Are Free Spins Casino Bonuses Worth Claiming?

One of the most common online casino bonuses that operators frequently offer new players as a way to entice them to sign up for the casino is the free spins bonus. Other operators give existing players free spins as a sign of gratitude for their loyalty.

Let’s dive straight in to learn more about this popular iGaming promotion and find out whether online casino free spins bonuses are worth claiming.

What exactly are free spins bonuses?

Free spins bonuses are an online casino promotion that sees X amount of free spins being dropped into a player’s account so they can play certain online slot machines for free (but in the real money mode), which gives them a chance to win real money from their smartphone, laptop, desktop computer, or tablet device.

There are many different reasons why online casino operators drop free spins (FS) into players accounts, and the main reasons are the following:

●      The welcome bonus (aka sign-up bonus) free spins – at some online casinos, you can either claim a matching deposit bonus when you deposit for the first time or perhaps 10, 20, or 50 FS when you deposit instead of a matching deposit bonus. Those FS can then be used on selected slots

●      Ongoing promotion free spins – Some online casinos offer existing players FS as part of an ongoing promotion. For example, in 2024, fully registered members can play a game each day called Tipping Point to get 32red free spins on the official 32red online casino.

●      Qualifying deposit-free spins – at the same trusted iGaming site, 32red casino, players who deposit £25 or more can get 20 FS to try the newly released (January 2024) Amazing Link: Frenzy online slot machine (a similar promotion featuring different online slots runs throughout the year here)

●      VIP loyalty rewards programs – some online casino operators drop X amount of FS into frequent real cash players’ accounts from time to time as a way to say thank you

●      Anniversary/birthday FS – if you’re really lucky and play frequently in the real money mode, you may find that some online casino operators will drop either a small cash bonus or several FS into your account on your birthday or on the anniversary of the day you originally signed up to the casino

Are free spins bonuses worth claiming?

Yes and no. The only FS bonuses worth claiming are the ones you can find at well-known sites controlled by reputable operators. The best sites are generally licensed by renowned licensing authorities like the UK Gambling Commissionor the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority.

Never claim FS at an unlicensed casino that’s controlled by a dodgy operator because the chances are the bonus is not real, plus your personal details and banking info are not safe on sites like this. 

Free spins are basically FREE MONEY. You might be awarded 10 FS valued at £0.10 each, and you could get lucky and win £2.00 or £3.00 from those 10 FS. It may not seem like much, but you can then use those FS winnings to play other games (or the same game) to try and win even more money.

Don’t forget that most FS spins bonus winnings may be capped at a certain amount (say $/€/£20.00 or $/€/£100.00 or equivalent currency value), but you could end up winning even more from those winnings. In other words, never turn down a FS bonus.

The only thing you have to do before you can cash out any winnings you make from your FS is complete your wagering requirements, which some online casino operators and players refer to as rollover or playthrough requirements (it all means the same thing).

Look for FS bonuses with low wagering requirements. The lower they are, the quicker you can complete them, and if you have any winnings left over after completing them, you can spend those winnings on other games or withdraw the winnings with zero restrictions.

Most online casino bonuses tend to have a 30x to 50x wagering requirement attached, which is considered medium. Low wagering requirements (which are much harder to find these days) are considered 1x to 25X, and high are considered 60X to 200X or more!

Final note

The important thing to remember when completing your wagering requirements is to read the TCs and Cs first. It will tell you exactly how many days or weeks you must complete them by, and which games you must play to get them done in as little time as possible.

It’s usually online slots, instant win games and scratchies that will always contribute 100% per $/€/£1.00 wagered towards completing wagering requirements, although a few slots may be excluded from the promotion, which is why you should always read the Ts and Cs.

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