Online slot games bring the suspense of the reels to the comfort of your home, or wherever you are when playing on your smartphone. It’s a game of chance. If you’re lucky, this numbers game can win you a lot of money.
Factor in the opportunity to gain free spin bonuses, and this classic casino game becomes even more exciting.
It’s free money that gives you more opportunities to win. All you need to know is how they work so you know how they benefit you.
What Is a Free Spin Bonus?
A free spin bonus is very simple casino bonus. It is a certain number of free spins that you receive, and these spins have a certain monetary value.
They are offered to players by an online casino as a bonus. Free spins are a common part of the welcome bonus – a bonus that is given to new players. However, old players can get free spins through different offers and whenever new slots are published.
Free spins may be limited to a certain game, or the online casino may be running a specific promotion. This brings us to the different types of free spins online.
Types of Free Spin Bonuses
There are two types of free spins:
- sign-up bonus
- ongoing promotion
Players that stick around after the sign-up bonus will get to enjoy the ongoing promotions. Under the free spin bonus, either you get a no deposit spin bonus or you get your free spins after you make your deposit.
The no deposit free spin bonus is the equivalent of a “free cash bonus.” You can play immediately without making a deposit, but you will need to meet the wagering requirements before you can withdraw any of your winnings.
There is usually a maximum withdrawal limit. This is a fantastic way to try out an online casino or a game without having to deposit money. If you don’t like the casino or game, you can move on. If you do like it, you may decide to deposit real money.
The deposit spin bonus requires you to make a deposit before you get free spins. The number of spins that you receive may depend on how much money you deposit.
There is usually no maximum withdrawal limit connected to the profits from the spins, but there may still be wagering requirements. Always read the fine print so you know what your thresholds and limitations are.
If the promotion is ongoing, the casino will give its members the opportunity to acquire free spins throughout the year. In order to capitalize on this advantage, you have to watch out for when the promotion comes about. Sometimes they aren’t as obvious as you’d hope they would be, but they are there. Fortunately, there are some ways to stay in the loop.
Get Free Spins When Available
Staying in the loop on when free spin bonuses are offered can be challenging sometimes. You have to keep your eyes peeled for the best bonuses. If you have a big chance at cashing in, it is important to work quickly.
Here are some ways to make sure you can take advantage of as many free spin bonuses as possible:
- There may be an inconspicuous “latest news” section on the website where you can read about what is coming soon. Sometimes it will talk about upcoming or current promotions. Make sure you look back through the past month or so to see if there were any past announcements of free spins online.
- The online casino may also have a blog. Keep an eye on this. Sometimes “latest news” and the blog are one in the same, but not always.
- Follow your favorite online casino on social media. If it is going to have a free spin bonus coming up, it will most likely announce it there.
- If the casino offers a newsletter, sign up for it. Sometimes certain bonus announcements are only made to newsletter subscribers.
- Casino forums are great resources. All of the players tend to converse in forums and will talk about any free spin bonuses coming up. This is also a great place to read about the strategies that other players use. You may even discover your own ways to stay on top of how to get free spins. If you do, then you can share tips with others in the casino forums and get tips from them in return. Working together is a great tool.
How to Use Your Free Spin Bonuses
Whether they are sign-up bonuses or ongoing bonus offers to existing players, it is rather easy to use your free spins in the different slot games.
For sign-up bonuses, you will receive a notification that tells you how many spins you have to use. They are immediately applied to your account. As you use them, you will be able to see how many spins you have left in your account.
If your spins are the result of an ongoing promotion, it is possible that you will have to enter a bonus code to access the spins. More often than not, they will be applied to your account. No matter which way you acquire them, you will see them in your account, and the number will decrease as you use them.
How the Wagering Requirements Work with Free Spins?
The wagering requirement is where it gets tricky, and this requirement varies from casino to casino and offer to offer. It is possible that you will have to play the amount of the bonus up to a certain number of times before you can ever cash out. You may also be held down by a maximum withdrawal amount.
If you acquired your free spins from a no deposit free spin bonus, then the maximum withdrawal amount is going to be much stricter than if you got your spins from making a deposit. There may also be a time limit attached that tells you that you only have so long to cash out your winnings before they expire.
It is important to keep track of time limits so that you can schedule your play accordingly.
This isn’t saying that you will never receive cash from your bonuses. All it means is that you need to meet a specific set of requirements before you can.
For a serious player, this may be no big deal because you fully intend on being able to cash out. For someone just trying the casino or specific games, it still may not be a big deal.
Free Spins Without Wagering Requirements
Some online casinos (for example InstaCasino) are offering free spin bonuses without wagering requirements. This type of spin is becoming more popular among players, which means the demand is growing. The bonus spin works exactly the way as described above, but you don’t have to wager your winnings. Instead, you can make a withdrawal whenever you feel like it.
Not all casinos are offering free spins without wagering requirements, so it’s important to read the small print before continuing.
Another thing to consider is that it can seem like it takes an eternity to trigger a free spin bonus when playing slots. Know that you will eventually trigger the bonus so you can use your free spins. Some games may require you to do 63 individual spins before you are awarded a pick to win bonus. Others may require you to do over 100 individual spins.
When you get your free spin bonuses completely depends on the casino and the game. Research and comparison can go a long way when finding a casino and game that fits your playing style.
Retriggered Free Spins
When you choose a game that allows you to use your free spins, see if you can retrigger the free spin round. What this does is extend the bonus round and will provide you with more chances to earn a payout.
Some online casinos will allow retriggering up to a certain amount of spins. There’s a maximum number of spins that you can win. However, you usually have to get approximately three more scatters in a free spin in order to be offered more free spins that can be played after the initial set of spins are played.
You can only retrigger if you have triggered the initial spin set. Players will need to be aware of what is required to trigger the first bonus. Three or more scatters are usually required in a single spin in order to be awarded the additional spins.
The number of additional spins is typically based on how many scatters have popped up. Some slot games will use special bonus symbols. Do your research to see what needs to be done to get as many bonus spins as you possibly can.
Casinos with Their Own Currency
Something else that can affect free spins is when an online casino offers its own currency.
You can exchange your money for the casino’s currency. You then win in its currency. When you are ready to cash out, you exchange your casino currency for real money.
Sometimes you can exchange the casino’s currency for spins. You may even be given the opportunity to achieve certain objectives throughout a game that enables you to earn spins. This is a type of gameplay that is expected to grow in the future, as it gives players more interactive play and more chances to win.
There is something appealing about feeling as if you’re getting your deposit’s worth of play.
Also, keep in mind that, in addition to their own currency, some casinos may call their spins by different names. They may call them names like “Awesome Spins” or “Crazy Spins.” Again, reading the terms and conditions, game rules, and other applicable notices on the website will help you understand the terminology and how everything works.
Why Do Casinos Offer Free Spins Online, Anyway?
Online casinos offer free spins because they are highly competitive. Many of the casinos offer the same games. Their bonuses are what make them different from one another. Casinos will also use the bonuses to promote a new game or help along an old game that may be experiencing reduced play.
The casinos can afford to offer these bonuses because they’ve worked down to the cent how much they can afford to give away to players without affecting their ability to make a profit. They are very good at what they do and very good at numbers, so they know what they are doing and how to make it work for them.
Being good at numbers means that they know how to make it work for you. They don’t institute the ability to get free spins with no intention on rewarding those that tough out the requirements. They will award players because they want to use them as examples for others considering spending their money with the casino.
If a casino has a reputation for awarding its players, more will sign up and become loyal members.