Best Free Bets Offers UK

Free bets are the "bread and butter" of UK bookmakers, enticing new customers by offering a series of free bet(s) as a welcome bonus to register with the site. However, with so many bookies offering new players these bonuses, it can be hard to see the wood for the trees, as not every free bet offer is equal.

To add further confusion, many bookmakers change their offers, sometimes to keep things fresh, but usually in conjunction with upcoming events such as the Cheltenham Festival or the beginning of the new football season. This is where BookiesBonuses.com comes in, keeping players of all types up to date with the latest offers, changes and promotions.

So let our betting offers expert, (Del) take you through how free bets work, how to claim and more below. If your knowledge of free bet offers is already top tier, view a quintet of free bet offers below, recommended by the team.

Free bet offers, see bookmakers rewarding players who sign up and place a bet, with the amounts varying between each bookie, including Bet £10 Get £30 and more.

Players can also claim a Money Back As A Free Bet. With this type of promotion, you first have to place a bet with your own money. If you win, you get to keep all of the winnings, as you normally would.

Should you lose, on the other hand, the sum of the stake will be credited to your account (either in cash or as bet credits).

There are a number of terms and conditions that a player should consider before signing up to any free bet offer, these can include:

Once your free bet has been credited to your account, you are free to use it.

Depending on the offer, you might be able to split up your bet credits into multiple wagers, or you might need to place it all in one go.

A Bet £10 Get £30 offer would usually break the free bets into 3 x £10 credits, but a more modest deal like Bet £10 Get £10 will require you to just place your free bet on one market, more often than not.

Players should remember that terms and conditions will also apply to the free bets received, which can include limitations on prospective sports, markets available, minimum odds and more, so checking T&Cs is vital.

Once you have made selections and added them to your bet slip, a "use free bet" option will appear if it adheres to the qualifying terms. Simply select this and confirm the bet for the free bet stake to be used instead of real cash. 

Players must remember that free bet stakes are not paid out with winnings, if placing a successful bet.

The reason for the success of free bets is largely because of their simplicity. A free bet does not have many complex requirements attached to it, unlike the other notable welcome offer type - the matched deposit bonus.

Free bets are also easy to manage for the bookmaker, as they are a one-time thing, whereas the matched deposit bonus and its intricacies can be tricky and result in frustration with players. They also require a lot of resources from the customer support.

Very few things in life come for free, and the same can be said for free bets. A qualifying bet is usually needed but, unless there are wagering requirements, once you have the free bet, there is no catch - it is yours to use and take home the winnings if you pick up a winner.

Although a free bet offer is usually associated with sign-up bonuses and welcome offers, some free bet offers are available to existing players too. 

It's not just new players who can take advantage of free bets from bookmakers, with plenty of ongoing free bet promotions for existing players.

Free Bet Club

Popular with the bigger brand bookmakers, free bet clubs offer players an extra incentive to play at specific bookies, by offering a free bet or bets when playing throughout the week.  

Sky Bet Club is arguably the most famous of these promotions offering free bets on horse racing or football and even free spins for casino players, based on the previous week's stakes.

This bonus usually requires players to bet on a specific market or stake a minimum amount to qualify, with the free bet credited at the end of the qualifying period, with free bets subject to T&Cs.

Other prominent Free Bet Clubs include:

• Betfred - Free Bet Club (Greyhounds)
• BetUK - Free Bet Club
• BetVictor - Loyalty Club
• Betway - Free Bet Club
• CopyBet - Weekly Challenge
• Midnite - Acca Club
• Paddy Power - Paddy's Reward Club
• PlanetSport Bet - Sportsbook Rewards

No Deposit Free Bet

Although rare, some betting sites offer betting offers in the shape of free bets or casino free bets, without any requirement of a deposit first. 

When this is the case, the free bet normally comes with quite heavy wagering requirements if you win with your free bet.

Normally even small deposits with the correct bookie are worth more than free bets without a deposit.

From time to time, existing customers may be given a completely free bet with a qualifying bet required. Of course, these are usually very small and could be around a big event, like the Cheltenham Festival or a big England football match.

Mobile Free Bets

In the modern world we live in, your mobile device has risen in importance. More and more bookies are putting a lot of effort into making the smartphone the number one device from where their customers place bets. 

With that in mind, many modern bookmakers offer many kinds of promotions for mobile customers only. One bookie that has carried the torch in this development is the Swedish company, LeoVegas, who offer their customers many promotions on their mobile devices.

So, what should you do with the free bet once it has been awarded to you? What is the best way to turn it into cash? Our advice is to be sensible about your free bet, and to not be expecting too much.

Since it is a free bet, and the stake often is £10, you will not become a millionaire. But it is possible to convert it to a reasonable starting bankroll. Depending on the type of offer, the most important thing is to decide how much money you want to end up with.

Most bookies keep the stake when you place a free bet, which means you only keep the winnings. If you place a £10 free bet at 1/2 (1.50) and win you are only left with £5 as cash. That might be enough for some, but as it is “free”, most players will try to get more out of it. This is where the risk/reward discussion begins.

Say you want to make £50 back from your free bet, for a decent starting bankroll. In that case, you have to place a bet at 5/1 (6.00) and win. This is of course a possible bet, via a treble on three favourites for example. But still quite hard.

If you are really into getting much out of your free bet offer, and aim for a starting bankroll of say £300, you would have to place a winning bet at 30/1 (31.00). This is rare, but not impossible. One upset and a few favourites' victories can easily accumulate to 30/1. But with the potential reward, the risk of not winning is increasing.