Since the inception ofonline bingo in the UK, sites have tried every trick in the book to entice new players to join.Whether it’s a no deposit offer, free spin promotion or a sizable welcome bonus, there are loads of introductory extras for you to consider before hitting the sign up button.Many of these are dampened by high wagering requirements and restrictive withdrawal policies, but this is starting to change.
What is wagering?
A wagering requirement is a multiplier that defines the number of times you need to play through a bonus amount before you can withdraw your winnings.For example, your favourite site may offer a bingo bonus of £40 when you deposit £10, with the clause that it has to be wagered four times on certain games.There are two different types of play-through requirements before you can make a withdrawal:1. The terms include your total £50 balance = £200 total wager (£50 x 4)2. The terms only include the £40 bonus cash = £160 total wager (£40 x 4)So, even if you win £1,000 on your first bingo game, you’ll still need to buy over £100 in bingo tickets before you can withdraw that cash. This can be frustrating as, unless you win big, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to meet the threshold and keep your profits up if you have any.
The growth of no wagering bonuses
The recent rise of bingo siteswith no wagering requirements has started to challenge competitors offering more traditional forms of welcome bonuses.Such promotions, complete with clauses and loopholes, are the subject of an ongoing investigation into the fairness of gambling terms and conditions, conducted by both the Gambling Commission and the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA).The CMA is cracking down on the inclusion of wagering requirements that prevent the withdrawal of players’ real money deposits and winnings.Your real money balance and bonus balance will no longer be bundled together, with the former exempt from wagering limitations completely.Many new operators have chosen to avoid potential punishment by launching sites free from all wagering requirements, such as MrQ, while a few existing brands have opted to remove them in light of the investigation.
Different types of welcome offers
You’ll come across a range of different welcome offers when searching for a bingo site with no wagering requirements. Here are the most common:
Non-withdrawable bingo bonuses
Deposit £10 and play with £40 –sounds like a good deal, right?This type of promotion gives you cash to play bingo, and you can withdraw your winnings but not the bonus money. You have to play through your money once to complete a 1x wagering requirement to comply with money laundering regulations.However, there are a few different ways the bingo bonus is spent when you start playing.
- You play with the bonus money first
Your £30 bonus is used to buy tickets and you’ll only start playing with your £10 deposit when you’ve played through it.
- You play with your deposit first
Your real cash balance will always be used first. So, you’ll start playing with your £10 deposit and if you play through this, your bonus cash will kick in. Kind of like a bingo overdraft. If you win and want to continue playing, you’ll start using your real money funds again.But, if you choose to withdraw your winnings you’ll forfeit your bonus money unless you meet specific requirements.
- You play with a split of your deposit and bonus cash
This kind of bingo bonus is rarer, but your winnings on £10 cash balance and £40 bonus would be split 25% cash and 75% bonus.Yes, a non-withdrawable bingo bonus is better than high wagering requirements but isn’t the most appealing welcome offer compared to some of the examples below.
Free bingo tickets (with withdrawable winnings)
Free bingo tickets are a very common no wagering bingo offer. You’ll receive a set number of bingo tickets which can only be used in specific rooms with all winnings paid in cash.You’ll find this sort of no wagering offer across all bingo sites onDragonfish’s Real Bingo Network. The number of tickets varies between sites but we’ve seen upwards of 100 up for grabs.Although bingo tickets are less flexible than a bingo bonus, you don’t have to worry about the play order of bonus cash.
Free slot spins
Gettingfree spinswith no wagering sounds like a winning combination and it can be. All winnings are paid in cash with no hoops to jump through, but it’s worth taking another look at the T&Cs.You’ll often discover that slot winnings are capped, meaning you can only win a set amount of money –usually around £1. Except for sites like Heart Bingo, you’ll struggle to find a site that doesn’t apply a cap.The best kind of no wagering welcome offers are the ones that have no-strings-attached. They're far and few between, but bingo sites like MrQ offer new players free slot spins and bingo tickets with winnings paid as withdrawable cash – no hassle, no wagering.
Too good to be true?
We can’t blame you for being sceptical. There are usually so many terms and conditions attached to bingo promotions, winning withdrawable cash seems far-fetched.However, no two 'no wagering' sites are created equal. While innovative operators like Buzz Bingo offer real cash wins, no questions asked, others still have some hidden terms you should be wary of.Thanks to the ongoing CMA investigation, promotions are required to clearly state how to claim a bonus and withdraw any winnings. Look for phrases like ‘withdrawable at any time’ in the terms and conditions to check it’s a genuine no wagering offer.
Should I choose a no wagering bingo site?
We’ve explored the new regulations, different bonus types and whether it’s all just a hoax. However, with so much to digest, we wouldn’t be surprised if you’re still not 100% convinced. Here are a few pros and cons to help you decide.
Pros
- You can accept most welcome bonuses without many hoops to jump through
- You can withdraw your winnings as real money
- You can try a site before fully committing, as many operators give you 50-100 bingo tickets to play with
Cons
- Bingo bonuses like free tickets are limited to certain games
- You may have to play through your deposit once
The future of no wagering bingo
There’s no question that we’ll see more and more bingo sites offering no wagering offers in future as the CMA continues its crackdown on brands with unfair terms and conditions.We’re really happy to see that bingo sites are continuing to become fairer and more transparent across the UK. Switching to real money wagering means you'll be able to make quicker withdrawals and avoid having to wager your valuable winnings before making a withdrawal.Of course, we’ll continue to update this page as and when new no wagering sites launch here, and throughout OnlineBingo.co.uk.
