The Best Free Bets & Sign Up Offers
Free bets are a great way to get your new bookmaker account off to the perfect start. The competitive nature of the industry means that all bookmakers are looking to do something that makes them stand out.
This is how the bookmaker welcome offers that we see today were initially created. From free bets to bonus funds, money-back offers, and more, there are many to choose from, and here, we will look at the best available on the market, explain how they work, and how you can start using them.
What are Free Bets?
They say nothing in life is free, but these are free, though, of course, terms and conditions are attached to them when it comes to free bets.
Free bets are given to customers when they sign up to a new account with a bookmaker, allowing you to explore the site you have signed up with while trying to get off to a great start with some winners.
While there may be restrictions attached to the free bets, they are what they say on the tin – a free bet to place where you can win but don’t have to pay the stake money to place the wager.
How To Claim Free Bets – Step By Step
If you would like to claim a free bet from one of the bookmakers listed, then there are some simple steps that you need to follow. The good news is that most bookmakers offer the same sign-up procedure, so many will already know how to do this.
- The first step is deciding which offer you would like to claim. Browse the offers we have listed on this page, choose one you want, then click the link to go through to the bookmaker landing page for that offer.
- At this point, sign up for a new account by entering your details, such as name, address, date of birth, email address and phone number.
- When your account has been created, it is time to make your first deposit and place your first bet. Depending on the offer you claim, one of these two will be the requirement that you need to complete to receive your free bet, so make sure you understand the rules in place and follow them to get the offer. If you’re claiming a deposit offer, check the requirements on the deposit method and the deposit amount. If you’re claiming a free bet for placing a bet, check out the stake needed, minimum odds and if there are any sport/bet type requirements.
- After this has been completed, the free bets should be available in your account to spend. Now it is time to explore the site and find some exciting betting opportunities to place them on. There may be something completely new to try or some old favourites to enjoy.
Free Bets Terms and Conditions You Need To Know
When you claim a free bet offer, you will see a list of terms and conditions attached to the offer. Unfortunately, these are in place with every offer and are one of the reasons why some people fail to claim a bonus. However, knowing and understanding these before you sign up is a simple process to follow.
The key is knowledge of the terms and conditions, so here are some of the terms you can expect to see and have to fulfil when you sign up, place a bet, and look to claim a bookmaker sign-up offers.
- Wagering Requirement – Some offers will have a wagering requirement attached to them, which the bonus must be played through before you can withdraw the funds. For example, a £100 deposit bonus with a 5x wagering requirement means you will have to wager £500 on your account before this bonus becomes regular, withdrawable funds.
- Minimum Odds – If you have to place a bet to unlock a free bet, minimum odds are likely to be involved. This will usually say something like “Minimum odds 4/5 (1.80)”, which means the qualifying bet must be on a selection at 4/5 or larger. These could also be attached to the free bets you receive too.
- Minimum Stake – Another for those receiving free bets for placing a bet is the minimum stake you need to wager. This will be listed as part of the offer – for example, “bet £10 get £30” means that your qualifying bet stake must be £10 or more to receive the bonus.
- Minimum Deposit – This is for those claiming a bonus funds-type offer via a deposit. There will be a minimum to hit and a maximum listed that you can claim. For example, “100% matched up to £100, minimum deposit required £20”. This means the maximum bonus available is £100, but you must deposit £20 or more to receive a bonus.
- Expiry Dates – Look out for expiry dates attached to free bets and bonuses you receive, as you will lose these if they are not spent before the expiry dates. Bookmakers vary with these but expect around seven days for free bets and 30 days for bonus funds.
- Payment Method Restrictions – If you are depositing to claim a bonus, then look out for restrictions on the payment methods. This prevents people from opening multiple accounts and claiming bonuses, so bookmakers could limit you to a debit card, which people usually only have one of.
Free Bet Offers For Existing Customers VS New Customers
One of the great aspects of the betting industry is that because there is so much choice on offer and so many bookmakers looking to claim customers, they cannot afford to let their service slip in any way.
This has resulted in several existing customer offers being made available, so the great deals keep on coming for punters. Of course, these won’t hit the headlines as much as bet sign-up offers, but they are still a great way to enhance your betting.
Some of these will be free bets, such as a free bet when you place a bet on a particular
event or a free bet when you make a deposit.
Look out for these kinds of offers with your bookmakers, all of which can enhance your bets.
- Acca bonus/boost – An increase to your winnings on acca bets
- Acca Insurance – Cover for your acca if it loses by just one leg
- Money-back offers – Look for a money-back special, such as money back if 0-0, money back if 2nd, money back if favourite wins, money back if losing on penalties, etc.
- Enhanced specials – Bets put together by bookmakers on popular selections, with the odds boosted on them. For example, two big-name strikers to score in the same game, with odds boosted
- Early payout – An increasingly popular offer, if your team goes ahead by a fixed margin, your bet will be settled as a winner, regardless of what happens during the rest of the game.
Choosing a UK Bookmaker Sign Up Offer – Key Decision Making Criteria
Choosing a bookmaker to bet with is not as straightforward as you would expect. On top of this, the decision is very personal to you, as we all bet in different ways. What works brilliantly for one person may be entirely wrong for another, so always look at this from the perspective of your betting and nothing else.
You should aim to find a bookmaker that provides a service that looks to be tailored to you, and here are the key points to look out for while you are making your decision.
- Betting markets – You should always look for a bookmaker with a wide range of betting markets available, but in particular, this should be the case for the sports you bet on. Don’t be limited in any way by your bookmaker.
- Welcome bonus – Make sure the bonus is something you are comfortable claiming. Avoid ones that you will struggle with, such as sport/bet type requirements or extensive wagering requirements that you are not going to hit.
- Regular bonuses – Don’t always assume that just because a bookmaker offers these, that they are “good”. Look at what they offer and see how it ties in with your betting. If you bet on accas, finding an acca bonus is a must, but if you don’t bet on accas, an acca bonus is of no use at all.
- Live/Mobile betting – Are you using the live betting markets? Will you place all or some bets on your mobile? If the answer is “yes” to either of these, then find out more about this element of the service on offer.
- Payment Methods – An often-overlooked aspect of choosing a betting site is offered payment methods. We all want to feel safe and feel like our money is secure, and a big part of that surrounds the payment methods on offer, so look for ones you are comfortable using online.
Learn How to Best Use Your Sign Up Bonus
There is a lot of excitement surrounding sign-up bonuses and after you have received one, but you then need to look at how you will spend it. If you would like a little help with this, here are some tips and tricks when it comes to utilising the best free bet offers that you claim.
Explore the Site in Full and Try Something New
When you claim free bets, they are exactly that, free bets that you can use on the site. Therefore, no risk is attached to these wagers, so they can be used as a learning tool without fear of harming your profit and loss.
For this reason, many people use their free bets to explore the site and try something completely new. This could be a new sport, a new market within the sport you bet on, or a new league.
However you do this, try and learn something from the process that you can use later.
Focus on Profit Building
If you want to solely focus on your profit and loss figure with free bets, profit-building should be your aim. Every time you win a bet, you add to your profit – when you lose, the loss takes something away from that figure.
However, free bets are free, so there is no risk of harming your figures by adding a loss to them. If you want to build profit using free bets, stick to what you know, look for wagers you are confident in, and try your best to add valuable funds to your betting bank.
Double Down on Your Fancied Selections
If you have a staking plan in place for your bets, your wagers will be either of the same stakes or be linked to each other, based on strength. Free bets are a great way to override this, as you are not adding any additional stake to your bet, but you are increasing the amount of money you could win.
For those with a strong selection coming up and free bets to spend, look to double down on that selection, adding a free bet. If it loses, you haven’t gone bigger than your staking plan, but you will pick up additional profit if it wins.
The Different Types of Betting Offers
There are many different types of betting offers available for players, all of which give you a free chance to place a wager and win money, but they work in different ways.
Most offers can be split into the following three categories.
Matched Deposits
This bookmaker sign-up offer is based on a deposit you make as a new player. Your deposit will be matched to a percentage. So, for example, if this is a 100% matched bonus up to £100, this means whatever you deposit, the bonus will be of the same value and available up to a maximum of £100.
This is a widespread type of offer, and if you are going to make a reasonably-sized first
deposit, it may be the best type of offer for you to claim.
Free Bet Tokens
Free bet tokens are specific-valued free bets, and these are usually given to you after you have placed a bet that has been settled. For example, “bet £10 get £30”, you have to bet £10 to receive £30. However that is given to you, it may be 1 x £30 token, 2 x £15 or 3 x £10, depending on the bookmaker.
If you want something simple and easy to use, these are a great starting point.
Money-Back Offers
Money-back offers are slightly different because you will only receive something if your bet loses. These are usually based on your first bet – for example, money back up to £20 if your first bet loses.
To get this, place your first bet on the site and wait for the result. If the bet wins, you receive the winnings – if the bet loses, you will receive your stake back, up to £20. This offers a risk-free chance to win – either you win and receive the profit, or you lose and receive your money back to try again.
Free Bet Offers Frequently Asked Questions
This will depend on the bookmaker you are with and their rules, but usually, free bets cannot be cashed out during play.
A wide range of sports are popular with UK gamblers, such as football, horse racing, tennis, golf, cricket, rugby, greyhound racing and more.
If you don’t want to bet on sports, look out for political betting, TV show betting, and novelty bets across various events around the world.
To legally gamble in the UK, you must be at least 18 years old.
The most accessible sport to bet on is one that you already know of, as this will help you understand what is happening. However, if you don’t have a vast range of expertise, football markets are an excellent place to start. A simple “1X2” market gives three options – either team to win or the draw, allowing you to follow the game easily.