What Are Free Spins?

While there are many experienced pundits out there who know their game and love playing it, there are some people who are new to this scene and may need a little help with the terminology. That’s why we’re here. Below, we will thoroughly explain what are free spins, how are they used and how to get them.

What Are Free Spins And How Are They Used?

As the term ‘free’ suggests, a free spin is one spin of a reel for which you don’t have to pay. If the casino, for example, gives you a ten free spins bonus, it means that you are allowed to spin ten times on a specific slot machine without paying and anything you win goes into your bankroll / play money. The free spins are played on the maximum amount of paylines and on the smallest coin size.

Free spins bonuses are usually associated with a specific game and allow you to test an online or mobile slot machine risk free. However, any winnings you do get from free spins bonuses tend to have wagering requirements, which usually means that the money has to be played a certain amount of times before you can claim it.

No Deposit Free Spins

You’ll often come across terms such as Free Spins and ‘No Deposit Free Spins’, but what is the difference? Well, to get Free Spins, you’re required to make a deposit first, whereas with No Deposit Free Spins you don’t need to make a deposit to get them. Some casinos offer them as part of their welcome bonus, so in order to claim them you simply need to create an account. There are casinos that will reward you periodically as a loyal player with some additional free spins.

Wagering Requirements

You hear ‘Free Spins’ and you think ‘What’s the catch?’ There’s always a catch, right? Right. Well, wagering requirements are kind of ‘the catch’ when it comes to Free Spins.

While the Free Spins bonus itself costs you nothing, the winnings are added to your account. This could end with some serious losses for casinos, giving you 20 Free Spins which lead to you winning £200 without even having made a deposit?! To try and reduce the risk a little, most casinos will add ‘wagering requirements’ onto the winnings from Free Spins.

Wagering requirements can go by a number of different names: turnover requirements, wagering, spin through… and they all define the amount of times you’ll need to spin before you can withdraw your winnings. For example, you get 20 Free Spins and win £50 overall. If there is a x10 wagering requirement, you have to keep playing with the £50 winnings until you’ve spun through £500 and only then you’re able to withdraw whatever is left.

Wagering requirements vary from casino to casino and can go from being 0 to all the way up to x50. You’ll want the lower ones! However, if you lose the £50 before you hit £500 wagering, then it’s over.

On the other hand, when you make a deposit with real cash, you don’t have to carry on trying to wager it – that, and all additional winnings are all yours.

Some casinos do not have wagering requirements and allow you to instantly withdraw any winnings you get from Free Spins. This is incredibly rare, but some casinos accept the risk as they know it’ll keep a player loyal in the long run.

No Deposit Free Spins Example:

Mr. Green Casino offers 20 free spins after signing up. You play those free spins on Starburst slot and win – let’s say – £10. This amount will be added to your account, but you cannot withdraw just yet.

To be able to withdraw you will first need to free the money by playing. The wager at Mr Green Casino is 35x, meaning that you will have to play the £10 a total number of 35x (= £350).

What Is A Free Play Bonus?

Free Play bonuses, also called Free Bets are sometimes a bit deceptive bonuses. Casinos offer these bonuses, but only for a certain time to play with. Sometimes this is an hour, but it can also be a whole day. Free Play bonuses are very suitable to make yourself familiar with a casino, because you can enjoy playing without using your own money. Most free play bonuses are in fact available with no deposit!

Free Bets work a little bit different than Free Spins bonus. Instead of a number of bets on a slot machine, you get a time limit and a start-up amount of credits to play. Within the time you can play as much as you want, and the amount won is converted into a bonus that you’re able to continue playing with, but you still can’t withdraw. The wagering requirements are the same as with Free Spins bonus where you must first unlock the money and play the bonus amount before you can be paid out. After that, the bonus amount is really all yours to keep, including any winnings you won while clearing the bonus.

Free Play Bonus example:

If you register at Platinum Casino at 20.00 at night, you get 1500 credits to play with for the next 24 hours. The bonus amount you have won at Platinum Casino has to be wagered 30x before you can pay out. Our suggestion – always read the bonus conditions of the casino where you want to play, so there will be no surprises.

Conclusion

So, what are free spins? They are one of the most popular forms of casino bonus. Plus, who doesn’t want extra spins to play with? Whether they’re provided as part of a no deposit bonus or upon deposit, free spins are a quick and effective way to gain something extra or increase the potentiality of winning more money. Also, you get a chance to try slots for real money without risk and can get familiar with casinos before making a deposit.

So, what are you waiting for? Claim your free spins and start spinning!