Free online bingo – Fabulous fact or frustrating fiction?

By Nathan Howes

In a time of 'credit crunches' and 'economic downturns' (or 'recession' if we're going to call a spade a spade!) it's nice to find some free entertainment to take your mind off all the bad news; better yet, free entertainment that could put a few quid in your pocket. With that in mind it's no surprise that online Bingo sites offering 'free Bingo games' and 'no deposit Bingo bonuses' have become such popular destinations on the Internet.

But it is said that there's no such thing as a free lunch so, to extend the metaphor, is there no such thing as a free Bingo offer? Well in a time of rampant cynicism it's refreshing to find that - yes - free online Bingo is there to be had and with no nasty catches if you know what you're looking for.

There are two paths to free online Bingo; one is to find an online Bingo site that offers its members free games in its schedule, the other is to join an online Bingo club that offers a no deposit bonus to encourage new players to sign up with them. The former 'free Bingo' option is offered by many, excellent online Bingo sites but is often restricted to certain games in the schedule so will tie you to playing at a certain time. The good news is that these games do offer real, material rewards for winners. These can either be in the form of Loyalty Points that can be accrued to earn non-cash prizes (holidays, electrical goods, etc.) or, less commonly, real cash jackpots paid into the player's account. Sure, these cash jackpots aren't huge and can't match those offered in the pay-to-play Bingo games, but this is something for nothing remember!

Mentioned above, no deposit bingo bonuses are the other popular route to a feast of free Bingo in the Internet, and a common promotional tool used by online Bingo sites to woo new customers, especially if they are new names in the game that can't rely on existing brand recognition (e.g. Gala Bingo and Mecca Bingo) to get Bingo fans through their virtual doors. Sums of £10 to £20 are common incentives, and are usually credited to a new player's account the moment it's set up. Some online Bingo sites require the player to register a debit or credit card with them to activate these no deposit Bingo bonuses, but there's no obligation to make a deposit at a later date. Clearly it's not in any online Bingo site's interest to give new members a bundle of free money then see them instantly cash it out and never play there, so there are some restrictions placed on its use. Typically this free money bonus can only be spent on certain games on the site, or may have a wagering requirement attached, but any winnings earned from playing with this money can be cashed out so there's the real possibility of winning money without spending any of your own hard-earned cash to do it. That's a free lunch where the restaurant tips you at the end!

Of course, hunting down free Bingo online does require some common sense, as the lure of such offers does mean there are online fraudsters looking to exploit the unwary to capture identity information, credit card details or both. A reputable, independent online review site, such as InternetBingo.co.uk, is a sensible way to find these freebies as it contains useful guides to online Bingo sites with established reputations for honest and secure entertainment, plus neat digests of the free bingo promotions currently available amongst them.

There's a wealth of free fun to be had on the Net, and if online Bingo especially floats your boat then don't miss out on the bundles of free Bingo out there.

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