How Do Free Spins Work at an Online Casino?

Most people who play at an online casino often jump at the chance to get free money.

Bonus free spins are now widely available as part of the range of casino bonuses that are up for grabs in a bid to attract new customers to sign up for an account at a site. These sites make bonus spins available to encourage repeat visits from users, too, giving UK players a chance to try their luck on the reels without risking any of their own money.

Sometimes, it is required to enter a promo code to get offers such as free no deposit spins, but at some sites, the offers are applied automatically when UK players create an account. However, it is important to keep a close eye on the terms and conditions for free spins no deposit offers that an online casino might put on the table.

For example, wagering requirements are likely to be in play, and this can make it difficult to get free spins winnings that are available to be withdrawn as real cash. Bonus winnings might also be capped by an online casino too. This means that in the event of UK players being fortunate enough to scoop the jackpot from their free spins no deposit bonus, they would not receive the full amount, instead likely to receive a fairly low payout.

This does not mean free spins should be ignored, however, as they are still a lot of fun. As the name suggests, no deposit bonuses mean UK players can sign up for an account at an online casino without having to risk a penny of their own cash when they register.

Free spins on registration no deposit deals are therefore becoming more and more popular. But finding the best free spins deals is not always easy, and it can be difficult for UK players to get their head around the various terms and conditions, such as the wagering requirement.

This is where we come in to help, making no deposit free spins offers easy to understand.

Different Types of Free Spins Bonuses at Online Casinos

One of the most confusing things for UK players who are joining casino sites is the fact that there are plenty of different types of no deposit bonuses that are up for grabs these days.

Here, we have gone through the main free spins no deposit UK offers that are available.

New Customer Free Spins with No Deposit Required

Everyone loves the chance to get free money out of an online casino, so it is no surprise to see how popular new customer free spins with no deposit required have become of late.

Free spins no deposit deals mean players can sign up and start playing without having to add any funds to their new account when they register at a casino. With this no deposit free spins bonus, it is likely that any bonus winnings will be subject to a wagering requirement that must be met before any money is available to be withdrawn.

Free Spins That Require Credit Card Details to Be Added

Sometimes it is the case that a free slot spins no deposit deal still requires the player to enter their credit card details when they sign up for an account. This does not mean they have to add any funds, though, with the details kept on file. Often, casino sites require such information as part of their identity checks for new users.

No Deposit Free Spins That Have No Wagering Requirements

As mentioned above, a lot of the new free spins no deposit deals for 2022 involve players having to meet wagering requirements, which can make such bonuses a grind to complete.

However, at a growing number of online casino sites, it is possible to get no deposit spins that have no wagering requirements at all. A maximum win limit is probably still in place to protect the casino from large losses, though.

But this is a great type of deal for those who want the chance to get free money from no deposit spins on their first visit to a new online casino.

Free Spins on First Deposits Made by a Customer

These spins are often made available as part of a casino’s range of welcome bonuses as well. This means bonus spins can be dished out when players make their first deposit into a site.

As long as they meet any relevant qualifying conditions, free spins are applied automatically.

Free Spins Without a Wagering Requirement on First Deposit

Similar to the free spins deal detailed above, it might even be possible to find some free spins as part of a first deposit offer that do not have any wagering requirement attached.

This means that when the free spins are used on slot games, UK players will receive 100 per cent of the money that they are fortunate enough to receive when they spin the reels. It is important to check the terms and conditions for things like maximum win limits, though.

Big Spins or Super Spins

Another kind of free spins no deposit bonus might see big spins or super spins dished out. How these work varies from site to site, but they are more potent than basic bonus spins.

Again, wagering requirements will probably apply, so these should be taken into account.

In-Game Free Bonus Spins

Lots of sites catering to UK players now make in-game free bonus spins available as well. This means that when players spend their own money on slot games, they can earn free spins that will then be added to their account.

As with no deposit spins, the small print can include a maximum win or wagering requirements, so it is always really important to take a look at the terms and conditions.

No Deposit Free Spins: Terms and Conditions

When browsing for a free spins no deposit bonus, the terms and conditions help to dictate whether a deal is a good value. When a no deposit bonus seems like it is too good to be true, it probably is. The small print of the terms and conditions includes a range of factors that must be considered. We have broken down some of the key common T&Cs to look out for:

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• Wagering requirements: The wagering requirements for free spins often dictate whether or not these types of bonuses are remotely worth taking. When free spins are given out with no wagering requirements at all, this is a big plus point for players. Casinos need to include a wagering requirement as it protects them from sustaining big losses from their bonuses. But the higher the wagering requirements included with free spins, the harder it is to complete such a deal and earn real money as a result. Combined with other factors in the T&Cs, such as time limits and maximum win limits, wagering requirements play a big part in whether free spins are good value.
• Winning cap: Most free spins promotions out there right now come with a winning cap. This means that the online casino will pay out a maximum amount of money from free spins, again protecting them from having to pay out big winnings to players.
• Maximum withdrawal: Sometimes, rather than a winning cap, sites might have a maximum withdrawal in place for their free spins no deposit deals. This means the same thing in practice, ensuring that players will not necessarily be able to receive the full amount of their bonus winnings as there is a maximum withdrawal in place.
• Maximum bet: When trying to meet the wagering requirements, players also need to check whether there is a maximum bet. Again, this is included to protect casinos and make the T&Cs trickier to follow. If there is a maximum bet limit in place for winnings earned from free spins, any spins that have a higher stake will not count towards meeting any of the wagering requirements that have been put in place by the casino.
• Deposit methods: It is often the case that using a certain payment method to make a deposit will not qualify a player to receive free spins. As an example, while debit card deposits do usually qualify players to earn free spins, opting to make a deposit using an e-wallet like Skrill or PayPal might not, so it is vital to check the small print.
• Time-related limit: Virtually all types of casino bonuses come with a time limit in place. This means users have a certain amount of time to complete the offer, meet the wagering requirements, or they will lose any of the bonus funds in their account. The time limit for such free spins casino no deposit offers is not always the same, but at the majority of sites, the limit is typically set for a week, giving players seven days.
• Restricted games: Sites are likely to restrict the casino games that free spins are able to be used on. They might do this as they want to encourage players to try a new game that has just been added to their library of slots, for example. It is also possible that free spins can only be used on games with a low RTP, which stands for return to player, in order to lower the chances of big payouts being required. Slots with a high variance – meaning it is less often that spins win – could also be selected for the same reason. When meeting the wagering requirements for winnings from free spins, it is also likely there will be extra restrictions on games. While slots often contribute the full 100 per cent to wagering requirements, this might not be the case for games with a low house edge, which includes the likes of blackjack and baccarat.

Choosing the Best UK Free Spins No Deposit Required Casino Bonus

When browsing for a no deposit bonus offering free spins, players have to think about a few different factors, including all of the types of terms and conditions that are detailed above.

No deposit required deals are becoming more common, however, which means that there will be more to pick from when searching for a great no deposit bonus at a casino site.

Sites offering the most number of free spins could catch the eye, but these promotions are likely to have a higher wagering requirement, making it harder to complete the offer.

A no deposit required free spins promotion might also see a relatively small number of free spins given out when compared to some of the best welcome bonuses on the market.

Players who are not wedded to the ideal of no deposit required types of bonuses might therefore be willing to consider a more traditional deal, where they do make a deposit.

Ultimately, it does come down to personal preference. Some players will not mind having a large wagering requirement to meet, as long as there is no winning cap in place for free spins. Others will find that a short time limit puts them off as they will not get a chance to make it through the wagering requirement in place in order to receive any winnings.

Pros and Cons of No Deposit Free Spins

When assessing free spins dished out through a no deposit bonus, there are a few pros and cons to take into account. Here, we have listed some of the most important pros and cons:

Pros

• Free money: With free spins, there is no need to make a deposit and risk real cash.
• Test games/sites: Using free spins is a great way to try out a new game, or casino.
• Learn features: Playing slots with free spins allows players to see bonus games, etc.

Cons

• Small bonus: With no deposit required offers, the amount of bonus is often quite low.
• T&Cs: Large wagering requirements might be in place, as well as small winning caps.
• Restrictions: Free spins might not be able to be used on a player’s favourite game.

How to Calculate the Value of Free Spins

When assessing whether free spins are worth taking or not, it can be difficult to work out.

Luckily, calculations can be used to work out the value of free spins. With the use of these calculations, it is possible to make a more objective viewpoint of a casino bonus.

Naturally, bonuses and promotions such as free spins are not always easy to quantify. As an example, while an offer with a high number of free spins might seem great on paper if this deal has a low winning cap and high wagering requirements it might not be worthwhile.

First of all, the value of free spins can be worked out through a simple formula. All free spins are paid at a certain rate, which for the benefit of this exercise we will say is just 10p.

Therefore, if 100 free spins are offered at a value of 10p each, users should multiply them.

As 100 free spins multiplied by 10p works out to ￡10, this is the total value of the free spins.

By making this simple calculation to work out the value of bonus spins, it is also possible to compare free spins to other casino promotions, such as their first deposit bonuses.

If a ￡10 welcome bonus is offered, this is a similar deal to 100 spins at 10p value each.

There is a bit more to it when it comes to calculating the value of a free spins bonus, though.

Return to player – or RTP for short – must be taken into account when assessing bonuses too. All slot games have an RTP, displayed as a percentage, showing the expected returns.

If the RTP of a slot is 98 per cent, this means that over a long period, ￡98 of every ￡100 spent would be returned to the player. It is important to note this is an average of the returns, not a guarantee, and it is calculated over a massive amount of spins in total.

When players have to use bonus spins on a low RTP slot game, this means they are worse value than if they are available to be used on a slot with a higher RTP.

As an example, slots with RTPs of around 97 per cent or more are deemed high RTP. On the flip side, slots at 95 per cent RTP or below are typically deemed to have quite a low RTP.

The wagering requirement should also be factored in when calculating the value of bonus spins. Let’s say 100 spins at 10p are offered, but the wagering requirement is set at 50x.

This means ￡10 worth of spins is offered, but that figure must be multiplied by 50 as well. As a result, an outlay of ￡500 would be required in order to meet a deal’s terms and conditions.

It is clear to see there is a lot to think about when calculating the value of bonus spins or cash bonuses like ￡5, ￡10, ￡20. A high wagering requirement is likely to make it hard to win real money from such offers.

If there is a low winning cap or maximum withdrawal in place, too, it might not be worthwhile.

Nevertheless, no deposit bonuses that include spins are risk-free, so players should perhaps treat them as nothing more than a bit of harmless fun rather than as a way to earn cash.

Not all bonus spins promotions are created equally, however, so it is always worth running the numbers to calculate the value of a bonus spins no deposit bonus at a casino site.

Most Popular Amounts of Free Spins

UK players are likely to want to know the most amount of bonus spins and free spins that are available for them to claim. Here, we break down the best free spins offers available now.

How to Claim Free Spins

By now, players should know almost everything they need to know about free spins. Follow our simple step-by-step guide below to find out how to claim a free spins no deposit bonus:

1. Choose: Lots of casino sites have free spins nowadays, so pick one to play at.
2. Research: When assessing sites, check out things such as a wagering requirement.
3. Join: Sign up to the casino by progressing through the registration form and process.
4. Code: Players might need to enter a bonus code or promo code to get free spins.
5. Qualify: Even when no deposit is required, qualifying conditions may be needed.
6. Enjoy: Once free spins are awarded, use them to try out luck with spinning the reels.
7. T&Cs: Any winnings from spins will be subject to T&Cs like wagering requirements.

Withdraw: Once a wagering requirement is met, overall winnings can be withdrawn.