Both new and existing customer free bet offers can be lucrative and represent excellent value, but the bigger bonuses tend to come with the free bet sign up offers.

In the US, most free bet welcome offers are actually risk-free bets. So, after placing a qualifying wager, you'll either win your bet and move on or lose it and receive a free bet to the value of your qualifying bet stake.

Risk-free bets are different from standard free bets because you only receive a free bet if you lose the initial wager, but considering the size of the free bet that it is possible to receive from many of these sportsbooks, it's still a terrific type of sports betting bonus.

The free bets listed below are all risk-free bet welcome offers.

Best Free Bet Sign Up Offers

1. PointsBet - $2,000 (min. odds -200)
2. Unibet - $250 or $500 (no min. odds, bonus state-dependent)
3. Bet365 - $200 (min. odds -500)
4. 888sport - $500 (no min. odds)
5. FanDuel Sportsbook - $1,000 (no min. odds)
6. BetMGM - $1,000 (no min. odds)
7. Caesars Sportsbook - $1,001 (min. odds -200)
8. Barstool Sportsbook - $1,000 (min. odds -200)

Free bets are among the most simple sports betting bonuses around. They are generally very easy to understand and claim, but you do have to pay attention to the terms of each free bet offer to ensure that you meet the requirements and ultimately get your hands on the free bet credit.

When you qualify for a free bet, you get to place a wager without risking any of your own money.

There are new customer free bet offers and existing player free bet offers, and for each of them, you need to follow steps such as the below:

• Opt-in or claim the offer
• Place a qualifying bet
• Receive your free bet credit
• Place a wager with your free bet
• Lose none of your own money if you lose

Free bets are different from risk-free bets, but by claiming the latter, you can end up with regular free bets.

Most of the welcome offers you'll see on this page are risk-free bets, and it is important to understand the difference between them and regular free bets.

How Risk-Free Bets Work

• You place a real money bet initially.
• If you win, you collect your winnings (stake included) and get no free bet.
• If you lose, you get a free bet refund* matching your stake, up to a pre-determined maximum amount.
• You then place a wager with your free bet credit.
• If you win with your free bet, you get the winnings (stake not returned).
• Any winnings from your free bet can be withdrawn as cash unless otherwise stated.

*With some risk-free bet offers - such as Unibet NJ's - you might get a cash refund rather than a free bet refund. This is advantageous because you could then withdraw the money that has been refunded to you straight away.

While standard free bet offers for new players are rather scarce in the United States, the same cannot be said for existing customers.

Many of the top sportsbooks in the country have free bet promotions - some of which are longstanding and others that pop up from time to time around big events or tournaments.

Of course, the size of the existing customer free bet offers won't be in the same stratosphere as the huge risk-free bet deals for new players, but over time, these small promotions add up and provide value on a regular basis.

We constantly refresh the Bookies Bonuses site with the latest free bet offers, but you should also keep an eye on the Promotions section of the betting sites in our lists, as they are regularly updated.

Perhaps the only thing that bettors love more than free bets is no deposit free bets because, as you can tell, you don't even need to place a qualifying bet in order to get your hands on a free bet.

Understandably, no deposit free bets are very rare, but that is not to say that there is none out there.

But while no deposit free bets might sound like the best type of sports betting bonus that you can receive, this is not necessarily the case. 

Like other types of free bets, they may have terms or restrictions such as:

• Minimum odds
• Wagering requirements
• Validity period
• Eligible markets

No deposit free bets are usually smaller than other offers in terms of the bonus amount, and they are also more likely to have strict wagering requirements.

But the Barstool Sportsbook no deposit free bet, which is a part of its sign up bonus, is an excellent offer despite its relatively small $10 value.

With the exception of no deposit free bets, all free bet offers require you to unlock your bet credit, usually by placing a qualifying wager.

How to Get Free Bets

1. Find a free bet offer and opt into it or claim it.
2. Place your qualifying wager (if required).
3. Receive your free bet (usually upon qualifying bet settlement).

But you can't just place a bet on the sportsbook and hope to receive your free bet right away. You have to meet certain criteria, and there are various elements that might determine how and when you get your free bet.

We have already touched on the terms that you can expect to see with free bet offers in the How Free Bets Work section, but you can see a more detailed explanation below.

• Odds - Your qualifying bet, or even your free bet, may have to be placed over a certain minimum odds number.
• Minimum stake - Qualifying bets must be placed in accordance with the specified minimum stake. If it is a Bet $20 Get $20 offer, then your minimum stake is $20.
• Eligible markets - Some free bet offers may only be used on certain sports or markets.
• Number of selections - Your wagers in a free bet offer may be single bets only, parlays only, or there may no restrictions at all on this.
• Payment methods - Some offers or promotions may only be available to those who deposit with a particular payment method - most commonly a bank card.
• Validity period - You may have to claim your free bet offer within a certain timeframe, and then you also might have to use your free bet within a number of days (usually 7 days).

Risk-free bets are claimed in a slightly different way, but the terms you need to look out for are similar.