Free Bets
Free bets are the sportsbook equivalent of complimentary casino chips or free spins. The sportsbook gives you one or more fixed bets, you place them on your preferred wager, and you cross your fingers.
If you win, you’ll either need to complete a wagering requirement or you can keep the money.
Simple, right?
To an extent, yes, but there are several different types of free bet offers, as well as a number of terms and conditions to look out for.
Free Bet No Deposit Offers
Most free bets are offered in exchange for making a deposit or staying loyal to the sportsbook. Others give you free bet tokens just for signing up and verifying your account.
You can see a full list of these bonuses here:
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Just remember, while a deposit is not required, you may be asked to add a debit card. You’ll also need to verify your details. If you have an extensive credit history, verification should be instant and automatic. If there are any discrepancies or a soft credit check doesn’t yield any info, you may need to submit additional documentation.
Best Free Football Bets
It’s easy to get distracted by offers of no deposit free bets, but these aren’t always the biggest or best free bet offers. They may limit you to specific wagers or require you to meet high wagering requirements.
In any case, there are many other great free bet offers out there and we have listed the best of these below:
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Best Horse Racing Free Bets
The so-called “Sport of Kings” gave birth to the modern UK sports betting industry. It remains one of the most popular betting categories and offers a wealth of opportunities for knowledgeable punters. If horse racing is your game, you’ll be glad to know that many sportsbooks offer free horse racing bets.
Here’s a short list of the best horse racing free bets you can collect right now:
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Types of Free Bets
The value of the bet, how it can be used, and the terms that apply will ultimately depend on the type of free bet offer that you collect.
There are several different variations out there, including:
Free Bet Matched Deposit
A matched free bet gives you a free bet token to the value of your deposit.
For instance, if the offer is 100% up to £50, you’ll get a free bet of £20 when you deposit £20 and a free bet of £50 when you deposit £50 or more.
Always check the minimum deposit amount, as well as the maximum bet offer.
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Sportsbook Signup Bonus
A sportsbook signup bonus gives you free bets to encourage you to sign up. How you collect these offers will vary, but they’re always targeted toward new players.
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Money Back Bets
You may have seen these bonuses used on accumulator offers, but they are also common elsewhere. The site will give you a refund on a losing wager.
The offer will have terms relating to odds, maximum bets, and wagering requirements, but the general idea is that if you bet and lose £10, you’ll get a £10 free bet. When used as part of accumulator offers, you’ll often get a bet refund when just one leg fails.
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First Bet Matched Deposit
Your first bet with a sportsbook can earn you a free bet.
For instance, if you deposit and wager £10, you’ll get another £10.
The free bet token usually only appears in your account after your qualifying bet has been placed and settled, and it may be voided if your original bet is cashed out or cancelled.
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Free Betting Credits
Free betting credits are a little different from the free bet tokens offered by most sportsbooks.
A free bet token can only be used on a single bet. If it’s a £20 token, for instance, you can’t break it up into 4x £5 bets and must place a single £20 wager.
You can use free betting credits just like real cash. As long as you’re still meeting the site’s minimum bet requirements, there’s no limit to how they can be broken up and used.
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Mobile Bookies with Free Bets
At the dawn of the mobile betting age, sportsbooks and casinos did everything they could to encourage players to use their apps. They offered all kinds of free bets and free spins just for downloading and using the mobile app.
These days, most players are already using these apps, but there are still a few bonuses out there.
To collect these offers, you may be asked to deposit and wager using the casino’s mobile app.
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Free Bets FAQs
The majority of betting sites will tell you how much you are projected to win. This amount usually includes your stake, so if you wager £10 on a 3/1 (4.00) bet, it will project a return of £40 (£30 profit + £10 stake returned). There is no real money stake with a free bet and so your stake won’t be returned. The above bet would therefore show a return of just £30.
There is always an element of luck with a bet, and so there is no guarantee of getting a return. You can try matched betting, whereby you collect multiple free bets on different sites and then hedge your bets, but the profits are minimal.
Unlike free spins and other casino deposit offers, free bets don’t always have wagering requirements. Oftentimes, you’ll be allowed to keep whatever you win. That’s not always the case, though, so be sure to check the terms and conditions.
You cannot use free bets to play casino games. They can only be used to place wagers on pre-game or live events.
If you weren’t given the bet that you were promised, there’s a chance that you missed one of the terms. The most common issue concerns deposit and wager requirements. For instance, if the bet states that you need to wager £20 or more on your first bet, and you then place four wagers of £5, you’ll miss out. That £20 must be wagered in a single bet and it must be the first bet that you place.
