How to compare free spins offers

How to compare free spins offers: the seven numbers that matter

Free spins offers are built to be hard to line up against each other. One promises 80 spins, another 100, a third ‘up to 500’. Some pay winnings as cash, others as bonus funds with wagering. Stakes, games and deadlines differ too. The fix is to reduce each offer to the same set of numbers and compare those, not the headline.

These are the seven figures to pull from the significant terms of any free spins offer:

1. Spin value: number of spins × stake per spin.
2. Qualifying condition: the deposit or bet you must make first, and what it costs on average.
3. Wagering: whether winnings are cash or bonus funds, and the multiple (no more than 10x since 19 January 2026).
4. Eligible games: which slots, and their RTP, volatility and maximum win.
5. Timing: how long you have to accept, claim and use the spins.
6. Caps: any limit on what the spins can pay out.
7. Payment exclusions: deposit methods that stop the offer applying.

The rest of this guide takes each number in turn, with worked pound figures and the real terms of the three partner spins offers we list. It's one of our practical casino bonus guides; the broader method for every bonus type is in how to compare casino bonuses.

Step 1: turn free spins into a pound value

Every spin has a fixed stake set by the casino, often called the coin value or spin value. Multiply it by the number of spins and you have the amount of play the offer gives you. That single figure removes most of the noise.

Two lines in that table make the point: 100 spins at 10p and 200 spins at 5p are the same £10 of play. A bigger spin count with a smaller stake isn't a better deal. The free spins maths guide goes deeper into the averages.

The average return is a long-run figure. On any one set of spins you might get nothing back or several times the average, especially on high-volatility slots.

Step 2: what you deposit or bet before the free spins arrive

Some spins offers need nothing from you, but none of our partners has a no deposit spins offer. The two common triggers are a deposit and a qualifying bet, and they aren't the same thing.

• Deposit only: you put money in, and the spins arrive. PlayOJO's offer works this way: a first deposit of £10 or more brings 80 spins. The £10 stays in your balance until you choose to play or withdraw it.
• Deposit and bet: you also have to stake a set amount on slots. Coral asks you to bet £10 or more on slots; Ladbrokes asks you to deposit and spend £10 on slots. That £10 of play has a cost: at a 4% house edge it's about 40p on average, though a single session can lose all of it.

A fair way to compare is spin value per £10 you have to commit. On the published terms that gives £10 of spins at Coral, up to £50 at Ladbrokes (if every daily batch is claimed) and £8 at PlayOJO. See deposit £10 get free spins and bet £10 get free spins for those offers in more detail.

Step 3: no wagering vs wagering on free spins winnings

This is where two offers with the same spin value can be worth very different amounts. If winnings are paid as cash, the average return is what you keep. If they're paid as bonus funds, you must play them through before withdrawing, and that play has its own average cost. Since 19 January 2026 the multiple can't exceed 10x under the Commission's promotions rules (opens in a new tab).

The maths is simple: wagering × house edge gives the average cost. Wagering also adds time and session length, and a run of bad luck can wipe out bonus winnings before you finish. That's why our no wagering free spins page treats cash-paid winnings as the cleaner product, and why wager-free vs wagering spins usually comes down in favour of the former at the same spin value.

Step 4: the eligible slots, RTP and volatility

Free spins are tied to one slot or a short list of selected games. Three game figures change what the spins are worth in practice: RTP, volatility and the maximum win.

PlayOJO is the only partner whose offer names its game: Big Bass Bonanza. Published figures put its RTP at 96.71%, its volatility at high and its maximum win at 2,100x the stake. So 80 spins at 10p (£8) return about £7.74 on average, and one 10p spin could pay up to £210 if the top result lands. High volatility means most sets of spins return less than the average, with the occasional large result pulling the average up. Pragmatic Play's site (opens in a new tab) distributes the game; our Big Bass Bonanza free spins page has more.

Coral and Ladbrokes list their selected games in each promotion's terms rather than naming one slot, and the list can change. Check the promotion page before you opt in, then look at each game's help screen for its RTP. A version of a slot can run at a lower RTP than its headline figure, and the help screen shows the one you're actually playing.

Step 5: claim windows, daily batches and expiry

Deadlines decide how much of a headline you'll realistically use. Coral gives 48 hours to accept the spins and 7 days to use them. Ladbrokes pays 50 spins a day for the first 10 days, each batch claimed before 23:59 and valid for 7 days. PlayOJO's help page says free spins expire after 24 hours and that the Rewards section shows each spin's game, value and deadline, so check the offer terms for the exact window.

‘Up to’ offers paid in daily batches are worth only what you collect. If you'd log in on four of the ten days anyway, Ladbrokes' offer is 200 spins (£20 of play), not 500.

Don't let a daily batch set your gambling routine. If claiming every day would mean playing more often than you planned, value the offer at the days you'd use anyway. Our daily vs one-off free spins comparison looks at this trade-off.

Step 6: winnings caps and how free spins winnings are paid

Some spins offers cap what you can withdraw from their winnings. A cap rarely bites on a typical result, because the average return on £10 of spins is under £10, but it removes the rare large win that high-volatility slots are built around. When comparing, note the cap as a figure and set it against the slot's maximum win: 2,100x on a 10p spin is £210, so a hypothetical £100 cap would cut the top outcome by more than half.

The published offer terms don't list a winnings cap for the Coral, Ladbrokes or PlayOJO spins, so check the full terms before you opt in. Our free spins max win page explains how caps are worded.

Step 7: payment methods that cancel a free spins offer

A deposit made with an excluded method usually means no spins, and it's one reason an offer can fail to appear. The ASA has treated a hidden payment exclusion as a significant condition that must be prominent; its guidance on free bets and bonuses (opens in a new tab) records a 2024 ruling on exactly that point. Still, you have to read the list.

Coral's exclusions include ‘certain debit cards’ without naming them, so check the promotion terms or ask support before depositing. Our guide on how payment exclusions work and the page on why PayPal deposits are excluded explain the reasons behind these lists.

Coral vs Ladbrokes vs PlayOJO free spins: compared on all seven numbers

Here are the three partner spins offers run through the method, using the terms last checked on 5 October 2026. All are 18+ and for new customers only; full terms apply.

On spin value per £10 committed, Ladbrokes leads if you'd genuinely claim most daily batches; Coral leads for a single batch of spins in one go; PlayOJO gives the smallest number of spins but needs only a deposit, not a bet, and pays winnings in cash. Coral and Ladbrokes are both run by LC International Limited, so check the terms on holding new accounts at both. Head-to-head pages: Coral vs Ladbrokes and Coral vs PlayOJO.

Free spins comparison traps to avoid

• Counting spins, not pounds. 200 spins at 5p equal 100 at 10p.
• Taking ‘up to’ at face value. Daily batches are only worth the days you'd claim anyway.
• Ignoring the qualifying bet. A £10 bet is play you might lose, not a fee.
• Overlooking wagering. Spins with 10x on winnings are worth roughly 40% less on average than the same spins paid in cash.
• Assuming the slot. Unless the terms name it, check which selected games apply.
• Using the wrong payment method. One excluded deposit can mean no spins at all.

None of these traps involves breaking the terms, and comparing offers this way doesn't change the odds of any game. Free spins are a small extra on top of gambling you'd do anyway, not a way to make money. Our guide to avoiding bonus mistakes covers more.

Free spins comparison checklist you can reuse

1. Write down spins × stake for each offer to get the spin value.
2. Note the qualifying step (deposit only, or deposit and bet) and the amount.
3. Mark whether winnings are cash or bonus funds; if bonus funds, multiply the average winnings by the wagering and by about 4% for the average cost.
4. Record the eligible slot and check its RTP, volatility and maximum win on the help screen.
5. Note the accept, claim and use deadlines, and how many days you'd realistically use.
6. Note any cap on winnings.
7. Check your payment method against the exclusion list.
8. Pick the offer with the best value on these numbers that also fits your normal budget, or none at all.

Our casino bonus checklist adds questions about the casino itself, such as licence and withdrawal terms.

Which partner free spins offer comes out on top

On the seven numbers, all three partner offers avoid wagering on winnings and use 10p spins, so the comparison turns on spin value, the qualifying step and timing. All are 18+, new customers only, and terms apply.

• Coral Casino: deposit and bet £10+ on slots for 100 free spins (10p each, £10 of spins) on selected games; accept within 48 hours, use within 7 days; no wagering on winnings. Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards don't qualify. Offer runs 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027.
• Ladbrokes Casino: deposit and spend £10+ on slots for 50 free spins a day for 10 days (up to 500 at 10p, up to £50 of spins); claim by 23:59 each day; valid 7 days; no wagering. Prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers deposits don't qualify.
• PlayOJO: first deposit of £10+ for 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza (10p each, £8 of spins); winnings paid in cash; new UK customers excluding Northern Ireland; designated offer link only; can't be combined with other offers.

Gambling should be paid for from money you can afford to lose. Set a deposit limit at sign-up, and if you need support, the National Gambling Helpline is free on 0808 8020 133.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Decide a budget before you play: set a budget. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.