How to Make Money Gambling From Less than $15
Sign up for free-rolls or no-deposit bonuses
Take advantage of sign-up bonuses. Most serious poker and casino sites should offer between $10-$25 as a sign-up bonus – don’t waste your times with any that don’t! Keep in mind, however, that there are sometimes restrictions on what you can withdraw from such bonuses. For example, you can’t immediately withdraw your sign-up bonus after creating an account – but you can use this bonus to place bets and thereby potentially win money you actually can withdraw. It’s a win-win situation, whereby you either lose nothing or win money for free. Most of these sites typically also reward players a ‘referral bonus’ if they encourage a friend to sign up. Such bonuses are around $10-$15.
With poker sites, a ‘match bonus’ is common. This essentially means that whenever you deposit money, the site will match it (up to a certain amount). If you deposit $15, you’ll get $30 to play with. Always make sure the poker site in question is vetted by trusted reviews and abides by all online gambling laws.
Some of the more popular casino sites also offer one hour of ‘free play’ after signing up, during which times you can use the virtual slots and spins without depositing any money. There should be no commitment on your part to deposit anything after your one hour free play is finished.
There also exist lotto sites which allow you to play 2-6 free lotto games for free each day. These sites are funded mainly by advertisement. Other lotto sites will offer a similar ‘match deal’, whereby you get one extra lotto ticket for every one you purchase.
Keep an eye out for free trials or promotions
Whether it’s bingo or poker, a decent gambling site’s social media pages and email newsletters will keep you up-to-date on special offers, bonus codes and discounts. Promotions such as ‘Ladies Nights’ or ‘Charity Events’ typically offer opportunities to play for little to no money (for a limited period of time). Seasonal-themed promotions are also common.
Understand the game you’re playing
Are you going to play a skill game or luck game? You’re significantly more likely to make some bucks from a skill game – but only if you know what you’re doing. If you’re a poker newbie who thinks you have just as much chance at winning a poker freeroll tournament as the other players – think again. Doing your research to pick up on some strategic hints and tricks might feel like too much of a time investment, but it will significantly increase your odds of winning.
Even in chance games such as the lottery, there are some tricks for increasing your odds. Research these before partaking in any online game.
For those in need of some extra bucks and with some spare time on their hands, taking the effort of signing up to gambling sites offering bonuses and freerolls could be a great way to make extra cash. That being said, never get your hopes up too high, and don’t look at gambling as an alternative to a more stable means of making money. Most importantly, never spend more than your pre-decided budget which should an amount you most definitely can afford to lose.
James is an internet entrepreneur, blogging junky, hunter and personal finance geek. When he’s not lurking in coffee shops in Portland, Oregon, you’ll find him in the Pacific Northwest’s great outdoors. James has a masters degree in Sociology from the University of Maryland at College Park and a Bachelors degree on Sociology from Earlham College. He loves individual stocks, bonds and precious metals.