I've chewed through heaps of those join-up freebies over the years, the little starter balances and free spins with no upfront chuck-in, and most of them look better on the banner than they do once you click through. A lot of them are tiny, loaded with silly playthrough, or the max cashout is so low you almost feel stitched up before you even start.
The ones I rate are the simple ones. Clear terms, pokies contribute properly, no weird game exclusions buried halfway down the page, and no drama if you jag a win and try to verify. If a site makes you jump through bloody hoops just to turn a small freebie into a withdrawal, I don't bother going back. Same if they dangle 50 spins then lock half the decent slots out of it.
Biggest trap for newer players, I reckon, is chasing the headline number. A smaller offer with fair rules is miles better than some flashy one that sounds generous but caps you at bugger all. I also keep an eye on how long the free spins stay active, whether wins are credited as cash or bonus funds, and if they hit you with odd stuff like max bet limits so low you can barely play normally.
Keen to hear what others are seeing lately. Any places still doing a legit sign-up freebie that doesn't feel like a waste of an arvo? And if you've actually managed to cash one out recently, which site was it and was the process painless or a proper headache?