The three types you’ll encounter are risk free, stake returned and stake not returned. Below you can take a look at each different type so you can get to grips with how they work and which to look our for. The most common form of new customer offer is the ‘Bet and Get’ offer. You will often see these aimed at new players and the basis of the deal is simple. Sign up to a new site, bet a certain amount and then receive a quoted figure in free bets.
Geographical restrictions and T&Cs apply #AD. The concept of the free bet sounds interesting… after all, who turns down a freebie? And on one level, the free bet is exactly as it seems. A bookmaker will give you a certain amount of betting credit that you can use to bet on various markets and events without risking your own cash. Typically, these free bet deals are offered to new customers when they first sign up to a site, although the free bet is used widely bet betting odds comparison sites throughout the betting sector.
There are obvious advantages to free bets, but as you might imagine, there are also potential pitfalls – more on that later. So why would a bookmaker offer you a free bet? Well, there are a couple of main reasons why bookmakers are happy to do this. Firstly, by aiming their free bet offers at new customers, they can maximise their player base, drawing in new registrations with big offers. Unfortunately the ultra-competitive modern online sports betting industry is focused far more on attracting new business than on providing the best odds or the biggest range of markets. A typical case might be a ‘Bet £5 Get £10 offer’ in which you would bet £5 on a qualifying market and then get a £10 free bet in your account. Without wanting to sound obvious, risk free bets are exactly what they sound like – bets that ensure that you do not have to risk any of your money, but which also pay out should they prove to be winners.
The only thing that you have to ensure is that you have money available in your online account, as you will need to pay for the original bet. Should your bet win, then you will receive the payout, but should your bet lose then the bookmaker will refund you the money that you initially placed. Therefore, there is no risk – you will break even with this type of bet at the very worst. Risk free offers do not come about very often, as they are only usually offered to people when they make their first bet on a new account. They are also usually limited to a certain amount – usually £50 – but this is more than most recreational gamblers will place on a single bet.
The best free betting bonuses have a 1x playthrough. This means you only have to wager the free credit to satisfy the playthrough. Free bets aren’t returned if your wager wins, but the profit is paid in cash you can withdraw whenever you want. Free bets are perfect for high-reward markets. Popular World Cup markets include the Outright Winner (backing a nation to lift the trophy), the Golden Boot (top goalscorer), and Group Stage Accas (combining several match winners into one bet).
If your free bet token is restricted to a specific match, Bet Builders combining goals, cards, and corners are a great way to extract maximum value. Craig Mahood is an expert in sports betting and online casinos and has worked with the company since 2020. He joined the Betting & Gaming team at The Sun in June 2022 and works closely with the leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to provide content on all areas of sports betting and gaming. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter at the Scottish Sun, covering Scottish football with particular focus on Celtic and Rangers, As well as football, he has covered horse racing, boxing, darts, the Olympics and tennis for the Sun. Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed Read our guide on responsible gambling practices.
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites. Welcome to the CheekyPunter.com free bet offers section. We know how attractive betting bonuses are to all punters so we’ve put together this particular section of the website so you can browse the best on offer and find out exactly how to claim them. You’ll see all the online bookmakers that offer free deals listed down the right hand side of this section with the biggest at the top. Each individual page contains information about the size of the bonus on offer, how to claim the offer and what T&C’s you need to be aware of. If you do bet more than this amount then you’ll only get the value of the advertised free bet returned.
| Bookmaker | Loyalty Scheme | Welcome Link |
|---|---|---|
| Betfair | Points for Pounds | Extra 20 points on first bet |
| Coral | Players' Club (Tiers) | Bonus points on first deposit |
| Ladbrokes | Grid (Reward Tiers) | Fast-track to Silver tier |
| bet365 | bet365 Credits | Extra credits with welcome bet |
An enhanced odds offer does exactly what it says on a tin. You will earn better odds on a certain market or event if you join up for one of these promotions. Enhanced odds offers are normally part of a signup bonus, but they may also be part of a loyalty program or a recurring bonus for a frequent user of a betting platform. They’re sometimes termed as enhanced odds or price increase, but they all mean the same thing.
Essentially, the odds on a particular event will be increased, as will your potential winnings. Free bets with no deposit are effectively free money to wager with. J You don’t need to deposit funds to your account; just open a new account with a sportsbook and you’ll be given money to start betting with. The amount of free bet money with most no deposit free sports bets may be relatively low, beginning at roughly £5. When it comes to minimum odds and the sorts of bets you may place, there are certain guidelines to follow. In essence, there are two sorts of no deposit incentives: no deposit bonuses with no restrictions and no deposit bonuses with restrictions. The former is uncommon since it may be used on any sport of market, while the latter is limited to certain markets.
| Bookmaker | Offer Details | Account Verification Needed | Withdrawal Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Betfred | £10 Free Bet on Sign-up | Yes (Full) | Winnings are withdrawable |
| Unibet | £5 Free Bet for New Players | Yes (Basic) | Wagering req. on winnings |
| MansionBet | £15 Free Bet Bundle | Yes (Full) | Winnings paid as cash |
Before going on to answer exactly what a stake returned bonus is, it is important that we understand what the term “stake” means by itself, and it really is a simple definition.
| Bonus Type | Typical Offer | Wagering Requirement | Key Term to Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deposit Match | 100% up to £100 | 30x (Bonus + Deposit) | Minimum Deposit |
| Risk-Free Bet | £20 back as cash | 1x (on returned stake) | Qualifying Bet Odds |
| Bet & Get | £30 in free bets | None on free bets | Minimum Stake |
| Acca Insurance | Free bet up to £10 | Applies to free bet | Minimum Legs |
Basically, the stake is the amount of money that a person originally places on a bet, so if you place £10 on a 3/1 bet, your stake will be £10 and anything you win will be classed as your winnings. Now that you know what a stake is, you will have probably worked out what a stake returned free bet or new customer offer is. It is basically a free bet that you are allowed to make by the site – usually as an incentive to sign up with them and deposit money – that, should it turn out to be a winner, returns the stake as well as the winnings. This means that if, for example, you place that £10 bet on the 3/1 odds, you will receive £30 in winnings and the original £10 stake back, therefore meaning that you profit by £40.
Armed with all the information and tips, follow these steps to get sports free bets from the UK’s leading bookmakers: Read the impartial and informative sportsbook reviews here at Sun UK. Use the secure sign-up links to start the registration process and activate special offers. Create your first (and only) account with your preferred betting site. *Tip: join multiple betting sites to get more rewards and incentives. Go to the cashier page and choose a valid payment method (check the T&Cs).
Open the sports betting menu and make a wager with minimum odds or greater. Wait for your wager to be settled before using the free bets credited to your account. No, you need to wait for your initial wager to be settled before free bet bonuses are credited to your account. There may be a delay of up to 48 hours from the point your initial wager is settled to bonuses being available to use. However, in most cases, bonus credit will be available immediately once the wagering requirements have been met.
Even though the majority of welcome bonuses are deposit-based offers, you can get free bets without depositing cash at bet365, Spreadex, and Coral. No deposit bonuses you should look out for are cashback offers, acca insurance, and loyalty rewards such as Coral’s Daily Shake Up. All of the UK’s best online gambling operators give you free bets as a new customer, regardless of whether you’re using a desktop site or mobile app. Some of the top free bet credit offers for UK customers are bet365’s £50 welcome deal, SBK’s bet builder-based bonus and Spreadex bet £10 get £60 promo. Yes, you can withdraw the profit you make from free bet bonuses without hitting a playthrough target. When you usually place a bet at a bookmaker, you will win the odds that you have been quoted for, so if you bet £10 on a horse with odds of 5/1, you will win £50. On top of this though, you will also be given back the original stake, therefore meaning that, in total, the bookmakers will hand over £60 to you – £50 profit of which is profit. With stake not returned free bets/offers, the original stake that you would have had to place if it had been a normal bet is not given to you, therefore meaning that all you get is £50.
Claiming a new customer betting offer in the form of a free bet is straightforward. Although there will obviously be some variation between bookmakers, most follow the same approach. Navigate to the site with the free bet offer you want to claim Click on the Join Now or Sign Up button Complete the relevant identity details, including your name, address, email address, username and password. Where required, confirm your identity by uploading relevant e-documents such as a driving licence or a passport With most welcome free bet offers, the amount of your first deposit will determine the level of the bonus you receive Some new customer offers simply require you to make a deposit, while others will be triggered when you make your first bet Check that the bonus has been credited to your account As you can imagine there are a number of different types of new customer offers offers. Some are more player friendly and some are more bookmaker friendly.
