The term ‘free spins’ is becoming a rare sight in the online casino world, mainly because changes to regulations and laws meant that the scope of what could be defined as a ‘free spins’ reduced a fair amount.However, terms like ‘bonus spins’, ‘extra spins’, ‘fair spins’, or simply ‘spins’ are as ubiquitous as ever and mean exactly what free spins used to.A bonus spins promotion will normally be part of the welcome bonus at an online casino, but at some sites, they will be a regular addition for players who have already signed up, made their deposits, and picked up their bonuses.So, what exactly are bonus spins? How do they work? And what caveats and small print do you need to be aware of? And what exactly is the difference between a ‘free spin’ and a ‘bonus spin’?As with most aspects of the online casino world, it’s something of a quagmire of complicated language and less than clear rules and regulations.Luckily, as we always are, we are here to provide you with a handy guide that can help you with all the complex intricacies of the world of free and bonus spins.
What’s the Difference?
While extra, bonus, or fair as a prefix to spins tends to mean exactly the same thing, that actually is a difference between these spins and anything that can be described as free spins. The simple difference is that free spins do not have to be paid for in any way, meaning you will be given these spins on registration, before you have made a deposit.However, bonus spins and any of its synonyms refers to spins that are gained by making a deposit, so, for example, if you made a first deposit of £20 at an online casino, you may then receive 20 bonus spins on top of the possible deposit bonus you receive.
So Free Spins are Better?
It would seem this way at first glance, but, as always, it isn’t that simple when you look a little closer.Free spins, often referred to as No Deposit Free Spins, are spins that come before you make a deposit will often come with small print attached, there may be a limit on how much you can win from these spins, or perhaps a wagering requirement which means you have to wager the value of the spins a certain amount before you can access any winnings you get from the spins, or, in many cases, both of these.New site PWR Bet offers 10 spins upon registration with no deposit bonus, as well as a 100% first deposit bonus up to £500 (valid at the time of writing, promotion subject to change, terms and conditions apply).With bonus spins, there is often also small print attached, but it will tend to expect less from you.
Do Bonus Spins Without Wagering Requirements Exist?
As much as you wouldn’t expect this to be true, actually, yes, they do. They are a bit of a unicorn, but they are there to be found if you know where to look.Thrills Casino and its offshoot Guts Casino both offer bonus spins that come with no wagering requirements, as does eerie gamification site Kaboo, and the upstart new kid on the block that’s making the massive impact, PlayOJO.In every one of these cases, any winnings you pick up from your bonus spins is yours to keep with no hoops to jump through whatsoever.It is true that the spins that come without wagering requirement will tend to be less spins, or at least spins of a lower value, so it’s worth picking the right choice for you between free and bonus spins.
Super and Mega Spins
Sometimes, the word ‘spins’ will be prefixed by more exciting words, such as “Super” or “Mega”, these spins will tend to be given for higher deposits or as the prize for a tournament or promotion, and will usually be valued at around £1 per spin, although they can go substantially higher than this, which means big wins can be taken.It should be noted that Mega Spins or Super Spins will normally come with wagering requirements attached so be sure to read the small print before playing.
Promotions and Tournaments
While the majority of bonus spins will be given as part of a welcome bonus of some kind, they are also a popular prize for promotions and tournaments.Promotions are offers that are given by casinos, normally in return for something. For example, you could deposit a certain amount, or wager an amount on a specific game type, and you will receive a number of free spins as a result.Tournaments work a little differently, in the case of a slots tournament, which is the type of tournament that will normally have free spins as a prize, you will normally be given a number of spins on a slot for a certain price, and the higher the win you gain from those spins, the higher you will place on the leaderboard.In these tournaments, there will normally be prizes available for the top few places, normally a decreasing number of free spins.
In-Game Free Spins
When it comes to slot games themselves, the term “Free Spins” is still frequent, because when it comes to in-game spins, they work very differently.A decent percentage of slot games will have some kind of free spins feature included. This will normally be triggered by landing a certain number of a specific symbols (usually three or more for a five reel slot) in a single spin.This will then reward you with a set amount of spins in most cases, although some slots have an infinite number of spins, with the feature ending when something happens, like a certain symbol landing or not landing on the reels.These spins will not take any money from you, hence why they can be called free spins, and with it often being possible to retrigger the feature, it isn’t rare to see the reels spin a multitude of times without spending anything, if you’re lucky.A free spins feature will often come with extra features attached, whether it is a base game feature from the slot you are playing, extra wilds, or a variety of other modifiers. It is unsurprising, therefore, to learn that a free spins feature is the centrepiece of many popular video slot games, and that looks to continue to be the case for a long time to come.
Caveats
In-game free spins tend to come without small print, but as mentioned above, free or bonus spins from casinos often come with requirements attached, these are the three most common:Wagering Requirement – This is a caveat which means you must turn over the value of the free spins a certain number of times before any winnings you receive from them will be unlocked.Wagering requirements are also present with deposit bonuses, but the requirements on free spins can often be far greater, regularly up to 100x the free spins amount.Visit the sites listed above if you want to avoid wagering requirements attached to your free spins.Capped Winnings – Another fairly self-explanatory one, this means that there is a cap on the amount of winnings you can pick up from your free spins.Limits don’t tend to be higher than £100 when there are used, which means although it’s unlikely that you will cross that line, it can be very frustrating if you do, only to discover that however much you wager, you can’t access everything you’ve won.Expiration Dates – This is probably the most common addition to a free spins promotion. An expiration date simply puts a deadline on when you can use your free spins, which is normally no less than three days and no more than ten.As long as you aware of these three requirements that may be attached to a bonus spins promotion, and you have thoroughly read the terms and conditions to ensure that you fully understand what you will need to do in order to access any winnings, then they should not come as a nasty surprise.
Making the Right Choice
With all the different options available, there is the freedom to shop around and find the right bonus spins to suit you.For the hobby player, it may be better to find a site that offers a small amount of bonus spins after a deposit is made, with no wagering requirements attached.However, the high roller might prefer to find a site that offers a higher amount of bonus spins, comfortable that they can meet the wagering requirement without making drastic changes to their usual gameplay habits.Whatever your preference, there are multiple bonus spins offers out there to choose from, so take the time to find the one that best suits your need, at an online casino that is trustworthy, and offers suitable gaming options to match your preferences.