In cooperation with our partner.
Stay indoors! That’s the message we’re getting loud and clear right now. It’s easy enough. You don’t have to actually do anything – not even put your pants on!
The first few days will probably be sweet bliss. You can skip the morning commute, make the kind of healthy breakfast rush hour always forbids, and even pet your cat during a conference call. However, it’s soon going to wear thin.
With increasing numbers of people around the world being urged by the powers that be to stay inside, it’s getting harder and harder to find ways to pass the days until we’re inevitably granted our freedom once again. Fortunately, there’s a whole lot of entertainment online – quite literally, this is the best time in human history to go into lockdown!
One of the best things you can do to stave off boredom is to gamble online – after all, the world seems to be sliding rapidly down the pan, what’s a little vice thrown on top? Of course, not everyone has access to funds to start gambling online and with fear of unemployment growing, maybe betting away what could be your last pay cheque isn’t the wisest idea.
If you’re in a position with lots of free time but little money to take to the virtual casino floor, continue reading. This is the Geek’s Guide to the no deposit casino bonus.
What is a No Deposit Bonus?
A no deposit casino bonus does exactly what is says on the tin. It’s a casino promotion that doesn’t involve the player parting with any cash to get involved. iGaming venues typically use them to lure new players in since they give a free taste of the casino and its games, whilst also ensuring a new signup for the operator.
Although there is no immediate requirement to deposit, the casino has your email address and an inkling that you like to gamble so they can market directly to you. Players are also more likely to use a casino in the future if they already have an account with that particular company. These factors far outweigh the potential to lose a few quid for the casino. It’s all part of the venue’s marketing budget.
Typically, no deposit bonuses come in two main flavours:
· No deposit free spins.
· No deposit bonus cash.
The first of these is a gift of a set number of free goes on a specific slot or small group of slots. You will typically see 10, 20, or even 50 free spins as a welcome promotion at a no deposit casino. All winnings from free spins are usually subject to wagering requirements – more on these in a minute.
The latter of the bonus types is no deposit bonus cash. This is where the casino will credit your account with a set cash value. You can use this on any eligible games listed in the terms and conditions of the promotion.
There will be other stipulations to using a no deposit bonus too. These might include a maximum cash out, a time limit, or some different condition. These make it difficult to actually win money from a casino when using a no deposit bonus. Gambling service operators aren’t charities, after all!
It’s vital that all players wanting to use a no deposit promotion, or any casino bonus for that matter, consult the offer’s terms and conditions before claiming it. The popups or TV ads that show new player promotions in the first place often aren’t as forthcoming with the subtleties of an offer as the terms and conditions are. Understanding the terms of an offer will help players avoid any nasty surprises when trying to withdraw winnings generated using a promotion.
How to Use a No Deposit Bonus
Using a no deposit bonus is easy. You can find a whole host of them on this popular site and others. You then just need to create an account by following the onscreen prompts.
As mentioned above, you will need to make sure you familiarise yourself with the terms and conditions of the bonus. Some no deposit bonuses can require players use a bonus code to trigger the promotion itself. Even if the casino does credit the bonus automatically, you should still read all the conditions of a promotion before completing your signup. They’re very important since failure to observe all the conditions will usually result in your claim for the bonus being rejected by the casino.
One you’ve signed up and satisfied any requirements for the bonus, all you need to do is use it. If it’s a free spins bonus, select one of the slot machines eligible, load it up, and start spinning through your free shots at winning. Similarly, if you’re using a bonus cash no deposit promotion, visit the game of your choice to try your luck.
Once you have used up your free spins or bonus cash, any winnings will usually need betting a specified number of times. This might be 20x, 30x, 50x, or even more. Only when you have bet the required amount will you be able to withdraw any winnings. Again, all of this will be in the terms and conditions. We really can’t stress the importance of that document enough!
No Deposit Bonus Strategies
Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast strategies to guarantee a win using a no deposit bonus. That said, there are a few ways that a player can maximise the expected value of a promotion. If you’re getting into no deposit bonus hunting during your own social isolation, use the following strategies to give yourself the best chance of winning.
Game selection
Not all casino games are created equal. Some are mathematically more profitable for the casino than others. Players can quickly reference which games they stand a better chance of winning at by looking at return to player rating databases.
The idea is to find the highest percentage title that is not limited or excluded from those games eligible for bonus use. You’ll find a list of the games that players can use in the terms and conditions of an offer. You’ll also usually find that some games only contribute 50%, 10%, or even 1% towards wagering.
Casinos will often limit blackjack in this way or exclude it entirely. Being one of the closest games to completely break even versus the casino, the operator could stand to lose a lot of money if everyone blasted through their no deposit bonus using perfect strategy blackjack. Therefore, companies limit or exclude the casino classic.
You should also avoid games that will result in higher payments that are even possible from the bonus. If the terms and conditions state that players can only win £20 from an offer, why would you bother playing a progressive jackpot game with a potential top prize of £100,000?
Stake selection
Another important consideration when playing through a no deposit bonus is stake selection. If you have just £10 to use from your no deposit welcome bonus, playing a slot for £10 a spin is going to give you one single chance to win. Although this will theoretically reduce the amount of time you spend wagering, you will need to run incredibly well to actually take any money from the casino.
In general, you want to keep your variance as low as possible when using any promotion. Big swings down after long periods of bad luck can mean a player busts out quickly. If they were using much smaller stakes spread across more potential bets (win lines on slots), they would stand a greater chance of realising the true return to player rating of the slot. They would, therefore, also stand a greater chance of coming out on top.
Forget About Other Strategies
Whilst no deposit bonuses are certainly a great way to pass the time, try out new online casinos, and to even possibly win a bit of cash, it’s worth remembering that they’re not free meal tickets. Casinos are businesses and they must ensure profitability. That doesn’t mean they are prepared to go bust on what is essentially a marketing tool.
Although using the strategies above will give you the best chance of winning from a no deposit casino bonus, it’s anything but a dead cert. However, you should still give them a try. No deposit bonuses are one of the truly risk-free ways to enjoy casino games. Whilst you have some time on your hands, why not try to take advantage? What have you got to lose?