The Basics
Bookmaker Free Bets
1. What is a free bet?
Many bookmakers will offer free bet rewards to both new and existing customers. Real money is often required in order to claim your free bet and they are often given as a bonus for joining or earned by being loyal to them. They are used by the bookmaker to attract new customers to sign up with them as well as retain existing customers in a bid to keep them loyal to that specific betting company.
2. New customer free bets
There’s a variety of types of free bets available to new customers when signing up to a bookmaker.
2.1. Matched deposit free bet
Put simply a bookmaker will match the amount you deposit in to your new betting account when starting up. Bet365 are the biggest rewarders in this offer where they will equal the amount you deposit up to the value of £100. In short, if you were to deposit £100 when starting your account, bet365 would reward the customer with £100 betting credits meaning your starting balance would be £200.
2.2. Enhanced free bets
This type of free bet allows you to place a bet on a football match at far bigger odds than what is being offered on the sportsbook. An example of this could be England to win the Euros at 50/1 when with most bookmakers they are priced at 5/1. Should your selection win, your winnings are paid out in either Free Bets or cash. There is very often a maximum amount you can place on these bets, tends to be between £1-5
2.3. Money back opening offer
Fairly self-explanatory but this is when a bookmaker will allow offer you a full refund if your first bet loses. Should it fail to win, you will receive your stake back in cash or as a Free Bet. This gives you the opportunity to bet on pretty much anything you like with a full refund available if your first bet loses.
2.4. No deposit free bets
These are quite rare offers from bookmakers and when they are available tend to be very popular. This allows you to sign-up to a bookie without having to wager any of your own cash, meaning that you can sample their sportsbook free of charge.
2.5. Qualifying free bets
Tends to be the most common offer that bookmakers have at the moment. Requires you to place an opening bet often with a minimum stake (usually £10) which will then unlock the free bets. For example ‘Bet £10 & get £20 in free bets’.
2.6. Free bets for existing users
Free bets are traditionally aimed towards new customers but there a few that are out there too for existing customers.
2.7. Loyalty bonuses
These are often a little random and not particularly regular. Sometimes your bookmaker may credit your account with a free bet as a good will wish for being loyal to that particular sportsbook. They also may reward you for betting regularly with them for example bet £50 in a week and get a £10 free bet as a reward.
2.8. Money back free bets
Some bookies will offer back free bets/bet credits on football matches should the game pan out a certain way. For example ‘bore draw money back’ is used by bet365 to refund losing bets when a game ends goalless.
3. Taking advantage of free bets
There’s an array of free bet offers and enhancements available, particularly in the UK, but it can be difficult to find the best ones. Bookmakers tend to be at that most generous with offers around the time of major sporting events such as Cheltenham Festival, The Grand National and of course The World Cup. With that in mind it is often worthwhile to have multiple betting accounts to take advantage of the variety of free bets on offer. These types of offers operate every day, but firms tend to save the real giveaways for the big festivals such as the Cheltenham Festival.
4. How to get free bets?
Free bet offers are easy enough to claim but as a customer you must ensure you read in full the relevant terms and conditions to ensure you qualify for the relevant offers. If you don’t comply fully with what is asked for in the free bet offer you won’t qualify and risk losing money without being rewarded with the free bet.
Below are some relevant questions you should ask yourself when looking to access a free bet offer:
How much do I need to deposit?
What are the minimum odds required for my first bet?
Does my first bet need to bet on a specific market or event?
How long will it be before my free bet(s) are credited?
When does this offer expire?
Is there a time limit/expiry date on my free bet(s)?
Do you need to bet a certain amount before you’re able to withdraw any potential winners?
Best Bookmaker offers available
I have scoured the market and found the best offers I can find for you guys from the bookmakers I am associated with. With the list above, you can access those and qualify for the best free bet offers available.