Sports betting is one of the most popular forms of gambling around the world. In the most general terms, online sportsbook betting involves the placing of a wager – or bet – on the outcome of a particular sporting event.
While sports betting has been deeply ingrained in culture for hundreds of years, the advent of online sports betting has meant that gamblers are now able to place wagers wherever they are in the world from their smartphones, tablets and desktop computers.
Online sports betting has grown to become one of the favourite pastimes of millions of sports fans around the globe – and with free bet bonuses available from many of the world’s largest bookmakers, there are plenty of chances for new customers to win big without even having to deposit any funds into their account.
How free bet offers work
It may sound too good to be true, but bookmakers genuinely do offer their customers free bets – and with good reason. The online sportsbook marketplace is becoming increasingly crowded, and this means that bookmakers around the world are competing for the custom of a finite number of sports fans. To entice new customers to try out their services, many bookies’ will provide users with free bet offers, no deposit bonuses and other promotions.
A free bet is essentially a chance to place a wager without risking any of your own money. You get paid the net winnings if your bet comes in, and if it loses you don’t lose out. With a free bet, you won’t receive the stake back if you win, as you didn’t wager it yourself.
On any given day, there are literally thousands worth of free bets being given away by reputable sportsbook operators. When you register a new account with a sportsbook site, it’s incredibly likely that you’ll receive some form of promotional free bet in return.
How to use your free bets
There are plenty of ways that you can make the most of your free bonus bets. Some of the most popular options are as follows:
• Double up: This is the easiest way to use a free bet. If you already have a wager on an upcoming sports fixture in mind (or if you’ve already placed a bet on a forthcoming event), why not create a new account with another bookmaker and use your free bet to predict the same outcome? This way, you’ll essentially be able to double your bankroll on your wager of choice.
• Hedge your bets: If you’ve got a bet in mind or have already placed a wager on an upcoming event, you could always mitigate any potential losses by using your free bet on an opposing (but relatively equally likely) outcome. This is known as hedging your bets. For example, you might back one team to win a football match with your standard bet, and then back the opposing team to win the match with your free bet. This incredibly simple tactic can be used to increase your chances of profiting (and in some cases even guarantee your chances of profiting) without costing you any extra.
• Matched betting: This technique can be quite complicated, but it’s an almost sure-fire way to turn a free bet into cash. It involves placing your free bet on the outcome of a sporting event with a bookmaker, while using a betting exchange to wager that the same outcome will not occur. It’s similar to hedging but slightly more profitable and can take a little more research to ensure a positive outcome.
Free bet terms and conditions
You may be wondering if there is a catch when it comes to free bet bonuses. To find out what each particular bookmaker offers with their free bets, we recommend reading their respective terms and conditions.
Some bookmakers will require you to wager any winnings from your free bet multiple times (in some cases up to 60 times) before they will pay out. Others will require you to use your free bet on a wager with odds of 2/1 or greater. During large sporting events, some bookmakers will only offer promotional free bets on the event in question (such as the World Cup or Cheltenham).
Regardless of the restrictions, it’s fair to say that the positives outweigh the negatives with free bets. After all, it’s a chance to win free money without having to deposit any funds! Why not check out the latest free bet bonuses today and sign up with a sportsbook site via casinobonussvenska today? It makes sense – with no deposit free bets, you’ve literally got nothing to lose.
