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Free Spins vs. Deposit Bonuses: What’s the Real Difference?
Public Group active 3 days, 9 hours agoCasino promotions are a fundamental part of attracting new players to the platform. The online casino industry is one of the most competitive sectors, with a large volume of casinos battling for the same customers. As a player, this is a major benefit because signing up with a new casino or staying loyal with continued play will usually mean that you will be rewarded with bonuses and other incentives.
However, the value of bonuses are not always as straightforward as they seem to be and understanding the difference between the various promotions on a deeper level will help you to choose the casinos that offer the best value.
The most common promotions provided by online casinos include free spins and deposit bonuses and often these are provided as a combined package in a welcome bonus for new customers when they register. We look at the key differences between the two and what to look out for:
How Do Free Spins Work?
An online casino will often offer a set number of free spins to new players, commonly 100 free spins will be awarded if the player meets the eligibility criteria. Free spins are also sometimes provided as loyalty rewards or to promote new games that they have launched.
Another common way that free spins are used is to cross-market to existing customers who tend to be more active on other areas of the platform. For example, a platform that has a sportsbook might offer a set number of free spins on games for every goal scored in a football match. This brings customers who predominantly visit the platform to place sports bets into the casino section of the platform.
The Details About Free Spins that Really Matter
Many players will be looking at the volume of free spins that are included in a welcome deposit but there will usually be terms attached that will determine whether you are realistically going to be able qualify for the bonus. Wagering requirements are the main detail to check here, and these should be clearly explained on the website. The wagering requirements will typically be that the player has to wager a certain multiplier of the deposit amount before they can claim the free spins.
As an example, for tikal casino online the terms for claiming the welcome bonus is that you must wager the sum of (deposit + bonus) 25 times. Other online casinos have similar wagering requirements but some are much higher, such as 50 or 60 times. Another detail to check is how long you have to meet the wagering requirements, which can vary from around 5 to 30 days. The longer the window that you have to qualify, the easier it will be to achieve the free spins bonus.
Wagering requirements usually apply across free spins and deposit bonuses but one thing to look for that is specific to free spins is whether the free spins are limited to just a few games. Some free spins are tied to just one specific game that is being promoted, while a deposit match bonus can often be used across a wider range of games.
How Do Deposit Bonuses Work?
The most common type of deposit bonus is a welcome deposit match, where the casino will credit you with a matched amount to your deposit, e.g. if there is a 100% deposit match and you deposit $100, you will receive an additional $100. Other types of deposit bonuses may be awarded a while after you have registered, with some casinos offering reload bonuses after the welcome bonus has been used, which will again be a match on the deposit amount.
What to Look Out for on Deposit Bonuses
The deposit matches can vary from 50% to 300% or more but there will generally always be wagering requirements to meet, which work in the same way as they do for free spins. This means you might need to wager the deposit amount 30 or more times within a set period before you can convert the deposit bonus into withdrawable winnings.
There may be a minimum deposit amount that you have to make, so you should be wary of being tempted into making a larger deposit than you would usually be comfortable making.
Conclusion: Look for Genuine Value Over Bonus Size
Both free spins and deposit bonuses can give you more playing time and opportunities to turn the free promotions into winnings, but a smaller bonus with clear terms can offer better value than the larger deposits that are hard to achieve. Also, free spins for games that you are not massively interested in playing are not as valuable to you as ones that can be used on your favorite games.