If you want a detailed lowdown on everything about bonus free spins for the best slots, you've come to the right place. This page has all that's worth knowing about free spins, including those that are part of no deposit bonuses in Canadian online casinos. There are lot of promotional offers that give out free spins in 2023, and we have a full list of all no deposit bonuses and coupons available in the best Canadian casinos today.
A free spins bonus is essentially a promo offer that gives players free spins on a casino's slots. There are many ways to get these free spins, with or without making a real-money deposit, and there are plenty of cashable casino bonuses in Canada, meaning that is possible to withdraw winnings off these free spins (subject to T&C's). The bonus terms are what separate good offers from bad ones and are one of the main factors we use to judge how useful a bonus offer is.
There are two main types of bonus spins that players can get in Canadian casinos. Some come without needing a deposit, while others are rewarded to players for making deposits. As one would intuitively expect, free spins that do not require a deposit come with less friendly terms and conditions, while those accompanying real-money deposits generally have terms that are more favorable to players.
No deposit bonuses are used by casinos in Canada and Ontario to entice new players to sign up to their site. A majority of this bonus type offers free spins to new players who register on their site. These spins either get credited automatically to a new player's 'Bonus Balance', or they must be explicitly requested by the player using a bonus code. The number of free spins varies widely among all the best Canadian casino sites but most give out between 10 and 50 no deposit free spins to new players.
Another very common type of bonus free spins in Canada accompany deposits, and these are usually part of a 'Welcome' offer - or, in other words, these free spins are given out after players make their first or first few deposits. A welcome bonus is usually a deposit match offer (where the casino will match your deposit amount), with free spins offered as a nice cherry on top. These deposit-based free spins too vary widely between different casinos in Canada and Ontario, and a lot of them are linked to the deposit amount - i.e., the more you deposit, the more free spins you are rewarded.
These free spins are the best kind as they do not have any wagering requirements to be met. With these free spins, you can keep what you win, without the need to fulfil any playthrough condition for cashing out winnings.
Casinos in Ontario and other parts of Canada also give out regularly occurring free spins to regular customers who play on their site. These spins are packaged differently - for example, free spins may be given for logging in on weekends or specific days of the week, or during the launch of a new game on the site, or for making a deposit even after your initial welcome bonus is done with, or as a VIP/loyalty benefit, or as part of any other promo.
A lot of players wonder if it is possible to win real money off a no deposit bonus in Canada. In other words, is there such a thing as a free lunch? The answer is yes, as most no deposit free spins in Canadian casinos are cashable. The wagering requirements make it a bit tough to cash out the free money, as you will need to get lucky to do so, and there is also a cap on how much you can make - however, it is definitely possible to make free money using these types of bonuses. Why do casinos in Canada dole out free money then? The truth is, Canadian casinos end up making money via no deposit offers, as a lot of players end up depositing into the casino, so the small amounts they pay out as part of their CAC (customer acquisition cost) is more than made up for by the increased long-term revenue as a result of these offers.
The terms and conditions of a bonus offer are what makes or breaks it. Everybody loves freebies of course, but the riders that come with it make a bonus either attractive or junk. Different Canadian casinos will have different outlooks and growth strategies, and while some look purely at profitability, others will look to be customer-friendly and build long-term relationships to increase player retention. The latter will have friendlier T&C's that will make their bonuses better all-round offers.
Playthroughs refer to minimum amounts that must be wagered with bonus winnings before it is eligible for withdrawal, and comes in the form of a multiplier. For example, if you won $10 off a free spin and the playthrough is 50x, then the $10 must be used to make bets totalling $500 before it can be cashed out. Since free spins can essentially amount to free money being given out, they come with higher wagering requirements than deposit-based offers - usually in the range of 40x to 80x.
Not all games contribute equally towards the wagering requirement in Canadian sites. Bets on slots (and a few other games like scratchcards and keno) usually count 100% towards the playthrough. On the other hand, table games like blackjack and roulette have a lower house edge and therefore have a lower contribution towards the playthrough - typically around the 20% mark. It stands to reason, therefore, that slots with high RTP (or Return to Player rate, ie the % of the money given back to the customer base) or slots with low volatility (slots that pay out more often, but lower amounts per payout) are better for completing the playthrough.
Casinos in Ontario and other parts of Canada have caps on how much you can withdraw as a result of no deposit winnings. This is usually between $50 and $200, and it goes without saying that the higher this limit, the better it is for customers.
Almost all Canadian casinos will have a validity period for completing the playthrough, and this period is less for free bonuses in comparison to deposit-based bonuses. The validity period is usually 1-2 weeks and if the wagering requirement is not met within the expiry period, the bonus will get voided. Also, note that free spin bonuses (of the no deposit variety) will typically need to be claimed within 48 hours of registration.
There are some things to consider when choosing the slots on which to use your bonus free spins. These choices can be the difference between being able to cash out or not, so should be checked carefully before using your free spins.
Volatility refers to how often and how much a slot gives back to the players. A slot with low volatility pays out more often but is less likely to pay our large sums at a time. On the other hand, players will win less often on a slot with high volatility, but the winnings will likely be larger amounts.
The RTP or return to player rate indicates how much of players' bets are returned to them. A slot with a 95% RTP means that for every $100 wagered on a slot, $95 is returned to players. Slots with the same RTP can have varying levels of volatility. Obviously, a game with a higher RTP is better for the players, and a rate of 95% - 98% is generally considered good.
Slots have a variety of features, and the more there are, the more your chances of hitting one of them and increasing your win amounts. Some features that help with profitability as well as increasing the fun factor are Wild symbols, in-game free spins, win multipliers, cascading reels and so on.
There is usually a limit to how much you can wager per bonus bet. Most Canadian casinos have this limit set on the lower side (usually $0.05 or $0.10 per bet), and a higher limit would mean greater flexibility for the players when using the bonus funds.
There are several popular slots in Ontario casinos for no deposit bonuses. Casinos with free spins abound in Canada and most of them have titles from some top software developers like Netent, Microgaming, IGT, Evolution Gaming, Betsoft, Pragmatic Play, NextGen, Play'N Go, Real Time Gaming and a few others. Games from any of these developers are bound to be top quality and some games that are good to use your bonus free spins (i.e. those with low volatility and high RTP) include Game of Thrones, Starburst, Age of the Gods, Gold of Egypt, and Fat Cat Cafe.
While this page has provided a comprehensive guide to free spins available in Canada, the best way to get to know these offers is to experience them yourself. With that in mind, here are the most commonly asked questions about these free spins bonuses and casinos in Canada:
Are bonus codes always required to get free spins bonuses? You will usually need a bonus code to redeem no deposit and other bonus free spins. That said, some Canadian casinos credit free spins automatically to all new registrations.
What is considered a good wagering requirement for players? No deposit bonuses have playthroughs that are higher than deposit-based bonuses. Any wagering requirement of 50x or below is definitely achievable with a bit of luck.
Are free spins only for new players? No, free spins are regularly given out to customers at all levels in Canadian casinos, from those that haven't deposited to those who have been playing for years.
Which games NEVER count towards the playthrough? Progressive jackpots and certain table games generally do not count towards the wagering requirement, while all other game types usually do.