Free Bets and Betting Offers for June 2026

What is a free bet?

A free bet is a wager of a specified value for which the bookmaker pays the stake. In other words, a bet that’s placed by me, paid for by the bookmaker, but I would still get any winnings. Free bets are typically given by betting sites as welcome offers or sign-up bonuses to attract new people to try betting with them, and they are a great way to do just that.

Free bet welcome offers have a lot of variety and there’s a lot to be aware of, so I’m going to explain what you need to know to get free bets quickly, easily, and safely. Read on to find out the types of free bets, how to interpret T&Cs, how to choose the right offer for you, and a step-by-step guide on how to claim.

What are the different types of free bets?

It’s important to know the different ways bookmaker sign-up bonuses are packaged so you can quickly understand what is required to claim them and the true value of what’s being offered. I recommend being familiar with these main types so you can spot and compare different free bet options at a glance.

Fixed amount in free bets.

This is often referred to as a “Bet & Get” offer. It is the most common bookmaker promotion, especially of those offered to new customers. They are considered by me and many others to be the best type of free bet because they are straightforward and often the best value bookmaker offers.

How it works: You place a first wager, typically with a minimum amount requirement (e.g. £10), using your own cash. This is treated as a normal bet that can be won or lost. However, regardless of whether that bet wins or loses, the bookmaker adds a fixed amount of free bets (e.g. £50) to your account. There is sometimes a “minimum odds” requirement for your qualifying bet, so be sure to check that and make sure your first bet qualifies if there is a requirement.

Fixed amount added to deposit

This type of promotion is a first-deposit bonus that rewards new customers for funding their account when they first set it up. It provides extra betting funds based on a predetermined bonus amount. First deposit offers will almost always have a minimum deposit amount to receive the bonus – most commonly, but not always, £10.

How it works: When you make your first qualifying deposit, the sportsbook adds a fixed bonus amount to your balance. For example, depositing £20 may unlock an additional £20 in bonus funds. The key difference from the previous type is a first bet is not required to receive the bonus, instead the free bets are rewarded after your first deposit has been placed.

Bet match

Commonly known as a matched bet or deposit match offer, this type of welcome bonus is when the bookmaker matches your first deposit or first bet with bonus bets. The match can be all or part of your real money deposit or bet.

How it works: You make a first deposit when signing up, often having to be at least a minimum amount specified by the bookmaker. The bookmaker matches your deposit in bonus credits up to a stated limit. For example, a 100% match on a £50 deposit would provide an additional £50 in bonus funds, subject to the promotion’s terms and conditions.

Free betting credits

Free betting credits are bonus funds awarded by a bookmaker that can be used to place wagers paid for by the bookmaker. They may be offered as part of a welcome package, ongoing promotion, or loyalty reward. This is one of the most common promotions offered by bookmakers to their existing customers.

How it works: The credits are added directly to your betting account and can be used on eligible markets. Depending on the promotion, the stake may not be returned with any winnings, and specific wagering requirements may apply.

No deposit

A no-deposit free bet allows new customers to receive free betting credits without making an initial deposit. It is designed to let players try the betting site with minimal commitment. As with most free bet offers, the stake is not returned with any winnings. No deposit offers are rare, but they are available from time to time. 

How it works: After registering and verifying your account, the bookmaker awards free bet credits automatically or through a promo code. Any winnings generated from the free bet may be subject to wagering requirements before they can be withdrawn. 

Enhanced Prices

Sometimes known as ‘odds boosts’, this kind of offer is when a bookmaker gives more favourable odds on a specific bet. This is used by bookmakers in the lead-up to big games and major events to try and draw the increased betting interest to themselves. Enhanced prices are commonly associated with boxing, football and horse racing festivals. Bookmakers primarily offer odds boosts to new customers, but some of the biggest events also see them offered to existing customers.

How it works: You place a real money first bet, which must be the one specified in the offer and may have to meet a minimum wager requirement. The price is often boosted to a round number much higher than the standard price (e.g. 50/1). If it wins, you get the enhanced payout in free bets, or in some cases, you win real money at the standard odds and the rest in free bets. Enhanced prices are often applied to heavy favourites or very likely outcomes to get new customers off to a winning start. As always, I recommend checking the T&Cs – minimum deposit, bet type, and time limits could apply.

How do free bets work?

With a free bet, you are betting without staking your real cash. However, very often there will be requirements to make a deposit with your real money and place a qualifying bet with your real cash first. The free bet itself does not require you to use your own funds. When placing a free bet, any winnings you receive will not include the free bet amount. Instead, you’ll only receive the amount of the winnings due from the bet placed.

When searching for the best free bet offers, it is important to consider factors such as the wager amount (of the free bet), the terms and conditions and the range of sports and markets available. It is also important to choose a reputable and trustworthy bookmaker that is licensed and regulated in your jurisdiction. Here, we only have welcome offers from verified bookmakers in the UK and Ireland, so if you sign up through us, you know you’re safe and joining a trusted online betting operator.

Understanding betting offer terms and conditions

All free bets and bookmaker offers have terms and conditions attached; these can seem tricky to grasp at first, but actually, they are very straightforward. Let me walk you through the common things to look for so you can pull out the important things to be aware of before you choose to claim an offer.

Eligibility

Free bets may only be available to new customers who register for an account with the betting company, often with a minimum first deposit, placing a specific bet, and/or a first bet of at least a minimum amount is needed to be eligible. Some betting offers also require the first deposit to use specific payment methods.

Existing customer offers also tend to require certain criteria to be met, such as placing a certain number of bets within a specified period. 

Time Limits

Time limits might apply before getting your free bets, such as placing your first deposit or bet within a certain number of days after account creation. Furthermore, betting offers that apply to specific sporting events obviously require registering and qualifying before that event takes place. 

Perhaps more importantly, once awarded, free bets may only be valid for a certain period of time, for example, seven days or even 30 days. If you do not use the free bet within this time frame, it expires and any bonus will be lost.

Wager requirements

The most common wager requirements are based on value. Bet and get, enhanced price and bet match offers typically require your first bet to be of a minimum amount. This is really important to know so you can ensure your first bet qualifies you for the bonus. However, in some cases, they could also have a maximum amount. Exceeding maximum value limits rarely disqualifies you from the offer, but it won’t add extra value to your free bets.

The other requirement for qualifying wagers is for odds; most commonly, they will have to be bets on odds of evens or greater, so your options are not too restricted. Minimum odds requirements can sometimes be applied to free bets themselves. Don’t get caught out by odds requirements, they can vary between different bookmakers and offers, so be sure you know it before claiming an offer and placing your first bet.

Bet restrictions

Qualifying bets and the free bets you receive may be restricted to certain types of bets, such as single bets or accumulator bets, and may be limited to certain sports or events. I recommend you make sure your free bets can be used on the bets you want to use them for, before you sign up to an offer.

Maximum winnings

There may be a maximum amount you can win from a free bet. This amount will usually be specified in the terms and conditions. You can think of this like a maximum odds limit; if you can only win £100 from a £10 free bet, it’s not worth staking it on a bet of 15/1. This is a less common condition than wager requirements or time limits, but they are important to be aware of when they do apply.

Free bet stake

Almost all free bet offers do not return the stake in any winnings you get from them. A £10 free bet that wins at 5/1 will return £50, whereas a real cash bet at the same price would return £50 plus your £10 stake. 

Additional terms

All bookmaker offers are different, even if their basic requirements and rewards look the same. I strongly advise you to always read the terms and conditions carefully to understand any additional requirements or restrictions that may apply to the free bet offer.

What to look for when choosing free bets?

Now that you know the terms and conditions that can be applied to free bets and betting offers, you can use this to quickly understand and find the offers you’re interested in. Here’s my checklist for how to assess each bookmaker offer. 

• Is there a minimum deposit required?
• How much do you have to bet?
• Which bet is the offer applied to?
• Do you have to bet on a specific sport or event?
• Does the free bet apply to the type of bet you want to place?
• Are there minimum odds required for the free bet?
• Is the free bet available in your region? 
• Does there need to be a specific outcome?
• Does the bookmaker have a positive reputation?
• Does your free bet expire?
• Are there any requirements before you can withdraw your winnings?

You don’t need to spend a lot of time researching, but by considering these factors, you can choose a free bet that’s right for you.

How to choose your free bet

You’re potentially eligible to get free bets from every bookmaker you haven’t already signed up to, so you may have a lot of options available. To find the best deal for you, check our list above. You can consider your own betting experience, habits and plans to work out what is important to you in a bookmaker and betting offer. Use my system to quickly understand what is being offered and the terms and conditions. You’ll then find the best offer that fits your wants and needs. When you find it, just click on the offer to be redirected to the bookmaker and start the sign-up process – your free bets await!  

How to claim your free bets

Follow these simple steps to sign up for a new betting account and claim your free bets:

1️⃣ Select one of the free bet offers from the above list and click ‘claim offer’
2️⃣ Sign up for an account with your selected bookmaker and verify your identity
3️⃣ Deposit funds into your account, meeting any first deposit required for the offer
4️⃣ Place a bet to the amount stipulated in the sign-up offer terms and conditions
5️⃣ Once your first bet has been settled, and all qualifying criteria have been met, you’ll be credited with your free bets or betting bonuses

Once you have signed up with a bookmaker, you’ll still be able to benefit from any existing customer offers.

Best free bets for existing customers

You’re probably aware by now that the majority, and usually the best, free bet offers are exclusively for new customers as a reward for registering with a bookmaker for the first time. That doesn’t mean there are never offers aimed at existing customers. Bookies also want to build loyalty and be the first choice betting site for customers long after their welcome offer has been used.

Free bets for existing customers, therefore, tend to reward consistent and regular use. They may be awarded for regular deposits of a certain amount, for use on bets suggested by the bookmaker, and especially for big sporting events and racing festivals like Cheltenham, The Grand National, and Royal Ascot. 

I can vouch for the loyalty schemes from Sky Bet and Paddy Power; their respective bet clubs, as they are sometimes known, give out free bets as a reward for reaching a given threshold of value in bets. For example, if I place £30 in bets in a week I’ll get a choice of rewards for the following week. Bet-to-get offers are also sometimes available with bookies like Betfair, this is when a real money bet is rewarded with a free bet, a £10 pre-match wager might get a £5 free in-play bet for instance.

There are also more common offers for existing customers such as refer-a-friend bonuses, which I’ve capitalised on with bet365 by referring as many Racing Post employees as they’ll let me! Other more frequent offers for existing customers include best odds guaranteed, like the one offered by Ladbrokes ensuring the best odds on all racing from 8am on the day of the race.

Why trust The Racing Post?

Founded in 1986, The Racing Post is the world’s leading horseracing and sports betting publisher. We have served millions of readers for 40 years by providing them with the latest news, data and unmatched horse racing expertise. We bring that same winning energy to free bets and bookmaker reviews. We only recommend offers and betting sites from fully licensed and UKGC regulated bookies, and every single one has been reviewed by Racing Post betting experts and real sport and betting fans like me. 

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Advertising Disclosure

Offers are handpicked and come from operators that myself and our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.

Racing Post backs responsible gambling

The Racing Post believes in safe and responsible gambling. Gambling should be enjoyed as entertainment. It should not in any way be a contributor to your personal stress or financial difficulty. That’s why we are a founding member of RAiG (Responsible Affiliates in Gambling). If gambling is causing you or a loved one hardship free support is available from the following charities and organisations. 

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About the author

Written by Andrew Collinson, Racing Post Editor.

A long-time follower of sport and the betting markets around it, Andrew Collinson is an Editor at the Racing Post who specialises in content that connects punters with the best offers, angles and insights. All insights and opinions come from personal experience from the Racing Post expert betting team and UKGC compliance guidelines.