How We Evaluate the Best Slots Bonuses
With all sites offering online slot bonuses, identifying the best of the best is no small task. We’ve done the hard work at Online-Slot.co.uk with the criteria outlined below.
You’ll find the factors we considered when ranking the bonuses, including wagering requirements, game restrictions and all terms and conditions:
- UKGC License and Safety: First, we check if the slot site offering the bonus has a UKGC licence and if it’s trustworthy. For some slot site bonuses, we can consult user reviews and feedback; for others, we need to dig deeper. This is often the case with new slot sites. In those cases, we look at the company owners and more.
- Wagering Requirements: With more no wager offers available these days (in the form of no wager free spins), most bonuses have wagering requirements. They are the number of times you need to play through a bonus before it can be withdrawn. With the standard being 35 x deposit plus bonus, you would need to wager/bet the bonus plus deposit amounts 35 times to cash out the bonus and any winnings.
- Game Restrictions: Slots bonuses can normally be used on one particular slot game (like Book of Dead or Starburst) or a group of slots (i.e. on NetEnt slots). Furthermore, some slot games may only contribute 50% or less to the wagering requirements. Slots with high RTP rates and jackpot slots tend to be excluded from wagering requirements altogether.
- Deposit Limits: Even the best slots welcome bonuses with no wagering will come with deposit limits. The minimum deposit is normally £10 but can be up to £20 in order to qualify. You will also find a maximum deposit limit, giving you the maximum slots bonus (i.e. deposit £100 to get a 100% match bonus of £100).
- Time Limits: All slot bonus offers will come with expiry dates or time limits. Some will require you to deposit or avail the bonus within 24 hours, 3 days or even 30 days. This may also apply to wagering requirements that must be completed within the specified timeframe.
- Maximum Cashout Limits: Also known as maximum payouts, some bonuses will have a maximum limit of what you can win with the bonus or free spins. This is put in place to limit the site’s liability. The best deposit slots bonuses don’t have any restrictions, though.
- Payment Methods: A lot more common than some of the factors outlined above—slot sites will allow you to claim a bonus, but only if you use a certain payment method. Debit cards are allowed for all slot bonuses as a rule of thumb with PayPal being valid on many. Other e-wallet solutions like Neteller and Skrill are normally restricted for any welcome offers.
- Bonus Codes: With exclusive slot bonuses, a way for players to claim these offers is via bonus or promo codes. You need to enter the specified code when you register an account or make your first deposit. This is stated in all our reviews where applicable. That said, most codes are automatically populated where needed.
- Terms and Conditions: The fine print encompasses all factors outlined above. Per the Competition and Markets Authority’s guidance, the “terms and conditions of promotions should be clear and given to you in good time”. This includes any restrictions on how to use the slots bonus.
As a rule of thumb, the best slot bonuses should display transparent and detailed Terms and Conditions. Even though we specify all the ins and outs in our detailed reviews, make sure to check a particular site’s T&Cs before claiming any offer. If in doubt, contact their customer support teams for further clarification.
Types of Online Slot Bonuses
Various types of slot bonuses in the UK are available, each offering its own benefits and advantages. Top slot sites will open their doors with a competitive offer and continue to offer their customers a wide range of bonuses to keep them happy. Below are the main ones you’ll come across.
No Deposit Bonuses
A no deposit slots bonus is very sought after, as you don’t need to deposit any funds when you try your luck at a UK slots site. Most no deposit bonuses tend to be small, ranging from £5 up to £20.
However, certain restrictions will be in place, like high wagering requirements, eligible slot games and maximum win limits. Don’t be alarmed if a certain no deposit bonus isn’t valid from one week to the next, as they are used sparingly and for mainly trial purposes.
Free Spins
More common these days, free spins bonuses require you to make a deposit to receive a certain number of free spins. These are typically valid on 1 slot game with the usual suspects Book of Dead (Play ‘n GO) or Starburst (NetEnt) to eligible slots.
No Deposit Free Spins
Like no deposit bonuses, no deposit free spins will give you free spins on a certain game without having to deposit any of your own funds.
Also available on the most popular slots, depositing £10 will normally give you around 50 free spins. These will inevitably come with high wagering requirements and max cashout limits.
No Wager Free Spins
No wager free spins are free spins that come with no wagering requirements. This means that any winnings are yours to keep and withdraw. They are becoming increasingly popular and tend to be offered by the top slot sites.
They also offer a small number of wager-free spins (i.e. 10 or 20). Again, they will be available on slots like Starburst, Book of Dead or Big Bass Splash (Pragmatic Play). Check out our list of no wager free spins offers from top UK sites.
Reload Bonuses
Like welcome bonuses, reload bonuses will give you a matched amount up to a certain figure. Slot sites will use these to encourage existing players to try a new slot game or to get them to play again.
Used as a reward, reload bonus offers will normally require a bonus or promo code. One advantage of these kinds of offers is they tend to offer lower wagering requirements compared to welcome bonuses. The best slot sites will offer monthly, weekly or even daily reload bonuses.
Cashback Bonuses
Less common these days, cashback bonuses will see you receive a percentage of your losses or play over a pre-defined period of time. Normally awarded weekly or monthly, you will get up to 20% of your losses as a way of rewarding your loyalty.
Loyalty Bonuses
Finally, loyalty bonus offers vary in format. They can be deposit or no deposit bonuses, free spins, no deposit or no wager free spins and cashback. Most of these offers will depend on how much a customer plays. For example, if you were to lose £1,000 a month, you’d receive lots of loyalty offers whilst playing and losing £20 will likely get you nothing.
Slot sites will have VIP tiers or a ranking system where the rewards are greater the higher up you go. This can include other benefits such as birthday bonuses, gifts, tickets to sporting events and quicker cashouts.
Slots Bonuses in a Nutshell
Claiming slot site bonuses is actually quite straightforward. The key is to claim offers from UKGC-licensed sites that prominently and clearly display all the relevant terms and conditions.
Finally, remember that playing slots online for real money is only available to those 18 or over and may be illegal in your country or jurisdiction.
FAQs
A slots bonus is an incentive a slot site offers to new or existing players as a way of rewarding them. The most common is a slots welcome bonus when a new player joins.
A free spins bonus is an incentive used by sites where you get a certain amount of free spins on a particular slot game. They are normally valid on Book of Dead (Play ‘n GO) and Starburst (NetEnt).
Check the bonus terms and conditions and look at the various criteria we cover on this page, such as wagering requirements, deposit and withdrawal limits, payment methods, etc.
Slot sites offer many different types of bonuses, including welcome, deposit, no deposit, reload, cashback and loyalty bonuses, and free spins, which can be no deposit and no wager. A combination of various types will constitute a solid offering.
As with all casino and slot bonus offers, you need to consider wagering requirements, game restrictions, deposit limits, time limits, max cashout limits, payment methods, bonus codes and Terms & Conditions.
Slot bonuses in the UK tend to be on popular slot games such as Starburst (NetEnt), Book of Dead (Play ‘n GO), Big Bass Splash (Pragmatic Play) and Age of the Gods (Playtech).
