Sports Betting Bonuses

More about Sport Betting Bonuses

Who doesn’t love a bit of a boost while placing sports bets? Placing wagers on sports has become a global phenomenon, which is why all online bookies try to outdo the rest by giving players better bonuses.

Using promos when wagering on your favorite sport is the best way to get the most bang for your buck. But how do you choose the right one? There are plenty of sports betting bonuses – and we’re here to tell you more about each one!

Keep reading as we dive through the most common (and some less frequent) sports betting bonuses players can find in an online sportsbook. We’ll also share the steps to grab a deal, the terms and conditions you should watch out for, and a few helpful tips. Let’s roll.

Types of Sports Bonuses

From welcome bonuses to free bets and cashback, US online bookies try their best to offer fun bonuses that will give you more value for your money or keep coming back for more. But not every promo works the same, has the same T&Cs, or even is obtainable the same way. To help you understand, let’s go over the most common sports deals you can find on today’s online betting sites.

Welcome Bonus

The first bonus you’ll encounter is the welcome bonus. This offer is only available for new bettors upon registration. Think of it as a greeting once you join a brand.

The welcome bonus is often a deposit match of a certain percentage in the form of free bets. For example, it’s not uncommon to find a promotion of a 100% deposit match up to $100 with $20 in free bets. Sometimes, a welcome bonus can be just a deposit match or a free bet deal (we’ll talk about them below). Other bookies give out risk-free bets as part of their sign-up offer.

Overall, these deals are designed to allow you to take the first step and see how the platform works without risk (or at least minimize the risk). However, these promos almost always come with time limits and wagering requirements, which we’ll talk about later.

Deposit Match

A deposit match bonus is not that common at sportsbooks (though it’s surely the way to go in casinos). However, there are times when you’ll find standalone deposit match promos.

Let’s say the platform offers a 100% match deal of up to $100 for a minimum deposit of $20. This means if you deposit $25, you will get another $25 as a bonus, meaning you have a total of $50

Match deposits are sometimes tied to a promo code that you have to use to claim the deal. Less frequently, you may need to turn to customer support and grab the offer. It’s also not uncommon for match deposit sports bonuses to have strict requirements, such as game eligibility and time limitations.

Free Bets

Free bets are not just part of the welcome deal. You can find these as a regular offer on many sites. What does this bonus entail? Well, free bets are just what the name says. They’re designed to give you a chance to place a wager without using any of your own money. It’s basically playing with the bookie’s cash.

Because of their popularity, free bets often come with stricter rules as to how you can claim and use them. For instance, online sportsbooks can give you an offer of up to $100 in free bets, but you can’t claim them all at once. You have to place 5 x $10 bets to get a $20 bet, equalling $100.

Of course, you cannot cash these out but can only claim the winnings from these bets. And even then, they are likely to carry a rollover that you will need to clear before sending that withdrawal request.

Second Chance Bet

A second chance bet is also known as a risk-free bonus. As you may guess, these offers give punters another shot at their bet. Basically, when you lose your bet the first time, the sportsbook offers you another chance to win, this time using credits.

For example, if a bookie gives you a $50 risk-free bet, it means that once you play your first round of $50 and lose, you will get $50 in bonus credits that you can use to bet again. If you place a $20 bet and lose, don’t expect to see $50 back, though.

Although this type of sportsbook betting bonus sounds great, note that the funds you get back are not cash but bonus money. What that means is that your credited funds can not be withdrawn right away. Instead, you have to play through them, go over the wagering requirements while being mindful of any other T&Cs, and then take out your winnings.

Weekly Cash Bonus

Some sportsbooks give their regular players bonuses that can extend their gameplay on a weekly level. The weekly cash bonuses are promotions that give bettors extra balance to play with by fulfilling a certain requirement every week.

These bonuses can be anything from cashback to free bets. For instance, a sportsbook can offer bettors $50 free bets every week if they wager at least $50 on a sports event during the promotional period.

Note that weekly bonuses can also be flat rewards tied to loyalty or promo campaigns, not necessarily tied to betting amounts.

Refer a Friend

Friend referral is a deal that allows you to get rewards when your friends join the site (and deposit and bet a predefined sum).

First, you need to invite your friends, and they need to sign up. As mentioned, the majority will ask that your friend first deposit so that you can both receive some perks. This is mostly in the form of free bets or cash credits.

There are operators that have limits to how many people you can bring with your referral code, while others don’t impose any limits. The credits you do win from this type of deal also come with rollover.

Parlay Insurance

If your betting style includes parlay bets, then parlay insurance bonuses are the right fit for you. These promotions are similar to the second chance bet with only one difference: you get the bonus if your losing betting slip is a parlay bet.

The way these work is if you have a 5-leg parlay and win 4 but lose 1, you’re eligible for the bonus. Just like with a second chance bet, you won’t receive a cash bonus but rather bonus credits that you can use to place another bet.

Profit Boost

A profit boost bonus increases your winnings by a certain percentage. For example, let’s say you’re certain that the Bengals can beat the Cowboys, so you place a $50 bet at +200 odds with a 20% boost. If this happens, you not only get the reward from your bet but also an added 20% to the net profits!

However, know that sportsbooks don’t usually allow this bonus to be placed on any game. At some online bookies, you’ll have to place the bet on predetermined betting slips or events.

Cashback

Cashback bonuses are a real treat for bookies who aim to reach high. If you’re a high-stakes bettor, cashback can bring some of the losses back. As the name suggests, these bonuses don’t give you the funds before you start betting but after you lose.

Sportsbooks usually give better cashback bonuses to the most loyal players. However, that’s not to say that regular bettors don’t get a piece of the cake. You can grab a cashback bonus of, say, 10%, so when you lose, you can at least regain something – if you lose $100, you will get $10 back.

Note here that cashback bonuses are often tied to a certain type of game or match. Yet, some online sportsbooks will allow you to use the offer (especially if you’re a VIP member) for any event.

VIP Program

For those who play frequently, the operator offers special perks – all available in the VIP program. A VIP program or club is a group of people that get offered special promotions as a way of a thank you for betting on that sportsbook.

Entering a VIP program depends on the operator; some will add you to the program upon registration, and you will have to bet more to climb the tiers, while others send out a special invitation to a selected few.

Within a VIP club, bettors get the same type of promotions as regular sportsbook members, only slightly better (depending on their level). For instance, if a regular cashback is 10%, a member at the highest tier in a VIP program can get up to 30% or more.

Bonus Terms You Should Know

Finding a sports betting bonus is simple, but choosing the right one can pose a challenge. You may even encounter promotions that say one thing on the banner but show you an entirely different picture once you claim them. This is where reading the fine print and T&Cs comes into play.

Here are a few bonus terms and conditions you should always pay attention to or look for before claiming the promo:

• Rollover (WR)
  It’s rare for bonuses to come without wagering requirements. This is the amount of times you need to play through your winnings obtained with bonus credits (and sometimes the deposit amount) to be able to cash them out. An average rollover is around 10x, so if you’ve won $10, you have to wager $100 to be able to take your winnings home.
• Expiration date
  Every bonus has an expiration date. Welcome bonuses are usually tied to a 7-day limit, while other promotions may last longer, such as 2 weeks or a month.
• Minimum and maximum bets
  This requirement lets you know how much you can bet on a single game. Some bonuses may seem like they have excellent rewards, but their maximum bets will be very low. A minimum of $5 and a maximum of $150 are good terms.
• Minimum deposit
  It’s essential to know how much you need to deposit to claim the bonus. A minimum deposit is the threshold that will allow you to claim the promo. The limit can be as low as $5 or as high as $25 or more.
• Eligible sports and markets
  Not every bonus is available for every game or market. Before you claim it, check which sports you can use it on and what bets you can place. Some bonuses will be available for different markets but only for one game, while others may allow more sports events but have fewer markets.
• Minimum odds
  Most promotions can only be used on markets with predetermined odds. Every market will have different odds, but in general, the minimum is 2.00 (+100 in American odds).
• Cashout limits
  Always remember to check if the sportsbook has limits on how much you can withdraw. Some operators may impose fees once you go over a set limit, while others won’t permit the withdrawal at all.
• Payment methods
  This may come as a surprise, but some payment options are not eligible for bonuses. Skrill and Neteller are usually excluded from bonus eligibility, but there are other exceptions, too. For instance, some operators may offer crypto-exclusive deals, meaning you can’t use fiat currencies to claim these perks.
• Overlapping deals
  In 99% of the cases, bonuses cannot be stacked. This means that if you already have claimed a promo and haven’t fully used up the extra credits, you are not eligible for another deal.

Note that these are the most common pitfalls that players fail to understand when claiming promos. But there’s much more to it, like state restrictions, one account per household rules, verified identity, payment method checks, and much more.

How to Claim a Sports Betting Bonus

You can’t really claim every deal the same way, but these are the general steps that can give you a good picture of how you can do it:

Find a Sportsbook and Register

The first step is always the same – select a legal and trustworthy sportsbook and register. Follow the sign-up instructions, add all the necessary information, and create an account with the operator.

Check the Promo Section

Once you have an account, go to the promo section. This can have a different name, but in most cases, you can find it as “Promotions.” Note that some sportsbooks are also casinos, so their promotions might be all in one place. You can either look for tabs that separate them or search for keywords like “sports betting” or a sports event.

Choose a Bonus

When you get into the promotional section of the sportsbook, browse the options at hand. Choose the most enticing one and go over the T&Cs. If they’re acceptable, click to claim the promo. In some cases, the eligible promos will show up at the Cashier.

Deposit

Every promotion will require a minimum deposit. So, once you choose to claim it, you’ll need to top up your account with the predetermined amount. You’ll be guided to your Cashier and into the Deposit section. Choose the payment method that works best for you and follow the instructions to complete the transaction.

Start Betting

The last step is to start using the bonus. Don’t forget to pay attention to the terms and conditions so you don’t encounter any problems when it comes time to withdraw your winnings.

Watch all steps

NOTE: These steps don’t cover details such as promo codes, activation methods, or how some bonuses are applied automatically versus requiring manual opt-in. If you need to do any of these extra steps, the operator will clearly display this in the bonus banners.

Tips & Tricks for Sports Betting Bonuses

We can’t call this a guide if we don’t share a few tips and tricks with you. Here’s what we’ve retained so far when it comes to claiming sports betting bonuses:

• T&C Supremacy: T&Cs come over everything else. It doesn’t matter how good a bonus might look on the outside; once you read the T&Cs, you’ll know whether it really is a good deal or not. If the promotion doesn’t have T&Cs, open the general terms and look for the bonus T&Cs.
• Numbers Can Lie: Sometimes, the bonuses with the highest numbers are, in fact, a bad idea. The bigger the bonus, the more complex and unrealistic the terms are. Instead of going for quantity, look for bonuses with quality – promotions that would give you more rewards for less money.
• Bet Around: Don’t stick to one sport – try different options! Sportsbook bonuses are there to help elevate and simplify your game time, so why use them on only one sport? The more sports an operator offers, the more options you have to win.
• Try Different Promos: From free bets to cashback, you have a lot of options on your plate. Although using one or two perks can help you get familiar with their ins and outs, the wider you throw your net, the bigger the chances to catch something big. Give different promotions a shot and use multiple bonuses at different sportsbooks available in your state – there’s no rule you can’t be a member of different bookies at the same time.

Wrap-Up

Sports betting bonuses are a great way to boost your bankroll, but only if you know which ones to claim and how to use them. From free bets to welcome offers and VIP programs for the most frequent bettors, sportsbooks are sure to give you a variety of options. It’s up to you to decide which one fits your style.

Always check the T&Cs before claiming the promotion, stick to fair and responsible gambling, and choose a sports operator that values transparency.

Once you have those boxes checked, you can dive into the world of sports betting with extra funds!