Many online gamblers love no deposit bonuses. It’s not difficult to see why either. They allow players to experience new online casinos, try out games they might have previously overlooked, and even win real money.
Of course, that latter point is anything but a given. Casinos are trying to make money. They’re not in the business of just giving it away. However, armed with our tips, you’ll be a lot more likely to cash out from the promotions you claim. We can’t guarantee you’ll win but we can up your odds!
Compare the Market
If you’re serious about maximizing the value of no deposit bonuses, it’s best to start out by checking exactly what’s out there. You’ll find that many online casinos often run such promotions and the specific terms and conditions of them will vary dramatically.
To a novice in the field, the best promotions might appear to be those that offer the largest number of spins or the highest sum of bonus cash upfront. However, that’s usually not the case. The terms can actually make a seemingly stingier promotion much more lucrative in the long run.
Since you’ll be comparing many different offers, it’s useful to note the important terms and conditions of each promotion in a spreadsheet before you even claim a bonus. Once you’ve added the promotions of all the casinos currently running no deposit bonuses, you’ll then be able to home in on those that present the greatest chance to win real money.
The most important parts of terms and conditions are the following:
- Wagering requirements.
- Game eligibility.
- Maximum cash-out allowed.
Check the Wagering Requirements
Wagering requirements are the casino’s most important tool in limiting the losses they stand to suffer by running a no deposit promotion. A wagering requirement determines how many times players must bet their bonus funds and/or winnings before they can withdraw the cash. For example, a $10 no deposit bonus might have a wagering requirement of 30x.
Here, a total of $300 needs betting on eligible games before a player can withdraw any money associated with the promotion. The casino is hoping that the house edge it has on all games will mean players bust out before completing wagering. In these instances, they lose no money from the promotion.
When comparing two or more no deposit promotions for their overall expected value, you want to favor those that have lower overall wagering requirements. A 10x wagering requirement is almost always going to be more likely to result in greater profits than a 100x one, for example.
Choose Your Games Wisely
Game eligibility is an important part of wagering too. When reading the terms and conditions of a promotion, you’ll probably find that some games are excluded entirely from wagering and others do not contribute 100%. Once you know which games do contribute 100%, check the return-to-player ratings of them. You want to always use a slot or casino game that offers the highest possible RTP rating, while still contributing 100% to wagering.
You should never play a title that doesn’t contribute fully to wagering since it will only increase the overall requirement. A title that contributes 10% towards wagering, for example, will effectively increase the requirement by 10x!
In your spreadsheet, note down the names and RTP ratings of eligible games that do contribute 100% to wagering. You can often find the RTP ratings listed on the website of the developer of the slot in question. This should help to inform your choice of which offer to start playing first. It will also allow you to head straight for the title that is going to give you the best chance of profiting from the promotion.
It’s also worth considering the volatility in your game selections too. Ideally, you want to favor titles with the lowest volatility possible. When completing wagering, it’s better to win smaller amounts more frequently than larger amounts very rarely.
Linked to this is the concept of minimizing volatility through your own gameplay. Generally speaking, you will need to play an online slot with the maximum number of win lines active and the minimum total stake size. This will keep your bankroll swings lower and mean you’re less likely to bust out before you finish wagering.
Check for Maximum Cash-Outs
A lot of players totally overlook maximum cash-outs when considering no deposit promotions. These clauses, also found in a bonus’s terms and conditions, will determine how much you can actually win from an offer. You’ll automatically forfeit any bonus cash above the amount specified to the casino on completion of wagering.
Of course, all other things being equal, you want as high a cash-out limit as possible on the promotions you play. If you do actually manage to complete wagering, you’re less likely to need to surrender part of your winnings to the house before you can withdraw when playing with a higher cash-out limit.
That said, even casino bonuses with lower cash-out limitations can offer lucrative opportunities. For example, you’re more likely to turn a profit from a $10 promotion with a 10x wagering requirement with a maximum cash-out of $10 than you are a $10 promotion with a 100x wagering requirement with a maximum cash-out of $50. This is why it’s important to consider all of the terms and conditions when choosing your no deposit casino bonuses.
Hit Up Many, Many Promotions
If you’re limited for time, using the above tips will certainly help you to maximize the profitability of the promotions you claim. When time is a factor, you really want to make sure to understand which no deposit bonus type you need. However, if you have got a lot of time on your hands, it’s actually better to just claim every no deposit bonus on offer. Although the casinos limit their promotions to one per player, there’s no limit on the number of different casinos you can try your luck at.
Clearly, some casino promotions are more likely to yield profits than others. However, since they don’t require players to deposit any of their own money, the only investment you’re really making is your time. It stands to reason that playing a greater number of no deposit promotions will give you a greater chance of turning a profit in the long-term!
