No-deposit bonuses offered by online casinos are everywhere, in fact, it’s a common marketing tactic. But are these offers fair? And is it possible to make money without betting a single cent? We did our research and tested some deals which seemed authentic. Surprisingly, online casinos never earn anything from this type of offer. Which is why the best online casinos in the USA and Canada don’t hand out bonus offers without taking a deposit first. We’d like to thank Sébastien Frisco, the moderator of the OCP casino guide, for his detailed findings on this subject.
Enticing promotions – Too good to be true?
Even if it’s easy to find bonuses where you don’t need to deposit anything, the conditions surrounding these free credits are strict. Registering for the free bonus means you’ll be in that casino’s marketing database as a potential customer.
Winning with the casino’s money
If you’re looking to make a fortune on a slot machine from a no-deposit bonus, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. No gambling house in the world is willing to hand over free money to its customers. It’s just not good business sense! So the big question is; how do they actually work?
No-deposit bonus – How do they work?
No-deposit bonuses sound like a dream scenario. Imagine starting with a completely free $20 bonus, and with some skill and luck, ending up with thousands of dollars in profit. Then, once you’ve reached a certain amount, simply just cashing in your winnings…
Each casino’s general conditions for the use of the bonuses without a deposit are very clear on this subject. Any deposit-free credit used for at the casino can not be cashed in. In some cases, we’ve even read that to withdraw your winnings, you first have to deposit the equivalent of the no deposit bonus received. But wait, not so fast, you still can’t cash out at this point. In this case, the terms and conditions only allow you to cash in $20 worth of winnings on the no-deposit credits you used. It can get even more complicated when the casino demands you wager at least 40, or 50 times, the $20 you just deposited. It is only after fulfilling all these conditions that you’ll be able to cash in your winnings, which is, at most, 20 dollars.
Are there any bonuses without limitations?
Yes, there are deposit bonuses. This type of bonus is the most used by online players who want to bet with real money. The only condition is that you deposit a minimum of $10. In general, any good online casino offers a match bonus, meaning that the amount of capital in play is doubled. There are, of course, limitations on the bonuses received, as they must be played 20 to 50 times, depending on the casino. On the other hand, any winnings made from the bonuses received after making a deposit can be cashed in instantly and with no limitations. Compared to no-deposit bonuses, deposit bonuses are much fairer.
Where can I get a bonus from making a deposit? On almost all online casinos! However, some have better offers and conditions of use than others. Typically, you can find the best offers on Canadian guides like OCP.
Free bonuses – Which one should I choose?
Testers from casino blogs and reviews on player forums are constantly bringing up the reliability of no-deposit bonuses. Unsurprisingly, no online casino can satisfy users when it comes to playing with a no-deposit bonus. So, what is the benefit of no-deposit bonuses? Well, they allow you to test the games for free, without needing to deposit a single cent.
Alternatively, deposit bonuses have a lot more to offer. They’re still subject to conditions of use, but unlike the constraints of no-deposit bonuses, they don’t limit the amount of money you can win. After analyzing offers on the market, the withdrawal conditions when using a deposit bonus require you to bet at least 30 times the value of the bonus received. For example, if you deposit $10 on an online casino that offers a 100% welcome match bonus, you’ll have to bet at least $300 before you can cash out any winnings. However, there are no restrictions when it comes to betting your $10 deposit. And, as long as you fulfil the terms of use, there’s no limit to the amount you can win from your deposit bonus.
Summary – Are no-deposit bonuses worthwhile?
After plenty of research and testing, we can conclude that no-deposit bonuses aren’t worth it. On one hand, you can test a casino without having to put down any money. But, on the other hand, certain casinos make you think that you can win big with the offer, which isn’t true. Be especially careful if the casino states that you have to enter a payment method to take advantage of your bonus. Don’t give your credit card details to an online casino in this situation, as they are just trying to entice you to bet money. In summary, to avoid any disappointment, no-deposit bonuses should just be used as a risk-free way to test games.
