The Most Common Questions About No Deposit Bonuses

Do you want to learn more about no deposit bonus codes? If so, we answer all of your questions right here in this article. 

What do you mean by “no deposit bonuses”?

Casinos want to increase their player-base. One way of doing this is by offering a free trial. A no deposit bonus is essentially a free trial. 

The kind of free trial you get depends on the type of no deposit bonus you claim. Some no deposit bonuses credit you with free spins, others with site credit. 

The casino asks for nothing in return. All you have to do is sign up to the casino. 

With your no deposit bonus you will then be able to:

  • Play Risk Free – If no deposit is required, you don’t have to risk any of your own funds.
  • Win Real Money – That’s right! You can withdraw some of your bonus winnings if you meet the T&Cs.
  • Enjoy Casino Games – Most no deposit bonuses let you play on a handful of popular casino games.
  • Trial Different Casinos – If you claim a number of no deposit bonuses, you can trial multiple casinos.

Are there different types of no deposit bonus?

Yes there are, and they are mostly similar.

However, you need to be aware of a few notable differences:

No Deposit Bonus Credits

  • Bonus credits are sometimes referred to as ‘bonus cash’ because it looks like real money. In reality, it is more like a €10, €20, or €30 coupon; it is worthless outside of the casino.
  • Most of the time you can play casino games such as slots, keno, bingo, and sometimes table games like blackjack.
  • The bet size is adjustable (up to a maximum value of around €5).
  • Your wagering requirements will apply to the amount you receive in bonus credits.

No Deposit Free Spins

  • You’ll receive a number of free spins, such as 20 free spins.
  • A free spin will give you a free spins of a slot’s reels.
  • They are only eligible on slot games. Usually, you will only be able to play a single slot game.
  • Your wagering requirements will apply to the amount you win using your free spins.

How do wagering requirements work?

The wagering requirements are a multiplier (say, 10x), and they determine the amount of times you have to wager your free spins winnings / bonus credits before you’re eligible to withdraw your bonus winnings. 

Casinos use wagering requirements to discourage bonus abuse. 

Like many bonus rules, the wagering requirements are best understood by providing examples:

Example

Example #1 – Regular No Deposit Bonuses (Site Credit)

Imagine you get a no deposit bonus worth $30 in bonus credits.

If this bonus also has wagering requirements of 20x, you’d have to stake a sum total of ($30 x 20) $600 before you could cashout.

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Example #2 – No Deposit Free Spins Bonuses

With free spins, you multiply the wagering requirements by how much you win using your free spins.

Therefore, imagine you claim a no deposit free spins bonus worth 10 free spins and it has 20x wagering requirements.

With your 10 free spins, you win $10.

You would then multiply this $10 by the wagering requirements.

Consequently, you would have to stake a sum total of ($10 x 20) $200 before you could withdraw your bonus winnings.

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How can you claim no deposit bonus offers?

The process is easy to follow and is almost identical for any kind of casino welcome bonus.

Please follow the steps outlined below:

  1. Visit our page on No Deposit Bonuses. Find a bonus and select the Claim Now tab.
  2. After the casino site loads, opt to Sign Up to the casino. Fill in the registration form using your real details or else you’ll struggle to withdraw your winnings later.
  3. While creating a new account, you may be given the chance to select your bonus from a menu, check a tickbox, or use a bonus code. Though most casinos will credit their welcome bonuses automatically.
  4. After finishing the registration form, your bonus should be allocated to your account. Free spins may only be visible after you open an eligible slot game.
  5. Enjoy your free bonus!
Top Tip

Note: If your bonus does require a bonus code, you’ll be able to find it clearly stated in our list of bonuses.

What does “game contribution” mean?

A bonus’s game contribution shows the portion of your stake that counts towards the wagering requirements. 

It changes depending on the game you play. 

Games with high odds may only contribute 0-25% of your stake; games with low odds will usually count 100% of your stake. 

The game contribution can make a huge difference to your chances of winning real cash with your no deposit bonus.

Let’s use a few examples to illustrate how it works:

Example

Example #1 – Slot Games

Slots will usually count 100% of your stake.

Because of this, every dollar you wager on slot games using your bonus will go towards the wagering requirements.

If you staked $100, $100 would be taken away from the wagering requirements. If you staked $300, $300 would be taken away.

It’s that simple.

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Example

Example #2 – Table Games

Things change when you play table games because of the particularly high odds.

Say, for example, you claim a no deposit bonus and decide to play roulette.

If roulette had a game contribution of 6%, only 6% of your stake on roulette will count towards the wagering requirements.

Consequently, if you were to stake a sum total of $100 on roulette using your bonus, only $6 would actually go towards the wagering requirements.

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A low game contribution can have an enormous impact on your chances. 

We recommend you only play games that contribute 100% to the wagering requirements with your bonus. Slots are usually your best bet.

Dive into Game Contributions

What are the no deposit T&Cs I need to know about?

All no deposit bonuses come with a list of terms and conditions that determine how you can use your bonus. 

It’s not critical that you understand them all. However, you ought to be aware of the following T&Cs:

  • Wagering Requirements – This is given as a multiplier. The multiplier stipulates how many times you have to stake the value of your bonus credits or free spins winnings before you can cashout.
  • Game Contribution – The amount of your stake that “contributes” to the wagering requirements. High odds games have lower game contributions.
  • Expiration Date – When your bonus will expire and be confiscated.
  • Withdrawal Limit – The maximum you can withdraw as real cash using your bonus.
  • Valid Bet Size – The maximum you can stake per bet while using your bonus.
  • Eligible Games – The selection of games you are allowed to play with your bonus.

What are the pros and cons of no deposit bonuses?

Before you decide to claim a no deposit bonus, it is worth being aware of both the pros and cons.

We will provide you with an honest overview below:

Pros

  • Withdraw Your Winnings – Even though no deposit bonuses are free, you still get the opportunity to withdraw some of your winnings as real cash.
  • Play Risk-Free – Playing with a no deposit bonus is the best way to enjoy casino games without risking your own funds.
  • Trial New Casinos – You can claim multiple no deposit bonuses and trial a variety of casinos to compare services.
  • Explore New Games – No deposit bonuses tend to be eligible on popular games or new games.

Cons

  • Terms & Conditions – Before you can withdraw your bonus winnings, you have to fulfill a set of T&Cs, Breaching the T&Cs can lead to your bonus being confiscated.
  • Relatively Small Value – You will get more free spins and more bonus credits if you claim a deposit bonus.

More Common Questions

It’s a marketing strategy. Free trials increase the amount of users. A portion of these users that trial the casino will go on to make a real money deposit.

Absolutely! It’s one of the main benefits of claiming a no deposit bonus. 

Providing you fulfill the terms and conditions, you can withdraw a portion of your winnings. However, you first have to make sure the bonus you claim is ‘cashable’. 

You can learn more about no deposit T&Cs, by referring to our question on What are the no deposit T&Cs I need to know about? 
To learn more about what we mean by a ‘cashable’ no deposit bonus, please refer to our question entitled Can you cashout all no deposit bonuses?

Yes – no deposit bonuses are available to everyone, so long as online gambling is legal in your jurisdiction, and so long as you are of legal gambling age.
Please remember that you can only claim a no deposit bonus if you are new to the casino.

Bonus abuse is an umbrella term. It can be used to refer to a single breach of the rules, or a pattern of activity that is discouraged. 

If you break the rules of your bonus, or are considered not to be using it with good intentions, you may have your IP address blocked and your account locked. 
For more information please check out our article entitled: How To Avoid Bonus Abuse: A 5 Step Guide.

No, you can’t. In this regard, there are two types of no deposit bonus:

  • Cashable – You can withdraw your bonus winnings as real cash.
  • Non-Cashable – You cannot withdraw your bonus winnings as real cash.

One of the advantages of using our list of no deposit bonuses is that they are all cashable.

Yes, there are. An exclusive no deposit bonus is always better than a regular no deposit bonus. 

We enter into negotiations with our favorite casinos for exclusive no deposit bonuses that come with:

  • Improved Bonus Rules – The terms and conditions of the bonus are easier to satisfy. Therefore it is easier to win real cash.
  • Exceptional Value – You get more free spins and more bonus credits than non-exclusive bonuses.
  • Play Popular Games – We specifically request that the bonus is eligible on games that our players enjoy the most.

For more information, please visit our Exclusive Bonuses page.

Right here on our Exclusive Bonuses page. We update our list of exclusive bonuses every day to ensure you never miss out on the industry’s top offers.

No, not really.

You can claim as many no deposit bonuses as you like, so long as you do not breach the following rules:

  • DON’T claim more than one welcome bonus at the same casino.
  • DON’T try to create two accounts to claim the same bonus.

Casinos use sophisticated software that tracks your IP address. They also request valid ID if you try to withdraw your bonus winnings.

No, you can’t. 

With no deposit bonuses you are usually allowed to play a variety of games. This may include slots, bingo, keno and table games. 

With no deposit free spins you will be limited to slots. In fact, most free spins are only valid on a single slot game.

Published on: 2022/11/28

About the Author

Hi, I'm Ian, the Chief Editor at NoDeposit.Guide - With hundreds of reviews and thousands of no deposit bonuses, NoDeposit.Guide is certainly your one-stop destination for free online gambling. Our bonuses are updated daily and we pride ourselves on providing the highest percentage of working bonus, worldwide.