Free spins or cash bonuses at casinos – which is better?

Ten years ago, bonuses in dollars or euros were the most popular in online gambling halls. Today, the focus has shifted. Online casinos are increasingly offering free spins instead of cash prizes. Naturally, players’ preferences determine the change in priorities. In a highly competitive environment, online clubs are quick to adapt to changes in the interests of their gambling audience. Why did the public prefer free spins to rewards?

It’s all about wagering requirements. A prize in dollars or euros is like a pig in a poke. It is difficult to predict whether the money will be spent on losing bets or will bring a profit. On the contrary, gift spins are always useful. The user will not lose anything in the worst-case scenario. However, this is very unlikely. Even one good spin will already bring a profit.

Thus, players who play free spins are sure to win. The likelihood of losing increases when you receive a cash prize. 

For the first deposit in the club, we receive a welcome gift package, which includes 150% of the deposit amount and 25 FS at a rate of 5 UAH. The wager for the cash prize is 40 times, and the wager for the free spins is 35 times. These are the conditions of the standard (non-VIP) package, in which you can deposit 250 dollars. After replenishing your balance with this amount, you will receive a bonus of 375 UAH and another 125 free spins (25×5).

Let’s assume that you only won $50 from 25 spins. Since there was $125 on the balance, we suffered a loss of $75. However, only winnings are required to participate in free spins. Thus, you need to place bets totaling $1750 (50×35).

Let’s assume that you lost $75 and received a prize. We have $300 left out of $375. However, to wager the prize, you need to deposit the initial prize amount, i.e., $15,000 (375 x 40). The wagering requirement is different. The cost of the free spins was 8.5 times less.

What are the advantages of a cash prize? In addition, free spins also have a disadvantage, although it is not so important. Bonus gifts are given for a specific slot or group of emulators with a set bet. A cash prize can be used at your discretion.

Why is the disadvantage not so significant? Modern online casinos offer free spins on high-paying slot machines. In the example above, the operator NetGame provides the Fruit Cash Hold’N’Link slot machine, which awards prize spins. The slot machine has an excellent return of 96.1% by modern standards.

Bonus trap with free spins This is a trap only for bonuses that are credited in cash. Here’s what the trap is. Some clubs require you to wager both the cash bonus and the prize amount. Such promotions are becoming increasingly rare. Reputable casinos do not have bonus traps. All clubs with a KRAIL license must only wager the bonus amount.

The more attractive the free spins are, the more interesting the new slots are. Every month, different providers add dozens of slot machines. Users cannot keep track of all the new releases. To attract players, casinos often offer bonus free spins on newly released machines. This has two effects. The provider advertises new slot machines and encourages visitors to play.

Summary: The only prize you can get for merit is money. The bonus can be used on any slot machine. The advantages of free spins include guaranteed winnings and easy wagering requirements. The wagering requirements for winnings from free spins are also usually lower. Therefore, it is preferable to choose the free spins bonus. If you don’t win anything, you’ll still have something to be happy about, even if the situation is unlikely. Plus, you won’t have to spin. However, this is almost impossible.