If you’re wondering about the most popular and most used bonus promotions offered by online casinos, they don’t come much more popular than free spins. These bonuses award players free spins for use on selected slot titles. Essentially, this gives players a risk-free chance to explore the latest slot releases.
Free spins bonuses come in various shapes and sizes. One thing that’s consistent across them all is they have their own rules and conditions. Understanding how these bonuses work can enhance your iGaming sessions hugely, particularly when you’re awarded such promotions as a first-time customer or as a reward for being a loyal player.
The most common free spins bonuses offered
The most popular free spins promotion offered is to new players signing up to online casinos. These are known in the market as “welcome bonuses”. Once you sign up and verify your account, the free spins are automatically allocated to your account, ready for action. Since you’ve not had to commit anything else at this stage, welcome bonus free spins are typically ring-fenced for use on a specific slot game. This is usually a popular but highly-volatile slot game.
Then there’s “deposit match bonuses”. These free spins bonuses are awarded to players as soon as they complete their first action. These bonuses mirror the offers of online sportsbooks, where betting on the Euro 2024 goal scorers and winners has been the order of the day in recent months. In addition, there’s also the prospect of landing a “reload bonus” if you become a regular player at a certain online casino. Several online casino operators commit to reload bonuses, either weekly or monthly, which often include free spins on selected slots.
Some online casinos may also dish out game-specific free spins promotions. This is especially popular when a site is trying to promote a brand-new slot release, inviting players to try new slot themes in a risk-free environment. We’d always recommend anyone sampling a new slot game to try it out in a “demo mode” first. However, if you receive free spins, at least you’ve got the opportunity to land genuine wins rather than demo wins.
The terms and conditions to consider
As with most promotions and bonuses, there are several terms and conditions to get your head around before you get started with the latest free spins deals. It’s important to read the small print of any bonus you apply for or receive, just so you understand what it entails and how to maximise its potential.
Some online casinos may allow players to hit the pause button on their free spins bonuses, giving them an opportunity to use other bonuses applied in their online casino account first. Secondly, some free spins promotions will also have an expiry date assigned, requiring you to use them within a set timeframe. This window can be anything from 24 hours to 30 days. In most cases, you’ll usually get a week at least to use them. The UKGC is very hot on its licensees’ terms and practices, so most regulated sites will have to abide by a core framework.
Other hints and tips
If you want to extract the most from your free spins bonuses as possible, it’s best to look for online slots with high return-to-player (RTP) percentages. This relates to how much a player can expect to receive back from their spins. In the current iGaming industry, the benchmark for slot RTPs is said to be around the 96% mark, so anything above this is usually considered competitive and anything in the 97%+ region is even more appealing. In addition, you should also look for slots with lower volatility. Low-volatility slots will have fewer gaps between winning spins.
In summary, free spins promotions can be a useful tool, giving you a chance to try new slots or slot themes with no risk. Just make sure to be aware of the terms and conditions attached before you get started to enjoy the full value of your bonuses.