Do Free Spins Change the House Edge

If you have ever played at an online casino and have wondered if the free spins that you have just claimed will change the house edge when using those free spins on any of the selected online slots that are included in that promotional offer, you’re not alone.

I used to wonder the same thing. For example, suspicious players can be forgiven for thinking that an online casino operator would increase the house edge to compensate for the free spins it has just given you, just in case you win with those spins.

However, I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t work like this. Online casino operators don’t just increase the online slot machine payout rate (RTP%) to ensure you don’t win from your free spins.

With that said, this kind of practice might happen on unlicensed and unregulated (aka ‘rogue’) casinos with games supplied by software providers that nobody has ever heard of, but it wouldn’t ever happen on a world-class, globally renowned online casino that’s fully licensed and regulated by a top-tier gaming commission/licensing authority that has games from market-leading, industry-award-winning software providers.

Is the house edge the same as RTP% payout rates?

Yes and no. For example, if an online slot machine that you are about to play has a 97.50% RTP payout rate (which is considered high or above average), then you could say that the house edge for this game is 2.50%.

In other words, for every $/€/£100 that you spend on an online slot with a 97.50% payout rate, you should, theoretically speaking, receive at least $/€/£97.50 back in winnings, and the remaining $/€/£2.50% [house edge] would go back to the casino as revenue.

However, you aren’t always guaranteed to win that exact amount back because millions of people might be playing the same online slot as you at the same time.

Therefore, if 10,000 people collectively spend $/€/£1,000,000 on the same online slot that you’re playing over, say, a four-week period, then they should receive, on average, $/€/£975,000 in winnings. The casino operator would receive the remaining $/€/£25,000 (2.50%) as revenue.

You might only spend $/€/£50 on that game and win $/€/£500, whereas your friend might spend $/€/£100 and only win $/€/£20.00. Therefore, winning and losing all still boils down to luck, and the RTP% payout rate (or house edge) isn’t usually affected by the fact that you are using free spins to play the slot.

How to find the most lucrative free spins bonuses for the safest sites in 2025

I would suggest finding out what the experts have to say before searching for free spins bonuses because the experts on globally renowned iGaming review sites, such as the official Casino Tops Online website, will only ever recommend bonuses that can be found on the iGaming industry’s safest and most secure online casinos.

Whenever I fancy trying somewhere new, I always go to this site to see what latest offers they have found. They would never recommend bonuses found on unlicensed/unregulated sites and will only ever recommend trusted brands.

Their dedicated team of expert writers and researchers carry out extensive background checks and rigorous testing before recommending bonuses, which is why I always trust their suggestions.

What to consider when deciding which free spins bonus to claim

Here are some of the most important questions that I always ask myself before deciding which free spins bonus might be worth claiming:

• Does the site have overwhelmingly positive reviews from the experts?
• Is the site fully licensed and regulated by a mid to top-tier licensing authority/gaming commission?
• Is it a no deposit free spins bonus, or do I have to deposit to unlock the spins? If the free spins bonus requires a deposit, what’s the minimum deposit amount?
• Which games can I use my free spins on?
• What are the wagering requirements attached to the bonus, and how long do I have to complete them? I always look for bonuses with 0x to 40x wagering requirements, and ones where you get at least 48 hours to complete the wagering requirements
• Is the free spins bonus only available when depositing with a specific online payment method?
• Can I only claim the free spins bonus if I am using a specific device (for example, some bonuses may only be for smartphone users who can claim them via mobile app)?
• What are the winnings capped at?
• Does it state anywhere in the Ts and Cs that the house edge is higher when using free spins?

Final thoughts

To sum up, using free spins doesn’t typically affect the house edge, especially on trusted sites that use well-known software providers, which is why I usually always claim free spins bonuses whenever they are offered to me because I have nothing to lose.

One final thing that I mustn’t forget to mention is about responsible gambling. In recent years, I have started using various ‘safer gambling’ tools, such as session time reminders, win/loss limits, and deposit limits.

I also set a reasonable spending budget before depositing, so when I set my limits, I can always play safe in the knowledge that I will never overspend.

These manual controls are easy to set, and I strongly suggest that you set them too when you log in to your favourite online casino to play your favourite games and claim the bonuses that you love claiming.