Online Casino No Deposit Bonus
Online casinos are a great addition the gambling and online gaming community. Playing slot games at a brick and mortar casino is still a viable option for casino and slot game players but almost 70% of gambling is now done online. That means that it is more accessible to people and easier to use. The arrival of the online casino has resulted in one hugely advantageous result. More people are playing slot games than ever before.
To compensate for the massive influx of new slots players, there has also been a rise in the amount of online casinos to house all of these slots and casino games. Now, playing at a casino is as easy as logging on, clicking deposit and playing the game. These sites contain every type of game that one would normally come across in a casino plus more. There is poker, slot games, blackjack, roulette, bingo and live casino game shows.
You can even use the internet to connect and play with other players in real time.
For us players, these online casinos are a new haven. For the sites themselves however, there is one major issue- competition. How can a casino site ensure that players log on and deposit to play their casino games? The answer is not only simple but is also massively beneficial to us slot players.
Online casinos offer bonuses to those that sign up and play their slot games. They come in all shapes (for both slots and bingo) and sizes from:
- A Welcome Bonus
- Free spins on games
- No deposit bonuses
- Deposit bonuses
- Real money bonuses
- Bingo bonus no deposit
- And many others
With all this in mind, what should an online casino be offering players? What bonuses are best for the player? Let’s take a look.
No deposit casino bonus
A no deposit bonus is very easy to explain and is most commonly used to attract new players. This is a free bonus that a casino site will offer without the player having to make a deposit of their own money first. This is clearly beneficial to the player as they get to try out what the casino site has to offer for free and if they like it, they will have to make a real deposit to continue playing all of the games that the site has to offer. This way the casino site gets to keep the players that choose to do this.
No deposit bonuses come in all shapes and sizes. One example of such a bonus is the free deposit bonus. This offer gives the player a certain amount in the form of credit, let’s say $10 for example, to use as a deposit on any of their casino games. This way players get to sample some of the casino games to find out if they will enjoy the online gambling experience. It can be used to play poker, slot games or whatever they player likes just so long as it is on that casino site.
However, players do not get to withdraw the money that they receive when playing with this bonus. It is for sampling games only. Furthermore, this type of bonus is great for attracting new players. All it takes in an online casino putting out the details on their promotions page. But it does not appeal to existing slot players. These players are already committed to a casino site and therefore aren’t going check other sites for a small no deposit bonus. Besides, there are other bonuses available for these types of players.
Speaking of which.
Casino Deposit bonuses
A deposit bonus is very much the same as a no deposit bonus in terms of what it offers the player and casino only this time it requires the player to put down real money to use. Now, this does sound like a negative but when you compare this to all of the positives of a deposit bonus putting forward real money seems trivial.
One example of a deposit bonus is the matched deposit bonus. This is an offer that an online casino may provide that will give the player an amount of credit equal to the sum of real money that they deposit. For example, if a player puts down $20 of their own money to play casino games with, the casino site will give them a further $20 in credit to use on top.
This is good for the casino as it ensures that players stay and play on their site for longer. Plus the site does receive some real money from customers. An online casino can offer this to both new players and old.
For the casino games player, this is a bonus that works in the same way as a no deposit welcome bonus but is bound to last longer. What’s more, you actually get to keep the money that you win using this deposit. That is nuts.
As mentioned before, an online casino will even give this bonus to existing players. That means that there is no need to check welcome offers at other sites to make sure that you are getting the best deal. Deposit Bonuses are there to keep the good players loyal.
Sometimes a player may drift and forget about a casino site after a while. It’s sad but it happens. Don’t worry though. There is a deposit bonus for this circumstance too.
It is called the reload bonus. An online casino might want to utilise this if they notice that a player that used to visit their site a lot suddenly does not. This might be for a number of reasons but it is nothing a simple bonus offer can’t fix. A casino site will offer the relapsed player a bonus to re-engage the player and remind them of what they offer. This prompt can come in the form of a matched deposit bonus but the site is more likely to offer the player some free spins.
Free Spins
By far, the most popular bonus that you are likely to see an online casino give out is the free spins bonus. They are everywhere on promotions pages and there are several reason for this.
Free spins are exactly what you think they might be. They are a free bonus that act as free turns on a slot game. This is because that is just how slot games work. A player needs to spin the reels and try to match the same symbols across a line to win the prizes that slot offers. It doesn’t matter what type of slot game you play, or what bonus features the game has, spins are always the core mechanic of the game. Therefore, free spins are just a way to play a slot game for free.
An online casino can give out free spins as both a deposit and no deposit bonus. As a no deposit bonus, you may gain a certain amount of free spins to use on the slot games on that online casino. This is a great way to get new players involved in slot games and it does not cost the casino site a thing.
As a deposit bonus a casino site may offer players an amount of these free spins after they make a deposit, for example deposit $10 and earn 100 free spins. This gives players a reason to choose that casino over others and is pretty much the reason that these bonus offers exist.
The reason that online casinos favour free spins as a bonus is because they are so versatile. As I mentioned before, you can offer free spins to players to get them to try slot games for the first time. They get used to the mechanics of the slot games and they can act as a tutorial of sorts. Or they can be given out to players that regularly log in to that casino site. Almost like a loyalty reward. This ensures that the casino becomes a favourite and that players make their deposits there.
With free spins, the casino can also set their own parameters. A site can choose to allow players to withdraw the money that they win with a free spin or not, something that is quite normal when free spins are used as a welcome bonus. Or they can let players keep the winnings but the player must make another deposit to continue enjoying their lucky streak.
It seems that so far free spins are the best bonus that a casino site can offer.
The one criticism of free spins
Well, unfortunately it can’t all be that good. As useful as the free spin bonus is to an online casino, it does come with a major flaw.
Free spins are used in slot games as a key part of the game. You need to spin the reels on a slot machine. But that is it. There are no spins in bingo or blackjack. By offering free spins as a bonus, you are stopping players from sampling some of your other popular casino games. Of course, these spins might just be what is needed to get someone playing slots or your site in general but if they came to your casino looking to play some poker and can’t with a free bonus, they might be turned off.
Casino players have come to expect a bonus when visiting a new online casino and so it is imperative that you always give them a way to play exactly what they want.
That is why the best bonus to offer players is the deposit bonus. This amount can be used across a variety of games but by adding some free spins on top, you can still get players using slots even if they weren’t interested before. They might just enjoy so much to keep playing. Everybody wins.
Wagering limits
When discussing bonuses at an online casino, we cannot leave out the fact there are still wagering requirements to consider.
A wagering requirement or limit is a criteria that a player needs to meet before they receive the bonus. We saw this before with the matched deposit bonus. The casino player was required to make a deposit first before receiving the extra credit to play with. Pay $10 to get the $10 worth of credit. It might seem mundane but it is something that you should be aware of before you commit to an offer.
The main reason to look out for wagering requirements is because some bonus offers do expire. That’s right. Always read the terms and conditions as that free $10 credit you receive may only be available to use for 3 days. After that time, it is gone for good. You may find that you have signed up to an online casino, provided your details but left it a few days before giving the site ago. Unfortunately, the casino now has your details and custom but you do not have your bonus.
It is a sad fact but one to consider all the same. Make sure that you use your deposit bonus or free spins while you have the chance.
Brick and mortar casino bonuses
Oh yes. Don’t count out the original type of casino out when you are thinking about what offers and bonuses you could be taking advantage of.
Brick and mortar casinos still have their own bonuses that they offer to keep players using their traditional format. These offers have even improved since online casinos became popular just to keep up. These original buildings need custom to after all.
One bonus you may receive at a brick and mortar casino is the first deposit bonus. This is a bonus that will reward players with a higher pay out or multiplier the first time that they win on a casino game. This keeps players hooked and shows them the rewards of gambling from the very off. All it requires of the player is making a deposit in one of their slot machines.
Now, I know what you are thinking. This does sound a bit underhanded. It is basically lying about the overall experience of slot games from the off as you will never win that much again with those types of stakes. You are right in a way but players will be made aware of this fact when signing up to the casino and using this bonus. They pretty much have to be told about it to avoid breaking gambling laws and regulations.
But there is something else that a brick and mortar casino can offer their players as a bonus. Free spins. That is right. You can even be rewarded with free spins at a brick and mortar casino. They can only be used in house, obviously, but they come with all of the benefits and that one negative that comes with using free spins as a bonus. Most importantly they can be used to reward players for coming back, to keep them visiting your casino and not logging on to an online site.
However, in a physical casino, these free spins and other bonuses become much harder to regulate. How can you be sure that every person that signs up has not already received the bonus? You can’t possibly remember everyone’s face. Also, what if you visit the casino when you are away from home. There is no point in receiving a bonus that expires in 7 days if you aren’t local to the area.
With the online experience, casinos can streamline offers against other sites and add things to their promotions pages accordingly. Brick and mortar casinos are a bit more isolated and cannot advertise their bonuses as well the online casinos.
It seems that the online casino has the old fashioned brick and mortar casino beaten again. But does it really?
Online Casino Security
Security is a hot topic amongst all those who frequent the online space. That is especially true of those of us that choose to use online casinos to gamble or just have fun playing slot games. How can you ensure that your card details and personal information are protected?
Casino sites do uphold the strictest and most secure practices to maintain the safety of their customer’s details. But it can never be 100% safe. When you put your bank information out on the web, you are accepting that there is a small risk that it might, in the most unforeseen circumstances, get stolen and used by some web savvy wizard.
That is why some sign up bonuses aren’t taken advantage of by new players. To receive a free deposit you need to have an online casino account. People that are concerned about online security will give offers like this a wide berth and opt for a regular brick and mortar casino. Free spins are looking more and more like the way to go to get players on board but there is another way to deposit and still maintain the utmost security and it benefits the brick and mortar casinos the most.
That is playing with real money. With physical money you can hold it, count it out and make a deposit in the safest way possible. Of course, you do not receive all of the benefits of an online casino but for those of you that are security conscious, real money deposits are still the best way to go.
Casino Bonuses Terms and conditions
Lastly, everything that I have talked about in terms of no deposit bonuses at online casinos comes down to this. Always make sure that you are aware of the terms and conditions of a bonus before signing up to use it.
Online casinos do have better things to do than make up fraudulent offers. The reason you must check the terms and conditions is to ensure that you fully understand the financial ramifications of the agreement. It is harder for casinos to set these terms with no deposit bonuses but they do the best that they can.
Terms and conditions need to be read so that you get the best from the online casino bonus, you meet the wagering requirements and most importantly, you enjoy yourself when playing slot games as safe and secure as possible.
It does sound boring and time consuming but it is always worth making sure that you are getting the most out of your online casino bonus.
Conclusion
Online casino bonuses and offers are a fantastic way for casinos to get players to use their site to play casino games. There is no doubt about that. They reward loyalty, entice new players and keep players from waning and disappearing elsewhere.
For us players, these online casino bonuses are extremely useful for getting started at an online casino, they keep you playing and winning or sometimes it is simply nice to just be rewarded for playing.
With all of the different bonuses that we have discussed it is clear that a no deposit bonus is the best method for casino sites to lure in new players. For everything else though, neither the player nor online casino can go wrong with a deposit bonus. The casino receives the players deposit and the player gets rewarded for playing.
It never hurts to offer free spins as an online casino bonus either.
Check out more about no deposit bonuses through the following pages:
*Any references to bonuses and free spins are subject to the following terms: NEW PLAYERS ONLY, MIN DEPOSIT $10, $8 MAX WIN PER 10 SPINS, MAX BONUS EQUAL TO LIFETIME DEPOSITS (UP TO $250), 65X WAGERING REQUIREMENTS AND FULL T&CS APPLY.