Below you’ll find a list of the best introductory betting offers from a variety of top notch UK online bookies and betting sites. The majority of these welcome bonuses are given as free bets, but there is the occasional deposit bonus thrown in for good measure.
Some bookmakers also offer special, over the top, enhanced odds promotions around big events as an alternative to their regular sign up offers – we have a list of these on our home page when they’re available.
Unlike the lions share of the promotions you see on bettingoffers.org.uk, the list of free bets and bonuses in the table are only for new customers – so if you already have an account with one of the betting sites, you can’t claim the offer and you’ll need to pick another.
This page also serves as a list of the bookmakers whose offers we track on the rest of the site – so we actually recommend registering accounts at all of them so that when an offer pops up you can take advantage of it right away. Plus you’ll have all of those tasty free bets to play with!
List of Introductory Free Bets & Betting Bonuses
Site | Free Bet T&C's Apply |
Bonus Info | Offers | Claim |
---|---|---|---|---|
£30 | Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets | New customers can claim up to £30 in free bets | ||
Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365.Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required. #ad | ||||
£30 | Bet £10, Get £30 in Bonuses | Place a £10 bet at evens or more for £30 in free bets | ||
18+ New customers only. Opt in, bet £10 at odds 2.00+ within 7 days, no cashout. Get 6x £5 Free Bets, set events at odds 2.00+. 7 day bonus expiry. Debit Card / Apple Pay payments only. Click for T&Cs. Please Gamble Responsibly. #ad | ||||
£30 | Free bet if your first acca loses | Also comes with 50 spins | ||
New UK customers only. Min Stake: £5. Maximum Free Bet: £30. First bet on a Football or Horse Racing multiple with 3+ selections. Overall odds: 3.00 (2/1) or higher. Free Bets available upon settlement of the qualifying bet. 100 Free Spins on Gold Blitz (£0.10 per spin) credited on settlement of qualifying Acca bet. No wagering requirements on free spin winnings. Debit Card deposit only (exclusions apply). This offer is valid 7 days from the new account being registered. 18+ BeGambleAware.org. Bet the Responsible Way. Full terms apply. #ad | ||||
£40 | Bet £10 Get £40 in Bonuses | 2 x £10 free sports bets and 2 x £10 casino bonuses | ||
18+. BeGambleAware.org. New GB customers only. Min £10 debit card deposit. Place a £10+ bet on sportsbook at min odds 1/1 (2.0) each leg. Receive 2 x £10 free bets within 24 hours of bet settlement, and further 2 x £10 casino bonus the next day.T&C’s apply. #ad | ||||
£50 | £50 in Free Bets | Bet £10 at odds of even or more to claim | ||
New customers only. Register with BETFRED50. Deposit £10+ via Debit Card and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. T&Cs apply. #ad | ||||
£30 | Bet £10 Get £30 | Football specific welcome offer | ||
18+ New Customers Only. Opt in and bet £10 on football (odds 2.00+) within 7 days. No cash-out. Get 4x£5 Free Bets for set markets and a £10 Slot Bonus for Big Bass Splash, 30x wagering, to withdraw max £250. Rewards expire in 20 days. Selected payment methods only. Click for T&Cs. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly #ad | ||||
£50 | 100% Deposit Match | Get a 100% bonus on your first deposit worth up to £50 | ||
New bettors; Code SPORT; Wager deposit & bonus 8x; Max qualifying bet stake=initial bonus; Valid 60 days; Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply; T&C apply; 18+ #ad | ||||
£20 | Bet £10 Get £20 | Bet £10 at evens or greater for a £20 free bet | ||
New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Mobile exclusive. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. T&Cs apply. #ad | ||||
£50 | 50% back up to £50 | Get 50% back on your first days losses. Plus free spins. | ||
Deposit and bet on any sportsbook markets of your choice at odds of evens (2.00) or greater. Get 50% back of your first days losses as a Free Bet up to £50 plus 50 Free Spins. Min. 3 bets required. If your account is up, you’ll receive a £5 Free Bet regardless plus 10 Free Spins. Use coupon code "5050" at registration. T&Cs apply | 18+ New UK Customers Only | GambleAware.org | Gamble Responsibly #ad | ||||
£10 | Weekly £10 Acca Free Bet | Place 2 x £10 Accas For a Free £10 Acca (Once Per Week) | ||
18+, UK only. Place a minimum 2x £10 pre-match 4 leg acca cash bet where odds accumulate to 3.0 (2/1) or more and get a £10 bonus funds to use on multiples (3 or more selection, min odds per selection 1.5 (1/2)). Cashed Out, Asian Handicaps, Draw no Bet wagers or bets with void legs do not qualify for this promotion. Free Bet credited every Monday by 12pm. Maximum 1 free bet per customer per week available from this promotion. Full T&C's apply. #ad | ||||
£10 | Double Odds on First Bet | Get double odds (paid in cash) on first bet. | ||
New customers. Max £10(Exc PayPal). 100% Odds Boost token. Full T&Cs apply. 18+. Begambleaware.org. #ad | ||||
£10 | Up to £100 Extra Winnings | Deposit £10 for a 100% profit boost on your first bet. | ||
New reg only. Claim by placing a min deposit £10 via ‘My Offers’ page within 30 days. 7 days to stake max £10 in-play, min odds 1/1 (2.0). Max. extra winnings £100. Once claimed, 30-day expiry. Cashed out, System & EW bets do not qualify. Other Promotional Play Restrictions Apply. T&Cs apply. 18+ BeGambleAware.org. #ad | ||||
0% | 0% Commission (First 100 Days) | Pay 0% commission on exchange bets for 100 days | ||
New 18+ Customers only. 0% commission on all exchange sports for 100 days. Promo code 0COMM100 must be entered during registration. Offer only available to users who deposit via debit card. Standard 2% commission rate applies on 101st day. Not available to API, RDT or trading software customers. T&Cs Apply. #ad |
For those of you who are unfamiliar with these kinds of offers, we’ve compiled the following handy guide which covers topics such as; the different types of free bets you can claim, common terms and conditions that you should be aware of and (most importantly) how to maximise the value of your bonus.
Free Bet Types
Sign up bonuses at online bookmakers are offered in various forms and it pays to understand exactly what is on offer from the various bookies before you sign up. Here we outline some of the more common free bet types to be found amongst the best bookies in the business.
- Matched Bets – Matched bets are based on the value of the first bet you place with a bookie after opening an account with them. They are usually worth the same as the stake of your initial bet (up to a specified maximum), though some offers will give a percentage of your first bet as a free bet from as little as 10% to as large as 300% or more on some occasions.
- Deposit Bonuses – Deposit bonuses are almost similar to matched bets but instead of being based on the value of your first bet, they are given as a percentage of your first deposit after signing up with the bookie. Invariably (though not always) you have to place a real money bet before using the free bet anyway, so check any terms and conditions of specific offers before signing on the dotted line. The main difference between a deposit bonus and a matched bet is that the bonus can be use however you wish – so a £50 bonus could be used to place 10 £5 bets, whereas often a free bet has to be used in it’s entirety in one go (although not always).
- Money Back If Your Bet Loses – Traditionally these kinds of offers were given as free bets, but since the ASA got involved they tend to be in cash (although not always – the wording of the offer here is very specific). Place your first bet and if it loses you’ll get your wager back in some form, either cash or as a bonus.
- Bet Bundles – Bet bundles or “bet baskets” refer to free bets that are released incrementally often after you make a certain number of bets. For instance, a bet bundle of £50 might give you a free bet of £25 when you place your first bet of that value with the second £25 being added when you have made three more bets of that amount.
- Enhanced Odds – You’ll find enhanced odds offers mainly around bigger events, and they’re certainly not as popular as they once were. Here you’re receiving bigger odds in lieu of any kind of bonus. So instead of 2/1 for Ronaldo to score you might get 10/1. In most cases (but not all) the additional winnings are paid as free bets rather than real money, although you should receive the payout from the regular odds in cash.
Various other types of betting promotion pop up from time to time as bookies try innovative ways to attract new customers, with mobile specific promotions, bonuses that can be split between sportsbooks and casinos and others. But the above are the most common types of welcome offer you’ll encounter.
Common Terms & Conditions
Whenever you are thinking of signing up with a bookie it is a good idea to check out the small print and especially where the free bets are concerned. Here are some of the more common terms and conditions you should keep your eyes peeled for.
- Deposit Methods – Many betting sites now exclude various payment methods, including ewallets such as neteller, or go so far as to require the first deposit to be made via a debit card. This rule doesn’t apply to future deposits, only the one used to trigger the sign up bonus.
- Minimum Deposits – While free bets are often quoted in terms of the maximum amount available, most bookies will also issue them when you deposit or bet lesser amounts, which is great if you don’t want to risk much of your cash (though see below note in the Making The Most Of Your Free Bet section). If you are planning to make a smaller deposit than the value of the maximum, be sure to check that you are still entitled to a free bet as you wouldn’t want to miss out by being just a little bit under the minimum requirement.
- Minimum Odds – Likewise, check what the minimum odds are for any qualifying bets and the free bets themselves (they are not always the same). If you bet on something at shorter odds than the quoted minimum with your qualifying bet there is a fair chance you have blown your chance of getting a free bet at all, so this is an essential one to check out.
- Wagering Requirements – While free bets appear to be exactly that, some are free-er than others. Some bookies require you to wager the free bet (and sometimes the combined value of the deposit as well) a certain number of times before you are permitted to withdraw any net wins. Clearly it is tougher to win a series of bets than a one-off, so check if this requirement exists before piling in. It doesn’t mean you can’t still win a lot of cash, just that you might alter your tactics somewhat.
- Excluded Bet Types – Certain bet types are often excluded for either or both qualifying bets and free bets, such as, for instance, multiple bets or in-play bets. Also note that you are often prevented from combining free bet offers with other promotions or bonuses, so you wouldn’t be able to use your free bet to take advantage of a money back offer on a football match (bookies can be generous, but not THAT generous).
- No Cash Out – We are yet to find a betting site that allows cash out to be used in conjunction with their sign up offer, and for good reason. Otherwise you’d be able to place a bet and close it out immediately with only a small loss and effectively be freerolling the free bet. You also won’t be able to use cash out on the free bet itself.
- Stake Returned/Not Returned – Stake returned free bets are great as the bookie will pay back the “stake” value of the free bet with any winnings as if you had put up the cash yourself. Unfortunately these are not as common as they were a few years ago and most are now of the stake not returned variety whereby you are paid the winnings but not the stake itself (so backing an odds-on selection will bring a return that is less than the value of the free bet itself).
- Time Limits – This is an important one as it often catches people out. Almost every offer you see is going to have a time limit to claim and redeem, and normally it starts as soon as you’ve signed up. For example, you might have 7 days to qualify for and claim the free bet after registering. Once awarded you’ll also have a time limit to use your free bet credit before it expires. If the offer comes with a wagering requirement then you’ll also need to meet this before the clock runs out.
Free Bet Examples
It’s all well and good for us to throw a glossary of key terms at you, but how does it work in the real world? Below we’ve covered examples of some common types of bet that you might see. To save any confusion with terms changes these aren’t real offers, simply representative examples of what we tend to see in the while.
Bet £5 Get £20
The “bet and get” bonus is becoming more and more popular as bookies turn to headline grabbing deals. And it works one, too, as £5 tends to be the minimum you can deposit but in exchange for that you’re getting four times as much in free bets.
- Deposit: £5
- Qualifying Bet: £5
- Minimum Odds: Evens or more
- Bonus: £20 in free bets, given as four £5 free bets
In this example you are required to make a deposit of £5 or more and then place a bet on any fixed odds sporting event at odds of evens or greater (2.0 if you prefer decimal speak). Regardless of whether your bet wins or loses you’ll receive free bets worth £20, given as four five pound bet tokens which can be used on whatever events you like.
Bet £10 Get £40
Similar to the Bet £5 offer described above is a slightly bigger Bet £10 Get £40, however this one is split into multiple parts that straddle the various products of the bookies.
- Deposit: £10
- Qualifying Bet: £10
- Minimum Odds: Evens
- Bonus: £40 in bonuses: £10 Football, £10 Horse Racing, £10 In Play, £10 Casino
- Wagering Requirements: 25x Casino Bonus
As with the bet £5 offer, you need to make a deposit and qualifying bet, except that this time the amount is slightly larger at £10. The minimum odds for this offer are also evens and regardless of whether it wins or loses you’ll receive £40 in bonus funds.
With this offer your £40 is split into four distinct £10 bonuses. Three are for free bets that cover different sports and bet types (one each for football, horse racing and any in play event) and the fourth is for the casino.
The casino portion of the bonus comes with wagering requirements of 25x the bonus, meaning that you need to play through £250 on eligible casino games before you can withdraw it. But don’t worry, if you lose the £10 before reaching the £250 the WR is simply zeroed out.
20/1 For Man United to Score First
In contrast to the previous offers, here you don’t receive a specific free bet when you sign up. Instead a popular bet is enhanced significantly, normally by a factor of 10x or more, depending on the stake.
- Deposit: £5
- Bet: £1 at 20/1 (normally Evens)
- Cash Returns: £2 inc £1 stake
- Free Bet Returns: £19
The first thing that you should notice from this offer is that the minimum deposit is larger than the qualifying bet. Whilst this could seem like sneaky trickery it’s simply because the minimum deposit at the site is £5 and the offer is for a £1 bet, meaning that you’ll have £4 left over from your deposit.
Your £1 has to go on a specific bet – for Man United to score first in that days match. If they fail to score first, you lose your bet and walk away with nothing. On the other hand, if the bet wins you’ll be paid out at odds of 20/1 – meaning that £1 pays out £21 (including the stake).
However, only the “normal” odds are paid as cash, the rest are given as free bets. This means that of the £21 payout you’ll receive £2 in cash (the £1 stake and £1 at evens) and £19 in free bets.
Money Back in Cash If Your First Bet Loses
Instead of a free bet, this promotion offers to refund the losses from your first bet should it fail to win.
- Deposit: £5+
- First Bet: £5 to £20
- Bet Wins: Normal payout
- Bet Loses: £5 to £20 back as cash
To start you’ll need to deposit five pounds or more and then go to to place a bet of up to £20 on the market of your choice. As it’s a money back bet, the amount you’ll receive back will be equal to the bet – so if you bet £5 you’ll receive £5 back and if you bet £15 you’d receive £15 back (up to the maximum of £20).
If your bet bets, you’ll be paid out in cash and that is the end of the offer. If the bet loses then you’ll receive the money back in cash, effectively restoring your account to how it was before the losing bet was placed.
As this offer pays out in cash rather than free bets, that is the end of the offer and there are no additional requirements.
£100 Deposit Bonus
Our last example is a traditional deposit bonus that awards a bonus based on the amount of your first real money deposit into the account.
- Deposit: £10+
- Max Bonus: £100
- Deposit For Max Bonus: £100
- Release Requirements: 1x Deposit
- Wagering Requirements: 5x Bonus
With this offer you can deposit ten pounds or more, but the value of the bonus is going to match that deposit. So if you deposit £10 you’ll receive a £10 bonus, a £50 deposit will award a £50 bonus and if you deposit £100 or more you’ll receive the full £100.
To activate the bonus you first need to wager through your deposit once. This could be in one go or you could split it into multiple smaller bets, such as 20x five pound bets. This will release the bonus funds which are now available to bet with.
Now that the bonus is in play your deposit, bonus and any winnings are unable for withdrawal until the wagering requirements of 5x the bonus have been met. This means you’ll need to place £500 in bets before requesting a withdrawal.