What is No Deposit Bonus? – And how it works?

No Deposit Bonus are exactly what they say on the tin, providing a small bundle of bonus funds with no deposit required. In effect, it’s free cash to play with. No deposit bonuses are usually quite low in value. However, they are extremely popular with players looking for a free taste of casino action. They allow players to get a feel for the different kinds of casino games on offer and the chance to test out a few titles that catch their eye.

There are lots of ways of claiming a no-deposit bonus. You may simply have to register or sign up for a newsletter. Some casinos will give out no deposit goodies for players who verify their email address or mobile number. No deposit bonuses usually take the form of a fixed cash sum, although they can also be a number of free spins for slot games. No-deposit bonuses usually take the form of a fixed cash sum, although they can also be a number of free spins for slot games.

Is it mean – Free cash?

No, not quite. No deposit bonuses often go by other names, including ‘free cash bonus’ or €10 free, for example. This type of bonus is free cash in the sense that it is awarded to players’ accounts when they first sign up, without obliging them to deposit any of their own money first. Accepting a no deposit bonus also means that you can choose whether or not to deposit in the future – you are not bound to deposit real cash once you use up the bonus funds if you don’t want to.

It is not free cash in the sense that you cannot simply claim the bonus and then withdraw the money. That system would be ripe for abuse and would put online casinos at a distinct disadvantage. Players must use the free cash to play games offered by the casino.

Playing with bonus cash

Bonus cash is identical to real cash in all but two ways. You cannot withdraw bonus cash directly and bonus cash is subject to wagering requirements. Just like real cash, you are allowed to withdraw any winnings you make when you play with the bonus cash once you have met these requirements. These can range from no requirements at all up to 60x or more.

The Best Online Casinos That Offer No Deposit Bonuses

Why should I use a no deposit bonus

No deposit bonus cash comes in handy for players who want to try a new casino without committing any of their hard-earned cash right out the gate. Think of that €5 as a free sample, letting you try the casino’s games and see whether you would like to continue playing. You are free to leave and never return if you so please – there are no strings attached!

Wagering requirements

The majority of casino bonuses come with wagering requirements attached. Casinos that offer bonuses without wagering requirements will state as such right in the promotional material – just because a promotion makes no mention of wagering requirements, that does not mean that there aren’t any. Only that you may need to look harder to find them.

No-deposit bonuses tend to come with higher wagering requirements than other bonus types. This is because casinos would like players to stick around after claiming a no-deposit bonus instead of spending it and never looking back. Wagering requirements are determined by each casino, which means there isn’t really an ‘industry standard’ value. Requirements can range from as low as x15 to as high as x50 or even higher. It’s always a good idea to find out the wagering requirements of a bonus or promotion before you accept it.

If you’re not sure what a wagering requirement is, now is a good time to learn. Here is an example to help untangle this concept.

An example:
  • A casino is offering a €5 no-deposit bonus for new members after registering.
  • The wagering requirements attached to this bonus state that you must ‘roll-over’ or ‘play-through’ 50x the value of the bonus in 30 days.
  • This means that you must wager €250 in 30 days before you can claim any cash won with bonus funds.

Remember, different games will contribute different amounts to your overall wagering requirements. This is called weighting and is set by the casino itself. Game weightings can be found in the casino’s bonus terms and conditions. In many cases, games like jackpots won’t contribute to meeting wagering requirements and table games will only contribute a small percentage of the wager.

Some casinos list games individually, while others simply set game weightings by category. In general, slots usually weighted quite high with table and live games weighted significantly lower. However, if you get some other questions, you can go to the “Contact us” and leave a message to us. Our team, at BonusManiac, will answer to all your questions!

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