England U21’s v Portugal U21’s Euro Championship Betting Tips 02/07/2023
England and Portugal under 21s face off in the European Championship quarter-finals this Sunday, so…
What are Free Bets?
Free bets are just one of the many names to describe welcome bonuses and new customer offers that online bookmakers will offer new customers as an incentive to join up to them and start betting. Most online bookmakers will offer some sort of welcome offer to new customers, and we go through them all, so you can find the best free bet offers and bonuses for you. There are many types of welcome offers as well, so explaining them is important, so you know exactly what you are claiming. It is also important to realise that although you do get something ‘free’ from the bookies it usually takes a first deposit and maybe a first bet placed before you get credited with a welcome bonus. These welcome bonuses can still be very advantageous for punters though and everyone likes something for nothing, so they are always worth claiming and using, especially if you are looking for a new online bookie to bet with.
Our Free Bet of the Month – September 2023
Bet £10 get £30 in Free Bets
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T's and C's - New Customers only. Bet £10* & Get £30* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5* & £10* to your account & bet365 will give you three times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value & they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet & payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply. Registration required. #Ad
Types of Free Bets and Welcome Bonuses
At first glance you might not notice any difference between the various bookies free bets and welcome bonuses, but there are many sorts of welcome offers you can claim. Some will suit different bettors and online gamblers, so we’ll quickly go through them, so you can tell which online bookmaker has the perfect free bet offer waiting for you.
Matched Free Bets
These free bet offers are one of the most popular bonuses that the bookmakers like to promote and offer new customers. Matched free bets are the offers you are most likely to come across and are usually very simple and easy to claim, they can also be very lucrative for new customers. Normally, they will work on the basis of matching your first bet with a free bet. So, you sign up to a new bookie and deposit and depending on the bonus and the terms of it you place your first bet and that usually gets you a free bet of the same value, such as bet £10 and get a £10 free bet. Recently though some bookies have decided to up the ante with these and now some of these offers are even more generous. If you look at the Betfred free bet sign up bonus for example that is super generous as if you place a £10 first qualify bet, they will credit you £30 in free bets and 30 free bonus spins on their casino!
Matched Deposit Bonuses
These bonuses are also popular and very commonly offered by the online bookmakers. They are also very similar to the matched free bets, but sometimes do come with a few more terms and conditions. As with all welcome bonuses, and other betting offers, there are always terms and conditions applied, so it is especially important that you read through these, but matched deposit bonuses are pretty much what they say on the tin. You make your first deposit and the bookie will match that with a 100% deposit bonus. So, for example, you sign up, make a £100 first deposit and your bookmaker will match that with a £100 free bonus. They tend to be larger bonuses than you get with matched free bets, but they sometimes have more terms, such as having to bet through the deposit a certain amount of times.
No Lose and Losing Bet Refund Offers
If you see these types of welcome bonuses, you can be forgiven in thinking they aren’t as generous as others, but in fact they can bet excellent offers to claim. These usually work on the basis that you place a first bet with the bookie and if it loses, they will refund your losing stake, usually as a free bet but sometimes as cash. You might be looking and be thinking that they aren’t that good, however, they give you the chance to place a bet on something you may be looking at with far bigger odds than you normally bet on as it is an outside bet, with the full knowledge that if the bet loses you get your money back.
Enhanced Odds Offers
Enhanced betting odds offers are usually one off betting offers regarding specific sporting events, such as a football match or a boxing match. These are usually more fun than standard free bets or deposit bonuses, as they give you a specific interest in an event. It is worth remembering that these offers can vary quite a bit between bookmakers and events, but they usually work with the bookie offering huge odds on one or both options and allow small stakes bets, and usually it is almost a betting ‘cert’. Normally something like enhanced odds of 30/1 are available with a £1 maximum bet with winnings being paid out as free bets. However, recently some online bookmakers have been paying out with withdrawable cash so, as with all offers, check out the terms and conditions.
Boosted Odds and Double Odds Offers
These types of welcome bonuses are slightly rarer than some other new customer offers, and again can vary with different bookies. They generally work on the basis though that once you have signed up you place your first bet and that bet qualifies for odds of double the value they should be or boosted to a set amount. There will usually be limits set, but if you have a skill of hunting out great value bets then these offers can be profitable indeed.
No Deposit Free Bets
When it comes to free bets, No Deposit Free Bets are the top of the tree and the best you can usually claim. The trouble with them is that they are extremely rare. These free bet offers are fairly self-explanatory, and you get credited a free bet upon signing up to the betting site, without the need to make a deposit first. You don’t often see these betting offers, with Sporting Index being the only UK betting site currently offering no deposit free bets. However, every now and again an online bookie may decide to be more aggressive with their sign-up offers for a short period of time, so keep checking our site here at FreeBetsUK.uk and if any bookie starts offering this type of welcome bonus, then we will list it here for you.
Our Free Bets UK Offer of the Week
Bet £5 get £30 in Free Bets
• Brilliant welcome free bet offer - Bet £5 get £30 in free bets
• Regarded as one of the best UK online bookmakers...
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New customers only & opt-in required. Deposit using debit card & place first bet of at least £5 with odds of Evens or better. Qualifying bet must be placed within 7 days of registering. You will be credited 2x £10 sports free bets & a £10 casino bonus that expires after 7 days. T's&C's apply.
What are the best free bets online?
This is a question that is asked quite often and the only real true answer is, there isn’t really a ‘best’ free bet offer. As all sports bettors differ in some way or another and their betting needs will also be different. There certainly are some stand out free bets because of how generous they are, such as the BetVictor bet £5 and get £30 in free bets, the Betfred and William Hill bet £10 and get £30 in free bets offers and the Coral and Ladbrokes offers which are the same, bet £5 for £20 in free bets. Although these betting offers are generous, they might not be suited to everyone. For instance, you may be a gambler that likes to place larger bets, in which case one of the larger matched 1st deposit bonuses, like the Bet365 welcome bonus, might be better. This is why we list all the best bookmakers free bets and other welcome bonuses and explain in detail all the different betting offers. It is wise to make sure you read each free bet offers terms and conditions as well to make sure that each offer is something that would be in your interests in claiming. We do hope, and expect though, with our experience and knowledge of gambling and online gambling and betting stretching over 20 years we have designed a site which will guide you through all the bookmakers free bets and hopefully help you find the best free bets online specifically for you.
What can you use your free bet offers on?
You’ll be pleased to find out that most of the bookmakers welcome offers can be used on pretty much what sports and events you like. In fact, you can often find many enhanced online free bet offers specially around big sporting events and tournaments. For example, many bookies provide plenty of Cheltenham Festival free bets and numerous betting offers around big football tournaments like the World Cup. It is always worth just checking the T’s and C’s of each offer to make sure it isn’t a specific enhanced offer for a specific sport, such as horse racing, but on the whole, standard free bets are usually flexible on what you can use them on.
One specific event online bookies don’t tend to like offering new customer offers on though, and it’s always worth remembering, is horse racing’s Grand National. Over the years many bookmakers have started to withdraw their sign-up offers on the days of the big race or some even a few days before. They have deemed it unprofitable to offer free bets to what are known as many ‘once a year punters’. So, if you are wanting to claim some free bet offers for the Grand National race, it might be worth sorting those a few days before.
Best Selected UK Free Bets Today
New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Mobile exclusive. Min stake £10. Min odds Evens. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Payment method restrictions. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. T&Cs apply
T's and C's - New Customers only. Bet £10* & Get £30* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5* & £10* to your account & bet365 will give you three times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value & they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet & payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply. Registration required. #Ad
Up To £25 Losing Bet Refund
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T&C's - To activate your Sportsbook 50% Back Welcome Offer, deposit & bet on any Sportsbook markets of your choice with odds of evens (2.00) or greater. If your account has Sportsbook losses at the end of your first day's betting (23:59), we'll refund 50% of your first day's losses as a Free Bet up to £25 (Minimum 3 bets required). If your account is up, you're guaranteed a £5 Free Bet provided you place at least 1 bet of £10 or greater at minimum odds evens or greater. T&Cs apply. #Ad.
Is there anything you should be aware of when claiming free bets and betting offers?
As good as free bets and welcome bonuses are, there are a few pointers that you should be aware of when claiming, so you are 100% clear of what to expect. The first thing to be aware of and is pretty much standard across the board is that the bookmakers will not return your free bet stake with any winnings you may win. With the exception of one or two betting sites that have no deposit free bets, just about all the bookies will require you to make a deposit before you can claim any sign-up offers, and sometimes, usually more with larger deposit bonuses, the qualifying criteria can be a little difficult to achieve. Sometimes the welcome offer T’s and C’s can also be a little confusing and difficult to understand, so make sure you always read through them fully, so you don’t make any errors when claiming them. There are sometimes limits on what markets and betting events you can bet on as well, which again, highlights the need to read the terms fully before signing up to the betting offer.
How many free bets can I claim?
You’ll be pleased to see you aren’t restricted in claiming free bets from the bookies, and we always recommend taking advantage of as many free bets and welcome bonuses as possible, not only to get the free bet offers, but joining most of the online bookmakers also has other advantages as well.
Now, you have to remember that you can’t just register multiple betting accounts with the same bookmaker, that is against the bookies terms and conditions and will result in your account being closed, but you can join all the UK online bookies and claim all the available free bets. One of the best things about doing that, apart from the free bets, is that you then can bet on all the different online betting sites. But why would you want to do that? The answer is simple, so you can shop around to get the best possible betting odds, and with that comes the best potential betting returns.
Are there free bets for existing customers available?
You’ll be delighted to hear that most serious online bookmakers offer many free bets and bonuses for their loyal customers. In the past, it wasn’t unheard of for bookies to offer free bets to new customers to encourage them joining and then just expect those customers to continue betting with them with little or no reward. These days, with the competition so hot, the online bookies have to work increasingly harder to keep their customers betting with them, and loyalty free bets, bonuses, losing bet refunds and odds boosts all play a part in it. In fact, many UK bookmakers have Free Bet Clubs where their customers can claim weekly free bets if they reach the criteria each week, usually a set number of bets will qualify you for another free bet. Each of our bookies reviews lists what that bookmaker offers their existing customers in the terms of free bets and betting offers, so you’ll quickly be able to see if that betting site would be right for you in the long term.
Understanding Free Bet Offers Terms and Conditions
When it comes to claiming the UK online bookmakers free bets, and in fact, any betting offers, there are always terms and conditions attached to them, which you must adhere to. Some welcome bonuses are more simple than others to claim, but the majority all have the same basic T’s and C’s. So we’ll run through the main ones to explain to you what they are and what you should be aware of. Although, as you can see on our website, we list the main terms and conditions alongside every betting offer we list, but we will further explain what they all mean and what you should look out for.
Location
This is a fairly simple one, and one we make even easier for you. This restricts what countries potential customers are located and reside in to claim the free bet offer. Don’t worry though, as we are a UK facing gambling site, we only list UK free bets and offers. So if you are in the UK, you’ll have no problems claiming any of our bonuses.
Promo Code or Bonus Code
Some free bet offers will require you to input a bonus code or promo code either at the point of registration or when you make your first deposit. Sometimes the promo code will be automatically added to the required place, but this is not always the case, so check whether a code is required.
Qualifying Period
Here you are usually given a time frame where you need to hit all the qualifying criteria after first registering. Most often this period is 7 days, but it can be shorter, so make sure you know exactly what this period is.
Minimum stake and Minimum Odds
Just about all the free bets and deposit bonuses will require you to place a qualifying bet before gaining your bonus. This qualifying bet will always have a minimum bet stake and minimum odds, so check those out before you place your bet, and importantly, make sure you equal or go over those minimums.
Market/Bet Restrictions
You will need to pay close attention to these when claiming free bets and bonuses. This refers to your qualifying bet and what markets you are allowed to bet on when you are claiming a free bet bonus. Some free betting offers only allow you to bet on a certain sport, or event, if it is an event specific offer, although the majority allow you to bet on anything. It is still something you need to check first.
Bet restrictions will cover a few things, so you really need to pay close attention to this. You may only be allowed to place single win bets, or you may have to place a double bet to qualify.
Free Bet Expiry
This is fairly simple, but something you need to keep a keen eye on. Once credited, just about every bookmaker (Sky Bet being the only ones we can think of who don’t) has a time limit on using your free bets, before they expire and are void.
Turnover Requirements
This is something more associated with deposit bonuses, but it is important you understand this. When it comes to a deposit bonus, a bookie will usually have a turnover or rollover requirement on the bonus before you can withdraw any winnings. This means you will need to bet through that value of the bonus a set number of times before you can withdraw any winnings.
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