No deposit bonuses are fantastic for players and casinos alike. For casinos, the appeal lies in getting a new signup and the email address of someone who obviously likes to use iGaming platforms. Meanwhile, players love no deposit casino promotions because they give them the opportunity to try a host of different casino platforms and games. Oh, and there’s an opportunity to win real money too!
Get no deposit bonuses for all your favourite games
Although all no deposit bonuses provide an entirely risk-free way to potentially win money, it’s important to know that this potential varies dramatically between different offers. There are definitely some no deposit bonuses that are much more likely to yield returns than others!
With that out of the way, let’s look at what separates a great no deposit bonus from a good one.
Number of Rollovers Required
The biggest obstacle to cashing out from a no deposit bonus is the rollover requirement. This refers to the number of times you need to bet through any winnings from your free spins or casino credits.
You should get into the habit of reading the terms and conditions thoroughly before you register to a new online casino to claim a bonus. Within these terms you will find the wagering, rollover, or playthrough requirement. It will be a number followed by an “X”. Common wagering requirements might be 10x, 20x, or 50x.
Say you took 10 free spins on some hypothetical online casino and were pretty lucky to finish with £10 worth of bonus cash in your account. If the bonus required you to wager winnings 10 times (10x), you would need to complete a total of £100 worth of bets. A wagering requirement of 50x, meanwhile, would demand that the player completes a total of £500 worth of bets from the same £10 winnings.
Don’t panic at the lofty figures. You can make these bets in any size you see fit. In fact, you’re much more likely to come out a winner if you keep your bets small and place a lot of them.
Of course, the most lucrative promotions will require players to roll winnings over a small number of times. Understanding wagering is key to selecting bonuses with the highest chance of return.
Eligible Games
The astute bonus hunters amongst you might already be preparing to register with a no deposit bonus and start grinding through it playing blackjack. Hold your horses though.
Casinos are well aware that different games provide a greater chance of the player winning. With games like blackjack or particularly high RTP slots, the house edge is so low that a player stands a good chance of profiting when playing with a casino bonus.
For this reason, casinos will restrict the games that players can use with such promotions. Blackjack, being the closest to break even when played with perfect strategy, is routinely excluded entirely or will contribute a measly one percent towards wagering. In the latter case, the restriction effectively multiplies the wagering requirements by 100. The £500 you need to bet in total will effectively increase to £50,000. This makes it all but impossible to profit from such a promotion.
Other games or particular bets on games will also be limited. You might see bets on either red or black at the roulette wheel only contribute 50 percent to wagering. Similarly, the casino may also limit the contributions of high RTP slots.
When deciding if a no deposit bonus is worth your time, don’t just look at the number of times you’ll need to rollover your winnings. Look at which games are eligible and how much they contribute. You might find that the 10x rollover you were eyeing up can only be used with slots with a 90 percent RTP or lower. This would significantly reduce the appeal of what was at first glance a great bonus.
Cash Out Limitations
Finally, there are cash out limitations. These can be particularly harsh on no deposit bonuses too. The terms and conditions might include a clause stating that the player can only win “x” amount of money from a promotion. It might read something like: “Winnings from this bonus are capped at £10”.
Whereas almost all casino bonuses will include a maximum cash out clause, bonuses that do require a deposit are usually much more lenient in terms of the amount a player can win. With a no deposit bonus, the casino is giving away an entirely risk-free shot at winning real money to players that haven’t even made a deposit yet. It’s understandable that they don’t want to risk going broke at the hands of a progressive jackpot or other massive pay out.
One famous iGaming company that shall remain nameless promotes such a no deposit bonus with a harsh cap on winnings. The firm gives new players a massive £88 to play with. However, on closer inspection of the terms and conditions, it turns out that the maximum cash out from such a promotion is just £10.
For the company, the promotion must be hugely successful in terms of the number of new signups it attracts. However, it no doubt ticks a lot of people off that they will must surrender all winnings above £10 to the casino if they do manage to successfully complete the harsh wagering requirements.
Obviously, the higher the cap on casino bonus winnings, the better the promotion. Such a cap might also influence the games you decide to play too. It’s futile feeding a progressive jackpot prize pool, for example, if the terms and conditions of promotion make withdrawing the top prize absolutely impossible.
Which No Deposit Bonuses are Worth My Time?
As you can see, no deposit bonuses can vary a lot between different iGaming venues. Armed with the above knowledge, you can quickly determine for yourself which is going to be most worth your time.
When comparing different bonuses, look for the best balance between playthrough requirements, maximum winnings cap, and the highest return to player ratings. Another great tip is to just hit as many no deposit bonuses as possible. They all present a chance to win and the more you play, the greater that becomes!