What Are Newbie Bingo Rooms?
When the traditional no deposit bonus hit the skids in 2018, bingo operators started to look for other ways to attract new players to join their sites. This led to an increase in what are often referred to as newbie bingo rooms, special rooms offering free bingo games exclusively for new players. Rooms such as The Bingo Academy at Costa Bingo became accessible for just a few days with no deposit needed. However accounts did need to be verified, typically via mobile and/or adding debit card details. This verification process helped restrict multiple accounts, one of the reasons no deposit bonuses got abused in the early days. Prize pots in newbie rooms are, as you probably expect, very limited and it's worth noting that any wins are usually paid as bonus money with wagering terms rather than real cash. This means you would need to deposit and play through a few pounds before being able to make any withdrawals.
Bingo Sites With Newbie Rooms
Mecca Bingo - Virtue Fusion
8 Days Of Free Bingo
New UK Customers Only. New online customers only. Deposit (PayPal & PaySafe Excluded) & Play £10 on Bingo within 7 days to get £40 Bingo Bonus, 50 Free Spins & Club Voucher. Selected games, wagering requirement & expiry dates apply. T&C's Apply. 18+. Terms Apply #AD
Buzz Bingo - Virtue Fusion
Spin The Daily Spinner
New UK Customers Only. Deposit £10, stake £10 on Bingo, get £30 bonus (x4 Wagering) & £10 Club voucher, &/or stake £10 on slots, get 200 x 10p Fishin’ Frenzy spins (x20 wagering) & £5 Club slots voucher. Use winnings in cash balance/further deposit to claim both. £5 minimum withdrawal. 18+. Terms Apply #AD
Gala Bingo - Entain
Win Free Spins, Bingo Tickets or Cash
New UK Customers Only. Min Deposit £10. Spend £10 on Slots to get 100 Free Spins (£0.10 each, valid for 7 days, valid on selected games). Spend £10 on Bingo to get a £10 Bingo Bonus (2 x wag, valid for 7 days). Player restrictions and T&Cs apply. 18+. Terms Apply #AD
Heart Bingo - Virtue Fusion
Spend £10 For £30 Bonus & 100 Free Spins
New UK Customers Only. New Customers. Opt in. Deposit & play £10 on Bingo within 7 days. Get £30 on Bingo + 100 Free Spins on Make Me a Millionaire. Advertised £30 Bingo based on 10p tickets. Rewards expire after 7 days. 18+. #AD
Ladbrokes Bingo - Entain
Spend £5 For A £25 Bonus
New UK Customers Only. New Bingo players only. Deposit required. Spend £5 or more on Bingo tickets to get a £25 Bingo bonus. 2x wagering requirements apply to bonus. Accept bonus within 14 days. Bonus valid for 30 days. Certain deposit types excluded. Player restrictions and T&Cs apply. 18+. #AD
Deposit To Access Newbie Rooms
Some newbie rooms, for example at MrQ and Paddy Power Bingo are only accessible to new players that have made a first deposit and/or wagered. The first deposit usually has to be at least £10 but the wagers tend not to be much more than £1. However, many sites - for example Gala Bingo, Mecca Bingo, Sun Bingo, Buzz Bingo and Jackpotjoy, are happy to offer free bingo to their depositing players as a reward. These rewards may be in the shape of access to a special room for a fixed period of time or tickets to a one off game that day. Unfortunately everything varies from site to site but that does make checking out different brands a bit more exciting.
Are There Fewer Newbie Bingo Games?
One of the most prolific platforms for newbie rooms was Dragonfish. Players could register at the likes of Wink Bingo, 888 Ladies and Costa Bingo and have access to free no deposit bingo. However when Dragonfish was purchased by Broadway Gaming free bingo has been changed considerably. The newbie room has gone but new players may be able to access the Grab A Fiver room where free games play throughout the day. However these free games aren't advertised on the promotion pages and there's no longer any reference to newbie rooms. Furthermore because Broadway Gaming now limit the number of accounts a player can have it now stops you from joining site after site to enjoy new player benefits.
