Best Free Bets UK in 2023
We can probably all agree that finding free bets used to be a lot easier than it is today. You don’t need to spend hours hunting for them, and you don’t have to guess at which is best. Someone’s already done that for you.
Not only did we come up with the 7 best free bet offers, but we also gathered all the information you need to evaluate them. Read below to find out what the pros and cons of these are, as well as what we think makes an excellent free bet offer.
Top 7 Free Bets at UK Bookmakers
24+
United Kingdom
Open Account Offer
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- Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5* or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 300% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £30* in Bet Credits. Once released your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable
- To release your Bet Credits for use, you must place qualifying bets to the value of your qualifying deposit (capped at £10*) and they must settle within 30 days of claiming the offer. Only qualifying bets settled after claiming the offer will count towards this requirement.
- Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, paysafecard and all other prepaid credit and debit cards, where available, cannot be used for either your qualifying deposit or any subsequent withdrawal of returns from Bet Credits stakes unless we have successfully verified an accepted form of your Identity Documents and you have entered a Postal Verification Code (PVC), or we have successfully verified two accepted forms of your Identity Documents. See full Terms and Conditions for details.
- Bets placed must meet certain conditions to count towards the release of your Bet Credits:
– Must contain at least one selection at odds of 1/5 (1.20) or greater.
– In market/fixture combinations that only have two or three potential outcomes (for example Soccer Full Time Result), where you have placed bets on more than one potential outcome, either pre-match or In-Play, only the outcome with your highest cumulative stake will count.
– Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, only the remaining active stake will count.
– Where a bet has been edited using our Edit Bet feature, only the new stake on the new bet will count.
– Fully Cashed Out, Instant Games, Gaming, void bets or In-Play bets which are settled as a push will not count. - Your Bet Credits are non-withdrawable, and Bet Credits stakes are not included in any returns. Any returns from Bet Credits placed will be added to your Withdrawable Balance. Bet Credits cannot be used on certain products, offers/promotions and bet types. See full Terms and Conditions for details.
- Your Bet Credits will be forfeit and removed if your account is inactive for 90 consecutive days.
- The code CD365 doesn’t change the welcome offer.
*or currency equivalent
T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.
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United Kingdom
Welcome Offer – Stake £10, Get £30 of Free Bets
- New players from UK only, 18+
- Minimum Deposit: £10
- Opt-in required by clicking on the “Claim” button on the player’s “My Offers” page.
- Offer must be claimed and qualifying bet must be made within 7 days of registration.
- Qualifying bet must be a bet of at least £10, with odds of 1.8 or greater.
- Once the qualifying bet settles 3 x £10 free bets will be awarded as follows: 1 x £10 Horse racing, 1 x £10 Free Bet Builder and 1 x £10 Football.
- Stake not returned
- Free bets expire seven days after they are awarded if they remain unused.
- Full terms apply, BeGambleAware.org
2+
United Kingdom
Deposit and Get 2 x $30 Free Bets
- Valid on:1st Deposit of $30 or more
- Select bonus in cashier
- Wagering Requirements: 0
- This promotion is available to customers who are making their first deposit of $30 or more. Click ‘or see available bonuses’ in the Cashier and select your bonus.
- 2x $30 Free Bets will be credited after making a qualifying deposit. A NZ$30 Free Bet is available instantly while the second one is credited once the initial Free Bet has been used (and settled).
- Free Bet winnings are paid in cash. No wagering.
- Free bets must be placed at odds below 50.0. Free bets placed above odds of 50.0 may result in bonus cancellation and winnings being voided.
- Free bet stakes are not returned with any winnings. Each-way markets are excluded. If a free bet is settled as ‘void’, free bets will not be returned. Cashout and partial cashout are unavailable when using Free Bets.
- Free bets must be used within 30 days of making your first deposit
- Your initial deposit must be wagered before a withdrawal can be requested.
- This promotion cannot be used in conjunction with, or to contribute to the eligibility for, any other promotion.
- This offer is available until stated otherwise.
- Deposits with Skrill and Neteller do not qualify for this promotion.
- Currency equivalents apply.
- 18+, New Customers only
- Full Terms and Conditions apply
20+
Canada
100% of your first deposit up to $200 + $10 Casino Bonus!
- Minimum qualifying deposit: $10
- Maximum bonus amount: $200
- Payment method restrictions: Deposits made with PayPal, Entropay, Neteller, Paysafecard, and Skrill are not eligible for this promotion
- Sports Wagering requirement: 6x bonus amount
- Odds restrictions: 1.50 (1/2)
- Time limit: Wagering requirements must be met within 60 days
- Users must opt-in to this promotion
- Cashed out and voided bets do not contribute to the wagering requirements for this offer
- Once the bonus has been activated, users may not withdraw any funds until the wagering requirements have been completed
- This promotion is only available to users residing in Canada
- 18+, New Customers Only
40+
Costa Rica
Japan
Spain
Sweden
Mexico
Chile
Peru
Argentina
Bolivia
Colombia
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Dominican Republic
Uruguay
Venezuela
Key Terms:
- Only available to new William Hill customers in the UK or Ireland;
- Customers must sign up using Promo Code P30;
- Only one ‘new account offer’ per person, household address, email address, debit/credit card number, or IP address is allowed;
- Duplicate accounts will not qualify for this offer;
- This Promotion is not available to new accounts depositing funds with Entropay, Paypal, Neosurf, iDeal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill, ecoPayz, Kalibra/Postpay;
- Offer will run from 00:01 on 12 November 2019 until 23:59 on 31 March 2020;
- Only available for customers who deposit in GBP pounds (£) sterling or Euro (€) currencies;
- Qualifying bet must be placed with a unit stake of £10/€10 or greater;
- For bets placed as an Each Way bet, only the win part for the bet will count towards to offer;
- Qualifying bet must be placed at odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater;
- Qualifying bet must be placed on the William Hill Sportsbook site only;
- Qualifying bet must be struck using funds from your main balance;
- Qualifying bet can be pre-match or in-play;
- Cash in my bet is not available for bets placed that trigger a free bet as part of a promotion until at least one selection has been resulted or is In-Play. At this point, Cash in my bet will become available as long as all the other availability conditions are met;
- Free bets will be paid as 2 x £15/€15 denominations;
- Free bets can be used on any sportsbook product (excluding tote, pool, and lottery bets);
- Free bets will be available for 30 days;
- Free Bet is non-refundable and may not be withdrawn;
- Free Bet stake will be excluded from any winnings;
- Free Bet cannot be partially redeemed;
- Cash in my bet will be available for bets placed using a free bet (minus the value of the initial free bet);
- Player, country, currency, Market restrictions and terms apply.
7+
Costa Rica
France
Italy
Japan
Portugal
Sweden
Mexico
Brazil
Chile
Peru
Argentina
Bolivia
Colombia
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Dominican Republic
Uruguay
Venezuela
Sportsbet.io Bonus! Bet Insurance – Get 2mB Free Credit!
8+
100% Matched Free Bet Up To $100
- Max. Bonus Amount: $100
- Min. Odds for Qualifying Bet: 2.00
- Qualifying bet must be placed within 7 days of registering your account
- Restricted Payment Methods: PaySafe, Skrill, Neteller
- Cashed Out or Partially Cashed Out bets are not considered to be qualifying bets
- Void bets, Special Markets, BetBoosts, and Enhanced Accas are not considered to be qualifying bets
- Free Bet Rules
- Free bets can be used on any sports
- Your free bet can be used on a whole bet, or a number of smaller bets
- Profit Limit: Amount of stake
- Free bets will expire within 7 days
- No Wagering Requirements apply to this promotion
- 18+ New Customers only
- Residents of Canada only
- Full Terms and Conditions apply
Quick Navigation
Types of Free Bets
In this section, we will look at the various types of bonus bets that can be claimed from free bet sites. The most common type of bet voucher or bonus that customers will encounter is a sign-up bonus free bet. Sign-up offers are awarded when customers open an account and sometimes a promo code is required. There are two main types of sign up bonus bets, ‘deposit to get’ and ‘bet to get’. Check out our guide to the various different types of free bets below.
- Deposit to get: This is when a bookie matches your first deposit with a bonus bet to the same value. E.g. Deposit £30 and get a £30 free bet.
- Bet to get: This is a different type of offer. To claim this free bet you must deposit, make a bet and this activates your free bonus bet. E.g. Bet £10 to get £30 free bet.
- Special Promotions: These free bets are awarded to existing customers as part of promotions or specials. E.g. If one selection in an accumulator lets you down you get a bonus bet that matches your initial stake.
- Loyalty Programmes: Some bookies reward customers with offers and bonuses on a weekly or monthly basis if certain wagering targets are met. E.g. If you bet £50 or more in a week, you will get a £10 free bet.
Another thing that’s become popular with free bet sites in recent times is a staggered release of free bets. This is where players can get, for example, four £5 free bets, but are first given just one free bet and then receive the others after using the free first bet. Notable examples of this would be Betfair’s Bet Bundle free bets for new customers and MansionBet’s UK free bets welcome bonus.
How do I Activate Betting Sites Free Bets?
Some free bet offers are activated just by signing up to a sportsbook, others are activated as part of a welcome package in addition to a deposit bonus, and others require users to place an initial qualifying bet.
When it comes to Deposit Bonuses, however, these are almost exclusively activated by making a deposit that meets a minimum amount (generally around £10), and users may need to avoid certain payment methods (most commonly Skrill and Neteller).
Depending on how a free bet offer is activated, it may be simpler to activate a Deposit Bonus. Then again, the opposite could also be true. This is one of the reasons we tell our readers to always read the terms and conditions before trying to activate any sort of promotion or bonus.
What Should You Know About Free Bets?
So, what should you know about free bets? In the world of online betting free bets are a hot commodity. Well, you might be surprised to learn that there is a lot more to free bet offers than first meets the eye. The first thing to do is to check the terms and conditions. Turnover requirements, wagering requirements and restrictions on odds can apply.
Usually, wagering requirements will apply to any betting sites free bets offers you receive. This is to stop punters from exploiting free bet offers, particularly sign up bonuses. These can include minimum odds for your free bet, turnover requirements before you can access winnings from free bets and also deadlines as to when your free bet is placed. Always read the terms and conditions, because your free bet may not be as ‘free’ as you might expect.
Turnover requirements are implemented by bookmakers as a way to ensure that customers can’t exploit free bet sign up offers and promotions. For example, some bookmakers require you to turn over the value of the bet vouchers in your account before you can withdraw funds. The best free bet sites are the ones that make it as easy as possible for punters to actually USE their free first bet.
Wagering requirements and odds restrictions are other factors to take into consideration. As an example, a bookie might have punters use their £30 in sign up free bets on wagers of odds 1/2 or greater. The minimum stake would be £10 per bonus bet so as you can see, it is always worth checking the terms and conditions.
Are They The Same As Sign-Up Bonuses?
It is fair to say that betting site new customer bonuses are by far the most common source of free first bets. However, not all free bets are free bets for new customers. Loads of bookmakers dish out free bets for existing customers for other reasons, including to reward loyalty and as part of promotional offers. However, wagering and turnover requirements can apply to these types of offers too. Just as with sign up bonus offers, always check the terms and conditions of any free bet offer you get.
What Makes A Good Bonus Bet Offer?
So, what makes a good free bet offer? Well, here at Sportsbetting24 we like to see minimal turnover and wagering requirements when it comes to bonus bet offers. The fewer conditions that are attached to the offer, the better it is for punters.
Some offers require a large amount of account activity to be activated and more often than not these offers are anything but ‘free’. We believe that matched deposit or matched bet free bet offers are often the best for punters to profit from.
Many bonus bet offers stipulate that bets must be placed at minimum odds and this can make it harder to get a return from your bets. Also, some offers are restricted to certain sports (e.g. Horse racing, football, etc.).
To sum up, a good free bet offer has minimal turnover and wagering requirements, can be used on the sport of your choice and the fewer odds and sports restrictions that apply, the better!
No Deposit Free Bets – A Thing of the Past
Back before advertising regulations were tightened in April 2019 and tax laws were changed, bettors were often able to claim no deposit UK free bets. Many bookmakers and casinos ran these no deposit free bet offers to try and attract new customers and they proved extremely popular.
No initial deposit was needed to claim these bets. All you needed to do was sign up to claim the new customer free bets. However, new tax laws implemented in August 2017, and stricter advertising standards by the ASA, meant that many online bookmakers were forced to cease these free bet UK offers. Find out more about why they were restricted below.
Why are they Restricted?
For sportsbooks, it was the tightening of advertising regulations that restricted their ability to offer free bets without deposit. These new laws were implemented by the UK Gambling Commission in April 2019. This mainly came to pass because a small number of bookmakers were less than transparent with the terms and conditions that applied to “free bet no deposit required” offers.
More often than not there would be wagering or turnover requirements that had to be met. Before the new laws came in, bookies didn’t have to clearly display the terms and conditions attached to no deposit offers. Now there are strict rules about the way sign up offers and promotions are displayed and advertised by online betting companies. Once these terms and conditions were made unignorably clear, the offers proved to be much less popular.
That is why these days, most online bookmakers run matched bet or bet to get type sign up promotions. So, while free bet no deposit offers are a thing of the past, we don’t think that is necessarily a bad thing. Bookies have to be more transparent with their offers now, and we have no complaints about that.
Pros and Cons
- Free bets give you the chance to boost your balance with no risks attached
- Sign up bonus bets can be very substantial depending on the betting site
- Promotional bet voucher offers can be excellent too
- Odds restrictions make it harder to win from free bets
- Wagering/turnover requirements must sometimes be met
Free Bets vs Other Betting Bonuses
This is a common question. When getting bonus funds on a betting site, you can generally only spend those bonus funds on placing bets, so how is that different from free bets?
Well, for starters, most bonus bets offers are for set amounts, like “Bet £10, get two £10 bets” offers. There’s no way to earn more than two bet vouchers, and each one is worth exactly £10. The bettor doesn’t have very much control there.
A standard deposit bonus will give you bonus funds that can, barring some restrictions, be used however you like. A standard deposit bonus might look something like “100% of your first deposit up to £100″, meaning that if you meet the minimum qualifying deposit, anywhere between that and £100 will be given to you as bonus funds. There may be restrictions listed in the terms and conditions such as needing to place accas bets, or maybe even a minimum odds restriction, but this still gives bettors more control over their bets than free bets do.
Wagering Requirements
There are some key differences between what is considered to be “standard” in the wagering requirements for free bets and for Deposit Bonuses.
Many Bonus Bet offers don’t even have wagering requirements associated with them, whereas Deposit Bonuses always have wagering requirements. Even when Bonus Bet offers do have wagering requirements, this is usually a multiplier applied to any free bet winnings, meaning that it’s almost impossible to predict how much you might need to wager before redeeming those winnings, as we mentioned above in our section on understanding free bets offers.
When it comes to Deposit Bonus wagering requirements, there’s a lot more variety here. Bettors might have to wager a multiplier of their bonus, or their deposit, or a combination of both. Generally speaking, a good deposit bonus will have a wagering requirement of somewhere between 6 and 10 times their bonus amount, though we’ve seen a number of deposit bonuses with even more difficult requirements.
Should I go for Free Bets or a Deposit Bonus?
This will depend on a few different things, including your own personal taste and betting style. While we can’t make the decision for you, here’s a handy list of things to look out for:
- How much is available in either free bets or bonus funds?
- Looking at the wagering requirements, do you think you can redeem the bonus?
- How many restrictions are placed on the bet vouchers?
- What do you need to do to activate the bonus bets or deposit bonus?
- Are there any payment method restrictions? If so, will this change how you’d normally deposit funds?
Free Bets FAQs
What’s the best free bet offer?
Here at SportsBetting24 we’re quite fond of 888Sport’s free bet sign-up offer. It’s a simple offer that adds a ton of value to new punters and is a great way to start your 888Sport experience. Of course, though, we understand that different punters have different betting styles, which is why we came up with a list of the 7 best free bet offers in the UK. All you need to do is pick which one suits you best.
How do free bets work?
Free bets work in a number of ways depending on the betting site involved. Some require certain wagering requirements such as minimum odds or stake levels for free bets, while turnover requirements must also be met with some bookies. Take a look at our guide to free bets for more information.
How to get free bets?
The main way to get free bets is by opening an account with a betting site and claiming the sign-up bonus free bet. However, existing customers can also get free bets too. Some betting sites run rewards schemes that give customers free bets as a token of appreciation for their loyalty. Other betting sites give free bets as part of promotional offers. We recommend reading our section on the different types of bonus bets for more information.
How to get betting apps with free bets?
Betting on the move via mobile devices is massively popular across the UK and Ireland and there are lots of betting apps with free bets. The vast majority of betting sites have native smartphone apps or web apps that allow you to bet on the go and you can often claim free bets on betting apps. Just download the betting app from your chosen bookie and keep an eye out for any free bet promotions.
Can you withdraw free bet winnings?
It is usually the case with most betting sites that certain requirements must be met before you can withdraw free bet winnings. Read our guide to what makes a good free bet offer for more information. Check the relevant terms and conditions to find out the exact turnover requirements for your free bet.