Australian online pokies with free spins

Gamblers would choose pokies over any other casino game, the statistics say. And who would ever decline a favourite entertainment for free? No wonder Free Spins bonuses are the number one offer (as well as demand) at any online casino.

Everyone talks about how fantastic Fee Spins are, especially the no deposit kind, and we’d like to pitch in here a little. But, most importantly, we will point out what pitfalls a gambler might fall into if they lack an understanding of how casino bonuses work.

What are Free Spins?

Free Spins are a bonus feature that applies to online pokies. They allow gamblers to spin slot reels without placing a wager on it. All in all, they play a few rounds of the game for free.

All free spins fall into two categories. We will call them ‘internal’ and ‘external’ free spins.

External free spins are casino bonuses: a player receives them from ‘outside’.

On the one hand, they are, as any bonus offered by any company, a marketing tool meant to attract new customers and maintain the interest in already existing clients. Online casinos give out ‘external’ free spins as a sign of appreciation: they reward their players for registration, regular deposits, staying loyal, referring a friend, and sometimes even for losing.

All the information about free spins is always available on casino webpages (sections ‘Promos’, ‘Bonuses’).

As you probably know, lists of casino bonuses are not set in stone; companies keep updating them, adding new bonuses regularly.

Here are a few examples of current Free Spins bonuses on the market:

• 170 free spins on Wild Hog Luau pokie plus 15 extra if you deposit via Neosurf or with Bitcoin – at las Atlantis casino;
• no deposit free spins bonus is available at Spin 247 regularly for a chosen Game of the Month (currently it’s the Green Goddess slot);
• 50 free spins with no wagering requirement are given to everyone who creates and verifies their casino account at Fortune Jack.

‘Internal’ free spins are designed for real-money play. To activate them, you have to be a registered casino player with a verified account, and, most likely, make a real cash deposit.

If you are playing for fun, you are going to deal with ‘internal’ free spins.

‘Internal’ free spins are built into the game software by the creators to make the gameplay more engaging. As a rule, players receive this bonus feature when they manage to land a certain combination of symbols (Scatters or Wilds). There are situations when a gambler has nothing to do with it at all. A Random Number Generator triggers ‘internal’ free spins in some pokies making the bonus unpredictable. It all depends on the game mechanics and the developer’s idea behind it. Casinos never keep it a secret, though. Pay Tables are always there for you: they provide all the information about gameplay, pokie symbols, bet sizes, and bonus features. Sometimes pay tables hide under the icons ‘?’, ‘i’, by the way. So, the only thing to do is to go through it before clicking the ‘play’ button.

We will give two examples of how ‘internal’ free spins work in two popular online pokies: Starburst and Lucky 88.

Free Spins in Starburst

Starburst is an iconic video slot by NetEnt that conquered the hearts of online casino players as soon as it had been released – in 2012. The pokie features 5 reels, 3 rows, 10 paylines, and an RTP of 96.1%. Gamblers appreciate Starburst’s vibrant design and expanding Wilds the most. Not only can the wild symbols cover the whole lines, but they also trigger ‘internal’ respins. They are the closest to the casino Free Spins bonus that the pokie can boast of. Here’s how it works.

The Starburst icon popping up on the second, third, or fourth reel expands to cover the whole reel and block it. At the same time, this Starburst Wild triggers an extra respin round. While the expanded reel is not spinning the others – are, increasing the player’s chances to hit a winning combination. If you manage to land another wild symbol, you will get one more respin round. Gamblers can unlock the respin bonus not more than three times per game.

Free Spins in Lucky 88

Lucky 88 is a classic 5-reel pokie with 25 paylines and an oriental mystery flavour. It was released in 2016 by the leading Australian game developer, Aristocrat.

The pokie features an RTP of 97%, wilds, scatters, multipliers, and ‘internal’ free spins.

In ‘Lucky 88’ scatter symbols (aka Chinese Red Lanterns) are responsible for triggering bonus free spins.

Before you even begin, decide if you can loosen some purse strings and pay a little more for activating the Extra Choice feature. If you go for it, you will be able to get 4 sets of bonus free spins (25 maximum) and more beneficial multipliers (5x or 25x). Otherwise, 3 sets of bonus free spins (20 maximum) and multipliers of 5x and 15x will be available for you.

After that, try to land at least three red lanterns on one of the reels to enjoy your bonus free spins.

Lucky 88 doesn’t just allow gamblers to retrigger the ‘internal’ bonus free spins after every round but also to receive them randomly. Yes, this Aristocrat pokie is a creature seldom found at online casinos. It combines two ways of rewarding bonus free spins usually used separately: by landing a certain combination and by chance.

Free Spins with no wagering requirement

Newbies at gambling often see free spins as the clearest thing possible: you get the casino bonus, you spin online pokies for free, you win money and withdraw it. So, they rush to claim the first free spins offer they see without reading its terms and conditions. Especially if the casino promises not just 10 or 20, but 50 or 100 free spins, how can you pass by? Unfortunately, when the time to withdraw the winnings comes, the player will be devastated by the process because of the wagering requirement and what it demands.

A wagering requirement sets rather disappointing limits on the most exciting thing a gambler can get – casino bonuses. When it comes to free spins, the purpose of a wager (aka playthrough) is not to let players withdraw the bonus winnings straight after they use up the bonus. The situation develops as follows: a player receives X free spins with Yx wagering requirement (for instance, 40x), uses them on a pokie, and gets some winnings (let’s say, $30 worth of casino credits). Then a wager enters the game: the gambler can’t withdraw these $30 as they are not real cash yet. To turn it into real money we will need the wagering formula: 40x$30=$1200. It means that the gambler will have to go on playing, or better say – playing through – until all the $1200 is wagered. Only then will the pokie fan have the right to withdraw the winnings – whatever is left after all the play-through.

Clearly, fulfilling a wagering requirement can be an exhausting process. Imagine how simple casino bonuses would be without it. Step one: receive X free spins. Step two: spend all of them on a pokie game. Step three: in case you’ve been lucky and won something, go straight to the cashier and withdraw this amount: it is real money, and it is yours to take.

Facts about Free Spins

Although free spins are the most popular casino bonus, and everyone can get an idea of what they are from the straightforward term, there are still some less obvious things a gambler should know.

• Wagering requirements protect online casinos.

Whatever beneficial bonus you’ve claimed, never forget the ‘House always wins’ rule. Imagine every new player receiving 50 no deposit free spins upon registration. If a pokie spins 20 times per minute, it will take a gambler less than 5 minutes to spend all the free spins. Even if they win just $10 from them but withdraw the cash straight, and 10 people redeem the bonus per hour, the casino will be losing $100 every 60 minutes.

Believe us: the House wants the money to stay inside and move from being a bonus to wager or, even better, a new deposit. That’s why there are wagering requirements together with other restrictions: minimum deposits and maximum cash-outs.

• Free Spins are not a con. As long as you are gambling at a reputable online casino and you are sure it has a legit license. This is the most crucial condition of all. If the casino is not rigged, you will get real-money winnings.

Another issue is exaggerated expectations of free spins on the player’s part. Don’t hope to hit life-changing jackpots paying nothing in return, and remember that any winnings you get using casino bonuses are not that easy to withdraw.

• No deposit free spins are not as common as many ‘casino guides’ make them seem. As these bonuses are the most attractive for gamblers, many web pages use them as baits for readers. In reality, approximately one online casino out of twenty will offer a no deposit bonus. Be careful while looking through long lists of hundreds of ‘valid’ coupons and lucrative no deposit bonuses and play only at legit online casinos.

The good news is that some online casinos treat players to No wagering and No maximum cash-out free spins (aka ‘honest’, ‘no rules’ free spins). All the winnings from such a bonus go straight to the real-money account and can be withdrawn with no additional wagering. How rare do you consider them to be? Right, extremely.

The healthiest attitude to free spins, as well as any other casino bonus, in our opinion, is seeing them as a great chance to test the waters without risking too much money.

No deposit bonuses

Usually, players have to make a real-cash deposit to activate a casino bonus. That’s why all the gamblers are always after no deposit bonuses: they work without a requirement to deposit real money.

Because of this advantage, no deposit bonuses tend to have worse terms and conditions in comparison to deposit match-up bonuses and free spins. Plus, online casinos may ask the players to make a deposit when they are going through the withdrawal procedure to prove their identity (or verify the account).

We’ll emphasise it again: pay extra attention to the no deposit bonus terms and conditions at the very beginning.

No deposit Free Spins

No deposit Free Spins will be perfect for checking out a new platform, casino game collection, and the quality of Customer Support service. Playing pokies without depositing cash for a while, but with the possibility of winning real money, you will have just enough time to get the overall impression of the casino and decide if it meets your expectations and you want to come back there or not.

Games with Free Spins

‘Internal’ free spins – the integral bonus game features embedded into the software at the stage of development – are fixed, and online casinos can’t influence them. If you are interested, here’s our selection for you to check out:

• Big Bad Wolf Megaways by Quickspin;
• Big Red by Aristocrat;
• Indian Dreaming by Aristocrat;
• Lucky 88 by Aristocrat;
• More Chilli by Aristocrat;
• Safari Sam by Betsoft;
• Queen of the Nile by Aristocrat;
• Where’s the Gold by Aristocrat.

Most online pokies have built-in free spins or, at least, offer respin rounds like Starburst by Netent. If you develop a habit of studying pay tables carefully before launching an online pokie game, you will see that one way or another there is always a possibility to spin some reels for free.

How to claim a Free Spins offer?

Before you redeem a Free Spins bonus, or claim any other casino bonus, read the terms and conditions attached to them. Promo banners are likely to include the most important requirements, but not necessarily. If they are not there, it doesn’t mean they don’t exist. It means that you should go to the page with all the terms and conditions and find a section dedicated to bonuses. They may be long and dull to read, but, believe us, they are worth it.

If the information you are looking for is not there, contact the Customer Support team.

You might consider finding another place to gamble if the casino can’t provide clear terms and conditions or seems to withhold information.

Let’s say everything went well, and you are fully aware of what you are doing and what to expect after redeeming a Free Spins bonus. Then all you need to do is:

• go to the ‘Cashier’ section and find the ‘Bonuses’ button there;
• look for the bonus you’ve chosen, click ‘Claim/Redeem’;
• insert the code word from the coupon if it’s required (‘Enter Code’ tab);
• deposit the minimum amount (if needed) and start playing.

As you studied all the bonus terms and conditions in advance, you won’t face any unpleasant surprises when you get to withdraw the real-money winnings.

Why should you claim a Free Spins Bonus?

A Free Spins bonus suits new casino players and pokie lovers the most: they are a chance to play slots a bit longer without extra expenses.

Free Spins may also come in handy when there’s a new pokie you’ve never played, and you don’t want to blindly spend your time and money on it. The bonus will reduce the risks.

On top of all that, with Free Spins you get another chance to test your luck and win a real cash prize, which looks much more enticing when you are offered a no deposit bonus.

New casinos with Free Spins

Here are five online casinos that give out Free Spins bonuses at the moment.

1. 70 or 100 free spins at El Royale casino on the Gemtopia pokie (minimum deposit = $35, wager = 20x, no maximum cashout).
2. 70 free spins + a 125% match-up deposit bonus at Play Croco casino (coupon – 777LUCKY700FS, minimum deposit = $50, no maximum cashout).
3. From 15 to 60 free spins + 115-160% match-up deposit bonus on new pokies at Red Dog casino (coupon – STRATAGEM, minimum deposit = $10, no maximum cashout).
4. 100 no deposit free spins upon registration with a wagering requirement of 25x at BitDice casino.
5. 25 no deposit free spins upon registration at Pokie Place casino (wager = 20x, maximum cashout = $200).

The decision on the so-called ‘external’ free spins is totally up to the online casino, so the bonuses depend on each individual platform and their reward system, thus they are always changing.