No deposit bonuses promise to give all their spins and bonus money up front, without asking for anything in return. But is that all there is to it, or are there any terms and conditions that you need to be aware of when claiming these deals? Our guide gives you a walkthrough of all you need to know about these offers, so you’ll be able to tell the difference between an absolute deal and a scammy bonus.
No Deposit Bonuses
No deposit bonuses are quite popular at online casinos, giving you the chance to play a few rounds on the house, without having to fork out any of your funds. They pop up in all sorts of forms, including free spins and bonus money. It’s an excellent way to explore all that an online casino has to offer, before deciding to make a deposit and continue playing at the site.
These promotions are generally offered as welcome bonuses to new players, but they can also be claimed as reload bonuses to boost existing players’ bankrolls. Unlike match deposit bonuses, no deposit bonuses have a fixed set of bonus money or free spins, so all players can claim the same deal, since there is no deposit to scale with.
There are several other differences between regular match deposit bonuses and no deposit bonuses. The most obvious is the fact that the former asks you to deposit before giving you the bonus, whereas no deposit bonuses simply hand you the bonus money or free spins immediately. But because of this key difference, no deposit bonuses generally have much smaller bonus amounts when compared to others.
But despite this limitation, a lot of players think of no deposit bonuses as truly risk-free deals, where you can explore casino games and potentially win free money without ever having to spend any money. Sure, you get your fair share of terms and conditions here too, including wagering requirements, but that’s a given with all casino bonuses anyway. Some online casinos go in a different direction and offer no wager no deposit bonuses which you can technically withdraw immediately, but these are quite scarce to find and give you smaller bonuses.
No Deposit Free Spins
If you’re all about video slots, then you’ll want to find yourself a no deposit free spins bonus. These promotions work in the same way as regular no deposit deals, but give you a set of free spins, instead of bonus money. The downside here is that you get fewer free spins than with match deposit free spins bonuses, and these are generally limited to specific games picked by the online casino. Even so, no deposit free spins can be an excellent way for you to check out different video slots without using your own money.
Types of No Deposit Bonuses
You can get different types of no deposit bonuses, offering free spins, bonus money or even a mix of both. These can be offered to new or existing players and some can even come through loyalty programs.
Welcome Bonuses
No deposit bonuses can be the perfect deal to bring in new players to an online casino. As welcome bonuses, they give you the chance to explore a new online casino free of financial risk. You can play games and potentially win real money, all while testing out the games on offer. Of course, these deals are smaller than regular bonuses and can also come with a limited game selection and high wagering requirements. Most no deposit bonuses are offered as welcome bonuses, and in some cases, they can also precede a match deposit bonus.
Reload Bonuses
But the no deposit bonus fun isn’t exclusive to new players. As an existing player, you can also get no deposit bonuses as a reload bonus. In some cases, this is a staple deal that you can claim on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, but it can also be a one-off promotion that the site may be offering at a particular time. It’s the perfect reward for sticking to the same online casino, giving you some bonus cash or free spins to enjoy your favourite games. But no deposit reload bonuses aren’t all that popular, so it may take a bit more digging around to find a deal that fits your needs.
Loyalty Bonuses
Loyalty bonuses give away all kinds of deals and bonuses and you could even bag a no deposit bonus along the way. This will largely depend on the online casino you play at, but you could unlock no deposit bonuses when you reach new tiers on the loyalty ladder. Some sites also offer no deposit bonuses as birthday and anniversary gifts.
Important Terms and Conditions
All online casino bonuses come with terms and conditions and no deposit bonuses are no exception. You’re given a set of rules that tell you how you can use the bonus and what you can win using it. These regulations vary from one site to another, but in one way or another, they all involve the following.
Wagering Requirements
One of the most important terms and conditions in any no deposit bonus is wagering requirements. These requirements tell you the number of times you must wager your bonus funds or free spins before you can withdraw any winnings that come from them. Every casino comes up with its wagering requirements, but as a general rule, no deposit bonuses tend to have higher wagering requirements than match deposit bonuses. This is mainly because no deposit bonuses effectively give you free money and online casinos put in stricter conditions to mitigate their losses.
As a result, this affects the overall value of the no deposit bonus, as it will be harder for the bonus money or free spins to result in any withdrawable real money.
But you will find some online casinos that offer wager-free bonuses. These allow you to immediately withdraw bonus money and their potential winnings without having to meet any wagering conditions. They’re very highly sought after and give you a genuine deal with no strings attached.
Expiry Periods
Your no deposit bonus will come with an expiry period, during which you’ll need to clear wagering requirements to cash in on potential winnings. These typically range from a few days to a few weeks, which is shorter than what you’d get on most match deposit bonuses. This affects the likelihood of clearing your wagering requirements, especially if these are higher than average. The longer the expiry period, the better your chances of banking on your bonus winnings.
Maximum Win Caps
Even if you manage to clear your wagering requirements, your winnings are still limited by a maximum win cap. These caps are put in place to protect the online casino and regulate the amount of actual free money you get from these bonuses. The maximum win caps you get on no deposit bonuses will vary from one online casino to another, but they tend to reflect the bonus amount itself. So, if you claim INR 2,000 in bonus cash, then you will most likely be able to win up to INR 2,000.
Maximum Bet Caps
Your wagers affect the speed with which you can clear the requirements. So, to pace your clearing speed, online casinos put in maximum bet caps. These caps tell you the maximum wagers you can place using bonus money or free spins from no deposit bonuses. It’s also a good way for the online casino to restrict your potential wins, making sure you don’t claim massive jackpots using bonus funds or spins.
Game Restrictions
Although no deposit bonuses are an excellent way to explore all an online casino has to offer, that’s not to say that they can be used across all the games that the site has to offer. No deposit bonuses are generally restricted to one game or a selection of them, so you will need to spend your bonus or spins on the eligible titles. Although some casinos don’t outright limit your use of bonus funds and spins, they can put in conditions on the games that can clear wagering requirements, so you’ll want to play the ones that help you clear them out as soon as possible. Most online casinos prefer to prioritise video slots and these games tend to contribute 100% of their wagers to clearing your requirements.
Claiming Your Very Own No Deposit Bonus
No deposit bonuses can be an excellent way to play a few rounds on the house without any strings attached. A lot of players are sceptical of match deposit bonuses because you need to fork out your own money before you can get the goods. But with no deposit bonuses, you get the bonus cash or free spins without having to make any financial commitments.
With that being said, no deposit bonuses still have their fair share of terms and conditions, including wagering requirements, so you’ll still need to clear these before you get to withdraw any potential bonus winnings. They also tend to be higher than those on match deposit bonuses.
Bear all of this in mind when sifting through online casino bonuses, and who knows, you might just find the perfect no deposit bonus for you.
