Mervyn Davids

Mervyn Davids

Posted on 30 November 2022

The Beginner’s Guide To Free Spins Bonuses

To new players, the idea that you can play online slot games with free spins may seem too good to be true. 

Yet it is actually common for casinos to offer free spins. 

In this article we’re going to go over all the important details regarding online casino free spins, including the different types, how to get them, and how to use them to win real money.

What Is A Free Spins Bonus?

The phrase ‘free spins bonus’ can refer to any type of casino bonus that credits your account with free spins. 

Free spins are essentially a free bet on a slot machine: you get to spin the reels without wagering your own funds. 

Whatever you win with your free spins will be added to your bonus balance and then subject to wagering requirements.

Typically, you will receive free spins for completing a particular action, such as:

  • Creating a new account. 
  • Making a real money deposit.

You will be able to use your free spins on a slot game or a selection of slot games. 

Please beware that the definition of ‘free spins’ is quite broad, and most ‘free spins’ bonuses are not actually ‘free’ in the monetary sense of the word. 

In highly regulated jurisdictions, you may find that certain ‘free spins’ bonuses are referred to as ‘extra spins,’ or ‘deposit spins,’ if a deposit is required to claim them.

Types Of Free Spins Bonuses

As we have established, a ‘free spins bonus’ can refer to many slightly different bonuses. 

For the sake of targeting different audiences, casinos have innovated to develop multiple types of free spins bonus.

We will provide you with an overview of every type below:

No Deposit Free Spins

Free Spins no deposit are an incentive designed to attract new players. 

In return for creating a new account, you will receive a number of free spins eligible on a single slot game, or a handful of slot games.

Pros

  • Free To Claim – No deposit is required to claim this type of bonus. All you have to do is create a new account with the casino.
  • Win Real Money – Providing you fulfill the terms and conditions, you are able to withdraw a portion of your winnings as real money.
  • Play Popular Slots – You can usually enjoy a single popular slot game, or a small selection of popular slot games.

Cons

  • Low Value – You are likely to receive between 10 and 50 free spins with a no deposit bonus. Other bonuses provide you with more.
  • Terms & Conditions – No deposit free spins tend to come with an extensive list of terms and conditions that can be difficult to fulfill.

Deposit Free Spins

If you claim a deposit free spins bonus you will receive a number of free spins in return for making a qualifying deposit. 

You are likely to receive somewhere between 50 and 200 free spins on a popular slot game.

Pros

  • Win Real Money – Deposit free spins allow you to win real money providing you fulfill the T&Cs.
  • Improved T&Cs – The terms and conditions of deposit free spins bonuses tend to be more generous than their no deposit equivalent.
  • Superior Value – You can receive hundreds of free spins when you claim a deposit free spins bonus.
  • No Win Caps – Usually, you can withdraw all of your free spins winnings with this type of bonus.
  • Play Popular Slots – To make their free spins more alluring, casinos will make them eligible on popular slot games.

Cons

  • Deposit Required – You do have to make a qualifying deposit to claim a deposit free spins bonus.
  • Terms & Conditions – Before you can withdraw your winnings you have to fulfill a set of terms and conditions.

Deposit Match Bonus With Extra Free Spins

A deposit match bonus with extra free spins is an extremely generous type of bonus. 

In return for a qualifying deposit, the casino promises to match the value of your deposit by a certain percentage in bonus credits as well as provide you with extra free spins. 

Let’s provide you with an example of how they work:

Example

Say you find a bonus that offers 100% up to ?200 + 50 free spins.

In this description you get three important figures:

  • The amount the casino will match your deposit by. In this case, 100%.
  • The maximum you can receive in bonus credits. In this case, ?200.
  • The amount of free spins you will receive by making a qualifying deposit.

As the casino is willing to match your initial deposit by 100% in bonus credits, you can make any deposit up to the value of ?200 and essentially have it doubled.
Therefore, if you were to deposit ?200 in real money, you would receive ?200 in bonus credits.
So long as you make a qualifying deposit, you will receive 50 free spins as an extra. The amount of free spins you receive does not vary depending on the amount your deposit.

As you may be able to tell from our example, match deposit bonuses with extra free spins can be incredibly  generous.

Pros

  • Win Real Money – Match bonuses with extra free spins allow you to win real money if you manage to fulfill the terms and conditions.
  • Huge Bonuses – These bonuses regularly offer thousands in bonus credits and hundreds of free spins.
  • Best Of Both Worlds – Not only do you get a regular match bonus, but a set amount of extra free spins.
  • No Win Caps – Providing you manage to fulfill the terms and conditions, you will get to keep all of your bonus winnings.
  • Eligible On All Types Of Games – Because you receive bonus credits and free spins, you are likely to be able to play a wide variety of games.

Cons

  • Deposit Required – You are required to make a qualifying deposit to claim a match deposit bonus with extra free spins. These can vary significantly.
  • Terms & Conditions – Before you can win real money with this bonus you have to fulfill the T&Cs.

No Wager Free Spins

No wager free spins are exactly what they describe: free spins that do not come with wagering requirements. 

If a bonus does  not come with wagering requirements, it means you get to keep whatever you win. 

In other words: whatever you win with your bonus is credited, essentially, as real money – all you have to do is withdraw it. 

For this reason, no wager free spins and incredibly generous. 

It is also why they are so rare. 

Here are the pros and cons:

Pros

  • Keep What You Win – Everything you win using your no wager spins is credited as real money. You do not have to fulfill extensive wagering requirements.
  • Unbeatable Generosity – It is worth re-emphasising just how generous this type of bonus is. In a very real sense, the casino is giving away free money.

Cons

  • Deposit Required – You will almost certainly have to make a small deposit to claim this bonus as the casino is likely to make a significant loss by offering it.
  • Small Quantity – It’s unlikely you will receive more than 20 free spins with a no wager free spins offer.
  • Scarcely Offered – They are rarely offered because they pose a high risk to the casino’s finances.

Free Spins Terms & Conditions

One of the vital aspects of free spins bonuses is that they come with a set of terms and conditions. 

If you fail to abide by the terms and conditions you can lose your bonus. Moreover, if you do not fulfill the terms and conditions, you cannot withdraw your winnings as real money. 

In this section we’ll introduce you to the most important free spins T&Cs and explain how they work.

Wagering Requirements

A bonus’ wagering requirements stipulates how many times you have to stake the value of your bonus before you can withdraw your winnings. 

This is more straightforward than it seems. 

Let’s say you claim a no deposit free spins bonus worth 20 free spins. Imagine that you use these free spins and win ?5. 

This ?5 then counts as the ‘value of your bonus.’ 

Therefore, if the wagering requirements are set at 10x, you would have to wager at least (10 x ?5) ?50 using your bonus before you could withdraw your winnings. Please beware that if you claim a deposit free spins bonus, the wagering requirements may apply to both the value of your bonus and the value of your deposit.

Confused By Wagering Requirements? | Perhaps We Can Help…

‘Wagering requirements’ is a concept that can take a bit of getting used to.

If our explanation in this article didn’t quite clarify how it works, we go into greater detail in our article on Wagering Requirements Explained.

We have written this article so that it can be easily understood by new players. We hope you find it useful!

Expiry Date

Your free spins will only be valid for a short period of time. Once you meet the expiry date of your free spins you will have to make a real money deposit to carry on playing.

The expiry date can vary significantly depending on the type of free spins you claim. Most no deposit free spins will expire after 2-7 days. 

Bet Size Limit

Once you use your free spins, you may be limited to making bets within a certain range of value. 

This rule is designed to make it more difficult to fulfill the wagering requirements.

In most cases, you will be restricted to making bets below the value of ?5.

Eligible Games

The eligible games list for free spins bonuses can be restrictive. 

Typically, you will be able to play one slot game, or a small handful of slot games. 

You must stick to the eligible games list until you fulfill the remaining terms and conditions. Playing an ineligible game may result in your bonus being forfeited

Win Cap

A bonus’ win cap states the maximum you can withdraw as real money using your bonus. 

Deposit bonuses tend not to come with a win cap. However, no deposit bonuses may only let you withdraw between ?50 and ?200.

How To Find The Best Free Spins Bonuses

Being able to find the best free spins bonuses usually takes a bit of experience.

If you’re new to finding free spins bonuses, you can use the following 4 rules as a basic guide:

#1. Check The Wagering Requirements

A great way to improve your chances of winning real money is by claiming the free spins bonus with the lowest wagering requirements.

The lower they are, the less you have to wager before you can withdraw. Consequently, you are more likely to win.

We recommend claiming any free spins bonus with wagering requirements of between 10 and 40x for the best chances of winning.

#2. Make Sure You Can Win Real Money (And Lots Of It!)

There are two types of casino bonus: cashable, and non-cashable.

The differences between the two are straightforward:

  • Cashable Bonuses – You can win real money providing you fulfill the terms and conditions.
  • Non-Cashable Bonuses – Even if you fulfill the terms and conditions, your bonus winnings will remain as on-site credit. You cannot withdraw.

Before you claim a free spins, it is crucial you double-check to ensure the bonus is cashable.

If you are claiming no deposit free spins, you ought to also check the win cap. The trick here is to make sure you can withdraw enough of your winnings to make the time and effort worthwhile.

The best no deposit free spins bonuses have win caps set at between ?100-?200.

#3. Play The Ideal Slot Game

The ideal slot game for free spins bonuses has a high return to player (RTP) and a low volatility.

Here’s why:

High RTP
Return to Player is a calculation that determines the odds of a slot game.

If a slot has an RTP of 96%, it means that over an almost infinite amount of spins the slot will return 96% of the stake to all players of the slot.

Over the short term, therefore, the actual effect of RTP is indistinguishable. Over the long-term, however, you may discern a general trend.

Theoretically, the higher the RTP, the better your chances of winning.

Low Volatility

Volatility is a measurement of the risk you take when you make a bet on a slot game.

For example, if you make a bet on a high volatility slot, the risk of losing the bet is high. The opposite is true for low volatility slots.

In a sense, volatility is all about measuring a slot’s behavior.

A high volatility slot will yield infrequent wins of a high value. Low volatility slots will yield frequent wins of a low value.

In Summary

Free spins bonuses come with wagering requirements. If you want to fulfill the wagering requirements, you have to ensure that your bonus balance remains positive over the short term and the long term.

This is precisely the issue this tip addresses.

By playing a low volatility slot, you ensure frequent wins over the short term. By playing a high RTP slot, you will make best use of the more favorable odds over the long term.

#4. Make Sure You Have Enough Time

A simple way to increase your chances of winning is to claim a free spins bonus with a far-off expiry date. This will give you ample time to fulfill the terms and conditions before your bonus expires.

It is also worth remembering that once you claim a free spins bonus you should wager it immediately. Consistency is the only way you’ll manage to win with a bonus.

How To Get More Free Spins

If you really love free spins, we can provide you with a few ways to maximize the amount you receive:

  • Refer-A-Friend Programs – If you successfully convince a friend to sign up to a casino and make a real money wager you might receive free spins or bonus credits. 
  • Newsletters – Sometimes casinos will place unique free spins bonus codes into their newsletters to reward any player that reads it. 
  • Tournaments – Players who feature on the leaderboard of tournaments will win a portion of a prize pool that may include free spins. 
  • Promotions – The best online casinos run regular free spins promotions for their loyal players. 
  • Loyalty Programs – Many of the top online casinos have loyalty rewards programs that will reward you with free spins whenever you unlock a new tier in the program.
  • Social Media – Occasionally, you may find that your casino will promote free spins bonuses on its social media accounts to increase its online presence.

Conclusion

All players – new and old – will encounter many opportunities to claim free spins: they are abundant. 

The trick is finding a free spins bonus you’d like to claim and one that actually gives you a fair chance of winning. 

This is where we come in.

Here at NoDepositDaily we only feature the best free spins bonuses at casinos you can trust.

Moreover, many of our free spins bonuses are exclusive to our site, meaning you can get: 

  • Superior Terms & Conditions
  • More Free Spins! 
  • Eligibility On The Top Slot games. 

For more information, and a full list of currently available offers, please visit our Free Spins page. 

FAQ

Yes, you can! All the no deposit free spins bonuses we feature on our site are cashable, which means they allow you to win real money for free by fulfilling the terms and conditions.

To work out the sum-total you have to wager with your free spins bonus, you have to multiply your free spins winnings by the wagering requirements.

For more information, please refer to our section on Wagering Requirements.

Free spins are only eligible to be used on slot games. Most free spins bonuses allow you to play a single slot game, or a small handful of slot games.

Occasionally, you may be able to play other games, such as table games, with your free spins winnings. Though we don’t recommend doing this due to the low game weighting percentages.

Yes, they are – though only if you claim them at a trusted online casino. All of our free spins casinos have passed an exhaustive evaluation to ensure they can be trusted.

Right here at NoDepositDaily! We compile all of the best free spins bonuses in your jurisdiction into a single, easy-to-use list.

All of these bonuses are clearly ranked and exhibit the key terms and conditions so you can ascertain its value at a single glance.

Moreover, many of our free spins bonuses are exclusive to our site, which means you will find bonuses with:

  • Improved terms and conditions.
  • Unbeatable value.
  • Eligibility on the best slots.

In the case of no deposit free spins – yes.

In all other cases, the phrase ‘free spins’ is misleading because you get them in exchange for a real money deposit. Hence they are not technically ‘free.’

It depends. If you enjoy slot games, free spins can be a great way of increasing your play-time.

No deposit free spins, in particular, offer a unique opportunity to play risk-free and explore different slot games.

However, with all these bonuses you do have to fulfill terms and conditions. Many players would rather get straight to playing for real money by making a real money deposit.

Yes, there are! As well as no deposit free spins, there are also regular no deposit bonuses.

No deposit bonuses are also 100% free to claim, the only real differences are that they come with an adjustable bet size and you may be able to play on a wider variety of games.

For more information, please refer to our No Deposit Bonuses page.

No, they’re not. In-game free spins are a bonus feature of particular slot games. You cannot claim ‘in-game free spins’ as a sign up bonus.

Free spins bonuses are credited by the casino, not the slot game.

Published on: 2022/11/30

Mervyn Davids

Chief-in-Editor

Mervyn Davids is the NoDepositDaily.org editor. In his time at the website, he strives for balance and transparency. Davids is focused on providing readers with the most accurate rankings of safe and secure online casinos in the world. He is considered a voice of authority in the field and welcomes your feedback on the NoDepositDaily.org website.