Extra spins bonus offers at UK online casinos

Extra spins is a relatively new term in the online casino world, but don’t be confused – it’s still the same as free spins, just worded differently. So why are certain casino sites using it? It all has to do with new changes to rules and regulations in the United Kingdom regarding gambling advertising and casino bonuses.

Top online casino sites offering extra spin bonuses

Top online casinos offering extra spins

Extra spins are essentially free spins bonuses, just worded different to meet new advertising expectations and rules set for online casinos in the United Kingdom. Extra spins are offered by online casinos to entice new players with a starting welcome bonus to supplement their first few deposits. This page is an up-to-date reference for the latest extra spins bonuses and promotions available at the best online casinos for the UK.

Extra spins can claimed in a variety of ways. Most commonly, you can claim extra spins whenever you make your first deposit at an online casino (usually accompanied with a generous match deposit bonus). Sometimes, you can claim free spins without having to deposit any money at all. More rarely, you can get awarded extra spins that are wager-free.

Currently, one of our top recommended casino sites is offering new players extra spins bonuses upon sign up.

Rizk Casino: A quirky top-rated online casino site with its very own mascot, Captain Rizk, who is at the forefront of its bonus and promotional material. Rizk hosts the very best real money slots and table games from Microgaming, Net Entertainment, Play’n Go and more. From 16 October 2017, all new players can claim their welcome match deposit bonus offer of 100% up to £/€100, in addition to 50 extra spins to use on their most popular online slots. Claim your extra spins bonus at Rizk.com here.

• UK – 100% up to £100 + 50 extra spins
• New Zealand, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Canada – 200% up to €/$100 + 50 free spins
• Sweden – 200% up to 1000 SEK + 50 free spins
• Norway – Up to 13,000 NOK + 120 free spins spread over your first five deposits
• All other eligible players – 100% up to €100 + 50 Free spins

Certain regions will have their bonuses unchanged at Rizk, and in all other countries the previously advertised ‘free spins’ with said bonuses will remain the same. For now, only casinos licensed and based in the UK and/or otherwise catering to UK players is when the extra spins terminology is used.

Other online casinos with extra spins bonuses

Many online casinos catering to the United Kingdom currently offer free spins as part of their welcome bonus packages. While they have yet to change their terminology to reflect the new regulations, we fully expect their promotional bonuses to eventually use the extra spins wording or other similar terminology.

• Guts Casino – New players can claim 100 extra spins (spread out into 25 spin increments) alongside your first four deposits at the casino. Read our Guts Casino review for more information.
• Leo Vegas: New players can claim 20 extra spins + 180 extra spins upon their first deposit at the site. Read our Leo Vegas Casino review for more information.

Why are free spins now called extra spins?

A recent crackdown by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) on online casino promotions has prompted change in the way sign up bonus offers and other gambling advertisements are worded by gaming operators.

In the UK, there have been a surge in disputes submitted to the UKGC regarding misleading wording, usually in relation to ‘free spins’ offers. The commonality between complaints is the wording used is both confusing and predatory on new players and their lack of understanding for the stipulations that come with claiming such bonuses.

As a result of the confusion, a third edition of the Gambling Industry Code for Socially Responsible Advertising has been released to better outline the ASA’s expectations surrounding responsible gambling advertising in the UK. The Industry Code’s objective is to provide casino operators “with a range of measures that would enhance the social responsibility of their advertising and which went over and above the extensive requirements already placed on them by the gambling and advertising regulators.”

With this move, online casinos, such as Rizk, are switching their promotions terminology to remove any confusion which arises from the use of ‘free’, and let players know there is additional criteria which needs to be met to claim any bonus spins advertised and on offer.

What about Fair Spins?

Fair Spins is another term we are starting to see emerge following the changes to UK’s advertising standards and these tend to refer mostly to bonus spins that have zero wagering requirements attached. For example, BGO Casino launched a new advertising campaign upon which new players can claim 50 Fair Spins when signing up for an account at the casino, receiving one Fair Spin for every real money deposit of £1, capped at 50 spins. These spins come with no wagering requirements and no maximum wins, so players can keep anything then win when using Fair Spins.

We expect more casinos to follow BGO’s lead and start implementing bonuses of a similar nature.

How to claim extra spins at online casinos safely

Many experienced online casino players will understand that the majority of free spins bonuses offered at top casino sites have stipulations attached. However, for players new to online casino gambling, many of these conditions are alien, and many online casino sites are guilty of poorly explaining said conditions or otherwise are very obtuse, eventually leading to disputes.

Before any player should try to claim extra spin bonuses, you should always read the terms and conditions of the casino site in question prior to signing up or even depositing money. For example, players usually have to make at least one deposit to claim extra spins in the first place (not all sites will award you an extra spins bonus without a deposit).

Players must also be aware the majority of online casinos require you to clear various bonus wagering requirements, also called playthrough requirements or roll-over rates, before you can actually withdraw any winnings made from the free spins.

So far, many top-rated online casinos are making sure they keeping up-to-date with the new regulations. What is presently confusing is each online casino operator is interpreting the new regulations differently, and have used differing terminology in their attempt at new, socially responsible gambling advertising. For now, the most common change we have identified has been the shift to ‘extra spins’ from ‘free spins’, but you don’t have to worry – the bonus remains the same.