Free bets are a popular offer made by many UK betting sites to encourage punters to sign up and become a loyal customer.
Some aspects of free bet offers can be hard to understand because of the different requirements with each bookmaker, which can vary significantly.
Here, you can check out our list of the latest free bets on offer from the UK’s top operators, which feature a number of sign-up offers, bonuses and promotions. We also explain everything you need to know about free bets so you have all the information before you sign up.
Best free bets offers of January 2021
We have studied the best free bets available and these are our top three for the month, all of which you can claim via The Telegraph.
bet365: Up to £100 in bet credits
Up to £100 in Bet Credits for new customers at bet365. Min deposit £5. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.
bet365 is a true juggernaut of online betting sites with a great website for users with thousands of markets available on a huge variety of sports. There is live-streaming and a great cash-out option that gives users control over their bets and bet365 is definitely an online bookmaker to create an account with if you want a fantastic betting experience.
Virgin Bet: Bet £10 Get £20 In Free Bets*
A relative newcomer to the gambling industry, Virgin Bet has proved a great option for those looking for a new bookmaker and has a good sign-up offer available. Once signed up to Virgin Bet, bet £10 and you will receive £20 in free bets, which are to be used as two £10 bets. This offer is great for those who want to be on individual horses or may want to put £10 accumulators on the football.
*New members. £10 min deposit & bet on sportsbook, placed & settled at 1.5 min odds within 14 days of sign-up. Win part of E/W bets. 2 non-withdrawable £10 Free Bet Tokens: accept in 7 days, valid for 7 days from acceptance (ex. E/Ws & Multiples), stakes not returned. Click here for Rules & Exclusions. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org
Paddy Power: £20 risk-free first bet
Even those new to betting will probably have heard of Paddy Power because of its immense social media presence and eye-catching publicity stunts. However, the Irish bookie also has a reputation for being one of the best on the market for the betting experience it offers, with a risk-free first bet offer up to £20 for new customers. Couple this with their great Paddy’s Rewards Club, where you can earn a £10 free bet each week, and you know Paddy Power is definitely a bookmaker to consider.
*New customers only. Place your FIRST bet on any sportsbook market and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £20. Only deposits made using Cards or Apple Pay will qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply. Paddy's Rewards Club: Get a £10 free bet when you place 5x bets of £10+. T&Cs apply.
What are free bets?
Free bets can often inspire some scepticism among potential customers but they are the most common offer from betting sites to entice new customers to their platforms.
Free bet offers enable the customer to place a bet without having to stake their own money.
Usually you get to keep all the winnings of betting sign-up offers, meaning there is no chance of losing money on that specific bet.
You are credited the free bets either upon your first deposit of a certain amount, usually £10, or it can be a matched percentage of your first deposit, such as the bet365 sign-up offer.
How do free bets work?
As mentioned above, there are a couple of different ways in which free betting offers can be claimed and the offers differ significantly from bookie to bookie. They might also be referred to as a “bonus”.
Despite being called a “free bet”, they often require new customers to make a qualifying deposit or bet to be awarded the offer. This can be as simple as having to open an account and deposit a certain amount of cash in it, or having to place a bet with a certain stake to unlock the free bets.
Here we will run you through the different types of free bets.
Free bets
This can be something like bet £10 and receive £30 in free bets. Your initial £10 bet that is placed with your own money is known as the qualifying bet.
The qualifying bet often has its own requirements. For instance, your qualifying bet must have odds of at least evens. This prevents customers betting on a dead certainty just to unlock the free bet.
Look at the terms and conditions of the offer, and once the qualifying needs have been met you are left with an amount to stake as a free bet from the bookies.
These offers can be generic or often associated with a certain event, such as Cheltenham, which is why knowing what offers bookmakers have is important as you can limit the amount you stake while having more free bets to make.
Matched deposits/bets
Matched deposits is another popular format for welcome offers, used by the likes of STS. A bookmaker might give you a bonus of free bets equal to your first deposit. So if you deposit £40, you will receive £40 in free bets.
With this type of free bet and others, you might have additional wagering requirements. If there was a bonus wagering requirement of x6 on the example above, the wagering amount would be £40x6 = £240. This wagering requirement would have to be met before you could withdraw any of the free bets as cash. We have a more in-depth explanation on playthrough and wagering requirements below.
It is important to look at the terms and conditions pages on each bookmaker’s website for the specific promotion to make sure you understand the offer fully. Not all free bets offers are the same and will have different T&Cs.
Risk-free bets
Rather than offering just free bets, some bookmakers may offer a risk-free bet when you sign up. This means that you will often be required to place a bet of a certain value, and if the bet loses, your stake will be refunded as either cash or as a free bet. You will usually be refunded up to a maximum amount, with the most popular on the market being the Paddy Power sign-up offer.
Enhanced odds/boosted odds
Another offer is enhanced odds, which are used for one specific game or event, usually in football. Enhanced odds are most often used by 888sport and William Hill. This offer means bookmakers will offer bigger odds than usual on an outcome to get new customers to sign up. The maximum stake is usually limited to between £1 and £5, but if the enhanced odds are high enough there is still a decent amount of money to be earned with the winnings paid out in free bets. The odds can be boosted to as high as 100/1 for some offers around popular events such as football games or boxing.
How to claim free bets
Claiming the free bets you want could not be simpler with our dedicated free bets page. We have listed all the best new customer betting offers available that are all fully licensed and regulated to ensure you will have a great gaming experience.
All you have to do is find the free bet offer that is the best for you and then click on the buttons in the table above next to the offer to claim.
Our free bets table is updated regularly with new offers and new bookmakers, so make sure you check back with us to see what is available.
Can you withdraw free bets?
Free bets are more often than not awarded as free bets and not withdrawable cash. The idea of the free bets is to get you to use them on the bookmakers platform to try and make sure you become a regular customer.
You should be able to withdraw winnings from a free bet once you have bet them if you have met all the requirements the bookmaker has set.
These requirements can be as little as having to use the free bets with minimum odds set to having wagering or playthrough requirements. Winnings from free bets are usually paid out minus the free bet stake.
What are playthrough requirements for free bets?
Playthrough requirements are sometimes in the terms and conditions of a free bet offer.
A playthrough requirement means you need to place a certain number or value of additional bets before you can withdraw any of the winnings of your free bet.
An example of this is if you were offered £10 in free bets, you may be required to turn it over three times before it is paid out, meaning you would need to bet £30 before you would be eligible to withdraw winnings.
This is an extra step in being able to withdraw your money and you should read the specific T&Cs of the free bet offers to see if a playthrough requirement is on there.
What to use your free bets on in January 2021
There are plenty of opportunities for you to get your hands on numerous free bets and there are even more great sporting events waiting for you to use them on.
Here is a schedule of the best sporting events for January 2021, from football and horse racing to snooker and UFC, so you can plan when you want to use your free bets.
10-17 Jan Masters (Snooker)
14-18 Jan 1st Test: Sri Lanka vs England (Cricket)
16 Jan Classic Chase, Warwick (Racing)
17 Jan Liverpool vs Manchester United (Football)
19 Jan Leicester City vs Chelsea (Football)
21-24 Jan Abu Dhabi Championship (Golf)
22-26 Jan 2nd Test: Sri Lanka vs England (Cricket)
22-25 Jan FA Cup fourth round (Football)
23 Jan Clarence House Chase, Ascot (Racing)
23 Jan Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor 2 (UFC)
28 Jan Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool (Football)
30 Jan Arsenal vs Manchester United (Football)
Existing customer free bets
Although used mainly for new customers, you should always keep an eye out for free bets for existing customers.
These are not as common but they can still give you a nice boost in free bets and can often be used on in-play bets.
They can also be used on accumulators with offers of free bets if you wager a certain amount on accas in a week.
Some bookies such as Betway also have bet clubs, where you are awarded a certain amount of free bets every week if you have wagered a certain amount of cash with them in the previous seven days.
Best betting offers for existing customers for January 2021
Virgin Bet: Get a £10 free bet when you place two £10+ accas
Fancy up to three £10 free bets every week? Opt in here and place two £10+ accas with four or more legs at 5/1+ between Monday and Sunday to get a £10 free bet to use on an acca with four or more legs.
Min odds of 5/1 per qualifying bet. Max Free Bet(s) 3 x £10, awarded as 1 x non-withdrawable Free Bet Token, Monday to Sunday, qualify x 3 per week only, valid for 48 hours on four-folds or greater. Rules apply.
Commercial content notice: Taking up one of these offers may result in a payment to The Telegraph. Over 18s only.
