Online gambling has long been a staple of the UK entertainment scene. It’s not a stretch to say that places like the UK set the stage for the U.S. to eventually change its online gambling legislation.
According to the latest stats, in 2022, the casino gambling industry boasted £6.4 billion in gross gaming yield (GGY).
That takes us to the concept of free spins. Why are casinos offering them? It’s not out of the goodness of their hearts. It’s to encourage people like you to give them a try. So, here’s what you need to know about free spins and how they work.
What are Free Spins?
Free spins are a bonus available to both new and existing players. They are exactly what you would expect them to be.These bonuses enable you to claim free spins on your favorite slot games. They may apply to specific titles or to a casino’s entire catalog of games. Regardless, you can use them to spin for free and rack up some free wins.
Usually, they fall into two distinct categories.
No Deposit Free Spins
No deposit free spins are offered to new players. They allow you to try out a casino’s range of online slots and enjoy the best free spins on card registration.All you’ve got to do to claim them is create an account with the casino and register your card. These rewards become immediately available, and you can start using them to win real money. However, expect to wager real money to meet the wagering requirements before you can withdraw any winnings garnered from these free spins.
Deposit Bonus and Free Spins
On the other hand, online casinos also offer free spins as a deposit bonus. Whenever you make a deposit, a casino may opt to throw in some free spins. This is done to entice players to make real money deposits and keep playing.Again, these may be available to new players, but they’re also available for existing players. Most of them will also scale based on the amount you deposit, up to a maximum amount. Some casinos also offer them on multiple subsequent deposits or as a holiday promotion.
Pros of UK Online Free Spins
Why are free spins such a valuable type of bonus for casino players?Several reasons exist, including
Play for Free—this is the primary appeal behind free spins. You don’t need to make a single bet to try out your favorite casinos. Obviously, this is an advantage for both new and existing players.
Try Out New Casinos—it’s also an opportunity to try out some new casinos in the process. With so many casinos available to try, it’s a chance to play without risking your real money.
Experiment With New Slots—on the other hand, sometimes online casinos will provide free spins as a promotion for a newly released slots game. This is designed to encourage their existing player base to try it out, and it provides an opportunity for players to also check out a new game risk-free.
Win More Money—it goes without saying that free spins also have the potential to deliver real money into your pocket. Although the wagering requirements can be steep with some casinos, if you choose your casinos carefully, you can still get lucky and then withdraw some free money.
Overall, free spins are a risk-free endeavor. They’re a chance to experiment with new casinos and games, with the potential to claim some real money. And if you were already planning on playing with the casino anyway, it’s a sweetener that makes signing up even more worthwhile.
Added Bonuses
One smart tip is to use your free spins to amplify in-game bonuses. Most casinos will allow you to play your free spins on a wide variety of their games.If you choose the right game, you can amplify the value of your bonuses. For example, many slot games have several unique gameplay features, like win multipliers and jackpot prices. With your free spins, you could get lucky and jack up your eventual winnings.
Overall, the purpose of free spins is to increase the amount of money that you would have won anyway.
Some casinos even allow your free spins to be used as part of ranking up as part of their in-house loyalty programs, which can deliver their own long-term rewards.
Cons of UK Online Free Spins
With mobile gaming on the rise, free spins are well worth claiming in most cases. But they aren’t guaranteed to earn you money in any scenario. Although there’s no real risk to claiming free spins, it’s vital that you consider some of the downsides to them.The main disadvantages to free spins include
Minimum Bets—most free spins come with minimum bets to engage. They won’t automatically work with every type of bet. For example, some casinos may only allow free spins on larger wagers, which can be problematic when fulfilling the wagering requirements.
Wagering Requirements—before you can withdraw any winnings acquired through free spins, you must first fulfill the wagering requirements. These can vary depending on the casino. Some may have wagering requirements as low as 25, whereas others may be 100+. A casino with a 20x wagering requirement means any winnings from free spins must be wagered 20 times over to be eligible for withdrawal.
Fewer Choices—rarely will a casino allow you to wager your free spins on any slot game. They usually restrict your choices, meaning there are no progressive jackpots. In some cases, the choices may be so narrow that you cannot find a slot game that vibes with you.
Difficulty in Gaining—the fact is that you may get unlucky, and your free spins won’t yield you any wins at all. Free spins don’t mean guaranteed wins.
Overall, these disadvantages can mean claiming no real money from your bonus. In some cases, higher wagering requirements could mean spending more money than you intended in an attempt to claim the bonus money, which is why it’s critical to read the bonus terms and conditions carefully.
Wagering Requirements
UK free spins have a significant number of advantages and disadvantages, but they’re well worth claiming in most cases.However, you should always look for the wagering requirements on any free spins bonus. Higher wagering requirements can make free spins essentially worthless, so read the terms and conditions carefully.
Generally, wagering requirements are pretty simple to understand. A wagering requirement of 50x means the player must wager fifty times the amount won through free spins for that money to become eligible for withdrawal.
Plus, it may be the case that you must meet the wagering requirements within a limited period of time. If you don’t have the time to fulfill the wagering requirements, you cannot expect to extract any value from this type of bonus.
Again, you can avoid this problem by reading through the terms and conditions ahead of time to ensure you don’t waste your time and money.
In short, bonus hunters can find tremendous value from free spins, but it relies on both choosing the right casinos and ensuring that the bonuses in question have fair wagering requirements.
What are your favorite online casino bonuses in the UK?
