You’ve probably seen the huge deposit bonuses offered by online casinos and the numerous options available to get players to try their hand at real money online casino games. Did you know that not every casino bonus requires a matching deposit?
No deposit casino bonuses can be a great way to try out a few new casino games for real money, but you need to make sure you understand the requirements before you accept one. If you want to play progressive slot machines you should just make a regular deposit and get a bonus that way.
How Do No Deposit Casino Bonuses Work?
A no deposit bonus works just like it sounds. You get a free bonus amount you can use to play real money slots.
You don’t have to make a deposit to receive a no deposit bonus but you may need to make a deposit before you can cash out any winnings. This may sound strange, but the casinos and the banking industry have procedures in place to prevent fraud.
In order to cash out you have to prove you’re who you claim to be and provide an accepted means of withdrawal.
This usually includes sending a copy of a photo identification card, a utility bill showing you live where you say, and other documents. You might want to start the verification process when you start playing instead of waiting until you’re done. This is especially true if you plan to make a real money deposit in the future.
The sooner you get the verification process completed the easier it’ll be to cash out later.
Should You Ever Consider Declining a Free Casino Bonus?
Free money to play your favorite slots games seems like it’s too good to be true.
The fact is that you can get free slots money from some online casinos, but it comes with some rather strict terms and conditions. Most of these are covered in the next section, but I wanted to go over one that may cause you to pass on a no deposit bonus and go straight for a regular deposit or sign up slots bonus offer instead.
Every no deposit bonus I’ve received had a limit to the maximum amount that could be cashed out. This is usually around 10 or 20 times the amount of the bonus, but it can be any amount the casino chooses.
If the no deposit casino bonus is $20 the maximum amount of the cash out may be $200. This means that no matter how much you win you can only cash out $200. Even if you hit a million dollar progressive jackpot you’re out of luck.
If you decide to accept a no deposit bonus don’t play large jackpot games. Use the bonus to try out a few different machines to see which ones you want to play if you decide to make a real money deposit.
When I accept a no deposit slots bonus I’ve already made up my mind that I plan to play until I run out of money. I want to play some games, but don’t plan to win.
Make Sure to Read the Terms and Conditions of Every No Deposit Bonus
You need to read the entire terms and conditions document before you accept a bonus.
All bonuses have specific things you have to do before you can request a withdrawal.
Common bonus terms and qualifications include play through requirements, time limits, game restrictions, and cash out limits.
I’ve already covered the cash out limits, but here’s a quick overview of the other conditions.
Play through requirements are how many times you have to wager the bonus amount before you can cash out. When you make a deposit and receive a bonus you usually have to wager the entire amount of the bonus and the deposit a certain number of times.
Here’s an example:
If your no deposit bonus of $50 has a play through requirement of 50 times you’ll have to bet at least $2,500 before cashing out. You can accomplish this by making any number of bets. You could make 100 bets of $25 or 1,000 bets of $2.50 or some other combination.
Play through requirements are designed so you usually run out of money before you meet the requirements.
Time limits are more common when dealing with poker room bonuses, but you may be required to complete the play through requirements within a certain time limit.
Game restrictions dictate what games you can play using the bonus. Most bonuses let you play slots and keno as much as you want but won’t let you play blackjack, video poker, or most other table games
Some online casinos let you play other games but increase the number of times you have to play to clear the bonus. You might have to play 10 times or more the normal play through.
You also need to see what happens with the terms and conditions if you don’t meet all of them before you clear the bonus. What happens when you get your next bonus? Do the new terms take over or do these carry over?
Finding the Best No Deposit Casino Bonus Offers
The easiest way to find special offers is to check on the bonuses or promotions pages of the individual online casinos listed on this web site.
If the casino where you want to play doesn’t offer a no deposit bonus ask the support department if they can give you one. Most of them won’t but every once in a while you may get lucky.
Here’s a trick I’ve seen used in the past to get a free play. You need to be careful if you try this too much because some ownership groups own a wide range of properties, but it’s a way you can get some free play.
Contact the affiliate department for the casino where you want to play and tell them you’re considering promoting their casino. Ask if they can give you a no deposit bonus to try out a few games before you decide.