Best Bookmaker Bonuses in 2026

Types of bonuses typically offered by bookmakers

• 1

   Welcome bonuses

  The first bonus that you are going to receive is going to be a Welcome bonus. Technically speaking this is not actually a “type” of bonus but rather when you get given it. As the name suggests Welcome Bonuses, also known as Sign Up Bonuses and New User Bonuses, are credited to new customers who open an account. [Click here for more informations on sing up bonuses.] You can only claim a Welcome bonus once per betting site and sometimes once per group of betting sites so be aware of that. Welcome bonuses usually have the largest bonus amounts that you will come across, but also the strictest terms and conditions.

  
• 2

  No deposit bonuses

  Again as you have probably guessed, a “No deposit” bonus is credited to a players account without them having to make a deposit of their own funds. Some would say that since they are risk free these are the best betting offers. Sometimes these can be given to new users who have simply registered an account to try out the betting site. Other times they can be credited as prizes from free to enter draws and contests, or as Birthday or Christmas gifts. These are great for people who gamble on a budget or just want to test a betting site out, and the advantage is that it is possible to do that without risking any money. The downside is that these betting bonus offers are usually for a low amount and also there is a restriction on the total amount that can be won with them.

  
• 3

  Free bets

  These are the most common type of betting offer that bookmakers give out and they are for all customers. They are usually credited after you have placed a bet (sometimes on a specific event) and always at above a certain odds level. Then once that bet is settled you are given a Free bet to wager again. These are placed just like any other bet only this time you tick a box on the betslip or activate the Free bet in your account, and then the bet is placed but no funds are used. Should this bet win then the winnings from it are credited to your balance, usually as cash but sometimes you must wager it again before being able to withdraw. An advantage is how simple they are to qualify for and to use, but a disadvantage is that you need to place them at quite high odds (around 8/1 is optimal) to get the full value from them.

  
• 4

   Reload bonuses (deposit bonuses)

  As an existing user you will find betting sites keen to get you to redeposit and continue wagering, and this is why they offer reload bonuses. These are sometimes advertised on their websites that if making a second, or third, deposit then you will get this bonus. It is also common to find these bonuses advertised and offered around the start of major sporting events, for example the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Sometimes you will randomly receive an Email offering this to you for no obvious reason. This type of bonus can be in the form of a Free bet or sometimes it is a cash bonus added to your funds when you next deposit which can only be withdrawn after wagering a certain amount. The exact nature of what the “bonus” in a reload bonus is can vary, but what is constant is that you are required to be an existing user and redeposit money into your account to get it. It is great for regular gamblers who will be wagering anyway because it provides more “bang for your buck”. A downside is that you can become restricted in what you can bet on and when you can bank profits and withdraw.

  
• 5

  Cashback bonuses

  These are usually a refund awarded to you as cash if you have lost a certain amount in a certain time period. Sometimes they can be awarded for losing bets on a certain sport or event, or it may be losses from a certain bet type such as Accumulators. See here Accumulator Tips & Predictions.
  Whilst the refund made is usually a low % such as 10% it can be as much as 100% as well. The refunds are usually cash but can also be in the form of a Free bet credit or cash that has a wagering amount attached to it. It is great to get something back in effect for free, where at a different site without a cashback bonus you would have nothing. Unfortunately you only ever take advantage of this bonus when you have lost, and you usually you have to lose everything, in order to get back a little of it.

  
• 6

  Tournaments and competitions

  Many betting sites will have little quizzes, spin the wheel, or prediction type games that can be entered by all users and the winners receive prizes. These sports betting promotions can sometimes pay out as cash but usually it is Free bets. Examples of this would be where you must pick the winner of 6 horse races on a Saturday, or predict scores more accurately than the bookmaker's chosen celebrity. There are also spin the wheel games which are not skill based but can award prizes for free. Much like no deposit bonuses these are great for people who do not want to risk a lot of money and just want to play for a bit of fun, but of course because of this the prizes are usually quite small and very hard to win.

  
• 7

  Loyalty and VIP Rewards

  It is not uncommon to find that betting sites with bonuses offer rewards to their customers for betting a certain amount or a certain number of times. If you are wagering a high volume you may be lucky enough to be entered into a betting sites VIP scheme. A VIP (Very Important Person) scheme is sometimes available for everyone to work their way up through the levels but the best ones are not advertised publicly and are available only by invitation. The rewards can range from exclusive free bets and enhanced reload offers, through to free gifts and even special sporting “experiences”. If you are a heavy spender who gambles a lot and wants to be rewarded for it these are the best sportsbook bonuses to have.

  
• 8

  Acca Boosts and Acca insurance

  An “Acca” is short for accumulator, which can also be known as a multiple. This is where two or more selections are combined onto one betslip and all form part of the same bet. The bookmakers love it when people place these bets because the odds (and therefore the margins) are multiplied by each extra leg, meaning they lose much more often than they win.
  In order to encourage people to add more and more legs, Acca Boosts will add a % to your winnings, with a bigger % added the more legs there are. It is not uncommon to see boosts of 50% or more for accumulators with 10+ legs. Click here for more informations on combo boost bonus!
  The other Accumulator promotion that betting sites offer is Acca insurance. This is not to encourage people to place more bets. It is a consolation reward for when you nearly win, but just one leg lets you down. In this case instead of just losing your money a betting site will often refund your stake as a Free bet. These bonuses are good for people who like to gamble on accumulators, but would be of no interest to someone who does not.

  
• 9

  Sports betting bonuses (enhanced odds, refunds if, etc)

  Often a bookmaker bonus will relate to a certain match, race, or other sporting event taking place that day. There might be increased odds on a certain bet, such as a horse to win or player to score. They could be refunds “if” something happens, for example your bet loses but the score was 0-0, or your horse does not win but does come second. These bookmaker bonus offers are excellent for bets that you already intended to place, because they give you either a bigger reward if you are right, or more scenarios where you do not lose your stake. The downside of them is that you are very restricted and must bet exactly on their selection that has been boosted, and the “if” scenarios are sometimes quite unlikely.

  
• 10

  Crypto-promotions

  In order to encourage people to use cryptocurrency to deposit, probably because of less processing fees and no chance of charge backs, some bookmakers might offer a bonus to anyone depositing with a crypto coin such as Bitcoin, DOGE, or Ethereum. The exact nature of these bonuses will vary from site to site but they are worth looking out for if you were intending to deposit with crypto anyway.