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Free Bet on Sports Guide

For Intermediate
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How to Make the Most of the Free Bet Deals at USA Sportsbooks

Bonuses and promotions are an effective strategy for sportsbooks to battle their competition. There are dozens of different kinds of bonuses and promotions, but there is one that has the favorite word of many in it; ‘Free.’ Free bets are an efficient way for betting sites to get you to sign up for their platform. All you have to do is click a few buttons, deposit some money, and there you have your free bets. Now, everyone that has a little marketing knowledge knows that nothing in this world is truly free, but this bonus offers more than enough for you to benefit from when sports betting.

SportsbookBonus CTA
Borgata $100 Free BetsPlay Now
Bet365$500 Free Bet Credit Play Now
Unibet$20 Free BetsPlay Now

Table of Contents

What to expect in this guide?

The phenomenon of free bets is more diverse than you might expect. In this guide, we will handle all the details about free bets to make sure you don’t have to look anywhere else. The topics that we will discuss are the following;

  1. What is a free bet, and what are the different types?
  2. How do I calculate my winnings with free bets?
  3. What are the terms & conditions for free bets?
  4. Where do I find the best free bets?

Try These Free Bet Sportsbooks

What is a Free Bet?

Let’s start with a literal translation of the two words that make up the term free bets;

  1. Free = Without cost or payment
  2. Bet = To stake on the outcome of an event or the performance of a contestant
free-bets

When we put these two together you come up with the following definition for a free bet; 

  • To stake on the outcome of an event or the performance of a contestant without cost or payment.

Sports betting is all about placing bets. In order to incentivize you to place more bets, the betting sites give away lots of different kinds of free bets. 

Different types of free bets

The definition of the term is not hugely complicated, but when looking at the different kinds of free bets, it gets interesting. Sportsbooks have been giving away free bets for many years now, that’s not where the competition is anymore. These days, the kinds of free bets that are available are different on each betting site. There are many different kinds of free bets, but the most common free bets are the following;

  • Deposit Match free bet
  • Sign-Up free bet
  • Enhanced free bet 
  • Back-Up free bet

We will have a look at each one of them and give an example to explain how they work.

Deposit Match free bet

Tons of sportsbooks offer this kind of free bet, the Deposit Match free bet. Basically, you deposit money into your account, and the betting site will add a certain amount of cash. In order for you to cash in these rewards and have the ability to withdraw this bonus, most of the time, you need to meet specific criteria. Let’s have a look in this example;

  • 100% deposit bonus 
    • You need to rollover your funds at least 16 times 
      • If your deposit is $100 you need to bet at least $3200 in total to be able to request a withdrawal

Sign-Up free bet

You might be using the same betting site for many years now. Maybe this site has all the markets you are betting on, or you simply have no reason to switch. What if I told you that switching between betting sites can be pretty profitable? Let’s have a look at this example;

  • 100% Welcome bonus up to $100 
    • Deposit 100$ and get $100 in free bets
      Terms & Conditions;
      • Only available for new customers
      • Deposited funds must rollover at least six times on odds minimum -125
      • The rollover should happen within 90 days of the deposit
william_hill_free_bet
Disclaimer: deal shown is example and may not be valid.

Enhanced Bet free bet

Where usually you have some rigorous conditions in terms of the rollover, the enhanced bet is an easy way of getting some extra cash. This often happens with betting outcomes that are less likely to happen. Let’s have a look at an example explaining the enhanced bets;

  • You stake $10
  • The original odds on this bet were +400
  • The enhanced odds are now +1000
  • You would have made $50 on your winning bet, with the enhanced odds however you earn $110
    • Before you can withdraw you have to rollover the bonus at least three times

Back-up free bet

Losing is never fun, especially whenever there is money on the line. The back-up free bet makes losing a little less painful. There are two examples to explain how it works;

  1. Within your sign-up bonus, you receive a certain amount of free bets after your first losing bet.
  2. You place an accumulator bet on five games (Multiple bets on separate games)
    1. Only one of your bets within the accumulator bet lost, the rest won. In this case, the sportsbook refunds your initial stake on the accumulator bet as a free bet.
    2. You must have at least five legs with -200 odds within your accumulator bet.

What to keep in mind with free bets

Nothing in this world, besides the sun, is genuinely free. When you are actively chasing free bets, you should be aware of some of the commonly used tactics by these betting sites. When you see the bonus of a free bet, make sure you ask yourself these questions;

  • Can I trust this sportsbook with my money?
  • What are the minimum and maximum deposits?
  • What do I need to do before I can withdraw my bonus?
    • How many times do I need to rollover my funds?
      • Do I have time in the upcoming 30-90 days to meet this rollover?
  • Is the risk of losing money worth the bonus?

Terms & Conditions for free bets

With every kind of bonus or promotion, there are some strings attached. These are called the terms & conditions. In our expert guide on promotions and bonuses, we describe how to handle these terms & conditions the right way. These are the most common criteria in any kind of free bets;

  • You have to be a new customer
  • You have to deposit more than $1000 
  • You have to bet more than ten times (rollover criteria) the deposited amount to be able to withdraw your deposit bonus

An extra recommendation of what you can do when you see a free bet bonus;

How to get the best free bets

You must be wondering, how do I get the best kind of free bets? In general, all the free bets that require little to no effort are the kinds of bets that you want. There’s a rare form of free bets, called the ‘no deposit’ bonus. This happens whenever a new sportsbook comes looking around the corner and wants to attract new customers. It is possible to find these bonuses but in general;

  • Whenever something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

If you do want to catch these rare no deposit bonuses, make sure you keep a close eye on our bonuses and promotions page

What are the best betting sites for free bets

free-bets

There are so many different sportsbooks out there, and usually, the free bets bonus comes when signing up for a new sportsbook. There is not one single betting site that has the best kind of free bets, but there are many different kinds of betting sites that have outstanding free bets; check our toplists for our expert reviews. Ask yourself these questions when picking a sportsbook;

  • What kind of free bets am I looking for?
  • Do I mind switching sportsbooks every now and then?
  • Do I have the time and resources to meet the terms & conditions?
  • Does this sportsbook offer more than just good bonuses and promotions?

To Conclude

In the sports betting industry, similar to many other fields of society, knowledge is king. When you manage to find that hidden gem with all the required knowledge for your sports betting career, you will be successful. We are here to help you out on your way to reaching success. Catching the right free bets is one way of getting there. We have tons of other guides and reviews that you can consult on your road to riches. The more you know, the more you can win!

Free Bets FAQ

  • Where can I find the best free bets?

    This depends on the kinds of sports bettor you are. In general, we recommend keeping a close eye on our bonuses and promotions page to get the best free bets.
  • What do I need to do to get free bets?

    This depends on the betting site, but usually, there are specific terms and conditions you need to follow before you receive the free bets.
  • Is there a special kind of free bet when I first join a sportsbook?

    Yes! When you join a sportsbook there is a welcome bonus. You can find the best ‘welcome’ bonuses on our bonuses and promotions page!

Think before placing your bets, gambling is at your own risk so be careful. 

21+: sportsbettingguide.com and all content herein is intended for audiences 21 years and older.