Why Did No Deposit Bonuses Disappear?

Why did no deposit bonuses disappear? Comparasino Co-founder and CEO, Martyn Hannah takes a deep dive into the changing bonus landscape in the UK.

It wasn’t all that long ago that online casino welcome bonuses offered massive headline value. At some sites, you could sign up with just an email address and get £5, £10 or even £20 in bonus cash credited to your account instantly. 

Today, the headline value has fallen out of casino bonuses, with most brands now running “Deposit £10 & Get X Free Spins” or 100% Deposit Match up to £50 promotions. 

Of course, these offers require a deposit, full ID verification and age checks before the casino hands over a small number of 10p free spins, which usually come with a 10x wagering requirement and heavy win caps. 

So why did no deposit bonuses disappear? And is it still possible to find online casino bonuses that offer plenty of value? 

The Verification & KYC Shift

Historically, online casinos and bingo sites let players claim no deposit welcome bonuses before verifying their identity. This was done in the hope they could convert them to real-money players before they hit a withdrawal threshold. 

But strict UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) age verification rules mean operators must verify a player’s identity before they can access promotional funds or free-to-play demo games. 

If an online casino does offer no deposit spins today, it always requires a valid UK debit card check upfront to meet the UKGC’s verification requirements and to prevent automated account creation and bonus abuse. 

The Math & The 2026 Regulatory Landscape 

19 January 2026 marked what became known as the Bonus Revolution – a set of regulatory updates that changed the game for online casino bonuses and promotions. At the core of this update was the new 10x legal wagering cap. 

It means the highest wagering requirement online casino and bingo sites can impose on any bonus, including the welcome offer, is 10x. 

This was great news for players, but not so much for operators who used wagering requirements – often 35x – 50x, but sometimes as high as 60x – to recover the cost of bonuses, and certainly no deposit bonuses. 

Shortly after the 2026 Bonus Revolution swept in, the industry was rocked by a significant increase in Remote Gaming Duty (just one of the taxes online casino and bingo operators pay to the government) which shot up from 21% to 40%. 

How RGD is applied is important, and it explains why it hits bonuses so hard – RGD is not applied to the online casino’s profits, but rather net revenues, including the bonus cash it hands out to players. 

Dishing out £10 to thousands of players who never go on to deposit creates a massive tax and margin burden for online casino operators. 

Combine this with bonus abuse and syndicates – multi-accounting and automated bot networks historically bled operators dry on no deposit bonuses – and it’s easy to see why requiring a £10 initial deposit is the easiest way for casinos and bingo sites to separate genuine recreational players from bonus harvesters. 

What’s Replaced No Deposit Bonuses 

Bonuses are still an important part of playing at online casino and bingo sites, and even though no deposit bonuses have all but disappeared, you can still find high-value promos at UKGC-licensed casinos. 

This includes: 

Low-Stake “Deposit £10 & Get X” Packages: These high value deposit matches or zero-wagering bundles are super popular right now. In most cases, you drop in a tenner and get a package of free spins, which usually come with no wagering requirements whatsoever. 

No Wagering Bonuses: Because the Bonus Revolution made every UKGC-licensed casino and bingo site low wagering, some brands have gone a step further and removed all wagering requirements from their bonus. This means you get to keep what you win. 

Check Out No Wagering Casino Bonuses

Discover No Wagering Bingo Bonuses

£5 Deposit Bonuses: This is the new no deposit bonus. The casino or bingo site lets you make a small £5 deposit and offers a bonus, usually around 50 free spins, to get you started. If you like the experience, you can then keep playing. 

Our most popular £5 Deposit Bonus Casinos include Smooth Spins, Buzz Casino and LottoGo. 

Were No Deposit Bonuses Really That Great? 

That comes down to personal opinion. But I always thought they weren’t. Sure, the casino handed you a free tenner to enjoy a few slot spins, but those winnings were always locked behind 60x wagering requirements or required a deposit to access. 

Today, the bonusing environment is much more transparent, fair and, in my opinion, valuable for players. 

I’d much rather take a £5 deposit bonus or no wagering offering, knowing that I have a genuine chance of keeping any bonus cash or free spins winnings.