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Bookmaker bonuses come in a whole variety of different shapes and sizes. From bonus bets, to risk-free bets and cashback – there’s a lot out there to choose from.
Unfortunately, it’s often the case that bonuses are not as good as they might first appear, but that’s where experts like me can help. I can show you where to look and how to find out if a bonus really is worth your while.
| Requirements (WR): | – |
| Min. Deposit: | – |
| Cashable: | Yes |
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| Min. Deposit: | – |
| Cashable: | Yes |
| Requirements (WR): | – |
| Min. Deposit: | – |
| Cashable: | Yes |
To start with the basics, a bonus is something that most online gambling sites offer to incentivize their customers. Welcome offers help to appeal to potential new bettors ahead of the competition, while loyalty programs and existing customer promotions can help to keep current account holders happy.
As you have probably realised, the online sports betting market is a crowded one, with new sites arriving almost every day. This is a good thing for bettors, as the increasingly crowded market is prompting the betting sites to increase the quality of their offers so that they stand out.
If you are relatively new to the world of online betting, then learning how to sort out a good betting bonus from a bad one can be a tricky task. It’s fair to say that I’ve seen plenty of betting offers that are not as great as they first appear once I’ve taken a closer look.
For instance, the offer of a $1,500 bonus doesn’t mean that you are going to get $1,500 in free money or bonus credits. From a financial and business perspective alone, that simply wouldn’t be viable.
So how do you spot a good offer?
You always need to look at the T&Cs carefully, to check for things such as time limits, betting restrictions and minimum odds requirements. There’s a lot to know, but I’m going to pass on my expert knowledge on this subject as you work your way through this guide.
As I mentioned earlier, betting bonuses come in many different guises. But the first bonus that you are going to encounter at most betting sites is the welcome offer.
Logic would therefore suggest that is a good place to start, so here I’ll run through some of the sign-up offers that you’re most likely to come across at online sports betting sites.
| Bonus Type 🎁 | Details 💫 |
|---|---|
| Deposit match | This is a type of bonus where the sportsbook will match your first deposit up to a certain percentage and up to a maximum amount. Let’s take a 100% deposit match as an example – if you were to register and deposit $20, you would get another $20 in bonus credits. |
| Bonus bet | As well as being a popular bookmaker sign up bonus, free bets or bonus bets are also often offered to existing players. This is a simple bonus where you are given a token to place a single bet for the nominated amount. For example, if you have a $10 bet token, you can use it for a single $10 sports wager. |
| Risk-free bet | Essentially, this is like a bonus bet, but you will only get the token if your qualifying bet loses. For instance, a bookmaker might offer you a $10 risk-free bet, meaning that if your real money $10 bet loses, you will get a $10 bet token in its place. |
| No deposit bonus | This is a blanket term that refers to any type of sign up betting bonus that you can claim without making an initial deposit. Genuine no deposit bonuses are quite rare and usually come with strict T&Cs that require you to deposit and wager money before withdrawal. |
Most sports betting sites won’t just offer you a bonus when you first sign up. Additionally, the majority of online sportsbooks have regular promotions on offer for their existing and loyal customers.
Here is a quick rundown of some of the most popular promotions:
| Bonus Type 💎 | Details 📖 |
|---|---|
| Cashback | A cashback offer means that you will be given back a percentage of your total losses over a certain period of time, usually as a bonus credit. |
| Odds boosts | A small but popular promotion where the sportsbook offers increased odds for a specific sport, game or betting market. |
| Acca insurance | You get your stake back as a bet token if one leg of your accumulator bet loses. |
| Referral bonuses | If you were to sign up to a site using a referral code from a friend, when you make your first deposit and place a bet, most sportsbooks will offer both of you a bonus. |
Pretty much all sportsbook offers look promising on the face of it. After all, that’s how advertising and marketing works. But you need to look beyond the $$$ and consider things like betting site withdrawal times, wagering requirements, minimum odds and market restrictions too.
Basically, to find the true value of any bonus, you need to dig a little deeper and look into the T&Cs. As an expert on gambling sites, it’s my job to help you out, so here I’ve highlighted the most important bonus terms and conditions to look out for:
One of the main ways that online sportsbooks protect their profit is by applying wagering requirements to a bonus. This means that you’ll need to wager your bonus and/or deposit amount a certain number of times before you can make a withdrawal.
For example, if your $10 betting bonus has a wagering condition of 5x, you would need to bet $50 before you can withdraw your bonus and any winnings made from it.
To claim most sportsbook bonuses you’ll need to deposit a minimum amount and/or place a qualifying bet. First of all, check that the minimum deposit required is affordable, then check for other conditions such as minimum odds and any restrictions on betting markets or bet types. Read my guide to low minimum deposit betting sites to see where you can get some great bonuses for low deposits.
Nothing lasts forever, and all bonuses have a time limit. Just make sure that the bonus you are looking at gives you sufficient time to use it in accordance with the T&Cs. Generally, bonus bets and no deposit offers have a seven day limit, but for deposit bonuses, it’s usually longer.
Most bookmaker bonuses and qualifying bets will have a minimum odds requirement. Basically, you just want to make sure that this is as low as possible. I think that anything around the 1.40 mark is fair, but over 2.00 and I’d likely be looking elsewhere.
I’ve seen a lot of variation, but most offers come with at least a few restrictions concerning how you can use your bonus. For example, you might find that your bonus can be used for any type of NFL bet except for in-play wagers. I’ve also seen bonuses that can only be used for specific bet types, such as accumulators with a minimum number of legs.
When it comes to bonus bets, generally speaking the value of your bonus is not included in your returns should you win. For example, if you were to place a $10 bet at odds of 2.1 using your own funds, your total return (if you win) would be $21- your original $10 bet amount + $11 profit.
But for the same bet using bonus funds, your return would only be $11, as the stake is rarely included. The good news though is that this type of bookmaker bonus usually doesn’t come with any wagering requirements.
Up to this point, I’ve shared my expertise and knowledge with you so that you can better understand bonuses and how they work. Now that the theoretical part is out of the way, it’s time to take a look at some real sportsbook bonuses.
If you take a look at the banners of this page, you will see plenty of great betting offers that have caught my attention. These are all from excellent online sportsbooks who have routinely put on some spectacular deals in the past.
This means that you can simply follow the links to sign up to the betting site and then put each of their bonuses to use on your sports bets. What’s best is that the banners will automatically highlight those sportsbooks that are available in your location to make sure that you get a legal and safe way to play.
I’ve found that it’s usually a pretty simple task to find and activate a bonus from a betting site. After all, these sportsbooks want to make it as easy as possible for you to claim their deals. So I’ve taken the example of claiming a standard betting welcome bonus so that you can quickly see what you normally need to do:
The above example shows you what you need to do to claim a standard betting welcome bonus, but chances are that you’ll need to know how to claim some deals as an existing customer. After all, any sign up offer is only going to last you so long.
So the good news is that betting sites will also make it fairly simple to get a variety of deals long after you have used up your welcome offer. Here are a few places to find some great deals for your sports bets:
Most online sportsbooks will have a dedicated page on their sites that will be labelled Promotions, Special Offers or something like that. These pages will give you the full list of all of the available promotions that both new and existing customers can get for their sports bets. Remember that these pages will be updated on a regular basis, so be sure to keep checking in to get the latest deals.
It’s pretty common to find that some betting sites will take to social media first to promote any new deals. This means that it’s worth following your favourite sportsbooks on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and even TikTok to make sure that you are first in line to get the latest deals.
Don’t forget to sign up to the betting site’s mailing list as this is another great way to claim exclusive bonuses. You can usually do this on signing up just by checking a box that says something like, ‘Yes, I want to receive promotional emails.’
Lots of sportsbooks will put on special bonuses for big sporting events like the Champions League final, the Super Bowl and so on. These are specific to individual sports and therefore you should check the page of the sprot that you want to bet on to see if there are any applicable deals.
It’s important to remember that many sportsbooks have a separate section for live betting and these sections often feature deals that are specific to betting live on a variety of sports. This means that you might find enhanced odds for certain live betting markets, or even discover some interesting in-play multi-bet deals. Don’t forget that if it’s a cash out betting site, then you can always settle your bets early before everything goes wrong later on.
If your chosen bookmaker has a betting app, then it could be well worth downloading it. This is because lots of betting platforms will have mobile-exclusive promos that you can only get via one of the sports betting apps. Perfect for enjoying plenty more bonus bets from the convenience of your smartphone or tablet.
Creating a sportsbook account and claiming your welcome bonus are just the first two steps of a longer betting journey. The most important part of the process is using every bonus to maximise the benefits and enhance your overall experience.
Once again, I’d like to share my expertise with you. So before I go any further, here are five top tips to help you get the best from any betting bonus:
As I’ve reminded you throughout this guide, understanding the terms and conditions attached to a bonus before you claim it is one of the most important things to do.
Don’t be tempted to deposit or bet more than you can afford just to get a bigger initial bonus. More bonuses are sure to come along later and it’s much more important to just enjoy the experience.
I never think it’s a good idea to experiment with a bonus. You are far more likely to get positive results by sticking with the sports and betting markets that you understand and know well.
Although most sportsbooks provide some means of tracking your betting through your account, I also recommend that you keep a diary or a spreadsheet yourself as well.
Before you place your bet, take the time to assess the value. For instance, if you need to place a $10 bet to get a $10 free bet and you use it at odds of 1.5, your return would be just $5, which is less than your qualifying outlay.
Throughout this article, I’ve shared my expertise with you and given you a lot of information about sportsbook promotions. But the one thing I urge you to do above all of my other advice, is to always read the small print of any bonus that you get from any sportsbooks or online casinos.
I know that I have already mentioned this several times, but at the end of the day, it is only by reading the T&Cs that you can determine the true value of any sports betting bonus. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to make use of my in-depth sportsbook reviews either, especially as I have tested all of the bonuses personally.
In the world of online betting, a ‘bonus’ literally means any promotion that a sportsbook uses to incentivise you as a new or existing customer. You can check out the best current sportsbook offers, or explore the top online casino brands by reading my guides and reviews.
It’s safe to say that almost all online sports betting sites have some form of welcome bonus available, plus ongoing promos designed to keep existing bettors engaged. Some fantastic bonuses are currently up for grabs at the betting sites on the banners in this guide.
The best sports betting bonus available right now depends on what you are looking for. Check the sites on the banners of this page and you’re sure to find your perfect deal.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
