Ask any online casino aficionado what their biggest gripe is when it comes to online gambling and the answer is most likely to be the wagering requirements that are attached to almost every casino bonus. We’ve all been there; you use your bonus money to place a wager on your favourite slot game, you hit a winning reel, and then you realise that in order to get your winnings you actually have to use them to place more bets and, therefore, risk losing it all. That’s why we’re so excited to see that a new generation of no wagering casinos have hit the online casino market.
Casino bosses have finally begun to realise that players would rather have a smaller bonus with no wagering requirements than a huge bonus with requirements that are impossible to fulfil. Before you get too excited, we must warn you that these casinos are still in the minority and not necessarily easy to find. Your best bet is to use a reputable casino review site that will have done the search for you and will have complied a list of the best no wagering casinos available. A good review site will only recommend casinos with no wagering requirements that are fully licenced by a strict governing body, such as the Malta Gaming Authority, and that adhere to all the regulations regarding security and fair play.
Wagering Requirements Explained
Before we get into what makes a really good no wagering casino, let’s take a quick look at what wagering requirements are and why you might want to avoid them. Most online casinos offer an extremely generous welcome bonus to new players because it helps the casino stand out from the competition. There are literally hundreds of online casinos to choose from, so any online casino worth its salt will do everything in their power to entice players to their site. The best way to do that is offer something for nothing – or so it seems. A generous welcome bonus almost always comes with a steep wagering requirement.
The requirement can be anywhere from x10 to x90. This means, for example, that if you are given a £50 bonus with a x30 wagering requirement, you’ll have to make £1500 worth of bets before you are allowed to withdraw any winnings. As previously mentioned, this means that while you’re busy trying to fulfil the requirements you could end up losing any winnings that were gleaned from the bonus to begin with – meaning you’ll go to a lot of trouble and potentially end up with no reward at all.
Online casinos use wagering requirements to protect themselves from unscrupulous players that might just claim their bonus and withdraw it from their account without actually spending any money at the casino. While it’s totally understandable that a casino would need to ensure that they don’t end up out of pocket, in many cases the wagering requirements actually cancel out the bonus entirely.
A large match deposit bonus can seem extremely tempting because players see it as doubling their money and so they are likely to make a huge first deposit in order to make the most of the bonus. In reality, they’re not really getting a good deal at all and are likely to lose both the deposit and the bonus.
No Wagering Bonuses
Casinos with no wagering requirements offer players smaller bonuses but they come with the potential to actually make real money winnings that players can withdraw and enjoy spending. In most cases, a no wagering casino will offer a number of free spins as the welcome bonus. Sometimes, these spins can only be used on specific slot games and sometimes they can be used on any game that takes your fancy. If you’re lucky enough to get a winning reel, the winnings will go straight to your account – ready to be withdrawn at will. Free spins may seem like a measly bonus when compared to the bells and whistles of a chunky match deposit bonus, but we think that free spins are a vastly underrated bonus. Not only do free spins give you the chance of winning something for nothing they also give you the chance to learn all the inner workings of the slot game so that by the time you come to making real money deposits you’re already an expert at the game.
Cashback bonuses and reload bonuses are also regularly offered at no wagering casinos. These bonuses are aimed at players who have been playing at the casino for some time. Offering these bonuses is a way for the casino to reward loyalty and they give players the incentive to stick around and spend more money. The cashback bonus is a bonus that is given to players to make up for some of their losses. The amount given is usually a percentage of the player’s losses. The reload bonus is a bonus given to players after they’ve made a certain number of deposits – it’s like a ‘thank you’ from the casino for continuing to play and spend money on their games.
Tick the Boxes
A good no wagering casino will offer all of the above no wagering bonuses. But there is more to a good casino than its bonuses. As previously mentioned, a good review site will help you separate the wheat from the chaff, but you shouldn’t go in blind. The most important thing to look for is whether or not a casino is licenced and regulated, but it’s also extremely important to check out the casino’s games library. There’s no point jumping at a generous no wagering bonus if there aren’t any decent games to use it on. Check that the casino offers games from reputable software providers, such as NetEnt or Microgaming, and make sure the games are regularly audited for fair play. You should also check that your preferred payment method is on offer and that the casino has a responsive customer service department. If your casino ticks all the boxes, then go ahead and claim your no wagering bonus. May Lady Luck be with you!
