How can you play in online casinos without money?

At first glance, it may sound surprising to be able to play in a casino without investing your own money. After all, the central principle of a casino is that players place bets in order to potentially win or lose money. However, in the world of online casinos, there are actually various ways to play without wagering any money at all and sometimes even win real money. In this article, we look at how this works, why casinos offer this option and what players can expect from it.

Here are the 3 most common forms:

Here you play with virtual play money. Winnings have no real value, but the player gets to know the game. Afterwards, you are well prepared to play with real money and don't waste money just to understand the game principle.

This is the most common and most popular method of playing for free. No deposit bonuses are usually offered as a welcome gift upon registration. You receive a certain amount of credit and can convert this into real money (provided you meet the wagering requirements of the bonus). A list of providers that offer such bonuses can be found here: https://spielhallen.com/bonus/ohne-einzahlung/

These are often awarded in addition to deposit bonuses or provided as a gesture of goodwill by customer support. You receive a certain number of free spins that are not subject to any conditions. This means that whatever you win with the free spins is yours.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Online-Casinos sind wirtschaftlich orientierte Unternehmen, die auf Gewinn ausgerichtet sind. Dennoch bieten viele Plattformen die Möglichkeit, kostenlos zu spielen. Warum? 

Competition in the gaming market is extremely fierce. In order to stand out from the competition, casinos have to put together the most attractive offers possible. As a result, many providers advertise generous welcome packages, including free spins, no deposit starting credit or high deposit bonuses.

But that alone is not enough. In order to retain players in the long term and prevent them from migrating to the competition, new incentives must be created on a regular basis. The right mix of deposit bonuses, no deposit offers and free spins has proven to be particularly effective.

In principle, it is possible to earn real winnings with bonus credits or free spins and have them paid out, but this is not easy in practice. No-deposit bonuses, as well as all other bonuses, are subject to wagering requirements. This means that the player often has to wager the bonus amount or the winnings from it many times over, for example 30 to 50 times, before a payout is approved. In addition, there are often maximum limits for withdrawals from free games (e.g. a maximum of €100).

Generally speaking, a turnover factor of up to 30x is easy to moderately difficult to achieve. For experienced players, this is perfectly feasible with the right strategy. This brings us to the next point:

In order to fulfill the sales conditions as efficiently as possible, it is important to proceed strategically.

It is advisable to choose games with a high RTP (ideally above 96%), as such games offer better chances of winning. Volatility also plays a role. Slots with low to medium volatility pay out smaller amounts more frequently, which helps to preserve the bonus balance for as long as possible and to gradually achieve the required turnover.

If you are not necessarily the go big or go home type, you should play with low stakes. Although higher stakes also increase potential winnings, they also increase the risk of losing the bonus balance quickly. Lower stakes, on the other hand, allow for longer playing times and more rounds, which improves the chances of successfully wagering the bonus amount.

Tip number 3 is: Avoid mistakes. A common and unfortunately serious mistake is to use bonus funds in games that do not count towards the wagering requirements. If, for example, you receive a slot bonus but then use it in live casino games, you often only discover later that the winnings you have made are not withdrawable because they come from games that are not permitted. Another common mistake concerns the stake per game round. Most bonus terms and conditions set a clear maximum stake, which is usually €5. As soon as you exceed this amount, the entire bonus, including all winnings, may be forfeited.

Playing for free in online casinos definitely offers a risk-free introduction to the world of gambling. Realistically, you can definitely achieve a payout. However, this is not easy to achieve and the maximum amount that can be paid out is usually limited. Nevertheless, you should accept bonuses as gifts, because with the right approach, a bonus can be well worth it!