If you are new to online bingo, you can be forgiven for getting a bit confused when it comes to bingo sites offering free money and various deposit bonuses for new players.

Most sites offer one of two things, either completely free money “no deposit required” to try out the games, or a “deposit match bonus” which awards you with extra funds after you have actually deposited some cash.

Many sites offer a combination of the two.

Basically, if a bingo site is not offering some sort of first deposit match bonus, then that site is probably not worth looking at. Everyone does it, and it has become the norm for sites to offer this kind of deal.

Where things get a bit complicated is whether or not the offer is a one-time offer for new players and whether players can actually withdraw any winnings made with the extra funds.

For example, some bingo sites will give you a super generous offer of say a 300% deposit bonus on your first deposit. This means if you deposit £10, they add £30 on top, giving you £40 to play with.

However, there may be rules in place that say anything won on that £30 bonus money is not withdrawable, or as is more common, there may be “play through” rules which state conditions such as you have to play 10 x your first deposit before you can withdraw.

That would mean if you deposited £10, you would have to play £100 worth of bingo games before you could withdraw anything won.

Similarly, sites that offer free money may have terms in place that simply state anything won on the free money cannot be withdrawn, period. Simple as that.

So it pays to be wise about these things and to read the terms and conditions carefully.

Another common thing that bingo sites do is advertise a deposit bonus as free money. So for example, you may land on a bingo site that says “£20 FREE*” in huge letters, giving you the impression that it is no deposit required, but then when you join it says *when you deposit £10.

I have no problem with those sites giving this offer, but really it should be advertised for what it is, and that is a 200% first deposit bonus.

Players may not realise that actually if they deposit £20 they would get £40 free, and simply go for that £10 and then subsequently miss out on future deposit bonuses.

Our advice is to do your homework carefully, select a site you are happy with and then deposit as much as you can on the first deposit to maximise that bonus. Most sites don’t give redeposit bonuses for future deposits, so you won’t get a better time to cash in than the day you join.

Just be wise and read up before you commit to any bingo site. Search for player reviews as they can also spot the sites that are not so good when it comes to misleading offers.

Let’s face it, we all like getting something for nothing.

However, nothing is really free in this world and we all know that when something looks too good to be true, it usually is.

Online bingo sites are packed with free bingo offers to entice you to join them, but the vast majority have hidden clauses such as you can only play for free if you have made a deposit, or the free games are only at a set time every day.

Others allow you to play for free 24/7, but try to withdraw your winnings and you’ll get a big fat no in your face.

Why can’t there just be a site that lets you play free bingo for fun, with no catches?

Well, there is a site we have found called FreeBingo UK. It allows you to play completely free all day long and they don’t take a single penny.

Sound too good to be true? Well, the site isn’t actually a cash site at all. The bingo is played for points and the more points you win the more entries you can get in prize draws and other competitions where you can win things.

You’ll find advertising on this site for other pay-to-play bingo brands, but this is why the site remains completely free. Even the prizes are donated by sponsors so that FreeBingo’s users never have to pay a penny.

Surprisingly for a free site, the games are as innovative as they come. The software isn’t as flashy as other sites, but the effort that is put into them in terms of fun designs that change regularly is outstanding.

We fully recommend giving FreeBingo UK a try.

Bingo sites know that they need to attract new members, and good offers with great games alone are often not enough these days. In the UK there is usually some kind of celebration happening that stimulates lots of media coverage. Consider Christmas or the Royal Wedding, St Patrick’s Day or Britains Got Talent, even the release of a new Twilight movie. It is wise, therefore for online bingo sites to connect their offers and marketing to these occasions.

Several sites choose big bingo games that offer substantial real cash awards. For example Rollover Bingo themed its monthly £2,000 prize bingo game about the Royal Wedding as well as an everyday giveaway of lotto tickets, money and gifts. Free bingo quite often figures quite highly and tombola bingo uses the £10,000 daily link games of bingo that are popular with online members.

Random prize draws have become more and more frequent to pay back bingo players for playing bingo at a particular bingo site consistently. The principle is that users deposit and wager a specified amount of cash during a specified time to qualify to be included in a drawing to win the offered prize. Sites utilising Gamesys software, that include Sun Bingo, Heart Bingo and Jackpotjoy have used this tool for quite some time and awarded some tremendous prizes.

Holidays are always a favourite. So too are huge cash prizes and cars. Sun Bingo gives away lots of cars (usually Fiats).

More online bingo providers have now introduced this technique of attracting and retaining customers and the prize dominant at the moment are tickets to see Take That on their reunion tour. Rather than bringing players to the bingosite for one night for just the one huge internet bingo game, many bingo websites are providing Take That tour prize packages of various value.