Casino No Deposit Bonus UK 2026: Licences, Payout Rights and the Real Value of Free Spins

A no deposit bonus is the only product in the UK gambling market where the operator carries all the financial risk. You register, verify, and collect free spins or a small bonus balance without moving a penny of your own money. That asymmetry is exactly why the terms attached to these offers are so tight, and why understanding them matters more than chasing the biggest headline number.

This guide covers how no deposit offers actually work in 2026, which UK-licensed operators run them, what the Gambling Commission expects from the firms issuing them, and where your money is protected if something goes wrong. It is written for players who want the free value without the usual trap of a 65x wagering requirement eating it alive.

One thing up front: the UK Gambling Commission banned bonus restrictions that make withdrawals practically impossible in 2024, and the fallout from that rule change is still reshaping which brands bother offering no deposit deals at all. That context runs through everything below.

What Is a Casino No Deposit Bonus and How Does It Work?

A no deposit bonus is a promotional credit, set of free spins, or bingo ticket given to a new or existing player without a qualifying deposit. The operator funds it entirely. In exchange, you accept terms that govern how much you can withdraw, how fast you must wager it, and which games count toward the requirement.

Most UK no deposit offers sit in one of four formats. Free spins on a named slot are the most common, usually 10 to 50 spins at a fixed value between 10p and 50p each. A small cash bonus, typically £5 to £10, is the second format. Bingo sites often hand out free tickets instead, while a handful of brands run risk-free bet or risk-free spin structures where your first stake is returned as cash if it loses.

The headline value is rarely the real value. A "£50 no deposit bonus" with a 60x wagering requirement and a £20 maximum win cap is worth far less than 20 free spins at 50p with a 20x requirement and no cap. Run the maths before you run the spins.

How Do No Deposit Bonuses Differ From Deposit Bonuses?

A deposit bonus matches a percentage of what you pay in, so a 100% match on £20 gives you £20 of bonus funds. A no deposit bonus requires nothing from you, which means the operator sets stricter withdrawal caps to limit its exposure. Typical deposit bonus wagering sits between 30x and 40x; no deposit deals often start at 40x and climb.

The trade-off is straightforward. Free money costs you nothing to claim but carries tighter strings. Matched money costs you a deposit but usually converts to withdrawable cash more easily. Neither is better in the abstract. It depends on whether you value zero risk or a cleaner path to a cashout.

There is also a regulatory distinction. Deposit bonuses are covered by the same consumer protection rules as any other promotion, but no deposit offers sit closer to the edge of what the Commission considers acceptable inducement, particularly where they target new customers with no prior relationship to the brand.

Which Formats Are Most Common in the UK Market?

Free spins dominate. Walk through the new customer pages of Betfred, William Hill, Sky Vegas, or MrQ and you will find spin-based welcome offers rather than raw cash. Spins are easier to value, easier to cap, and easier to attach to a single named game, which is why operators prefer them.

Bingo brands take a different route. Gala Bingo, Foxy Bingo, JackpotJoy, and Sun Bingo typically hand out free tickets to specific rooms rather than spins. The value is smaller per unit but the wagering is often simpler, because bingo winnings are usually credited as cash once the game settles.

The rarest format is the genuine no-strings cash credit. A few brands, including some under the 888 and Casumo umbrellas, have run £5 to £10 credits with low wagering and no maximum win cap. Those offers tend to disappear fast, because they are expensive to run and attract bonus abuse.

Are No Deposit Bonuses Legal and Safe in the UK?

Yes, provided the operator holds a Gambling Commission licence. Every brand advertising to UK players without that licence is operating outside the regulated market, which strips you of the protections described further down this page. The licence number sits in the footer of any legitimate site, and you can verify it in under a minute on the Commission's public register.

The rules tightened considerably in recent years. Since 2024, the Commission has required operators to remove terms that unfairly blocked withdrawals, cap the maximum win on bonus winnings at a level that still gives the player a realistic return, and make wagering requirements prominent before a player opts in. Wagering requirements above 65x on a no deposit offer now attract regulatory scrutiny, and several brands quietly withdrew their free deals rather than fight it.

Age verification is mandatory before any bonus becomes withdrawable. You must be 18 or over, and operators are required to complete identity and affordability checks under the 2025 financial risk rules. A no deposit bonus does not exempt you from those checks, because once winnings exist, they are real gambling proceeds.

What Does the UK Gambling Commission Require of Bonus Offers?

The Commission's bonus rules require that all significant terms appear before you accept an offer, not buried in a 4,000-word terms page. Significant terms include the wagering requirement, the maximum win cap, the time limit, and the game weighting. If a brand hides any of those, it is in breach.

Operators must also give you a clear route to a withdrawal once requirements are met, and they cannot impose arbitrary delays. The Commission has fined multiple firms for failing to process withdrawals within the timeframe stated in their own terms, with penalties running into the millions of pounds.

There is a firm conclusion here. If a no deposit offer does not state its wagering requirement, win cap, and expiry in plain English on the offer page itself, treat it as non-compliant and walk away. No legitimate UK operator hides those numbers in 2026.

How Do You Spot an Unlicensed Operator?

Three checks catch almost every unlicensed site. First, look for a Gambling Commission licence number in the footer. Second, confirm the brand appears on the Commission's register under its trading name. Third, check whether the site offers UK-facing payment methods like Faster Payments and Open Banking alongside standard debit cards.

Offshore operators do exist in this space, and some hold licences from jurisdictions such as Curaçao or Malta rather than the UK. Those brands are not illegal to use, but they sit outside UK consumer protection. If a dispute arises, you cannot take it to the Commission or to a UK alternative dispute resolution provider.

Payment method is the tell. A site that only accepts crypto, prepaid vouchers, or bank transfers with no UK scheme support is almost certainly not UK-licensed. That does not automatically make it a scam, but it does mean your recourse is effectively zero.

• Licence number visible in the footer and verifiable on the Commission register
• UK debit card, Faster Payments, and Open Banking support
• Named UK alternative dispute resolution provider in the terms
• Clear statement of wagering, win cap, and expiry on the offer page
• Registered UK company address and a UK-facing customer support line

How UK Regulation Protects Your Money: Chargebacks, Disputes and Payout Guarantees

This is the part most bonus guides skip, and it is the part that actually matters. A no deposit bonus is only worth claiming if the operator will pay you when you win, and if you have a real route to a remedy when it does not. UK licensing exists precisely to guarantee both.

Three mechanisms do the heavy lifting. Segregated player funds keep your balance separate from the operator's working capital, so if the company fails, your money is not part of the estate. Alternative dispute resolution gives you a free escalation path when a complaint is not resolved. And the Commission's enforcement powers mean a brand that mishandles payouts faces fines that dwarf whatever it saved.

Chargeback rights work differently in gambling than in retail. Card scheme rules generally do not cover gambling losses, and you cannot charge back a losing bet. What you can dispute is an unauthorised transaction, a payment taken after you self-excluded, or a withdrawal the operator has refused without a contractual basis.

What Happens If an Operator Refuses to Pay Out?

You escalate in stages. First, raise a formal complaint with the operator and get a reference number. The firm has 8 weeks to issue a final response. If it fails to resolve the issue in that window, or you are unhappy with the outcome, you take it to an approved alternative dispute resolution provider.

ADR is free to you and binding on the operator. The provider reviews the terms, the account history, and the evidence, then issues a decision. If the operator is ordered to pay and refuses, that becomes a licence condition breach, which is where the Commission's enforcement team gets involved.

Timelines matter. Keep every chat transcript, email, and screenshot. Providers work on evidence, and a clear paper trail of the offer terms as they appeared when you accepted is usually decisive in bonus disputes.

Are Player Funds Segregated From Operator Funds?

Not automatically. UK licence holders must disclose their protection level, and there are three tiers: not protected, medium protection, and high protection. Medium means funds are segregated from the operator's own money. High means segregation plus an insurance policy or trust arrangement that would cover players in an insolvency.

Check the terms before you deposit anything meaningful. The protection statement usually sits in a "Your Money" or "Player Funds" section. A no deposit bonus is low stakes, but the same operator will hold your deposits later, and the protection level does not change based on how much you have on account.

Firm conclusion: if a UK-licensed brand cannot tell you which of the three tiers applies to your funds, do not leave a balance with it. That disclosure is a licence requirement, and its absence is a red flag about how the business is run.

Which UK Casinos Offer the Best No Deposit Bonuses in 2026?

The list below covers brands with a track record of running genuine no deposit offers under a UK licence. Not every operator runs one continuously, because these promotions are expensive and get pulled when abuse spikes. What matters is that each brand has the licence, the payment infrastructure, and the dispute process to make a free offer worth claiming.

Value varies enormously. A 10-spin offer at 10p is worth £1 in raw terms. A 50-spin offer at 50p with a 20x requirement and no win cap is worth considerably more, potentially into the low hundreds if the spins land well. The table and notes below separate the marketing headline from the realistic value.

Which Operators Lead the Market for Free Spins?

MrQ has built its reputation on low wagering, and its free spin offers typically carry 20x requirements with no maximum win cap, which is close to the best structure available. Sky Vegas runs regular spin drops on its own-brand slots, often 50 spins at 10p with a 30x requirement. Betfred and William Hill both use spin-based welcome offers with wagering in the 40x range.

LeoVegas and Casumo sit in a similar bracket, with spin offers tied to Pragmatic Play and NetEnt titles. The spins are usually fixed-value and expire within 7 days, so the practical window to use them is tight. Paddy Power and Betfair often run risk-free spin structures instead, where the stake value is returned rather than a separate bonus credit.

Gala Bingo, Foxy Bingo, JackpotJoy, and Sun Bingo lead on free bingo tickets. These are the simplest offers to clear, because bingo winnings are generally credited as cash with no wagering at all. If your goal is a clean path to a withdrawal, bingo tickets beat spins on almost every metric.

Which Brands Run Cash-Based No Deposit Credits?

888 Casino, Casumo, and a handful of others occasionally run £5 to £10 cash credits with 30x to 50x wagering. These are rarer than spins because they are easy to abuse and expensive to service. When they appear, they usually come with a 7-day expiry and a maximum win cap in the £25 to £100 range.

Grosvenor Casinos and Genting Casino, both land-based operators with online arms, have run small no deposit credits tied to their loyalty schemes rather than open new-customer offers. That is a different model: the free value is a retention tool rather than an acquisition one, and the terms tend to be more generous as a result.

BetMGM, Unibet, and Betway have largely moved away from open no deposit offers toward deposit-matched promotions. That is a market-wide shift, driven by the cost of compliance and the difficulty of running free offers that satisfy the Commission's fairness rules.

Which Bingo and Slingo Sites Give Free Tickets?

Slingo casino blends slots and bingo, and its free offers usually take the form of free Slingo tickets on a named game. Fabulous Bingo, Double Bubble Bingo, Heart Bingo, and Rainbow Riches Casino run similar structures, with ticket values between 10p and 50p and wagering that is often zero once the game settles.

Tombola, though not in the list above, pioneered the no-wagering model in UK bingo and set the standard the rest of the market now follows. Brands like Gala Bingo and Mecca have adopted similar terms for their free room offers, which is why bingo remains the cleanest category for converting a freebie into cash.

The trade-off is scale. Free bingo tickets are worth less per unit than free spins, so the headline value looks smaller. A £5 spin package will always market better than 5 free tickets, even when the tickets are worth more in practice.

How to Claim a No Deposit Bonus Without Losing Value

Claiming is the easy part. Keeping the value is where most players fail, usually because they do not read the wagering requirement or the game weighting before they start spinning. The process below is designed to protect the value of the offer from the moment you opt in.

Start with the terms, not the sign-up button. Wagering requirement, maximum win cap, expiry window, game weighting, and eligible games are the five numbers that determine whether the offer is worth your time. If any of them is missing, stop.

Then verify your identity before you play. UK operators must complete verification before a withdrawal, and doing it upfront avoids the situation where you win £80 and then spend three days chasing a document upload while the bonus clock runs down.

What Are the Wagering Requirements Really Costing You?

Wagering is expressed as a multiple of the bonus value. A £10 bonus at 40x requires £400 of stakes before any withdrawal. On a slot with a 96% return to player, that £400 of stakes carries an expected loss of about £16, which is more than the bonus is worth.

That is the calculation most players never run. The bonus only has positive expected value when the wagering multiple is low relative to the game's house edge, or when the offer includes a win cap that limits the downside. A 20x requirement on a 97% RTP slot carries an expected loss of roughly £6 on a £10 bonus, which leaves room for a genuine return.

Game weighting changes the maths again. Slots usually count 100% toward wagering, table games often count 10%, and live dealer games frequently count nothing. If you clear a bonus on blackjack at 10% weighting, your effective requirement is ten times what the headline says.

Why Does Game Weighting Matter More Than the Headline Number?

Because it multiplies the requirement without changing the number printed on the offer. A 30x requirement on a game weighted at 10% is functionally a 300x requirement. That is the single most common way players lose value on a no deposit offer, and it is entirely avoidable.

Stick to slots with 100% weighting and an RTP of 96% or above. Pragmatic Play titles such as Sweet Bonanza and Gates of Olympus sit in that range, as do most NetEnt and Microgaming releases. Evolution live games and most table games are the wrong choice for clearing a bonus, even though they are the right choice for low-variance play.

Firm conclusion: if the eligible games list does not name a slot with 100% weighting, the offer is not worth claiming. There is no version of a 300x effective requirement that returns value to the player.

What Documents Do You Need to Verify?

Standard UK verification requires photo ID, proof of address dated within the last three months, and sometimes proof of payment method. Operators must complete this before your first withdrawal under the 2025 financial risk rules, and most now require it before you can play with bonus funds.

Have the documents ready before you claim. A passport or driving licence, a bank statement or utility bill, and a screenshot of the payment method if requested. Uploads are usually processed within 24 hours, but peak periods can stretch that to 72 hours, and bonus expiry clocks do not pause for verification.

If you are using a no deposit bonus, the verification requirement still applies once you have winnings. There is no threshold below which a UK operator can skip it, which is why the "verify first, spin second" approach saves so much frustration.

Common Traps in No Deposit Bonus Terms

The terms are where the value lives or dies. Most complaints about no deposit bonuses trace back to one of five clauses, and all five are disclosed somewhere in the offer. The problem is that they are disclosed in different places, at different font sizes, and often after you have already opted in.

None of these traps are illegal. A 65x wagering requirement is legal, a £20 win cap is legal, and a 7-day expiry is legal. What the Commission requires is that they be visible before you accept, not that they be generous.

Read the terms as a contract, because that is what they are. The offer page is marketing. The terms page is the agreement.

What Is a Maximum Win Cap and Why Does It Matter?

A win cap limits how much you can withdraw from bonus winnings, regardless of how much you actually win. A £20 cap on a £10 bonus means that if your free spins land a £500 payout, you collect £20 and the rest disappears. The cap is the single most valuable clause to the operator.

Caps range from £20 at the tight end to no cap at all. MrQ and several bingo brands run uncapped offers, which is a genuine differentiator. Most spin-based offers cap between £50 and £100, and cash credits often cap at £25.

Check the cap before you claim. A 50-spin offer with a £20 cap is worth less than a 20-spin offer with no cap, even though the headline number is more than double.

How Do Expiry Windows Work?

Bonus funds and free spins expire. Typical windows run from 7 days to 30 days from the date you claim, and the clock usually starts at opt-in rather than first use. Some operators expire unused spins after 48 hours, which is tight enough to catch out anyone who claims on a Friday and plans to play the following week.

Winnings from bonus funds often carry a separate, shorter expiry. You might have 30 days to use the spins but only 7 days to meet the wagering requirement once the spins are done. Read both dates.

Set a reminder. The most common reason players lose bonus value is not a trap clause, it is simply forgetting the deadline. A calendar alert costs nothing and protects the full value of the offer.

What Are the Most Common Bonus Abuse Flags?

Operators watch for patterns: multiple accounts from one household, the same device or IP used across accounts, and betting patterns designed to minimise risk rather than play normally. Covering both red and black on roulette to clear wagering is the classic example, and most terms now exclude it explicitly.

Being flagged does not automatically mean losing your winnings, but it does mean a review, which can take days. The simplest protection is to claim one offer per household, use your own payment method, and play the eligible games normally.

If you are genuinely playing for fun, you will never trip these flags. They exist to catch organised bonus abuse, not casual players claiming a free spin package.

No Deposit Bonus vs Deposit Bonus: Which Is Worth More?

The honest answer is that it depends on your bankroll and your tolerance for paperwork. A no deposit bonus costs nothing but carries tighter caps and higher wagering. A deposit bonus costs real money but usually converts more cleanly and offers a bigger absolute return.

Run the expected value on both. A £10 no deposit bonus at 40x wagering on a 96% RTP slot carries an expected loss of roughly £16 against a bonus value of £10, which is negative before you factor in the win cap. A 100% match on £50 at 35x carries an expected loss of about £87.50 against £50 of bonus, which is also negative, but the deposit bonus usually comes with a much higher win cap.

Neither is a guaranteed profit. Both are promotional tools designed to get you playing. The question is which one gives you more entertainment per pound of expected loss, and that is a personal calculation.

How Do the Two Compare on Value and Risk?

No deposit offers win on risk, because there is none. You cannot lose money you never deposited. Deposit offers win on scale, because a 100% match on £100 gives you £100 of bonus funds against a £10 credit from a free offer.

Wagering is usually tighter on the free offer. Deposit bonuses commonly sit at 30x to 40x, while no deposit deals start at 40x and can reach 65x. The gap reflects the operator's risk: with a deposit, they already have your money, so the bonus is a retention cost rather than a pure acquisition cost.

Win caps favour deposit bonuses. A matched deposit bonus often has no cap or a very high one, while no deposit offers routinely cap between £20 and £100. If you are chasing a big win, the deposit route gives you more room.

Which Should You Choose Based on Your Bankroll?

If you have no intention of depositing, take the no deposit offer and treat it as entertainment with a small chance of a cashout. If you were going to deposit anyway, the matched bonus is the better value, because you are getting a larger credit for money you had already committed.

Do not deposit purely to unlock a bonus. That is the trap the entire promotional structure is built around. Deposit because you want to play, then take whatever bonus comes with it.

Firm conclusion: a no deposit bonus is a free sample, not a strategy. It is worth claiming when the terms are fair, and worth ignoring when they are not. It should never be the reason you open an account you did not otherwise want.

Payment Methods, Withdrawal Speed and Bonus Eligibility

Not every payment method qualifies for a bonus, and not every method pays out at the same speed. UK operators must process withdrawals within the timeframe stated in their terms, and the Commission has fined firms for missing those deadlines. Knowing which method you plan to use before you claim saves a nasty surprise later.

Debit cards remain the standard for bonus eligibility. Faster Payments and Open Banking transfers are increasingly common and usually faster. E-wallets vary: PayPal and Skrill are widely accepted but sometimes excluded from bonus eligibility, and some operators exclude e-wallet deposits from wagering contribution entirely.

Crypto is a different category. Most UK-licensed operators do not accept it, and the ones that do treat it as a niche payment rail. If a site pushes crypto hard, check the licence before you assume UK protection applies.

Which Payment Methods Qualify for No Deposit Offers?

No deposit offers usually require no payment method at all, which is part of their appeal. But the method you register still matters, because it determines how your winnings are paid and whether any future deposit bonus applies to the same account.

Debit card is the safest default. It is accepted everywhere, it qualifies for almost every bonus, and withdrawals typically land in 1 to 3 working days. Faster Payments can be same-day. E-wallets are faster still, often within hours, but may be excluded from certain promotions.

PayPal deserves a specific note. Several major UK brands accept it for deposits and withdrawals but exclude it from bonus eligibility, meaning a PayPal deposit will not trigger a matched offer. Check the terms if you plan to use it.

How Fast Are Withdrawals From Bonus Winnings?

Once wagering is complete, withdrawal speed depends on the operator and the method. The fastest UK operators process within 24 hours, with funds landing the same day via Faster Payments. Slower brands take up to 72 hours to approve, then a further 1 to 3 days for the money to arrive.

Bonus winnings are not treated differently from normal winnings once requirements are met. The Commission requires operators to process them within the timeframe stated in their terms, and repeated delays are a licence breach. If a brand is consistently slow, that is a pattern, not bad luck.

Keep records of every withdrawal request. If a payment exceeds the stated timeframe, you have grounds for a formal complaint, and the paper trail makes the escalation straightforward.

Responsible Gambling: Age Limits, Support and Self-Exclusion

The legal age for gambling in the UK is 18. Every licensed operator must verify age before allowing play, and no deposit bonus is exempt from that requirement. If you are under 18, no offer on this page applies to you, and any operator that lets you play without verification is in breach of its licence.

Free bonuses carry a specific risk that paid play does not. Because the money was never yours, it is easy to treat it as consequence-free and play longer than you intended. The wagering requirement encourages exactly that behaviour, which is why the Commission treats bonus design as a consumer protection issue rather than a marketing one.

Set limits before you claim. Deposit limits, loss limits, and session reminders are available on every UK-licensed site, and they take effect immediately. A no deposit bonus is still gambling, and the same rules apply.

If gambling stops being fun, help is free and confidential. GamCare runs the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can also register with GAMSTOP, the UK's national self-exclusion scheme, which blocks you from every Gambling Commission-licensed site for a minimum of 6 months and up to 5 years.

How Does GAMSTOP Self-Exclusion Work?

GAMSTOP is a single registration that applies across all UK-licensed operators. You register once, choose a period of 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years, and every licensed site must block your account for that duration. The block cannot be lifted early, which is the point.

Registration is free and takes about 10 minutes. You will need your name, date of birth, address, and email. Once active, the block applies within 24 hours across the market, and operators must also close any existing accounts.

If you self-exclude, any bonus funds or pending winnings are handled under the operator's terms. Most return your deposit balance but void bonus funds, which is a further reason not to leave value sitting in a bonus account.

What Support Is Available Beyond Self-Exclusion?

GamCare offers free counselling, online chat, and a forum, all funded by the gambling industry but delivered independently. StepChange and Citizens Advice provide debt support if gambling has affected your finances. Both are free and confidential.

Operators must also provide their own responsible gambling tools: deposit limits, time-out periods of 24 hours to 6 weeks, and links to support organisations. These are licence requirements, not optional extras.

Firm conclusion: if you find yourself claiming no deposit offers across multiple sites in the same week, that is a warning sign, not a strategy. The offers are designed to be claimed once per customer, and chasing them across brands is a pattern worth examining honestly.

Frequently Asked Questions About No Deposit Bonuses

Can you really win real money from a no deposit bonus?

Yes, but the amount is usually capped. You can win real, withdrawable cash from free spins or a bonus credit, provided you meet the wagering requirement and stay under the maximum win cap. A £10 bonus with a £50 cap means the most you can withdraw is £50, regardless of how much you win.

Do you need to deposit to claim a no deposit bonus?

No. That is the defining feature. You register, verify your identity, and the bonus is credited without any payment. Some operators require a payment method on file for future withdrawals, but no deposit is taken to activate the offer.

How long do no deposit bonuses last?

Typical expiry runs from 7 to 30 days from the date you claim, with some operators expiring unused spins after 48 hours. Winnings often carry a shorter separate deadline. Check both dates before you opt in, and set a reminder.

What happens if you do not meet the wagering requirement?

You lose the bonus funds and any winnings generated from them. Your own deposited money, if any, remains yours and is withdrawable. There is no penalty beyond forfeiting the bonus, but the value is gone once the expiry passes.

Are no deposit bonuses worth claiming?

They are worth claiming when the wagering requirement is 40x or lower, the win cap is at least £50, the eligible games include a 100% weighted slot, and the expiry is 7 days or more. Below those thresholds, the expected value is usually negative and the offer is not worth the time.

Which UK casino has the best no deposit bonus?

There is no single best, because offers change monthly. On structure, MrQ leads on low wagering and no win cap, Sky Vegas leads on spin volume, and Gala Bingo and Foxy Bingo lead on free bingo tickets with zero wagering. Compare the terms, not the headline number.

Can you claim more than one no deposit bonus?

Yes, but only one per operator. Claiming across multiple licensed brands is allowed, provided each account is genuine and you are not using the same household or payment details to open duplicates. Operators share data on bonus abuse, and duplicate accounts are closed.

Is a no deposit bonus taxable in the UK?

No. Gambling winnings, including bonus winnings, are not subject to UK income tax or capital gains tax for recreational players. This applies whether the win came from a deposit or a free offer, and no declaration is required.

No deposit bonuses remain one of the few genuinely free products in UK gambling, and the regulatory framework built around them is what keeps them honest. The value is real when the terms are fair, and the terms are fair more often than the marketing suggests, provided you read them before you spin.

Claim one offer, check the wagering and the cap, verify early, and treat the whole thing as what it is: a free sample with a small chance of a cashout. That approach gets you the entertainment without the disappointment, and it keeps the free part genuinely free.