Common Terms and Conditions for No Deposit Bonuses, Explained

Many online casino players today, including everyone from beginners to seasoned pros, who claim bonuses or take part in promotional offers on their favourite sites, still make the same mistake of failing to read the terms and conditions attached to those offers, which often leads to disappointment and many players missing out.

With that said, let’s dive straight in and take a closer look at some most common online casino bonus terms and conditions that you will typically come across, and why reading and understanding what is required of you in the Ts and Cs will help ensure that you always get the most out of any bonuses that you decide to claim.

What is a no deposit bonus?

A no deposit bonus at an online casino is essentially a free gift that usually arrives in the form of cash, but it can also arrive in the form a free golden chip to play selected live dealer games, a free online scratchcard, X amount of free spins to try one or more selected online slot machines, or a free bingo ticket, and it DOESN’T require a cash deposit to unlock, hence the name.

Why should I read the Ts and Cs when claiming a bonus?

The Ts and Cs will tell you everything you need to know about the about and how you can get the most out of it.

Reading them from start to finish shouldn’t take long (perhaps less than 60 seconds), and most Ts and Cs today on the safest sites are laid out clearly and concisely, unlike back in the day when they were confusing and took forever to read.

The Ts and Cs are different for each bonus, and they go into much greater detail about what is required of you. If you fulfil these requirements after claiming the bonus, any winnings that you have made will be yours to do with as you please.

Failure to fulfil what was explicitly laid out in the terms and conditions can cause bonus winnings to be forfeited, and so on, which is frustrating and highlights why players should always take the time to read them when claiming bonuses.

Common online casino no deposit offer Ts and Cs, and what they mean

After claiming countless online casino bonuses and reading the Ts and Cs each time, and you are no longer a beginner, you should start to notice that there are a few similar ones attached to each bonus that are more common than any others. Examples include the following:

• Wagering requirements – also known as playthrough requirements, turnover requirements, or rollover requirements are attached to almost every online casino bonus out there. It’s the number of times your bonus money must be wagered before you can withdraw either the bonus money you received or the winnings you have made from your bonus. Most bonuses come with a 30x to 50x wagering requirement. Remember, the lower the wagering requirement, the better it is for you.
• Wagering requirement time limit – when claiming online casino bonuses, the Ts and Cs should also tell you how long you have to complete your wagering requirements. If you don’t get them done in time, you will lose any winnings you made from your bonus. You may only have 24 hours to complete them, or up to one month. Each bonus is different, so always check in the Ts and Cs how long you have to clear the wagering requirements.
• Game weight contribution – it’s important to note that when completing your wagering requirements, not all games will contribute the full 100% per dollar wagered towards clearing them. For example, most Ts and Cs state that all online slots (bar a few exceptions) will contribute the full 100% per $1.00 wagered, so it’s best to stick to playing these games. In comparison, live dealer games, and most table & card games may only contribute as little as 5% to 20% per $1.00 wagered.In fact, some games contribute nothing (0%), so avoid these games at all costs when trying to clear your wagering requirements. A detailed list of games and their contribution towards the wagering requirements can always be found in the terms and conditions.

Final thoughts

Claiming online casino bonuses significantly enhances the overall experience, especially those that don’t require a deposit to unlock.

However, to avoid disappointment, frustration, and potentially missing out on your bonus when claiming them, don’t ever neglect to read the Ts and Cs attached to those bonuses. They also tell you things like how much you can win from that bonus, which device that bonus can be claimed on, and so much more.

For example, some online casino bonuses may only be available via the Android or iOS mobile app for smartphone users, and can’t be claimed by PC users, etc.

They will tell you everything you need to know, but if there is something that you aren’t quite sure about, perhaps contact your casino’s toll-free player support agents and ask them to explain things better for you.

They can usually be reached via telephone, email, and live chat, but the live chat option is possibly the quickest and easiest way to get in touch with them to get your questions answered in as little time as possible.