Types of Free Spins
Free Spins and Wagering Requirements
Differences between casinos’ T&Cs
A Few Final Words
Before we start explaining in what ways you can benefit from free spins, we need to make one thing clear — when you play online slots with free spins, nothing changes. So, the way slots pay out when you use free spins only change in the sense of different casinos having different games, promotions, or offers. However, the software behind it always remains the same. This is extremely important to note since there are many “urban legends” of how you can understand the principle of the game and take advantage of it. Although this was true with some old, mechanical slots, with online slots, such an action is impossible. Now, we are going to explain why.
Online slots use RNG (random number generator) that is based on the MD5 (message-digest) algorithm. This algorithm has been used in software development for various purposes, and it gained popularity in the mid-’90s when it was invented by an MIT professor. This algorithm uses any message with variable-length and translates it into an output that has a fixed length. 128-bit MD5 hash was designed to provide a high level of data security.
However, you may have already heard that many hackers tried to attack this algorithm and breach the defense of the software that uses it. Due to further testing of this algorithm, and numerous cyberattacks against it, the algorithm was improved multiple times since it’s creation. Nowadays, the MD5 crypt is better secured. It is true that IT experts advised websites, companies, and other developers to stop using the MD5 algorithm in the past due to a large number of successful hacks against it. However, these incidents have little to do with how slots are protected now.
To conclude this section about RNG, let’s sum things up. MD5 produces digests that are random. The algorithm creates hash value, with a certain structure, regardless of the data that is encrypted. With this algorithm, the data is far safer than with some other simple random generator functions. Slots use RNG, based on this MD5 algorithm, and the principle of random outputs in the slot is secured. This game works the same way, always, regardless of some external features that a player uses, such as promotions, wilds, or free spins. As we explained, MD5 is designed always to provide random, fixed-length output, regardless of the data that it processes. No matter what the initial “message” is, it gets digested into unique, random output. Your chances of winning are the same, no matter if you play with free spins or not. This algorithm is not used only by online casinos; many software uses it, including Nettler.
Types of Free Spins
Now that we know that the slot games always work the same way, regardless of bonuses, free spins, or any other promotions, let’s talk about the cases when free spins can payout differently. First of all, you can play with free spins that are a part of some casino’s promotion package or some offer. Then, you can play with free spins that are offered by the game itself, regardless of the casino in which you play it. Here, you can find differences in the payouts, because there are differences between various promotions.
Some players prefer free spins that are provided by the game itself because the casino has a right to limit your bet with free spins. So, when casinos do reduce the bet limit to amounts as low as $0.01, if you win, you are going to win a small amount of money. This means that even though your chances of winning are the same, you can win only smaller amounts. On the other hand, if you like to win real money, and chase bigger amounts, it’s better to look for online games that offer free spins themselves. This way, you are the one who chooses the bet amount, so when you do win, you get to withdraw serious amounts. However, before you get excited about using free spins to win a fortune, let’s talk about the wagering requirements — the biggest downside that free spins have.
Free Spins and Wagering Requirements
When casinos offer you free spins, they usually demand from you to meet high wagering requirements, in order to claim your winnings. This is why you should always do your research before you start playing with free spins. Read the casino’s T&C and find out what wagering requirements you have to meet. Usually, the wagering requirement for free spins varies from 30x to 60x, often being 45x. It’s obvious that these kinds of requirements are hard to meet, and you need to wager a big amount of money to withdraw some winnings eventually. This is why free spins are not entirely “free.” In this sense, the casinos do pay out differently when it comes to free spins because you need to go through a few extra steps to withdraw your money.
Differences between casinos’ T&Cs
You always need to read the casino’s T&C if you win any money on slots. This doesn’t apply only to free spins policies; it applies to everything. In casinos’ T&C you can find information about all the policies, including the ones about privacy, security, fair play, pay tables, bonuses that you can claim for various online slot games, etc. It’s important to know the rules of each casino, because all wagering requirements, numerous policies, and promotions vary a lot from casino to casino. So, you can say that each casino pays out differently when you play with free spins because the rules and policies of each casino are different. Playing online casino games is not just about luck, but about the research as well. You have better chances of not losing a lot of money if you read the casinos’ T&C and choose to play at the casino with the most player-friendly policies.
A Few Final Words
Before we say goodbye, let’s sum things up and go through a few extra tips. So, online casino games always work the same — the method never changes. There are two main types of free spins — free spins that are offered by the casino, and free spins that are included in the game itself. Casinos can control the amount that you can bet if you play with their free spins (spins that are a part of some Welcome Package or weekly promotion). Free spins almost always come with high wagering requirements. Different casinos have different free spins policies. At many casinos, you can make a deposit that grants you free spins.
Now, let’s get to some fun tips for the end. Slot games have their own promotions, and if you prefer playing games online, you can explore a tone of these promotions. Video slots and classic slot games can include free spins, target wilds, classic wilds, sticky wilds, and many other special features that can bring you a few lucky wins. This offer can be used regardless of the casino at which you play the game. You should look for games that offer the best promotions, and look for them at the casinos that have the best online ratings, valid licenses, and clean and player-friendly T&C. This way you can combine the two most important things for winning at slots — games with great bonus features and casinos with good reputation! After all, you don’t have much use of playing a great game at a shady casino that is not going to pay you the full amount of your winnings. So, the trick for earning some money out of free spins is to play games that offer free spins at safe casinos.
