Guide to Free Bets and UK Bookies Welcome Bonus Offers

The rise of the internet has been a huge game changer in the world of gambling with online betting now being a huge industry. It is amazing how popular online betting has become and with that, how competitive the UK online sports betting has become for the bookmakers.

Choice is always something that is great for a customer and the UK punters now have plenty of choice on who they want to place their bets with. With so many UK bookies now at the fingertips of sports betting fans the bookmakers are having to compete hard on how to get new customers through their doors and betting with them.

Obviously having a solid sports betting website and product is a need alongside competitive betting odds, but it is fair to say most of the UK online bookies tick those boxes, so they have to go further. This is why these days you will see most of the online bookmakers trying to offer new customers ‘sweeteners’ which come in the form of sign up bonuses such as free bets for joining up.

At first glance these welcome offers from the bookies all look very similar, but now there are many different welcome bonuses ranging from free bets to enhanced odds offers. With this in mind we thought it would be a good idea to go through all these different bookies offers for you so you can get a clear idea of the differences, how they work and exactly which kind of offer would be best for you to claim. So have a read of our Guide to Free Bets and UK Bookies Welcome Bonus Offers and see which betting offers would be right down your street.

Free Bets and Free Bet Offers

Free bets or free bet offers are one of the most popular sign up bonuses that the online bookmakers offer new customers. These free bets and free bet offers on the whole are very simple to claim and usually work on matching your first bet stake. These offers were for a long time were the industry standard for the bookmakers welcome offers and worked like the Karamba free bet does where you place a first bet of £10, and they then credit you another £10 free bet.

Although these free bet offers and free bets remain popular with the bookies many have now become even more generous with them with numerous bookmakers now offering more in free bets than you need to have to bet first. A great example of this is the BetVictor free bet where all you need to do is place a £5 first qualifying bet and receive a package of £30 in free bets to enjoy as a welcome bonus.

First Deposit Bonuses

First deposit bonuses are also another popular welcome bonus that many bookies like to offer and at first glance look like the free bets offers from the bookies, but there are slight differences. Although these types of bookies welcome bonuses are simple to claim they do tend to have a few more terms and conditions attached to them compared to standards free bets.

These offers basically match the first deposit you make and can then be used as free bets. 10Bet are a bookie that are a good example of this and their 10Bet free bet offer matched your first deposit up to £50. Here 10Bet will match your first deposit with a 100% deposit bonus up to £50 to use as free bets. The main difference with these first deposit bonuses compared to free bet offers is that they tend to come with wagering requirements. Here you have to bet through your bonus a certain amount of times before you can withdraw your winnings. These terms are usually not a problem for most punters, but some bettors are not expecting them, so it is always important to read the T’s and C’s fully before deciding with welcome bonus to claim.

No Deposit Free Bets

These free bets are exactly what they say and probably the best ones you can claim as they are so generous. However, no deposit free bets are very rare with not many UK bookies offering these. If you can find these offers, they are fantastic and will credit you a free bet or free bets just for signing up, without the need to make a deposit first. Currently, in the UK only 2 bookmakers are offering these no deposit free bets and Sporting Index are offering the best one. The Sporting Index free bet credits you £100 completely free win you join up with them, and you can bet with that and keep any winnings to make from it, although the free bet stake is obviously not credited.

As we said these free bets are usually very rare but every now, and again you will find the odd bookmaker blast these types of offers out for a short period to get a quick burst of new players. They don’t happen very often, but when they do, they can be great, so it’s always worth keeping an eye out for these types of bonus offers.

Risk Free Bets and No Lose Bets

Although at first glance these types of offers don’t look as generous as some of the other bookies offers they can actually be quite good for customers. These risk-free and no lose bets work on the basis that your first bet gets refunded as a free bet (sometimes as actual cash) if it loses. At first, you may think they are that special because if your first bet wins then there is nothing for you. However, these offers can be used as an insurance policy, especially if you fancy an outside bet with bigger odds than something normal you would bet on. If it wins, you have a big priced winner, if not, no harm done, you have the stake bet to have another bet on something else.

The Paddy Power free bet is a perfect example of these risk-free bets, and they go a bit further as they will refund your losing bet as cash if you don’t win.

Boosted Odds Bonuses

These types of betting offers have evolved over the last few years and can be very profitable if used correctly. They have been created by bookmakers to try and stand out from the crowd and offer something a little different to the usual free bets and deposit bonuses. The Grosvenor Sport free bet is a great example of these boosted odds offers, and they will double the odds of your first bet with them. At present only a couple of bookies are using these sorts of welcome offers, and they can differ so as always make sure you read the full details first before claiming.

Enhanced Odds Welcome Offers

Enhanced Odds offers have also become popular of late with various different bookies taking advantage of these at different time. Although similar to boosted odds offers they are different in many ways with the bookies usually offering them on a specific event. These enhanced odds offers usually offer huge odds on a specific outcome that is normally a short priced favourite. For example, in the past they have been created around football matches when a major team is playing a minnow. The major team and favourite could be 1/20 to win, but the bookie will be offering 20/1 for new customers. There will be more to it than that though as you normally are limited to very small stakes and the winnings are mainly paid as free bets, but they are something different and can add some extra excitement to your betting.

As you can see there are many different bookies offers to claim as welcome bonus, and they can differ hugely from each other. As they differ they will be suited to different types of punters, so it is important that you read them all and work out which bonuses are right for you. And before you claim any of these offers always make sure you read the terms and conditions to make sure you stick within the rules and don’t end up voiding any of your free bets or bonuses.