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I enjoy all types of casino games, but I have to admit that if I only had $10 to play with, I’d choose slot machines every time. As a slots player for over 20 years, there’s nothing I love more than a free spins bonus.
However, since the good old days, when I used to spin three-reel classic slots in the first online casinos, the nature of the free spins bonus has changed a lot. There are now several different kinds of them, and there are terms and conditions attached to most of them which understandably confuse new players.
I’m here to set the record straight on all of this. In this complete guide to casino free spins, I’ll explain how all of the different free spins bonuses work, what the most common terms and conditions mean, and how to use these bonuses to your advantage.
Free Spins Bonuses in 2020
Here are some of the most common offers you’ll find at slots casinos. Let’s begin with an overview of the different types of free spins bonuses:
Free Spins Welcome Bonuses
The first, and perhaps most common type of free spins bonus, is the kind which comes as part of a casino welcome bonus. You’ll get these casino free spins for making a deposit at the casino, often along with a deposit match bonus.
Here’s an example of what a free spins welcome bonus might look like:
<blockquote“Welcome to Casino XYZ! Claim 100 free spins and 100% up to $500 now!”
This casino is offering 100 free spins and a deposit match worth up to $500. This is a fairly generous welcome bonus, and I’d certainly be interested in it.
You unlock these free spins by making a first deposit at the casino. I’ve found that in most cases, the casino issues the spins over a number of days. For example, sticking to the above example, you might get 10 spins every day for 10 days (total 100).
Like all other free spins offers, there will almost always be terms and conditions attached to these offers. I’ll cover the most common ones in a later section. You can skip forward and read that now, or keep reading about the other free spins bonuses first.
Free Spins No Deposit Required
Wouldn’t it be great if you could claim casino free spins on slot machines without making a deposit? Wouldn’t that be an ideal way to test a casino before spending your hard-won money at it? Well, you can do just that with no deposit free spins.
Let’s look at an example of how this sort of free spins offer might look:
“Welcome to Casino ABC! Register an account for 20 free spins on Starburst slot now!”
This is an entirely different sort of bonus than the first one. The first thing you might notice is that it isn’t as big. That’s common, you will rarely find a no deposit free spins bonus which offers more spins than regular bonuses.
No deposit free spins will also be subject to some terms and conditions. You can’t just cash them out and withdraw what you win right away. There will almost always be wagering requirements, and sometimes, there will be maximum win limits. Again, I’ll explain all of this a little later.
Free Spins Loyalty Bonuses
It’s an almost universally agreed concept that loyalty should be rewarded. From coffee shops to mob bosses, human beings in all walks of life look to reward loyalty. Casinos are no different. They often reward loyal players with free spins.
Someday, you might get an email like this:
“Thanks for playing at Jim’s Casino! Claim 20 free spins for your loyalty!”
Usually, all you’ll have to do is log into your account and claim these spins. Sometimes, you’ll get a larger number of free spins if you make a new deposit. These may have extra benefits like no wagering requirements, which aren’t available to regular players.
Every casino has its own way of rewarding loyal players. However, the point is, the best slots sites will reward you for playing often or with larger amounts. These loyalty bonuses could be issued randomly, but more often, you’ll get them for unlocking levels within a loyalty program.
For Example:For example, some casinos make use of progress bars. Each time you fill up a progress bar, you’ll unlock a new level, and you’ll get some casino free spins.
Free Spins Offers – Terms and Conditions
As I’ve said multiple times throughout this guide, almost all free spins bonuses will have terms and conditions attached. I always study the terms before I accept any type of bonus, and almost every bonus I’ve ever looked at has the following written in the small print.
- Minimum Deposits – This will not apply to no deposit free spins (obviously). However, all of the other free spins bonuses will require a minimum deposit to activate them. For example, you might have to deposit $10 or $20 to trigger the free spins. If the minimum deposit is any higher than $30, I’d be thinking twice about accepting it.
- Free Spins Value – The free spins will have a certain value per spin. I’ve often found that casino free spins are worth $0.10 or $0.20 each. If it’s a high roller bonus, they might be worth more, but this seems to be an average number for most normal free spins deals.
- Usage Restrictions – You won’t be able to use the free spins on any game you want. Sometimes, the casino will tell you which game you need to use them on. Some offers allow you to choose from a handful of pre-selected games. I’ve yet to find a free spins bonus which allows me to play progressive jackpot slots. There will always be terms of use, and the casino excludes some games.
- Wagering Requirements – Many new slots players have the notion of claiming a casino free spins bonus, cashing out the value, and walking away. Nice try, but it’s not possible in 99% of cases. Wagering requirements mean you have to wager the value of the bonus a number of times, plus what you win before you can withdraw it. For example, if free spins have 20x wagering requirements, you’ll have to bet 20x the value of the bonus before you can withdraw anything.
- Maximum Win Limits – Some free spins bonuses have max win limits written in the small print. For example, I recently saw a bonus which had a maximum win of $2,000. That means that even if I won a $50,000 jackpot using these free spins, I’d only be able to withdraw $2,000 in real cash. This could be devastating if you aren’t aware of it. That’s why I always recommend reading the small print carefully, and it’s why GamblingNerd.com always covers the bonus offer terms and conditions in our casino reviews.
Free Spins With No Wagering Requirements
Technically, I should have included this in the first section on the different types of casino free spins bonus. I wanted to explain the concept of wagering requirements first, though. Now that I’ve done that, you’ll be able to understand this bonus better.
With free spins no wagering, you can keep and withdraw what you win right away. You won’t have to meet any wagering requirements whatsoever. Some of the other terms and conditions such as what games you can use them on and max win limit may apply.
Many players feel that this type of bonus is better since it’s inherently fair and there’s no chance that you’ll feel cheated if you failed to read the small print.
What’s the catch? There isn’t one, other than that you’ll almost always have to deposit to claim this type of bonus.
It’s extremely rare to find free spins with no wagering requirements and no deposit required. I’ve seen it only once at Betfair, and that offer didn’t last very long.
Free spins without wagering requirements are not as common as the others (yet). I’ve seen more and more of them pop up over the last few years, though, and it looks like a trend that’s working.
Players get wise to wagering requirements quickly, and some view them as inherently dishonest. I don’t necessarily agree with that. The casino has to protect itself financially and make money, but I still think casino free spins without wagering requirements will become the norm in the future.
Free Spins Deals – Making the Most of Them
I think I’ve probably claimed every casino free spins bonus on the web by now. I have accounts at hundreds of casinos. All this playing has given me plenty of experience to draw on. I wanted to finish up with some tips for making the most of your free spins bonus.
Take Two Minutes to Read the Terms
I know it’s boring, and I know you want to start spinning the reels ASAP. However, taking a couple of minutes to understand the terms and conditions could help you win, or at least help you avoid common pitfalls which will void your bonus and potentially your winnings.
Make sure you have a grip on any wagering requirements, what games you may or may not play, and so on. Most casinos have a short version of the terms and conditions which contain this information. If you read them, it will be enough.
Play the Right Type of Game for Your Spins
This point depends on you having a choice. As I said before, sometimes the casino will tell you what game you can use the free spins on. However, when I have a choice, I use different types of bonuses on different games.
For example, I never use 10 or 20 free spins on high volatility slot machines. These games pay bigger, but “dry spells” are quite common. I’d play these games with 100 or 200 free spins, and I’d stick to low volatility games like Starburst with smaller bonuses.
Incidentally, playing low volatility games from NetEnt and others can help you meet wagering requirements. The small, frequent wins keep you spinning for longer, so it’s easier to bet 20x or 30x the value of your bonus.
Choose an Honest, Fair Free Spins Bonus
This is the most obvious point of all, but few players think about it. Most are so focused on how to form a strategy to meet the wagering requirements that they forget to pick fair bonuses in the first place.
Here’s my three-point rulebook for finding fair free spins offers:
- Be suspicious of casinos which ask you to deposit more than $50 to unlock their free spins offer.
- Wagering requirements higher than 30x are straying into unfair territory. I’ll accept 35x for a big free spins bonus. But 40x is not acceptable to me.
- Check the games you can play before you accept the offer. If they are all low-RTP, high-volatility slots, you’ll need a larger number of free spins to have a chance of winning.
The best way to find fair, legit free spins offers is to read some of our casino reviews. I’ve read the small print and laid it out for you in the reviews, so you won’t have to spend your time reading through legal jargon.
Now that you know everything about casino free spins, it’s time to pick a bonus, load up your favorite game, and hope for the best. Remember, you can’t beat every slot machine just because you have free spins at your disposal. The odds are still in favor of the house, but every once in a while, you’ll beat the odds. Good luck out there!
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