Free Spins is a commonly used term in online casinos for extra spins that are given as a welcome bonus or as part of a promotion.
Free Spins can also be the in-game spins that are triggered when you enter an online slot bonus game. This page will focus on free spins that are part of a promotion or welcome bonus.
We will explain the meaning of free spins, their variations, and the difference between bonus free spins and “real” free spins.
We have also sought out the best free spins bonuses available in UKGC-licensed online casinos.
What are Free Spins?
Free Spins are the extra spins that you often get when you trigger a welcome bonus as a new player.
Casinos use these extra spins as a marketing tool, incentivising new players to sign up and deposit at a casino to get the bonus.
The free spins can be dedicated to a specific game or games from a chosen game studio, or they can sometimes be used on any game you choose (which is unusual).
What are Free Spins worth?
Free Spins are often of low value or the game’s minimum bet option per spin. The value is often 1p—10p per spin.
The casino’s CRM (Customer Relationship Management) department occasionally gives VIP customers higher-value spins on a case-by-case basis.
Free Spins terms and conditions to be aware of
Online casinos will not give things to their customers for free without some insurance attached to it. The same applies to free spins bonuses.
The most common “insurance” against bonus abuse is that the free spins have some kind of wagering requirement before any winnings can be converted into real cash.
Usually, you must wager any winnings from the free spins 35x – 40x times before a withdrawal can be made. For example, if you win £10 with your free spins and a 35x wagering requirement is added to the bonus, these £10 need to be wagered 350x times before you can cash out the remaining funds.
Another common term and condition on free spins is a win cap. This win cap is often set to £100. So, even if you experience the biggest streak of luck and win much more than £100 and then manage to clear the wagering requirement, £100 is the max you can withdraw from the bonus, and the rest will be forfeited.
Knowing how long the free spins are active on your account is also essential. Sometimes, they are only valid for 24 hours, so the best thing is to play them straight after you receive them.
The difference between bonus free spins and in-game free spins
This is an important part of this subject as it is where many players confuse things.
There are free spins bonuses, and there are real free spins that are triggered in the slot’s base game.
So what is the difference? Let’s explain this as clearly as possible.
- Bonus free spins = These are extra spins played in the slots’ base game. Often with a low or minimum bet size.
- Real free spins = These are the free spins that are given to you when you trigger the slot’s bonus game. Often, you need three scatters to land to trigger these. The free spins played in this option are of the same value as the triggering bet size when the bonus game was triggered. These spins are more valuable as the bonus game increases your chances of winning big and is the highlight of 99% of all online slots.
Can you buy Free Spins?
Feature buy options are available to international players, meaning that they can buy the game’s free spins bonus game by paying around 100x the bet size used to spin.
This is essentially a shortcut to the game’s core, where the big win potential awaits.
However, buying free spins bonuses is risky and unavailable to UK players as they have been prohibited in legal UK casinos.
Players in the United Kingdom need to trigger the free spins bonus game organically, which often triggers, on average, 1 in 200-300 spins, depending on the online slot they are playing.
Free Spins Bonuses at UK online casinos
Free Spins bonuses are popular because online casinos use them as an acquisition tool, and players appreciate them because they get extra spins on a game they enjoy playing.
Some online casinos offer new customers free spins as a bonus when they sign up and deposit for the first time, while others combine them in a package that includes a match bonus and free spins.
Plus and minus about playing free spins
Why would you want to play free spins with all these restrictions added to them? Well, as with most things, there are some advantages and disadvantages with free spins.
Pros:
- You can test a slot with extra spins.
- You might get lucky and win something.
- You extend your entertainment time.
- If you were going to make a first deposit anyway, why not profit for some extra free spins on the side?
Cons:
- Free spins bonuses often have wagering requirements.
- It’s common to have a max win cap on free spin bonuses.
- Free Spins are often given on low to medium-volatile slots with few to no ways of landing huge wins.
Free Spins bonuses are low-risk for online casinos and must be treated that way. You will not walk away with huge wins through the free spins bonus, but it will give you some extra to play with, which can be transformed into real cash if you get lucky.
How to get Free Spins
It might be hard to decide which free spins bonus to choose.
This is why we explain each of the UK welcome bonuses listed here on CasinoWizard.com in detail. We explain how you claim the free spins and what the main terms and conditions are to be aware of, including the wagering requirements and any max win caps.
You can choose the free spins that appeal to you by selecting one of the UK-licensed online casinos listed on this page.
Different types of Free Spins in the UK market
Free Spins is the commonly used term for all these extra spins. Sometimes, they are labeled as Bonus Spins, Extra Spins, or other terms due to UKGC rules to stay compliant, but you may come across different variations.
Most often, they all mean the same, but there are different types of free spins available, so let’s go through the most popular ones.
Deposit Free Spins
The most commonly used free spins for bonuses are those where you need to deposit to collect the free spins.
Often, the minimum first deposit requirement is £10 to receive the free spins, but you can also check our online casino reviews to ensure the minimum deposit limit is before deciding which one to trigger.
Free Spins No Deposit UK
Receiving free spins without a deposit used to be much more common among UK casinos some years ago, but they are nowadays hard to find.
These spins are given to UK players without a deposit needed. Only registration and verification of a new account are needed, and you will receive the spins.
While deposit-free spins might consist of 50-100 rounds, you usually only get a maximum of 10 no-deposit-free spins, as these are riskier for online casinos.
No deposit free spins often attract a high volume of new registrations with a low conversion rate to real-depositing players of a few percent. However, they can still be worth their while, especially for a new UK casino wanting to attract attention from customers through a relatively cheap marketing tool.
No deposit bonuses will rarely attract high-value customers, but it happens.
Either way, getting something for “free” is never bad for UK punters.
Daily Free Spins
Daily free spins are usually a promotion intended to encourage players to log in to their accounts daily to claim their free spins.
This could be part of the welcome package, which is divided into several days and includes 10 free spins per day for 5 days or something similar.
It could also be part of an ongoing promotion for active or lapsed players, where you need to deposit to get x number of free spins, which are then divided into many days.
While the consecutive logins can create a habit that will benefit the casinos where you get used to playing daily, players can also get something out of these free spins, as they get some entertainment many days in a row. Just pay attention to why this bonus was created this way and outsmart the casinos.
Mystery Free Spins
Mystery Free Spins is a campaign where you need to log in and open a casino game of your choice to see if you have won a free spin bonus.
Similar to daily free spins, you have the option to check daily if you have won, which encourages a daily login habit. This increases the chances that you will deposit real funds and play since you made the effort.
The mystery free spins can randomly reward players with 3 – 50 free spins.
Popular games used for Free Spins
It’s no accident that you often find the slot Starburst to be used for free spins bonuses.
Why is Starburst used for free spins?
Because it’s a low-volatility game with a max win potential of only 500x the bet size, if the spins are valued at £0.10, then you can win up to £50—no more.
Starburst is, therefore, a low-risk slot for casinos. It also pays out more low—to medium-sized wins, leading to an entertaining experience as your funds (or spins) last longer.
Lastly, Starburst is a straightforward game without complicated features, so beginners can easily understand it even after a few spins.
Other times, casinos can use a trendy slot with a low minimum bet to offer free spins bonuses. For example, Big Bass Bonanza, Pirots 3 or Book of Dead have been featured lately as free spins slots.
What about new free spins bonuses?
UK slot websites often use bonus free spins as a marketing and acquisition tool to gain new customers.
Some are better than others, and we will list the UK free spins casinos that we consider the best on this page.
Payment methods to avoid for bonuses and free spins
Most payment methods are accepted to trigger a free spins bonus through your first deposit when you are a new customer at a UK casino.
However, the two that most often are excluded are Neteller and Skrill.
So, make sure to check the terms and conditions or our casino reviews before signing up and depositing to avoid any disappointment or unwanted surprises.
Frequently Asked Questions about Free Spins
These are rare nowadays, but some UK online casinos still offer them to players. When you find one of these offers, you just need to register for a new player account and verify your identity. When completed, you will be given the non-deposit-free spins.
Free spins bonuses and promotions give players extended entertainment time and a chance to enjoy games for longer without spending additional money to play the game. However, free spins are usually of low value with wagering requirements attached to them and with win caps.
Free spins often have a value of £0.10 (or less) per spin and are offered on online slots with lower max win potential. Occasionally, there might also be a win cap of £100 on the bonus, so while you might have fun playing free spins, winning big is unlikely.
Starburst is a fun and popular slot due to its low volatility setting, which leads to more small—to medium-sized wins. It also has few features, making it easy to understand. However, Starburst is a low-risk game for online casinos, so while you will have fun playing it, don’t expect to walk away with any big winnings.
In most cases, a deposit is needed to receive the free spins, which are often called Extra Spins or Bonus Spins in the UK.
Once you have received the free spins bonus, you upload the eligible game, and your free spins will automatically appear on your screen.
Most often, a deposit is needed, and you might have to opt in for the bonus either after registration or on the casino’s promotion page to receive the free spins.