No Deposit Bonus? We Got You, Bro!

What Is A No Deposit Bonus?

Simply put, a no deposit bonus is “free money” that you get when you register an account at an online casino. You don’t have to get out your credit card or e-wallet and make a deposit. This is, according to every online casino, free money, no deposit required.

But don’t be fooled! We could tell you stories about people who thought that they would get real money just by registering an account on a casino, so let’s just cut to the chase.

A no deposit casino bonus isn’t free money per se. No deposit bonuses always consist of casino bonus funds. This means that it’s only valuable inside the online casino itself. Can this online casino no deposit bonus turn into real money? Well, yes, technically it can. But we’ll get to that later. For now, all you need to know is that the no deposit bonus gives you bonus money, NOT real money. 

Why not just give free money instead? There are a couple of reasons for that. First, unlike brick-and-mortar casinos, they can’t hire a bodyguard to make sure you don’t leave until you’ve used up your free spins bonuses, free bets, free play, whatever. If online casinos just gave away free money, nothing would stop players from withdrawing them without ever having to play online casino games. Not to mention, people nowadays can employ bots who could easily keep making new accounts, collecting the bonus cash, making a deposit, and withdrawing it over and over again until the new online casino bankrupts. That’s why top online casinos distinguish bonus earned money from real money – players can play games without ripping them off.

Why Certain Online Casinos Offer No Deposit Deals Like Free Food Samples?

Back in the day of brick and mortar casinos, casino owners were always trying to find ways to get new players to visit (and spend money) their establishment. You can bet that even back then, casinos were doing research on how to get more players by using any legal means necessary. Things like flashy colors, friendly staff, free drinks were all there for the existing players but what about potential new players who were on the fence? What about those people who needed a little push before getting started with playing casino games. Well, the casinos must have thought long and hard because they came up with something brilliant.

Why not let potential players try the casino games for free? Each online casino would set aside a small amount of money or gold coins/tokens and hand them out to new players. No strings attached, at least not yet. The new players had nothing to lose, they just got a few free spins they could use on those slot games that everyone was talking about, so why not? Eventually, after a player has had a taste of online gambling, they would make their first deposit using their own money. And that’s the history of the no deposit bonus.

However, things have changed a bit, especially for online casinos, so let’s see what exactly has changed.

How To Claim Money At The No Deposit Bonus Casino?

Let’s say you are on the hunt for the best no deposit casino bonuses and you finally found one that suits you. So how do you claim a free spin bonus and use the latest no deposit casino bonus? Firstly, you have to find an online casino that actually offers the best no deposit bonus – which is next to impossible. Even though it can be said that a no deposit bonus does wonders in bringing new players to the yard, many online casinos simply don’t offer a no deposit bonus. They may offer free stuff after you’ve already spent some money on their casino games, but they likely won’t give you anything without making that first deposit.

But let’s say you’ve found an online casino offer that actually provides a no deposit bonus. It can come in two forms:

No Deposit casino bonus codes – (Casinos in New Jersey love these)

One thing you have to understand: No deposit bonuses will always have you jump through a few hoops before you get them. Because we are dealing with online casinos, they have to make sure that a real person is behind a computer screen and not a bot. One effective way to keep people from misusing the no deposit casino bonus is through no deposit bonus codes or casino bonus codes. Depending on how secure an online casino is, a casino bonus code changes every now and then, or completely unique casino bonus codes are assigned to each player. When you register your email and create an account, you’ll have to enter the no deposit bonus code to receive the bonus.

Now, how do you actually obtain these no deposit bonus codes is another story. A website may just give them to you willingly (that usually means it’s not a very valuable one), a friend can invite you and give you a code or you can unearth it online. Our absolute “favorite” method is when you actually have to be there like in the Atlantic City casinos in New Jersey. When you physically visit these resorts and casinos, the staff may provide new players with a promo code that you can use in their own online casino or mobile casino app.

No deposit bonus background check

If there isn’t a bonus code, chances are the online casino will have to confirm your identity before they give you the no deposit bonus. Let’s face it, we all hate this. This is where they ask for your basic information: real name, E-mail, address, driver’s license, a picture of your family on Christmas Eve, and everything else in between. All this just so they can give you some kind of free bonus that you can’t even spend outside the online casino. And before you ask, YES, that does mean your email inbox will suddenly get fuller. It’s the price you pay if you want to play new online casino games for free.

What Exactly Do You Get With A No Deposit Bonus?

So now that we’ve learned a little, let’s talk value. How valuable are no deposit bonuses? We’ve seen how much effort we have to make to actually get them, so they must be worth a lot, right?

We hate to tell you this but, most no deposit bonuses ain’t worth much. Generally, when the Bro Collective goes out looking for no deposit bonuses (if we even find any) they usually consist of maybe $10 or about 20-50 free spins, if we are lucky.

Yeah, unfortunately, a no deposit bonus will never be as valuable as a welcome bonus or any other real money deposit bonus. Casinos can’t really give out a lot of free stuff to any potential player who stumbles upon their online empire. Because of this, even the best no deposit bonuses are very humble, most of the time.

In our experience, the best no deposit casino bonuses are always given when you visit a physical location of the casino. Yeah, places like resorts in New Jersey and West Virginia will gladly give you a $20 no deposit casino bonus when you enter their doors.

How To Turn The No Deposit Bonus Into Real Money?

Probably the thing most of you wanted to know before you even found this page. So, let’s cut to the chase: Can you use the no deposit bonus and turn it into real money? Technically you CAN, but – and this is a big BUT – it’s going to be a long process that requires a lot of luck and it probably won’t even be worth it in the end. Allow us to explain.

You’ve probably seen all those welcome deposit bonuses where online casinos say that if you deposit $50 you’ll get a deposit match of another $50 to play with. Have you ever wondered what’s stopping people from depositing $50, getting $100, and just withdrawing all that money?

What’s stopping players from doing that is about a dozen lines on the online casino’s T&C (terms and conditions). You know, those long pages that are riddled with text and you always agree with without ever reading them. Yup, somewhere between the lines is the reason why you can’t cash out that no deposit casino bonus so easily – the wagering requirements.

What Are Wagering Requirements?

Ahhhh, the wagering requirements, how we loathe thee. If you don’t know what these are, don’t worry! Most new casino players aren’t familiar and even some seasoned players aren’t sure themselves. This is the thing that’s keeping you to take advantage turning almost any online casino bonus into real money. By law, casinos have to disclose these but they always hide them really well in the T&C.

What does wagering mean in terms of online gambling? Well, for every single online casino bonus (no deposit bonus, welcome bonus, free spins, etc.) there will be a number of times you have to wager the bonus before it turns into real money. You take your bonus amount and multiply it by the wagering requirement amount and there you go. The wagering requirements range anywhere from 1x (amazing deal) to about 150x (which is insanely bad). So let’s have an example with those $10 and the standard wagering requirements of 50x: $10 x 50 = $500

Basically, if you want to cash out those $10 you got from the no deposit bonus, you have to wager them fifty times to the point where you wager $500. This means that you’ll have to win a small jackpot or keep winning small amounts of money before those $10 run out and only after you’ve wagered over $500, will you be able to withdraw the $10.

Now, if you are thinking that this is stupid and a waste of time, you aren’t completely wrong. Even if you do get extremely lucky and actually manage to wager those $10 fifty times, and even win real money – all that luck and effort won’t pay off in the end. That’s why some folks prefer sports betting and real money games over wager-dependent games like video poker and online slot machines.

With that said, there are better no deposit bonus offers. It usually all boils down to the wagering requirements. You’ll just have to keep an eye out for the good ones or find a decent casino review site that lists recommended online casinos.

Good No Deposit Bonuses vs. Bad No Deposit Bonuses?

Maybe you’ve seen a few different no deposit bonuses and are wondering which ones are good and which ones aren’t. Don’t you worry, bro, we’ve got you covered. We’re constantly looking out for the good ones and we can usually spot one from a mile away.

First of all, if you see that an online casino offers a no deposit bonus at a high amount ($30-$50), know that it’s a trap. Chances are that the wager for such a big bonus offers will be astronomically high. Also, there’s a good chance that they won’t even be displayed next to the bonus but somewhere deep in the T&C of the casino site.

Next, no deposit bonus codes are a good thing. If you are given a unique bonus code, chances are that you are in for a legit no deposit bonus. Of course, if the bonus code is available on the online casino site right next to the registration page, it probably isn’t that great. Basically, if your promo code is a string of random letters and numbers, you’ll probably get something good but if it looks something like “NODEPOSIT”, it’s probably yet another lame one.

Finally, a humble no deposit bonus is a good no deposit bonus. Sure, a no deposit bonus of $10 may not sound too exciting, but if the wagering requirements are only 10x, you are more likely to see those $5 than you could ever see the $20 with a 50x wagering requirement. Seriously, it may not sound like a lot, but you could turn that humble bonus amount into real money. As always, it all boils down to the wagering requirements. The lower they are, the better they are.

Are No Deposit Bonuses Worth It? – We Got You, Bro!

If your expectations are high, no deposit bonuses aren’t worth it at all. If you are a player who wants a free head start to win real money, then no deposit bonuses really aren’t worth it. Then again, if you are on the fence about whether or not you should invest money into online casino sites, no deposit bonuses can be a fantastic, risk-free way of testing the waters. In the end, it really depends on your expectations.

If you want a free trial before you start playing real money games, then no deposit bonuses are great. If you just want free cash, you’ll be disappointed. Even though they are becoming rarer these days, we can’t help but smile when we see a new no deposit bonus. Sure, it’s not exactly free cash but it’s still a risk-free way of trying out brand new casino sites and playing a few games for free.

Let’s go through that no deposit bonus FAQ!

FAQ

• Will I get the no deposit bonus by just registering an account?

  Usually, no. Most of the time, you will have to do something else. Either enter a bonus code or provide more details to the online casino.

• Can I withdraw my no deposit bonus?

  Technically, yes, but most likely, NO. In order to turn the no deposit bonus into real money you will have to wager the amount many times, usually too many for it to be possible. Even if you manage to do it, it’s going to require a lot of luck and a lot of patience.

• Is the no deposit bonus the same as the welcome bonus?

  No, the no deposit bonus is usually only a fraction of what the welcome bonus offer. However, the biggest difference is that you get the welcome bonus by making your first real money deposit.

• How much bonus content do you get with the no deposit bonus?

  It depends on the casino, but it’s not much overall. From what we’ve seen you usually get about $10-$20 worth of money from a bonus or a couple of free spins. Also, keep in mind that the wagering requirements for the no deposit bonus tend to be higher than other casino bonuses.

• Can I use my no deposit free spins on all casino games?

  No, and this also goes for regular free spins, too. Free spins usually work on only one slot game. One important role of this bonus type is to promote a certain game and what better way to promote it than to let you have a few free spins on it.

• How are free spin no deposit bonuses calculated?

  First, you have to use up all your free spins no deposit bonuses. Then, any amount that you may have won needs to be wagered a certain amount of times before it turns into real money.

• Are there any other restrictions to no deposit bonuses?

  This depends on the online casino itself and its rules and regulations. Checking the casino page T&C can usually tell you more. Some online casinos may refuse to give out the no deposit bonus to certain countries, may have a time limit on no deposit bonus or may have other restrictions.

• Can I play all casino games with the no deposit bonus?

  Maybe. You’ll have to check the T&C of the casino page to find out. While many online casinos won’t care how you use your bonus funds, some will restrict certain types of games. The most common type of games that are restricted is live dealer games. Heck, some online casinos won’t even let you play regular table games with your bonus. Again, it all depends on the casino.

Author

John Brokowski

A groomed beard and mustache are not the only source of this dude’s sophistication. Good ol’ John is a seasoned casino player who had affairs with numerous online casinos and online sports betting sites. He’s lethal with cards, especially poker, and a go-to guy for anything casino-related. You might think this guy is obsessed with casinos, but he’s the only reason the Bro Collective boat is still sailing.

Contact info: john@casino-bros.com