No Deposit Casino Bonuses

Updated : 25th of September 2011

Casino Guides

When it comes to casino bonuses the no deposit bonuses are some of the most searched for deals. It's no surprise as they offer the chance to play casino games without spending any while having the chance to win real money. In this article we look at the various types of no deposit bonuses and discuss whether they are all what they seem.

The History of No Deposit Required Bonuses

Ever since online casinos started opening in the mid 1990's they have been attracting players with sign-up bonuses. While there is no record of who was the first casino to offer a no deposit deal they have been around about as long as the casinos themselves. In the early days it was rare to see an offer of more than $5 free while today the amount of the free cash and the styles of bonuses are always changing.

The Different Types of No Deposit Offers

Today there are several different types of no deposit bonuses that the casinos offer to new players. Each type has it's pros and cons but all offer the chance to claim some free cash. The types of deals are as follows. For current offers see our Casino Bonuses section

  • No Deposit Bonus
    Typically a small bonus of between $5 and $25. No purchase is needed to claim and you can play and win with the money. The small amount of the free money does however limit the amount of action you will most likely get.
     
  • The Free Play Deal
    A more recent type of no deposit deal is the Free Play deal. These deals offer a much bigger amount of money to play with (up to $2,000). You can then play and collect a set amount of money won above the initial amount.

Pros and Cons of No Deposit Offers

Both types of no deposit offers have pros and cons. The smaller bonuses are essentially free cash but as the amounts are typically small you have to be lucky to get a lot of action out of the money. The free play offers give you the chance to play for longer but there are always limits on the amount of money over the initial amount that you can keep.

Some of the free play offers are somewhat misleading as they often say in the headline that you can keep what you win*. There is always an asterisk which points to the terms and conditions where you will find that there is a maximum amount of free money you can collect and the fact that you have to make a deposit to claim your winnings.

Read the Terms and Conditions

While no deposit offers can be a great way of trying out a casino without spending any money it is important that you always read the terms and conditions of the bonus before you claim the free money. This way you can be clear of exactly what the wagering requirements are and if there are any limits on the free money.

No Deposit Offers You Should Avoid

There are some free money deals offered by some casinos that we highly recommend you avoid. These are bonuses with a maximum cash out limit. If you find a maximum cash out limit on any casino bonuses you should not take the bonus. This is due to the fact that no matter how much you win you can only cash out the maximum allowed for the bonus.

In the past it has happened that players have won progressives on a max cash out free money deal and then missed out on the majority of the jackpot. Clearly if the players had of read the T&C's they would have known not to play progressives but even so we recommend that you never accept a bonus with a max cash out limit.

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