Bonus Spins or Free Spins: what's the deal?

The competitive nature of the industry demands that casinos offer some amazing bonuses to coax gamblers to their sites. One of the more popular promotions at online casinos is a Free Spins Bonus. Free Spins are traditionally casino bonuses offered to benefit slot players, as this offers complimentary spins of the reels with the opportunity to make some wins. In recent years, due to compliance and online gambling regulations, the term "Free" had to be changed to "Bonus" spins. So all regulated online casinos are now using other terms to refer to promotions that include bonus spins.

In addition, the term "Free" can only be used when there are no wagering requirements attached and when no deposit is required to activate the bonus.

Free spins bonuses are applied for several reasons by online casino operators. Three of these reasons are:

• As Welcome packages: These promotions are used to entice new players to sign up at casino sites.
• Game Promotions: Casinos will use free spins as a drawcard to play new releases and other games that need promoting.
• Seasonal Promotions: These bonuses may be used to draw players into celebrating certain seasons, for example, Christmas, Halloween, Easter, etc.

Types of Free Spins

There are three main types of Free Spins promotions available out on the web, plus combo types. These include:

1. No Deposit Free Spins: Here, players need not place a deposit to capitalise on the free spins. However, there will be some strict playthrough requirements. See our list of No Deposit Free Spins promotions.

2. No Wager Free Spins: These offer you the ability to play free spins without satisfying wagering requirements to withdraw. A minimum deposit is required. See our list of No Wagering Free Spins promotions.

3. Super Free Spins: These are similar to standard free spins, but are set at a higher stake and can win you more cash. A typical super spins bonus would look like this: (25 free spins with a bet value of €2 per spin). See our list of Super Free Spins promotions.

4. Deposit + Free Spin Combos: Some casinos may package free spins bonuses together with deposit match bonuses, or a standard minimum deposit, to offer a lucrative well-rounded promotion. These kinds will be subject to both wagering and other playthrough requirements.

How to claim Free Spins?

Claiming casino bonuses is quite straightforward, and can usually be done in one of two ways:

1. Certain bonuses (like many on this site) can be claimed by clicking Get Bonus. This will automatically take you to the respective casino site where you will either be able to log in (if you already have an account with them) or Register a new account. Once your profile is active, the casino will activate your bonus. Should you need to make a deposit, you will be directed to do so, after which the promo will be active.
2. Some promotions and bonuses will provide you with a code. After logging in or registering a profile on the respective casino site, you can go to the “Bonuses” page where you will be able to enter your promo code to activate the offer.

Important!

It is extremely important to read through the terms and conditions laid in the fine print for the bonus, as there will almost always be wagering requirements or other playthrough requirements that will need to be met before being able to withdraw any funds. Even when funds are eligible for withdrawal, there may be a limit as to how much money you can claim for yourself.

Wagering requirements will be attached to bonuses with deposits included and will entail you wagering the bonus amount a set multiple of times to unlock the ability to withdraw any wins, at all. If the bonus amount was €100 and the wagering requirement is 40x Bonus, then you will need to complete €4,000 in wagers (€100 x 40) before drawing on any wins.

Playthrough requirements on slot games will require you to spin the reel a minimum number of times before you can start claiming the wins. The more “free spins” that are offered in the promotion, the more spins you will be required to play through.