One of the most popular bonuses in online casinos are free spins (FS). They are especially loved by Aussie gamblers, because these types of incentives are actively used when playing pokies. In our expert review we will tell you in detail about the essence of FS, how to get and use them.
What Are Free Spins?
Playing at an online casino has many advantages over land-based gambling establishments. One of them is the ability to utilize free spins to enjoy pokies. This incentive is a certain number of attempts to spin the reels for free. Their use allows gamblers to extend the game time and get more chances to win. Getting the free spins can be done in different ways:
- For creating an online casino account;
- For bank card verification;
- For replenishing the balance as part of a promotion;
- As a reward for upgrading in VIP/Loyalty program;
- As a prize for participating in tournaments.
You will also be interested to study the main characteristics and distinguishing features of FS:
- They are awarded to players in packages of 5, 10, 15, 20 or more;
- You don’t necessarily need to replenish the balance to grab the bonus;
- The lifetime of this bonus is not long — 24 or 48 hours;
- Each free spin has a preset value, usually ranging from $0.10 to $0.20;
- Online casinos may specify the use of these incentives in certain pokies;
- FS usually have high wagering and a low maximum win amount.
Free Spins Bonuses and In-Game Free Spins Explained
When talking about free spins, you need to realize that they have two main types. Despite their similarities, they also have a serious difference in their essence.
Free Spins as a Bonus
If you are awarded free spins by an online casino, it means that you get a bonus that can be used in all or some of the pokies in its collection to play and win money. To get this bonus, you may have to fulfill one or all of these conditions: register to make a deposit, specify a promo code, and so on.
In-Game Free Spins
These free spins are an in-game bonus that you can get at certain developments during the game. Let’s say three or more Scatter icons appear on the reels, then the bonus round starts, where you will get a few attempts to spin the reels for free. These FS are not an online casino bonus, and they can only be used in the slot you are playing. Also note that not all pokies have free spins rounds, so check the game information first before starting playing.
Hits & Misses of Free Spins
This type of online casino bonus has many more advantages than disadvantages. You will probably be pleased to know that most casinos legally operating in Australia offer their clients free spins as part of the Sign-up promo. Therefore, virtually every player has the option to take advantage of them.
FS can also be received as part of the daily, weekly or monthly reload bonus. Or they are granted to players as a reward for obtaining a new status in the VIP/Loyalty program. And of course, FS are often a reward for participating in tournaments held at Aussie Internet casinos.
But, before you get the chance to take advantage of these bonuses, we suggest you explore not only their key advantages, but also their disadvantages.
Pros:
- You can grab both free spins and extra cash when you claim the deposit bonus;
- With FS you play a paid modification of pokies, but you don’t spend your money;
- This incentive is a great way to try new online casinos or test their amusements;
- This bonus is accessible to both new and regular players;
- The number of free spins you can grab can be several hundred.
Cons:
- The use of this type of bonus has various restrictions;
- Online casinos may restrict the use of FS to certain slots;
- No deposit free spins will not help you win much.
Reasons to Get Free Spins
Currently, Aussie gamblers have many opportunities to grab free spins at online casinos: for registration, making a deposit, verification of identity, participation in the VIP/Loyalty program, etc. And they are happy to take advantage of this opportunity, because they get to play real money pokies for free. At least until they run out of FS.
Each online casino bonus has specific characteristics, and you should know about it, because we strive to talk about the gambling industry as objectively as possible. So, in some cases, free spins can only be applied to certain slots, in others you won’t be able to play games with progressive jackpots, etc. But in any case, the use of this incentive provides gamblers a large field for maneuvering and chances to win money.
And you will surely be pleased with the opportunity to use this bonus to try new slots without risks of losing money. We have no doubt about it!
Free Spins and Gameplay of Pokies
Rookies sometimes make the mistake of thinking that using free spins can have a negative impact on gameplay. This is not true, because by spinning the reels for free, you continue to play real money pokies. All the features of the game work as they should. And you will even have the opportunity to activate the bonus round and get more FS, but as an in-game bonus!
By the way, if you play with free spins in a game with a progressive jackpot, you have a chance to win it! But carefully peruse the rules of the incentive, whether the online casino allows you to use it in these types of slots.
Calculate the Value of Free Spins
Even if you’re a rookie, you can calculate the value of the free spins bonus to see if it’s worth activating. Here are a few things you can do to help you to make a decision:
- Total value. Each free spin has a value. Multiply it by the number of free rounds, which will allow you to understand the actual money value of this bonus. Say 10 rounds of $0.20 each are worth $2, while 5 rounds of $0.30 are worth a bit more than $1.5;
- Wagering. If an online casino does not specify the need to fulfill wagering conditions, then this promo should be considered favorable for players. So carefully study its rules;
- Potential cashout value. Find out what is the maximum amount you can win with free spins. If one bonus has this limit is 100 AUD, and the second — 150 AUD, then, we think, the choice for you is obvious.
The above steps will help you to find a bonus that is close to perfect, if not perfect.
Claim Your Bonus
The procedure for grabbing free spins as online casino bonuses is very simple. You will need a little time and a few actions to do it:
- Pick an online gambling website that our experts recommend and create an account;
- Make a deposit and/or specify a promo code;
- Perform other actions if specified by the operator’s rules.
Now you can utilize your accrued free spins to enjoy pokies from the site’s library.
6 Tips to Get the Most Out of Free Spins
As you realize, not all free spins bring the same benefit to gamblers. The prospectivity of a particular promotion depends on the online casino that offers it to its customers. We have prepared for you six tips that will help you benefit from the use of this incentive in Australia:
- Seek free spins, with the help of which you can win a large amount and withdraw it without restrictions;
- Peruse the bonus rules and pick the one with more favorable terms;
- Use FS in pokies with high RTP (96% and above);
- Play in those online casinos that offer free spins for pokies with high volatility (in such amusements you can win big);
- If the operator offers no deposit free spins, then take advantage of this offer to practice and get a chance to win money;
- Try to grab bonuses in which the FS are given in packages of 25 pieces or more. This means that you will have more attempts to spin the reels of pokies for free.
By the way, Aussie gamblers can utilize FS at different online casinos. No one forces you to play on the same site. So, if you like the conditions of these promotions at different gambling operators, why not participate in each of them?
Types of Free Spins in Australia
With the development of the online gambling industry, casinos have started to offer their clients different types of free spins. We want you to be as prepared as possible for what awaits you in your gambling experience, so we suggest exploring the types of such incentives presented at Aussie sites:
Free Spins for Replenishment of a Balance
This is the most popular kind of free spins that Aussie gamblers can grab as an online casino bonus. To do this, you will need to make a deposit either after registration or already as a regular customer of the site. Operators offer for such promotions reasonable wagering conditions, and after their fulfillment, the player can immediately request the withdrawal of winnings. Most often, such FS can only be used in certain games or pokies from a particular developer. Their list is specified in the rules.
No Deposit Free Spins
This type of free spins is less common, but you will have a chance to find them on the sites of online casinos operating in Australia. To get this incentive you need to create an account and specify a promo code (but this condition is not always valid). After that you will be awarded a few FS and you can play with their help in real money pokies and claim to win money. But note that usually the winnings are limited to a small amount, and for its withdrawal you will need to make a deposit and fulfill the wagering requirements.
In-game Free Spins
We have already talked a bit about this in our review. Playing some pokies, you will have a chance to win in-game free spins and spin the reels a certain number of times for free. To get access to the bonus round, you need to have several Scatter, Wild or Free Spins symbols appear on the reels (check this point in the slot rules). Playing in the bonus round, you can get a chance to win free spins not even once, but several times.
No Max Withdrawal Free Spins
This is also an infrequent type of bonus. Using it, you will be happy to know that there is no limit to the amount you can win with FS and withdraw from the online casino site. But note that you may have a limited stake size, so you won’t be able to claim big wins. Also, as in many other types of free spins, the operator can provide a limited list of games to participate in. Among them there will most likely not be pokies with progressive jackpots.
No-Wager Free Spins
We are sure that no player likes to fulfill wagering conditions, and you will have a chance to find free spins without such conditions! Having used them and won money, you will be able to make a withdrawal request. But keep in mind that this type of bonus has strict restrictions on, say, the allowable amount of winnings and the games in which you can use it.
Free Spins Rules
Every online casino promo has rules for participation, and free spins have them too. We recommend that you study them if you want to take advantage of this incentive in your desire to win money. Below we will cover the main aspects that you need to know about in order to increase your chances of success when using the bonus.
Wagering Terms
Having taken away the free spins as a bonus, you will have to fulfill the wagering conditions if you win cash. You need to wager the amount of winnings the number of times specified in the promotion rules. Once you fulfill this condition, you will be able to take the money. Here is an example to make it clearer to you:
Stellar Spins online casino offers new players a Welcome bonus, part of which is the option to grab up to 200 FS. After winning, say, 100 AUD with this incentive, you must bet a total of 5,000 AUD to wager this bonus 50 times. Once you fulfill this condition, you will be able to claim the 100 AUD you won.
Wagering Contributions
This aspect allows you to figure out how much playing certain games contributes to the fulfillment of wagering conditions. Let’s say, making a bet of 1 AUD in an online slot, you can expect it to count as $1 towards the wagering. Conversely, a 1 AUD blackjack bet will result in a wagering contribution of 0.10 AUD.
Game contributions vary from site to site, but there is one thing that all online casinos have in common. Playing pokies almost always results in a 100% wagering contribution.
In table games the amount of contribution to fulfill the wagering conditions is most often small, and does not exceed 5%. Read the promotion rules for more details.
Bonus Cashouts
Activating free spins as a bonus, you may encounter a limit on the maximum amount you can withdraw from the site. Casinos set this limit for two reasons: To avoid losing a lot of money when paying out winnings obtained with free spins, and also to avoid unfair exploitation of the bonus.
We in the status of online gambling industry experts understand the importance and necessity of such restrictions. Keep in mind that the size of the maximum cashout depends on the casino and the terms of the promo. Most often for no deposit free spins it is 50-100 AUD, and for deposit ones — 250-500 AUD.
Bet Limits
Depending on the terms of the bonus, in each round you will be able to bet $0.10 or $0.20 (this is how one spin is valued). Note that most online casinos in Australia limit the size of the maximum bet when players meet the wagering terms. It can be 5 AUD, but most often 2 or 3 AUD.
Other Aspects
The rules and restrictions we described above are the most common. But we encourage you to pay attention to other aspects as well:
- Spin value. As you already know, each spin has its own value, typically $0.10 or $0.20;
- Time limit. Free spins have a short lifetime, usually lasting 1 or 2 days. You will then have a week or a month to withdraw your winnings;
- Supported banking option. Sometimes online casinos do not allow you to use any payment methods to participate in promotions, say Skrill or Neteller;
- Minimum deposit. If you want to utilize deposit free spins, find out the minimum deposit limit so that you can take part in the promo. Usually it is 10 or 20 AUD;
- Forbidden pokies. Often gambling operators do not allow the use of FS to play slots with high payouts and the possibility of purchasing a bonus. A list of such games is available in the promotion rules.