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Betting for free is a ârite of passageâ in the world of online sports gambling. Everyone â and we mean everyone â offers global sportsbook promotions. These are special âbonusesâ (or promotional deals in simpler terms) thatâll score players free play to bet with. Yes, free money!
Free play is how these betting sites separate themselves from the vast amount of competition inside the industry. They can offer this to U.S. bettors thanks to their non-regulated status. Youâll see these sites try to one up themselves to offer the top global betting offers and lure bettors to their platform instead.
The result? Bettors win big bucks and bet for free until the offshore betting bonuses run out. And in case youâre wondering if this is even legal, it 100 percent is â and this goes across the United States and world, really. Even in places that donât allow sports betting (states like California or Texas), the bonuses and betting sites work perfectly fine. Matter of fact, offshore bookmakers and bonuses exist for this reason: to serve bettors that canât easily find legal betting options in their location.
This whole article is dedicated to telling you the most secure betting bonuses that are worth your time (and money). The keyword in the last sentence is secure because weâve personally used these sites before and can guarantee their trustworthiness. Keep reading if you want free money to gamble with!
Best Online Sports Betting Bonuses
U.S. states that don't have regulated and licensed sports betting are well-supported by the offshore gambling industry â not just with killer promos, but tons of betting options. We'll be focusing on the best betting bonuses in this article, but rest assured, you can expect a full gamut of betting odds at these places too. Our list of recommended bookies below is a perfect starting point to begin your betting journey:
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EXCLUSIVE BONUS
50% bonus up to $250Play NowT&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly
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50% bonus up to $1000Play Now
T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly
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EXCLUSIVE BONUS 125% up to $3,125Play Now
T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly
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50% up to $500Play Now
T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly
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100% up to $1,000Play Now
T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly
Best Betting Bonuses and Promotions
Let's run through all the best betting bonuses and promotions from the top online sportsbooks, per our latest reviews. Please note that we're basing our findings and reviews purely on sign-up promotions. Let's get right into it:
Bovada
The Bovada sign-up bonus isn't going to wow anyone with its raw total. They will match 50 percent of all first-time deposits, but you can't get more than $250 out of it â unless you're using crypto. In that case, the bonus shoots up to $750. The crypto bonus, which is also a 75-percent match, is definitely far more "bang for your buck" than the non-crypto deal.
Outside of the Bovada sign-up bonus, the platform also offers a rewards program. Every bet made on the platform â not only on sports but casino or poker too â can score bettors points in return. These points can then be flipped for free play. It's a great incentive that benefits bettors who are in it for the long haul.
We get it, the site doesn't have the biggest bonuses. Not even close. However, Bovada makes up for it with the overall betting experience. We've ranked it as one of our absolute best online sportsbooks around.
BetOnline
BetOnlineâs welcome bonus is on the lower end of things. Like Bovada, itâs a 50-percent match for $250 in free bets. But unlike Bovada, thereâs no crypto bonus that shoots this deal up. So if youâre looking for a huge payout, BetOnline probably isnât the place to look.
For what BetOnline lacks in big promotions, they usually make up in betting contests, however. Take NFL season, for example. The NFL has a season-long picks contest which pays out $200,000 to the top winners. Think that deal is good? The survivor contest tops out at $591,600 â and that is a winner-take-all contest. Of course, you'll have to earn these rewards unlike sign-up bonuses, but still, BetOnline isn't overly cheap with players.
These contests will change from season to season, but the biggest prizes are usually reserved for tentpole events like the Super Bowl or March Madness. So keep your eyes peeled at that time of the year.
BetNow
Promos are more unique at BetNow. Unique because they offer a whopping four different welcome bonuses. Four! Each one has a different match percentage, rollover rate, and max free-play potential. Though, bettors can only pick one deal (there's no "double dipping" allowed). Hereâs all four BetNow sportsbook deals at a quick glance:
- 200% match bonus up to $200 with a 20X rollover
- 150% match bonus up to $225 with a 20X rollover
- 100% match bonus up to $1000 with a 30X rollover
- 50% match bonus up to $500 with a 10X rollover
It's very rare to get this type of optionality with bonuses elsewhere. At the majority of places, it's a one-size-fits-all approach. That means complete newbies to online betting get the same welcome bonus as a "high roller" of sorts. Does that make sense? Probably not, which is why we're big fans of BetNow. Bettors can truly choose the best deal based on their needs.
BetUS
Youâre not going to get a bigger free-play deal than the ones at this site. BetUS is in a league of its own in the promotion category, and that goes in more ways than one.
Get this, new sign ups can earn up to $6000 in free play from BetUS. Six grand! This is because BetUS will match the first three deposits a player makes â each at 100 percent and $2000. All three deposits when maxed out hit that eye-popping $6000 mark. BetUS' sign-up bonus sounds too good to be true, but it 100% is.
You'll find a similar deal with the BetUS refer-a-friend bonus. Here again, the bonus tops out at $6000 in free play. Only this time, what counts is your referral's deposits â not your own. You'll get a 100-percent match on the first three. A number this high for a referral bonus is simply unheard of. This is a throwaway deal worth $200 or so at the majority of bookies, but not BetUS.
Bookmaker
Joining Bookmaker is the right move for you if speed is your best friend. They are often the first to post lines for upcoming events, have a highly rated mobile app experience, and close out transactions in record time. This is quite advantageous. For line-hunters, you often get the best prices right off the bat. For bettors that just need quick cash (to pay bills), Bookmaker doesn't waste your time either. Not only fast, but Bookmaker is also giving with its promotions.
Get this, three sign-up bonus options are readily available at Bookmaker. One is based on crypto deposits. This Bookmaker sign-up deal is a 20-percent match that tops out at $500 in free play. If using cash or card, players can choose between a 25-percent match for $500 or a 100-percent match for $400. You do you, but the latter option is dripping with value if we do say so ourselves.
Everygame
Everygame also takes the two-headed welcome bonuses based on cash or crypto deposits. No surprise, the cash one is lower, topping out at $500 in free play, albeit with a 100-percent match. The crypto deal does hit $1000 in max winnings, but the match is only 50 percent. So both Everygame sign-up deals feel like a âwashâ, as in thereâs not one thatâs clear-cut better. Each has its pros and cons, and equally so.
While Everygame is "par for the course" when it comes to welcome bonuses, it's a lot more creative with other deals. Take this one for example â a raffle for a free trip to the Super Bowl. That's right, tickets to the "Big Game" (flights and hotel too) on Everygame's own dime. For every dollar bet on the NFL during the regular season on the site, Everygame will give bettors a raffle entry into the contest (so a $50 NFL bet equals 50 raffle tickets). A winner will be chosen at random at the end of the season and boom, someone's going to New Orleans for free!
BetDSI
Few sportsbooks promotions are more value-rich than the BetDSI sign-up bonus. Their 100 percent matching rule is good up to $1,000. Even better, the betting experience at BetDSI is incredibly intuitive. You won't find much to complain about from the moment you register.
BetDSI offers various bonuses for both new and existing customers. For sports betting enthusiasts, there are several cash bonuses available, such as a 100% bonus using the promocode SPORT100, which comes with a 20x rollover requirement. This means that if you deposit $100 and receive a $100 bonus, the total amount needs to be wagered 20 times before any winnings can be withdrawn. Other bonuses include a 30% cash bonus with a 10x rollover using the promocode RE-UP30 and a 15% cash bonus with a 6x rollover using RE-UP15, offering more flexibility depending on the playerâs preferred wagering conditions.
MyBookie
Folks will love the sign-up bonus at MyBookie. They'll match 100 percent of all initial deposits, up to $1,000. That makes it one of the largest offerings in the biz. After the welcome bonus is used up, players can leverage the site's reload bonus. This is a tiered program that on the top end, can reach as high as a 50-percent match on re-ups made. Best of all, the reload bonus can be used over and over again, unlike the one-time welcome bonus.
Equally important, MyBookie provides a nice overall betting experience, particularly if you're interested in placing wagers on the go. We're huge fans of the MyBookie live betting feature. It's lightning-fast and offers support on all the big games. Live betting is a perfect spot to spend that $1000 sign-up bonus. Combine the promotions and the playing experience, and you end up with one of the top-performing platforms around.
Sportsbetting.ag
The Sportsbetting.ag sign-up bonus follows the trend we've already covered on this page. Once again, we have a two-sided sign-up bonus being either cash/card or crypto. The former is a 100-percent match that has a $500 free-play ceiling. Youâll also get a 100-percent match if making a crypto deposit. However, the free-play potential shoots up to $1000 if using crypto. At Sportsbetting.ag, you have options based on your preferred payment method.
The site also offers reload bonuses. Here again, two separate deals based on the payment method. If using card or cash, the reload tops out at a 25-percent match. That jumps to 35 percent with crypto though. It sure pays to play with crypto, doesn't it?
Bettors who want the biggest bonuses out of Sportsbetting.ag will have to look in the casino. There's a whopping $4000 welcome bonus waiting for casino players. That's actually one of the biggest money figures in the entire online casino space so it's worth a look, especially given how many casino games that Sportsbetting.ag offers.
XBet
XBet offers a pair of sign-up bonus. The difference? You guessed it, how to choose to fund your account â with cash or crypto. The thing is both deals top out at $200 in max free play. However, crypto deposits are matched at a 100-percent clip while regular cash goes for only 50 percent. Either way, $200 is as low of a max bonus as youâll see on this list so hard to give any props to XBet here.
The good thing is XBet isn't nearly as cheap with its casino platform. For instance, the first-deposit bonus here has a ceiling of $500 â more than double that of the sportsbook. The same goes for the reload bonus, which tops out at that sum too. There is no sportsbook reload deal for those wondering.
The best deal of all though is the casino reload bonus. For bettors re-upping in the XBet casino on Saturday or Sunday, they're entitled to a 100-percent match up to $1000 in free play. You might as well wait until the weekend to casino re-deposit given how much better this promo is.
WagerWeb
As far as we can tell, there is no standard sign-up bonus for WagerWeb. Instead, players here will progressively get higher match percentages with every new deposit. It starts at 10 percent (technically this is the sign-up bonus) and escalates by 10 percent with each new deposit before topping out at 50 percent. On all deposits, free play is capped at $500 in free play. Either way, this progressive approach is rather unique for WagerWeb.
Speaking of unique, WagerWeb is one of the very places around that offers sportsbook cashback on volume, not losses. Get this, members of the WagerWeb rewards program will get 1 percent back on any and all sports bets made. Other sites do this on net losses, but WagerWeb is including wins too. That means bettors who wager $5000 on sports will get a $50 cashback (credited as free play).
It's almost impossible to get truly one-of-a-kind deals in the online betting space. However, WagerWeb has managed to do just that with this sportsbook cashback. Props to them for being trailblazers in this regard.
Others Bonuses and Promotions
There is no shortage of bookies and bonuses out there, beyond the great ones we listed above. Many bettors often come to us, telling us "so and so is offering this, is it any good?" For this reason, we're going to have a dedicated section to cover other common bonuses you might come across â and whether they're worth it or not.
5Dimes
While you'll get to choose from a whole bunch of sign-up bonuses at 5Dimes, they have hidden details in the fine print. They have specific promotions for the casino, poker room, and, of course, the sportsbook. The most uses bonus 5Dimes is their cash-back offering. Here, you should be careful about the bonuses you choose, as their wagering requirements are quite large.
Bodog
Bodog is the Canadian arm of Bovada. Bodog is not available to US players, even though Bovada is. Like some other sportsbooks, the Bodog sign-up bonus isn't that large. They'll match 100 percent of your initial deposit, but only up to $250. Don't worry, though. Bodog makes up for it by grading out as one of our two best Canadian sportsbooks.
Intertops
All Intertops sign-up bonuses were based on the amount of your first bet. However, they are now known as Everygame. They covered you up to $500 for the first wager you place in their sportsbook. This promotion varied if you were using the Intertops casino.
JustBet
So far, weâve mostly listed deals that either have 50 or 100-percent matches on deposits. However, JustBet bucks the trend with its sign-up bonus that begins at only a 25-percent match. Sure, the deal goes up to $500 in free play, but bettors here wonât be getting âbang for their buckâ due to the low match percentage. Even more disappointing, the crypto welcome bonus is worse with a 20-percent match (thatâs also capped at $500 in free play). The JustBet sign-up offers could do way better honestly.
GTBets
First-time customers of GT Bets are eligible for a sign-up bonus worth up to $500, in the form of a 100 percent reimbursement on first-time deposits. It's also worth noting that GTBets is more than their initial promotion. They clear seven out of 10 or better in all over our general rating categories.
Pinnacle
Looking for a Pinnacle sign-up bonus? Well, you're plum out of luck. Pinnacle doesn't offer one, plus they are not available for US bettors. They've set up a model where they try to let the website and sportsbook odds speak for itself. It's risky, but the overall betting experience is actually quite pleasant.
RealBet
The good news? The sign-up bonus at RealBet comes in the form of a 100 percent match on your first deposit? The lukewarm news? RealBet only pays out this promotion up to $300. You will be better off with a juicier promotion elsewhere.
SBG Global
The SBG Global sign-up bonus is a little bit different from the typical one. New users will have 20 percent of their first deposit matched. Now, while this may not seem like a lot, it's a very tantalizing one for higher rollers. SBG Global will pay out up to an additional $2,000 to its new bettors.
SportBet
The SportBet sign-up bonus is similar to the sportsbook promos run by many other sites. They'll give you 50 percent of your first deposit. However, SportBet isn't too clear on what value at which this will top out. Our research shows you're probably looking at a maximum of $500, but you may want to contact their customer service to confirm. Any sportsbook that is unclear about these things should be raising alarm bells.
Sports Interaction
Sports Interaction is not available to US bettors, as it is a Canadian sportsbook. There are bigger promotions than the Sports Interaction sign-up bonus, but don't be completely turned off. They reimburse 100 percent of your first deposit up to $200, and they will usually run similar offers for their repeat customers. This kind of treatment for established bettors at Sports Interaction can add up over time, compared to other sites who will only promise lump-sum bonuses at your time of registration.
TopBet
Once upon a time, TopBet was a respectable betting site. That time is no more. A flurry of complaints have hit the Internet of TopBet not paying out its players. Where there's smoke, there's fire, which is why we recommend bettors to avoid TopBet like the plague. Why risk it when there's so many other trustworthy options out there? Skip out on TopBet here for the sake of your wallet.
YouWin
Unfortunately, there isn't a YouWin sign-up bonus right now. And to that end, YouWin could really do a lot to improve. These days, with all the options out there, online sports bettors want high quality bonuses, something YouWin is just not doing.
Overview of Betting Bonuses Available From Global Sportsbooks
The good news is bonuses come in different types. This means more ways for bettors to reap free-play rewards. Letâs quickly cover the international betting bonuses youâre most likely to come across â and yes, they are international. Bonuses can be had by bettors across the world, not just the United States.
Welcome Bonuses
This is the most popular bonus type by far. As the name hints, itâs available to new players who are being âwelcomedâ into the site. All the bonuses we mentioned above are welcome bonuses, or sign-up bonuses, as theyâre also referred to. With any of these deals, new players will get a percentage of their first deposit matched back in free play. The best welcome bonuses for U.S. bettors will have higher match percentages and free-play maxes.
Deposit Bonuses
Weâve already described deposit bonuses. These are just bonuses where the playerâs deposit is matched by a certain percentage and up to a certain figure in free play. Deposit bonus is the catch-all term for describing that type of deal.
However, the deposit bonus can manifest in multiple ways. Of course, thereâs the aforementioned sign-up deal, which applies only to new players. But thereâs also the reload bonus, which we get into shortly. Buy any deal that requires the bettor to deposit funds first before getting free play counts as a deposit bonus.
WagerWeb offered a unique deposit bonus. If you remember, theyâll up the match percentage with each new deposit made by a player. Look into that one for a killer way to do the deposit bonus.
Free Bets
Free bet bonuses take a much different approach to deposit bonuses. With this promotion, the player doesnât have to insert any of their own money. Literally no dollar deposited. Instead, a sportsbook will offer a player a certain amount on a free bet â maybe $25 or even a $100 on the high end. Sometimes, a sportsbook will offer this free bet on a specific sport or outcome of their choosing.
The thing with this bonus is that if a bettor wins, theyâll take home the winning profit only â not the free bet money amount. If they lose, welp, no harm is done here since it wasnât their money to begin with.
Reload Bonuses
Alright, this is a deposit bonus that applies on âreloadsâ or re-ups made to an account. This is any deposit into the sportsbook besides the initial one.
The best thing about the reload bonus is that it can generally be used over and over again. That means the long-term potential of a reload deal is almost never-ending, unlike a sign-up bonus which is a one-time ordeal.
No-Deposit Bonuses
The name says it all, doesnât it? These are bonuses that donât require the bettor to make a deposit to earn the deal. Itâs sort of like the free bet bonus, but looser. Bettors earn a sum of free play and can really spend it as they wish. So this, more than anything else, is the definition of free money since the bettor has absolutely zero to lose.
No-deposit bonuses are harder to come by in the industry nowadays since most platforms want the user to have âskin in the game.â But they do exist and generally pay a lot less than regular deposit bonuses.
Advantages of International Betting Bonuses
Letâs face it, âlegalâ betting is a confusing world. Confusing because laws are not consistent from state to state (in the United States) or worse, from country to country. Not only that, but the laws are constantly being updated. If youâre reading this, youâre likely a bettor â not a legal expert. This is why we often suggest betting offshore instead. These sites work everywhere and take in bettors from across the land.
For bettors living in locations with super strict gambling laws â either completely banned (e.g. Georgia) or limited to very few options (e.g. Florida) â offshore betting sites are your best bet to gamble online. The free bet offers for U.S. users is just an added cherry on top of having the ability to bet freely from wherever you are thanks to these offshore sites.
And heck, weâd argue offshore betting sites offer better bonuses than the majority of licensed sportsbook promotions. Remember that $6000 BetUS bonus we mentioned earlier? Thatâs the biggest-paying international bonus of all. Try to finding a deal as remotely lucrative on a licensed site like BetMGM or DraftKings and youâll be left disappointed.
How To Maximize Betting Bonuses
Bonus options are plenty, as weâve covered at length in this article. Hell, you might have too many options where itâs hard to actually pick one out. But hereâs our number one-tip for choosing the right bonus: know what you want most.
Is that just earning the most free play humanely possible? Or maybe the option to use crypt to deposit? What about a low rollover requirement so you can withdraw funds faster? Answer these questions first. Then seek out the bonus that checks those boxes. We canât do this for you as bettors have different preferences across the spectrum.
One more important thing when making this decision: make sure to check the bonus wagering requirements. This is the âfine printâ of the deal. Most betting sites are mostly upfront with their promotions, but a few will try to sneak in some terms in the dealâs terms and conditions. Itâs worth reading this closely to make sure youâre getting everything you want and not being blindsided by anything.
For instance, in the requirements, youâll often see how long the free play lasts. Most deals have 30-day expiration windows but thereâs a few that are shorter at 7 or 14 days. This is an important deal cause ideally, you want to âtimeâ the bonus redemption. Say itâs March Madness, which goes on for three weeks. Ideally, you redeem right before the NCAA Tournament starts and the free play lasts you til the very end.
Conclusion
We could ramble on and on about free-play bonuses. However, everything weâve covered up until now is the must-know information. Any more details can just become information overload. So re-read the best offers we outlined and decide which suits you the best â and be sure to check this page from time to time as we update it with the freshest promos.
Weâll leave you with one last reminder: bonuses are your best weapon to be a successful bettor. The free play you earn off them will minimize the inherent risks that come with gambling. Plus, bonuses are widely available and easy to redeem. Thereâs no real downside to bonuses, just pure upside â the ultimate low-risk, high-reward play if ever one!