Some online casino operators offer new players up to 50 free spins to try out some of their online slots, but is 50 enough to test a new casino? Find out here.
Online fruit machines from award-winning providers like NetEnt, Red Tiger, Blueprint, Playtech, and Pragmatic Play are now more popular than ever.
The fruit machine section is where I head first when I join a new site or log into an account that I already have somewhere else, and the experience is even sweeter when I receive free spins to try out some of their selected titles.
I’ve found that most operators who own licensed and regulated sites offering real money online fruitys and the classics, like roulette, poker, blackjack, baccarat, and craps, try to entice new people to join by offering free spins and/or some kind of matching deposit bonus.
The question being asked here is, is 50 free spins enough to try out a new online casino for the first time? Let’s dive in to find out.
Is 50 free spins enough to test-drive a new site?
From my experience (someone living in the United Kingdom with access to some of the world’s best sites with thousands of games from numerous industry-award-winning software providers), 50 free spins is more than enough to test-drive a new site.
Back in the day, you were lucky to get 10 or 20 free spins when you signed up anywhere, and you often always needed to make a deposit to unlock them. Today, many of the world’s best fruit machine sites offer UK players up to 50 free spins just to register an account with them – no strings attached.
I’ve found that some websites will give you up 10 or 20 free spins when depositing anywhere from as little as £10 or £20, and others will give you up to 50 free spins, or 1 free spin for every £1.00 you deposit.
The free spins will be credited to your new account as soon as it has been activated and your first deposit has been successfully processed.
Most of the free spins I’ve received in the past can be used to try out certain iconic online fruit machines from market-leading providers, such as the Starburst online fruity from NetEnt or the Book of Dead online fruity from Play’n GO.
The exact title(s) you get to use your free spins may vary somewhat from one site to the next. It will all be explained in the terms and conditions, so make sure you read them before signing up anywhere just to ensure you get the most out of your free spins bonus.
I have also found plenty of information about the latest free spins bonuses on the official JohnSlots UK review site. Some of their bonuses are for new users, and others are for existing members.
Additionally, some of their free spins bonuses don’t require you to make a deposit, whereas others may require at least the minimum deposit amount to unlock them.
I don’t mind depositing £10 or £20 to receive free spins, provided those free spins come with low or medium wagering requirements (0x to 40x) attached.
Wagering requirements often fall into the following categories:
- 0x to 09x – considered extremely low (the lower, the better), and always worth claiming
- 10x to 25x – low, also worth claiming
- 30x to 50x – considered average
- 60x to 70x – considered high, not worth claiming
Wagering requirements at more than 70x times the bonus amount (+ deposit amount) aren’t worth claiming, but it’s up to you.
I tend to avoid claiming bonuses with anything higher than 50x, but you might be different.
Important things to remember about free spins bonuses
The most important thing to remember when claiming 10, 20, 50, or 100 free spins as part of a welcome bonus is to ensure the site is safe before signing up.
Once you have found a decent site worth joining, that offers free spins to new users, remember to read the terms and conditions attached to that bonus.
I never used to read the Ts and Cs and wondered why the winnings I had made had disappeared. You will lose your bonus winnings if you don’t complete the wagering requirements in time.
Therefore, the first thing I do before claiming any free spins bonuses today is take a minute or so to read through the Ts and Cs. I can’t stress just how important they are.
They will also reveal which games will contribute more towards clearing the wagering requirements (also sometimes called rollover/turnover/playthrough requirements).
Another thing worth pointing out is that any free spins you receive might only be available for use on one or two selected slots. Also, the winnings from your free spins might be capped at a certain amount (e.g., anywhere from £20 to £500). Each site is different.
To avoid disappointment, remember to read through the Ts and Cs. They don’t take long to read and will explain exactly how you can get the most out of your free spins.
After signing up somewhere and claiming their free spins or matching deposit welcome bonus, I strongly advise you then to go to the ‘safer gambling’ tools section and take a look at some of the manual controls you can set.
I’m a big supporter of deposit limits, but you may prefer win/loss limits, session time reminders, or spending caps.
I know that if I reach my limits, I will be notified by the operator of that site and won’t be able to re-deposit until the initial time limit that I set has ended, which helps me stay in much better control of my spending, ensures I don’t go over budget, and keeps things safe and fun.