Free bets can boost your winning odds in sports betting beyond your accountβs balance.Β This bonus is available on all sportsbook websitesΒ to add to your experience as an online punter. You may claim it with your first deposit or occasional casino offerings, like during a special event or holiday.
The best bookiesΒ that offer free bet bonuses sometimes provide a fraction of your last deposit. This also comes with several conditions like which game or event it applies to or at what time. Free bonus betting can have unique stipulations per sportsbook but follow fundamental terms and conditions. If you are a beginner to online sports betting, thenΒ here is what you need to know about this type of bonus.
What is a Free Bet?
Free bet is aΒ type of bonusΒ that works similarly to cash bonuses. It gets consumed before you use any of your redeemable cash to let you play without spending.Β It is an additional budget to add to your account balance, except for a more specific use. For instance, some free bets can only be usable in certain leagues or sports.
Another variation of this bonus is called a βrisk-free betβ. Itβs different because rather than giving you additional cash, it shows you how to avoid losing while the bonus is active.
How to Use Free Bets?
Using free bets depends heavily on the promotion. The most common way of using it is to place a bet on a match of a featured sports league. Some promotions let you use it on any match covered by the online betting free bonus.
Free bets from sponsorships tend to come with strict use cases, like being only applicable to in-play markets. There are no unique prompts or settings that you have to toggle to decide which account balance gets consumed first. The free bet always goes before your funds and any other cash bonuses.
How Can You Get Free Bets?
Claiming a free bonus betting sites offer can come from various sources, but typically, it is the main bonus reward from the welcome package. Other times, itβs redeemable from a casino code you get from text and email promotions. The size you get depends on the promotion you opt-in, with the most common variations being fixed rates or a percentage of your deposit.
Tips to Choose the Best Free Bet
The betting amount always matters in betting sites with free bonuses; thus, you should consider the number of free bets offered. More is always better, and there will be free bets that can quickly reach a hundred in any currency. However, how much your bet also affects the difficulty of its rollback requirements. Thus the next tip is to check the description before opting in.
Free Bets Terms & Condition
Online bookies often follow standard terms and conditions for their best free bet bonuses to make it easy for newcomers to get accustomed to their promotions system. This includes a set of rules that are assumed for their bonuses unless otherwise stated in the description. Here are those default terms and conditions that all new gamblers should learn about, as well as what they mean:
Wagering Requirements
The wagering or rollback requirement is the amount you have to spend in the sportsbook to get the maximum benefits of the bonus. Free bets only sometimes come with this condition, unlike cash bonuses. All you have to do is spend all free bets or consume the risk-free bets available in your account.
Timeframe
The timeframe is the duration when the bonus is still available. Once it expires, its benefits also disappear from your account.Β The maximum time you can keep the free bets in most online bookies is 7 days. Other times, it can be up to 30 days, but this is usually for big rewards reaching up to hundreds per account.
Minimum Deposit
The minimum deposit is how much you need to send to your account to be eligible for a free bet bonus. Itβs usually low ($5 at most), making it trivial for most gamblers.
Maximum amount to claim
Match bonuses scale the size of your deposit by percentage, but it stops at a ceiling called the maximum amount to claim. If your deposit is $100, a match bonus that states 100% up to $50 free bet only rewards you $50 because itβs the limit.
Pros and Cons of Online Betting Free Bonus
The pros and cons of free bets are straightforward. Consider the following points before opting for promotions that give this kind of reward:
Pros
βοΈΒ Itβs free stakes on any sports event, but you win real cash prizes if it hits.
βοΈΒ Free bets are applicable to bet building and spread betting.
βοΈΒ It lets you explore risky strategies to get all the rewards without losing anything.
Cons
β Does not contribute to other benefits like cash returns or loyalty programs.
β It changes your perception of betting funds, making you bet on riskier stakes.
β You can only opt for other bonuses once you have used the free bet balance.