Best Free No Deposit Bonuses UK 2024

No deposit bonuses are often seen as the most attractive type of bonus at online casinos and for all you UK residents out there, yes, you can find them at UK online casinos too! In this article we'll take you through exactly what a no deposit bonus is, which types of no deposit bonuses there are, and which UK online casinos offer them.

What Is a No Deposit Bonus?

A no deposit bonus is a bonus that can be claimed without the need to make a deposit. It is often regarded as the 'holy grail' of bonuses as you generally don't need to do very much to claim it and it gives you some funds to play with without risking any of your own money.

No deposit bonuses are perhaps the most effective way for UK online casinos to attract new players to their site. After all, who doesn't want to play casino games for free?

What Types of No Deposit Bonuses Are There in UK Casinos?

No deposit bonuses come in a variety of forms at UK online casinos. This is mainly to appeal to a broader audience - some people prefer free spins while others would rather get a general bonus that can be used on various types of games.

Let's take a look at a few different types of no deposit bonuses.

No Deposit Free Spins

No deposit free spins are perhaps the most common no deposit offer at UK online casinos. This is because the vast majority of online casino gamers prefer to play slots. No deposit free spins are usually offered to new members (although certain groups of players can also be offered them) and are the perfect introduction to a new UK online casino as they allow you to test drive one or more online casino slots before you make your first deposit at the site. That gives you the opportunity to see how the games perform before you start playing for real money winnings.

Check out Jackpot Village Casino's no deposit free spins offer.

Free Cash No Deposit Bonus

Many online casinos in the UK also offer what you might call free cash no deposit bonuses. These are not actually free cash, of course, but rather funds you can use to play games without the need to make a deposit in order to claim them. Free cash no deposit bonus offers are a little rarer than no deposit free slots spins, but you can still find a few UK online casinos offering them to players, usually as a loyalty reward.

Which Is Better - Free Cash or Free Spins?

So which of the above two no deposit offers is more attractive? The answer to that depends on what games you prefer to play, but you can also do some simple calculations to determine which offer represents a better deal in terms of value.

Online free casino spins no deposit offers are given a monetary value, ie. how much each free spin is worth. You can use that information to work out the value of the no deposit free spins offer by multiplying the number of free spins by the value of each free spin.

Let's use an example:

An online casino offers 10 no deposit free spins, with each free spin worth £0.10.

10 x 0.10 = £1

That means the overall value of the free spins offer is £1.

Compare that to a no deposit bonus offer of £5 and you can immediately see that the no deposit bonus offers better value.

Of course, the monetary value of the no deposit offers is just one aspect you can take into account when deciding which is right for you.

While it's true that most players prefer to play slots, many of them would actually choose the no deposit bonus offer rather than the no deposit free spins offer. Why? The no deposit bonus offer can be used to play a wide range of top casino games, rather than just slots or even one specific slot. That means the bonus could be used to explore more of the site's games.

Another point worth considering is wagering requirements. With no deposit bonuses, you'll have to wager the bonus amount the stated number of times, but with free spins, it's the value of any winnings you manage to trigger that you'll need to wager through. Claiming the free spins no deposit offer could result in massive wagering requirements if you hit a huge win.

Bear in mind that other conditions such as winnings caps and games eligibility will also come into play. It's important that you read the bonus terms before claiming. Ultimately, the best choice between no deposit bonuses and free spins comes down to which set of conditions is more agreeable to you.

Cashback Bonus

No deposit cashback bonuses are also fairly common at UK online casinos. To claim one of these, you generally have to be an existing player, but on occasion you can also find sites offering no deposit cashback to new players too. The way these work is you'll get to play on a specific game or collection of games for a stated length of time or up to a set value. After that, you'll be credited back a certain percentage of the funds you've lost. This kind of casino cashback bonus can also occasionally be based on gameplay rather than losses, which is even more attractive. The cashback usually has its own wagering requirements but sometimes it's offered wager-free.

Take a look at Barz Casino's cashback offer.

No Deposit Bonus For Existing Players

No deposit offers are not just reserved for new players. Existing players can also enjoy a range of no deposit bonus offers, usually as a loyalty perk. When you've been active at a UK online casino for some time, you can expect to be rewarded for your continued gameplay with all manner of treats, including a few no deposit offers. Such offers might come in the form of gifts on a special occasion such as Halloween, Christmas or even your birthday.

Take a look at some of the best UK online casinos that offer birthday bonuses.

Popular No Deposit Bonus Offers

Since many players prefer the freedom that claiming a no deposit bonus offers them, here's a look at the most popular ones you might come across:

£5 No Deposit Bonus

£5 no deposit bonuses might not seem worth your time but they actually represent the best of both worlds. You get a small amount to play a wide range of the site's games, but you also enjoy smaller wagering requirements than larger bonuses due to the reduced bonus amount.

£10 No Deposit Bonus

A £10 no deposit bonus offer is a little more attractive to many players as it gives you a bit more to play games with. This is particularly relevant to new players, who would obviously prefer having a little more with which to test drive the site's games.

£20 No Deposit Bonus

On the upper end of the scale you have the £20 no deposit bonus offer. The larger value of this bonus makes it a little harder to find and the wagering requirements will obviously mean you need to play through more. However, a bonus of this size means much more time to explore a wider range of games than one of smaller value.

How Does a No Deposit Bonus Compare to Other Bonuses?

Other types of bonuses tend to be a lot more common than no deposit bonuses. Why is that? Take a look below to see how no deposit bonuses compare to the other types of bonuses you can expect to find at UK online casinos.

No Deposit Bonus Pros & Cons

Deciding whether or not to claim a no deposit bonus comes down to personal preference. To help you come to a decision that works best for you, here's a list of the pros and cons of no deposit bonuses.

How do I Get a UK No Deposit Bonus?

So you've decided to claim a no deposit bonus, but how do you actually go about getting one? Since most no deposit bonuses form part of the casino welcome offer and are aimed at new players, they tend to be very easy to claim.

Claiming a no deposit bonus tends to involve minimal steps such as:

1. Find a suitable UK no deposit bonus casino. Simply pick one from our list!
2. Sign up at the online casino by completing the short registration process.
3. Activate your no deposit bonus offer either in the cashier or by contacting the casino's support service (some offers may be activated automatically).

While this is usually the way claiming a no deposit bonus works, you may come across some variations. This may mean that to claim your no deposit bonus you have to:

• Tick a box when registering
• Confirm your email address/phone number
• Enter a bonus code
• Enter your card details (no credit cards, you will not be charged)

You might be wondering why you have to complete these steps just to claim a no deposit bonus, but a lot of the rules are determined by the UK Gambling Commission. For example, players are not allowed to play games in demo mode until they have completed the registration process and confirmed their details, particularly their age, in an effort to prevent fraudulent behaviour and underage gambling.

Terms and Conditions of UK No Deposit Bonuses

No deposit bonuses often involve stricter rules than other bonus offers, so it's really important to be fully aware of what these are before you claim. The best way to do that is to read the associated bonus terms and conditions in their entirety. Here's what you should be looking out for, with a detailed description of each one below:

• Wagering requirements
• Maximum bets
• Minimum deposits
• Withdrawal limits on bonus funds
• Bonus expiration date
• Bonus abuse policies

Wagering Requirements

One particular rule that is extremely common but continues to catch players out is the wagering requirement. As the name suggests, wagering requirements dictate how much you must wager in real money in order to be able to cash out the bonus amount. Wagering requirements are in place to prevent players from simply withdrawing the bonus without playing any of the site's games.

Wagering requirements can vary from one site to the next and even between bonuses, but they tend to be more stringent when it comes to no deposit bonuses as you aren't depositing any money in order to get them. You may also find that a no deposit bonus' wagering requirements also stipulate which games the bonus is eligible for use on. It's common to see no deposit bonus wagering requirements stating that gameplay on some games will contribute to the wagering requirements more than others, so watch out for that too.

Maximum Bets

The terms and conditions of no deposit bonuses are generally there to prevent excessive risk to the online casino in question. Obviously, offering a no deposit bonus in the first place represents some amount of risk to the site, but the benefit is attracting players that will stick around and continue playing real money games.

One such condition that's commonly applied to no deposit bonuses (and other bonuses too at times) is this concept of maximum bets, which may take you by surprise if you're not aware of it. Maximum bet restrictions mean you cannot use the no deposit bonus to make bets over a certain specified maximum amount. Placing bets above this maximum is often disabled, but if it is possible and you do it, you can end up with the bonus and any associated winnings being removed from your account, so be careful.

Minimum Deposits

In the case of no deposit bonuses that are awarded to existing players, for example as a perk for continued loyalty, you may find that your activity in the days leading up to the awarding of the bonus dictates your eligibility to claim it. This may involve the value of the previous week's gameplay or the number and amount of deposits you've made over a set time period.

UK online casinos keep a close eye on player activity to decide which members should be nurtured with special offers such as no deposit bonuses. If you're aware of exactly what these sites are looking for, you can set yourself up to receive no deposit bonuses in the future.

Withdrawal Limits on Bonus Funds

Another commonly implemented condition of UK no deposit bonuses is a restriction on how much you can withdraw. You might think it's a bit out of order for an online casino to decide how much of your winnings you get, but when you realise you're talking about funds the casino has given you for free, it's a little more understandable. It's for this reason that you're extremely unlikely to be permitted to withdraw a jackpot win that was triggered by a no deposit bonus as the T&Cs will exclude this possibility.

Also known as a winnings cap, no deposit bonus withdrawal limits will usually state a set amount of how much of any bonus-derived winnings you're permitted to withdraw. Anything over and above that is removed from your account. It's important to be aware of this condition in particular as these withdrawal limits tend to be a lot stricter for no deposit bonuses than other bonuses.

Bonus Expiration Dates

Bonuses expire, which means you have a limited amount of time to claim them, use them and complete the associated wagering requirements. Each of these can be completely separate dates too. For example, you may find you have to claim a no deposit bonus within 24 hours of registering a new account at a UK online casino, with the bonus valid for use within 24 hours after claiming and wagering requirements needing to be completed within 3 days of claiming.

Expiration dates for bonuses are usually in place to implement some element of control in the process and prevent bonus abuse (more on that below). They also serve as a push to encourage players to be active on the site, find games they enjoy and ultimately make a real money deposit. Always check the T&Cs for bonus expiration dates and be aware of them before claiming. Once the expiry dates have been reached, your no deposit bonus and any associated unwagered funds will be removed from your account.

Bonus Abuse Policies

More often than not, you'll find a section of the bonus terms and conditions that explains the site's policy on bonus abuse. But what exactly constitutes bonus abuse? The definition of bonus abuse can actually vary from one casino to the next, but it generally relates to how you claim, use and withdraw the bonus.

No deposit bonuses in particular are a top target for bonus abusers, who use the free funds to try to trigger a game's bonus feature, before closing the game and repeating the same thing with another game. Once they've used the bonus funds, they may make a small deposit and return to the games whose bonus features they managed to trigger, play them through then withdraw all the winnings. This is just one example of bonus abuse. Others may include playing ineligible games, deliberately choosing low risk bets or using betting strategies. As you can see, you might end up being accused of bonus abuse for what you think is normal gaming behaviour. To be safe, check the T&Cs before claiming.

How to Choose the Best UK No Deposit Bonus Offer

So what are the indicators of a good UK no deposit bonus offer? Here are a few tips of what to look out for to help you choose the best UK no deposit bonus casino:

• Wagering Requirements: No deposit bonuses without wagering requirements are generally reserved for VIPs and high rollers and even then they are rare, so you will have to deal with wagering requirements in virtually all cases. Thankfully, you're not completely at their mercy! If you do your homework and check the site's T&Cs first, you can opt for a no deposit bonus with minimal wagering requirements: the lower the better!
• Payment Options: You may wonder about the relevance of payment options when it comes to no deposit bonuses when there's no need to make a deposit. However, if luck goes your way, you'll want to withdraw your winnings, right? That's why it literally pays to play at an online casino with fast, accessible transactions. Look for sites with your preferred payment methods (eg. Google Pay casinos) and ideally those supporting the Faster Payments System (FPS).
• Valid Games: Most no deposit bonuses specify which games can be played using the site's funds, so it's worth checking the T&Cs to make sure they are games you actually want to play. Some no deposit bonuses let you play a fairly wide range of games, but others may be restricted to a handful or even just a single game.
• Good Value Bonus: Not all no deposit bonuses are created equal. 20 free spins on a game may sound way more appealing than a £5 bonus, but if each of those spins is worth £0.10 each, that's a total of £2, which is significantly less than the bonus. Take a minute to work out what each site's no deposit bonus means in terms of value.
• Bonus Expiry: There is obviously no point in claiming a no deposit bonus if it's going to expire before you even get the chance to use it. You also need to be acutely aware of how long you've got to complete the associated wagering requirements so you have the chance to withdraw your winnings. Check each no deposit bonus' T&Cs for expiry dates before claiming so you can decide if you have sufficient time to claim, play and fulfil the wagering requirements.

What Are the Best Slots for No Deposit Bonuses?

Looking for the best slots to play with your no deposit bonus? While some slots are not eligible to be played with a no deposit bonus - such as jackpot slots and those by specific providers - you can usually still find a wide range of slots of all shapes and sizes to explore. So the decision really comes down to what kind of slots you like to play!

Many players prefer to opt for the most popular slots or those by the world's top developers and this might be a good place for you to start too. To give you a helping hand, we've compiled a list of some of the most popular slots to explore with no deposit bonuses:

Is a No Deposit Bonus Worth It?

Many players speculate that the small value, reduced number of eligible games and relatively sizeable wagering requirements of no deposit bonuses mean it's not really worth claiming them. What do we think?

Generally, no deposit bonuses represent free funds you can use to play one or more of the site's games and while you can actually trigger some wins with no deposit bonuses, you shouldn't expect it. Even if you do, the wagering requirements and other terms and conditions make withdrawal of those winnings pretty laborious and just about impossible in many cases.

No deposit bonuses are great for a bit of fun and perfect for exploring a few games without risking any of your own money. However, don't see them as a way to hit a jackpot win because they are not designed for that.

Mistakes to Avoid with No Deposit Bonuses

Many people make silly mistakes when it comes to no deposit bonuses and end up losing both the bonus and any associated funds they've been lucky enough to trigger with it. Players can often end up with a rough deal by simply not doing their homework and worse, a few end up banned from the casino altogether!

Don't let this be you. Check out 3 important mistakes to avoid with no deposit bonuses:

1. Thinking bigger is better: Many players have failed to do their research beforehand and ended up with a worse deal. Just because a bonus is bigger, doesn't mean it's better. Work out the value of the offers you're considering and be sure to take into account the wagering requirements and other terms.
2. Joining an unscrupulous site: It's a player's worst nightmare, claiming a bonus at a site, triggering some juicy wins then ending up with the site ghosting them. Always check first to make sure that the UK online casino is licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, both via the casino's website and that of the UKGC. It's also worth checking out reviews and player feedback on the site.
3. Disobeying the T&Cs: Not only is it super important to check the bonus T&Cs before claiming, it's also important you follow those rules to a T. If you're caught flouting the rules or abusing the bonus in any way, you risk losing it and any associated winnings and even being banned from the site. Online casinos take bonus abuse very seriously, so don't risk it.

FAQs

Still have questions about UK no deposit bonuses? Check to see if we have the answers you're looking for below.