No Deposit Online Poker Bonus

Table Of Contents

  1. Poker Free Money No Deposit
  2. Online Poker No Deposit Bonus Usa

These no deposit bonuses allow you to win real money, however there will be a wagering requirement. Some do have a cap on winnings, for example, you might only be able to win £100 when using a bonus. Using no deposit bonus offers is a great way to get a feel for the online casino or poker room, before trusting your hard earned money on a deposit to the site! We hope this USA friendly no deposit bonus list helps you in that respect!

Are you looking for the best poker bonus to play online for real money and challenge other players in games of Texas hold'em and Omaha poker? You are not alone.

This page doesn't list all the online poker bonuses under the sun. We are PUMPED to announce that this new collection of poker offers features only the best poker bonuses to play online and access the most exciting real money games out there.

Continue reading to discover:

  • and lots more

In other words, if you are looking for the best online poker bonuses in 2020, you'll love this page.

Top Online Poker Bonuses in 2020

Bonus Spotlight

GG Poker

Right now, GG Poker provides a bonus of up to $100 in tickets for World Series of Poker satellite events. You can deposit at least $20 to get up to $100 in tickets. The site offers a 100% match bonus on your first deposit.

The tickets will be released to your account in a few days. If you have $100 in free tickets, $60 will be released over the first six days on your site. You can earn the remaining $40 in your bonus by completing challenges in the All-in or Fold games on the GG Poker website.

These include points where you have to win enough matches, or you have to attain certain things while you are playing. The site will provide details on what you need to do to meet these bonus requirements.

PartyPoker

PartyPoker is one of the oldest online poker sites around. When you register to play here, you get a first deposit bonus where if you add $10 to your account, you get $30 in free play tickets.

The bonus is good for most of the games on the site. You should ensure you use your free tickets soon, as they will expire seven days from the issue. But there are also plenty of games available where you can wager enough funds to cover everything.

The tickets are good for use on SPINS games on the site. The SPINS games are three-handed sit and go tournaments where a wheel will decide the value of the prize pool before the game starts.

You could potentially compete for a first prize total of $1 million depending on how much you spend on your ticket and whether the wheel lands on the 12,000x multiplier.

PokerStars

The next of the online poker bonuses on the list comes from PokerStars. You can choose one of two bonuses when you sign up for the website.

First, you can deposit $20 or more to get $30 in free play tickets. The offer is a traditional welcome bonus for tickets that you can use on many games.

Second, you can choose a different reward that offers a welcome bonus worth 100% of your first three deposits for the first sixty days after you sign up.

You can get up to $600 in free money through this offer. This second choice is for people who are looking to stick around for a while.

888Poker

You can get up to $400 in free money for use at 888Poker through the first deposit bonus available on the site.

Deposit $10 or more with the promo code WELCOME100 to get a 100% bonus of up to $400. The free money is good for use at freeroll games and poker tournaments.

But you will have to play through the poker games to release the extra funds. You will get $10 from your welcome bonus every time you collect 100 bonus points.

You will get two points for every dollar you spend on poker tournament fees and for every dollar you contribute to a poker ring game. You'll also get a point for every $10 you wager on casino games at the site, provided you are playing these games through your poker account.

Unibet Poker

Unibet offers an online casino and sportsbook to go alongside its poker room. But the first deposit bonus for the poker room is different from the other rewards available on the site.

Unlike most other first deposit poker bonuses, Unibet provides a no-deposit bonus. You'll get $20 in free money when you create an account. You may be limited as to what games you can play with your free money bonus and how much you can win at a time.

You can then get a welcome bonus of up to $200 depending on how much you deposit. You'll get a 100% match bonus on your first deposit.
You can then use your funds to enter various outstanding tournaments. You can enter events for the chance to qualify for the Unibet Open, among other competitions.

Bet365 Poker

The welcome offer at Bet365 Poker is 100% bonus of up to $100 on your first deposit. You must provide at least $10 for your first deposit to utilize this offer. You may also require a bonus code, but that code will vary based on your country or state, if you play from the United States.

You would also have to play through the bonus funds at least fifteen times before you can withdraw anything.

What Is a Poker Bonus?

Online poker bonuses are available through many websites that offer poker games. A poker bonus is a reward given to people who sign up to play games on a specific website. Poker bonuses exist to encourage people to play games and showcase the many things a poker rooms offers. Players can use these funds for various assets.

Types of Poker Bonuses

You can enjoy one of many quality poker deposit bonuses while you play online. These are offers that should be noted when you're looking for a great deal.

There are various rules surrounding what is open, so you should be aware of what you might find when looking for something of value. You should also review the rules for whatever you wish to collect, as every site has unique terms to note.

Match Bonus

A match bonus is the most common offer you'll find through an online poker room. Deposit bonuses work in that you will deposit a specific amount of money on a site.

You will then get bonus money based on the site's rules. For instance, you could deposit $50 and get a 100% match bonus, thus giving you $100 for play.

You will have to note a few things surrounding a match bonus. These rules should be open on the site you visit, but it does help to see what is open:

  • How much do you have to deposit before you can qualify for the deposit bonus?
  • Is this good for a first deposit bonus, or can it work for multiple deposits?
  • What is the match rate? The rate is 100% in most cases, but it may be lower.

The match offer is a reliable choice, plus it gives you a great way to start playing anywhere. Check your website of interest to see what match bonuses are available where you wish to play.

No Deposit Bonus

It is one of the best online poker bonus options you can find. This is different from other online poker bonuses in that you don't have to place a deposit on a site to collect the pffer.

You will register for an account and then collect the free money for poker play. You don't have to spend any money on the no deposit bonus. You should review a few points surrounding how you can use your no deposit bonus:

  • How much will you get out of your bonus? You might only get a few dollars.
  • What poker games can you participate in with your bonus? There may be limits on what games you can play.
  • How much can you win? You could be subject to a limit on how much you can win with your no deposit bonus money.
  • Do you have to play through the bonus a few times? For example, you might get a $10 bonus with a 30x playthrough rate. That means you'd have to play through the value 30 times, meaning you have to bet $300 to withdraw anything.

You might also have to provide some payment information to the site to confirm your identity. You would not be charged anything when you do this and you collect your no deposit reward. But the data will be saved, so you can complete a real money deposit in moments when the time comes.

Tournament Tickets

A tournament ticket may be offered among first deposit poker bonuses. A ticket is a voucher that you can use to join a tournament. There are many rules to note for a ticket, including:

  • The value of the ticket
  • The type of tournament you can enter
  • The number of tickets you can get, or how many entries you'll have for play

The rules for these tournaments will vary by each site. It is possible that you could win a great deal of money in a tournament, although this is all based on your skills and how well things can work.

Reload Bonuses

Reload bonuses occur after the first deposit. You will collect your money off of a deposit you utilize to add more money to your account.
The offer is for people who stick around on a site and enjoy playing here, plus it encourages loyalty.

Reload bonuses aren't as substantial as first deposit poker bonuses. Whereas a first deposit bonus would entail a 100% match, a reload bonus might be worth 50 or 75%.

There might also be a limit over how much money you could collect. You might get up to $50 on a reload bonus instead of $100 or so. But a reload bonus will give you a great opportunity to play with more money, especially if you are satisfied with the website.

VIP Bonus

You can qualify for a VIP bonus if you stick around a website long enough and earn reward points. The offer can be the best online poker bonus for any player, what with it often having better terms than many welcome deposit bonuses.

You would earn a VIP bonus based on one of these factors:

  • You might need to wager enough money in poker matches to qualify for the reward.
  • The value of your reward might be higher if you spend more money on the site.
  • People who complete more deposits on the site may also qualify for these extras.

You have to review the VIP bonus rules on your site when seeing what the rules are and that you have an idea of what you can do to qualify for them. Most places will automatically place you in the VIP club, but you might have to put in the effort depending on what you wish to utilize.

Referral Bonus

You can also utilize a referral bonus through some websites. A referral bonus works with a few steps:

  1. You will send a link to someone encouraging that person to sign up for a poker room.
  2. The person will sign up for an account through your link.
  3. The new member will deposit money and play on the site.
  4. You will collect a reward based on how much the player deposits and how much that person spends.

The terms for collecting a referral bonus vary, as your friend would have to deposit enough funds and play through them before you can collect anything. The total you will gather from the bonus will also vary by offer. The website can provide details on what you'll get from your work.

What Are the Playthrough Requirements and Why They Are Important

The best online poker bonus may include some playthrough requirements. These are rules where you have to play through your bonus funds enough times before you can withdraw the money.

These rules apply to ensure people who sign up and deposit funds aren't going to take out the free money right away.

The playthrough rule might entail going through the bonus value a few times. The total can vary by site.

Are Poker Bonuses Good or Not?

Poker bonuses are great for how they provide players with the opportunity to try out different poker sites. These deposit poker bonuses and other offers can help new players get started in enjoying online poker.

These bonuses also make the online poker industry more competitive. Every website will aim to produce the best online poker bonus, giving more rewards to new members. There's no limit as to what these virtual rooms can offer when producing the best bonuses around.

FAQs

Can I use poker bonuses to play real money games online?

You can use your bonus funds to play real money, although that depends on how much you have. You should review the value of your bonus and how much it would cost to enter a game.

What's a good poker bonus?

The best online poker bonus is the one that fits your desire. You should look at how great a poker bonus is based on:

  • how much you have to deposit
  • what you will get in return
  • the terms and conditions
  • and any other rules that apply.

Anything that provides entries to specific tournaments is always worthwhile.

Do I always need a bonus code to claim an offer?

Not all poker rooms require bonus codes for when you're claiming a bonus. You can automatically get a bonus off of most places. But others might require a bonus code that you can enter when funding your account.
You can review a virtual poker website to see what bonus codes are necessary for an offer. You could also look around third-party sites to see what bonus codes are open, but there's no guarantee that the information you will find is accurate.

Can I claim a signup bonus twice through the same site?

You can only collect a signup bonus once. You will have to sign up for the site and provide your contact info and payment data. You cannot establish a second account with the website to collect more bonus money.
You could still get a bonus from referring people to the site. Reload bonuses are also available in some places.

What are the playthrough requirements for a bonus?

The playthrough rules are terms associated with wagering enough money on poker games before you can collect your bonus. You must play through the bonus enough times before it can become real money that you can withdraw later.
Gaming websites have these requirements to ensure people don't abuse the free money offers at these places.

What can I do if I didn't receive my bonus?

You can contact the help desk at the poker website you are on if you did not receive your bonus. Explain to the help desk what happened and provide information on your account and the deposit method.
Most cases where people are missing their bonuses come from people forgetting to complete their deposits as necessary.

Legal, real money online casinos are available for play in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware, with Michigan pending launch. Many of the operators in these states will give you a shot at winning some cash just for signing up. Read on for the low down on the best no deposit casino bonuses in America today, and how to take advantage of them.

If you’re not lucky enough to live in one of those states, there’s another option available in the form of sweepstakes casinos. These, too, offer some risk free opportunities for new players, and we’ll fill you in on how they work a bit further down the page.

Best no deposit casinos

Almost every real money online casino offers some sort of welcome bonus for new players. Some of these are no deposit bonuses which you get just by signing up, while others are first deposit bonuses, requiring you to pony up some cash of your own.

OPERATOR
INFO
No Deposit Needed
Daily FREE Sweeps Coins Just For Logging In
No Deposit Needed
Daily FREE Sweeps Coins Just For Logging In
No Deposit Needed
$2.50 in Premium Funzpoints at Sign Up
No Deposit Needed
Daily FREE Sweeps Coins Just For Logging In
$20 Free Gold Coin Package with a Verified Account

Here, we’ll be focusing on the former, but some sites offer one of each, called a welcome package. If a site does have both a no deposit bonus and a first deposit bonus, we’ll be sure to mention it.

Poker Free Money No Deposit

Jump to: NJ casinos / PA casinos / WV casinos / US sweepstakes sites

No deposit casinos in NJ

Along with Delaware, New Jersey is one of the longest-standing legal online casino markets in the US. Both states launched internet gambling in late 2013. Unsurprisingly, this means that New Jersey also has the greatest number of online casinos with no deposit bonuses.

RankOnline CasinoNo Deposit OfferBonus CodePlay Now!
1.Golden Nugget Casino$10PLAYBONUSPlay Now!
2.Virgin Casino$3030BUCKSPlay Now!
3.Tropicana Casino$25PLAY25Play Now!
4.Caesars Casino$25PLAYFREE25Play Now!
5.Unibet Casino200 SpinsDRAGONSPINSPlay Now!
6.BetMGM Casino$25PLAYNJFREEPlay Now!
7.Borgata Casino$20Not Needed, Use LinksPlay Now!
8.DraftKings Casino$35Not Needed, Use LinksPlay Now!
9.888 Casino$20Not Needed, Use LinksPlay Now!

Golden Nugget Online Casino

Golden Nugget has the biggest and arguably the best pure online casino product in the Garden State, especially if you’re into slots.

It does have a no deposit bonus, though not the most generous one. You’ll need to sign up using the bonus code PLAYBONUS. This will give you $10 to play with for free. The bad news is that is has strict clearance requirements and just a 15 day deadline to play through them.

Before that bonus money and any winnings from it becomes real money that you can withdraw, you’ll need to bet a total of $200 at slots, $1000 at table games, or some combination of the two. If you’re not going to deposit, you’ll need some good luck to make that happen.

The good news is that if you do decide to deposit, Golden Nugget has one of the best first deposit offers out there. You’ll get a 100% match on whatever you add to your account, up to a whopping $1500.

Tropicana Online Casino

Tropicana is another pure online casino without other gambling products attached. It has a decent welcome bonus, but one that will require you to make a deposit eventually if you’re going to get anything out of it.

When you create your account with Tropicana, use bonus code PLAY25 and you will immediately get $25 in casino credit. There’s no clearance requirement per se, but you can only bet with the credit, not withdraw it, and you have 30 days to do so.

The catch is that any money you win with your free play is can only be withdrawn once you make a deposit. However, you can try to run it up first and only deposit if you win enough to make it worthwhile. Better yet, when you do deposit, you get a seven-day risk free window, capped at $100. That is, if you end up down after your first week, the site will reimburse your losses or $100, whichever is less.

Virgin Online Casino

Virgin operates on the same license as Tropicana. It’s similar to that casino in a lot of ways, including the lack of an associated sportsbook or poker room.

Virgin has a better online casino no deposit bonus, however. Deposit with bonus code 30BUCKS and you’ll get what it says on the tin: 30 bucks of free money to play with. You do have to bet with it one time, but after that, whatever you’ve won is yours to keep.

Virgin has no first deposit bonus, but does offer one week of risk free play up to $100, with identical terms to Tropicana.

BetMGM Casino

Unlike the last three, BetMGM is a full-fledged gambling site with sports betting and poker as well as an online casino in NJ. It also has a full welcome package consisting of both a no deposit signup offer and a first deposit match.

To get the no deposit bonus, you’ll have to use the code PLAYNJFREE. This will get you $25 in free cash to play with, though it has a tough 20x play through requirement, similar to Golden Nugget’s.

If you subsequently decide to deposit, you’ll get a 100% match up to $1000, with the same terms to clear that money as the no deposit bonus.

Caesars Online Casino

Caesars is a well-known name in the land-based casino world. Its online casino is paired with a sportsbook, and the company also owns WSOP, though that legal online poker product is a separate download.

The online casino has a full welcome package with both deposit and no deposit options. On signup, use the deposit code PLAYFREE25 to get $25 in almost strings-free cash. If you play slots or video poker, you’ll only have to wager that money once to clear it, some of the most favorable terms in the state.

The maximum on the first deposit match is lower than some competitors’, at just $300. Here too, though, the clearance terms are easy: 5x for slots, 10x for video poker, and 25x for other games. The combination of a low maximum and easy terms, plus the generous no deposit offer makes Caesars a good choice for players on a budget.

No deposit casinos in PA

Pennsylvania’s online gambling market only opened in July 2019. It was thriving within a year, however, and should soon grow to rival New Jersey’s. For the time being, there are fewer brands operating in PA, but still plenty of juicy no deposit bonuses available.

RankOnline CasinoNo Deposit OfferBonus CodePlay Now!
1.DraftKings Casino$35Not Needed, Use LinksPlay Now!
2.Unibet Casino$10UBCASINO10Play Now!
4.Hollywood Casino$10DOUBLETAKEPlay Now!

DraftKings Casino

DraftKings, as a recent entry to the online casino space, has made a bigger splash in Pennsylvania than in already-saturated New Jersey. It has been using a particularly generous no deposit welcome bonus to tempt players away from competitors who have been in the game longer.

Nj online poker no deposit bonus

You’ll get $35 free for signing up, and won’t even need a promo code. There aren’t any clearance requirements, either, it’s just free money. It’s hard to beat that! The only catch is that you need to be a new DraftKings customer. You can’t get the bonus if you have an account with DraftKings Sportsbook or DraftKings Daily Fantasy Sports, even one registered in another state.

There’s also a first deposit bonus, which is a 100% match up to $250. Clearing it will require betting 25x that amount, but it doesn’t matter if you’re playing slots, table games or something else and you’ll have 90 days to do it.

Hollywood Online Casino

The Hollywood Online Casino brand is managed by Penn National, a top name in retail casinos and sportsbooks. It’s accompanied by a mobile sportsbook, and Penn has a license to offer online poker in Pennsylvania as well, but hasn’t yet used it.

Hollywood has a small but uncomplicated no deposit offer. Just sign up and you’ll get $10 with no code needed (though see below). You’ll have to bet with it once, but after that it’s yours to keep.

Hollywood offers a twist on the usual first deposit bonus. Using bonus code DOUBLETAKE, you’ll actually get a first and second deposit bonus, each one a 100% match up to $251, for a combined total of $502. The clearance requirement is 20x over 60 days, regardless of which games you’re playing.

Unibet Casino

Unibet is the flagship brand of the European company Kindred Group. It’s a popular brand on the far side of the Atlantic, but still struggling to make a name for itself in the US.

Its welcome package is interesting in that it has the same threefold clearance requirement for both its no deposit offer and its first deposit bonus.

Using code UBCASINO10 will get you $10 free on signup. You’ll then have to bet a total of $30 before you can withdraw the money or the winnings from it. That’s a little stricter than some other online casinos, but the first deposit bonus makes up for it.

You’ll want to use the code UBCASINO500 when making your first deposit, to get a 100% match up to $500. Here, the 3x clearance requirement works very much in your favor.

On other sites you might have to bet $10,000 or more to clear a $500 bonus, but at Unibet, $1500 will be all it takes. If you stick to making many small bets on low-volatility games, the odds are good that you’ll clear the bonus before losing much of your deposit.

No deposit casinos in WV

West Virginia is the most recent state to have launched online gambling, at least until Michigan follows suit. There are only two online casinos in the state for the time being, though more should be coming soon. Fortunately, both have no deposit offers available.

RankOnline CasinoNo Deposit OfferBonus CodePlay Now!
1.BetMGM Casino$25PLAYNJFREEPlay Now!
2.DraftKings Casino$35Not Needed, Use LinksPlay Now!

BetMGM Casino

BetMGM’s West Virginia casino product is much the same as it is in New Jersey. It’s a slots-heavy site with a loyalty program and first deposit offer geared towards big spenders.

As in New Jersey, you can get $25 in free cash, though you’ll need to bet it 20 times over to clear it. The code you’ll need is PLAYNJFREE, and despite the sound of it, it works just as well in WV as it does in NJ.

The same code will also get you a 100% bonus up to $1000 on your first deposit, with the same 20x clearance requirement.

DraftKings Casino

DraftKings was the first into the market in West Virginia. It, too, has the same offers in place here as in other states.

No code is required for the DraftKings welcome package, which includes $35free just for signing up. Absolutely no strings on this one. However, keep in mind that this is only for truly new customers, who’ve never opened an account on any DraftKings site (including daily fantasy sports), in any state.

You’ll also get a 100% match on your first deposit, up to $250. Compared to the no deposit offer, this is a bit stingy and the 25x playthrough requirement isn’t great either. The good news, however, is that you have 90 days to do it, which is pretty relaxed as deadlines go.

Sweepstakes casinos

Sweepstakes casinos are an alternative to online casinos in states that haven’t yet legalized online gambling. At the moment, that’s most states.

Here are some of the big names in the sweepstakes casino space, all of which have no deposit offers available.

RankOnline GamblingNo Purchase OfferBonus CodePlay Now!
1.Chumba Casino2 Free SweepsNot Needed, Use LinksPlay Now!
2.Luckyland Slots10 Free SweepsNot Needed, Use LinksPlay Now!
3.FunzPoints$2.50 FreeNot Needed, Use LinksPlay Now!

These casinos shouldn’t be confused with social casinos like High 5 Casino. Whereas social casinos are just for fun, sweepstakes casinos allow you to win real cash. However, they use a combination of two legal technicalities to fall under sweepstakes law rather than gambling per se. There are also sweepstakes poker sites using the same technique.

First, they don’t allow you to deposit and withdraw real money directly. Instead, they have two virtual currencies, usually called Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. Some sites use other terminology, such as Funzpoints, which uses that name for both its site and its currencies.

Gold Coins are nothing more than play money, the same as you’d see with any social casino product. You can win and lose them while playing casino games, but they have no cash value and can’t be redeemed for anything.

Sweeps Coins technically have no cash value, but can be redeemed for cash prizes. Legally speaking, they’re still a play money currency, but for practical purposes you can think of them like cash.

Instead of depositing money on a sweepstakes site, you’ll make a purchase of Gold Coins. Along with them, you’ll receive some Sweeps Coins as a “free” bonus, redeemable for prizes conveniently worth the same amount as you spent on the Gold Coins.

The other half of the trick is that there is technically no purchase necessary. You can send a handwritten request through the mail to a sweepstakes casino operator, and they will credit your account with a small amount of Sweeps Coins to play with. In practice, however, you’ll probably find that the amount they’ll give you is not worth the stamp and the effort of mailing a letter.

How do no deposit bonuses work?

No Deposit Online Poker Bonus

Fundamentally, no deposit bonuses are a simple concept. You sign up for the site, and you get something right away, without needing to make a deposit. There are a few different forms they can take, but they’re all pretty similar.

Instant signup bonus

Instant cash is what most people have in mind when they think of no deposit bonuses. Very rarely is this truly strings-free cash. After all, operators want you to stick around and play, not to withdraw your bonus immediately and disappear.

Usually, before you can withdraw your bonus, you’ll have to clear it in some way. This can be as simple as betting it once, or require the bonus amount to be wagered many times over. Typically, there will be a deadline to do this. Some operators will let you play with your bonus money on a trial basis, but require a real money deposit before you can convert your bonus and winnings to real cash.

Free spins

Online casinos that emphasize their slots products might give you free spins instead of cash. In a sense, this isn’t all that different from receiving bonus money with a single playthrough requirement. The main difference is that you may be limited in terms of which games you can use the free spins for. Usually operators do this when they have specific slots titles they want to promote, such as progressive jackpot slots which benefit from having a high volume of play.

Free bets

Many online casinos have a built-in sportsbook with a shared account. Operators taking this approach might have bonuses specific to one vertical or the other. So, while you may want to play casino games, an operator might have a better bonus on offer for its sportsbook. It’s worth taking advantage of these even if you’re not a sports fan. Free bets still work out to free money even if you’re just picking teams at random.

Free Sweeps coins

Sweepstakes casinos (see above) often give you some free Sweeps coins just for signing up. Since Sweeps coins are redeemable for cash prizes, this kind of offer is functionally equivalent to an instant signup bonus at a real money casino.

Risk free play

Technically, risk free play offers don’t require a deposit. Unless they’re paired with an instant signup bonus, however, you’ll need to add some cash to your account to take advantage of them. The idea here is that the casino guarantees that you won’t suffer any early losses.

The risk free period might be a single day, a few days, or perhaps a full week. There will be a dollar maximum applied to the promotion as well. For instance, if you get 24 hours risk free up to $100, the site will compare your balance after 24 hours to the total amount you’ve deposited. If you’ve lost money, you’ll be reimbursed for the amount you’ve lost or $100, whichever is less.

Do no deposit casinos require a bonus code?

This depends on the site. Quite often the answer is yes, but not always. DraftKings, for example, does not require a bonus code for its current signup offer.

Be sure to check for the bonus codes above or on the casino review page before signing up. You only get one chance at this, so if you sign up without using a code, you might miss out on collecting some free cash.

Bonus offer terms and conditions

Online Poker No Deposit Bonus Usa

You’ve probably heard the expression “there’s no such thing as a free lunch,” and the same is true for casino chips. Online casinos aren’t in the business of giving away money and not getting anything in return. They want you to play with your own money, and there are usually some strings attached to the bonus to increase the chances that you’ll stick around.

At OnlinePokerReport, we try to give you an honest picture of what you’re getting, but we don’t include all the fine print. Before signing up for a site, it’s a good idea to read the terms and conditions for whatever bonus is enticing you.

Some specific things to look for:

  • What are the clearance requirements? Do you just have to bet the bonus once, or many times over? Does it clear in increments, or do you have to clear the whole amount before it becomes your money to keep?
  • Is there a deadline on clearing the bonus?
  • Do you have to make a deposit before the bonus converts to withdrawable cash? If so, when can you withdraw? Some sites will cause you to forfeit your bonus if you withdraw any money before meeting certain criteria.
  • Can you clear the bonus at any game you like? Operators typically want you to play slots, so they may let you clear the bonus faster with slots and more slowly with table games.
  • Is the offer mutually exclusive with any others? Typically, you can only use one bonus code at a time. Sometimes, you may have more than one to choose from. In those cases, you’ll have to work out which one is most favorable to you based on how you plan on using the casino.

Can I cash out a no deposit bonus immediately?

In most cases, this is not possible. Online casinos provide no deposit offers to entice you to play, so they typically have rules in place to prevent you from just taking the money and running.

Usually, the way this works it that you’ll have a bonus account and a cash account. Your cash account balance is always available for withdrawal and any winnings received by wagering cash are added to the cash account.

Your bonus account is available to wager with but not to withdraw. Winnings from bonus account wagers might be paid out in cash or additional bonus funds, depending on the site’s terms and conditions.

There will be rules about how to convert bonus money to cash. Usually this is a matter of wagering a certain multiple of the bonus amount.

Example: Golden Nugget Online Casino

Golden Nugget in New Jersey has a pretty typical bonus offer. You’ll get $10 free when you sign up, but you only have 15 days to clear it, otherwise the bonus and any winnings from the bonus will go up in smoke.

Golden Nugget’s clearance requirements are on the heavy side. For slots, the rate is $20 wagered per $1 bonus. For other games, it’s a whopping $100 wagered per $1 bonus.

In other words, if you play slots exclusively, you’ll need to bet a total of $200 before that $10 and any winnings from it become yours to keep. Play roulette or blackjack, and that becomes $1000.

Online

You can also mix and match, however. For instance, $100 at slots and $500 at the tables would be acceptable (a 50/50 split), as would $150 at slots plus $250 at the tables (a 75/25 split).

What games can I play with my bonus?

All of them, usually. If a bonus is only applicable to one class of games, it will more often be given as free spins or bets, rather than bonus cash.

That said, the terms of a given no deposit offer might allow you to clear your bonus more quickly with some games than others. Typically, slots are the fastest way to meet the requirements, while table games might be treated as equivalent, or might only clear your bonus at a fraction of the rate.

Ready to make a deposit?

In most cases, the way to think about no deposit bonuses is as a way to try the casino for free.

It’s possible that you’ll hit a jackpot on your first spin and make some money without ever spending a cent. However, the way these deals are designed, you’re likely to lose the bonus before clearing it or only walk away with a trivial amount of cash.

That isn’t to say they’re not worthwhile, however. In effect, you’re getting paid to try out the casino, even if you’re not getting paid very much. If you were planning on shopping around anyway, there’s no real reason not to take advantage of every no deposit offer available in your state.

Once you’ve cleared all your bonuses, you’ll also have seen what the various casinos have to offer. That’ll help you decide where you want to deposit, ultimately. And fortunately, many no deposit casinos also have generous first deposit bonuses when the time comes. These take more effort to clear, but with dollar maximums in the hundreds or even low thousands, they work out to be a more significant amount of money.

Summary

Many but not all online casinos offer no deposit signup bonuses. In the US legal markets at this time, this usually comes in the form of cash. Those markets include New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware, with Michigan to join the club shortly.

Elsewhere in the US, sweepstakes casinos provide an alternative. These all have no deposit offers as well, that work very similarly.

In both cases, the bonuses are rarely without strings. You will typically have to wager your bonus money or some multiple of the bonus amount before you can withdraw.

The value of these offers is low in dollar terms, but they can be a good way to try out a casino for free, and potentially win some cash in the process. You shouldn’t expect to get rich from such offers, but they’re a good way to test the waters before taking the plunge by making a deposit and playing with your own money.