Bookmakers, like any other businesses, compete for your attention. To attract and keep customers, they offer various incentives, most commonly in the form of free bets or bonuses. Nearly every bookmaker provides some sort of deal to encourage you to sign up, like Paddy Power’s free bets for new members. But the offers don’t stop there—existing customers also get rewarded with bonuses. Let’s break down some of these common offers and how they work.
Sign-Up Bonuses and Free Bets
To bring in new customers, bookmakers often provide sign-up bonuses. These are typically given when you create an account and make your first deposit. However, these bonuses usually come with wagering requirements, meaning you’ll need to place a certain number or value of bets before you can withdraw any bonus money.
Sign-up bonuses come in three main forms:
- Free Bets – After meeting certain conditions, you get a free bet to use.
- Promotional Cash – A cash bonus that can be used for betting but may come with withdrawal restrictions.
- Risk-Free Bets – You place a bet, and if it loses, you get your stake back as bonus cash or a free bet.
Almost all bookmakers offer some kind of sign-up deal, so it’s worth checking them out.
What Are Free Bets?
Free bets are exactly what they sound like—bets you can place without risking your own money. Bookmakers generally offer them in two forms:
- Stake Not Returned – In this case, you place a free bet, but if you win, you only receive the winnings, not the original stake. For example, if you place a free £25 bet at odds of 2/1, you’d normally get £75 back (£50 winnings + £25 stake). But with a stake not returned free bet, you’ll only receive £50.
- Stake Returned (Promo Cash) – This type of free bet works more like a regular bet, where the stake is included in your winnings. Using the same example as above, you’d receive the full £75 if your bet wins. The benefit here is that you’re using the bookmaker’s money, not your own.
Deposit Bonuses
One of the most common ways to get free bets is through deposit bonuses, especially as part of a sign-up offer. These bonuses are triggered when you deposit money into your account. Depending on the bookmaker, they might match your deposit by a percentage—sometimes 100%, other times 50% or 25%.
For example, if a bookmaker offers a 100% deposit bonus and you deposit £50, they’ll give you another £50 to bet with. Keep in mind that you usually have to place bets before withdrawing any winnings from these bonuses. Also, deposit bonuses aren’t just for new customers; bookmakers often send emails or texts with new bonus offers to keep you betting.