Free Casino Games to Play Online September 2024

Free casino games won't win you any money, but they do come with plenty of other benefits. They can be a fantastic intro to the world of online casino gambling, allowing you to test-drive slots, blackjack, roulette, and other games without risking your hard-earned dollars.

You might play these free titles just for fun or to test out strategies before you switch to real-money play. Either way, you'll want to know how and where you can play without making a deposit.

We’ll cover in detail how to play free online casino games in demo mode by sharing the best providers and titles. You'll also learn about the pros and cons and how to find the games that best suit your preferences.

CONTENTS

• What Are Free Casino Games?
• Free Casino Games Available in the United States
• How to Play Free Casino Games
• Popular Free Casino Games
• Common Free Casino Game Software Providers
• Pros and Cons of Free Casino Games
• Final Tips for Playing Free Casino Games
• Free Casino Games FAQs

WHAT ARE FREE CASINO GAMES?

Free online casino games mimic real-money titles but allow you to play in demo mode, meaning you don't have to make a deposit to get in on the fun. When in demo mode, players gamble house money that has no real monetary value. You can play free games ranging from online slots to baccarat, blackjack, craps, roulette, and everything in between.

While some online casinos require players to register for an account before offering free games, other platforms allow users to play for free without an account. Even though real money isn't at stake, you might have to confirm that you're 21+ before playing.

In contrast, real-money games require players to sign up for an account at a regulated online casino. By law, casino operators are only allowed to let registered players within a legal jurisdiction win real money.

WHY PLAY FREE CASINO GAMES?

Free games help first-time players learn about betting basics at an online casino. They let you get used to the games' rules, graphics, and pace so you don't fly blind when you start to bet real money.

Perhaps most importantly, free slot machines and table games help you adjust to the house edge and RTP. These terms complement each other with house edge referring to the casino's built-in advantage and RTP referring to the average return-to-player percentage over an extended period.

For instance, let's say you're playing a slots game with an RTP of 95% (and therefore a house edge of 5%). The 95% RTP reflects that, theoretically, you'll receive $95 back for every $100 you wager. Of course, it's a bit more complicated than that and doesn't guarantee that you'll only lose $5 for every $100 you wager. You could lose more or less, or even win big—that 95% figure is just an average over hundreds of thousands of spins.

That's where free gameplay comes in. You can play free slot games to get a better idea of what your returns could look like over shorter periods. Experiencing wins and losses for yourself over the short term should help you better manage your expectations and create a realistic perception of the game's RTP once you're ready to dive into real-money play.

FREE CASINO GAMES AVAILABLE IN THE UNITED STATES

Games are available in various formats when you play for free at an online casino. For example, you can download iOS or Android mobile apps from the App Store or Google Play Store. You can also access the best free casino games from your desktop.

And considering that online casinos don't have to pay overhead costs, they don't have to skimp on quality. You have access to some of the most popular games from top software providers, meaning playing online for free is like visiting Atlantic City or Las Vegas—just without the hassle.

HOW TO PLAY FREE CASINO GAMES

Whether you want to play free slots or multi-hand blackjack, here are some tips to help you get started:

CHOOSE A CASINO GAME TYPE

While slot games are easy to find, the hundreds or even thousands of options can be overwhelming, especially for beginners. Casinos usually break down their slots into categories, such as Casino Floor, Steppers, Megaways, Jackpot Slots, and Exclusives.

If free online slots aren’t your thing, there are plenty of other categories to consider, like table games and video poker. Navigate the top games at your preferred online casino by scrolling through them to get an idea of your options.

SEARCH FOR THE FREE VERSIONS

Depending on your device or platform, you may receive a limited number of free games. For example, casino apps may only provide a few hundred free slots, while desktop/web browser counterparts might offer thousands of titles.

In our experience, many popular free games are widely available at real money casino apps that offer demo versions. Just click the game you want to try and see if there’s a "Demo" option. Confirm you’re 21 or over to get started.

DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE IF NEEDED

Players who prefer iOS or Android mobile apps must download them from the App Store or Google Play Store. We’ve found that Android apps usually take up less space (under 50 MB) than iOS apps (sometimes above 100 or 200 MB).

With desktop and web browser versions, video slots and other fun games tend to run smoothly. But that all depends on the device you use and your internet connection. We recommend trying free games at different casinos from multiple devices to see which works best for you.

RESEARCH THE GAME STYLE

Our glossaries, how-to-play guides, and reviews help beginners learn how to sign up at an online casino and play. You can also research various games' fun features, house edges, and RTPs to find your favorite.

Some casinos provide information overviews for their games; players can read these blurbs before “entering” free online slots or table games. You can also view the game’s rules and in-game settings after you’ve clicked the "Demo" button.

PLAY THE FREE CASINO GAME

Once you’ve got a better understanding of how a game works, it’s time to play! Players can choose a chip denomination for their first bets or change the bet amount on slot games.

The payouts (and sometimes the volatility) depend on how much you wager when you play free slots. For example, $0.88 spins at a free online slot like 88 Fortunes probably won’t be as exciting as $88.00 spins—which offer the potential for bigger wins.

You can also test betting systems and casino strategies at blackjack and roulette to learn how to manage your "bankroll" (usually between 1,000 and 2,000 free credits) by wagering 1% to 5% of your balance at a time.

POPULAR FREE CASINO GAMES

You'll get access to hundreds of games when you play for free at an online casino. You might even come across a platform with thousands of free slots available to players with registered accounts.

We’ll go over some of the gaming categories and titles that you can play for free.

FREE SLOT GAMES

Free slot games are widely available at casinos that provide demo versions of their titles. You can test free slots from your desktop computer/web browser or an iOS/Android mobile app.

While you may encounter free progressive jackpots, the software providers for those games ensure they don’t pay out for any triggered jackpots.

Still, you can use a free demo version of a popular slot to see if it might be worthwhile for your first deposit. We recommend playing slots that offer bonus rounds whenever you trigger a certain amount of symbols. Free games (or free spins) at any slot provide more chances to win.

POPULAR SLOTS

Here are a few popular slots you can play for free:

• Black Diamond
• Big Money Frenzy
• Capital Gains
• Cash Machine
• Cleopatra
• Cash Eruption

FREE BLACKJACK GAMES

While slots are usually the most popular option at casinos, online blackjack is another top choice. Players can try different variants that change the gameplay, while traditional blackjack games pay 3 to 2 for a natural blackjack. There are also side bets and insurance, which pays 2 to 1.

If you’re new to blackjack, we recommend learning about the basic blackjack strategy depicted on blackjack charts for how to play every possible hand. Using an optimal strategy at blackjack helps players get as close as possible to 21 while reducing the house edge to less than one percent for an RTP of 99.5%, one of the best for any casino game.

POPULAR BLACKJACK GAMES

Here are a few blackjack titles to play for free:

• Blackjack Poker & Pairs
• Blackjack - Single Hand
• Blackjack with Surrender
• Blackjack Xchange
• Multihand Blackjack

FREE VIDEO POKER GAMES

While casinos are starting to provide new video poker games, the standard option comes from IGT’s Game King. The popular title offers nine variants, each with different RTP averages.

Playing free video poker helps hone poker skills for those who enjoy cash games and multi-table tournaments (such as No Limit Texas Hold’em). Choose a bet amount, click Deal, and select which cards to Hold for the best five-card hand. Depending on your game and bet amount, a Royal Flush is often the best hand with a payout of 800x.

POPULAR VIDEO POKER GAMES

You’ll find some of these games from Game King Video Poker:

• Jacks or Better
• Bonus Poker
• Deuces Wild Poker
• Deuces Wild Bonus Poker
• Joker Poker

FREE ROULETTE GAMES

Roulette is another game with free demo options for variants like American, European, and French Roulette. Most roulette games provide a wheel with red and black numbers from one to 36.

The American version of roulette includes two green-colored pockets labeled zero (0) and double (00) for a house edge of 5.26%. European versions only include one green-colored pocket for zero (0) for an overall house edge of 2.7%, meaning your roulette odds are better if you opt for the European version.

Players can test betting strategies at roulette like the Martingale or Fibonacci systems to see which suits their potential bankrolls if they end up jumping to real-money play.

POPULAR ROULETTE GAMES

You’ll find the following roulette games to play for free:

• 100/1 Roulette
• American Roulette
• Blazing 7s Roulette
• European Roulette
• French Roulette

COMMON FREE CASINO GAME SOFTWARE PROVIDERS

Software providers supply various games to casinos, with thousands of titles available to play for free. Players don’t need to visit Las Vegas to try new games or fun slots—it’s all available from a desktop/web browser or mobile device and a solid internet connection.

Here are a few of the most popular software suppliers, some with decades of experience in the gaming industry:

• Everi
• High 5 Games
• IGT
• Konami
• Light & Wonder (SG Digital/Shuffle Master)
• NetEnt
• Pragmatic Play

PROS AND CONS OF FREE CASINO GAMES

Depending on the game you choose, you’ll likely find things you like and don’t like about each category or software provider.

We’ll briefly cover the pros and cons of games you can play for free at a real casino app or platform.

PROS

Online casino users often flock to free games because of the following pros:

• New users can play games without any risk.
• Fun casino games are available for free 24/7.
• The best free online casino options feature the industry’s top brands.
• Free games help prepare new players for a welcome bonus and other promotions (no-deposit bonus, free spins, cash-back offers, etc.).
• New players can gain experience in learning how to win real money at their favorite games.

CONS

Despite their pros, free online casino games come with the following cons:

• Play-for-free options don’t offer any financial rewards so some players may get bored quickly.
• Slot games showing huge progressive jackpots don’t offer cash prizes for free demo versions.
• Some players may experience the gambler’s fallacy associated with the randomness of outcomes at free games, which doesn’t translate to real-money games.

FINAL TIPS FOR PLAYING FREE CASINO GAMES

Before you play free online slots or other games, here are some final tips to help you get the most out of your experience:

• There are no free coins like you might find at social casinos. Instead, players get an in-game balance to play online slots or games like baccarat, blackjack, and roulette.
• Once you use up your in-game balance, exit and return to the lobby to try another title.
• We recommend testing out various games and experimenting with betting strategies.
• Play different games, such as Sic Bo, Pai Gow, Keno, and Slingo, to learn more about casino games and get a better sense of how they work.
• Free games offer a unique way for players to learn about casino odds and payouts while developing the knowledge and confidence to deal with any game's inevitable wins and losses.
• Use responsible gambling approaches even during free gameplay so you can build good habits and prepare yourself for real-money gameplay.

FREE CASINO GAMES FAQS

Now that we’ve detailed the online demo versions of casino games, here are a few FAQs to help players with any remaining questions.

CAN I PLAY ONLINE CASINO GAMES FOR FREE?

Yes. Select games are offered for free as demo versions at some of the industry's top online casinos.

WHERE CAN I PLAY FREE CASINO GAMES ONLINE?

You can find an online casino that offers demo play options to play for free. Top casino companies offering demo versions of their games include BetMGM, BetRivers, Borgata, DraftKings, Golden Nugget, and Resorts Casino.

WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF PLAYING FREE CASINO GAMES?

Playing demos for free helps new players get accustomed to return-to-player (RTP) averages at games like slots, blackjack, roulette, and video poker without risk. Demo versions at casinos also allow players to learn about random number generators (RNGs), which deliver the randomness of outcomes and ultimately lead to any game's inevitable wins and losses.

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FREE CASINO GAMES AND ONLINE CASINO GAMES?

Yes. Free casino games don't require a deposit and allow players to play in demo mode. They also don't have payouts, while regular online casino games do and include progressive jackpots for big potential winnings. Otherwise, virtual games often use the same return-to-player (RTP) averages and random number generators (RNGs) whether they're demo or real-money games.

CAN I PLAY FREE SLOTS ONLINE?

You should be able to even if you're not in a state with legal online gambling. Hundreds of free slots are available at online casinos. Check to see if your preferred platform offers demo play options.

ARE FREE CASINO GAMES ON MOBILE DEVICES, TOO?

Yes. Casinos offering free games typically have mobile apps with a "demo" option that may not require a balance or a registered account. However, some apps may request that you confirm your location in a legal jurisdiction, even without an account.