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99% of you know this already, I’m sure, but online betting sites go bonus-bonkers when it comes to targeting new customers. Here I’m going to explore why – and unveil some of the best bonuses in your area.
Every brand under the sun offers a new user bonus of some, shape or form, but how do us bettors separate the wheat from the chaff? Well, let’s face it. It’s really just a case of familiarizing yourselves with what kinds of bonuses are out there, and how any wagering requirements and other restrictions might affect your game plan.
Requirements (WR): | 1x Bonus |
Min. Deposit: | |
Cashable: | Yes |
Requirements (WR): | – |
Min. Deposit: | – |
Cashable: | Yes |
Requirements (WR): | – |
Min. Deposit: | – |
Cashable: | Yes |
Requirements (WR): | – |
Min. Deposit: | – |
Cashable: | Yes |
Requirements (WR): | – |
Min. Deposit: | – |
Cashable: | No |
Requirements (WR): | – |
Min. Deposit: | – |
Cashable: | Yes |
It makes little difference whether you’re completely fresh to sports betting or you’ve been backing your favorite soccer, NFL, or baseball team online for yonks, I’m sure you’ve noticed something about online betting bonuses by now. Yup, that’s right – the largest, most outlandish and overall most generous ones are usually aimed at new sign-ups.
There’s a reason for this, and it’s all simple stuff. Basically, bookmakers take great care to ensure their sportsbook sign up offers pack a real punch purely because they rely on these bonuses to bring new bettors to their platforms.
Of course, this is epic news for any of you who are currently shopping around for a new place to bet. Ultimately, it means you guys will have ample choice to secure the following kinds of bonuses, and more:
Well, if you’re a new user registering with a betting brand for the first time, why wouldn’t you? These promotions serve-up all the benefits I outlined above, and then some.
In my many years of betting, I’ve found that the very best new user sportsbook promos will offer you a chance to try out a new online sportsbook’s odds, betting tools and all-round offerings with some free bets.
If the brand also offers casino games, you might even get some free spins or casino chips thrown in for good measure, too. And if they have an app available, or they offer sports live-streaming capabilities, you might also be able to test out:
But of course, all new user sportsbook promos come with their unique pros and cons. And while these differ from one offer to the next, it’s essential you guys understand the general ins and outs to watch out for.
With near enough every betting brand out there offering some kind of first-timer bonus, you’re going to be pretty spoiled for choice if you live in a country or region where online sports betting is legally permitted.
On this page, I’m sure you’ll already have noticed that my banners display details of some of the best sportsbook bonuses available where you live – and believe me, all these are worth checking out. But to be honest, it’s good to have a solid understanding of what kinds of bonuses are out there and how they work if you want to make a sensible, informed decision RE which offer’s best for you.
So, here goes a quick rundown of some of the popular new user bonus offer variants I mentioned earlier. You ready? Let’s go.
Bonus type | How it works | Tricky T&Cs to watch out for |
---|---|---|
Free bet offers | These typically quite simple offers grant you one or more free bets playable on selected sports – though you’ll usually need to drop a qualifying deposit first. | Your initial deposit might need to exceed a certain amount (e.g., $20), and you might only be able to bet on one specific sport or team on odds exceeding a certain amount, too (e.g., you must bet on New York Yankees odds of 3.0 or greater). |
Free spins at casino games | You’ll get some free spins (i.e., “goes”) on one or more slots games. | Again, watch out for restrictions that limit you to playing only certain games (e.g., 100 free spins on Starburst). You might also need to wager your spins a set number of times pre-cashout. |
Matched deposit bonuses | With these, making a deposit with the bookmaker or casino entitles you to a percentage match in bonus bets – e.g. “get 100% up to $200 when you deposit $20 or more”. | The biggie here is you’ll usually need deposit the absolute maximum permitted to unlock the full amount of bonus bets on offer. E.g., with the bonus in my example, you might need to drop a full $200 to actually get $200 worth of bonus bets. |
No deposit promotions | These are much like matched deposit bonuses, except you’ll unlock your bonus without having to part with any cash. If casino games are offered, you might get a mix of bonus bets and free spins. Wowzers. | As these offers are “free” at the point of claiming, they tend to come with stricter wagering requirements than other bonuses. You might also be limited to specific games, sports or odds, again. |
Whichever kind of offer you come to claim, the key to using it effectively basically just comes down to reading. You see, giving an offer’s T&Cs a proper good gander will help you to know exactly what to expect in terms of potential pitfalls and how to safely swerve them. A few classic caveats to watch out for, include:
To get your hands on the cream of the crop of today’s welcome bonuses, you might sometimes have to enter a sportsbook promo code. If one’s required, it’ll usually be clearly displayed either:
Using promo codes is painless. All you need to do is literally punch in the correct promo code for your region when signing-up with the brand and claiming your new customer bonus.
Wagering requirements come attached to practically any and every bonus you’ll find. They’re simple enough to understand – if your new user bonus bets have a 5x wagering requirement, for example, you’ll need to play through those bets on eligible games or sports five times before you can cash out.
For obvious reasons, it’s important to read-up on any wagering requirements before you actually start betting.
Many of the best new user sportsbook promos out there, including those mentioned in my banners, demand that newbies play through their bonus bets within an allocated time limit, too.
It’s important to note that for bonuses that serve-up mixed bags of goodies, the time limits might be different for different parts of the bonus – e.g., bonus bets might have a 7-day expiry date, while free spins need to be wagered in just 2 days. Watch out for this.
The best new user sportsbook promos tend to come with sport or game-related restrictions, too. For example, the T&Cs of a bonus might dictate where you can and can’t bet in terms of:
It’s common for sportsbook offers to be limited to certain sports, like soccer for example, while free spins bonuses might only be playable on a specific slot game, like Sweet Bonanza. Again, the devil’s in the detail.
This one applies more to any of the best new user sportsbook promos around that require an up-front deposit. You see, sometimes, the T&Cs might state that you have to deposit via a certain payment method to qualify for your bonus. Oftentimes, you’ll need to cash-out using the same banking option to boot. Free bet bonuses that are only available to, say, PayPal users, for example, are pretty darn common – so be careful.
On this page, I’ve collated the biggest, juiciest bonus offers that are currently available to players in your region. All the banners promoting new user bonuses you’ll see here have been geo-targeted using your location, and each one hails from a betting site that I can assure you is:
Ready to claim and activate one of the best new user sportsbook promos from my banners? I bet you are. But before you do, I really can’t stress the importance of planning ahead.
As I’ve shown throughout this guide, pretty much any bonus you encounter out there in the big, bad world of online betting is going to have T&Cs – and you need to know exactly what to expect before unlocking your bonus bets if you really want to have maximum fun, and not inadvertently catch yourself out somehow. So, always be on the lookout for:
And above all else, be prepared. Ultimately, so long as you know what you’re dealing with before you’re dealt your free bets, you’re going to have a killer time, I’m sure. Especially if you roll with one of the awesome bonuses from my banners right here.
That’s easy. You just need to locate the ad for their latest welcome package, click it, and punch in a few details. Depending on the offer’s T&Cs, you might also have to enter a promo code or make a qualifying first-time deposit exceeding a certain amount, too. Having trouble? Come and check out my expert betting bonus guides, that run through absolutely everything you’ll ever need to know.
It’s a hard no from me. No matter where you live in the world, it’s absolutely vital you only ever bet with online bookmakers that hold a legit license from an institution you can trust – like the UK Gambling Commission or Malta Gaming Authority, for example. My guide right here runs through how you can double-check whether a betting brand is legal in your area.
Ordinarily, no. Welcome bonuses and sign-up offers tend to be reserved solely for newbies, I’m afraid. But on the upside, most betting sites will run regular offers aimed at their existing customers over on their “Promotions” page, or perhaps via social media. Get acquainted with some of the best existing customer promos by reading my detailed betting brand reviews.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.