Play Online Instant Wins for Real Money or for Free

Instant wins first emerged in the 1950s and 60s when a guy called John Koza invented them as a promotional tool for the company at which he worked at the time. Koza went on to develop these instant win games into something more closely resembling today's lottery scratch cards, with the first one, called simply Instant Game, launched by Scientific Games in 1974 in the state of Massachusetts, USA.

Play Instant Wins for Free

Instant win games come in all shapes and sizes, with most of them taking the form of scratch card style games. However, you will also find other games in the instant wins section of online casinos, such as carnival-style mini-games, Slingo and instant win lotto. Such a variety of casino games needs to be explored, so it's a good thing that you can do so for free!

Yes, many online casinos offer you the opportunity to try their games in demo mode, which usually includes instant wins. But there is another way of playing instant wins for free, and that's by claiming a sign-up bonus. Let's look at both of these options in more detail. 

Free Instant Win Games Demo Mode

Also known as Try Free or Free Play mode, demo mode allows you to try any of the included games at an online casino without playing with your own money. Many online casinos offer this option as it's a great way for players to explore the games on offer before deciding whether or not to join the site. That means you can take full advantage and see if their selection of instant wins meets your expectations before even registering!

Accessing demo mode is usually a simple case of clicking the button on the game image that says Try Free, Play Free or Demo. You'll then be able to play the free game just as you would if it were for real money. Just remember that those winnings will still only be play money too!

Play Instant Wins for Real Money

So you've tried a few instant wins in demo mode and maybe even played a few with a sign-up bonus. What's next? If you're interested in winning real money, you'll need to start playing with real money!

The most obvious way of starting to play instant games with real money is to deposit your own money at an online casino. However, you can also get additional funds to play with, thanks to the many bonuses at online casinos. Let's check out these two options.

Balance Top-up for Instant Win Casino

What does it mean to make a deposit? Just like going to the bank and giving them cash to put in your account, depositing at an amazing online casino puts your money in your online casino account to play games for real money. Online casinos tend to offer many payment methods that you can choose from to deposit, including Visa, Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller, mobile payments and even cryptocurrency wallets. 

Thanks to today's security technology and strict rules by licensing authorities, making a deposit online is completely safe, as long as you choose a trustworthy and reputable online casino such as those featured on this site which has been carefully reviewed.

Making a deposit is quick and easy. Click any of the online casino's Deposit buttons or visit the Cashier. You then choose one of the payment methods available, enter your details, including how much you want to deposit and click the button to proceed with the transaction. Your deposited funds will then appear in your balance, usually instantly, at which point you can start using them to play instant games!

Bonuses Available for Instant Wins

Bonuses are perfect for getting some extra cash to play with, therefore potentially boosting your chances of winning, but can you get bonuses for instant win games? The short answer is yes! Online casinos offer a variety of bonuses that can be used to play instant win games, and these come in many shapes and sizes. 

Let's take a closer look at the various types of bonuses you can expect to find at online casinos suitable for playing instant wins, from no-deposit bonuses to cashback, to decide which ones are best for you.

Instant Wins No-Deposit Bonuses

Just as the name suggests, no-deposit bonuses are those that don't require you to deposit to claim them. The sign-up bonus mentioned above is one such no-deposit bonus, but there are others. The benefit of a no-deposit bonus is that you can experience real money gameplay without risking your own money, so these bonuses are very popular!

No-deposit bonuses are not quite as common as deposit bonuses, as you might expect, but you can still find them if you know where to look. First of all, check out the online casinos that offer a sign-up bonus to new players and see if they are eligible for use on instant wins. Beyond that, you can also get your email address on the promotional mailing list at the online casino you've joined, which is usually done by ticking the box during the sign-up process. Many online casinos send special offers to certain groups of players via email. 

These can include no-deposit bonuses to celebrate a new event or game release, so it's worth signing up!

Welcome Bonuses for Instant Wins

One of the most common bonuses you're likely to receive is the welcome bonus. Offered to almost all new players, the welcome bonus is an extra amount of funds added to your account, so you have more than your deposit to play with. Welcome bonuses are offered specifically for your first deposit at the site and typically come in the form of a percentage of that first deposit up to a maximum amount.

While you find welcome bonuses that take the shape of free spins or cash back, most of them are standard bonuses that can be used to play almost any game offered on the site, including instant wins. However, double-check the T&Cs to make sure you can play instant games with the welcome bonus before claiming.

Claiming a welcome bonus is very easy. All you have to do is visit the Cashier or click any of the Deposit buttons on the site, choose a payment method and make your first deposit. If applicable, be sure to deposit enough to trigger the bonus and enter the bonus code. Your welcome bonus will be added to your account balance, ready for instant win gameplay!

Reload Promos

Reload bonuses are another type of deposit bonus, just like welcome bonuses, but in this case, the bonus is credited for a deposit that isn't your first. Many online casinos offer welcome bonuses to their players to encourage regular and ongoing gameplay. These reload bonuses can often be found in monthly, weekly or even daily bonuses, effectively giving you extra funds to play with every time you deposit.

You'll find reload bonuses detailed on online casinos' Promotions or Offers page. Still, you may also be sent details of specially tailored reload bonuses via email, so it's well worth ticking that box during the sign-up process to receive promotional offers!

Claiming a reload bonus is typically just as easy as claiming a welcome bonus. You deposit a qualifying amount to your online casino account, and the bonus will be added automatically. In some cases, however, you may be asked to enter a bonus code or get in touch with support to claim the bonus.

Free Instant Win Games Real Money Cashback

Though you may not realise it, cashback is another bonus that you can claim for some extra time to play those instant wins. Casino cashback is a little different to the bonuses we've already looked at in that you get it after you play, rather than before. There are two types of cashback: net losses and gameplay. With net losses cashback, you get back a percentage of your gameplay's net losses over a certain period. With gameplay cashback, it's a percentage of your entire gameplay, not just your losses, that you get back.

Contrary to what the name suggests, what you get back is not straight cash, it's a bonus, and as such, there are wagering requirements that must be met before you can withdraw. Cashback is a great way to get something back for your gameplay, even if you don't win, so keep an eye out!

How to Play Instant Wins?

Instant wins come in many shapes and sizes, so there isn't one clear cut way of playing them all. You'll find instant wins as scratch cards, carnival-style mini-games and Slingo, each with its own specific set of rules. Scratch cards at an online casino are like those you might have bought from your local shop. You choose which one you want to buy then you 'scratch off' the panels to reveal symbols. If you get the required symbols, you win a prize.

Carnival-style mini-games can vary wildly in design, from ball drops to pickers. Slingo games are a combination of slots and bingo were spinning the reels results in numbers or symbols that you mark off your bingo-style card, with lines resulting in wins. To learn more about instant wins, check out our article on How to Play and Win at Instant Wins.

References

• Online scratchcards (Wikipedia)
• Scratchcards: harmless flutter or costly addiction? (The Guardian)