Casino slots are a form of gambling. There is no getting around it. The idea behind these slot games is that players place a bet, spin the reels and try to match up a pay line. This pay line usually consists of 3 or more identical symbols from left to right. Players that successfully do this will win a multiplication of their initial bet.
There a few variations to this formula out there but most of the time, this is how slot games work. The bet that the player puts forward is called a wager and requires a real money deposit from the player. However, there are ways to play these slot games without a wager, in other words, free slots no deposits.
How to play slots for free
Playing slots for free is actually quite easy. There are a number of methods the player can use and these include:
- Demo slots: a demo slot is a version of the slots game that can be played for free. The player is given virtual coins to use as a wager and can play the full game for free. The only issue here is that these demo slots will not reward players with real money wins. These are used to showcase how the slot game works, rather than act as a place to wager.
- Welcome Bonus: A welcome bonus is often used by online casinos to reward new players and lure them over to the site. These welcome bonuses can include a free deposit amount or some free spins. Either way, these welcome bonuses can allow the player to play the slots on the site for free for a while if they are a no deposit welcome offer. Once the bonus ends, the player will need to make a real money deposit to continue playing.
- No deposit bonus: these work very much in the same way as a no deposit welcome bonus only they can be received for a number of different reasons. For example, these can be part of a promotion, part of a loyalty reward or used to lure old players back to the site as part of a reload bonus. Again, these can come in the form of a free deposit amount or some free spins.
With the welcome bonus and some no deposit bonuses, the player will need to meet a wagering requirement before they can withdraw any possible winnings.
What is a wagering requirement?
A wagering requirement is how much real money the player must deposit before they can withdraw any real money that they may have won. This requirement is usually a multiplication of the bonuses worth.
This means that you need to deposit a certain amount of money into the casino before you can convert any of your free bonus winnings into real money. Only when the player has met the wagering requirements will they be able to withdraw any money won from a free slots no deposit win real money bonus.
For example, if a casino site offers players a £20 free deposit amount with a 4x wagering requirement, the player must then deposit 4x the £20 they received for free. In this case, they would need to deposit £80 of real money to withdraw the money won with the £20 free deposit amount.
This will vary from site to site and bonus to bonus, therefore it is imperative that you read the terms and conditions of a casino offers before you begin to use it. These terms and conditions will often clearly state the wagering requirements.
Are there free slot bonuses that do not have wagering requirements?
There are in fact offers out there that do not come with wagering requirements. This means that you do not need to make any kind of deposit to use these types of bonuses. These are more common among welcome bonuses as the site wants to showcase the best parts of online wagering, which includes the possibility of winning real money.
Players can withdraw these real money winnings straight away with no fuss, however, there are some downsides.
Wagering Requirement Vs No wagering Requirement Offers
The main reason that wagering requirements exist is for legal purposes. This is because all online casinos must adhere to the government’s anti-money laundering laws. These wagering requirements exist to stop criminals from depositing illegal funds. This means that casinos with wagering requirements attached to their bonus offers are more likely to be legitimate.
Also, these wagering requirements offer a way for players to get more out of their no deposit bonuses. With wagering requirements in place, this may be the only way to withdraw money gained from a no deposit bonus. Chances are, players will continue making deposits and playing on the site anyway. These wagering requirements act as another goal to reach.
On the flip side, there is no denying the speed factor that comes with offers with no wagering requirements. Players that are lucky enough to win with a no deposit free spin can instantly transfer this money into their account. These welcome offers are also handy for getting to grips with casino games. Players can trial the games the site offers without any real penalty to themselves. If they like the casino games they play, they are more likely to carry on with a real money deposit.
The downside to no wagering requirement offers is that they tend to be a lot smaller. You will receive less of a deposit amount and not as many free spins as you would have done with a wagering requirement offer. This is because you are receiving something for free. Online casinos would go out of business very quickly if they handed out large bonuses with no wagering requirements. They ensure that the casino gets some of the player’s real money custom so as to stay afloat. All it could take is one large win from a free spin to dent a casinos account.
Why play slots with wagering requirements?
The best casino game to play with a wagering requirement is by far the slot games. This is because different games will come with weightings. These weightings represent the amount of your deposit that goes toward the wagering requirement. For example, if the weighting is 25%, then only £5 of a £20 deposit will count toward the overall wagering requirement total. This means that it will take longer for players to reach their goal and withdraw the money won from their bonus.
However, online casinos tend to set the weightings on slot games at 100%. This means that all money deposited to play slot games will count toward the wagering requirement total. Therefore, you can get closer to withdrawing your bonus funds just by playing slots.
Best slots to play with no wagering requirements
Here at wizard slots, you could be playing some of our great slots with a no wagering requirement welcome bonus right now. By spinning the Mega Reel, you could win up to 500 free spins to use on:
- Starburst: this intergalactic slot from NetEnt will have players trying to match different coloured gems across the 5 reels. These colours include green, yellow, blue, red and orange. The wilds expand in this game and there are also re-spin opportunities. The RTP rate for this slot is 96.09% and the variance is low. This means that players will win pay lines sporadically however the prize amount for these are more likely to be on the higher end. This slot has a betting range set between 1p and £100 with the max jackpot being fixed at 50,000 coins.
- Fluffy Favourites: this 5 reel slot from EyeCon takes place at the fair and the symbols are comprised of stuffed animal prizes. There is a giraffe, lion, panda, dragon and the highest paying symbol is the hippo which is worth 200x the player’s stake for 5 on a pay line. The pink elephants are this slots scatter and landing 3 or more will trigger the slots free spins feature. Land the claw symbol in a pay line to trigger the claw machine mini-game where players can try to pick toys to win multipliers. Fluffy Favourites has an RTP of 95.38% whereas the variance is high. This is a 5x3 slot that can be played from between 1p and £12.50 per spin for the chance to win the max jackpot of 5000x your initial wager.
To achieve free spins on these great games, players will need to sign up for the welcome offer at wizard slots and spin the mega reel. The welcome offer spin does not come with a wagering requirement however, the free spin bonus does. Always read the terms and conditions before you sign up (Full Ts & Cs Apply).
Terms and Conditions on Free Slots
Always read the terms and conditions of a casino offer and whether you are a new player or not. These will detail the risk and reward nature of gambling online and the wagering requirements for no deposit offers. Sometimes there may be additional details in the fine print so make sure you fully read all terms and conditions.
*Any Free Spins/Welcome Bonuses References are subject to the following: NEW PLAYERS ONLY, MIN DEPOSIT £10, MAX BONUS EQUAL TO LIFETIME DEPOSITS (UP TO £250), 65X WAGERING REQUIREMENTS AND FULL T&CS APPLY.
*All values (Bet Levels, Maximum Wins etc.) mentioned in relation to this slot game are subject to change at any time.