Free spin bonuses are a mainstay of online casino promotions. Casinos love handing out free spins — as part of a welcome bonus for new players, as a reward for playing regularly or to mark the release of a new game.
Free spins on slots are the only bonus regularly aimed at a specific casino game. This is not especially surprising — slots are easily the most popular online casino game, and the slot menu dwarfs all other games in terms of size.
We love free spins, but to get the most out of them, you need to understand exactly how they work. Just like every casino bonus, free spins will have terms and conditions you’ll need to be aware of. All too often, the headline isn’t the full story.
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Two online casinos now operate in Connecticut, and they offer some intriguing bonuses:
Mohegan Sun (FanDuel Casino)
The Mohegan Sun online casino platform is part of a partnership with FanDuel. While the DFS giant provides sports betting in the state, the online casino games are available under the Mohegan Sun name. Mohegan Sun offers free spins on one slot title every Monday.
DraftKings Casino
The DraftKings welcome bonus doesn’t include free spins at the moment. If you already have a DraftKings account either for sports betting or DFS and have never played on the online casino, you can claim $100 worth of free spins.
The offer is for players who are new to the casino only. This promo is a good example of how casinos use free spins to push players out of their comfort zones and get them to try new things.
How do free spins work?
Free spin bonuses let you play real money slots online for free. Every free spin refers to a single turn at a specific slot. If you win, you get to keep the money — subject to any additional conditions, which we’ll come to later. If you lose, your free spin is gone.
Free spins are consistently among the most common bonuses at Connecticut casino sites. Even if they’re not available as part of a welcome bonus, you may be able to pick up bonus free spins long after you’ve signed up. A casino may hand out weekly free spins on a specially selected slot of the week or offer free spins to publicize new slots in the game library.
However you receive the free spins, online casinos use them as a way to attract people to their games, who may then deposit some of their own money to continue playing.
It’s important to appreciate that not every free spin is equal. The value of each free spin matters. The stakes tend to range from $0.10 to $1, with higher stakes being quite rare. You may be able to use some free spins on the slot of your choice, but often they will be for a single game. In this way, casinos can use free spins to direct attention to whatever games they wish.
If you go to play an online slot and you have qualifying free spins in your account, you will typically use those to play first before your own money. As long as you’re playing a qualifying game at the correct stake, your free spin will kick in. You’ll normally see a message appear indicating that you’re using a free spin.
If you choose a game or wager amount that doesn’t qualify, your free spin won’t work.
Types of free spin bonuses
Free spins at online casinos broadly fall into three categories. Each has its benefits, but some might make more sense for you than others depending on your circumstances.
- No deposit free spins — In this case, the casino will give you some free spins when you create an account. This could be 10 or 20 spins, for instance. Bonuses like this let you test the waters at new online casinos in CT without worrying about losing any of your own money. If you end up winning and clearing any additional wagering requirements, the winnings are yours to keep.
- Deposit free spins — This is when you receive some free spins as part of a promotion that requires you to first deposit some of your own money. They are normally included as part of an enhanced deposit, so you might find an offer like: “100% welcome bonus up to $500 plus 50 free spins.” Chances are you’ll receive more free spins from this type of promo than from a no deposit bonus, which tends to be more modest.
- Loyalty rewards/ongoing promotions — Casinos also may just offer everyone free spins on a specially selected slot of the week, or to promote a new game. A casino may have a loyalty program that offers players benefits like free spins if they play regularly. You may also be able to cash in reward points in exchange for free spins.
Rules and requirements for free spins
Just like all casino bonuses, free spins come with terms and conditions that can affect their overall value. For the most part, casinos aren’t trying to trick anyone with their fine print. But they are very much in the business of not giving away free cash without making sure the promotion is beneficial for them, too.
Here are some of the most important terms to be aware of when it comes to free spins at CT online casinos:
- Capped winnings — Casinos often impose a maximum amount you can win from free spins. A cap of something like $50 or $100 is standard, meaning you won’t be able to withdraw any more than that based on money accrued from your free spins. You can also find free spins with no cap, but they tend to have higher playthrough requirements.
- Stake — Free spins come at a specified stake, and will only work on games at that amount. It’s also a big factor in the true value of a free spin bonus: 20 free spins worth $1 each are twice as valuable as 100 at $0.10, for example.
- Specific slots — You can often only use a free spin on a certain game or group of games.
- Playthrough/wagering requirement — This refers to the number of times you need to gamble with your winnings from free spins before you can withdraw them — just like with bonus cash you receive from an enhanced deposit. Playthrough of 1x means you just need to bet your winnings once. If you had $20 in winnings with a playthrough requirement of 10x, you’d need to gamble a total of $200 to be able to withdraw your winnings.
- Time limit — You normally have limited time to use your free spins and to complete any wagering requirements.
Which are the best slots to use for free spins?
Online casinos have A LOT of slots on their menus — normally in the hundreds and potentially in the thousands. It can be an overwhelming experience choosing which to play, and even if you love having the choice, chances are you’re going to be neglecting a lot more than you’re playing.
Free spins can help narrow things down a lot. For one thing, free spins will often work only on a specific game or group of games. If it’s one of your favorite games already, great! If not, it means you get to try a new game or one you might not normally think to play, and you can do so for free. It’s a good way to expand your palate and get to know new games.
If you have a wider selection of slots that work with your bonus, we have a couple of tips before you decide which to play. If you have playthrough requirements to complete or have a cap on your wins, it makes a lot of sense to choose low volatility slots with higher return-to-player rates.
Volatile slots can pay out bigger jackpots, but infrequently. Low volatility slots theoretically pay out fewer one-off jackpots but pay more consistently. If your goal is to hit a threshold of money gambled, the latter is a better option.
Free spins sometimes don’t qualify for progressive jackpot wins. If this is the case, best to avoid playing slots with progressives. You can also normally play most slots for free in demo mode. This is a good option if you want to get a feel for the different choices before deciding which games to use your free spins on.
Beyond free spins: More casino bonuses
Free spins are a classic, but they’re by now means the only show in town. Online casinos can offer a range of bonuses. Depending on how you like to play, you might even prefer them to free spins. Here are some of the other bonus options:
- Welcome bonus/deposit match bonus — As we’ve covered already, you may even find a number of free spins as part of a bonus like this. With this bonus, the casino matches some or all of your first deposit with bonus cash. Matches of 100% are common, although there is always a cap on how much bonus cash you can claim. You can use your bonus money just like regular cash, but it is subject to wagering requirements when playing roulette, craps, blackjack online, and other casino games.
- Insurance/bonus betting — With these bonuses, the casino will refund you some or all of your net losses over a set time period. Some casinos let you claim back any money you lose in your first 24 hours playing there, for example. Others might let you claim a smaller fraction of losses every month. Your refund will normally be in bonus cash, which you’ll have to clear before you can withdraw it.
- No deposit bonus cash — You’ll receive a small amount of bonus cash — often around $10 or $20 — when you create an account at the casino.
- Reload bonuses — These work similarly to boosted deposits, but they apply to deposits after your first one. Casinos offer them to encourage people to keep playing regularly.
- Loyalty programs — As mentioned earlier, casinos typically have all kinds of rewards and incentives for people to play regularly. You may be able to earn loyalty points, and when you collect enough, you can cash them in for prizes.
Free spins and live dealer games
Casinos often exclude live dealer games from bonus offers. You might find you can’t use the bonus cash on live tables, and playing at them might not contribute to wagering requirements.
This is chiefly due to the cost of hosting live dealer games for the casino, like paying the dealers, and the fact that each hand or round is happening in real life and in real time. Normally, if you want to play on the live tables, you’re going to have to use your own money.
Even though you can’t play for free, you can still observe other people playing live without actually taking a virtual seat yourself. It’s a good way to get a feel for the live atmosphere before risking your own cash.
FAQ
Who can claim a free spin bonus?
Generally, anyone who can legally gamble online in Connecticut can qualify for a bonus of free spins. That means you need to be at least 21 years old and within state lines.
Are free spins legal?
Yes. Free spins are a legal promotion in Connecticut, as long as you are inside the state when you use them to gamble.
Can I win real money from free spins?
Yes, provided you complete any playthrough requirement and fulfill any other terms and conditions of the promotion.
Is there a limit to how much I can win with a free spin?
There may be. Casinos often impose a cap on your overall winnings from free spins.
Can I get some free spins without depositing any money?
Yes, a casino may offer free spins when you create an account.
Do free spins qualify for progressive jackpots?
It depends. Sometimes your free spins count toward progressive jackpots, but not always. You’ll have to check with your casino.
Can I choose which game to use my free spins on?
Again, it depends on the promotion. Free spins are often just for specific games, but not always.