Free Bets

Free wagers & no-sweat bets - Full breakdown

Bettors from practically every part of the world have probably heard about free bets, risk-free, or "no-sweat" wagers in some context or form, as these are quite surely the most widely available goodies online sportsbooks offer for their customers. Both such promo types offer a similar opportunity to place singular wagers without the worry of losing any real money but still differ, especially regarding, for example, claiming the possible winnings of these wagers.

For instance, free bets act more-or-less as credit, meaning bettors receiving them can use such credit or token as they wish on a singular wager. While there might be some sort of restrictions in play regarding, for example, available betting markets where this wagering credit can be used or minimum odds this bet can be placed, usually, bettors themselves can quite freely decide how they utilize such offers.

However, even with these types of possible restrictions and conditions, the nature of free bets is always the same. Here, the sportsbook provides its customers with free wagering credit to be placed on its betting platform, and if this bet happens to lose, the customer doesn't actually lose any real money.

Risk-free wagers are a bit different in nature. Even after obtaining such an offer, the customer must place the wager using their own money in the account. However, the risk-free bet acts more as insurance, so if this real-money wager doesn't win, the sportsbook will fully refund the stake to the bettor. While it's vital to note that this refund usually comes as a bonus credit tied to possible wagering requirements, the pattern is more or less the same as with regular free bets. The bettor doesn't really lose even though the wager doesn't win.

This is why these risk-free wagers are often called "no-sweat bets."

Terms and conditions - Read the fine print!

While these kinds of offers provide the bettors, for example, an easy-going atmosphere to get familiar with online sports betting or even some great opportunities regarding bankroll management, these betting promotions always come with quite a substantial asterisk: terms and conditions.

However, even though these conditions may seem like the most boring text in the entire world, this fine print is always worth reading through, as these details always reveal the true quality of such an offer. So, if a certain sportsbook is offering its customers a $1,000 free wager, this may sound like an insanely hot promo with the first view. However, if obtaining this offer requires a $2,000 single deposit from the customer, it's pretty obvious that this promotion isn't that useful, at least not for casual bettors.

So, we here at sportsbettingapp.com always instruct every bettor to check these terms, conditions, and restrictions before claiming any type of betting promotion or bonus offer. This may be a dull approach for some, but with this, you can, for sure, avoid several different pitfalls in your sports betting endeavors

Next, just to help and assist every type of bettor out there, we're going through some of the most common terms and restrictions these freebies and no-sweat bet offers may include.

Rollover requirements

Wagering, sometimes called rollover, requirements are likely the most common restriction for not just these kinds of free bets or risk-free offers but also basically any type of betting promotion there is, making it one of the most important sports betting terms every novice punter should be familiar with. Especially if sportsbook promos and bonuses are something you are very interested in obtaining.

This term indicates how many times the bettor must wager his winnings through a sportsbook before withdrawing the winnings becomes possible. As these no-sweat bet promos usually include wagering requirements, you really can't withdraw your winnings straight away after a winning wager. The lower the rollover requirement is, however, the easier it gets actually to get your hands on such winnings.

For instance, a $10 win with a 20x rollover means wagering through a total value of $200. However, a $10 win with a 40x rollover means wagering through $400 worth, making the case much harder.

Date of expiry

Another essential condition, usually in place with such betting offers, is the date of expiry. In a nutshell, depending on the sportsbook, the timeframe to either claim or place a free wager or no-sweat bet varies between each promo, but usually, it's somewhere around three to seven days.

This means that even if you have claimed such a freebie bet successfully, it might, and actually will, expire if not used within the timeframe mentioned in the promo's terms and conditions mentioned in the promo's terms. With this, the free credit token, or the risk-free wager, will be completely removed from the bettor's account, and thus, it cannot be anymore.

No bonus lasts forever, and the same rule is valid here. So, if you snooze, you (might) lose.

One offer per account

Like many other bonuses, free bet offers are usually restricted to one claim per account. Bettors who try to obtain the same token or bonus credit more than once can find themselves entirely forfeiting the offered funds or even being blocked from the sportsbook. With these restrictions, each individual must be careful not even to try double-claiming, no matter how attractive that option may feel.

If the same sportsbook offers another risk-free betting promo or another freebie wager, the story is, of course, different. However, claiming the same offer twice is, at least usually, a no-go.

Betting restrictions

At least at times, sportsbooks may also restrict the direct use of these types of betting promos. For example, suppose a certain operator offers their customers a free bet for the upcoming Super Bowl or World Cup. In that case, it probably goes without saying that such a bonus token or risk-free wager can be used only in the betting markets related to such events.

On top of that, sometimes, the restrictions may also apply to the types of bets these offers can be used. For instance, some free wagers can be used only as single bets, while others have to be placed as parlays or accumulators.

Limit for maximum winnings

If you are actually looking for proper winnings with these types of (risk) free wagers, this one is a vital point to note. The policies vary between each betting site, but there might be occasions where an operator puts a limit or cap in place on the maximum winnings the user can claim with the offered free wager.

Such winnings limits are, of course, just a means for sportsbooks themselves to minimize their own risk from offering such bonuses to their customers. However, from the bettor's POV, they greatly affect how desirable any free bet offer comes across.