The Best Betting Sign-up Offers & Free Bets – Betting Bonuses Explained

Last updated: by Leon Marshal

Betting bonuses and free bets are the basis of online betting. New players for choosing a specific bookie are rewarded for doing so. See our selection of best betting offers.

Top 6 Betting Bonuses & Free Bets
BookmakerMax AmountExtra InfoRatingSecure LinkT&C
Top OddsRequirements: Code: Validity: 14 days5.0 out of 5Full T&Cs Apply! Please gamble responsibly. 18+
£10Requirements: Odds 1/1 + Code: Validity: 14 days4.9 out of 5Full T&Cs Apply! 18+, Welcome Bonus: New Players only, 1st Deposit, Min Deposit,: £10, max £10 free bet valid for 14 days, bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. System bets not eligible. Neteller,Skrill and Paypal not eligible.
x2 OddsRequirements: Odds 1/2 + Code: Validity: 60 days4.8 out of 5Full T&Cs Apply! Offer applies to Sport bets only. Maximum total stake is £10. Each way bets are a maximum of £5 each way (£10 total stake). Exclusive to new members. 18+
£10Requirements: Odds 3/1 + Code: Validity: 7 days4.7 out of 5Full T&Cs Apply! min odds 3/1 (4.00) / min 3 selections / free bet valid 7 days / T&C apply / 18+ / Begambleaware.
Get £30Requirements: Odds 1/5 + Code: Validity: 30 days4.6 out of 5Full T&Cs Apply! For new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required. 18+ Begambleaware.org
Get £20Requirements: Odds 1/2 + Code: Validity: 4 days4.6 out of 5Full T&Cs Apply! 18+ New UK+IRE customers only. PayPal and certain deposit types excluded. Min £5 bet within 14 days of account registration at min odds 1/2 = 4 x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 4 days on sports, stake not returned, restrictions apply.
Get £10Requirements: Odds 1/1 + Code: Validity: 14 days4.6 out of 5Full T&Cs Apply! 18+, Welcome Bonus: New Players only, 1st Deposit, Min Deposit: £10, max £15 free bet valid for 14 days, bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. System bets not eligible.
Get £30Requirements: Odds 1/2 + Code: Validity: 30 days4.6 out of 5Full T&Cs Apply! New online customers only, min £10/€10 stake, win only, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 3 X £10/€10, 30 day expiry, free bet/payment method/player/country restrictions apply.
Last Updated on 14 March 2024  by Chief Editor Leon Marshal
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What is a Welcome Bonus?

A new customer betting offer is only available once, when you first sign up. They are a type of bonus given to you when you register. They are offered by a bookie to entice new players to join them, over another competitor. The good thing for you is that you can sign up to different bookies to take advantage of this.


There are four main bonus types at the top UK betting sites. Depending on which site you choose, you will encounter on of the following when registering:

  1. Free Bets
  2. Matched Deposit Bonus
  3. Enhanced Odds
  4. Insurance Offers

Free Bets

Free bets are the best betting sign-up offers. The vast majority of online betting sites offer their welcome bonuses in the form of a free bet. The operator will usually take the amount of your first wager and hand you a free token with the same value. Of course, the free money won’t be available for withdrawal before you meet the set wagering requirements for the offer in question.

Sometimes the bookmaker can opt to split your free bet, like 888sport to do with their Welcome Bonus which offers three £10 free bets. Most of the time the offer comes in one piece, though. Among our featured operators, bet365 has the most lucrative free bet for new customers.

The Best Free Bet Offer: bet365 – bet £10 get £30 in free bets

How to Claim:To claim this free bet, you need to deposit £10 with an eligible payment method, then place a bet at odds of 1/5. You will then be credited with you free bets.

Pros/Cons: The good thing about this welcome offer is that it is flexible. You can deposit anything between £5-10, then get three times that amount. You can then use your “bet credits” any way you want. One £30, three £10 bets, six £5 bets etc. This is an usual offer.

bet365 Free Bet Offer: Bet £10 Get £30 In Free Bets Visit Site! Full T&Cs Apply! For new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required. 18+ Begambleaware.org

Matched Deposit Bonuses

These bonuses are not widespread in the online betting world, but they are still valuable. These types of new customer betting offers usually work with a match of your initial deposit of up to X amount up to a certain amount, either 50% or 100%. For example, a betting site would offer 100% up to £100, giving you £100 in free bets when you deposit £100. These bonuses, often sound better than they are. Often times, they come with more wagering restrictions than their free bet counterparts.

The Best Matched Deposit Sign-up Offer: 10bet – 50% up to £50 Deposit Match

How to Claim: In order to claim this matched deposit, you need to deposit a minimum of £15. Then, you will receive a 50% deposit match in free bet tokens. This can be up to £50. So, if you deposit £100, you will receive £50.

Pros/Cons: This bonus is good for those with a bigger bankroll and turnover, giving the biggest bonus amount for new players. However, the wagering requirements of 8 times in 60 days, means that you need to spend a bit in order to actually be able to claim it.

10bet Deposit Match Offer: 50% up to £50 on initial deposit Visit Site! Full T&Cs Apply! 18+ begambleaware.org; New bettors get 50% of deposit up to £50; Once per household; Min deposit £15 (no Skrill/Neteller); Wager a total of 8 times deposit + bonus, with max qualifying bet stake equal to your initial bonus amount; Bonus expires after 60 days; Min odds of 4/5 on singles, or 2/5 per leg for acca; Some bet types excluded.

Enhanced Odds

Enhanced odds are a very popular form of betting bonuses. They give you and odds boost to a specific betting market. They are more generally associated with ongoing promotions and are offered on an ad-hoc basis. They will usually be associated with a big Premier League game, or even a big horse racing betting event like the Grand National. An example would be a boost for Man City to beat Man United, from 2/5 favourites, to now being offered at 5/1.

The Best Enhanced Odds Betting Offer: Grosvenor – x2 Odds on First Bet

How to Claim: In order to claim this enhanced odds sign-up offer, you simply have to register and receive an odds boost token. This can then be applied to any sports bet with a total stake of £10. If you bet less than that, you forfeit the remaining amount of the token.

Pros/Cons: This is an excellent offer for those who like odds boosts. You can place it on any sport, which means you have more choice than the normal odds boosts offers that are restricted to a specific event. Even so, the amount you gain here is pretty low in comparison to other betting bonuses.

Grosvenor Enhanced Odds Offer: x2 odds on first bet Visit Site! Full T&Cs Apply! Offer applies to Sport bets only. Maximum total stake is £10. Each way bets are a maximum of £5 each way (£10 total stake). Exclusive to new members. 18+

Insurance Offers

These promotions fall under the ongoing offers criteria, and they are being updated pretty frequently. Bookies with the most comprehensive betting bonuses will offer insurance for almost everything, from if a certain player scores in a game to if your horse is beaten by a head or less. They all work in a similar fashion. If your bet loses and the bonus condition is met, the stake you’ve placed will be returned to you in the form of a free bet.

The Best Insurance Offers: William Hill

William Hill is a great bookmaker in terms of available refunds. There are three regular promotions for football betting that you can take advantage from. ACCA Insurance, Goalscorer 2nd chance and Bore Draw Insurance will return all losing wagers if your accumulator lets you down by just one leg, your first goalscorer pick grabs not the game’s first, but the second and the game ends goalless respectively.

See How Insurance Offers Work: Find a suitable game at william hill for refunds Find a game that offers refunds The game ends without goals The game ends without any goals scored You get your william hill refund You will get your balance refunded


Best Betting Offers for Existing Customers

Football and horse racing are the two markets that attract the biggest number of punters, both online and at the retail betting shops. That’s why the availability of numerous special promotions for them is completely natural. Acca bonuses for football, and best odds guaranteed for horse racing, are two most popular.

Football: Acca Boosts/Insurance

Similar to the enhanced odds offer, acca boosts are usually applied as a percentage on top of the offered odds of your accumulator bet. These will be so-called ‘extra winnings’ given if your acca comes through. An acca insurance is usually if one leg fails, you get your stake back. We’ve all been there, waiting on the final game and it loses. So, this kind of insurance does provide some scant consolation.

Horse Racing: Best Odds Guaranteed

Horse racing betting is so competitive, bookies often go to extremes, hoping to get more players. That is the case with the ‘Best Odds Guaranteed’ promotions that you can find at BetVictor and other operators. When you bet on any race (including early prices, board prices, singles, and multiples) and the SP returns bigger, you will be paid the higher odds.


How We Assess Betting Bonuses & Sign-Up Offers

To help our readers choose the best betting bonuses, free bets, & other sign up offers, we judge them on a set list of criteria. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Wagering Requirements: The most important aspect. The wagering requirements must be fair. E.g. you should not have to place 10 bets in order to receive your funds. Industry standard is one qualifying bet.
  • Restricted Deposit Methods: We recommend bonuses that allow flexibility in deposit choice. Some operators limit the payment options when claiming a bonus.
  • Betting Options: Some bonuses are restricted to certain markets and sports. We recommend bonuses that offer more flexibility so you can bet on your preferred sport.
  • Bonus Amount: A bigger bonus is nice. However, it must be realistic. We check the T&Cs to make sure the amount on advertised actually is what is on offer.
  • UKGC Licence: Naturally, it is integral that the bookie has a valid UKGC licence. Otherwise, potential issues regarding payouts could arise. UKGC offers strong player protection.

Bonus Terms and Conditions

In order to fully understand a betting bonus, you have to check each offer’s terms and conditions separately. All we can say is that it is integral you check and understand what you are signing up for in order for you to receive the bonus without issue.

Common terms and conditions to look out for are:

  • Wagering requirements – how many times you need to bet before withdrawing winnings
  • Minimum odds of qualifying bet
  • Minimum deposit
  • Restricted payment/deposit methods
  • Expiration date (validity)
  • Market restrictions
  • Only one account per IP (e.g. only one person per household)
  • Maximum winnings
  • Minimum stake
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Conclusion

There are a number of betting bonuses and free bets available. We update our best betting sign up offers list frequently. Remember, when choosing a bonus or free bet it’s not just the amount that is important. We have summarised this page below. Before signing up, always check the terms and conditions and enjoy your experience!

  • New customer betting offers include free bets and matched deposits
  • Ongoing betting bonuses include enhanced odds and insurance bets
  • Always check the terms and conditions of any betting bonus

FAQs

Here is a quick questions and answers session about betting bonuses. It clarifies some situations you may experience and gives you some additional eligibility information.

What makes a bonus offer good?

Simply put, an offer with fair terms and conditions, with a solid bonus amount is what you should look out for. After that, it is personal choice. Some punters may prefer the freedom that deposit bonuses grant them. Others are happy with free bet's instant 'Win or Lose' nature. For some it may be bonus amount or the wagering terms that are of biggest importance.

Can I get a welcome bonus more than once?

Unfortunately you can't do that. All new customer betting offers are limited to just one per customer. The restrictions are the same for household address, family, telephone number and credit/debit card, so you won't be able to get one on behalf of your wife / husband. Sorry about that. However, nobody can stop you from setting accounts with different betting sites and getting their respective promotions. There are several on this page that are worth to be seen.

On what sports can I use my welcome bonus?

Betting bonuses can usually be used on all pre-match and in-play markets, unless it's stated otherwise. To be sure of that, please check out the specific terms and conditions for the promotion that interests you.

Are there any age restrictions for the bookmaker bonuses?

Yes, and they are the same as the ones, regarding registration. In order to get advantage of any promotion or betting sign up offers, you have to be at least 18 years old.

Can a UK citizen claim a welcome bonus while living abroad?

This is not possible. The bonus offers that we promote are available exclusively for residents the UK, no matter what their nationality is. That means all UK citizens that live abroad are not entitled to these betting bonuses. However, an operator may offer a bonus for the country you are in, but you will need an account for that specific country.


References

  1. UK Gambling Commission
  2. UK Gambling Commission (2023). “Consumer experiences and attitudes to Free Bets & Bonuses.” UK Gambling Commission. Available at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/about-us/guide/consumer-experiences-and-attitudes-to-free-bets-and-bonuses (Accessed: 11 December 2023)
  3. Hing, N., Browne, M., Russell, A.M.T. et al. (2019) “Where’s the Bonus in Bonus Bets? Assessing Sports Bettors’ Comprehension of their True Cost.” J Gambl Stud 35, 587–599. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-018-9800-0
  4. Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS)