No Deposit Bonuses

Online casinos are constantly looking for new players to sign up with them and existing players to continue playing to increase the value of their brand. To do this they offer a range of incentives in the form of bonuses. If you ask me which I think is the best bonus available, I would have to go with the no deposit bonus.

Our Featured No Deposit Bonuses

I have put together for you a list of the top no deposit bonuses at the leading UK online casinos. I have compiled this list after extensive analysis of UK online casinos. I have played at most of these casinos so I know what to expect. This list gives you the best bonuses and is constantly updated so you get only the latest information.

A no deposit bonus is one that does not require you to deposit funds into your account to use it. That is the major difference between this and other bonuses like deposit bonuses. Essentially the casino is offering you free money to play its games as incentive to play its range of games and avail other bonuses. Of course it comes with a small rider: you have to open an account to use it.

When to Use a No Deposit Bonus

A no deposit bonus is usually offered to new players. The bonus is made available to you once you register with the casino and open an account. That means you would use this bonus before using anything else the casino provides. The process is simple:

• You open an account with the casino.
• The no deposit bonus is made available to you – the casino intimates you about it or sometimes you are required to contact customer support to get access to it.
• You start using the bonus and playing with the casino’s money.
• You fulfill all terms associated with it to redeem a portion of any winnings earned through it.

You may ask me why you would want to use a no deposit bonus. My answer would be ‘why not?’ It works for you and works also for the casino.

• It is free.
• You do not have too many obligations when it comes to using them (except fulfilling the terms and conditions attached).
• You play real money games with money that the casino provides.
• You get to keep a part of the winnings earned through the bonus.
• You get to play in a real money environment without spending your money.

No Deposit Bonuses – What You Must Know

No deposit bonuses are obviously great for you as they are free. That brings up an immediate risk for the casino – how does it ensure that a player does not abuse the bonus and cheat them? That is why casinos attach terms and conditions to using the no deposit bonus. The following are some of the commonly seen terms and conditions associated with a no deposit bonus.

• Eligible games: Most casinos offer no deposit bonuses only on specific games. You need to know which games are covered by the bonus and use it to play only those games. Using the bonus to play a game that is not covered can make the bonus obsolete; you would not be able to use it. Not just that, none of the winnings earned would count.
• Wagering requirements: Casinos require you to wager your bet amount, winnings, or both bet amount and winnings a specific number of times for you to be able to redeem a portion of what you have won using the no deposit bonus. For instance, a casino may have a 35x wagering requirement: this effectively means you have to wager your winnings 35 times to be able to keep a portion of anything that remains.
• Wagering calculations: Not all games contribute 100% towards the wagering requirements. Some games contribute lesser, while some others may contribute nothing at all. You need to choose the game you play – from the ones that are covered by the bonus – carefully to ensure you can retain at least some of the amount you won.
• Cashout time: Casinos also lay down limitations on when you can cash out any wins from the no deposit bonus you use. Most casinos will not let you cash out a portion of your winnings till you make a minimum deposit into your account. Trying to cash out early or without depositing the minimum amount required can have severe consequences for you. The casino can take any one of a range of punitive actions, including:
  • Reporting you for bonus abuse.
  • Annulling all winnings earned from it.
  • Canceling the bonus.
  • Suspending your account.
  • Terminating your account.
• Maximum cashout: Since the no deposit bonus is free money, casinos usually restrict the amount of winnings you can cash out. The casino places a firm cap on the amount you can redeem. The maximum cashout condition is applicable to the regular no deposit cash bonus as well as to free spins. Say you won AUD150 using a regular no deposit bonus. If the casino has a maximum cashout cap of AUD50, you would be able to cash out only that amount.

The free play with time bonus works a little differently in some casinos; they credit your wins during the period of the bonus into your casino account, but allow you to use it once you have made the minimum deposit.

• Kind of wagers allowed: Casinos also may have limitations on the kinds of wagers you can place with a no deposit bonus. For instance casinos can limit the kind of wagers you place on slots or on roulette games. Some casinos could keep roulette off limits as well.
• Size of wager: While it may seem that how much money you wager is purely up to you, this works a little differently with no deposit bonuses. Some casinos restrict the amount you can wager at a time. This is to ensure there is no fraud. Some casinos, for instance, allow a maximum wager of 5% of the no deposit bonus balance. So if you got a no deposit bonus of AUD20, you could wager only 5% of it the first time and also going forward.

Benefits of Using No Deposit Bonuses

No deposit bonuses are great marketing tools because they create a win-win situation for both the parties – the player and also the casino. There are numerous benefits that no deposit bonuses offer both the player as well as the operator.

For the player:

• It is free money you can use to play in real money mode and pick up wins.
• It allows you to save up your money and use the casino’s money.
• By saving up your money and even possibly picking up wins you can build your bankroll bigger.
• You get to know how the games work and what the stresses of the real money environment are, all without spending a penny of your own.
• Of course you may need to deposit a minimum amount to cash out winnings but that only adds to the excitement of winning more.

For the casino:

• It is great advertising as they can list out the bonus where all can see. This is a great way of drawing new players, because everybody loves free money.
• They can safely offer the no deposit bonus because of the terms and conditions they attach in the back-end. These ensure there is no fraud.
• The terms also ensure payouts are kept minimal and that players make a deposit still to be able to cash out a portion of the winnings.
• Providing players a chance to win with free money is great because that is the ultimate incentive to sign up for real money play.