Free Bets In US Legal Sports Betting Sites
This is a Free Bet (summary)
Licensed US sports betting sites frequently offer free or “bonus bets” as part of their promotions, especially welcome bonuses for new users. Bonus bets allow players to place wagers with site credits instead of their own money, typically awarded after meeting specific requirements like a minimum deposit or bet.
Promotions vary and may come as reload bonuses, referrals, or as cashback for lost bets, with conditions differing across sites. For example, DraftKings offers $200 in bonus bets for a $5 wager, while Caesars Sportsbook refunds up to $1,000 on initial losses as a bonus bet. To claim, users must register, verify accounts, deposit funds, and meet other promo criteria.
Bonus bets have benefits, like enabling extra wagers without added deposits, but also come with terms. Common terms include minimum deposit and odds requirements, claim deadlines, and expiration dates—DraftKings bonus bets last seven days, for instance. Bonus bet payouts exclude the initial bonus value, so winnings reflect only the profit. Certain restrictions also apply, like use limitations on parlay bets and state-specific availability.
More about Free Bets
Free bets, or bonus bets, as they are called nowadays because of regulations, are very common in licensed sports betting sites across the US. That’s because they can be included in many bonuses, even welcome promotions, which is actually the most common type of bonus bet.
But what does that mean exactly, and what do you truly get from bonus bets? Are they worth the hassle? That’s precisely what we aim to discover today, so keep reading.
FAQ Highlights
- “Bonus bet” replaces “free bet” due to regulatory concerns since these promos aren’t entirely free; spending is required.
- Bonus bets are site credits, not cash, and cannot be exchanged for money.
- Payouts from bonus bets usually exclude the original bonus amount.
What Is a Bonus Bet?
A bonus or free bet is a type of promotion where you place bets with the site’s currency instead of your own. You can get a bonus bet in many ways – by making a deposit or betting a certain amount and the platform will give you a free bet or bets to place on any or specific sports events.
In most cases, the offer is reserved for new customers, but you’ll sometimes find smaller bonus bets as part of reload promotions for existing users. You might also find bonus bets as part of referral programs, which you get in return for inviting bettors to the site.
You can even get one as a form of cashback. For instance, Caesars Sportsbook offers a bonus bet of up to $1,000 if your initial cash bet fails. You must register, deposit, and place a bet to participate. If the stake was, let’s say, $50, and you end up losing, Caesars will reward you with a bonus bet token worth $50 you can use to make another wager.
A more straightforward example is the DraftKings promotion called Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets. It’s available from time to time and reserved for new customers, and requires you to register, deposit at least $5, and place a wager of $5 or more on any market. You’ll instantly get $200 in bonus bets, separated into eight bonus bets worth $25 each. Other sites, like FanDuel and bet365, have almost identical welcome bonuses.
How to Claim Free Bets?
As you’ve seen, bonus bets can come in various forms, so claiming them will differ from site to site. However, in many cases, you must either deposit and place a bet or just place a bet to get the promotion. Here’s how that normally works:
Choose a Sports Betting Website
Visit the official sports betting site that offers the bonus bet promo you’re interested in.
Create an Account
Create an account by following the registration process, providing all the necessary personal details, and ensuring they are factual.
Verify Your Account
After registration, verify your account by inputting the code sent to your phone number.
Check T&C
Check the terms of the promotion, especially the minimum deposit requirement.
Make a Deposit
Deposit the required amount (or more, if you want to) and place the qualifying bet if that part is required.
Take Reward
The sports betting site will instantly reward you with a bonus bet token or tokens. You can then use the bonus bets to place wagers. Read the terms to ensure you’re placing the bet in accordance with the rules.
Advantages of Bonus Bets
Bonus bets come with a whole host of benefits, and it’s worth covering the leading ones:
- They are among the most common types of promotions licensed sportsbooks in the US offer.
- Many US sports betting sites offer bonus bets that require very little money (through depositing or betting) to claim.
- You effectively get more money to place bets, which is what you’re there to do in the first place.
- They are a great way for your initial deposited funds to take you further within the sportsbook.
- You get to place more bets without having to deposit more money.
Possible Terms and Conditions on Free Bets
Like all sports betting promotions, bonus bets always come with various terms and conditions you must respect, or you’ll forfeit the promo. Here are some of the most common and most crucial terms to pay attention to while reading the bonus terms:
– Requirements for claiming
Most bonus bets require a minimum deposit, minimum bet, or both. You need to meet the criteria to get the bonus bet. Sometimes, you also have to place a wager under specific conditions, usually a minimum odds requirement of -200 or -120.
– Time for completing the claiming requirements
You usually have to complete the requirements for getting the bonus bet promo in a specific timeframe, typically less than 30 days from registration, often only 14 days.
– Bonus bets don’t come with payouts
Bonus bets are rarely part of your winnings. In essence, if you use a $25 bonus bet and place a wager with +120 odds that passes, you will only get the $30 from the total $55 payout, excluding the $25 bonus bet value.
– Validity period
Bonus bets usually have a validity period, i.e., the number of days or hours they last. You need to use them before the period ends because the bonus bet will otherwise expire. For instance, bonus bets on DraftKings last for 7 days or 168 hours from the time they are added to your account.
– Restrictions on using bonus bets
You can’t always use the bonus bet tokens to place any type of bet. Specific market or event requirements are rare, but most sportsbooks won’t let you use them on parlays, including same-game parlays.
– State restrictions
Most sports betting sites offer bonus bet promos in the states they operate in. However, there are often exceptions, with some states getting a different offer or not getting one at all. That’s why it’s crucial to check in which states the offer is valid, which is always shown in the bonus terms.
FAQs about Free Bets
Sportsbooks moved away from the term due to regulations. The term free is problematic because the promotion is not technically free, as you still need to spend money, be it a deposit or wager, to get the bonus bet. Many sports betting sites in the US used the term risk-free bet, too, but moved to no sweat bet to avoid regulatory problems.
No, it’s not. A bonus bet is a form of credit worth the amount stated within the site. It has no real value, and you can only use it to place a bet. In most cases, the total payout from a wager placed with a bonus bet will only be the winnings you’ve made, not the winnings plus the bonus bet value.
No, you can’t. The bonus bet is awarded in a manner that the name suggests — a bonus bet you can use to place a wager. Once you do, and if you win from it, you’ll get to withdraw those winnings minus the bonus bet value. That’s unless you first have to complete a rollover requirement, i.e. wager through the winnings a certain number of times.
State laws vary on promotional offers, so not all sportsbooks provide bonus bets in every state.
If you win using a bonus bet, your payout includes only the winnings, not the original bonus value, depending on the T&C of the sportsbook.
