While bonuses are hugely popular among players at online casinos, a common complaint is the hassle in cashing out winnings because of the conditions attached to them, especially the wagering requirements. Now, a small handful of casinos are circumventing this is by offering the zero-wagering or low-wagering bonus.
The no-wagering or low wagering bonus is a relatively new concept and not many casinos offer it. If this is a bonus that interests you, then you've come to the right place. Our team of expert analysts and reviewers constantly look for exclusive new offers and we list them right here.
Wagering requirements determine the number of times you are required to wager the bonus amount or the winnings from it to be able to withdraw your winnings. This is how it works:
If you are using a deposit bonus you will be required to wager the bonus amount a specified number of times. Some casinos extend this to include the deposit amount as well.
If you are using a free spins bonus you will need to wager the winnings from the bonus a given number of times. Some casinos include the deposit amount as well to make the wagering requirement that much more comprehensive.
Let's take a look at an example...
Say you sign up at a casino and pick up a 100% welcome bonus up to $100.
You deposit $50 into your account and the casino matches that with a $50 deposit of its own, giving you $100 to play with.
Now given that the wagering requirement for this bonus is 30x the bonus and deposit amount, you will need to wager a total of $3000 – 30 times the $50 you deposited and the $50 bonus that the casino provided – to be able to withdraw winnings earned with it.
Wagering requirements come with a validity period; you will need to get through them within that given time period to be able to successfully withdraw winnings to your main account. There are other rules as well that govern the games that contribute towards the fulfillment of wagering requirements.
The wagering requirements and other terms allow casinos to keep themselves padded and avoid incurring losses because of the bonuses they offer.
However, players have had issues with wagering requirements because of the disadvantages it places them at:
One option that casinos have come up with to get over these hurdles is the zero wagering bonus.
As the name suggests, a zero wagering bonus is one that comes with absolutely no wagering requirements. At some casinos, however, there may be a minimal wagering requirement thrown in. Casinos offer this exciting bonus as incentive to get new players to sign up, and players are more than willing to do so, given the advantages that the bonus offers.
The zero wagering bonus is a win-win for all: casinos get to exponentially increase their new player sign-ups, and players are able to withdraw their funds without having to wait too long or spending too much in the name of getting through the terms and conditions.
Casinos usually offer the zero wagering bonus as part of the welcome package for new players. However, there are some casinos that offer this unique bonus to existing players as well as a token of their loyalty.
There are different kinds of bonuses that casinos offer as a zero-wagering bonus; we will discuss them in a separate section later. Next, we take a brief look at why casinos would want to offer a zero wagering bonus.
Wagering requirements have been sort of a necessary evil: casinos know that players don't love them but they can't get rid of them because otherwise they would go out of business. Casinos have over time tried to tread the middle path by offering bonuses with modest wagering requirements.
The zero wagering bonus was the inevitable outcome of treading that path, given that player complaints can be the difference between failure and success for a casino. There have been numerous instances of casinos being investigated and even blacklisted by watchdog agencies based on player complaints about the wagering requirements and the casinos' hesitation in paying out winnings.
The zero-wagering bonus helps avoid these issues. For the player it works because he doesn't have to fulfill wagering requirements to be able to withdraw winnings. For the casino it works because not all the bonuses are zero wagering offers; there may be at the most a couple of these, balanced out by a few more bonuses with wagering requirements, even if it is modest.
Not every casino is able to offer a zero wagering bonus; that is why some casinos opt for an equally acceptable alternative – the low-wager bonus. This bonus is slightly different from the zero wagering bonus – it is not a no-wager bonus as the name indicates; instead it has very manageable and nominal wagering requirements.
The wagering requirements for low-wager bonuses are usually anywhere between 5x and 10x any of the following:
The following are the types of zero wagering bonuses you are likely to find at online casinos today.
Among the most popular bonuses at online casinos is the no deposit bonus, but you don't find this at too many casinos, for obvious reasons: it is offered for ‘free' even before you fund your account – though there are terms in place that require you to make a payment to withdraw winnings – and not every casino would be willing to risk that.
The standard no deposit bonus offers are the no deposit casino credits and no deposit free spins. Now, there are a few casinos that offer these no deposit bonuses with zero wagering requirements. There are also some casinos that offer, instead of no deposit match bonuses or free spins with zero wagering, cashback bonuses that come with zero wagering requirements. The cashback amount is calculated on the amount deposited, wagers made or losses incurred over a specific time period.
Remember, the no wagering no deposit casinos are quite rare. We will list out casinos offering these bonuses as and when we find them for you.
Every online casino offers match deposit bonuses, and a few of them offer deposit match bonuses with zero wagering requirements. At almost all these casinos, you find this cool bonus offer as part of the welcome bonus package for new players.
That is sound marketing strategy – new players will definitely sign up when they see a mammoth welcome package with zero wagering requirements. And once they sign up and play, the casino has in place other bonuses that come with wagering requirements to ensure that the balance is maintained.
At some casinos you will find free spins bonuses with zero wagering. These are deposit bonuses: the free spins are credited to your account the moment you deposit funds into it.
At most casinos they are offered as part of the welcome package, together with the match deposit bonus, in any of the following possible combinations:
All bonuses at online casinos are governed by terms and conditions, and this is true about zero wagering or low-wagering bonuses too.
We list the major conditions governing this bonus in this section:
This condition applies to all no deposit bonuses with zero or low wagering requirements. You need to make a minimum qualifying deposit before you can withdraw winnings earned with it.
This condition is valid for no deposit bonuses with zero or low wagering requirements. As per this condition, there is a limit to the maximum you can cashout from the winnings earned with the bonus; any amount left over beyond this maximum amount is removed from your account.
This condition usually applies to all free spins bonuses with zero or low wagering requirements. Ensure that you use the bonus to play only the games that are eligible; stay away from games on the restricted list.
This condition applies to all bonuses with zero or low wagering requirements. Ensure that you use the bonus within the period for which it is valid.
When it comes to wagering requirements, this condition isn't applicable for bonuses with zero wagering requirements. For those bonuses with low wagering requirements, ensure that you meet the wagering requirements before trying to withdraw any winnings you scored with it.
A zero wagering bonus is effectively a bonus that doesn't have any wagering requirement attached to it. This is a radically new bonus, because every other bonus at an online casino comes with wagering requirements. That is also why you find only a handful of casinos offering this bonus to new players.
Of course, the zero wagering bonus comes with its own advantages. The two biggest advantages are:
A wagering requirement is one of the checks and balances that a casino incorporates into its bonuses to ensure:
The wagering requirement ensures that you wager your bonus – or the winnings earned from it in case you are using a free spins bonus – a given number of times before you are able to withdraw winnings from it. Some casinos require you to wager the bonus as well as deposit amount the required number of times to meet the wagering requirements.
A 35x wagering requirement on the bonus amount implies that once you have used up the bonus offer, you will need to wager 35 times the bonus amount you received to be able to withdraw winnings that you earned with it.
So, if the bonus amount that was offered was $100, you would effectively need to wager $3500 ($100 x 35 times) to be able to withdraw winnings.
A standard low wagering bonus could have a wagering requirement of anywhere from 5x to 20x the bonus amount, or the winnings earned with the bonus, in case it is a free spins bonus offer.
Olivia King is our Chief Editor and webmaster. She is responsible for making sure that we're doing the best no deposit bonuses in the industry, no matter what your latest in online casino gambling.
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