How Do Free Bets Work?

Free bets work by bookmakers giving football betters an opportunity to place a bet without losing any of their own money. The difference between a free bet and a regular bet is that the better doesn’t contribute to the stake at all, meaning it wouldn’t be refunded if the bet is victorious.

Why do bookmakers offer free bets?

The world of football betting is an extremely competitive industry, with many bookmakers offering the same services. Therefore, in order to encourage people to their services, most bookies attract customers by offering free bets.

The bookmakers’ desire is for this initial bet to get the ball rolling, with the hope that the better will return, stick around, and spend their own money. They’re enticing those interested in making football bets with a free bet, hoping this to be the start of a long relationship. Bookmakers may also offer free bets as a gesture of goodwill or as part of a promotional drive.

How to know if I’m eligible for a free bet

The most straightforward way to finding out if a better is eligible for a free bet is to check the terms and conditions on the chosen bookmaker’s promotional page.

As football betting has become such a worldwide phenomenon, there are several bookmakers who are available in a huge number of regions. Some free bets may therefore have geographical constraints, meaning a particular better in a particular part of the world may not be able to access a particular free bet.

https://www.matchyourbet.co.uk/ indicate there are roughly 80 bookmakers in the UK.

How do betters access free bets?

1. Sign up

In this day and age, it’s very straightforward to sign up for an account with a bookmaker, potentially taking just a matter of minutes. What is required to signing up is an ID, as well as a proof of address, as the rules and regulations surrounding gambling these days, are, with good reason, very strict.

There’s also the possibility that a promo code or link may be required to sign up to activate the free bet. It could prove extremely frustrating if this is missed, so make sure to double check.

2. Add payment method

This is the time for the better to fill in their chosen payment method, with it clear at this point which are permitted by the bookmaker of choice. In the modern world in which we live, there are many different payment methods that bookmakers will accept.

If the payment method isn’t filled in, no money will be able to come in or out of the account.

3. Place the free bet

Some bookmakers will offer the free bet at this point, whereas some will require the new member to place an initial punt before the free bet becomes available. Sign up free bets have become extremely popular over the years with both betters and bookmakers alike, with it having the potential to be very beneficial to both.

According to https://review42.com/ football is the most popular sport Brits bet on, making up for 40% of the sporting bets.

 Positives of free bets

• Why turn down free money? If utilised wisely, there’s good money to make with free bets, as bookmakers are effectively giving football betters free money to play with.
• Free bets allow the better to maximise income and get off to a great start, building momentum and confidence.
• Free bets upon signing up mean the better is more likely to try different bookmakers and take advantage of several free bets.

Negatives of free bets

• Free bets will usually require the better to match the bookmaker’s investment, so in some cases aren’t really free.
• To withdraw winnings from a free bet, a better may be required to make more punts, risking their winnings from the free bet.
• Bookmakers will steer the betters to less profitable markets, as ultimately they would rather the better didn’t win these free bets.
• Some bookmakers may limit the odds on which the punter is able to place their initial free wager to detract from the better winning big. Ordinarily, this is about 1/2 or EVS. Read the linked article if interested in learning more about football odds.

What is a risk-free bet?

A risk-free bet is a subgenre and extension of a free bet and is another technique bookies use to ensure that football betters stay interested and return.

Like a free bet, it’s often offered by bookmakers to new customers upon signing up. This bet ensures that if a punter isn’t successful, they will receive all or part of their stake back. The returning stake will either be paid back in full or as a free bet,  so if a customer isn’t successful, they get to have another go.

On kickoff.co.uk, we round-up all the best betting offers from the leading betting sites to help you save money and win at the bookmakers’ expense. Check it out here.

If new to the world of football betting, or looking for a helping hand, our expert writers at kickoff.co.uk spend their time looking at statistics, patterns, and odds of matches in over 30 leagues worldwide, giving their predictions on what matches in each particular market look punt worthy.

In addition, there are several blogs on our site outlying the positives and negatives to each football betting market.