August 30, 2022
Why Should You Play a No Deposit NJ Online Casino?
- No deposit online casinos give new players a small amount of free money to play with at the casino.
- You should consider playing at a no deposit online casino in New Jersey because you can test out a casino for the first time and even win, risk-free.
- With a no deposit bonus, you’re more likely to meet playthrough requirements and be eligible to cash out your winnings, even if you never play at the casino again.
So you’re new to the world of online casinos, huh? Welcome! If you’ve been poking around the different online NJ casino sites, you’ve probably seen mention of “first deposit bonus” and “no deposit bonus.” You’re probably asking, “What’s the difference between a no deposit bonus and a deposit bonus?” “Which one is better?” and “How do I even get started?”
Let us be your guide to navigating welcome bonus offers for new players at different online casinos in New Jersey. In this article, we’ll explain what a no deposit bonus is, what makes it a great starting point for new and seasoned online casino gamblers alike, and our top online casinos in New Jersey based on their no deposit bonus offers.
What Is a No Deposit Online Casino?
A no deposit online casino is one that offers a no deposit welcome bonus to new players who create an account on the site. “No deposit” means that you don’t have to deposit any of your own money to start wagering on casino games. You just sign up for a brand new account and play with the bonus money or free play credits the casino gives you.
Here’s how it works:
- Find an online casino that offers a no deposit bonus.
- Click on the promo image for the bonus.
- Register a new account.
- Enter a promo code (if required).
- Verify your email address and account.
- See the no deposit bonus funds hit your account.
- Play your favorite online casino games at no cost to you.
Elements of a No Deposit Bonus Offer
Every bonus offer from an online casino (or a land-based casino, for that matter) comes with terms and conditions. That means you can take advantage of a bonus offer as long as you meet certain requirements. The most common requirements for a no deposit bonus include:
- Playthrough requirements: These are the wagering requirements you have to meet before you can withdraw winnings you got while playing on the bonus funds. For example, Caesars’ $10 no deposit bonus has a 1x playthrough requirement, so you only have to bet $10 of your own money to withdraw your winnings.
- Playthrough deadline: You generally have a limited amount of time to use the no deposit bonus funds and meet the playthrough requirements. Otherwise, you forfeit the bonus funds and any winnings you got while playing them. In many cases, the deadline is a few days after you create your new account and opt in to the no deposit bonus.
- Game exclusions: Many online casinos limit the types of games you can play using bonus funds, including no deposit bonuses. Often, you can use no deposit bonus funds on slots and variety games but not on table games like poker, roulette, blackjack or even video poker.
No Deposit Bonus vs. Deposit Bonus
While a no deposit bonus is free money you get without having to deposit your own money, a deposit bonus is free money you get when you deposit a certain amount of money into your brand new online casino account.
No deposit bonuses tend to be small amounts of money, like $10 to $30. They can also come in the form of Free Spins on slot games. Deposit bonuses can be hundreds or thousands of dollars, depending on the specific promotion. However, the playthrough requirements tend to be a lot lower on no deposit bonuses than on deposit bonuses.
4 Reasons You Should Be Playing at a No Deposit Online Casino in New Jersey
Here are the top four reasons to take advantage of an online casino’s no deposit offer:
1. You Can Play (and Win) on the Casino’s Dime
We already know that a no deposit bonus is essentially free money to play at the casino with, which means you get to play (and potentially win) risk-free. Now you may be thinking, “But I can’t win with $10!” Even though a no deposit bonus isn’t usually more than a tenner, it’s important to remember that sometimes big wins happen on just a little cash.
So, let’s say you create an account, get the no deposit bonus, go a few rounds at the slots, and actually win. Sure, you’ll still need to meet the playthrough requirements to cash out your winnings, but you still get that rush of winning money. And maybe, just maybe, that win will help you find a lucky casino or game to turn your losing streak around.
Worst case scenario: You lose all the no deposit bonus funds. But you didn’t lose your own money. That’s still a win in our book!
2. You Get to Try an Online Casino for Free
Another great reason to take advantage of a no deposit bonus is the risk-free part. So what if you lose? You got to try out this online casino without risking your own money. And $10 to $30 can still go a long way, especially when wagering lower amounts to make the bankroll last longer.
That’s enough time to decide whether you like the online casino’s game selection. Even if you can’t play all the games you want to with the free money, you at least get to see what they offer, right?
We’d also say that’s enough time to decide whether the casino’s site runs well enough for you. Look out for lags in graphics or just slow web page loading speeds that take you out of the immersive casino experience.
Not a fan of the site? No biggie. If you lose, close your account. If you win, meet the relatively low playthrough requirements, cash out if you’ve got any winnings, and then peace out.
3. You’re More Likely to Meet the Playthrough Requirements
Playthrough requirements can get pretty tricky the more free money an online casino gives you. For example, even a $500 first deposit bonus with a 1x playthrough requirement means you have to wager at least $500 of your own money before you can cash out any winnings. That’s not really doable for every player. Plus, it’s rare to find a bonus of hundreds or thousands of dollars to have just a 1x playthrough requirement — you’re more likely to find a 5x, 10x, or even 25x playthrough requirement instead. Yikes.
But with a no deposit bonus, you only get $10 to $30, and the playthrough requirements range from 1x to 3x. Say you take advantage of a $10 bonus with 3x playthrough requirements. You only have to wager $30 of your own money to cash out any winnings — much more doable. However, you will find the rare 25+ times playthrough requirement, like at Ocean Resorts online casino, which has a 30x playthrough requirement on $10 or $15. Even then, $300 is still more doable than $500+.
Another big part of playthrough requirements is the time frame in which you have to meet them. Deposit bonuses with high playthrough requirements may have a 30-day time frame, and with some big bonuses, you’d basically have to become a professional gambler and make playing at this casino your full-time job just to meet the requirements in time. But with no deposit bonuses, you usually have a few days to a few weeks at most, and you can probably get through $10 to $30 in that timeframe. That means average players and online casino newbies are more likely to meet the playthrough requirements and make the most of a no deposit bonus.
4. You Probably Get a Bonus on Your Deposit, Too
So you had a decent win while using your no deposit bonus and need to hit those playthrough requirements to cash out. Many no deposit bonuses are paired with first deposit bonuses so you can get additional free money to gamble with.
If you are really enjoying your time at this online casino and want to keep playing, you could opt in to the first deposit bonus offer, deposit money into your account, and then meet the playthrough requirements for the no deposit bonus offer so you can cash out those winnings. But remember that deposit bonuses come with their own playthrough requirements and other terms, too.
Top 7 No Deposit NJ Online Casinos
We evaluated all the online casinos in New Jersey with no deposit bonus offers so you don’t have to. We created our own metric — the Actual Bonus Value — to determine which no deposit bonuses are the best. (You can read more about the ABV test for no deposit bonuses here.) When we talk about no deposit bonuses, we refer to this metric as the ABVfree.
There are only seven online NJ casinos that currently have no deposit bonuses; the other 17 do not. So, here’s a quick ranking of the no deposit bonus offers at the seven online NJ casinos that have them:
- BetMGM
- No Deposit Bonus: $25
- ABVfree: $23.53
- Borgata
- No Deposit Bonus: $20
- ABVfree: $18.82
- Ocean
- No Deposit Bonus: $10 for table games, $15 for poker and roulette
- ABVfree: $13.53
- Additional No Deposit Bonus: 10 Free Spins on two slots, 15 Free Spins on two other slots
- Total Value of Free Spins: $3.86
- Scores Casino
- No Deposit Bonus: $25
- ABVfree: $16.69
- Harrah’s
- No Deposit Bonus: $10
- ABVfree: $9.80
- Caesars
- No Deposit Bonus: $10
- ABVfree: $9.80
- Unibet
- No Deposit Bonus: $10
- ABVfree: $9.80
Compare No Deposit Bonuses at Online Casinos in New Jersey
Want to know which online casinos have the best overall welcome bonus offers? Check out our full ranking of the 24 legal online casinos in New Jersey. We evaluated each casino based on its no deposit bonus, first deposit bonus, game selection, customer support, and more.