Sports Betting Bonuses

Different Types of Online Bookmaker Signup Bonus Offers

If you took some time and checked for yourself, you would find there’s something of a standard across the industry when it comes to welcome bonuses, but you’ll also find some variation in terms of how generous they are.

Here’s a list of the most common bonus offers available in the UK market today.

First Bet Refund Bonus

This is the one to look for, as in our opinion it’s the best.

How it works: Essentially, you don’t pay to play, as long as you don’t win. If your first bet is not a winning one, you will be refunded.

Here’s an example. Your first bet is for Liverpool to win against Arsenal, but the Reds take the draw. If you bet £75 that will be refunded to you and depending on the terms and conditions — which you should always check — you could remove that money from your account.

Free Bet Bonus

Not as good as the first bet refund deal, but definitely worth your consideration. It’s similar in that just like the refund, the free bet bonus means the bookmaker is obligated to pay out the amount of your first bet as long as you don’t win.

Here’s where things differ. With the above first bet refund, you can take your money out of your account and go somewhere else with it. You don’t have that option with the free bet bonus as you must use the money on the same site. Remember, it’s a bonus, not a refund.

Once again though, it’s important to check the site's terms and conditions to find out how to use this free bet on what will now be your second bet.

Deposit Bonus

We’ve moved down to what we consider the least attractive bonus.

Here, your bonus is calculated against the amount you first put into your account. We’re not saying it isn’t a generous offer — the bonus is typically 100% of what you put into your account — but it’s becoming a rare offering in the industry.

For example, and again based on individual terms and conditions, if you deposit £75 in your account when you register, that will be matched.

No Deposit Bonus

Things have changed. While it used to be true in the sports betting market that you could find a bonus that didn’t require an upfront payment, this is no longer the case.

There have been instances where special operations have been organized, but for the most part, no deposit bonuses are a thing of the past. And that is sad.

We are in hope of this changing, but as it stands now, no deposit bookmaker bonuses no longer exist in the UK sports betting market. The main reason seems to be that they just no longer appear to be effective.

What Types of Bonuses are the Best Right Now?

Good question!

Our team prides itself on staying up to date on welcome bonuses. We do our best to keep our info updated by constantly reviewing rankings. This means that you, the bettor, are always ensured the most current information.

Whether we’re talking about the quality of a site, how attractive their signup bonus is and how difficult it is to obtain it, know that a host of factors are taken into account when we rank a signup offer.

If you’ve been hesitating over signing up with any of the current online sports betting sites that we have ranked here, there might be some hidden gems you need to take advantage of.

A Final Word of Warning

Not all bonuses are created equal because not all bonuses are offered by bookmakers who are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.

If the site you are looking at doesn’t state it is licensed by the Gambling Commission, your safety isn’t guaranteed as it isn’t monitored or supervised by the Commission. If you should have a dispute with the site — say your bonus was never paid out, for instance — you are not protected.

So again, for your own safety while sports betting online, make sure the bookmaker is fully licensed. If a bonus sounds too good to be true, it probably is...