No Deposit No-Nos: Five Common Mistakes to Avoid

There’s no question about it: we are living in the golden age of online casino gambling.

Never before have players had so many options in choosing how, where, and on what terms to play! And never before have so many casinos had to compete for the patronage of players.

It’s truly a global market, with much of the competition benefitting players’ bottom lines.

One result of this is that online casinos have become experts at luring new players – and keeping their regulars happy – with the use of all kinds of bonuses.

These promotions come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. There are offers to match deposits up to a certain amount. There are free spins, cash back deals, and player-friendly tournaments. Sometimes, promotions within a certain game are available, such as blackjack paying 2:1 for a limited time.

One variety, though, seems to stand out from the rest…

…the no-deposit bonus.

These are the only kind of special offer that provide gaming resources to players without them having to stake their own bankroll.

The appeal is easy to understand! And plenty of players flock to the prospect of what can feel like ‘free money.’

As we’ll see, though, this isn’t quite the case. A better way to think about no-deposit bonuses might be ‘a free tour, maybe with a bit of swag at the end.’

Let’s take a look at some common errors resulting from this misunderstanding.

Avoiding them, players can take advantage of the best these bonuses have to offer.

The most common misconception about no-deposit bonuses is that players could simply sign up, claim the bonus, and cash out with it.

That really would be free money!

Unfortunately, this is essentially never how it works. There are always betting requirements that must be met before withdrawals can be made.

Casinos offer these no-deposit offerings in order to attract customers. They want these new players to use their no-deposit chips to try the games, find some they like, and then hopefully turn around and make sizable deposit of their own.

Now, it may well be possible to make some good bets, win them, and make a withdrawal without ever putting your own funds at risk. But this outcome should not be assumed!

Competition among casinos is a very good thing for players. The best casinos out there take their business seriously, and make taking care of their customers a top priority.

However, just like in another industry, there are some bad actors out there in the online gambling industry. And it’s just as easy for a casino of ill-repute to offer a no-deposit bonus as it is for a top-tier provider.

Use our casino comparison tool and read some user reviews in order to make sure your chosen casino is legit.

Bad casinos tend to reveal their problems after big wins have been achieved. So if there are any issues, it’s very much in player’s interests to know about them before things get very far!

Often, even when no deposit winnings would otherwise be eligible for withdrawal, there is one neglected element that brings things to a stop: betting requirements.

Generally, wagering requirements fall within a range of 10x-60x the prize size. In practice, this can mean that players need to keep playing even after they’d prefer to quit, if they want to be able to cash out.

There may also be a time window during which these requirements must be fulfilled. If that window closes, the window of opportunity may close with it.

These are two ways in which casinos try to protect themselves from players who are more interested in free money than they are in actually playing the games.

Withdrawal minimums, which typically fall within the $10-$30 range, prevent players from cashing out with ultra-small sums of money. No-deposit bonuses often fall below these minimums.

As a result, winning players may find that, in addition to wagering and time requirements, they may need to make a cash deposit in order to withdraw what they’ve won.

On the other end of things, withdrawal maximums limit casinos’ exposure in the event of a jackpot payout when playing with no-deposit bonuses. Players are still able to cash out with some of their winnings, of course, but any amount above the max disappears upon withdrawal.

There’s a certain predilection in modern life towards skipping the  section.

It’s an understandable tendency: after all, who wants to spend 15 minutes reading legalese in order to use a hotel room’s wifi network?

When it comes to online casino gambling, though, the devil is always in the details. And all of the above mistakes can be avoided by reading the fine print.

It can often take a little extra effort just to find the terms and conditions, though!

We recommend paying especially close attention to the playing timeframe; which games are eligible and which restricted; withdrawal minimums and maximums; and of course wagering requirements.

No Deposit bonuses definitely have something to offer players. When punters come forearmed with a keen understanding of what these promotions can and can’t do, there’s a real possibility of happy outcomes.

Problems arise when gamers get drawn in by the language of the promotion, without paying attention to the details.

But awareness of these common errors will keep you in the know. Happy gaming!