Free Spins

What are free spins?

Free spins can mean two very different things. They can be the bonus round in a slot game, which activates when a player lands scatter symbols on the reels. On the other hand, they can also mean the casino bonus, which might or might not be tied to wagering requirements and allows you to spin the reels for free in the base game of specific slots. This article focuses primarily on the latter.

Why aren’t free spins abundant in German and Dutch online casinos?

Free spins are not abundant in German, Dutch, and Nordic casinos because of the strict laws imposed by the regional governments. Most of these countries allow state-sanctioned gambling, which is heavily regulated. Part of the government monopoly warrants restrictions on player incentivization to curb problem gambling.

For instance, the German Gambling Authority has imposed the rule that locally licensed online casinos cannot offer more than one bonus per player. In other words, the offer is limited only to the welcome bonus. If a casino with a German license doesn’t offer free spins initially, it won’t offer any later as well.

Free spins at casinos with not a national license

It is to be noted that before the German Gambling Act entered into force, online casinos in German had the liberty to hand out more free spin bonuses and promotions than they can now. However, the laws changed on 1st July 2021. Today, you have to turn to unlicensed casino websites (popularly known as casino ohne lizenz in Germany) if you want to receive free spins outside the welcome bonus.

Such casinos are not subject to German regulation because they are licensed by foreign regulators such as the MGA casino, the UKGC, and Curacao casinos. They can incentivize players the way they wish. When you play at an unlicensed casino, you are likely to receive free spin bonuses when you sign up or even in the form of daily, weekly, or monthly promotional offers. The opportunities never end.

However, there’s one major drawback. Foreign casinos cannot target players in Germany, Holland, or the Nordics. They cannot run advertisements regarding their products and services. Neither can they support monetary transactions in the local currency. This is where you need comparison websites like ours that list casinos for players from the above-mentioned countries. The operators can’t reach out to you. But no law is holding you back from reaching out to them!

Are free spins really free?

Unless specified as no-wagering, free spin bonuses will always require you to make a deposit. Most unlicensed casinos clump it together with the welcome offer so it seems like you are not paying anything for it. In reality, such offers are tied to a deposit match bonus.

Here’s an example:

Let’s assume a casino offers a welcome bonus of 100% up to €100 + 200 Free Spins. A player will receive the 200 free spins instantly or in installments upon depositing an amount to fund his casino account. There would again be a minimum deposit value, which if not deposited, won’t activate the welcome offer. For instance, if the minimum deposit amount is €10 and a player deposits €1, chances are he would neither receive the match deposit nor the free spins.

Yet again, winnings from free spins might be tied to wagering requirements. For instance, if you win €100 from those 200 free spins you received and the casino has specified x30 as the wagering requirements, you would need to wager it 30 times (100 X 30 = €3,000) before you can cash out your winnings. Wondering how a player profits? Allow us to explain.

The €100 you won from the free spins is bonus money offered to you by the casino. Assuming you play a slot game of 99% RTP that contributes 100% to wagering, you would receive €99 for every €100 you bet. When you play the bonus through €3000, you would get back €2970 over time. This means you would lose 3000 – 2970 = €30 overall. So, your net profit from the free spins will be 100 – 30 = €70.

What are the types of free spin bonuses?

Casinos without licenses offer several different types of free spins that differ slightly from each other. We have discussed the common types below:

Free spins upon registration

Some unlicensed casinos welcome players with free spins when they first register. This bonus is a great way for new players to test a casino before making a deposit. The number of such free spins is usually low and varies from 10 to 20. Also, players can use them only on selected slots. These free spins are usually wager-free, which means that you do not have to meet any bonus conditions when you use them. But in some cases, you can play through a preset number of times before you can make a withdrawal.

No deposit free spins

Just as the name suggests, a no deposit free spins offer fetches you free spins without depositing money. These bonuses are popular at casinos. Free spins without a deposit are often part of a promotion for loyal players and VIP members. But there are also free spins with no deposit that apply to players who have not yet registered a gaming account.

Free spins with wagering

As discussed earlier, free spins usually come with a wagering requirement, which means you must wager the winnings a certain number of times before you can convert your bonus to real cash.

Mega spins

There are some casinos without a Nordic license that distribute something called mega spins. These are spins that are worth more than regular spins and are conducive to bigger prizes. Although mega spins are awarded to all types of players in the form of promotions, the offer is often aimed at VIP or high rollers.

Are free spins profitable?

The profitability of free spins depends on several factors, which include the following: The wagering requirement

We discussed earlier how free spins are tied to wagering requirements and how it affects profitability. Different casinos set different wagering requirements on the deposit, bonus, or both. The contribution of different slot games toward wagering is also different. Moreover, some casinos limit free spins to certain slots only, which might leave out your favorite slot games from the list. Overall, these rules are needed to prevent bonus abuse.

Now, if we consider the wagering requirements on free spins, anything above x40 isn’t profitable. For instance, if you consider the aforementioned example with an x50 wagering, you would need to wager your €100 winnings through €5,000, which is a lot of money. Yet again, if you play a 99% RTP slot, you would get back €4,950 over time and lose €50 overall. The profit, from free spins then, comes down to 100 – 50 = €50.

Validity period

Keep in mind that you also have a certain number of days to turn over your winnings. It can be up to 30 days, more or even less. If you do not meet the wagering requirement within this period, your free spin winnings will be lost. Now, if an online casino wants you to wager your winnings by 50 times within 7 days, this requirement might be difficult to meet. Always read the fine print before you jump into claiming the free spins offer.

RTP and volatility

When playing slots and trying to meet wagering requirements, it is good to know the concepts of RTP and Volatility. RTP stands for Return to Player and signifies the bet amount you get back from a slot game in the long run. For instance, a slot with a 99% RTP will give back a 99 for every 100 you bet. Slots with higher RTP are considered profitable. You should reconsider playing games below 95% RTP.

On the other hand, the profitability of free spins also depends on the volatility of a slot game. High volatility games pay out bigger wins that are distributed less often. Low volatility games, on the other hand, payout smaller wins frequently. Although winning once in a blue moon sounds unprofitable, such slots are more promising than those that offer lower wins very often.