If you're new to sports betting, the terminology, odds, and pitfalls can be confusing. This article aims to explain the best free bet offers and bonus bets on the market, helping you make informed decisions with your money as well as guiding you away from betting scams. Read on to find out more about the latest offers.
SIGN-UP BONUS
15% up to $60
Bonus Code: No Code Required
18+, New customers only. T&C's Apply
SIGN-UP BONUS
Get up to £10
Bonus Code: No Code Required
18+, New customers only. T&C's Apply
Open Account Offer
An Open Account Offer is an initial promotion that allows new customers to sign up to a bookmaker. Each bookmaker has its versions of these, but in essence, they are free bets/promotions that allow you to stake a certain amount of money with a bookmaker. You can even wager higher amounts than your deposit amount in some cases! The bet's winnings are then back in cash once your qualifying bet(s) have been settled.
Promo codes
Promo codes are special codes used to get extra money or credit at online gambling sites. Most online gambling sites offer regular customers promo codes; these can be applied when a player makes a deposit or enters them during gameplay. Promos are sometimes redeemable for free bets, bonus points, cashback rewards, jackpots, merchandise, or other perks. Bonuses usually require wagering requirements and come with various restrictions. For example, sports bonuses often have wagering requirements on parlay bets.
Betting promotions types
No-Risk bet
This is a type of free bet where you can stake your free money to win real cash. All you have to do is select your team, and if they don't win, you get your stake back. Remember when bookmakers gave away free bets to get people signing up? Now they do everything but give a single penny away for free as every pound/dollar/euro that comes through their door is one less pound/dollar/euro they need to find elsewhere. It's not illegal, however! Bookmakers use clever language: no-risk bet means we won't give you any money if you lose, but we will take it if you win, legally. Be careful, even if it seems like a fair deal at first sight. Another thing you should know is that no-risk bets tend to have high turnover requirements.
Free bets
This is one of our favorite betting promotions because it allows you to bet without using your own money. The best free bet offers are often up for grabs during sporting events like Champions League matches or international tournaments such as the World Cup. So make sure you keep an eye out for these high-stakes games coming up so that you can grab yourself some serious winnings!
Enhanced odds
An even better version of no-risk bets, enhanced odds, offers players much better odds than a standard no-risk bet. An online bookmaker might give you higher odds than anyone else in exchange for registering with them, which is essentially advertising. This typically only applies to low-risk no-strings-attached free bets. This type of offer isn't desirable due to having limited scope for earning substantial amounts.
Money-back offer
The third in our list of betting promotions, money-back offers players more options on using their free bet and increased chances of winning. Instead of offering you higher payouts, another alternative is to give you a portion or all of your stake back if you happen to lose. This essentially reduces your losses, making it easier to stomach a bad loss but doesn't make it less painful! However, money-back guarantees are desirable combined with upfront deposits such as signup bonuses or reload offers. They are seen as a kind of insurance policy.
Existing Customers offer
There are four common types of customer offers that you'll find when signing up for an online account. They are namely: ACCA Insurance, Parlay Insurance, Matched Bonus, Early Payout.
ACCA Insurance
ACCA provides policyholders with a free bet offer when they join. The free bet is subject to an initial £20 sports deposit and allows ACCA to match their initial stake up to £10. To qualify for ACCA's free bet offer, customers must also create a unique signup code that new ACCA members must use for them to receive their offers. Once created, members can share these codes via email or social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Parlay insurance
Parlay Insurance offers its members a £10 free bet, with no deposit necessary. This offer is open to new players on sports betting markets and gives customers an excellent opportunity to place bets without risking their own money! As well as giving away £10 completely free, Parlay Insurance also rewards you for betting with them by giving you a 100% matched bonus of up to £200.
Matched Bonus
This type of offer matches your first bet with a free bet. For example, if you place a £10 bet with Paddy Power, you will get another £10 free bet. Matched bets come in various forms: either used on selected markets or just for placing them on particular days. The more general matched offers can usually be combined with other promotional offers, such as Cashback or Voucher codes, making them even better value for money.
The Early Payout
A free bet offer means you get your money in no time! The terms of our offers depend on where you live, but you can usually expect to get your winnings paid out within two days. If there's money up for grabs, why wait? Sports betting is all about placing informed bets as early as possible. And that's precisely what you can do with these Early Payout promotions.
Refer a Friend Bonus
If you're a member of an online bookmaker and are tempted to try one of their competitors, ask your current bookmaker if they offer a refer-a-friend deal. Often punters can get free bets for referring friends that then place real money wagers. These bonuses can be worth hundreds of pounds in total, so always check with your current bookmaker first to see if they offer such a deal before registering with any other site.
Best Free Bet Offers & Bonus Bets and their Tricks and Traps
When betting online, try to find websites that offer a no-strings-attached bonus. These bonuses are created with no restrictions or requirements; you can get as much money as you want if you qualify for it. If a website restricts their offers (like requiring you to deposit ten times what they're offering in bonuses), stay away from them—this is likely just another way of extracting cash from players who aren't being offered good odds on their bets.
However, not all free bet offers are worth taking advantage of. Read these guidelines to find out how to spot a reasonable offer:
The offer should be easy to understand: It would be best if you didn't have to sign up for some different accounts or perform any tasks that seem too complicated to qualify for your bonus money. If you don't get it immediately, move on. It might not be worth it in the end.
Read Terms & Conditions: Don't just look at one page; make sure you read every page carefully, including terms on what you can do with your free money and when you can claim it. It's also a good idea to contact customer service directly before making any bets and ask them about any specific questions or concerns you may have—if they don't respond promptly, stay away from their site.
No Credit Cards Required: All these offers should be processed instantly using an electronic wallet like PayPal or Neteller—no credit card information required! Don't bother if a site asks for you to enter your details. They may say they need it for security purposes, but you can count on that information being sold to third parties immediately (and usually lots of spam in your inbox).
Deposit Requirements: One of our favorite types of free bet bonuses is called matched betting. To qualify for their bonus money, bettors have to make an equal amount of bets on a site. For example, if you're getting $50 in bonus cash from a bookie that matches your first deposit dollar-for-dollar (meaning it will credit your account with $50), you'll have to deposit another $50 using those same terms. It may not seem like much at first, but those minor deposits can add up quickly without risking any of your own money.
Rollover Requirements: A lot of these bonuses require that you roll over what you receive before withdrawing; in other words, they might tell you they need to see how many times your original deposit is returned before they give it to you. This doesn't mean anything complicated; just put your original payment into a new bet on one or more different websites, and repeat until they don't match anymore, then get your cashback.
FAQs
What are the bonus bets?
Many bookmakers are willing to offer new customers a 'match bet' or a 100% first deposit bonus. However, there are specific conditions you must meet to claim these free bets. Usually, you will be required to deposit a set amount (usually between £10 – £25) before you can claim your match bet. Other betting sites may require you to make an initial deposit of over £20 before matching your first bet!
Why Do Bookmakers Offer Bonuses?
Want a chance to win big without paying out of your pocket? You've come to the right place. Read on for our roundup of some of the best bookmaker bonuses available online today. Whether you're looking for an extra bet, free bets, or free money with your initial deposit, we've got you covered.
What is a risk-free bet?
Risk-free bets, also known as free bets or bonus bets, are a great way to enjoy a wager at no financial risk. These offers allow customers to place a wager on an event of their choice with no financial risk or downside. When you choose one of these promotions, your only obligation is to cover any loss if your bet doesn't win – but because there are no losses in football betting, that means you get something for nothing!
Who can claim free bets?
Almost every bookmaker out there has some free bet or bonus offer up for grabs. This is because most major companies want to attract new customers to grow their business and keep old customers around by giving them more money to spend. The critical question you should be asking yourself when it comes to using these offers is which are valid and which aren't.
What is a No deposit bonus?
A No deposit bonus is a free bet offer used by online bookmakers. As its name suggests, it doesn't require any form of deposit from you, making it an ideal way to try out a new betting site without any monetary risk involved.
What are the bet credits?
In-play bet credits are essentially a free bet. When you place your first in-play bets, such as a 1X2 or total goals market, you will be rewarded with some in-play betting credits, which players can use on any other in-play market.
When can I withdraw the bonus money?
Many gambling websites will let you withdraw your bonus money as soon as you've made enough successful bets with it. Most bonuses carry a wagering requirement, which is an amount of money you need to place on bets before you can claim your cash. A typical wagering requirement is around x30; that means if you're given £10 in free bets, you need to place bets worth £300 on events before requesting a withdrawal.
Can I cash out free bets?
Many bookmakers will allow you to withdraw your free bet without restrictions, but many restrict bonuses to protect their profit margins. If you want to cash out a free bet, it's best to check with the bookmaker first or read our bookmaker reviews for more details. Some other offers, including bonus bets and loyalty points, can also be cashed out if you meet specific criteria.
Final Thoughts
You have to dig in deep and do due diligence to get the best betting offers and best free bet offers. Always keep an eye out for tricks and traps involved in bonuses. You need to make sure you have all the information required to maximize your earnings in betting.