online Casino Works
No-deposit bonuses are credits that players get in a casino after creating their account. They were created as a way to get casino players hooked before they deposited any money.
Deciding whether or not to spend your cash on something can be a hard decision. Getting a bonus without any financial attachment, however, is an entirely different scenario. These bonuses can effectively be used as a “demo mode” with the exception that the player still can get the winnings if they win.
No-deposit bonuses are not “free cash”, however. Casinos enforce rules to prevent players from gaming the system. You can’t simply take the bonus and withdraw it.
After you get your no-deposit bonus casino offer, you need to wager it. If you don’t win, you can deposit money and continue to play after spending the bonus. In case you win, you will need to wager your winnings or deposits for a bit before you can withdraw them.
Requirements and Conditions
Most casinos dread the idea of cheaters taking advantage of their promotions. That’s why no-deposit bonuses have strict requirements and conditions.
It’s essential to carefully read these conditions because your bonuses may be nullified if they are not met. You can always find them on the website of a reputable casino, generally next to the promotion page. If you don’t, be careful because you may be dealing with a scam.
The Most Common Requirements
The most important condition is that a player can only get a bonus once. Almost all casinos enforce this rule. It means that you need to prove your identity when creating your account, and the premium will be denied if the operator discovers that you used it before.
Some casinos look at your IP to see if you may be tricking them. It can cause a problem if there’s another gambler in your house; the casino may believe that you are abusing the system.
It’s why most casinos also have a rule that only allows one bonus per household. Doing this prevents players from having grounds to complain if their IPs are the same as other people who also participated in the promotion.
Another popular rule is the wagering requirement. It dictates how many times a player needs to wager a bonus before the withdrawal. The number can be as low as 3-5x, or as high as 30-50x.
No-deposit bonus wagering requirements can be as high as 100x, though that’s not as prevalent. It’s essential to know before you take a bonus if you’re willing to wager it if you win. Sometimes, picking a bonus with a low wagering requirement may be better.
Another common rule is that bets that use the bonus have a limit. Even if you have a bonus of $100, for example, you may not be able to bet more than $20 at a time if the rules determine that.
No-deposit bonuses often have a time limit, too. If you don’t use them within the timeframe, you will lose them, so be prepared when taking the bonus. Generally, this timeframe lasts between a week and a month.
Types of No-Deposit Bonuses
No-deposit bonuses come in different types. Two of them are more prevalent, but there’s also a third type that you should watch out for.
The most common type of no-deposit bonus is the straightforward one. You get a fixed number of credits after you create your account. These promotions are automatic sometimes, but not always.
Often, the bonus of these offerings is not high. You can find $5 or $10 bonuses with low wagering requirements very easily.
The second more common type of offering relates to no-deposit bonus casino offerings that offer free spins. They’re especially easy to find in casinos that focus on slots. In some cases, you will only get free spins. In others, you get both the free spins and the credits.
Some free spins can only be used in specific games. Be sure to read the terms of the offer before accepting the bonus so that you know how to use it.
The third type of bonus if the “free time play” welcome bonus. While rarer, this offering lets the player gamble at the casino for a set period without spending anything. Generally, the period is short, like an hour or two, at most. Obviously, these bonuses also have wagering requirements to avoid abuse.
Is a No-Deposit Bonus Necessarily Better Than Deposit Bonus?
In short, yes. The full answer, however, is quite more complicated. A no-deposit bonus is generally seen more favorably because the player does not need to deposit money to use it.
No-deposit bonuses are mainly introductory promotions. It’s both their advantage and problem. They will generally not be very high, as their main goal is to hook new clients.
On the other hand, a matching deposit bonus has a clear commitment: the player needs to spend money at the casino to get the perk. So, casinos feel freer to give better deals to customers. The larger your deposit, the larger the bonus reward will be, too.
Some players have the money to invest heavily in a deposit bonus. In this situation, getting one of them would be better than the no-deposit bonus. If you are only starting to gamble or not yet ready to commit to a casino, a no-deposit bonus is undoubtedly more adequate.
The best no-deposit bonus casino offer is the one that balances a nice bonus with wagering requirements that are not too steep. If you research using this guide, you can undoubtedly find a casino that will offer something interesting. To help you select a reputable casino where to play we have created a top operators list, make sure to check it out.