One of the biggest benefits to betting online, as opposed to a high street bookmaker, is that there is ample opportunity for bonuses and promotions. The best free bet offers are born out of a fierce competition between bookmakers to attract customers. That is, say, compared to a local store relying on you living nearby.
But, it’s not just about who can hand over the most bonus. It’s also who can offer a unique sounding bonus, too. In order to make the most of them, we need to understand the different bonus types and how to use them.
Free bets
Getting something for free is always great. And, as betting bonuses, free bets are no different. Having a free pop at a certain event can make us take more exciting risks and try out new bets. The first thing that comes to mind with free bets are the signup bonuses, such as “bet £5, get £30 in free bets”.
With these, it’s important to read the T&Cs. Most of them will detail some criteria for that £5 bet (i.e. it must be on a bet with odds over 1/2). After making this bet, your account with be credited with £30 in credits that can be used for betting, but not withdrawing. You have to therefore tick the “use free bet” on the betting slip after choosing what you want to bet on. And remember, you won’t get the stake back if you win – you’ll only get the winnings.
Usually, the free bet cannot be split (it is usually £5 or £10 segments. So you can’t make 30 accumulators with £1 free bets a piece. This is your time to perhaps look for bets with good odds. Not only because it’s risk-free, but because you won’t get the stake back.
If you have an offer of “matching your deposit up to £x” then this is likely different to a free bet. It will be credit that you can use to bet with. You won’t be able to withdraw it, like a free bet. The difference is there may be wagering requirements in order to qualify the winnings for withdrawal (i.e. bet 20x the value of the bonus money at a minimum odds). Again, this is commonly described as “matching deposit” as opposed to free bets. In most people’s opinion, this is a worse form of bonus.
Lastly, make sure to read up on whether the bookmakers offer on-going free bets. This is often neglected. If they do, regularly check your emails/texts. This is because it’s how they will let you know you have a randomly awarded free bet. Usually, there is a fairly short expiration on these, so be quick!
Enhanced odds
Enhanced odds is one of the betting bonuses that bookies like to use. It means you get better odds than the market rate for a specific bet in a specific event. Be careful here, however. You may not be convinced of the outcome of this bet. The last thing you want to do is bet on something you don’t believe is going to happen. Unless the enhanced odds are truly huge, it won’t bet worthwhile. Acca boosts are better in this sense. That’s because they offer more freedom of bets. You simply just get a certain percentage in boosted odds on your own accumulator.