Different Types of Bonus Spins

A number of casinos we recommend offer bonus spins as part of the first deposit bonus, or as a sweetener to encourage subsequent deposits to your gambling account in multi-stage welcome packages. These bonus spins are conditional on making a  deposit, and are usually valid on select games, as per the terms and conditions of the bonus offer. A popular game you can get introductory bonus spins on is NetEnt’s Starburst.

50 Free Spins Offers

A common free spins offer that we see is the 50 free spins promotion. As the name suggests you receive 50 free spins as part of this promotion offer. Most 50 free spins promotions are deposit bonus spins but now and again you can find no deposit 50 free spins offers.

Of course, there is no rule to say casinos must offer 50 free spins, so you will often see promotions for 20, 30 and 100 free spins. Batches of 20 and 30 free spins are usually provided in a single batch as part of a welcome offer, often in conjunctions with a matched deposit. 100 free spins bonuses are less common, but can be found, for example, with Aspers Casino alongside the deposit bonus. Aspers award all 100 free spins at once, but often you will see casinos releasing the 100 free spins in stages with each deposit.

Free Spins, Keep Your Winnings

The majority of free spins offers come with two types of terms and conditions that restrict your winnings. One is a term that caps your winnings e.g. you can win no more than £50, whilst another term requires you to play-through or wager your winnings which often ends up with you losing as much as you originally won. Real free spins, keep what you win offers therefore are like golddust – one such offer at the moment is BGOs welcome 100 free spins on deposit offer which is completely no strings attached with no caps on the winnings or wagering required.

Free Spins, No-Deposit Required

This type of bonus is similar to a no-deposit cash bonus. Usually, you’ll receive fewer spins that are restricted to just one or two particular games. However, there is no need to deposit any money into your account to claim these bonuses, so you can effectively play for free and, subject to wagering requirements, get your hands on anything you win.

Get Free Spins on Registration

No deposit free spins are often associated with a welcome offer, allowing players to get that first taste of the casino with no risk to their wallets. This will be followed by further bonus once you make your first deposit. The wagering requirements for sign up free spins without deposit are usually quite high.

Free Spins for Adding a Card

In some circumstances, you can get free spins on registration but are required to add a credit/debit card to trigger the award. You are not obliged to make a deposit after adding the card. You should also have little worry about adding your details to a site, certainly any recommended here, as the information will be encrypted.

Free Spins with No Wagering

Some free spins offers have no wagering requirements, so you can simply withdraw what you win. In almost all cases, an initial deposit must be made. PlayOJO Casino and BGO Casino are good examples of this, both having no wagering requirements on any free spins or bonus offers. Both casinos offer wager free spins (sometimes called fair spins) on your first deposit.

Promotional Game Release Bonus Spins

Bonus spins are also used on an ongoing basis, to encourage players to try out new slots games. This is one of the main ways casinos generate attention for new games on launch, and while they will be restricted to certain promotional games, the same structure and benefits apply as with other free spin offers.

Mobile Casinos & Free Spins

The majority of online casinos do not distinguish between players playing on mobile and tablet and those playing on the desktop site. The good news is that means you can get exactly the same free spins offers when you play on mobile as you would on desktop. However, it also means exclusive mobile casino free spins bonuses can be harder to find. Casumo Casino joins those brands already mentioned like BGO and PlayOJO by offering 20 free spins on Starburst for mobile casino players without needing a deposit. The wagering requirements for Casumo Casino mobile bonuses are x30.

Bonus Spins vs Deposit Bonus

Extra spins are sometimes offered as an alternative to a cash welcome bonus. But which is better? Both are subject to wagering requirements, which will require you to wager a certain amount before you can withdraw your winnings, but often the conditions attached to bonus spins are less difficult to meet.

Which type you should choose ultimately depends on how you like to play. Do you enjoy playing slots? Great, go for the bonus spins offer – it’s often better value. But if you prefer variety in your casino play, i.e playing a mixture of slots and table games  it may be worth going for a deposit-matched bonus instead.

Deposit-matched bonuses in practice often need to meet a higher wagering threshold, because they are usually more valuable in monetary terms. There might also be restrictions on the contribution of slots spins to these requirements, where every penny you spend on slots counts for less than a penny towards your wagering requirement. Ultimately, it comes down to how you think you’ll use your bonus. If you want a bonus to play slots, you are quite possibly better off choosing the extra spins bonus in most cases.

5 Bonus Spins Tips

  1. Dig into the Wagering Requirements Before Deciding: With bonus spins, you still need to meet wagering requirement thresholds to withdraw your money. Generally, those playthrough requirements will apply to any winnings you land from the bonus spins. Where bonus spins are not linked to a deposit, they will be ascribed an equivalent financial value which is often used in calculating the wagering requirements. If you’re comparing different bonus spins offers, it’s important to take a closer look at those T&Cs. It’s better to have 10 bonus spins with favourable wagering requirements than 50 bonus spins with impossibly tough conditions attached.
  2. Bonus Spins are Not In-Game Slots Bonus Spins: Free spins are distinct from the spins you can pick up during different slots games. While bonus spins in-game can be re-triggered, or may open additional bonus rounds and earnings opportunities, promotional bonus spins are the equivalent of your stake – so usually there’s no risk at all involved in playing them.
  3. Keep What You Win on No Deposit Free Spins: Especially when these bonus spins aren’t tied to a deposit, you are effectively looking at a chance to win some free money. You keep what you win, and with lower wagering requirements than would normally apply in most cases, it’s even easier to withdraw your winnings.
  4. Try New Games: Free spins are a great way to try out new games. They’re superior to playing in free play mode because you can keep your winnings. Use your bonus spins to try out new games you wouldn’t otherwise play. It’s a great chance to discover your new favourite game for free. By testing out new games, you can find the highest payers and then switch up to real money once your bonus spins run out – less risky testing, with the upside of keeping any winnings you pick up along the way.
  5. Keep an Eye on the Promotions Tab: Most casinos will offer regular bonus spins promotions on new or popular slots to existing customer. They do that to keep you active and – more importantly – depositing. Never mind. If you love slots and good value, stay alert to your casino’s promotions page so that you can take advantage when it suits you.

We’ve reviewed the best bonus spins sites and bonus spins offers for you to sink your teeth into. If you want to take advantage of bonus spins bonuses, and perhaps land some winnings, check out our recommended casinos and slots sites.

FAQs

Free spins offers are generally there to entice you in to a casino, or to try out a particular slots game with your new account. It is possible to win real money from these free spins, although you might be capped in your maximum win by the bonus terms. So it’s fair to say there is value in finding a free spins bonus, which can be a great way to get the ball rolling with your new casino account.

However, as with all casino bonuses, terms and conditions do apply. These terms and conditions vary from bonus to bonus, and importantly will include both a free spins expiry period and a wagering multiple. You need to bet through the wagering requirements before you can withdraw, and there may also be several other terms and conditions of note that you want to pay attention to. So it’s up to you to decide whether an individual free spins offer is worth it.
In UK licensed casinos, you’re not compelled to accept any bonus offer, which extends to free spins. You will be able to opt out (or not opt in) during the sign up process, or even contact support by live chat to tell them you don’t want the bonus.
If there’s no wagering requirements to your free spins, you get to keep anything you win from those free spins. Of course, this also depends on the other terms and conditions attached to the free spins offer, but generally both of these types of free spins bonuses have the same effect.
Wagering requirements are the number of times you need to wager any free spin winnings before you will be eligible to withdraw from them. This applies in much the same way as it does with other types of casino bonuses, in that anything you win can only be withdrawn once the wagering requirements have been met.

You can find the full details of wagering and other restrictions in the free spins terms and conditions.
Free spins are generally tied to specific slots games, in most cases one or a handful of games the casino wants you to try out. In some cases, you might find unrestricted free spins bonuses that can be played on a wider selection, but in any event, this will be specified in the terms of each specific bonus. A popular free spins lost game on casinos powered is Starburst