This page has been checked for accuracy by Adam Dickinson. Adam is our resident fact checker and has over five years of experience working in the gambling industry, including roles at PlayOJO, Betway and Entain plc.
Claim some of the best free bet offers for new and existing players with our recommended bookies for betting bonuses. Simply compare, pick your favourite and bet!
New Customer Offer Minimum deposit £10. Place a £10+ bet on football of odds 1/1 (2.00) or greater to receive your £30 in football free bets once qualifying bet is settled. Free bets valid for 7 days. £10 Casino bonus will be credited the day after you have deposited. Casino bonus must be wagered at least 35x before any withdrawals can take place. Full T&Cs apply. #AD 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. begambleaware.org
New Customer Offer Min deposit £/€/$10 • A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £/€/$10 • Min odds 1/2 (1.50) • Free Bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days • Free Bet stakes not included in returns • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days • To withdraw bonus/related wins, wager the bonus amount 40 times within 14 days • Casino Bonus expires after 60 days • Withdrawal restrictions, payment methods, country & Full T&C’s apply. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. begambleaware.org
New Customer Offer Opt in. Min. Odds Evs, Max. £10 stake, Max. additional profit £100. Skrill and Neteller deposits are not eligible 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. begambleaware.org
New Customer Offer Double the odds. Bet must be placed using real money in combination with the Odds Boost Token. Offer applies to Sport bets only. £10 Max stake. Each way bets are a maximum of £5 each way (£10 total stake). Extra winnings are paid in cash. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. begambleaware.org
New Customer Offer Full T&C’s Apply. New customers on mobile only. 7 days to claim and stake £10 minimum bet at odds of 1.5 or greater to qualify. Free, void, cashed out or partially cashed out bets do not qualify. Qualifying bet must be a Win Single (min odds 1.5 or bigger. Profit Boosts, Each Way and Multiple bets for the qualifying bet are not accepted) Max 3x £10 free bets credited on bet settlement. Free bets must be used on 4 or more selections with selection odds of 1.3 or greater. Free bets are non-withdrawable and stake not returned with winnings. 7 day expiry. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. begambleaware.org
New Customer Offer New Players Only. Minimum stake $/€/£ 10, minimum odds1.5, stake not returned.1X wagering the winnings from the free bet. Wagering occurs from real balance first. Wagering requirement is calculated on bonus bets only, wagering starts from real funds. Free bet is valid for 7 Days from issue. Max conversion: $/€/£ 200. Excluded Skrill deposits. Withdrawal requests voids all active/pending bonuses. Full Terms Apply 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. begambleaware.org
New Customer Offer 18+ | New UK players only | Min deposit req. £10 | Certain deposit methods excluded | Place 1 sport bet (3+ selections) | Excl Horse Racing | Min stake £10 | Max stake £20 | Min Odds 2/1 (3.0) | Max FreeBet £20 for football only | FreeBet valid for 7 days | FreeBet stake not returned | T&Cs apply 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. begambleaware.org
New Customers Offer Min. deposit £15; Bonus amount 50% of deposit up to £50; Wager deposit and bonus 8x within 60 days; 4/5 Min. single odds or 2/5 min. acca selection odds; Max. stake contribution equal to the initial bonus; Certain bet types and payment methods excluded 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. begambleaware.org
New Customer Offer 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. T&Cs apply 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. begambleaware.org
New Customer Offer Min wagering on sport £15. Max one £10 free bet. Qualifying bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater. Paid as bonus token with min 4/5 odds req. Selected payment methods only. Bet expires after 14 days of being credited 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. begambleaware.org
With the online sportsbook marketplace becoming even more competitive as new betting sites enter the fray each month, bettors are being bombarded with free bet offers, new bonuses and promo codes like never before. Every bookie wants you to sign up with them, but there’s just not enough time in the day to give them all a go. Fortunately, you won’t have to.
There are a bunch of welcome bonus offers out there, but there are also a few promotions for existing players too. Whether you’re looking to grab a bonus at a top football betting site, or want a bonus for betting on tennis, our quick guide to sports betting bonuses will give you everything you need to know to pick out the best bonus for you. Once you’re done, you can choose from our list of best betting sites – we’ve only picked out the best on the market.
Bet365 welcomes new players with up to £100 in bet credits. To unlock this bonus, you’ll need to make a minimum £5 first deposit. The site will then match that deposit in bet credits when you settle a qualifying bet of the same value. Existing members are also catered for at Bet365. Ongoing promotions for various sports include football and tennis accumulator bonuses which can boost your acca winnings up to 70%, and early payout offers for football, the NBA and MLB. With these, you’ll get single bets paid out if your team goes ahead by a specified margin of goals or points.
Coral’s new customer incentive provides £20 in free bets if you deposit and make a £5 qualifying bet on any sport. The bonus funds are awarded as 4 x £5 free bets, so you can dabble in various markets without putting more of your own money on the line. Coral also has some ongoing bonuses for returning customers to enjoy. With horse racing markets, for example, there’s a daily free bet up to £10 if your horse finishes a length or less than the winner. Football fans, meanwhile, can try ‘Correct4’, where you can win up to £50 if you correctly predict outcomes relating to a specific match.
888Sport is one of three gambling verticals offered under the illustrious 888 wing. There are plenty of promotions available, including £5 free bets when your wager wins at odds of 4/1 or bigger, daily odds boosts, best odds guaranteed on horse racing, and loads more. Customers can also create their own wagers with the bet builder feature, and watch the action taking place via 888’s live streaming facility. In addition to this, there’s a £5 free bet up for grabs every week when punters join the Acca Club. New members will receive £30 in free bets when they sign-up and wager £10, as well as a £10 casino bonus to use on their favourite games. Potential punters should be aware, however, that this bonus comes with wagering requirements of 40x.
There’s a 100% up to £100 matched deposit bonus up for grabs if you sign up as a new customer at MansionBet. A minimum bet of £10 is required and there’s also a 10x wagering requirement which applies to the bonus amount plus your deposit amount. When it comes to existing customers, MansionBet lays out bonuses tied to specific events. For example, you are awarded £10 free bets each day you make a minimum number of in-play wagers on the French Open. Horse racing fans can also look forward to their own rewards, with a £5 free bet for every 3/1+ winner backed on selected weekend races, and £25 cashback if their horse is beaten by a head or less in selected races.
Join Betfred and make a qualifying bet of at least £10, and the site will give you £30 in free bets when the bet is settled. As with our other top recommended UK sportsbooks, existing customers have bonuses on the menu too. Betfred’s ‘Double Delight’ and ‘Hat Trick Heaven’ promotions provide potential winnings boosts if your chosen player scores two or three goals respectively. These bonuses come in both pre-match and in-play varieties. If accumulators are your thing, you can opt-in for Betfred’s 5-fold acca insurance, which pays you back up to £10 in free bet credits if you lose by one selection.
New members at STS Bet can kick things off with £30 in free bets when they deposit and wager £10 of their own cash. This bonus credit comes in the form of three separate £10 free bets and can be used on single sporting events or accumulators in both in-play and pre-match markets, provided the wager has minimum odds of 1/2. Players will need to use the bonus code SBW30 to unlock the welcome offer, and there are no wagering requirements on any winnings gained via the free bets. Existing customers can also capitalise on enhanced accas and boosted odds in a range of betting markets.
What we like:
No wagering requirements on free bet winnings
Enhanced accas and boosted odds available
Free bets available to use on single, acca, pre-match and in-play markets
What we don't:
Deposits with Neteller, Skrill, ecoPayz, MuchBetter and Rapid Transfer all excluded from the welcome offer
Horse racing fans might want to consider 10Bet, where best odds are guaranteed on all events, and punters will receive their money back as a free bet if their horse loses by a neck or less. 10Bet also offers an acca boost up to 50% on bet slips that have three legs or more. Before you sample 10Bet’s huge range of betting markets, there’s a 50% up to £50 welcome bonus available, unlocked by a minimum deposit of £15 and a PLAY10 bonus code. Bets placed using bonus funds must be placed on events with minimum odds of 4/5 for singles and 2/5 for accumulators. The wagering requirements are quite steep at 8x the deposit and bonus, but punters will have 60 days to fulfil them.
Through BetTarget’s Bet Battle feature, customers can compete with other members, placing on leaderboards and winning additional prizes on successful wagers. At the time of writing, there are dedicated battles for Premier League and European football events, though this will regularly change. New members will be offered a £10 free bet when they sign up and wager £15 of their own – this free bet can be used on single or acca markets, but must be wagered on odds of evens or higher. There are no wagering requirements of this welcome offer, but deposits made with PayPal, Skrill, Neteller and Paysafecard are excluded.
What we like:
Bet Battle for extra prizes
No wagering requirements on welcome offer
Target Tip offers exclusive betting insights
What we don't:
Lots of payment methods excluded from welcome bonus
At the time of writing, Bet Storm offers specific promos on football, cricket, rugby, tennis, horse racing, basketball, F1, MMA, darts, table tennis, ice hockey, volleyball and esports events – and some of these sports will be able to enjoy via the site’s live stream. This is a first-class range of promotions, offering punters the chance to wager in the sport they’re most familiar with. New members can claim £10 in free bets when depositing £10 of their own, and these must be placed on events with minimum odds of 1/2. Those taking part will need to wager their winnings 1x and will have seven days to do so. Bet Storm’s Wager Wars feature also allows punters to place on leaderboards in a bid to win additional cash prizes.
What we like:
Live streaming available
Loads of promos targeted at wide variety of sports
One of the best things about Luckster is that this betting site offers customers the chance to boost their acca odds by up to 77% on some pre-match markets. There’s a £10 free bet on offer once you’ve deposited and wagered your own £10, and this welcome offer comes with no wagering requirements and requires bets to be placed on events with minimum odds of 1/1.
Mr Play members can take part in a bid to win £300 on every Premier League and European match week, and there’s a cash reward for every participant that finishes in the top 20 of that week’s leaderboard. These leaderboards are more broadly available in other sporting markets too, with £1 of your wagers counting towards your leaderboard score if you so please. Mr Play also offers a bet boost on accas with a minimum of four stakes; this begins with a 4% boost, rising all the way to 77% for accas with 15 legs. By way of the welcome bonus, new members can bet £10 and receive a £10 free bet, which must be used on events with minimum odds of 1/1. Unfortunately, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill and Paysafecard deposits are all excluded from this welcome bonus, but there are no wagering requirements on any winnings.
Live streaming is one of the hallmarks of a great betting site, and Unibet offers this facility to its members, which means you can witness the action in real time from the Unibet site. The welcome bonus is offered as your money back if your first bet loses, requiring a minimum bet of £10. This comes with a wagering requirement of 3x, and Unibet will also chuck in a £10 bonus to use on the site’s online casino. Existing members will be able to make use of a range of other promotions too, including best odds guaranteed on all horse racing events and daily odds boosts on tennis events. Oh, and there’s £150 up for grabs for anyone who refers a friend to sign up.
Newcomers to Ladbrokes who place a £5 minimum bet on any sport will enjoy £20 in free bets. The welcome bonus is awarded as 4 x £5 bets, so you can try wagering on a few different events with this offer. Once you’ve settled in, numerous promos keep things interesting, including a daily odds boost on any sport. You might use yours on the footie with the ‘Best Ever Acca’ promotion, which also has features like edit your bet, early cash out, and a free bet back up to £10 if one selection lets your acca down.
Betfair serves up a couple of exciting welcome offers for new members. For starters, you can claim £30 in free bets by making a minimum £10 bet on the sportsbook. Plus, you can claim a risk-free £20 bet for trying out the Betfair Exchange. Just place your bet and, if it loses, you’ll receive a cash refund. The exchange is an exciting feature on the Betfair website that allows you to bet against other customers rather than against the bookmaker. It’s well worth trying out, and this offer allows you to do just that without risking any of your hard-earned cash.
What we like:
Generous bonus offers
Chance to bet against other punters
Football acca builder with cash-out option
What we don't:
Only debit cards or Apple Pay qualify for welcome bonus offers
BetVictor welcomes new customers with a choice of three offers. The first is a £30 welcome bonus, which is paid as 2 x £10 free bets and a £10 slots bonus in exchange for placing a minimum £5 bet on sports. The second welcome bonus flips things around and asks for your bet to be a maximum of £5. If your wager wins, BetVictor will triple your returns, up to £300 and paid in free bets. Option number three is perfect for racing fans. A £10 minimum bet earns you 3 x £10 free bets, along with the £10 slots bonus for the BetVictor online casino as before.
What we like:
Choice of welcome bonuses
Best odds guaranteed on horse and greyhound racing
In-play betting on various sports
What we don't:
Max winnings caps on all bonuses
Only debit cards qualify
Types of Bonuses
Types of Sports Betting Bonuses
Let’s explore the various bonuses you’ll encounter at UK betting sites.
Matched Deposits
The matched deposit bonus, which is also often used by online casinos, is also a popular sportsbook offer. It’s very straightforward in that a bettor makes a deposit and it will be matched (up to a certain amount) by the bookmaker. You might find a bookie that welcomes you with an offer of 100% matched first deposit up to £100, for example, which basically doubles your initial qualifying bet. Sounds great, right?
There is almost always a wagering requirement attached to a matched deposit bonus, which will need to be cleared before you can bank this money and any winnings made from it. Wagering requirements involve betting the value of the bonus, the qualifying bet, or a combination of the two a set number of times before you claim your winnings. It’s best to remember that full terms and conditions apply when investing in a matched deposit.
Matched deposits are regularly seen at online casinos, but less so at bookmakers. These bonuses see the bookie match your deposit at a certain percentage within an agreed limit to boost your bonus balance.
Matched Bets
Matched bets are largely the same as matched deposits. The only difference here is that the bookmaker will credit new customers with their bonus funds once they’ve placed your first bet, rather than making your first deposit.
One example of a current matched bet comes from Luckster, where players making their first bet of £10 will receive another £10 to wager on the site – no wagering requirements attached.
New Customer Offer New customers only. 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. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. begambleaware.org
Free Bets
This is probably the most popular betting bonus on the market – you’ll find a free bet offer at almost every top bookie. It’s nice and simple – all you need to do is place a qualifying bet at (or above) the minimum stake amount and at odds greater than a specified amount. For example, you may be offered the chance to bet £10 and get a £10 free bet.
One clear benefit of a free bet to new customers is that it gives you a lot more flexibility with your initial bet. If the first bet doesn’t land a winner, you’ll can still make a free bet stake later down the line.
We like BetTarget’s current free bet welcome offer of bet £15, get a £10 free bet. This comes with no wagering requirements but must be used on minimum odds of 2/1.
We’re also fans of the welcome offer from STS Bet: £30 in free bets when punters deposit and play £10. This promotion will be delivered as three separate £10 free bets, and again there are no wagering requirements on any winnings.
New Customer Offer 18+. New depositing customers within 30 days from registration. Promotion valid from 4/04/2022 until further notice. Bonus code SBWB30 required during the first deposit. First deposit min. £10. Bet min. £10 on any sports-related markets, single or accumulator bets, pre-match or in-play, with min. odds of 1/2. 3 separate free bets of £10 each, credited within 48 hours, valid for 30 days, for any sport. No wagering requirements on the free bet winnings. Free bet stakes not included in any subsequent winnings. Deposit method restrictions apply. BeGambleAware.org T&Cs apply 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. begambleaware.org
Risk-Free Bets
As the name suggests, this is the safest bet you can get. If you don’t land a winner, you get your stake back! There is a small catch with this type of free bet offer – the maximum amount refunded is usually capped. Plus, the returned stake is usually in token form, so it’s non-withdrawable. That aside, this is still a decent offer that allows new customers to bet with a little more confidence knowing that at the very least, they’ll have their stake returned as a free bet.
New Customer Offer 3 x £10 risk free bets. Max £10 refund per bet, £30 overall. Min odds 1.5 (1/2). Only Cards and ApplePay deposits only. 100 Free Spins can be used on Paddy Power Gold Megaways only and are available to claim after you have deposited by an eligible method. Valued at £0.10 each and expire after 72 hours. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. begambleaware.org
Casino Bonuses
Casino bonuses are regularly available at the best betting sites alongside sports betting bonuses. Sites such as Unibet, William Hill, and BetUK offer all the classic casino bonuses, from matched deposits to free spins on classic slots. A popular option is available at STS, which currently offers 100% up to £100 matched deposits for new casino players in tandem with its bet £10 get £30 in free bets bonus offer at its sportsbook.
No Deposit Bonuses
No deposit bonuses do exactly what it says on the tin – new customers can claim a betting bonus without making a deposit. While you’ll usually find this kind of offer at online casino sites, there are a few bookmakers that are now giving punters the chance to get in on the fun too. All in all, this is a great option for punters who essentially want to try before they buy.
Promos
Other Sports Betting Promotions
The best online bookmakers offer a great selection of frequent promotions for new and existing UK customers. Whereas bonus offers are designed to attract new customers, promotions reward returning customers. Let’s take a look at some of the more common promotions available at UK betting sites.
Frequent Price Boosts
Price boosts see bookies offer improved odds on particular markets. These promotions are often applied to high-profile sporting events, such as a marquee Champions League fixture. Some bookies also offer price boosts on certain outcomes as part of an accumulator bet. These are often referred to as ‘enhanced accas’.
Acca Insurance
Acca insurance is when you receive your stake back when your accumulator loses by one leg. These promotions are a great option if you’re uncertain about one of your selections, or just want a safety net. This bonus will often only be applied to selections above a certain threshold, such as 5 legs or more, and your stake will most likely be returned as a free bet.
Accumulator Bonus
This fairly simple betting site offer can drastically improve the value of your accumulator. Bookmakers, like Bet365, will reward you for adding more bets to your football accumulator, with a 5% bonus on a treble acca that can be boosted to a whopping 90% bonus for a 13-fold.
Request a Bet
Request a bet promotions allow you to request odds for a market that isn’t on offer at your chosen betting site. Many bookies allow you to get in touch on Twitter, or even create your bet request on the betting site or app.
Free Bet Clubs
Free bet clubs reward frequent bettors with a free bet on a weekly basis.Punters will have to place a certain number of qualifying wagers in a week to earn the free bet. For example, PaddyPower’s Rewards club offers players a free bet of £10 if they place a minimum bet of £5 or more. These free bets will come with terms and conditions just like any free bet, however, so make sure you read the fine print before you sign up.
Everyone has their own needs and expectations of what the best betting sites will offer, so when we consider which site to recommend we always make sure we take into account a variety of factors.
They are:
A valid gambling operator licence — you won’t find any unlicensed bookmakers on Compare.bet
An easy-to-use interface on both the desktop and mobile site as well any available native app
A wide range of betting options, including sports, virtual sports and even non-sporting events
A variety of pre-match and in-play betting markets
Competitive odds
Generous bonuses and promotions for both new and existing customers
Mobile compatibility
Customer-friendly terms and conditions
Helpful customer service
Our list of the best online bookies presents you with all the information you need, but it’s up to you to compare the best betting sites to find the right one for you. Read our in-depth reviews of online bookmakers and consider each of the following factors so that you find a betting site that suits all your needs.
How to Choose a Top Betting Bonus
Our reviews make it easy to find and claim the best betting bonuses — just follow these steps!
STEP 1
UKGC Licence
All our recommended sites are fully licensed by the UKGC so you're protected.
STEP 2
Compare Bonuses
Our team have found the best bonuses around and made it easy to pick.
STEP 3
Check T&Cs
Check any wagering requirements, time limits, or betting restrictions to be sure the bonus suits your needs.
STEP 4
Deposit, Claim & Play!
Click through, sign up, and make your deposit. Once you've claimed your bonus, you're ready to go.
Our Criteria
How We Rank Betting Bonuses
There’s more to choosing bonuses than meets the eye. The size of the bonus sum is likely what attracts most punters, but a closer look at the terms and conditions is the best way to determine which betting offer is best for you. Let’s take a look at some of the factors that come into play when we rank the UK’s best betting offers.
Bonus Amount
We favour bookies that reward punters with decent returns from small deposits. Unibet, for example, offer new customers £30 in free bets and a £10 casino bonus once they’ve made their first £10 deposit. Similarly, Coral treats punters to an even lower qualifying deposit, offering £20 in free bets following a first deposit of £5. Remember that betting sites with free bets on offer will place certain conditions on the free bets, so you won’t be able to treat them entirely as your own cash.
Minimum Odds
When bookmakers give away betting bonuses, they’ll enforce a rule that only allows players to use them on events within a minimum odds threshold. This threshold is usually set at evens, but the best betting site offers will go lower than this; the lower the minimum odds requirements, the better the bonus. For example, if Man City had 1/5 odds of beating Norwich, and the offer had minimum odds of evens, you wouldn’t be able to use your betting bonus to wager on a City win.
User Experience
The top betting sites will offer thousands of different betting markets to their customers. This is great for a diverse sportsbook, but only works with excellent user experience functionality. Being able to navigate easily across different sports and markets is paramount, and the experience must be equally smooth on both desktop and mobile devices. The best bookies will also throw in additional features to aid users’ interaction with the site, including bet trackers, notifications, and the ability to add favourite bets in the interest of saving time. The outstanding sites in this category also offer request-a-bet options, and the opportunity to live stream a variety of events.
Eligible Sports and Markets
We expect to see great range within the UK’s favourite sports, as well as markets on less popular events such as American sports, MMA, esports, and more. Then, within these sports, we favour bookies that can offer their customers depth of market. For example, if you’re looking to place a bet on the tennis, we want to see markets on offer for tournaments taking place all year round, all around the world – not just the sport’s four grand slam championships.
Payment Methods
Our picks for the best UK betting sites work hard to accommodate all punters by offering a range of payment methods; however, it’s likely that only some of these options will be eligible to unlock certain betting bonuses. Deposits made with newer banking systems like e-wallets and prepaid cards – such as Skrill, Neteller, and Paysafecard – will often be excluded from specific promotions, meaning that you’ll need to use an alternative method in order to claim the bonus. As a general rule, debit card and PayPal deposits are the safest bet, although the latter can also sometimes be subject to restrictions. It’s still important for bookies to offer these payment methods, as they’ll come in handy for deposits and withdrawals beyond the welcome bonus.
Payment Restrictions
Our shortlist of top UK betting sites offer a range of payment methods for you to deposit with, however, only some of these methods will be eligible for use with some betting offers. Deposits made with banking options such as Skrill and Neteller may often be excluded from specific promotions, meaning that you are only able to alternative methods such as debit cards and PayPal. As such, the best bonuses we highlight are those that allow you to use any banking option to make a qualifying deposit.
Time Limits
The final component we look at when rating bonuses is the amount of time you’re allowed to use your bonus after claiming it. Time limits can range from offer to offer, but we believe the best are those that give you ample time to meet the full terms and conditions, such as 7 to 14 days. Bonuses that we don’t rate so highly, however, are those that limit players to just 48 or even 24 hours.
Wagering Requirements
Free bets are often considered the best type of betting bonus, because they often come without wagering requirements – a condition that obliges punters to wager their bonus a certain number of times before they can request a withdrawal of any bonus winnings. Wagering requirements on other bonuses – such as matched deposits or free spins – will often be more severe than on free bets; the lower the wagering amount, the better the offer.
Terms and Conditions
Bonus Terms and Conditions
A betting bonus will often come with a variety of terms and conditions that will affect how you play. It’s, therefore, very important that new customers check the small print to see what T&Cs apply bonus and how they can be met. Let’s have a look at the bonus T&Cs you are most likely to come across.
Wagering Requirements
Wagering requirements are one of the most common conditions attached to betting bonuses and they can have a big effect on how you play. They stipulate that before you can claim your winnings from a bonus, you have to first wager the value of your qualifying bet, your bonus amount, or a combination of the two, a set number of times.
A great example of wagering requirements in action is RubyBet’s deposit £10 get a free £10 bet. RubyBet state that before you can claim either your bonus winnings or funds, you have to first wager the value of the free bet 10x. This means that you have to wager a minimum of £100 before you can convert your winnings into real money.
Minimum Odds
A condition you will often see attached to your bonus are minimum odds. These mean that there are only certain bets you can make in order to fulfil the requirements. These minimum odds will often be low, usually between 1/1 and 1/3, so it shouldn’t be too hard for new customers to fulfil the betting requirements.
Minimum Deposit
With bonuses like matched deposits and matched bets there is often a minimum amount you have to first deposit in order to claim the bonus. Mansion Bet’s 100% matched deposit up to £100, for example, requires you to place a minimum deposit of £10 in order to claim this exciting welcome bonus.
Maximum Winnings
There will usually be a max limit on how much you can win from a bonus or free bet. The maximum win amount is put in place to protect the bonuses from being abused. Online bookmakers use their promotions to attract new players and reward existing players, but if their customers regularly win big using their bonuses then sportsbook would lose a lot of money.
Time Limits
Once new customers have claimed their bonus and worked out how to use it, they will often then have to meet the requirements in a set time. If they haven’t wagered the required amount of times or bet against the specified odds, then the bonus will expire and any winnings will be lost. The standard timeframe for bookmakers tends to be 14 days, but this can differ from site to site. Some bookies are pretty generous, with 888 offering new customers 90 days to clear their wagering before claiming. Others are less generous, however, with RubyBet only allowing their players 7 days.
Payment Exclusions
Something to look out for before accepting a bonus at the best betting sites: there may be payment method exclusions to consider. e-Wallets are generally the affected method here, such as PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller. While you can still make a deposit with these payment methods if a payment exclusion is in place, you won’t be eligible for the bonus. The reasons for this are twofold: first that vendors are charged fees by these services, costing the betting site when they honour bonuses, and e-wallets are also less robust when it comes to KYC checks. This latter point opens the betting site up to potential bonus abuse.
Mobile
Mobile Bonuses
One of the great things about betting bonuses is that new customers can claim them on their mobile as easily as they can on their desktop. Mobile betting has improved enormously in recent years with fully-optimised mobile sites and industry-leading apps offering customers a top-quality betting experience from wherever they are in the world. Punters can keep up-to-date with the site’s best new bonuses and odds through push notifications and can even claim mobile exclusive promotions in some cases.
But why choose a bonus via mobile betting as opposed to desktop? Well, for us, it adds more versatility, a more personalised experience, plus you can check scores, the latest odds, and promotions while out and about in your daily life.
Pros and Cons of Mobile Bonuses
As you can see there are many benefits to mobile betting bonuses, so let’s highlight the pros and cons for a more balanced understanding.
Pros
Downloadable apps are available via mobile and can offer a fully personalised, easily accessible betting facility;
It’s a great way to bet while you watch a game – allowing you to keep an eye out for in-play betting bonuses and updated odds;
Mobile betting bonuses are convenient and mean you aren’t tied to a desktop for your betting requirements;
Apps will offer optimised content, and often personalised notifications based on your betting habits;
Some apps offer unique bonuses that you can’t get via desktop.
Cons
For some, the easy access can lead to or exacerbate unhealthy gambling habits;
If you download an app, it will take up space in your phone’s memory;
There are a lot of different banking methods you can use to claim a betting promotion these days. Each option provides something different to players, so let’s have a quick look at the key options available to you.
Debit Cards
If you have a bank account, then you will be well aware of how to make payments using your debit card. Deposits are by and large instant, with minimum amounts sitting between £5 and £20, depending on which site you choose to play with. Withdrawals can take a little longer, however, sitting between one and five working days. If you bank with Visa, however, you will have access to the Visa Fast Funds service — at participating betting sites — which offers payouts in as little as four hours.
E-wallets
Payouts using methods such as PayPal, Skrill and Neteller can often expect processing times to be as little as 24 hours. E-wallets are also a good option for the more safety-conscious punter as you don’t need to share any personal banking information with the online betting site. Methods such as Skrill and Neteller may be banned from bonuses at certain betting sites, however.
Prepaid Cards
Paysafecard is the eminent prepaid card available to use at online betting sites. Paysafecards can be bought in one of several set values at physical stores such as your local newsagent. You then enter use the unique PIN on the side of the card to deposit your funds at your chosen betting site, and you’re ready to place some bets. You can’t make withdrawals using them, however.
Pay by Mobile
Pay by Mobile providers like Boku and Payforit allow you to charge deposits to your phone bill or deduct them from your PAYG balance. They’re very secure, with confirmation coming via a one-time pin code (OTP). However, you can’t withdraw to this method, deposits are limited to £30 a day, and there may be some fees charged by your bookie.
AstroPay
A digital prepaid card and e-wallet platform rolled into one, AstroPay is fast and easy to use. It’s completely safe too, as you’ll need to enter a code, sent via text or WhatsApp to your mobile device, to confirm each betting site deposit you make. Withdrawals are possible and are usually processed in around three days. Better still is that, in June 2022, the AstroPay Visa debit card arrived, which will prove ideal for claiming bonuses if e-wallets aren’t eligible.
Pros and Cons of E-wallets
Pros and Cons of E-wallets
Pros
Quick withdrawals
Two Factor Authentication
Opening an account is free
Cons
Excluded from certain bonuses
There may be lengthy times when you transfer your e-wallet funds into your bank account
Not as widely accepted as debit cards
Different Sports
Event-Based Bonuses and Promotions
Betting sites will offer a range of different bonuses depending on each sport. From faller insurance for horse racing, to price boosts during football matches, to specific tennis tournament bonuses, there is a lot on offer. Let’s have a look at the way bonuses work in different sports.
Football
Football is the most popular sport in the world, meaning that football betting markets have some of the most exciting bonuses around. Price boosts, for example, are a common bonus found at bookmakers, offering you better odds on a match for a limited time. When once they might have been reserved for the most high profile matches, they are now a regular occurrence with Sky Bet’s Soccer Saturday Price Boost taking place each week of the football season.
Horse Racing
The unpredictability of horse racing is what makes the sport such a popular betting market, but it also means there’s a chance your horse may not even finish the race. That’s why you’ll often see bookmakers offering bonuses and promotions that safeguard against the eventuality of your bet falling through. Mansion Bet’s ‘Beaten by a Head or Less’ is a perfect example of this, offering £25 as a free bet if your horse loses by a marginal amount. This is a great bonus to use on highly-contested races such as the Grand National and the Cheltenham Festival.
Tennis
Unlike football or rugby, tennis is mostly played as part of knock-out tournaments rather than in league. As such, you will often get free bets and bonuses attached to specific tournaments like Wimbledon, the French Open and the Australian Open. You should expect to see bookmakers offer new customers all sorts of promotions over the course of these tournaments, especially when the heavyweights of the game face off against each other in the latter rounds.
American Football
The NFL is typically the main event if you like to place a bet or two on American Football, and along with the sport comes a great range of betting bonuses and promotions. Across the board, you will find matched deposits, free bets, and risk-free bets where the punter receives a small return on a bet even if it loses. However, if you’re feeling a little more creative with your bets, then you might like to try a bet builder. 888 is currently offering bet builders alongside a £5 free bet each week for those included in its Acca club, granted if you spend £20 a week on American sports betting.
You may also be interested in early payout bonuses that are regularly offered for the Super Bowl and mean you can cash out if your team takes the lead by a certain number of points. It’s important to see what’s available to you on your chosen sport, so look through the best betting sites such as William Hill, BetUK, and FansBet to see what they offer.
Golf
With top golfing tournaments held throughout the year, the best betting bonus sites are ready and prepared with a great range of offers available to new and existing customers. Free bets, matched deposits, as well as ongoing promotions, such as reloads and cashbacks are up for grabs at the best betting sites. At the moment there are a lot of free bets to be had — such as with Bet365 which is offering £50 of free bets when you place a £10 bet.
Basketball
If basketball is your sport of choice, then be sure to look further afield than the NBA for some great betting bonuses. At the time of writing, Bet365 is offering up to 70% on men’s European basketball accumulators, applying to the Euroleague, Eurocup, Spain’s Liga ACB, Italy’s Lega 1, and the German Bundesliga.
However, the NBA is of course where most bookies aim their attention, with the likes of bet builders and many a free bet bonus available on its markets. As ever, you will find great welcome bonuses such as matched deposits along with existing customer promotions such as cashback and reload bonuses at the best betting bonus sites.
Once you’ve checked through the best betting sites, and chosen your preferred site and bonus, it’s a very simple process to register and start playing. Follow these steps and away you go!
It’s really important to compare all of the best betting sites before making your decision, and this can be done by browsing the tables and reading through our reviews on CompareBet. Checking for your preferred games or betting markets is an important decider, as is the betting format, bonuses available and ease of use;
Click through from the table above or the site in question’s review page and follow the registration process – it’s a simple process, adding in details and confirming your identity via KYC checks;
Once registered with your new account, you can make a deposit and claim your first bonus. Be sure to check that the bets you’re looking to make, and the payment methods you’d like to use, are eligible for the bonus;
Now you’re all set to place that first bet. Remember to always stay within your budget, never chase your losses, and always do a bit of research before betting.
Using Your Bonus
Using Your Bonus at the Best Betting Bonus Sites
Along with the complexities of each sport comes a wide range of betting options available to punters at the best betting bonus sites. There will be many crossovers, and betting bonus types that are more frequently seen than others, so let’s take a look at the most common ones you’ll likely find.
Straight Bets
A straight bet involves making a single bet on one particular outcome – they are used in games where a points spread is used. Let’s look at an example to make it a little clearer::
Los Angeles Rams 52
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -10
What this tells you is that the predicted score will total 52, with the Buccaneers winning by 10 clear points. The 10 representing the “spread” of the game, or the total points and the margin of victory.
You will find straight bets available for many team sports, such as football, American football, and anything with variable scorelines.
Over/Under
An over/under bet is when you place a bet on whether an outcome will go over or under a particular number specified by the bookies. What’s great about an over/under is that it’s really versatile and can be applied to so many different sporting events and situations, even down to the number of red or yellow cards a team, or a particular person, will receive. If the concluding result is exactly as the bookies has predicted, then all bets are refunded; this is called a push bet.
Accumulators
Hugely popular with football betting, the accumulator, or acca, allows a punter to combine a number of single bets, from multiple games, under one wager. There’s huge potential with an acca, depending of course on the level of risk and the number of bets you add into the mix. To win, you have to correctly guess all parts of your acca. If even one leg fails, then it’s a loss. Some of the best betting sites will add in a stipulation that allows you to win even if one bet is lost, and many more offer acca insurance that refunds your bet in the event that you only lose out by one leg.
In-Play Bets
Also known as live betting, in-play bets are placed while the match, or race, is taking place. For example, you may be in the middle of watching Manchester City take on Leeds when you decide you’d like to place an outside wager on Leeds winning 2-0. This in-play betting can add real excitement to your viewing experience, and of course potentially lead to some returns if you’ve gauged the flow of play correctly. The best betting bonus sites will have a corresponding mobile betting app that makes it really easy for you to place that in-play wager without missing any of the game. Since the match data is updated in real time, you’ll find fair odds to bet against. However, because each betting site is different, it’s worth doing a bit of research on the best odds before placing a bet.
Claim a Bonus
Get Started with a Betting Bonus
There are many different betting offers available to punters, from welcome offers to existing player promotions. Now that you’ve got to grips with the basic features of each major type, how to claim them and the various terms and conditions that affect them, you should be ready to get started. So run through our list of the best betting offers in the UK, find your favourite and sign up.
That depends entirely on the bonus you’re trying to claim. Some bonuses only offer a set amount, like a £10 free bet, so as long as you place the stated minimum qualifying bet you will be able to claim the bonus. Bonuses like matched deposits, however, will increase in value the more you deposit, but this is limited to a certain amount. New customers may be offered a 100% matched deposit, for example, but the amount claimable from it will be capped at £100. As such, depositing more than £100 wouldn’t increase the size of your bonus.
If that free bet has wagering requirements attached to it then yes, you will have to place more bets to meet them before claiming your winnings. A bookmaker’s wagering requirements will not be as high as those of a casino bonus, but you will still need to wager a set amount of money in a certain time period to claim your winnings.
No, these bonus winnings aren’t made available in your main cash balance until the wagering requirement has been met, so you won’t be able to make any withdrawals.
While several bookmakers require punters to enter bonus codes when depositing or signing up to become eligible for a specific welcome bonus, this is not necessary in instances where the use of a bonus code is not mentioned beforehand
Yes, all of the bookmakers you’ll find here offer a mobile-friendly version of their site, and some have mobile betting apps. This means you can claim a sports betting bonus even when you’re on the go. Simply follow our links, as you would on a desktop site, to register an account and become eligible for an exclusive welcome bonus.
No ‒ you can’t claim a welcome bonus more than once on the same betting site. However, some customers sign up for accounts with multiple bookies and claim welcome bonuses from each. That said, you may be prevented from claiming multiple bonuses at sites that run on the same betting platform. This is the case with the ProgressPlay network, for example, which offers a single welcome bonus across all its sites.
All the bookies on Compare.bet have a UK gambling licence. This means they’re overseen by the UK Gambling Commission, and can be relied upon to do business in a fair and secure way. To ramp up your online safety further, be sure to use secure passwords for betting accounts, and set up two-factor authentication in apps when possible.
There’s no definitive answer to this, instead the best bonus is the one which gives you the best chance of earning withdrawable winnings. If you are a single selection punter, for example, then the risk-free bet is a solid choice, but if you’re likely to place a range of accumulators then a matched deposit bonus offer might suit you better. One thing we are certain of, however, is that you’ll find the perfect bonus for you right here at Compare.bet.
References
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Ben is former editor at Compare.bet, specialising in all things gambling and football. He has an MA in American History and extensive writing experience with bylines in a range of different publications, from Breaking the Lines to CLASH. As well as covering Premier League for Compare.bet news, he also wrote about the Championship and a range of European football topics. In his spare time, Ben enjoys music production and playing football.
Daniel is Head of Operations at Compare.bet. He has half a decade of experience writing on topics including sports betting, online casino and the NBA. Daniel also covers Premier League football for Compare.bet news and has interviewed Louis Saha, Richard Dunne and Gary Pallister. In his spare time, Daniel enjoys film photography and making Spotify playlists.
Gavin is a writer for Compare.bet, contributing to our expert online reviews. Gavin has over two years of experience writing about topics including online casino and sports betting.
Alice is an Editor at Compare.bet, having joined the company from Gambling Insider in 2022. She's a dab hand at all things online gambling, from expertise in payment methods to her commitment to responsible gambling promotion. Outside of work, Alice is a huge sports fan who closely follows Arsenal and plays lacrosse in her spare time, to name just a couple of her sporting pursuits.
The following external expert(s) contributed to ensure this page provides maximum value, accuracy and insight:
Adam Dickinson
Adam has almost a decade of experience working in the gambling industry, including various content and marketing roles at the likes of PlayOJO, Betway and Entain He is currently the Head of Marketing at Arena Entertainment. Adam puts his vast experience to use as a fact checker for Compare.bet.
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