No Deposit Bonuses UK

Best No Deposit Bonus Sites in 2024

UK players have a limited selection of no deposit bonuses to choose from. This is due to the crack-down on these types of bonuses that happened in recent years.

PlatinPlay has taken specific care to highlight each casino's safety rating since not all of the above casinos are licensed and regulated by the UKGC.

Take extra care when claiming the bonuses mentioned above.

What is a No Deposit Bonus?

No deposit bonuses are incredibly popular in the online casino world, in every market. The reason is a no brainer – in theory, you can win money without spending money.

You register at your chosen free no deposit casino, claim the offer and start playing. No need to make a real money deposit into your account.

Basically, you’re trying out a new casino for free, which is amazing for those who have a low budget or who are newbies in the world of online gambling.

This is why a free cash bonus at a no deposit casino is usually only given out to new players.

All you need to do is finish your registration and fulfill all verification requirements, and the free cash will be added to your account. Some sites may also require you to input no deposit bonus codes, but these will always be very clearly displayed, and we will also inform you when this is the case.

However, if you’re lucky you may also find a free no deposit bonus offered to returning players. This is usually when the casino wants to promote a particular new game, or even when there is a seasonal promotion.

There are various types of no deposit bonus for UK players, and we will be explaining how each type works in detail a bit later on.

If you’re one of the many Brits looking for such an offer to stretch your bankroll further, or even because you are not yet sure whether you want to spend money on real money wagers, then you’re definitely in the right place.

How No Deposit Bonuses Work

No deposit bonuses come with a few specific conditions:

1. You cannot cash out bonus winnings from no deposit bonuses – you can only wager the winnings on other games
2. The wagering requirements on no deposit bonuses tend to be higher than on normal bonuses
3. They are typically only for new players

The reason for the 1st condition is so that casinos discourage bonus hunters. Bonus hunters are players who seek out no deposit bonuses, register with casinos and never make a deposit — becoming a big cash liability for the casino.

By tying players down with in-game wagering and higher requirements, this issue is eliminated. But it can backfire on more casual players.

This largely why the UKGC has cracked down on these types of bonuses.

Popular Types of No Deposit Bonuses

Not all no deposit casino bonuses are the same, even though they may operate on the same principles. Some take the form of a freewelcome bonus with no deposit required, others are offered to loyal players. Some will allow you to cash out winnings immediately, others may have a wagering requirement.

It’s very important to know exactly what you’re signing up for to avoid any nasty surprises. Below, we explain the most common type of no deposit sign up bonus available in the UK, together with the terms and conditions to look out for.

1. No Deposit Welcome Bonus

This is by far the most common type of no deposit bonus you’ll find at UK online casinos. As the name implies, it is used as a welcome offer to entice new players who have yet to registered at the casino.

Even here, you’ll find different subtypes of this bonus. For example, an online casino may offer free money with no deposit upon registration, in which case you’ll find the cash added to your account. You’ll be able to use it on all the eligible games listed in terms and conditions. Some others offer a number of free spins instead. Some will let you cash out immediately, others will impose a playthrough. We’ll explain how these all work below.

2. No Deposit Free Spins Bonus

A no deposit free spins bonus is a set of slot spins given to you just for registering a casino account.

If you’re a new player you’ll be generally offered some free spins, which can be anything between 5 and 20, to use on a number of slots, or typically a particular slot dictated by the casino.

Be aware that when using such free spins bonuses, the bet size and the winnings are usually capped so as to prevent bonus abuse. Bet sizes are usually between £0.05 and £0.10, while you’ll be able to cash out a maximum of at least £100.

When this offer is being made to existing players, this is usually to promote a specific new game, so you’ll only be able to use the offer on that game.

3. No Deposit No Wager Bonus

If a generous no deposit bonus is like a shooting star, then a no deposit, no wagering bonus is the unicorn of them all. It is most likely that when you find a welcome bonus no deposit required, you’ll still have wagering requirements attached to it. These can be anything between 30x and 70x. A 30x requirement means that you’ll have to wager your winnings 30 times before you are allowed to cash out the winnings, so it can still lead to a substantial strain on your bankroll.

On the other hand, a no wager, no deposit bonus on registration rolls up all these requirements in a ball and bins them. This means that you literally register, take the free offer, play for real money and cash out your winnings without any other obligations. Understandably, these types of no deposit casino offers are usually small, in the region of £5.

4. £10 or £20 No Deposit Bonus

The most common type of free bonus no deposit offer is when you’re offered free cash to play with. This is especially true when you’re picking up a no deposit welcome bonus, as the idea is to give the new player free rein to try out a number of games in the hope that they stay on playing at the site.

How much money can you expect to be given? This depends on the site, but the most common offers are either of £10 or £20, which is more than enough to give you a good roll on your favourite games with a chance to win some decent money.

5. Free Cash No Deposit: £5, £10, £20, etc

Every casino is different when it comes to the size of the offer. Free cash no deposit offers can literally take any shape, starting at £5. This may sound on the low side but consider that this is literally free cash being handed out. Bigger brands may splash out with a £10 or £20 no deposit welcome bonus. Anything more than that is usually reserved for high rollers on the highest tier of the VIP club.

6. Add a Card No Deposit Bonus

Now, just because you’re not required to make an actual payment to activate your free cash no deposit casino offer, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t other terms and conditions to take note of. Most notably, most UK gambling sites nowadays clearly state in the terms and conditions that they require a debit card verification to activate the bonus.

Some players may view this as suspicious, but it’s actually a legit requirement that’s mostly there to satisfy KYC (Know Your Customer) requirements. This requirement also ensures that the player is, in fact, who they say they are and that there is no fraudulent activity afoot. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the site will not deduct any funds from your card or it would fall foul of UK Gambling Commission regulations and risk losing its licence.

7. No Deposit Bonus for Existing Players

A free welcome bonus no deposit required for new UK players is all very well and good, but where does that leave existing players? They’re not common, but such offers can be found for returning players, so keep an eye out on the Promotions page of your favourite site and on this page, as we’ll be regularly updating it with the latest player offers.

It’s also a good idea to subscribe to e-mail or phone notifications from your favourite site, as more often than not these kind of offers are customised for existing players and will be offered according to your spend and the frequency with which you pay.

8. Mobile No Deposit Casino Bonus

Mobile specificno deposit casino bonuses aren’t really a thing yet here. However, you’ll be able to pick up the latest no deposit casino bonuses in the UK from any mobile device you wish. Nowadays, mobile casinos are designed using HTML5 so that even if they have no app you can enjoy the full function of the normal, mobile browser site to register, activate your free welcome bonus no deposit required  and play any game you choose.

How We Rate No Deposit Bonus Casinos

Let’s be honest about it. There are plenty of no deposit bonus casinos around in the UK, but they’re not all equally amazing. When it’s real money games, you want to make sure you only use trustworthy, reliable casinos, even if it’s no deposit gambling sites we’re talking about.

With so many new UK casino sites bombarding players almost every week, it’s understandable to feel overwhelmed. Moreover, most offers tend to be very similar, while the fine print is full of jargon. So we get it completely if you find it a mammoth task to figure out which casino sign up bonus no deposit is worth trying out, and which should be given a wide berth.

Enter Platinplay, bringing together casino veterans with years of gambling experience to separate the diamonds from the dregs. Our team of experts uses a transparent and consistent seven step process when testing sites for casino reviews. Each step of the process is related to an objective criteria that will impact your gambling experience. Let’s go into some more detail about every aspect of our data-based process below.

Licensing and security: Every single one of our recommended no deposit casino UK is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. We don’t make any exceptions to this rule, as this is what ensures player protection at all times. This gambling regulator will even take up the case on your behalf should you have any reason to complain. 

Besides the UKGC licence, we also take a look at the responsible gambling tools that are made available, to see if they’re easy to find and access. We also prefer sites that get their games independently audited by companies like eCOGRA or iTech Labs to make sure that the wins are truly randomly generated.

Bonuses: Does the site offer generous promotions with fair terms? This is one of our biggest priorities when we’re carrying out our UK casino reviews, and in this case the number one objective is ensuring that the casino offers a no deposit bonus to new players. We also check whether the wagering requirements are reasonable. Although 35x is the gold standard in the UK, it is acceptable if these are slightly higher for a free cash offer, so even 40x and 45x still make the offer worth its while.

While we’re on topic, we do check out all the other bonus offers, of course. Those sites that offer a good range of loyalty promotions get brownie points from us.

Games and software providers: There’s only one reason you’re looking for an online casino with a no deposit bonus. And that is to play the best games! Our top-rated sites offer an excellent range of no deposit casino games. We expect a good mix of online slots, with flexible stake ranges to accommodate all budgets, as well as network jackpots, live dealer games and table games. We also look for the presence of leading software providers like Netent, Pragmatic Play, IGT and the like, as this means that games are authenticated and that you have access to the newest titles and to the best loved classics.

Payment options and payout times: You want to be able to make a deposit using the most convenient payment method for you, correct? Even when you’re picking up a UK no deposit bonus, chances are that if you like the casino you’ll want to make a real cash deposit to play again. This is why we look for sites that offer a reasonable mix of banking options that includes traditional banking methods, digital wallets and even prepaid vouchers.

On the same lines, nothing’s worse than landing a win and taking forever to get your paws on all that bounty. There is worse actually – sites that bring forth every excuse under the sun not to hand over your hard-won cash. Payout times are a huge criterion at PlatinPlay and we only recommend sites that have a payment policy that doesn’t exceed three days (five days for certain bank related transactions). We also want to see a smooth verification and transaction handling process.

Site usability: The UX/UI design of a site can spell its success or failure. If you’re not into techie terms, this refers to the user-friendliness of the site. How easy is it to register? Is it a fast process or do you have to click a million links? And can you identify the terms and conditions easily? What about finding your favourite games? Is there a decent search tool or, even better, a filtering option so you can choose by theme, software provider, stake range and so forth? All of these considerations are taken into account when we’re deciding whether a no deposit bonus casino is worthy of a Platinplay recommendation or not.

Customer Support: Issues crop up, no matter how smooth and amazing a site is. And when they do, we want to know that the customer support team will be ready to help us without any fuss and without undue delay. Which is why 24/7 live chat support rules in our world. We test the customer support facilities of the best no deposit bonus casinos multiple times in our quest to ensure that they’re deserving of the name. We also try out the email function and phone support should there be one available.

Mobile Gaming Experience: Most UK players nowadays prefer to gamble on the go. All the official statistics show this, so it would be very silly to recommend a site that isn’t fully mobile optimised. Our top list of recommendations is entirely mobile responsive, and some even offer a dedicated app for easier and smoother access. With most new no deposit casinos being designed to HTML5 technology, all games will automatically adapt to your device’s screen size which means that the experience will be even more immersive.

Testing out No Deposit Bonuses

Wondering how we go about testing the best no deposit casino bonuses? Much like when rating a casino, our Platinplay experts follow a very precise process to make sure that they’ve got the measure of all terms and conditions, especially those that affect when you’ll be able to cash out your winnings.

First off, we check the wagering requirements. If these are too steep to allow you to withdraw your winnings, then there’s no point to picking up the bonus unless you have a significantly large bankroll. Anything between 30x and 40x is cool. Up to 50x is acceptable, but do your maths well to ensure that you’re okay with this. Anything more than that should be strictly kept for the high rollers among you.

It’s also a good idea to double check which games contribute to playthrough and to what extent. Slots typically are given a 100% weighting, but if you’re into live dealer games you may want to check that the weighting is not 0%. We suggest you look for a site that offers between 10% and 20% on these games.

Next thing on our radar is the expiry term. Giving us a mere 24 hours to use up the offer? We think not. The best no deposit casino bonuses will give you at least seven days to enjoy that free money and free spins at leisure. The very nicest ones may even give you up to a month.

Once we’ve made sure we’re happy with the above, we take a look at the cashier policy. Is the minimum withdrawal too high for us? £20 is the UK average, but those that let us withdraw as little as £10 have our full vote. Finally, how long will it take for us to cash out? A reasonable term is anything up to three days, but we do love us an instant withdrawal casino too.

Once we’re satisfied that all the above is in order, then we’re ready to include the offer on our list of best no deposit casino bonuses.

How to Pick a No Deposit Bonus?

Still unsure about how you should go about picking the best no deposit casino bonus for you? The below checklist will help you make sure that you don’t skip any part of the process.

• Reasonable wagering requirements – Look for anything between 35x and 45x and make sure that you can afford the playthrough, or you won’t be able to cash out winnings.

• Good expiry term – Only accept offers that give you at least seven days to use the bonus as anything less will put unnecessary pressure on you.

• Convenient casino banking options – If your preferred banking option is not present, decide whether it’s worth registering as you will have to find an alternative deposit and withdrawal method.

• Fast cashout process – If the site has a long transaction pending period, this means it will be a while before the money is cashed out. Make sure that the casino guarantees payment within a maximum of five days.

Common Mistakes When Looking for No Deposit Bonus

Don’t get caught up in all the jargon! It’s very easy to make a mistake when looking for a new casino no deposit bonus. But if you follow this guide, you’ll be enjoying your free cash or free spins before you know it. Take note of the below points and you’ll never wonder whether you should pick up an offer or not.

• Research your chosen no deposit casino – Platinplay is a good place to start as we offer honest information and expert reviews of UK online casinos.
• Check the welcome deposit terms – It’s an easy mistake to make, thinking that every welcome bonus on offer is free. This is not the case so check whether the site is asking for a minimum deposit to make you eligible for the offer.

Read all terms and conditions – The most important ones like wagering requirements, expiry terms and eligible games are usually very clearly indicated. The only way to get the full picture is by reading the important parts

How to Claim a No Deposit Bonus

So you’re ready to start playing with your free cash, right? It’s time for you to register and pick up that free no deposit casino bonus. If you’re wondering how to go about it, the below step-by-step guide will make things simple.

• Step 1. Follow the link to your chosen no deposit casino from this page

All the recommended sites have been thoroughly vetted for fairness and trustworthiness by our experts, so you can play with peace of mind.

• Step 2. Register for an account

Click on the Register/Play Now button and follow the prompts. You will be asked to offer some personal information. This is completely normal and done for legal purposes.

• Step 3. Verify your account

The law requires that all UK casinos follow a KYC process so you will be asked to provide some documentation to show that you are who you claim to be and that you’re not committing any fraudulent activity such as money-laundering. You won’t be able to cash out any winnings if you don’t complete this part.

• Step 4. Take a look at the promotions on offer

This is an important step as it will give you an idea what to aim for once you have played through the sign up no deposit bonus.

• Step 5. Claim your no deposit sign up offer

Check if any no deposit casino bonus codes are needed to activate the offer.

• Step 6.  Start enjoying your favourite games with the free money

Make sure you check which games are eligible to make the most of the experience.

• Step 7. Cash out your winnings

Take a look at the wagering requirements, and if you’ve fulfilled them feel free to cash out and spend that money!

No Deposit Bonuses Pros & Cons

Still feeling ambivalent about the thought of being given money to play with for free? Okay we get it. As with everything, there are pros and cons when playing at the best no deposit bonus casino. Take a look at the below list for a clearer picture.

No Deposit Casino Games

What games can you expect to play using your newly found no deposit casino bonus? The great news is that you will usually be offered a good variety of game options to play.

• Online slots: The most popular, and the best choice as the majority of slots contribute 100% to the wagering requirements.

• Table games: These include roulette, baccarat and blackjack. Some sites will put a 10% weighting contribution on these games unless you’re using a no wagering no deposit bonus.

• Live dealer games: Once again, the weighting is unlikely to be more than 50% and you certainly won’t be able to use these on most live gameshows like Deal or No Deal, Dream Catcher and the like.

• Scratchcards: These are absolutely fair game for using your no deposit bonus UK offer.

• Bingo: Read the terms and conditions because different sites have different approaches to this one. Some will outright state that you can’t use your bonus cash here, while others will allow it.

• Poker: You probably won’t be allowed to use a no deposit online casino bonus on video poker games, but live dealer poker will be weighted between 5% and 15%.

Why do Casinos Offer No Deposit Bonuses?

Many players worry that a casino welcome bonus with no deposit required is too good to be true. For sure, if you’re not a seasoned player you may wonder what the catch is as no-one’s giving anything for free. But the truth is that no deposit bonuses at a casino are viewed as an excellent marketing tool that can help generate new business for the casino. Here are some valid reasons why an operator would make such a good offer:

• To attract new players
• To encourage existing players who haven’t played in a while to come back.
• To raise awareness about its brand, if it is a newcomer.
• To promote new games
• To reward big spenders