Casino bonuses such as free spins, free bets, and matched deposit bonuses have been around for a long time now. So, why now in 2021 are we seeing less free spin offers at UK casinos? This is something that we’re going to break down today so players that enjoy this type of promotion understand some of the factors.
Also, there are still a few casinos that do offer free spins no deposit for UK players. Let’s start with the overview and we’ll finish with which ones do offer this bonus type still.
Increased regulatory pressure
The first reason why gambling websites now offer fewer free bonuses for players is that over the last 3-4 years the regulatory pressure has increased. Before, every casino was offering free spins on registration and deposit. This led to an overload of ‘free’ bonuses in a time when casinos didn’t have to display the terms and conditions where the bonus was advertised. Some players thought that they were getting free money when any winnings from these bonuses came with wagering requirements.
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) stepped in to make sure players were better informed and protected. The significant terms and conditions of any promotional bonus now have to be visible wherever the bonus is advertised. Also, the full terms have to be one click away from the call-to-action button. This has made players savvier with what they are receiving when a bonus is offered.
Bonus abuse
Something that was happening even before the UKGC stepped in to protect players’ interest was bonus abuse. Bonus abuse is when players exploit a bonus’s terms and conditions, which is something that casinos want to stop. Online casinos will block accounts that they think are suspicious and not refund the money due to them going against the website’s terms. But, it’s not possible to stop all bonus abuse, so some casinos decided to stop offering free bonuses completely.
And, if they haven’t stopped them, then they’ve made the terms more restrictive for players. Like we see with free spins win caps set at certain amounts or caps on how much you can convert the bonus to. One example is that you can’t convert more than £100 from the bonus that you receive.
Other casinos took a different approach and decided to give players smaller bonuses with zero wagering requirements. As an example, here are 10 free spins, whatever you win from them is yours to keep as real cash. This is a nicer incentive than having to wager hundreds of pounds of bonus money.
Higher costs
The final factor of why casinos are offering less attractive bonuses than a few years ago is because operating costs have been increasing. For one, the UK government increased the remote gaming duty in 2018 from 15% to 21%. This tax then came into force in October of 2019. Also, as we mentioned earlier compliance has rightly increased which has meant that costs have increased in this area of the business too. Some online casinos have even had to close as the margins are lower now than before. Others have decided to heavily reduce bonuses so that they can still operate and not follow those that have been forced to shut down.
We expect that as more restrictions are put in place, that there will be even fewer bonuses for players in the future. Or bonuses with even worse terms and conditions. If an online maximum bet stake is set for online slots like it was with FOBT machines in bookmaker shops then this will be the case.
Summary
Unless the UKGC outright bans or restricts casino bonuses, we don’t see them going away anytime soon. This gives players a better variety when picking where to play. To mention a few UK casinos that still offer free spins, most of the Intouch Games brands do, for example, Dr. Slot and Cashmo. Take a look at these if you want to get some free spins for yourself.
