What is a no-deposit online casino bonus and how does it work?
A no-deposit casino bonus is a straightforward bonus offered by online casinos that rewards users without them having to wager real cash.
The most common type of online casino bonus comes in the form of free spins or bonus funds that are unlocked after depositing a specific sum of cash that could range from £10 to £100 or beyond.
No-deposit casino bonuses work in a different way. You do not need to wager any real money to unlock the reward, which usually comes in the form of no-deposit free spins and is worth between £5 and £10.
Instead, the only thing that you are required to do is register with the firm by entering your personal details and online casinos give you a bonus in the hope that you will later deposit real money.
What are no-deposit free spins?
Free spins are a common feature of most no-deposit casino promotions. Operators are generally happy to offer new players no-deposit free spins as a way to welcome them into the casino and to get them started by trying out some of the games.
This can be very beneficial for new players who are just beginning to play at online casinos. At the same time, no-deposit free spins are an excellent way for experienced players to try new operators.
The value of the free spins is set by the casino operator and the usual wagering requirements apply.
How do I get no-deposit free spins?
While the process can vary between online casinos, claiming your no-deposit free spins is very straightforward. Once you have decided on the bonus deal that appeals to you, simply find the sign-up link to the casino site and follow the details as prompted.
Once you have opened your account with the casino and have opted into the promotion you will then be able to claim your free spins.
What games can I use my no-deposit free spins on?
Online casinos will often limit no-deposit free spins to only be used in conjunction with specific slots titles that they choose. Usually, these games will be a mix of new titles that the operator is eager to promote and slots that are already popular with a wide player base.
You will be able to find a full list of the no-deposit free spins games in the terms and conditions of the operator’s bonus page.
How we tested the best online casinos with no-deposit bonus
Navigating through the multitude of appealing casino bonus offers can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to choosing a no-deposit deal, despite their widespread popularity.
Recognising the significance of these bonuses to players, we have undertaken a thorough exploration of the different promotions to pinpoint the best option for you.
In pursuit of this goal, we have personally registered with all the top operators and meticulously analysed the bonuses.
We have considered various factors such as wagering requirements and the ease of claiming the bonus, and provided a detailed explanation of each individual aspect below.
Wagering requirements: Wagering requirements are a key factor in assessing any casino bonus but this is especially true of no-deposit deals. There is very little point in taking advantage of a no-deposit casino bonus if there are then wagering requirements on your winnings, which mean you will have to deposit and play through before you have the chance to withdraw any cash. That is why we have ranked those with no wagering requirements higher than those that have.
Winning cap: Win caps are too common in casino bonuses in our view but they are more justifiable in no-deposit casino bonuses. Unfortunately, online casinos are not charities so it is understandable that they will limit your winnings on no-deposit casino bonuses. Again, we rank those with no cap higher – but they are not marked down too harshly if they have a win cap.
Variety of games: It is commonplace for online casinos to limit how you can use your casino bonuses, especially with free spin offers meaning you can only use your free spins on one specific game. Some extend these to up to a dozen games and obviously we think more is more in this case – so those with fewer limits are favoured in our reviews.
Ease of sign-up: There is nothing more frustrating than finding a no-deposit casino bonus only for the registration process to be arduous and the bonus prohibitively hard to claim. That is why we have gone through the trouble of signing up for all the no-deposit casino bonuses mentioned here so we can make a balanced judgement on which is the easiest – and that is reflected in our rankings.
Bonus beyond no-deposit bonus: The priority in our list here is the no-deposit casino bonus but once you have taken advantage of it and used your extra funds or free spins, it would be nice for you to be rewarded once again if you choose to deposit some funds. We have rated these casino bonuses on the factors mentioned above and considered them in our rankings for the best no-deposit casino bonus.
Different types of best casino no-deposit bonuses
There are two main types of no-deposit casino bonuses – free spins and free bonus money. Below, we have run through the details of both and what to look out for no-deposit casino bonus offers.
Free spins are the most popular type of no-deposit bonus.
While online casinos will boast of the thousands of slot games that they have to play, they will limit the free spins to a certain number of games, often about 10. They may even be more strict and only let you use them on one game, but this will usually be a popular one.
Another thing to look out for with free spins offers generally is the value of free spins, which generally ranges from 1p to 10p. So, if you are offered 50 free spins worth 10p each, they are more valuable than 200 free spins that are worth 1p each.
You should also note the wagering requirements of any offer, especially free spins. A win cap may be placed on the free spins you unlock from a no-deposit casino bonus.
The second most common type of a no-deposit casino bonus comes in the form of free bonus money, but this is much less common than free spins. Currently, there are no free bonus money offers that we consider worthy of our list of the best no-deposit casino bonuses – but check back regularly as this page will be updated with the latest information.
Free bonus money does what it says on the tin. After you register with an online casino you are rewarded with bonus funds but like free spins there are often restrictions.
Wagering requirements and win caps are more common for free bonus money so it is worth checking the terms and conditions before taking advantage of any promotion.
The other restriction will relate to how you can actually use the bonus funds. There may only be certain types of games that you can use the funds on, so again it is vital you understand all the terms and conditions before signing up.
No-deposit online casino bonuses for existing customers
There are a wide range of bonuses for existing customers that are reserved solely for existing customers but a lot of them will reward loyalty and exist to try and keep you playing so no-deposit online casino bonuses for existing customers are rare.
One exception is a daily free spin game. These are the hallmark of a leading online casino and usually give players the chance to win more free spins or bonus funds.
A huge number of online casinos have a free spin game but our favourites are 888casino’s Daily Wish game, Betfair Casino’s Prize Pinball Jackpot and the Prize Machine from Sky Vegas.
Disadvantages of no-deposit casino bonuses
On the face of it, no-deposit casino bonuses have no disadvantages. You do not have to deposit or wager any of your own real cash to unlock bonuses, whether they be free spins or bonus funds.
However, as you can see from our comprehensive list of the best no-deposit casino bonuses available, they are not plentiful.
There are only two on our list, neither gives you the opportunity to earn bonus funds and only free spins are available. These free spins are also not worth a huge amount.
Nevertheless, these no-deposit casino bonuses still give you the chance to get £5 in free spins and all you have to do is register with an online casino and do not have to risk any of your real money.