By Samantha Williams

No deposit casinos are a special feature that we only find when we play online. Basically this means that the player does not need to make a deposit first to play, and may try the site before they buy. There are various ways in which no deposit casinos work and some will offer a certain amount of free spins or time, while others offer a cash value for the new member to get started playing.

For example, the Gaming Club, which is a Microgaming site, offers 30 free spins on the download game ‘Madhatters’ or the no-download game, or Flash version of the Osbournes. But no other games may be played on this bonus.  Mummys Gold Casino is also Microgaming and they give potential new members  1 Hour plus $/£/€/C$500 Free to play. Winnings from this promotion may be transferred to a real money account, but there are some terms and conditions which understandably need to be met in order to claim any winnings. The player needs to place 100 or more bets on any game as well as deposit $50+.

Getting something for nothing is great fun, but it pays to remember that the more well-known a site is, the less they give away for free. This is chiefly due to the fact that these sites are not so tricky about how they draw in their customer base. In other words they are more above board. All no deposit casinos come with terms and conditions that must be met for the player to get the full value.

Even though the no deposit bonus has been common practice from as far back as online gambling first began, and were used as marketing leverage, they have become a standard practice for many sites. Yes…they are still used as marketing leverage, but if you don’t have anything to lose and you might win…well…what have you got to lose? Players now expect to receive these bonuses when they play at certain sites, and despite the fact that there was talk of phasing them out many years ago, this has actually yet to happen. We certainly believe that websites which need an edge over the big brands online will hang onto their no deposit casinos policy, tooth and nail.

Although the most common bonus is the cash match welcome bonus, this cannot be said to be a no deposit bonus. The player must register for an account and make a deposit to receive the cash match, where as with the no deposit bonus, no deposit at all is supposed to be required. It is a powerful attractor for many players, but do be careful when you play, because wagering requirements must be met, so, always read terms and conditions and make sure you agree with these. In the long term this avoids any disappointments for the player.

By Samantha Williams

Anything for nothing is a bargain according to my old mum, in a way she is right, but we also have to remember that everything comes at a price. Online Casino Bonuses, may mean free chips, spins or money for the newly registered member, as well as existing players – but again, the rule of thumb is, everything comes at a price. Always read the small print.

In this instance the small print is Terms and Conditions, and every good online casino, makes these conditions clearly known to members. It is the sites which don’t make the T’s & C’s of their online casinos bonuses clear…that we really need to steer clear of. If we know what we are in for, we may opt in for bonuses or not, so, that the decision to take-up a bonus or not, also becomes an educated decision.

All casinos online offer bonuses as part of their marketing plan. They budget for these in their cash flow and this factors into the prizes paid out, as well as a whole lot of other conditions. It is for this very reason that the casino which offers the lowest bonuses, also offer the biggest prizes, and the best wagering requirements. Bonuses may consist of all of these factors, any/or various combinations:

? No deposit bonus
? First deposit bonus
? Ongoing deposit bonus
? Bonuses for using alternative payment methods
? Bonuses for taking part in promotion
? Friend referral bonuses
? Birthday bonuses
? VIP bonuses

Taking advantage of online casino bonuses means in essence – value for money. While this is true in the most part, we need to know what we are doing when we claim these free gift, and this is why it is so important to understand wagering requirements and how these work. Terms and conditions tell us what the wagering requirement is, and it is from this information and our budget that we determine how much money to deposit. For example; €/£/$10 is generally the minimum deposit and the maximum can go up to the thousands. The bigger and better-name a site, the more likely it is to be that bonus amounts are capped. In this instance; wagering requirements are either non existent or extremely fair.

On a scale of 1 – 10, we would say “no wagering requirements” is excellent, while 10 x is “good”, 20 x is “fair” and anything above that is simply outrageous. We do however see some sites which offer 50 or even 100 x wagering requirements. Why any sensible person would want to join any site with such ridiculous terms is completely beyond our comprehension. Making a small deposit and claiming a small bonus, means players who are not millionaires can get conditions met much more efficiently.