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What is a No Deposit Bonus?
A no deposit bonus is a certain amount of cash deposited in your betting account for a certain action. It is usually a gift to you from the casino for completing the sign-up process.
They serve as incentives to attract more players into a casino. You can use the no deposit bonus at your discretion. For instance, to play table games, slots, or some lotteries.
Traditionally, no deposit bonus was designed to enable players to test the different games and generally have a feel of the platform. For this reason, the amount isn’t usually much. Something between $5 to $20.
How to Earn Your No Deposit Bonus
Casinos let you earn your no deposit bonus in different ways. You can earn your casino bonus by:
- Registering on the platform
- Signing up to a newsletter
- Liking a casino’s social media page
- Verifying your email or phone number
No Deposit Bonus Wagering Requirements
While it’s rare, some no deposit bonuses may be wager-free. However, most of them need to be played a certain number of times before you can withdraw. Also, you’ll have a certain time limit within which you should meet the requirements.
Once the said date passes, the offer will expire. So, you should have full compiled by then. All these rules are attached to the bonus terms and conditions. Therefore, ensure you read them.
How We Rank the Best No Deposit Casinos in UK
Finding an UK online casino with the best bonus offers can be a daunting task. Besides, most of the available information online can be misleading. So, here are factors we use to rank the no deposit casinos in UK.
- License and Regulation: First, we want to know the company behind the online casino is licensed by reputable authorities Reputable licensing and regulating authorities in the industry include Curaçao Gaming Control Board, the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority.
- Safety and Security: You shouldn’t be afraid of compromising your private information while gaming at a casino. Secure online casinos use encryption to keep your data safe. There are different levels of encryption. We rank casinos with high level encryption higher.
- Trustworthy and Reputation: The casino you choose has to be trustworthy. A trustworthy casino has a reputation of paying out all winners, promoting safe gambling and has clear bonus terms, and conditions. We rank higher casinos with trustworthy reputation.
- Number and Variety of Games: We look at the variations of games within each category. If you have a wide array of games to choose from, you will enjoy your gaming. The more games a casino has, the higher we rank it.
- User Experience (Mobile/App): A good casino site has to be mobile friendly to allow you to enjoy gaming anytime, anywhere. We rank the casinos based on the number of devices they are compatible with, the variety of games available on different devices, and how easy you can access the site on different devices.
- Bonuses and Promotions: We consider the variety of the different bonus offers when ranking online casinos. Although most casinos have a welcome bonus, we prefer casinos with multiple options. For instance, you don’t want a casino that only has promotions for new players, but don’t have loyalty offers for existing players.
- VIP, Loyalty or Rewards Program: Established casinos have different VIP and loyalty programs. These rewards target existing customers and have exclusive advantages including getting a personal accounts manager, birthday offers, and more. In our ranking, we rank higher casinos with lucrative VIP and loyalty programs than those without.
- Customer Service: Everyone hopes for a casino with efficient and effective customer support. When things aren’t right, customer service should be within reach. Moreover, they should be reliable to offer timely support. So, we rank higher casinos with multiple contact options and a faster response time.
Mobile Casinos With No Deposit Bonus
A mobile casino with no deposit is exactly what it says. It’s a bonus mobile phone owners can use to play games without making any deposit. This allows you to try out new games on the go on your mobile device.
How to Get a No Deposit Bonus
When looking to take advantage of the no deposit bonus, you need to follow all the steps strictly. The following steps will guide you on how to use and claim your bonus when signing up with a new casino.
- Create an account on your chosen online casino. This process usually involves providing your email address, a unique username, and a password.
- Enter your no deposit bonus code.
- If the casino, doesn’t require the bonus code yet a bonus code is required, go to the ‘bonus’ section of the online casino site.
- Enter your code to claim the bonus
- Once you have registered and claimed the bonus, it will be transferred to your bankroll.
- If the site doesn’t ask you for a code, the bonus will be put in your account within the first few minutes.
Advantages of No Deposit Required Online Casinos
A no deposit bonus is the best reward you can receive from a casino. It allows you to play at zero cost. Besides, if you win some cash in the process, you can withdraw it. Here are more advantages of no deposit rewards.
- Play for free: One of the reasons why a no deposit bonus appeals to many players is that you don’t have to spend any cash to gain access to the real money play. You also don’t need to provide your credit card numbers. Even if the offer is small, you didn’t have the cash in the first place. Besides, you can use it to enjoy a variety of games and win real money.
- Learn more about the casino: For some people, the aim of claiming a no deposit bonus isn’t to win money. Instead, they use the offer to evaluate a new casino. The bonus gives you time to look around and get a feel of the online casino you have chosen. For example, you can gauge how mobile-optimized the casino is, the user interface, and customer support. This will help you to make an informed decision on whether the casino is worth it or not.
- Try out new games: No deposit bonus allows you to try out the popular games at the casino. The best casinos allow you to play some of the top-rated slots like Gonzo’s Quest and Starburst. The explanation is that such games, impress new customers.
- Chance to win real money: Contrary to popular belief; you can win real money using the no deposit bonus. You don’t have to make a deposit. However, you have to follow the right process. Make to read the casino’s terms and conditions on bonuses before claiming it.
Disadvantages That May Come With No Deposits
We all like the no deposit casino bonus because of the benefits we know we can benefit from them. However, no deposit bonus also has limitations. Let’s look at them in detail.
- Terms and conditions: Before claiming any no deposit bonus, you need to consider the terms and conditions. You must take note of the wagering requirements. In some sites, you might have to wager the winnings at least 60 times the bonus before you can withdraw the winnings you’ve made from this bonus. Since there are different terms and conditions attached to a no deposit offer, make sure you check the terms and conditions.
- Can't play any game: Another limitation is that no deposit bonus are usually limited to some games. You might be able to try a game out but not any game you want. Most of the time, the casino will only allow you to use the bonus on a few slot games. This makes it impossible to play the game of your choice with the bonus received.
- Time limit: Casinos place a limit on how long you have before you can claim a no deposit bonus. The time limit can be of about a month. However, you might have to use the no deposit bonus within a time frame like 24 hours.
- Maximum Win: Most casinos have a maximum limit on the do deposit bonus. Thus, no matter how much you make from your no deposit bonus, you can only keep up to a specific amount.
Different Types of First No Deposit Bonuses at Latest Casinos
- Free Spin Bonuses: No deposit free spins are awarded to new players joining a specific site. To claim the bonus, you do not need to make any first deposit. Usually, the free spins are only usable on one or more pre-selected games For instance, when an online casino wants to promote a new slot game release, it can alert players that they can get 30 free spins to play the game. The winnings are converted into bonus cash and added to your wallet.
- Fixed free cash: This refers to the bonus amount that you can gamble on specific games, for example, blackjack, roulette or baccarat.
- Free play: Another term for them is ‘' Free Time’’ bonuses. These bonuses are measured in portions of time that you can play at the casino with bonus chips. Although less common you can get them in batches and in specific time frames. For example, get free play for a couple of minutes to an hour. This is like free cash but has a different name because of the time frame.
- Mobile exclusive bonuses: You get mobile-exclusive bonuses on the operator’s mobile platform or when you download their app. These are bonuses that you might get when you enter your mobile number and get a specific bonus via SMS.
No Deposit Bonus Summary
Casino no deposit bonuses can help you explore new online casinos. However, you need to shop around and choose the bonuses and UK casinos that suit you. Some have a wagering requirement that might scare you off.
Although the no deposit bonus doesn’t guarantee you a sure win, it allows you to learn and play without having to make even a low deposit. Besides, you can make free real money. Remember to check the terms and conditions before signing up for any offers.
Lars Wahlström is a recognized leader in the iGaming industry, with over 20 years of experience from both the tech side and an operator. He's now CEO and Publisher at ARGO Gaming Group, the company behind UKcasinoo.
Games and gambling has been an interest of Lars' since early years and besides slots and casino, he's also into poker, sports betting and trotting.
All this experience is drawn upon when he writes, and we dare say he's one of the best casino writers out there. Lars' base is the ARGO HQ and Stockholm office, but he travels a lot and often participates in industry trade shows and panels. To get in contact with Lars, use our contact page or message him directly on LinkedIn or Twitter.