Frequently Asked Questions - All FAQs

Almost every bookmaker provides free bets or welcome offers for potential new customers in order to get you signed up. There are a range of offers out there for you to claim, ranging from match specific enhancements right through to no deposit free bets.

Signing up to a bookmaker and claiming your free bets gives you the opportunity to get a feel for them, whilst also possibly winning some money for your efforts in the process. With the huge number of bookies that are licensed in the UK there are plenty of potential free bet sign up offers about, which means there’s plenty of bonuses to be claimed.

On our free bets page, we have some of the best free bet offers listed to help you make your mind up when it comes to signing up as a new customer. We also have details on free bets for existing customers if you’re already signed up – all of which you can find on our Bookmaker Offers Page in further detail.

A Free Bet is something that is offered by a bookmaker in a bid to get you signed up and enjoying betting with them. Real money is often required in order to claim your free bet and they are often given as a bonus for joining or earned by being loyal to them.

The majority of free bet offers require you to wager between £1-£10 as a ‘qualifying bet’. These are usually done on a selection with enhanced odds or to unlock a much bigger larger of free bets.

Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets is an example of this and is one of the most popular free bets in the UK, but in order to unlock your bonus you must read the terms & conditions before betting to ensure you meet the criteria.

There’s a variety of types of free bets available to new customers when signing up to a bookmaker. We’ve listed what they are and what they entail below:

Matched Deposit Bonus Free Bet

A matched deposit bonus is one of the more common free bets offered by bookies to new customers. This type of bet sees the bookie match your first qualifying bet, not the actual deposit as some websites state so be sure to check the Ts&Cs before. Matched first deposit Free Bets can range from anything from £10 right through £100, giving you the potential for a large amount of bet credits or bonuses.

Enhanced Free Bets

Enhanced Free Bets give you the opportunity to place a bet on an event at much bigger odds than promoted in the sportsbook. Examples of this include fancied favourites such as Manchester City to beat Huddersfield at 25/1, when the actual odds were 1/10. Should your selection win, your winnings are paid out in either Free Bets or cash which makes them very popular.

Risk Free Bets

This type of Free Bet gives you the opportunity to place an opening bet up to a certain value (usually £20 but check the Ts&Cs) and should it fail to win, you will receive your stake back in cash or as a Free Bet. This gives you the opportunity to bet on pretty much anything you like, making it risk free.

No Deposit Free Bets

No deposit free bets aren’t particularly common with bookmakers, but when they are they’re incredibly in-demand. A no deposit free bet is exactly what it says, you can sign-up to the bookie without having to wager any of your own cash, meaning that you can sample their sportsbook free of charge.

Qualifying Free Bets or Free Bets Credits

Without a doubt the most common sign-up offer available from bookmakers. This will require you to place an opening first bet above certain minimum odds (usually 1/2) along with a minimum stake (usually £10) which will be listed in the Ts&Cs. Upon doing this you will then be credited with your Free Bets or Free Bet Credits which will be available to wager on any selection you like. Qualifying Free Bet offers are usually presented as ‘Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets’.

Free bets are often associated with new customers only but there’s also plenty promotions available for existing customers.

Loyalty Bonuses

These can be added at any time by the bookie you bet with. Sometimes they’ll credit your account with a free bet if its been inactive in an attempt to get you using the sportsbook again, or they may reward you with one should you bet regularly. One example of being rewarded for this is the Sky Bet Club which is a free bet for existing customers. Bet £25 throughout the week and the following Monday you’ll receive a £5 free bet. This free bet can be used on football or any sport.

Reload Bonuses

This tends to be more with Casino, but reload bonuses are another way for existing customers to get a free bet. Reload bonuses are credited on top of what you deposit and give you some extra bonus funds to use in the casino or sportsbook where applicable.

Money Back Free Bets

Some bookies incentivise betting by offering money back free bets on some of the biggest sporting events around. Bet365’s bore draw money back is perhaps the highest profile one, where should your game end goalless, they’ll refund your stake as Bet Credits on all correct score, half time/full time or score cast bet on any match (Ts&Cs apply).

When looking to claim your free bets there a number of things to consider. Reading the significant terms along with the full Ts&Cs is very important and there are some key pieces of information you need to look out for to make sure that you know what the offer fully entails.

Below we’ve included some questions that you should think about when thoroughly reading the terms and conditions before registering with a new bookmaker:

• How much do I need to deposit?
• What are the minimum odds required for my first bet?
• Does my first bet need to bet on a specific market or event?
• How long will it be before my free bet(s) are credited?
• When does this offer expire?
• Is there a time limit/expiry date on my free bet(s)?
• Do you need to bet a certain amount before you’re able to withdraw any potential winners?

These are just some of the questions that we think you should consider when signing-up, but be sure to read all the significant terms along with the full Ts&Cs on the bookmakers landing page.

When signing-up to a new bookmaker and placing your qualifying bet, it can make you slightly impatient waiting for your bonuses. But always make sure that you have met criteria by placing the correct stake at the correct odds.

Some bookies can credit your free bets immediately after placing your qualifying bet, with others waiting until that first bet has settled. But if for whatever reason they’re not yet in your account and you feel that they should be, there’s a number of ways to enquire about it.

All bookmakers are available to call and email, with details found via their websites and apps. But the most effective and quickest way to contact customer support is by live chat, which gives you support almost immediately. Waiting times tend to be quite low and they can resolve your query quickly.

Winnings from your free bets are always available to withdraw but there are different criteria that needs to be met for different bookmakers in order for you to do so. Some allow you to withdraw your free bet winnings (which exclude your stake) as cash straight after winning, which is common amongst most bookies.

But some have certain wagering requirements that have to be met. This means rolling over your winnings in order to make them withdrawable – more information on this can be found in the significant terms or the full terms and conditions.