How Do Free Spins Work?

Summary

• deposit vs. no deposit spins
• what happens with free spins winnings?
• why do casinos give free spins & can you win?

If you spent even a few minutes looking at various online casinos, you’ve probably come across quite a few offers of free spins. This is definitely one of the most popular types of offers found across all sorts of sites, just as popular as cash bonuses – if not more.

Experienced punters know all about free spins and what to expect from these types of promos but those new to online gambling might be confused. What does “free” really mean in these types of offers and why do casinos give away dozens or even hundreds of these to so many players? This article will answer all of these questions and more.

Deposit vs. No Deposit Spins

First of all, you need to understand there are two types of free spins offers. One of them is really free, while the second one is more of an extra that you get after depositing the certain minimum amount of your money.

No deposit free spins are pretty much “free”. To claim these, you don’t need to make any real money deposits. Usually, you’re only required to open an account with the casino and confirm your email address and/or phone number. Spins are then added to your account and you can use them immediately.

Deposit free spins, like the name suggests, require you to make a deposit. Usually, you’ll need to put in $10 or $20 of your own money. Once the deposit is processed, the operator will add the promised spins.

In both cases, you’ll receive a certain number of free spins (10, 20, or even 100+) to use on a single slot or a select number of slots. These spins will have a certain nominal value (usually the minimum bet for the particular slot, although it can be more sometimes) and you’ll receive winnings according to the slot’s paytable for that spin value.

What Happens with Free Spins Winnings?

As mentioned, every winning spin will produce a certain cash value, just as if you were playing with real money. If the free spin value is $0.20, for example, your winnings will be paid according to the slot’s paytable for $0.20 money bets.However, these winnings aren’t always treated the same and that’s why it is very important to read terms and conditions of a particular offer.

In most cases, winnings from free spins are issued as bonus funds rather than real money. This means there will be certain wagering requirements attached to them. For example, if you win $10, you might need to place a total of $300 or $400 worth of bets before you’re allowed to cash out.

Sometimes, the casino will give you free spins’ winnings as pure cash. This is the better option for the player as there are no restrictions that apply in this scenario. Whatever you happen to win is yours to do with as you please. This means you’ll also be able to withdraw the money immediately without any issues.

When it comes to no deposit free spins, there is also another common term that you’ll find with almost all casinos. This is a rule about the maximum win. Usually, you’ll only be allowed to withdraw up to a certain amount of winnings (rarely more than $100). So, even if you get really lucky with your free spins and then proceed to go on a lucky streak, there will be a cap as to how much you’ll actually be able to cash out.

This kind of a win cap is sometimes also present with deposit free spins offers but it’s not as common and the maximum winning amount is usually higher. Either way, you should always take a few minutes to read through terms and conditions beforehand just to be completely clear about what to expect.

Why Do Casinos Give Free Spins & Can You Win?

Promos offering free spins are quite popular with casinos for a reason. Most players prefer slots over all other games, so it makes sense to create promotions targeting that particular segment of the player-base.

On top of this, free spins offer at least a promise of a big win. Unlike fixed deposit bonuses (deposit $10 and get $10), you never know what can come out of 50 or 100 free spins. Even if the face value of these is no bigger than that of a deposit bonus, players, especially casual ones, seem to prefer this approach.

Although you can’t do much to change your luck on slots, there are certain things you can do to give yourself a better chance to win some real money from free spins. For example, if you have a choice of few slots, you should go with the most volatile one. This means you should look for a game that doesn’t give many small wins but produces occasional big wins.

Since most spins have wagering requirements attached to them, you want to have a bit of a buffer and put yourself in a good spot. This is especially true for no deposit free spins. Since you have nothing to lose, give yourself a chance to get lucky. If it doesn’t happen, who cares? It’s not like you lost any money trying!