What Is A Newbie Bingo Room?
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 imaginatively called The Newbie Room at Heart Bingo is accessible for just a few days with no deposit needed. These rooms give new players the chance to get used to the way things work and also see whether the site is right for them to go on and spend money at. There are limitations. For example Heart's room is only open between 11am & 12pm and 5.30pm & 6.30pm which is no use if you're an early morning or late evening player. Prizes aren't that big either. At Heart typically you'll be playing for pots of £3 and £4.
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 On The House 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.
UK Bingo Sites With Newbie Rooms

888 Ladies Bingo - Broadway Gaming, Dragonfish
Get £30 Bonus & 88 Free Spins
New UK Customers Only. Min dep £10 with code: POT300. 300% bingo bonus (Max £100). Each free spin value is 20p. Free spins winnings paid to games bonus. 2x bingo, 30x games bonus wagering required. 5-day expiry. GambleAware.org. T&Cs apply. 18+. Terms Apply #AD

PlayOJO Bingo - Pragmatic Play
500 Free Bingo Tickets & 50 Spins On 1st Deposit
New UK Customers Only. 1st deposit only. 500 free bingo tickets claimable via Kicker, valid up to £0.02 in the Feel the Fun room. 50 Free Spins on Big Bass Bonanza slot. Free Spin valued at £0.10. Excludes players in N.I. Irregular play may lead to removal of reward. OJO’s Rewards and Game Play policy applies. 18+. #AD

Mecca Bingo - Virtue Fusion
Spend £10 For 50 Spins & £40 Bonus
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

Betfred Bingo - Virtue Fusion
Stake £10 Get £10 Bonus & 100 Spins
New UK Customers Only. Register with promo code BINGO100. Minimum deposit and stake £10 on Bingo Tickets within 14 days to qualify. £10 Bingo Bonus must be wagered through once. 14-day expiry. Bonus Balance is used prior to Cash Balance. 100 Free Spins on selected Slots credited within 48 hours of qualification. Free Spins expire after 7 days. 18+. Terms Apply #AD

Foxy Bingo - Entain
Spend £10 Get £40 Bonus & 40 Spins
New UK Customers Only. New customers only. Spend £10 to get £40 Bingo Bonus (4x wagering) + 40 Free Spins (value £0.10 each, selected games). Claim & use within 7 days. Restrictions and T&Cs apply. 18+. Terms Apply #AD

MrQ Casino - Independent
Deposit £10 For 50 Free Spins
New UK Customers Only. 50 Free Spins credited upon your first £10 deposit on Big Bass Splash slot only, valued at 10p per spin. Free Spins must be used within 48 hours of qualifying. All winnings are uncapped and credited to your real money balance. 18+. Terms Apply #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

Coral Bingo - Entain
Spend £10 Get A £40 Bingo Bonus
New UK Customers Only. Certain deposit types excluded. Deposit and spend min £10 on Bingo. £40 Bonus credited upon completion of games. Bonus to be played on Bingo only, 4 x wagering and valid for 14 days. 18+. #AD