Top Essential Questions About Free Spins in the UK
Gambling is perhaps one of the most thrilling entertainment journeys you can embark on. There’s no doubt that there’s still a social stigma to it. But thanks to friendly laws and government endorsement, gambling is gradually becoming mainstream. When we say gambling, we refer to the land-based casinos spread across the UK and the online casinos with free spins no deposit UK. Online casinos see way more customers than brick-and-mortar casinos. The convenience factors, as well as the ease of access, have contributed to this.
However, we’re not here to discuss the overall casino gambling situation in the UK. Rather, we’re planning to go deep into one of the most popular elements of casino bonus, the free spins. Even if you’ve never signed up for an online casino in your life, there’s a good chance that you’re familiar with the term.
And the fact that you searched for it makes us think you’re planning to get into online gambling sooner or later. So consider this your all-out guide to free spins. You’ll realise why it asks for a full-fledged guide by the time we’re done.
What Are Free Spins?
In simple words, free spins are an online casino bonus where you can play online slots for free. But don’t confuse it with a demo version of the games because the spins we’re talking about allow you to win real money!
Now, this definition would make sense if you were familiar with casino promotions in general. But, if that’s not the case, we must trace back a little.
How Were Casino Bonuses Born?
IIn the mid-1990s, the idea of online casino gambling was first conceived. However, only a handful of software providers developed the games in the early days. Microgaming, NetEnt, and Playtech are some game development pioneers. To this day, these companies are known for their unique titles.
When we compare both areas, it’s apparent that online casino operators can save more in the UK and the rest of the world. This very edge has allowed online operators to offer bonuses to the players. Bonuses are one of the biggest marketing tools for online casino.
Areas of expenses associated with land-based casinos include the following:
- Staff salaries
- Floor maintenance
- Energy bills
- Property taxes
When we compare both areas, it’s apparent that online casino operators are able to save more in the UK as well as in the rest of the world. This very edge has allowed online operators to offer bonuses to the players. In fact, bonuses are one of the biggest marketing tools for online casino.
The common expenses for both online and offline casino brands include:
- Licence fees
- Fundamental staff salaries
- Technological developments
Free spins, the exact type of casino bonus we’re covering in this post, are one of the many types you can currently claim. But this happens to be one of the most popular forms. Why do you ask? Let’s get into the details!
Why Are Free Spins so Famous?
The primary appeal for all online casino bonuses is the potential to win real money. Free spins also come with the same perks as any other bonus at the casino. Unlike a monetary bonus, these spins only apply to mobile slots and slot games in general.
This exclusivity to a particular casino game type has resulted in more intense popularity, although it should’ve been the opposite. The reason is simply the popularity of slot games all over the world. Slot games meet the actual definition of a “game of chance” because there is very little for you to control. In most games, the only thing you can control is your bet size. That, too, is limited by the casino’s minimum and maximum bet restrictions.
In some advanced casino games, you can set the number of active paylines, the number of coins per payline, and the coin value. That way, you get to change the payout rate and the game’s RTP.
The best place to check out slot games in the UK is slotozilla.com/uk/. This site lists the best online casino brands and the most popular slot games worldwide. It’s a great educational source if you’re trying to learn more about the industry.
When you get free spins, however, you don’t have to think about any of these features. In almost all cases, the value of the spins is predetermined by the casino operator. As you can see, it’s an extremely easy type of bonus for a new player to use.
So, summarising the reasons behind free spins’ popularity, we have:
- The ease of use
- Wide availability
- Great winning potential
- Suitable for players of all levels
What Are the Different Types of Free Spins Bonuses in the UK?
“Free Spins” itself is a broad term. There are multiple categories that go into the bonus type. While all of their end goals are the same, the journey is not. In this section, let’s go over the most common forms of free spins you can expect to find in the UK.
No Deposit Spins
This is the rarest form of the casino bonus in question. A no deposit bonus is one where you don’t have to deposit any money beforehand. For obvious reasons, a no deposit also happens to be the most popular bonus of our time.
When you get free spins as part of the no deposit bonus, it’s known as no deposit bonus spins. Usually, these bonuses are credited right after you complete the registration, giving them the name “Sign Up Bonuses” in the iGaming industry.
Deposit Spins
The term is very self-explanatory. This casino bonus is on the opposite end of the available spectrum compared to no deposit spins. To qualify for the bonus, you must first deposit a minimum deposit, even at the best online casino. The number of spins you can secure is often associated with how much you deposit.
No-Wager Free Spins
If you thought no deposit free spins were rare, wait till you learn about these. As the name suggests, the “no wager” free spins winnings are free from all kinds of wagering requirements! If you’re not familiar with wagering requirements, you’ll have to read the terms and conditions that are coming up very soon.
For now, keep in mind that however much you win from no wager spins, you can keep it to yourself as well as withdraw it immediately.
Terms and Conditions for Free Spins Bonus
This is perhaps the most important section of this post. Getting generous free spins to offer is not that big of a deal in the UK. Plenty of online casino operators offer this bonus, and you can qualify for a relatively small deposit.
However, the actual challenge starts after you’re done using all the spins. So, let’s go over the terms so that you know what to do when you claim a bonus.
Wagering Requirements
Wagering requirements are the universal truth for all kinds of casino bonuses. No matter what bonus you get in an online casino, you must wager it at appropriate times before you can withdraw it. The same goes for free spins. However, the wagering applies to the winnings you generate and not to the value of the spins. For other bonuses, you wager the bonus itself.
The term “wagering requirements” refers to the monetary amount that you have to spend on games before the casino bonus is converted into real money. In most cases, it’s represented as a multiplier for the bonus. In this case, it would be a multiplier for the winnings.
Let’s take a look at some of the wagering combinations you may come across in the UK.
| Free Spins Winnings | Wagering Requirements | Final Wagering Amount |
| £50 | 40x bonus | (£50 x 40) = £2,000 |
| £50 | 40x (bonus + deposit) | £50+£50 (i.e. deposit) x 40 = £4,000 |
| £50 | 50x bonus | (£50 x 50) = £2,500 |
| £50 | No Wagering Bonus | £0 |
As you can, the amount you have to wager changes with the wagering requirements. And this is why we’re such big fans of no-wagering bonuses. You get to keep the winnings as is without spending any more money from your account.
Game Eligibility
You now know that the casino bonus we’re dealing with only works with slots. So in a sense, you’re going to play free slot games but with a chance to win money on the side! However, not all the games will qualify for all the promotions.
Every time you come across a promotion, you’ll also find a T&C section. That section will mention all the games that you can play. Unfortunately, the list is long, and you may find a list of games that don’t qualify.
This is not as crucial for players to remember simply because the free spins will only appear in games that qualify. You’ll spend money from your main account if you open other games and play.
Maximum Bet (Max Bet)
Often known as the max bet at the best online casino brands, this term restricts how much you can bet in a single spin during the wagering period. The higher it is, the faster you can expect to complete the wagering process.
In the UK, the most commonly offered max bet is £5. If you can secure a brand that offers £10 or more, you should certainly take it!
Expiry Date
When dealing with free spins, you have to keep the expiry date(s) in mind. This is one of the only bonuses where 2 expiry dates matter. The first one is to use the free spins. Usually, you need to burn through them within 24 to 48 hours after getting them.
The other expiry date is for the wagering. For both, your goal is to find longer deadlines. It’s simply because the longer you have, the more relaxed your wagering process will be.
Here are some examples of fair expiry dates:
- 50 spins, 24 hours to use, 7 days to wager
- 100 spins, 48 hours to use, 7 days to wager
- 50 spins, 48 hours to use, 10 days to wager
- 200 spins, 36 hours to use, 30 days to wager
Maximum Winnings
Well, this is more of a restriction than a term. You don’t actively have to do anything about this. Just know that your winnings from the spins are always limited. From what we’ve seen, most online casino brands in the UK offer between £100 and £200.
Interestingly, the range is almost identical for dollar deposit casinos worldwide. So even if you play at the best payout online casino in the UK, your maximum winnings from bonus spins are unlikely to go over £200.
Wrapping Up
In this journey, we’ve tried to cover everything you might want to know about free spins. This is a very common bonus in the UK as well as in the rest of the world, so that education won’t go in vain. At the same time, you now know what terms make a bonus more appealing. Act according to that!