How Free Bets Work
What a bookmaker free bet really is, how a typical welcome offer works, why the stake isn't returned, and what a £10 free bet is actually worth.
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About this video: How Free Bets Work
How Free Bets Work is a short narrated video guide from Sports and Casinos. What a bookmaker free bet really is, how a typical welcome offer works, why the stake isn't returned, and what a £10 free bet is actually worth.
In addition, the video runs for 1 min 37 sec and works on any phone, tablet or computer. For example, you can use the chapters above to skip straight to the part you need. After that, read the full written guide for worked examples and answers to common questions.
Also, every video guide has its own page, so you can bookmark it or share it with a friend. However, offers and terms change often, so always check the latest terms before you sign up.
Because each chapter is short, you can also rewatch one step at a time. Then, once the idea makes sense, compare the current offers and pick the one that suits you. Meanwhile, keep an eye on expiry dates, since most free bets only last a few days. Above all, only bet what you can afford to lose.
Read the transcript
Here's how bookmaker free bets really work, and what they're actually worth.
A free bet is a token in your account, not cash. You can't withdraw it. It only turns into real money if you bet with it, and the bet wins.
Most welcome offers follow four steps. Sign up, using a promo code if there is one. Deposit with a debit card, as e-wallets are often excluded. Place the qualifying bet, for example ten pounds at evens or bigger. Then your free bets arrive once it settles.
Here's the rule that changes everything: the stake is not returned. A ten pound cash bet at odds of three point oh pays back thirty pounds. The same free bet pays back twenty, because the bookmaker keeps the stake.
So short odds waste a free bet. At one point five, a ten pound free bet only pays five pounds. At bigger odds, it keeps far more of its value.
That's why a ten pound free bet is worth less than ten pounds. Used as a normal bet, it's worth around seven to eight pounds on average. Matched betting locks in roughly seventy to eighty per cent, whatever the result.
Before you claim, check the small print: when the free bets expire, which bets they can be used on, the minimum odds, and any excluded payment methods. Every offer we list shows an estimated value, so you can compare them fairly.
Read the full guide for more. Eighteen plus. Please gamble responsibly.
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18+ only. Gambling can be addictive; please play responsibly. Free, confidential help: BeGambleAware.org or the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.