Tired of Losing with Free Spins? Here’s What You Should Do

Online casinos give out free spins as a way to reward players for signing up and/or depositing at their sites. Players have obvious incentive to take advantage of these promotions, considering that they offer a free chance to win at slots. The only problem is that you’re far more likely to walk away from free spins with little to nothing. Therefore, you may wonder if these spins are even worth going for.

The answer is yes, free spins can be worth your time under the right circumstances. But you also must know what to look for with these deals. I’m going to discuss exactly what you should know in order to cash in on your free spins more often. But first, I’ll cover how you can find and take advantage of these offers.

How to Get Free Spins

Finding an internet casino that offers free spins is the first step to winning money from these deals. Luckily, you don’t have to look hard since numerous gaming sites feature these offers on a regular basis. But the way that you get free spins varies based on the specific offer. In some cases, you have to make a deposit to collect free spins.

Here’s an example of such a deal:

• A casino is offering 50 free spins.
• You must deposit the minimum in order to qualify.
• You deposit the $20 minimum and collect 50 spins.

In other cases, you simply need to register for an account at a specific casino to get spins. These are referred to as no deposit free spins, because you don’t need to deposit in order to receive them. The downside to no deposit spins is that you can only claim them once per casino. What’s more is that many sites disqualify you from the welcome deposit bonus if you take advantage of the no deposit offer.

Therefore, you need to look closely at the terms and conditions behind these deals before accepting no deposit spins. As for free spins that require a deposit, many casinos offer these on a regular basis. Simply look at the promotions page of your favorite gaming sites to see when free spins are available. Also note that you may have to use a bonus code to claim your spins. The casino will list the code under the promotion, and you must enter it upon making your deposit or signing up.

What Can You Win with Free Spins?

The goal of free spins is to win as much money as possible with them. You can then cash out the funds upon meeting terms and conditions (covered later). The value of a free spin depends upon the specific offer. Some of these spins are worth just $0.10, while others are worth $1 each (a.k.a. Mega Spins).

You oftentimes receive more valuable spins with deposit deals. Being able to bet more with your free spins gives you a better chance to win big. But this isn’t to say that you should discount cheaper spins. These can also lead to huge payouts if you hit a jackpot or another large prize.

Why Do You Normally Lose with Free Spins?

You can see that getting free spins isn’t overly difficult. You merely need to complete account registration and/or make a deposit in order to receive these deals. Unfortunately, you may be disappointed after using free spins and winning next to nothing. It’s very common to come away from free spins with a few dollars or less. This is especially true of no deposit free spins, which have tough terms and conditions. After all, casinos don’t want non-depositing players to have an easy chance to win money off them.

The most-common reason why you lose with both no deposit and deposit free spins is wagering requirements (a.k.a. playthrough). Wager requirements refer to how much you must bet before unlocking any bonus money. The amount of playthrough can vary based on the casino and specific nature of your deal.

Here’s an example:

• Your earn 25 no deposit free spins.
• You must meet 35x playthrough in order to cash out winnings.

Here’s another example:

• You earn 100 free spins with a deposit.
• You must meet playthrough of 20x to withdraw winnings.

As seen in the above examples, deposit free spins typically have lower wagering requirements. The reason why is because casinos give depositing players a better chance to win. No deposit free spins, in contrast, usually have higher playthrough in order to prevent non-depositors from making money. This isn’t to say that you won’t win anything from a no deposit deal, but it’s more difficult. Of course, it can be hard to win much money with any type of free spin offer. Gaming sites don’t like handing out free money, which is obvious from the playthrough.

Another reason why you’re unlikely to win much from these deals is that the highest-paying games might contribute less towards wagering requirements. You can usually expect any slot that offers 98% or higher payback to count less towards playthrough. Sometimes even slots with 97% return to player (RTP) don’t contribute 100%.

Here’s an example of a game with lower contributions:

• NetEnt’s Blood Suckers has 98% RTP.
• This game only contributes 10% towards wagering requirements.
• Playthrough on free spin winnings is 30x with normal slots.
• 30 / 0.1 = 300
• You’d need to meet 300x wagering requirements with Blood Suckers.

The idea here is to prevent you from using slots that would give you a long-term advantage when including the bonus deal. Otherwise, you could simply choose a slot with 98% or 99% RTP and have an easier time collecting profits. Gaming sites also include other terms that make it more difficult for you to win money from free spins. I’ll discuss additional terms below while covering how you can improve your chances of winning with these deals.

What Can You Do to Win More Often with Free Spins?

Casinos set free spin deals up in their favor. Their goal is to recruit as many depositing players as possible from these offers. Of course, you still have a chance to win some money. If casinos made it impossible to win, then nobody would go for free spins. But the odds are stacked against you. This makes it extra important to perform due diligence to boost your odds of winning with these offers.

Here are some different ways that you can increase your chances of collecting free spin payouts.

Find Low Wagering Requirements

Playthrough is the most important factor with regard to your chances of winning money from free spins. The lower the wagering requirements, the more likely you are to collect winnings with your deal. Playthrough can range anywhere from 10x to 60x depending upon the type of deal. Deposit offers usually feature the lower range of wagering requirements. Carefully read the terms and conditions behind any free spin offer that you’re considering. The casino normally lists wagering requirements in terms of a multiple of the bonus (i.e. 30x).

Here’s an example on how wager requirements affect your chances of earning money:

Don’t settle for poor wagering requirements that force you to bet far more in order to win anything. Instead, look for offers that have reasonable playthrough.

Figure Out What Games Give You the Best Chance to Win

Earlier I mentioned that casinos reduce how much certain games count towards playthrough. Therefore, you may not be able to use games that pay upwards of 98% RTP. But you can still find plenty of slots that give you a strong chance to unlock your winnings. A large number of games feature RTP ranging between 97% and 97% payback, while still contributing the full amount towards playthrough. It doesn’t take much time to research online slots payback. All you do is google “[game name] RTP” in order to bring up a list of websites that offer this information.

Here’s an example:

• You want to find payback for Betsoft’s Good Girl Bad Girl.
• You google “Good Girl Bad Girl slots RTP.”
• The first page of results shows that the RTP is 97.8%.

You can also google the developer behind the game, which will bring up payback info on all of their slots. For example, you can google “Rival Gaming slots RTP” in order to find the payout percentages behind Rival’s games. You should always perform this research to help you decide which game offers the best chance of meeting playthrough.

Here’s an example of using RTP to calculate your chances of winning money with free spins:

• You play Microgaming’s Avalon II.
• This game has 95.92% RTP (4.08% house edge).
• You win $5 with free spins.
• Playthrough is 20x.
• 20 x 5 = $100 must be wagered.
• 100 x 0.0408 = $4.08 in theoretical losses
• 5 – 4.08 = $0.92 in net winnings

I’m not saying that you have to avoid your favorite slots when pursuing free spin money. Instead, you can simply play your top choices and hope for the best. But if your main goal with free spins is to earn profits, then you should find the games that’ll help you meet this objective.

Pay Close Attention to Time Limits

Gaming sites impose limits on how long you have to both claim your bonus and meet playthrough. You’ll find these timeframes listed within the T&Cs.

After qualifying for free spins, you need to visit your account area and claim them. You usually have 3-7 days to do this. Most casinos give you 30-90 days to meet wagering requirements. This should be a sufficient amount of days as long as you’re aware of the time limit.

Don’t Go Over the Max Bet

Casinos don’t offer free spins just for the sake of giving you a chance to win money. Instead, they do so to recruit new players and retain existing customers. They want you to take your time enjoying their slots, rather than making huge bets just to meet playthrough. Therefore, most free spin deals cap the maximum bet you can make.

For instance, you may only be allowed to wager up to $10 while your free spin deal is active. Wagering over this amount will disqualify you from any potential winnings. If casinos didn’t do this, then you could simply bet hundreds of dollars per spin and meet wagering requirements with little time invested.

Find Sites with Low Minimum Withdrawals

Many players are surprised when they earn a few dollars from free spins, only to find out that they can’t withdraw the money. The reason why is because free spin winnings – like any casino funds—are subject to a site’s minimum cashout policy. Average minimum withdrawals range from $10 to $25. The lower range gives you a better opportunity to cash out earnings from free spins. Otherwise, you’ll be left trying to win enough money to place a withdrawal.

Here’s an example:

Minimum withdrawals won’t make much of a difference if you normally continue playing with free spin payouts. But if you’re looking to cash out winnings whenever possible, then you want the lowest minimum withdrawal possible.

Don’t Get Discouraged if You Lose

It’s still tough to win anything from your free spins even if you do everything I’ve covered here. Wagering requirements, betting limits, reduced playthrough contributions, and minimum withdrawals all work against you. Therefore, you should never get too discouraged if you lose with free spins. Rather than becoming dismayed, you should instead concentrate on taking the right steps to ensure that you win something from the next offer.

Casinos will always skew free spin deals in their favor. They do this to avoid losing money to the average player. But this isn’t to say that you have to settle for just any deal. Some sites are better than others when it comes to featuring reasonable free spin offers. Carefully reading T&Cs and knowing how to compare deals will certainly boost your odds of winning. You’ll also develop a good sense for what constitutes a quality offer as you continue taking advantage of free spins.