Date: 14th April 2020 at 10:38am
Written by:

Bookmakers websites are full of free bets, allowing users to place bets without staking their own money. But it comes with a caveat. 

It sounds too good to be true. But it is. Due to the competition in gambling industry, oddsmakers offer free bets to keep customers.  There are special portals that can show you all current football free bets that you can get without deposit.  

A free bet offer is exactly what it is. Free. The gambler does not have to stake his own money or if he does, the money is refunded to their account. And it is not a hoax. There are numerous free bet offers that are waiting for users to pick up and try their luck. 

Free bets types

A free bet allows you to recover your stake at its conclusion. And they came in various shapes and sizes. Usually, new customers are allowed a free bet after depositing funds into their accounts. The size of free bet will depend on your account size. Bookies also offer to match your stake for a bet. It is another type of promotion, where your stake size is doubled for your choice of bet. 

The free bets are also used to promote betting on a special event. Or a specific type of bet. Many bookmakers offer these during Champions League and FA Cup fixtures. The Olympics is another hotbed for these bets to swarm your inbox. 

Some bookmakers also reward you for your winning bets. Needless to say, these come with their own set of restrictions. The bookie can and do put restrictions on limits, and or withdrawal time or amount.

What is in it for the bookmaker?

Free bets and bonuses are offered by bookmakers for a variety of reasons. But the chief reason is customers. 

These bets are there to persuade visitors into becoming new customers. And continue to be the preferred choice for existing customers. With the arrival of odds comparison websites, gamblers have accounts on various websites. These free bets are the bookmaker’s tools in keeping hold of their customers. 

Moreover, as shared before, these free bets come with restrictions and caveats. Withdrawals become contingent and other limits come into play that are designed to keep on betting on that specific betting portal.

How to find and use free bets?

Just like odds comparison websites and forums, there are existing portals that list free bets. These services direct new customers about which bookmaker is offering what and how they can use them. These websites aggregate offers and share it with their visitors. 

Nothing is done out of free will and these websites make money off affiliate links. They get paid when a visitor becomes a client for the bookmaker’s website i.e. signs up. However, there is nothing wrong with this model

But apart from this, you can find these bets by going to the websites of bookmakers and check their offers. All reputable bookmakers list their free bet offers for visitors to check out. Some even ask for bets suggestions in this category.

While most free bets are straightforward and only require you to sign up, finish KYC (know your customer) protocols and off you go. Sometimes bookmakers offer coupons and promo codes, and users have to apply them to redeem the free bet offer they want. 

In other cases, bets have their own pages and the user has to find his way to a specific section of the bookmaker’s website. The help and live chat sections always come in handy, and users should always go to them for assistance. 

Suffice to say, it is easy to find free bets and easier still to redeem these offers. However, what is difficult is to withdraw your winnings once the bet is settled. New bettors should always look at the fine print and see if there are outstanding conditions that need to be met.