Most people have heard of free bets when signing up for online betting sites. They have become one of the big perks of online casino gambling, as users, effectively are given free money. The question of how to use free bets is one which less experienced online players may not be able to answer.
A free bet gives players a chance to place a bet without any risk to themselves and to get paid out the net winnings if their bet wins. With a free bet, you don’t have to contribute to the stake yourself. Doing it this way means the stake does not get refunded to you with your winnings.
Sign-up bonus
Free bets worth thousands of pounds are available from reputable online casinos at any given time. Most sites give new players a free bet when they first open an account. It seems amazing that casinos and bookmakers offer free bets – actually giving away money. While it benefits the players, it also benefits the casinos, as the free bets encourage people to sign up and play.
Once players have used the free bet, they are likely to deposit money into their account to carry on using the casino. The idea is that players attracted by the free bet and will continue to play there in future.
There can be different terms and conditions attached to the free bets, but regardless of this, they are still advantageous for players. Some sites make it easier than others to claim free bets. They give away money in return for signing up, and you may not even have to deposit any money into your account first.
Other sites may state that players must use their free bet winnings to place more bets before they will payout. Doing so means if you won using your free bet, you wouldn’t be able to cash out any winnings – you would have to spend them on the site to play more games, or place more bets.
How to qualify
Usually, to qualify for a free bet, players will need to follow several steps. First, you will have to open an account online with the casino or bookmaker. Sometimes, you may need an ID to verify your details.
You will then need to register a valid payment method, and in most cases, you must deposit into your account. Some sites require you to spend the money on placing a bet and will give you free cash, depending on how much money you spend yourself. For example, if you spend £30 and the casino has pledged to provide you with a 100% bonus, they will match your payment and give you £30 free cash, so you will have £60 with which to play.
If you’ve shopped around and managed to find sites where you’re given a free bonus literally just for signing up, you will be able to use your free bets on the site. Either take advantage of a special offer – such as free spins on the slots – or place a bet on a sporting event.
Before cashing in your free bet, read the terms and conditions and make sure you understand the offer. The main thing to check for is whether there are any playthrough requirements.
Free bet restrictions
There may be playthrough requirements with bets that appear very generous at first sight. These requirements mean players will have to place some additional bets – often to a certain value – before any winnings from their free bet are eligible to be paid out. If this is the case, the easiest way to work out the true value of the free bet is to multiply the amount of the free bet by the number of times you must bet its full value, using your own money.
For example, if you get awarded a £100 free bet, but you must place three other bets to its full value before being paid out, you’ll have to spend £300 of your own money before any winnings from your free bet get paid into your account. The rules differ from site to site.
There may also be geographical restrictions for the free bets. Look out on the site for a list of countries where the free bet is applicable, or not. If there are no geographical restrictions listed, you can generally assume the free bet applies to everyone.
The simplest way to use a free bet is to double your bankroll. If you have an idea for a bet, you may as well place it on a site where your money will multiply.
