No Deposit Bonuses Explained
No deposit bonuses are brilliant incentives to start playing at a new casino. They give you the chance to make real money winnings without having to risk any of your own money at all. Occasionally, a no deposit bonus may be the only thing that makes one casino better than another, as today many casinos offer very similar and equally impressive collections of games.
That said, while it may sound like there is nothing to lose by accepting a no deposit bonus, it will come with certain terms and conditions attached, and it is vital that you fully understand these. If you are not careful about meeting the terms and conditions then you will likely find that you cannot withdraw any money from the casino and in extreme cases, you may even be banned from playing there in the future.
No Deposit Bonuses Terms and Conditions Explained
Wagering Requirements
Every casino bonus you come across, including no deposit bonuses, is likely to have wagering requirements attached to it. Wagering requirements, sometimes called play through requirements, are there to ensure that people don’t just claim the free bonus money, withdraw it from the casino, and then never return, which obviously would not be sustainable for the casino.
The wagering requirement is how much you need to bet before you are able to withdraw any money from your casino account. The most common form of wagering requirement is a multiple of the bonus amount. For example, you may be given a €10 no deposit bonus with 30x wagering requirements. This means that you have to wager €300 before you can withdraw any money from your account.
In the case of a free spins no deposit bonus, the wagering requirements are likely to be on the winnings from the free spins. For instance, you may have to wager your winnings 30x, i.e. if you win €100, then you have to bet €3000 before you can make a withdrawal.
This may sound like you will have to spend a vast amount at the casino just to benefit from a relatively small bonus. However, you can nearly always use your winnings to help meet wagering requirements. If you receive €10 free and then win €15 from it, you then have €15 to bet with towards those requirements. Hopefully that €15 will result in further winnings, so you will have even more funds to contribute to the wagering requirements. If you are a truly lucky player, you may be able to meet with wagering requirements without having to make a single deposit.
Game Contributions
Wagering requirements have many associated terms and conditions and the most common one is game contributions. Different types of games will normally contribute a different amount to wagering requirements. Slots nearly always contribute 100%, meaning that all the money you bet on slots goes towards the wagering requirements.
However, games such as Blackjack may only contribute 10%, meaning that for every €10 bet on Blackjack only €1 goes towards the wagering requirements. At some casinos, there will be games that do not contribute at all or certain types of bets that do not contribute at all, such as even money bets on Roulette. This is particularly important to be aware of as playing a forbidden game or making an ineligible bet may result in all your winnings from the bonus money being forfeited.
Winnings Caps and Time Limits
There may be a limit on how much you can win from your no deposit bonus. It is important to be aware of this, especially if you are hoping to fulfil the wagering requirements by playing with winnings. In fact, the caps are there to prevent just this. There may also be a limit on how long you have to use the bonus money and meet the wagering requirements. If you do not do it in time, then the bonus money and the winnings may be withdrawn from your account.
Bonus Abuse
Casinos are understandably harsh on those that abuse their bonuses. For instance, if the casino catches you opening multiple accounts in order to claim the bonus multiple times, then they will likely ban you from playing there. There may also be restrictions on the size of the bets that you can place with winnings from no deposit bonuses. This is to prevent you betting big purely with the hope of winning big and that way quickly fulfilling wagering requirements. Be sure that you pay attention to all the fine print in the terms and conditions so that you are not accused of bonus abuse.
How to Spot a Good No Deposit Bonus
It is hard to define what is a good no deposit bonus as it very much depends on the player it is given to. It is up to you to carefully check the terms and conditions and make sure that you think that they are reasonable. For instance, if you receive a €10 bonus with 30x wagering requirements then you may think it is a good offer but others may not.
You should also ensure that the bonus is applicable to the type of games that you want to play. If the no deposit bonus stipulates that it can only be used on slots but you want to play live dealer games, then the bonus is of no use to you.
Take the time to read the terms and conditions to ensure that you properly understand them and you are sure to spot a number of excellent no deposit bonus offers.
How to Claim a No Deposit Bonus
As the bonus’ name suggests, these types of bonus are very easy to claim. More often than not, the bonus will be credited to your account once you have completed the sign up procedure. This is true whether it is a cash bonus offer or a free spins bonus offer.
Occasionally you will need to put in a promotional code during sign up or later in the casino cashier to claim the bonus. The code will normally be advertised by the casino, either on the promotions page or in an email sent to you.
No deposit bonuses are not hard to claim and as soon as your account has been credited, you can start using the money or free spins to try to win real money.
To Conclude
No deposit bonuses are fantastic things. They give you the chance to enjoy casino games without having to risk any of your own money. Unfortunately, they are quite rare and not all casinos offer them, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled and take advantage of them whenever you do find them.
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