Best Free Bet Offers in the US - 2023

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How We Review the Best Free Bets Sites in the US

Free bets are easy enough to come by among US betting sites, but separating the wheat from the chaff’s always easier with an expert guiding the way. Our team of gambling aficionados works tirelessly to pick apart the US betting sites offering free bets bonus, digging into every detail to figure out which sites stand to give our users the best experience possible.

Here’s a look at the criteria we look at while reviewing US betting sites.

Licensing

First and foremost, a free bets site needs to hold a valid license to operate in the US to feature on this page. This is non-negotiable for us, if a site isn’t licensed then users’ data is at risk, payouts may never materialize, and you’ll have no legal protection if anything goes wrong. Not all sites are licensed to operate in every legal state, so be sure to check that a site is valid in yours before signing up. Offshore sites are also off-limits for us, even if they hold a license from a reputable regulator. A site may be licensed and legal in the UK, for example, but players from outside that jurisdiction won’t be protected by the full weight of the law if there are any issues. Always bet at a licensed site.

Betting Odds

US betting sites are competitive and never like to be undercut by their rivals when it comes to betting odds, but some tend to offer better odds than overs. Generally speaking it’s hard to say whether one site is better than another when it comes to raw odds across multiple sports, but sites offering enhanced odds on a regular basis can be a big draw for US players.

Bonuses

Free bets aren’t the only offers you’ll find at the best free bets sites, and we take a close look at all the bonuses and promos each site has to offer. It’s not just the size of the offer that matters, of course, the devil’s in the detail and we always prune through the T&Cs to see how valuable each offer really is. Wagering requirements, time limits, payment exclusions, winnings caps, and more are common terms that can impact the overall bonus quality, and we’re always honest about whether they stop an offer from being worth your time.

Betting Markets

Sportsbooks tend to offer dozens of sports and tournaments to bet on from around the world, but some sites are definitely better than others when it comes to variety and depth. Generally speaking, the more options there are, the better.

Special Features

Live streaming, in-play betting, cash out options, PvP features, fantasy options, and virtual sports are offered in various places across the betting site spectrum. We love to see these features at the best free bets sites, and we’ll always highlight them and how good they are in our expert reviews.

Site Design

A free bets site should be easy on the eye, quick to load, a breeze to navigate, and loaded with filtering options to make it simple to find what you want. We’ll dock points from a site’s score if it falls short in any of these areas, and conversely we’ll give props to sites that do these things particularly well.

Payment Options

Whether you’re looking to pay by card, an e-wallet like PayPal, a prepaid card, phone bill option, or even crypto, the best free bets sites will cater to your needs. Along with the available options, we also test out the withdrawal speeds for each method. Fast payouts are a big draw for US bettors, and it’s always noticeable when a site’s lagging behind in this commonly sought-after feature.

Mobile

It’s a given that bettors like to place wagers on the go. Whether you’re at a bar with friends watching the game, heading home on the train, or sneaking a peek at the scores while you’re at a function, the best free bets sites make it easy to access their markets on your smartphone. Betting apps are less common than well-optimized mobile websites, so it’s always a plus if a betting site has one on offer for iOS and Android devices.

Customer Support

In an ideal world you would never need to get in touch with the customer support team, but every now and then you might have a question or issue to raise with a betting site. The best free bets sites offer multiple channels for this, including live chat support around the clock, social media, phone, and email options to suit your needs.

Free Bets Explained

Free bets might sound like you’re getting something for nothing, but that isn’t always the case. Even at the best US sports betting sites with free bets, you’ll usually need to make a deposit before you can get your hands on any free bet offers. At other sites, you’ll also need to make a qualifying bet before your bonus is credited to your account.

Nevertheless, once you’ve made your qualifying deposit and wager, free bets present opportunities to win real money without having to stake any additional cash. Bookies with free bets allow customers to perhaps take on selections with slightly longer odds than they normally would, since the money is fronted, or returned, by the sportsbook. Online free bets are often delivered in separate tokens, so recipients of these bonuses have multiple attempts at winning on the betting site’s coin. 

Types of Free Bets

There are a few different ways you can claim a free bonus for sports betting. Here are the most common:

Free Bet Welcome Bonuses

Some online sportsbooks have free bets as a welcome bonus for new customers. These offers mean that you get a sports betting bonus when you create a new account. Your free bet welcome offer is usually credited when you make your first deposit, but some sports betting sites may even offer a no deposit bonus, whereby you receive a free bet just for signing up. You’ll usually need to opt-in to receive these bonuses, or you might also need to enter a promo code at some sportsbooks.

Refer a Friend

Some free bet welcome bonuses band friends together in a sports betting embrace. For example at BetMGM, you can refer up to 20 friends to the sportsbook and for every successful referral, you and your friend will both receive a $50 free bet bonus. The terms and conditions of these types of offers might throw up some stipulations you won’t have seen before; for instance, the requirement that both the referee and the referred are located in the same state at the time the bonus is redeemed. 

Free Bets on First Successful Wager

We’d argue that the best free bet offers are those that reward successful calls — such as the welcome offer from DraftKings, which gives up to $200 in free bets if your first $5 moneyline wager comes off. Unlike risk-free bets, these promotions don’t require the first bet to be a failure, instead delivering more bonus cash on top of the initial winnings from the first bet. These offers aren’t very common, so keep an eye out for free bet bookies that offer them.

Risk-Free Bets

A risk-free bets – sometimes referred to as money back bets – will refund you in free bets if your first bet loses, and are frequently offered to both new and existing customers. For example, BetMGM will refund an unsuccessful first bet up to a staggering $1000, but also sometimes offer risk-free bets to existing players as part of an event-based promotion. Don’t forget, however, that these refunds will come in the form of free bets, so don’t go thinking that your first bet is totally risk free, because you wont be able to withdraw your compensation. Nevertheless, it’s a great opportunity to shoot for the moon on an outside bet, as you can rest assured that you’ll get your money back.

Free Bets Terms and Conditions

You’ll need to read the full terms and conditions of your free bet offers before you sign up. The exact terms vary between online sportsbooks, but there are a handful of terms that apply to pretty much every bonus offer. These include, but aren’t limited to:

Minimum Deposit Requirements

In most instances, you need to make a deposit before you qualify for free bet offers. The minimum qualifying deposit will vary between sportsbooks – while you may only need to deposit $5 at one site, others stipulate that customers must deposit and bet $10 on a specific market before the bonus bet is credited to your account.

Minimum Odds

A sportsbook may set minimum odds restrictions on both your qualifying real money bet and the markets on which you may use your free bet bonus, though some just set these restrictions on the bonus. For example, you may be required to wager your free bet on markets of 1.5 or higher.

Wagering Requirements

Also known as playthrough requirements, wagering requirements most often apply to casino bonus offers, but also apply to some sports betting bonuses. These requirements stipulate how much you must wager in real money bets before you can withdraw any winnings accrued with your bonus token. At some US betting sites, for example, you must wager any winnings 6 times before you can withdraw them as cash.

Market Restrictions

Some free bet offers are to be used on just one betting market, such as football or basketball betting, but you may also be restricted when it comes to the bet types you can make. Even if you have the choice of all sports, you might not be able to use the free bet stake on round robin bets, for example.

Time Limits

Almost every bonus you come across at one of our recommended sports betting sites will have a time limit attached, which means your free bets won’t last forever. The time you have to make use of the free bets will depend on the generosity of the sportsbook and the size of the bonus. So, if the free bet was only worth $20, it’s likely that you’d have no more than a week to put it to good use; you’ll have more time for offers with larger values — 30 days is a standard marker.

Payment Method Restrictions

Be wary that there are often payment methods that may leave you ineligible to accept free bet offers, or any other bonus associated with a betting site. You can of course use any of the listed payment methods to make regular deposits, but be sure to read through the terms and conditions of any bonus you want to accept, in case your preferred banking route is listed under restrictions.

Deposits made with bank cards will always qualify bettors for a bonus offer, but as a general rule, deposits made with more contemporary banking technologies such as e-wallets will often be excluded from accessing the bonus. This is largely for two reasons: first, e-wallet handling fees are more expensive for the betting site, discouraging them from offering large deposit bonuses to customers and therefore incurring large fees; second, since e-wallets allow users to create multiple accounts, there are more avenues to bonus fraud than with traditional bank cards.

Maximum Win Limits

Even the best free bet offers are likely to come with a maximum win limit, also known as a winning cap. Sure, free bets are generous, but a betting site’s generosity has to end somewhere, otherwise the business could be undone by a string of wildly successful bonuses. If you manage to hit the cap, anything you’re in line to win beyond the limit will be forfeited. Better to therefore think of the winning cap as a useful on-site limiter, as opposed to a gambling inhibitor. 

Use Your Free Bets on a Variety of Sports

Once you’ve signed up, fulfilled the minimum qualifying requirements and received your free bets, you can use them to place wagers on all the major US sports. Whether you’re a sports fan or not, free bets are a great, risk-free way of adding a little extra excitement to proceedings. Here’s the lowdown on some of the most popular sports for US betting to help you can decide where to place your free bet.

NFL

The National Football League (NFL) is the most-watched sports league in the US, so it’s no surprise there’s a huge range of betting options at US online sportsbooks. Every NFL game is available to bet on through the regular season and into the play-offs towards the Super Bowl. NFL betting goes way beyond which teams you think will win — you can also place proposition bets that are not directly tied to the outcome of the match, such as which player will score a touchdown, or how many field goals a team will score.

NBA

Thanks to recent legislative changes, basketball betting is more readily available than ever for US bettors. The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the main attraction for many sports fans — here you’ll be able to take your pick on which team will be the next NBA champion, as well as betting on individual matches. You can focus on the team to win each game or go for prop bets — if you’re a Mavericks fan and feeling brave, why not back Luka Dončić for a 30-point triple double in his next game, or for the MVP honours this year.

NHL

Betting on the National Hockey League (NHL) adds some extra excitement to what is already one of the most high-octane sports in the world. There are a ton of ice hockey betting markets to use your free bets on — from same game parlays to Grand Salami bets on NHL Saturday. Perhaps you want to place a risk-free bet on an outside winner for the Stanley Cup in May? Whatever your betting preferences, NHL is without doubt one of the most exciting leagues in the world of modern sports, so if you’re not too familiar with the sport, or simply haven’t given NHL betting a try, use one of your new customer free bets on a game and see if it takes your fancy.  

Tennis

If you’re less familiar with tennis, a free bet could be the ideal place to try your luck without risking your own cash. Here in the US, we’ve produced some of the biggest tennis stars of all time, including the likes of Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, and the Williams sisters. The annual Grand Slams are a great place to start for a tennis bet — these include the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. If you prefer a team event, be sure to check out the Davis Cup — the US has the most titles with 32.

Golf

Golf fans are also well catered for when it comes to free bet offers, with regular tournaments running all throughout the year. Golf betting is just as varied as other sports — you can take your pick of the player to win a particular championship such as The Masters or the British Open, or hone in on a more specific bet. This could include which players will make the cut in a particular tournament, which player will claim the most ranking points, whether the winner will birdie the last hole, and much more.

Horse Racing

Dating back to the 1660s, horse racing is one of the oldest sports in the US and has a very close relationship with betting. Major US horse racing events throughout the year include the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Beyond free bets, horse racing is the ideal sport for picking up different betting bonuses. Best odds guaranteed is a particularly popular offer which allows bettors to get the best odds even if they improve after the bet is placed.

Features of Sportsbooks with Free Bets

Naturally, there’s a lot more to sportsbooks than just free bets. The best sites are packed full of helpful features to enhance your sports betting experience. Here are some of the main ones you’ll want to make use of.

Early Cash Out

Cash out is a super handy betting feature that can be used in lots of different ways depending on the situation. Essentially, you’ll be offered a reduced payout that you can walk away with while the game is still live. Bettors may want to do this if their team is currently winning and they’d rather not have to see out the final few agonizing minutes. Alternatively, you may want to cut your losses if it looks like your pre-game bet is a dud. Be sure to check the terms and conditions regarding early cash out and free bets, as this may not be an option at some sportsbooks.

Live Betting

Also known as betting in-play, live betting is an exciting option if you want to be in the thick of the action. Rather than placing a wager before the match gets going, with live betting you’ll be making your picks mid-game, as the action unfolds. This means you can respond to how the game develops and change your pre-game predictions accordingly. Most sites offer a wide array of live betting options, so you won’t be missing out by getting involved after kick off. However, at many sportsbooks, you won’t be able to use a free bet on a live betting market. Some sites offer targeted in-play free bets instead, so just be sure to check the T&Cs.

Live Streaming

If live betting sounds up your street, you can enhance the experience by watching the match at the same time. Many sportsbooks allow you to do this from their site or app, subject to you placing a real money wager first. Some sites are better than others in terms of which sports are available for live streaming, so we’ll always check it out as part of our sportsbook reviews.

Free Bet Promotions

Free bets aren’t just for newbies. Some of the best sports betting sites have free bet offers as part of their regular promotions. Exactly how you claim free bet offers varies between sites. While some sites offer these to punters who have deposited or bet a certain amount, others set up free bet promotions when there’s a big sporting event, such as the Superbowl or World Cup. These free bets may be used exclusively for wagers on those set events.

Free Bet Clubs

You may also be able to enlist in free bet clubs at bookies with free bets. These clubs tend to issue free bets once a week, with certain conditions to be met in order to join the club — the most significant of these is usually a requirement to bet a certain amount before Monday strikes. This is exactly the kind of promotion that keeps customers loyal, with regular opportunities to take part in a bonus.

Parlay Clubs

Similarly, parlay clubs may offer members a free parlay bet on a weekly basis. These work in exactly the same way as free bet clubs, except the offer is restricted to parlay wagers only. Parlay clubs are really just a subsection of free bet clubs, but sportsbooks tend to make the distinction themselves. 

Bonus Code Free Bets

You might need to enter a sportsbook promo code to get your hands on a free bet. Usually, it’ll look something like: FREEBET50. If it’s a sign-up offer, the promo code will be listed in the advert for the bonus — don’t worry, we’ll also list the codes right here on this page if you need one. If it’s a free bet offer for existing customers, you might be emailed the promo code directly. Simply enter the code when prompted to unlock the free bet.

No Deposit Free Bets

One of the rarest of the bunch, a no deposit free bets offer is exactly as it sounds – the opportunity to place a free bet without the need for an initial deposit. What’s great about a no deposit free bets offer is that it allows you the chance to try something new, or see if you like a new betting site, before placing a real money bet.

Do I Need to Make a Deposit to Claim a Free Bet?

Free bet sites will almost always require players to make either a bet or a deposit — which will both also have to adhere to qualifying requirements — in order to claim their free bets. However, these minimum qualifying deposits are usually quite reasonable — usually around the ten dollar mark — and you can deposit quickly using a variety of payment methods.

Deposit Methods at Our Recommended Sportsbooks

It’s important for any bettor to have access to a range of different payment methods for making deposits and withdrawals. Loading funds into your betting account and cashing out your winnings should always be a quick and easy process. As such, the range of payment services available always forms a key part of our sportsbook reviews. Here are some of the most common methods you’ll find at the top sites.

Betting Apps with Free Bets

You don’t have to bet on sports on your desktop to take advantage of a sportsbook’s free bet bonus. While you can bet in a mobile browser, nowadays many of the top sportsbooks and betting sites have their own associated app which allows you to access the same games, betting offers, and bonuses that you find on the desktop version. Moreover, some of the best free bets apps will offer unique bonuses that cannot be found on the usual site version – for example, betting sites may offer you free bets as a thank you for downloading their app.

Pros and Cons of Free Bet Apps

It’s our opinion that all sports betting is improved when done from a bespoke mobile app, and here’s a quick list of pros and cons to help show why.

Claimed your reward from our list of free bet bonus deals and want the latest on US sports betting? You can count on Compare.bet to keep you updated on the latest sports betting news.

Preventing Problem Gambling

While it’s fun to wager on your favorite sports, it’s important to remember to stay in control of your betting otherwise it can lead to gambling problems. Problem gambling is not only signified by those who bet larger amounts of money than they can afford, it can also cover individuals who use betting as a way of masking real life issues, or those who develop a compulsion or addiction to gambling.

Signs to look out for could be:

• Hiding your gambling habits from family and close friends;
• Lying about how much you’ve bet, or even that you are betting at all;
• Avoiding social situations because of a need to check or place more bets;
• Chasing losses;
• Feeling a need to bet on a sport to make it more exciting;
• Stealing or borrowing money to place a bet;
• When your employment is suffering or you’re at risk of losing your job.

How to Prevent Problem Gambling

The main thing you can do to help yourself is to talk about your betting habits with those around you. Many people bet on a regular basis and enjoy doing so. To keep activities healthy, maintain conversation and at any point you feel you can’t admit to something with regards to your betting habits, it’s time to stop and evaluate. The same goes for when you lose a bet. It’s part of the experience of gambling and not something anyone should ever hide – secrecy is what can lead to bigger problems down the line.

Always remember:

• Be mindful of your habits and recognize if your betting increases;
• Keep to a gambling budget;
• Outline a time limit for your betting and stick to it;
• Share your latest bets with those closest to you;
• Only ever bet through a licensed gambling site or establishment;
• Remember that gambling is not a way of making money.

If things become too much, there are a number of national and state-wide organizations that can help you. Some of these are:

• National Council on Problem Gambling
• Gamblers Anonymous
• National Problem Gambling Helpline – 1-800-522-4700

Alternatively, all legal gambling sites list problem gambling organizations on their sites. Details for your specific state should be clearly advertised.

Compare the Best Free Bet Offers and Take Your Pick

Now that you’re up to speed on free bet offers in the US, it’s over to you.

We work tirelessly to bring you the best free bets available to US bettors, and our rankings at the top of this page make it a breeze to view and compare the best in the business.

Read our expert reviews, weigh up your options, and click the link to head straight to the sign-up page for your chosen site.

Simply enter your details, make a qualifying deposit, claim your free bet, and take your pick of the betting markets available!