While playing at a new casino, you will probably be hesitant to put in your money until you try the available slots and verify the casino's financial credibility. In that respect, you are better off looking for a site that offers free play codes or as they're commonly known, no deposit bonuses, to new players.
These bonuses offer a perfect way to start your online gambling journey, especially with a new casino. For one, they allow you to play in a risk-free environment. Second and most importantly, you can keep all the winnings you make from them.
As the name suggests, these are bonuses that you can unlock without having to make a deposit. They come in many different ways too. They can, for instance, be in form of small cash gifts - say $10, or $20 - or as free spins on given slots. Other sites offer bonus rounds on jackpot slots, which give you higher chances of hitting the pot.
Most online casinos give no deposits to new players only, mainly to entice them to register accounts and deposit real money. In such cases, the bonuses do not need to have activation codes and simply activate themselves once a player completes the sign-up process.
Some casinos also give out free bonuses to existing players, either to commemorate an event - like the casino's anniversary, or the launch of a new slot - or just as a marketing strategy. For logistical purposes, these bonuses usually come with the aforementioned free play codes for smooth activation.
Admittedly, free offers are often smaller than regular bonuses as they carry a higher degree of risk from the casino's perspective, and as you know, casinos HATE losing. Considering that you don't have anything to lose (quite the opposite), that should not worry you much.
Also known as bonus codes, free play codes are basically the 'passwords' you need to enter to unlock a given no deposit bonus. They often contain both words and letters that bear a very close similarity to the name of the bonus in question. For instance, a 50 Free Spins welcome bonus may have the code WELCOME50, while a $10 free play cash bonus may be presented as 10FREE or FREE10.
In some cases, the codes are valid for many months, while others are changed periodically, which means you need to constantly check the casino's news page for updates.
No deposit bonuses are given to players (albeit with conditions attached), with the aim of retaining them as loyal members - and not just pick the cash and go. Indeed, there are thousands of players who do exactly that, with some cunning ones going on to make small fortunes in the process.
To discourage and protect themselves from the bonus hunters, or bonus baggers, casinos are increasingly implementing tougher terms and conditions for all their free play bonuses. These include high wagering requirements that one needs to meet before they can withdraw any earnings arising from the bonus.
Some casinos also restrict the amount of money you can withdraw from the bonus pot, even when you've achieved the wagering requirement. For instance, having a playthrough requirement of 30X and an earnings withdrawal limit of $20 means only a few players will get to 'bag' the bonus, leaving the House with an overall profit.
In summary, free play codes are great and you should definitely look out for them and put them into play. Just be sure to temper your expectations and understand that they alone won't make you rich.
