I am currently signed up to around 20 fully licensed and regulated iGaming sites, and I’d say that I regularly visit (on a daily basis) around 15 of these sites. Never once have I felt as though I have had to deposit funds into my account.
The reason I visit them so often is that on most sites, I can look forward to some kind of guaranteed daily login bonus, where I can win free spins, deposit match booster bonuses (e.g., 10%, 20%, 50% or 100% boosters) and even free cash.
Granted, the free cash prizes I can win from my mini daily login bonuses only amount to around £0.20 or £0.50 at most, but it’s still free money.
My point is that when you sign up to an online casino to play real money games, you don’t have to deposit, but if you want to play in the real money mode, you will inevitably need to deposit at some point.
However, you aren’t forced to deposit. Let’s dive in and take a closer look at why you don’t always have to deposit when you sign up for an online casino but also why it is sometimes necessary to deposit.
Do I have to deposit when I sign up for an online casino?
The short answer is no; you don’t have to deposit when you sign up for an online casino.
For example, if your chosen iGaming site is currently offering a 50 free spins no deposit bonus, as the name suggests, you don’t need to deposit to claim this promotional offer.
However, if your chosen site is offering you a 100% match bonus worth up to $/€/£50, then you would need to deposit to claim this bonus, but you still won’t be forced to deposit.
Therefore, if you want to claim the casino’s welcome bonus so you can play computer-generated fruit machines, blackjack, poker, video poker, slingo, bingo, scratchcards, craps, roulette, blackjack or baccarat, or cutting-edge live dealer games, a deposit is usually required.
I’ve found that even when depositing the minimum amount allowed, $/€/£10.00 or $/€/20.00, I can make my bankroll stretch because I gamble responsibly.
Doing so today is much easier than ever because most sites now have a range of safer gambling tools to protect players.
I understand that I don’t have to deposit, but if I want to play to win real money, I know I will need to deposit at some point. The other great thing about many online casinos today is that they have a free-play demo mode available for most competitions.
In other words, before depositing, I can launch almost any game (apart from live dealer titles and certain progressive jackpot pokies) and sample them in the practice mode using my fun chips balance.
Ok, so it’s not as fun as playing in the real money mode, but at least I still get to play my favourites with zero risk involved. You couldn’t walk into a land-based casino and expect to play any of their competitions for free. It just wouldn’t happen, and that’s one of the things I love about online casinos.
You are never under any pressure to deposit online. In fact, as I mentioned, almost every time I log in to many of my favourite iGaming sites, I can often win free spins or free cash prizes to play in the real money mode because of the daily login promos.
I’d say that nine times out of ten, I get something for free every time I log in, and I’m not alone.
Most iGaming players today have also reported being treated to regular gifts like this on their chosen iGaming sites. However, it only usually happens on today’s most trusted and successful sites because they can afford to dish out so many freebies.
What are the safest and most reliable online payment options accepted on today’s best iGaming sites?
The world’s most trusted iGaming sites are multi-jurisdictional, meaning they are fully licensed and regulated by several mid to top-tier licensing authorities, and they tend to accept a broad range of deposit and withdrawal options to cater to all types of people.
However, depending on which site you join and where you live will usually determine which payment methods you can use.
The most commonly accepted online payment gateways are the following trusted brands:
- Visa, Amex (American Express), Mastercard, Maestro, Visa Electron, and numerous other credit and debit cards
- Direct/instant bank transfers using intermediaries, such as POLi, Trustly, Interac, UPI, and Net Banking
- eWallets (sometimes called digital wallets or web wallets) such as Skrill, Neteller, and PayPal. Others include Jeton, Web Money, ClickandBuy, MuchBetter, and Payz (formerly ecoPayz)
- Prepaid cards (for deposits only, also known as voucher cards, prepaid vouchers or prepaid gift cards), such as Paysafecard, Neosurf, AstroPay, CashtoCode, and Flexepin
- Mobile wallets and other mobile payments, such as Apple Pay, Google Wallet, BOKU, or Pay By Phone/Pay By Mobile
A growing number of perfectly secure iGaming sites have also started accepting cryptocurrency payments using more securely encrypted blockchain technology, meaning at some sites, you can top up your account using your Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin, Tether, or DogeCoin balance.
I prefer using PayPal, but I’ll use Neteller or Skrill when that’s not accepted. If none of these eWallets are accepted, then I’ll use my Visa debit card. Don’t forget that UK-licensed iGaming sites are not legally permitted to accept credit cards.
Final note
Online casinos today will never pressure you to make a deposit. but if you don’t want to make a deposit, then there’s no point in signing up.
However, if you still want to play fruitys and any of the classics, you might be better off considering signing up to a sweepstakes iGaming site (aka social casino) instead of a regular iGaming site.
Absolutely no purchases are necessary on social/sweepstakes sites, and they can be just as fun, but you can’t win big cash prizes on these sites.
