no deposit bonus real?

Seeing a ton of those “free” no deposit bonus offers popping up everywhere lately, and it’s making me scratch my head. Are these things really legit, or is it just a new flavor of bait and switch? I dipped my toes in once or twice, and got a couple of free spins that turned into about 45 cents, which isn’t exactly paying for a vacation. Half the time you’ve got to bet the winnings so many times you need a calculator and a nap halfway through.

What’s wild is how people talk about them like it’s a free ticket to riches. I’m more of a numbers gal - would love to know if anyone’s actually managed to cash out more than coffee money using one of these. I mean, I get why the casinos offer it, get folks spinning and hopeful, but I keep thinking there’s gotta be some hidden catch. If you’ve got a strategy for squeezing real value out of these, I’m all ears.