Theres no such thing as a free lunch says the old saying, but actually in the world of online casinos there is such a thing as free lunch – albeit it one with a limited menu! No deposit casino bonuses are a way of trying out a new casino or gambling site risk free with the casinos money, and it is now a common practice for casinos to issue free chips to new players to encourage them to try out the site. It is even possible to cash out your winnings off no deposit bonuses but there are terms and conditions which need to be adhered to whenever you are playing with free bonuses.

The first thing to remember with no deposit bonuses are there is usually a limit to the amount of money you can cash out, so if you are planning to win big then it is always better to risk a small amount of your own money – that way you can keep all your winnings. If you do decide to play on a free chip and then hit a progressive jackpot or a random jackpot, then there you will only be eligible to receive a small amount of your winnings. This is why most free chip bonuses exclude play on progressive jackpot games. Random jackpot games however are usually not excluded from play, and several players have hit big random jackpots (jackpots which can be won on any spin) and been unable to receive all their winnings because they were playing on a free chip. With most casinos now offering generous signup bonuses which do not exclude progressive and random jackpot play consider whether these would be a better option.

No deposit bonuses will always have terms and conditions which you need to adhere to when playing with the free money. Some bonuses are redeemed manually ie by entering a coupon code in the casino cashier or clicking to redeem a coupon. You will usually be asked to read and accept the terms and conditions before accepting the bonus. Some no deposit bonuses are added automatically when you open a casino account, either instantly or within a few hours. The terms and conditions for these bonuses can usually be found somewhere on the casino site. If you are unsure or cannot find them then contact live chat before you start to play. You can also request a no deposit bonus to be removed from your account before you start to play if you do not wish to agree to the terms and conditions.

Casino bonus terms and conditions usually consist of three elements – playthru requirements and excluded games. The playthru requirements are how many times the bonus needs to be wagered before a cashout can be requested, this is usually between 20 x and 200 x for a no deposit bonus. Maximum withdrawal amounts apply on most free chip bonuses – otherwise a casino would very quickly go out of business – the maximum withdrawal allowed is sometimes as little as 1 x the bonus although a few casinos impose no maximum, but hefty playthru requirements. Lastly, many games are excluded from free chip play – progressive jackpots are usually excluded as discussed earlier, but blackjack and roulette are commonly excluded too, and occasionally video poker. Often no deposit bonuses are issued just for slots and keno play.

No deposit bonuses are good for trying out a new casino, but always be mindful of the terms and conditions. If you don’t want to lose out on any potential winnings then make a small deposit instead.

To find out more about no deposit bonuses and to see an up to date list of online casinos offering free chips visit no deposit casinos

By Pam Rich
Pam Rich is the owner of several online casino sites including no deposit casinos and uk online casinos