A welcome offer is worth one bet. The margin a bookmaker charges is worth every bet after it. Keep that in proportion and the rest of this page is straightforward: here is what each type of bonus actually is, what the terms mean, and how to work out whether an offer is worth taking.
The types of offer
| Type | How it works | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Bet & get | Place a qualifying bet of £5 or £10, receive free bets whether it wins or loses | The most common UK offer. Check the minimum odds on the qualifying bet |
| Matched free bet | Your first stake is matched in free bets up to a stated amount | Same as above in practice; the ceiling is what varies |
| Risk-free / money back | If your first bet loses, the stake is returned as a free bet | You get back a free bet, not cash. It is not risk free |
| Profit boost | A percentage added to the winnings of a qualifying bet | Pays only if the bet wins, so its expected value is lower than it looks |
| Deposit bonus | Bonus funds credited on deposit, usually with a wagering requirement | Common in casino, rare in UK sportsbooks. Read the wagering multiple |
| No deposit | A small free bet for registering, with no deposit required | Almost extinct in the regulated UK market. If you find one, read everything |
The five terms that decide what an offer is worth
- Minimum odds. Usually 1/2 (1.50) or evens. You cannot qualify by backing a 1/10 shot, which is the whole point of the condition.
- Expiry. Seven days is standard; three days is short enough to change the value materially. An expired free bet is worth nothing.
- Stake not returned. A £10 free bet placed at 2.00 returns £10, not £20 — the stake is not given back with the winnings. A £30 free bet package is therefore worth well under £30 in cash.
- Where it can be used. Some free bets are restricted to a product, such as Bet Builder only, or to minimum odds far above the qualifying bet's.
- Payment method exclusions. Several UK offers do not pay if you deposit with PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafe or Apple Pay. This catches more people than any other clause.
The UK advertising codes require every significant term to be displayed prominently next to the headline of an offer, and to stay available for as long as the promotion runs. If you have to hunt for the expiry date, that is itself information about the operator.
Wagering requirements, with the arithmetic
A wagering requirement says how many times you must stake a bonus before it can be withdrawn. A £50 bonus with 5× wagering means £250 of bets must be placed before any of it becomes cash.
Two things make that worse than it sounds. The requirement is usually calculated on the bonus, sometimes on bonus plus deposit — check which. And each turnover cycle costs you the bookmaker's margin, typically 3 to 6 per cent, so £250 of turnover quietly costs £8 to £15 before you have lost a single bet on merit.
Sportsbook welcome offers in Britain usually have no wagering requirement on the free bets themselves. Casino bonuses almost always do.
The current UK welcome offers
Correct as of 20 September 2026. The full comparison, with how we rank the operators, is on the bookmakers page.
| Bookmaker | Offer | Min odds | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Hill | Bet £10, get £30 in free bets (3 × £10) | 1/2 (1.50) | 7 days |
| 888Sport | Bet £10, get £30 in free bets | 1/2 (1.50) | 3 days |
| LeoVegas | Deposit and bet £10, get £30 in Bet Builder free bets (3 × £10, min odds 3/1) | 2.00 | 7 days |
| bwin | Bet £5, get £20 in free bets (4 × £5) | 1/2 (1.50) | 7 days |
How to use a free bet well
Because the stake is not returned, a free bet returns more in absolute terms at longer odds. A £10 free bet at 2.00 returns £10; at 5.00 it returns £40. That is not a reason to back 20/1 shots, but it does mean spending a free bet on a 1/4 favourite wastes most of it.
The other rule is simpler: place the free bet on a market you would have bet anyway. An offer that pushes you into a sport you do not follow has already cost you more than it gave.
Betting responsibly
Offers are marketing, and they work. If a promotion is the reason you are betting rather than the sport, that is worth noticing. Every licensed operator provides deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion; GamStop covers all licensed online operators at once, and GamCare's National Gambling Helpline is free.
Frequently asked questions
Is a free bet really free?
The bet costs you nothing, but you have to place a qualifying bet with your own money first, and the stake is not returned with any winnings.
Can I withdraw a free bet?
No. You can withdraw what it wins, subject to the terms.
What happens if my qualifying bet is a void?
Most operators treat a void bet as not having qualified, so the offer does not trigger. You would normally need to place another qualifying bet.
Can I claim the same offer twice?
No. Welcome offers are one per customer, household and payment method, and operators check.
Related guides: compare bookmakers · UK bookmakers · football betting · live betting
Cashback, the offer that keeps running
Welcome offers are one-off. Cashback works the other way round: it returns a share of your net losses over a set period, week after week, and it has no wagering requirement on most schemes — which makes it worth more over a season than a headline sign-up bonus. How the schemes differ, and what to read in the terms, is in bookmaker cashback.