What Are Free Bets?

Free Bets are free balances that are given by bookmakers to reward you for either signing up to the site or for continuing to bet with them. They often come with several conditions but as they have no risk they are one of the many positive aspects of betting on the internet. There are many different types of free bets such as bet match free bets, bonus match free bets, free bets for existing users, but the principle is you get something for nothing! So how do you claim these free bets?

Different Types Of Free Bets?

There may be conditions to how you can use your free bet - and most of the time you can't just withdraw it as cash, you have to use it to bet with, but then it is called a Free Bet!

Bet Match / Matched Free Bet

£20 Free Bet - Once you have placed your first bet, your account will be credited with the value of the bet that you placed, up to a maximum of £20. So if your first bet is for £15, they will put £15 in your account.With Bet Match offers you will generally get a free bet that matches either a percentage of the bet that you placed, or matches the whole bet amount - if you're really lucky you could get a 200% free bet match offer.

Deposit Match Free Bet

Make a first deposit of £10 or more & get it matched with up to £200 free - In this example, once you have deposited over £10 in your bookie account, they will credit you with a free bet of the same amount, up to a maximum of £200. With deposit match offers, you will receive your free bet after depositing money rather than after placing a bet.

No Deposit Match

No deposit free bets are more common for online casinos than for sports bookies, but they're pretty self explanatory - register for an online bookmaker with a no deposit free bet and receive that free bet without having tomake a bet or deposit, although you might have to give them your payment details - as with some other free bets, you might not be able to keep the stake if your free bet wins, but you will get the profit!

Keep Stake

With most bet match free bets you do not get to keep the free bet stake as part of your winnings. e.g. if you bet £20 to get a £20 free bet and place a winning bet at 2/1, you will receive the £40 profit from the free bet but not the £20 free bet stake.
But if the offer is a keep stake free bet, you will get the free bet stake back with your winnings.e.g. if an offer says keep stakes you will receive the £40 profit as well as the £20 free bet stake, so a total of £60

Withdraw Turnover

Withdraw turnover is the amount of times you need to have played through your free bet amount before you are able to withdraw your winnings.
e.g. If you bet £20 to get a free bet of £20 and win at 2/1 you will have a £40 profit. If the turnover requirement is x3, you will not be able to withdraw the £40 profit from your £20 free bet until you have bet a total of 3 x £20 = £60. You don’t have to do this with one bet, but there might be a time limit for you to make the bets.
As always with free bets make sure you check the terms and conditions carefully!!

How to claim Free Bets?

How to Get a Free Bet

Free bets are usually given after a stated amount is bet by the punter. The amounts will vary and are usually given to punters opening a new account with a bookmaker. It is usually clear how much the free bet will be and it usually matches the amount first staked by the punter.

How To Use a Free Bet

Once a free bet has been credited it is up to the punter to use it wisely. Some punters like to bet a fairly short priced selection with the free bet to try to guarantee some free money.
Others decide that it is easy come, easy go and back a big price selection as they are not too fussed about what happens to the free bet stake . There is no right or wrong way to use a free bet although some options are better than others. Free bets are sometimes just credited to your balance and you bet it like you would bet your own stake.
Increasingly you are required to tick a box on the bet slip to indicate that it is your free bet balance you wish to use on the bet. Free bets are usually required to be bet in one go and can?t be split u between different selections.

Free Bets Terms and Condtions

Free Bets Rules

It is very important to read the rules/ terms and conditions associated with the free bet you are trying to obtain. Many free bets have restriction on what the first bet is on for example. If your ini tial bet is on an odds on selection you often won't qualify for the free bet. Many free bet balances are not returned once bet. For example, a free £25 bet on an even money selection will often return just the £25 winnings, not the £25 winnings and the £25 stake as it would if the bet was placed with real money. This means backing very short prices can be pointless as you might only receive pence back, not your stake as well.

Free Bets Terms and Condtions - Time Limits

Time limits are common as well. If free balances are not used within a certain time they can be removed and if the account has been opened too long before the initial stake is placed a free bet might not be credited. Reading the free bet rules is very important if you want to make the most out of your free bets and betting in general.