Free Spins No Deposit

No-deposit slot games aren’t very common, but they’re worth playing if you can find them. Some of them even offer free spins, giving you a chance to earn real money for free! They’re a great way to try out new games or enjoy a casino for free. But how do they actually work, and where can you find them?

Free Spin Types

Free spins can come in a huge range of different forms, and can be awarded for almost any reason. It mainly comes down to the games and sites you’re using. Some will offer bonuses for certain milestones, while others will give them out at random. The most common methods of getting no deposit bonus free spins include:

  • Welcome bonuses. These are for new players and only last for so long. You’ll only be able to claim them once per site, and will sometimes expire if they aren’t used soon enough.
  • No-deposit bonuses. These are just standard bonuses that don’t need any deposit to earn. In most cases, you’ll get them from a site-specific promotion or event. However, you can get them for almost any reason.
  • Referral bonuses. You earn these by referring new players to the site, then using a code they give you. Only so many sites offer this, and the new player usually has to verify their identity.
  • Welcome packages. Unlike welcome bonuses, these packages might come with multiple other bonuses too. They’re not usually separate, so they’ll all expire at once.
  • Reload bonuses. These are given to long-term players who have stuck with one casino. It’s sort of a reward for loyal players, giving them new bonuses to keep them engaged.
  • VIP systems. These can offer multiple bonuses to players, but might be a paid system. Some are completely free, though. You’ll need to earn points by playing games to get these bonuses, unless it’s a shared system with all players.
  • Third-party promotions. Some casinos will offer you bonuses for doing things, like visiting partner sites. These are specific to each casino or network, and are quite rare. However, they can also be easy to activate if you have enough free time.

No two casinos are the same, and bonuses can differ from one another even if they’re earned in the same way. For example, some casinos only offer around 15 free spins, but others go into triple-digits. In other cases, a casino will offer free spins no deposit alongside another bonus or benefit. You might get free spins and a winnings multiplier, or temporary VIP features.
Sometimes, these bonuses will be network-wide. For example, if you get free spins on one game in a network, you might be able to use them on another. On the other hand, there are also usually restrictions in place. Many welcome bonuses will provide free spins for specific games only. You don’t get to choose the game, the casino chooses for you. Free spins no deposit slots are relatively common these days.
There’s one extremely important part of free spin bonuses: keeping your winnings. Only some bonuses let you actually withdraw your winnings as money. Others will let you keep it as credit, but you’ll need to win again to get real money back. Some won’t even do that, making the free spins more of a trial run than anything else.

How Can I Find No Deposit Bonuses?

Tracking down decent free spins no deposit bonuses is quite easy. Most casinos will openly advertise them, since they can draw in new customers easily. Although they might be relatively rare, you can find them through a simple search. There are also dozens of sites that collect these offers in big lists to make finding them easier.
Remember to read any terms and conditions related to the bonus, though. Some will have very specific activation requirements. If you don’t meet these requirements, you won’t get the bonus, period. This is often just to protect the casino, but some can work against you. For example, you might only be able to get a bonus if you live in a certain country. Free spins no deposit bonuses might even be illegal in certain areas of the world.

How Do I Activate These Bonuses?

Activating a deposit-free bonus can vary from casino to casino. They generally all follow a similar pattern

  • Find a casino with a bonus.
  • Create an account (if you don’t have one already).
  • Make sure you meet the requirements for a bonus.

Unfortunately, there’s one step that’s often overlooked. A lot of casinos as you to hit a certain wager requirement to get your winnings back as cash. Different sites have different wagering requirements, but it can still be an annoyance. On the plus side, if you don’t actually care about withdrawing this free money, you don’t need to. You can keep using it as credit and gamble until it’s all used up, if you prefer.
This isn’t always the case, of course. Some casino sites will give you any winnings with no extra steps needed. It depends where you’re playing and what kind of bonus they’re offering you. Make sure you research the casino ahead of time to find out how their bonus offers work.

Earning Bonuses

Each different type of bonus will activate in a different way. Most of them have the same general idea behind them, so you can rely on a basic understanding of them. Here are some quick explanations of how you can earn each bonus:
Welcome bonuses are automatically given to new players. You don’t usually need to do anything else to earn them, since they’re meant to draw you in. Keep in mind that some still expect you to make a deposit, so you might only get part of the bonus if you don’t spend any money. Since they’re meant for new players exclusively, they might expire soon, even if you claim them. This means that you’ll want to use them as soon as possible. If they expire, you won’t get any compensation for them, and they’re gone for good.
Reload bonuses are going to depend on the casino. They’re meant for long-term players as a loyalty reward, so some of them might require you to deposit money. Sometimes they’ll be given to old active players, or inactive players who haven’t logged in for a while. If you’re lucky, the casino might even give them to your account overnight. You don’t “earn” them in the usual sense, since it’s more of a reward than an incentive.
Referral bonuses are easy to earn, but have a lot of checks surrounding them. To stop people from abusing the system for infinite free spins, you’ll have to prove your identity. This can also result in your account(s) getting locked if you have more than one. Using too many referral bonuses might also cause the casino to get suspicious. To actually activate them, the referred player will generally have to spend money. It’s not entirely “free”, but it’s close.
Larger welcome packages are different to welcome bonuses. They’re usually larger and contain many bonuses at once. You can’t activate these separately, and you might need to go through extra steps to activate them.
VIP systems will have their own specific rules. You might have to bet certain amounts to hit milestones, or pay a regular fee to get access to free VIP bonuses. There’s no set standard for these systems, so every casino can make their own. Some will be better than others, but all of them offer some kind of bonus.

How Can I Use These Bonuses?

Free spins generally come in one of two forms: credit, or spins. Credit is “fake” money that you can only use within the casino, and can’t withdraw unless you turn it into winnings. Spins are simple spins – they don’t have any monetary value and only work on slot games. Some casinos might let you take credit and use it on non-slot games, but it depends on their terms.
Regardless of their type, these bonuses will let you spin the reels for free. You can earn winnings, activate bonus rounds or even win a jackpot with them. If you end up without any winnings, it doesn’t cost you anything, so it’s risk-free. Ideally, you’ll want to win as much as possible, but don’t feel too bad if you lose. You’ll still have had some experience with the game and its odds, which can be useful for real-money play.

Will They Work On Mobile Devices?

Almost every modern casino site has been optimized for multiple platforms. This means that bonuses will generally work on mobile and desktop devices. Keep in mind that some will be platform-specific bonuses, though. Some casinos offer bonuses on games that only work on some platforms. Others might give mobile users different bonuses to PC players. If a casino has an app, you might be able to earn more bonuses through it, too.

What Can I Win?

Free spins no deposit slots often give you a chance to win real money, as mentioned earlier. However, you can also activate their other special bonuses. It’s possible for a lucky player to even hit a jackpot with them! Some casinos will put limits on this, but it’s rarely the case.
Most of the time, free spins count as regular spins. You can earn winnings, turn a profit and activate bonus rounds like normal. Withdrawing is a different story, but you can use your winnings to keep playing, too. The only downsides are:

  • You can’t withdraw them, since they’re not “real” money yet.
  • They’re usually tied to a certain game (or type of game), unlike credit.
  • It can cost money to withdraw winnings from them.
  • They might expire if you don’t use them.

Are Free Spins Worth It?

Free spins are one of the most widespread bonuses in modern slot games. However, you still need to decide whether they’re actually worth earning. Jumping through dozens of hoops to get ten free spins can feel like a waste of time, for example.
First of all, figure out whether you actually want the bonus. If it’s specific to a certain slot game, do you want to play that slot game? Or, if it’s only available after referring somebody, do you want to go through all that trouble? The more time and effort it takes, the less reasonable it’ll seem.
Different casinos will also offer spins in different amounts. You might earn 20 at one casino but 50 at another for doing the exact same thing. You’re also not forced to only earn bonuses from one: many players have accounts on over a dozen casinos at once. If the bonuses are free, there’s not really an immediate downside to earning as many as you can. Even if you don’t like a certain game, you’re not spending any of your own money on it.
The main draw in “free spins no deposit” is the “no deposit”. Not having to pay money to earn free spins is amazing. It’s the main part that draws new customers in, and it’s a great way to try out completely new games.

James has almost a decade of experience in the iGaming Industry. Winning several awards including "UK Casino Affiliate of the Year" he uses his experience to research the UK market to source the best bingo welcome bonuses, highest casino slots real money payouts and free spins sign up offers.