You may like having numerous betting accounts and betting apps installed on your phone, but we have all opened an account with a bookie and found out later that they weren’t good enough. So whilst we recommend having more than one betting account because not one bookie is the best choice all of the time, you don’t want dozens of betting accounts installed on your phone.
In our experience, it’s wise to look beyond the welcome betting offer and try to pick a new bookmaker that will reward you for your custom in the long term, not just draw you in with a headline welcome offer. Picking the right bookmaker means you get regular offers and promotions to choose from and can pick and choose which bookmaker to use for specific events or sports.
Most free bet offers you see advertised on websites or television are for new customers. Still, you can take advantage of hundreds of free bet offers even if you are already registered with most of the leading bookmakers or don’t want to join up with any more betting sites.
Bookmakers provide free bet incentives to current clients to keep them as customers, which means you may gain significantly!
We’ve listed our recommended bookmaker below based on how often they run promotions to existing customers and how good those offers are. If you don’t already have a betting account with them, then we’ve displayed the welcome offer you can get if you open an account with them today for the very first time.
In that respect, it’s a double winner because you get a welcome offer to use now and an account with a reputable bookmaker that will continue to offer you long term offers and free bets.
What are Free Bets?
Free bets are one of the most straightforward and most rewarding betting bonuses you can come across as a punter, with them, in theory, providing customers with a free bet which they can wager for real money. But, unfortunately, this is not always the case, as an online bookmaker loves to attach unwanted terms and conditions to their free bet offers. So naturally, specific terms and conditions are much worse than others. Still, hopefully, after reading this article, you will know what to look out for when choosing your free bet offers.
Online sports bookmakers love to offer free bets as new customer bonuses and usually go as follows; Bet £10 and receive £10 in free bets. As you can see, from the outside, this offer looks pretty straightforward, and more often, they are, but we advise you always read the available terms and conditions.
Many sports betting sites will require customers first to make a deposit and then place a qualifying bet. Following this, the bookmaker will usually match the qualifying bet (up to a certain amount).
An important part to consider is the ‘Qualifying Bet’ when attempting to claim free bet offers, as this is what will either award the free bet or not. Online sports betting sites will often require customers to place their qualifying bet on a selection that meets the minimum odds set by the provider. For example;
“the qualifying bet must have minimum odds of evens(1/1).”
Free bets are often a pretty versatile promotion and come in many denominations. For example, some sites will offer free bets as small as £5, while others award up to £100 in free bets. In addition, some platforms may use different terms for ‘free bets’, including bet credits and bet tokens.
As a regular bettor, you will find that you are eligible for these offers and promotions, but this can be checked by reading the terms and conditions.
Difference between Free Bets & Sign Up Bonuses?
First of all, it is essential to remember that sign-up bonuses could entail anything, even a free bet if that’s what the betting site was offering. However, in this instance, we are referring to sign-up deposit bonuses. Sign up deposit bonuses can be very similar to free bets because customers get free funds to use across their chosen platform. However, there can be many different terms and conditions attached to sign-up deposit bonuses.
When claiming a sign-up bonus, customers will usually have to deposit over a certain amount and then the operator will match the initial deposit placed. These deposit bonuses will have restrictions like the bet you place must have minimum odds or is restricted to specific events.
As always, be sure to read the available terms and conditions as they will help you understand what’s on offer.
What are the Different Types of Free Bets Available?
Since free bets are so popular in the betting industry, you can find more than just one type of free bet offered by gambling operators. Below we take a closer look at all the different types of free bets that are available.
Enhanced Odds
Enhanced Odds promotions are usually offered around a major sporting event like the Ryder Cup, starting a new football season or a major boxing event.
With enhanced odds, the bookmaker will provide you with an odds boost as part of their promotion to any existing customer. This will improve the odds of a short favourite to increase your potential profits if your bet wins.
No Deposit Free Bets
The most sought-after type of free bet promotion (if you are lucky) offered is no deposit free bets. As the name suggests, no deposit free bets do not require a deposit to claim. Instead, customers are usually required to register an account to receive their free bet.
Matched Free Bets
The most popular form of free bets is matched free bets. A matched bet means the bookmaker will match your bet or top up your bet with the same amount you bet. Matched free bet offers are found at the majority of bookmakers.
You may have heard of the term matched betting, but this is entirely different and goes against bookmakers terms and conditions.
Reload Bonuses
Reload bonuses are just a simple way of awarding customers with further free bet credits. Often they will require a deposit or a bet to be placed to receive.
Risk Free Free Bets
This type of free bet is awarded by bookmakers to their customers, usually when they lose a bet. If you win, you don’t get a free bet from the bookie, but if you lose, the bet is returned to your account in the form of a free bet that you can then use to bet on something else.
Stake Not Returned (SNR)
A stake not returned free bet is a typical free bet that is offered to a customer as a bet credit by a bookmaker. The idea is straightforward. You get the free bet, place it on a selection, and if it wins, you get the profits, but the stake isn’t included in the returns, as it would be if you spent real money. However, the profit you make is the same.
Money Back if ‘x’ Happens
Many money-back offers include a return in the form of a free bet if a specified event occurs. From time to time, online betting firms may offer promotions around important events, such as ‘Money back as a free bet if Ronaldo scores the winner.’
Many of these promotions centre around horse racing, so if your selection finishes in second or is defeated by a length, you might get your money back as a free bet.
Free Bet Terms & Conditions
It would be best if you never dived into a promotion because it looks rewarding before you read the terms and conditions, as the small print will always reveal the truth behind these promotions.
Below we have highlighted the typical terms and conditions you can find attached to your free bet promotions:
- Wagering requirements
- Payment restrictions/Deposit method restrictions
- Payment method exclusions
- Promo code/Bonus code
- Day expiry limits/Time limits
- Eligibility restrictions
- Market restrictions
- Bet restrictions
- Minimum stake/Minimum deposit
- Maximum winnings
- Days of registration
As you can see from the list above, there are plenty of terms and conditions that could be attached to the free bet offer that you want. Although there are various other additional terms that you may encounter, the list above covers all the key terms.
Payment restrictions are a key term that you should look out for when claiming free bets, as using the wrong payment method may leave you ineligible to claim your desired offer. For example, when making your 1st deposit, payment methods such as Neteller or PayPal are often not accepted.
To see if your free bet does not accept certain payment options, you will see something like the following:
“PayPal & some deposit & bet types not accepted.”
How to Select the Best Free Bets
Although you may choose to make the most of our hard work, you have a selection of all the best free bet offers. Some of you may want to search for yourself, so we have highlighted all the key factors to look for and consider below.
- How many free bets are being offered?
- How much is required to be deposited?
- Do you need to bet? And how much?
- What are the minimum odds?
- Are there sports restrictions attracted to the free bet?
- How long does the free bet remain valid?
- How soon after registering does the free bet offer need to be claimed?
- Are there wagering requirements attached?
If you manage to consider all the above questions when looking for the best free bet offers, you will never find yourself falling for some ‘knock-off’ free bet. For those who do not want to search themselves, feel free to use any of our suggested free bet offers that you can find on this page.
Free Bet Clubs
Free Bet Clubs are a means to reward existing customers. When we first sign up, punters usually benefit from a Welcome Bonus, which is only redeemable the first time they create an account. But what about punters who continue to bet day in, day out?
This is why the Free Bet Club was created – to allow its most loyal customers to regain some of their lost winnings or to have more incentive to bet. Unlike most promo codes or risk-free bets, the Free Bet Club is rewarded weekly and requires consistency. For example, customers will need to place a certain amount of bets during the week to be rewarded with a free bet the following week by their chosen online betting sites. Paddy Power is an excellent example of a bookmaker that offers free bets.
Free bet clubs can have a variety of names, and because we do not want you to miss a single one, below we have listed some of the terms that free bet clubs also use:
- Advanced Bet Rewards
- Weekly Free Bet Clubs
- Weekly Bet Rewards
- VIP Rewards Club
- Bet Loyalty Clubs
Below we have listed some of the free bet clubs currently available:
- Betway Free Bet Club
- Paddy Powers Reward Club
- SkyBet Club
- VIPP Rewards Club
Final Thoughts
As you can see, free bets and promotions are not just for new customers, but there is an excellent selection of offers for existing customers. The challenge you face is understanding all of the terms and conditions and knowing which bookies reward player loyalty.
We’ve given you all the key facts and information that you need but if you are unsure then feel free to pick one of our expert selections.