Casino without bonus guide

What attracts an online casino player to one online casino instead of another? It could be the casino games on offer, the bonus money received through free cash, the reload free spins, the free no-deposit bonus, or even the real money games available on the casino website. We all register at one casino as opposed to another for a specific reason, with casino bonuses playing a big role in most of our online gaming decisions.

There are times when online casino players can refuse bonus money, bonus free no deposit bonus offers, and also refuse other online casino industry bonus offers that the site might offer. As a player, you have an option not to click the opt-in bonus button, and hence play slots and other other casino games with no bonuses attached. Is it a good move? Is it a worthy move? Via this review, we discuss what types of deposit bonus types sites offer, and how to play at top gambling sites when you skip casino bonus offers.

By Adiela de Bruyn - Updated 2024/02/08 - Estimated reading time: 13 minutes.

Table of contents

Casino without bonus guide
casinos icon

Types of Bonus offers offered by the best online casinos

When you register at a new gambling site, you are exposed to an array of casino bonus offers that you can scoop throughout your online casino journey. Below we look at some of the most common bonus offers that gambling websites offer

No Deposit Bonus

A free no-deposit bonus is a bonus offered by online casinos to players who complete their online casino registration and also verify their player account. The free no-deposit bonus offered by casino sites normally would include a set number of free no-deposit bonus spins or a small amount of free money that will allow you to test and try out the casino site. To claim a no-deposit casino bonus, you do not need to deposit using your own money to your online casino player account.

Welcome Bonus

A casino welcome bonus is a 100% bonus money match awarded to players who deposit their money. This bonus is capped at a specific amount at a ZAR casino, with the gambling site also offering South African online casino players a set number of free spins to try out and test recommended online casinos.

Reload Bonus

Reload Bonuses are online casino bonus offers that are available to claim once you complete welcome bonus offers T&Cs. Reload bonuses are also referred to as deposit casino bonuses and are composed of either online slots free spins bonuses or deposit bonuses e.g. 100% deposit bonus capped at a maximum bonus of ZAR 500.

Loyalty Bonuses

A loyalty bonus is awarded to returning players who are part of a casino loyalty scheme. Each time you make real money bets and deposits at online casinos with loyalty schemes, you will accumulate status points, that will help you reach new tiers and unleash loyalty casino bonuses in return. Loyalty rewards include deposit-free spin offers (used on specific slot games), exclusive bonus money, tournaments and other casino bonuses.

bonuses icon

Are casino bonuses a must?

Online casino sites offer casino bonuses to boost your casino account, enhance your gambling experience and give you a good time. But, you do have the option of not taking casino bonuses at ZAR casino sites. Here are the steps you need to take to skip casino bonuses and offers.

Opt out of deposit casino bonus offers

To claim deposit casino bonuses, you would need to tick a box that says you opted -into the offer. This means for you not to claim the deposit bonus, you just need to untick the opt-in box. This way you skip the free no-deposit casinos offer or the welcome bonus package.

Skip visiting the promotions and bonuses page at online casino websites

To view all of the available promotions and offers available at online casinos, you would need to click on the Promos page. Here you will have all of the offers available, with a button to deposit or opt into the deposit bonus offer. If bonus cash, bonus credits or deposit-free spins are not your thing, simply skip visiting this page and activating the bonus offer.

Speak to the Customer Support team

Some deposit casino bonuses are only claimed (or declined) when speaking to the support team at deposit casinos. If you would like to give the casino bonus amount a miss, you simply would need to speak to CS to prevent you from having any bonus offers credited. To get in contact with the support team, you would either need to send the team an email or contact them via live chat. Check out the Help section to view the viable communication channels.

Deposit casino offers via email

At the start of your deposit casino journey, you will be asked if you would like the gambling site to contact you with marketing and promotional offers. The site will ask you to choose if you would like a call, a phone message or an email to advise you about new deposit casino bonuses, free bonus offers, no deposit bonus codes, free bonuses and active bonus offers. This is not obligatory, with players having the option of skipping getting contacted by casinos with deposit bonuses being off the table. This feature is done when registering at a new casino site, with you having the ability to amend communication channels via your casino player profile.

Do not use deposit bonus codes

You will find many online gaming and casino review sites that offer you a bonus code for you to claim and enjoy a free bonus or free spins at casino sites. This does not mean you have to take the bonus offer and opt-in, you can simply skip that process and not claim a bonus code. If you indeed would like to claim a bonus amount via a bonus code, you simply need to input the code in the available box when making a real money deposit.

offers icon

Why would a casino player opt out of regular no-deposit bonus offers and deposit bonuses?

All casino deposit bonus offers, the best no-deposit bonuses and deposit-free spins come along with strings attached. Life rarely offers you free things, and the strings attached to all of your casino bonuses are called terms and conditions. If you had to ask a South African player why he or she opted out of a casino bonus, chances are they mention terms and conditions, which sometimes are unrealistic to meet. Below we look at some of the most common terms and conditions attached to casino promotions.

Minimum deposit to withdraw No deposit bonus winnings

Most no-deposit bonuses do have some terms attached that you would need to meet to be able to enjoy bonus winnings deriving from the bonus. To be able to withdraw winnings from bonuses, you would need to make a minimum deposit, with each minimum amount differing from one offer to another. Some players prefer to skip claiming such bonuses, just for the notion of having to make a deposit to claim winnings. Unfortunately, nothing free is free.

Minimum initial deposit to claim deposit bonuses

Deposit bonus offers include a capped deposit match, free spins, and cashback with all offering ways for you to win real money. To claim such offers, the casino would ask you to deposit to your player account. eg. Deposit a minimum amount of ZAR 100 and walk away with a 100% deposit bonus match of up to ZAR 500. Many players opt not to use less money to play games at online casino websites. You could simply deposit ZAR 50 and play should the site allow it, with no need to deposit the full amount of ZAR 100.

Wagering requirements

Wagering requirements dictate the number of times the bonus amount would need to be played (wagered) for you to be able to claim any real money wins. Whilst you will find only a handful of casinos that offer no wagering requirements that need to be met, most casinos would require you to meet wagering terms. The standard wagering requirements bonus terms set by most casinos vary from 30 up to 35x, whilst some online sites indicate that you meet higher wagering requirements of up to 60x. If the wagering requirements terms are set high, these bonus terms would be impossible to meet and reach, with many players opting to skip the casino bonus altogether.

Bonus Expires within specific dates

Another term to consider when claiming a bonus balance is the expiry date that is attached to your bonus. Terms and conditions ask you to meet the wagering requirements for the casino bonus amount match ofter by 30 days or receipt, whilst free spins are often valid for up to 7 days from receipt. Keeping up with expiry dates is something we do in everyday life, with sometimes punters opting out of bonus offers due to tight expiry dates.

Gambling with more money at hand

Deposit bonuses and no deposit bonus offers are free spins or a cash balance that you can use to play games of chance. When you claim a casino bonus offer, you are essentially playing with more money, thus granting you more time spent gambling alone. If you are new to the gaming industry and wagering money on games of chance, you might be weary of having extra money, and spending more time gambling online. Many times, players choose to skip claiming casino bonuses, for the simple fact of having gambling limits, and not wanting to have extra cash allocated to gambling. It is a well-studied fact that having more play money at hand will lead you to play games online more, with this possibly resulting in problematic gambling.

Deposit Methods

Some casino deposit methods, used to deposit funds to your player account, do not allow you to claim bonus offers. This means if you use a specific payment option to claim a deposit-required bonus, you might not be eligible to claim the bonus amount after all. We always suggest you read the deposit bonus terms and conditions of both your payment gateway and casino bonus terms to verify if your payment option of choice allows you to claim free bets and deposit bonus offers.

bonuses icon

Why are casino deposit bonuses and no deposit bonus offers beneficial to online gambling players?

We did look at why players might want to skip claiming casino bonuses. Still, we would also like to highlight why claiming casino bonuses could be beneficial, especially if you are a new online gambling player starting your journey at South African online casino websites.

Boosting your bankroll

Once you claim a deposit bonus, your bankroll will be boosted. Let's give you a practical example to put you in the picture. The casino offers players a deposit bonus of 100% match on a Wednesday of up to ZAR 200. This means, that if you deposit ZAR 200 on the day, you will end up having your ZAR 200 + another ZAR 200 to play games of your choice at casinos. If you would like to boost your bankroll and enjoy more play money, a casino promo might work wonders for you.

Test out new casino games

Casino games contribute differently to helping you meet and reach your bonus wagering requirements. Deposit Bonuses work hand in hand with terms and conditions, with the latter advising you on the % contribution each game offers, assisting you in reaching your wagering terms. Eg - online slot games grant you 100% towards your reaching your wagering goals, table games offer you 50% and live casino games grant you only a 10% wagering contribution. Now let's envisage you are a live casino player, and to reach your wagering terms, you would need to play slots, that offer a whopping 100% wagering contribution. Playing with online casino bonus offers, allows you to test out new games and see you enjoy a new range of games available at online casino sites.

Testing out a new casino site

Claiming online casino bonus offers will see you test a new gambling site. By making a small minimum deposit to your player account, you will be eligible to claim deposit bonuses included with your welcome package. Both the deposit match bonus and the free spins amount will see you try out the new casino, and test the site to see if it is a gambling match for you. If you would like to build up your online gambling strategy and gameplay, online bonuses serve as a good way to do so.

Asked icon

Frequently Asked Questions about Playing Casino Without Bonus

What are casino bonuses?

Casino online bonuses are promotions that an online gambling site offers to boost your overall gameplay. There are various types of bonus offers that you can claim at online casinos, these include a no-deposit bonus where no real money deposit is needed for you to claim such a bonus. On the other hand, to claim Deposit casino bonus offers, you are required to deposit to your player account.

Can you skip casino bonus offers?

You have the option to either opt into a casino bonus or skip walking away with the bonus altogether. To skip claiming the bonus offer, you either speak to the Customer Support team, skip using bonus codes, or simply do not opt into the promotional offer.

How can you test at casino sites without using casino online bonuses?

You can still test out new casino websites by using the free games that are available at gambling sites. Both slot machines are table games that offer you the chance to play for free with fictitious free cash and free spins. When playing using the free games function, you cannot win real money. Still playing for fun offers you the chance to test the games available at gaming sites.

What is a free no-deposit promotion?

A no-deposit-needed bonus offer is a set amount of free spins or free cash that is offered to new players when a casino registration is complete. Once you register as a new player, you will be asked to verify your account, you can do so by uploading a personal identification document such as a valid driving license or ID. Additionally, you would also need to send over a copy of a utility bill issued in the last 6 months and highlight the same address that you used when registering as a new player. Once this is complete, you can expect the no-deposit promotion to head your way, although you can also skip claiming this bonus.

What is a casino deposit bonus?

A casino deposit bonus is a promotion that is offered to players when they make a real money deposit at an online casino. Deposit bonuses can be either play money as in a deposit match that will boost your gameplay bankroll, or a set number of bonus spins.

What are casino bonus terms and conditions?

Casino Bonus terms and conditions are a set number of T&Cs that you would need to meet to have the option of withdrawing any winnings that derive from the bonus offer. Casino promotional terms and conditions include wagering requirements, time scales, minimum deposit requirements, and an own money deposit when claiming winnings deriving from no-deposit bonus offers.

Can you win real money via casino games free play?

You cannot win real money when playing free play at gaming sites. Free play can be used as a way to test a new gambling site and also new games available at casino sites, but the gameplay does not offer you real money winnings.

Author: Adiela de Bruyn

Adiela de Bruyn

Adiela de Bruyn, our founder, launched this site in 2016. Since then, she's written over 100 pages filled with crucial info to enhance your gaming experience. Her goal? To provide you with the best, most reliable online casino knowledge.

contact Adiela

Article published 2023/03/29