Betting on sporting events is a hobby for millions of Brits and one of the best ways to get started is with free bets. We’ve collated the best free bet sign-up offers from betting sites and we have reviewed each of them.

So whether you’re into football, horse racing, tennis or golf, there should be something below to get your juices flowing.

What is a free bet and how do they work?

The concept of free bets is pretty simple – they’re a promotional tool used by bookies to allow customers to bet online on events without putting their own money on the line. It’s a taste of the betting experience without much financial commitment, though in most cases you have to deposit or spend a certain amount in order to qualify for the promotion (typically a minimum of £10).

The betting company will then deposit a certain amount of credit into the customer’s account, which can in turn be used to bet on the outcome of an event. If your bet wins, then you keep the winnings (although the free bet stake will not be returned). Some bookmakers attach wagering requirements to any free bet winnings, meaning you can’t withdraw the winnings right away, but this is more common on casino sites.

There are often limits to what a free bet can be used on. For example, it may only be eligible for a particular sport such as football or a particular event such as the Grand National. Similarly, it might only be permitted for a bet builder, accumulator, in-play bet or any number of different bet types.

Free bets are generally split into two types: welcome offers, which are only available to new customers when signing up, and existing customer offers, which are available to regular users. There may also be certain requirements to earn a free bet such as ‘deposit £10 to earn £30 in free bets’ or ‘bet £20 in the next seven days to earn a £5 free bet’.

To find out more about how we rate the best online bookmakers and about gambling responsibly please scroll a little further down the page.

Best free bets UK welcome offers 2024

We’ve scoured many betting offers and come up with some of the best free bet sign up offers out there right now.

Betfred: Bet £10 and get £50 in free bets

This offer at Betfred will give you £50 in free bets when you bet just £10. There’s a Betfred promo code required, so you just need to enter ‘BETFRED50’ when you register and deposit (using a debit card) to be eligible for the free bets. Once you’ve done that and placed a bet of at least £10 on any sports market (at odds of at least 1/1), you’ll be rewarded with the £50 of free sports bets.

Those will be 3x £10 free bets for any sports market and 2x £10 accumulator free bets, all of which have to be used within seven days.

Betfred is one of the best all-rounders in the business, but it stands out as a rugby betting site, particularly for rugby league with sponsorships with the Super League and Challenge Cup. There are a great range of markets to use free bets on and more.

BetMGM: Bet £10 and get £40 in free bets

Perhaps the best bet £10 get £40 betting offer comes from BetMGM, a new UK bookmaker with one of the best betting sign up offers. It’s the same process as the two deals above in that you need to place a £10 qualifying bet after you’ve signed up, on any market with odds of at least 1/1.

If you do so, you’ll receive £40 worth of free bets, with the typical seven-day expiry.

Those free bets are: 1x £10 horse racing bet, a £10 football bet, 1 x £10 accumulator bet and one £10 free bet builder, so there’s plenty to get your teeth into.

BetUK: Bet £10 and get £30 in free bets

Our next recommended free bet welcome offer comes from BetUK, who require the usual sign-up and £10 bet to qualify, although that initial bet only needs to be at minimum odds of 4/5 rather than evens.

Once that’s settled you’ll be credited with £30 of free bets across a couple of sports. You’ll be given a £10 horse racing free bet, a £10 football free bet and a £10 free bet builder (with at least three selections and with minimum total odds of 3/1). Another one worth having.

BetUK focuses on football and horse racing with its welcome bonus, but you’ll find a complete product when exploring other sports on their sportsbook – it’s one of the best UFC betting sites around, for example.

Bet365: Bet £10 get £30 in free bets

Bet365 are one of the premier gambling sites in the industry and as you would expect from such a reputable name, they offer a compelling welcome bonus for new customers to unlock.

New users can secure up to £30 in free bets after depositing £10 and betting that £10 on odds of 1/5 or greater. However, the best feature of Bet365’s welcome offer is the option of a choice for new customers.

There’s also the option of depositing and betting £5 to unlock £15 in free bets, if you’re on a lower budget. This choice makes Bet365 stand out from the crowd.

Although Bet365 doesn’t miss a beat on its entire sportsbook, we feel that it’s one of the best F1 betting sites in particular. Look out for their F1 odds and markets when using your free bets online.

Parimatch: Bet £5 and get £30 in bonus bets

Although one of the newer betting sites available in the UK, Parimatch is one to watch for its free bet offers for new customers, providing £30 in free bonus funds.

Parimatch’s offer is straightforward and simple to use, allowing bettors to get down to business. Simply sign up, opt in, then deposit and bet at least £5 on any football market with odds of evens or greater.

Once your bet settles, Parimatch will give you one £10 Premier League accumulator bet and one £10 free bet on any Premier League market. The remaining £10 credit will arrive as a casino bonus for Parimatch’s new slots site.

Talksport Bet: Bet £10 and get £30 in free bets

Fans of the Premier League will appreciate Talksport Bet’s welcome offer. New customers can claim £30 in free bets by signing up online, opting-in on the promotion, depositing £10 and betting £10 on odds of evens or greater.

As soon as your qualifying wager settles, you’ll receive the first tranche of £30 in free bets, paid out in three installments of £5 to use on 1 x £5 football bet builder free bet, 1 x £5 football Lucky Dip free bet, 1x £5 football acca 4+ selection free bet.

After 24 hours, the same £15 free bet payout will be repeated to use on the same markets. It’s a perfect betting sign up offer for football fans, who will love all the markets and odds available on this Premier League betting site.

William Hill: Bet £10 and get £30 in free bets

Finally for this section, we’re highlighting one of the UK’s best-known bookmakers, William Hill. The stakes and value of their welcome offer are the same as BetUK above – a bet £10 get £30 free bet offer.

What makes this one of the best free bet offers is that William Hill have the shortest odds requirement for the qualifying £10 bet. Your selection only needs to be 1/2 or greater on any sports market, allowing you to bet on an outcome that you consider more of a sure thing.

Once that is done, you’ll get £30 of free bets as three lots of £10 bets. William Hill distinguishes itself as one of the leading golf betting sites and that is a great way to use your free bets after signing up online.

Free bet offers for existing customers

Betting site offers with free bets for existing customers come in many forms, including ‘money back’ promos if your selection loses, ‘acca insurance’ if one leg of an accumulator bet lets you down or ‘first scorer insurance’ where you get money back if your selection fails to score the first goal but does net in the match, as well as simple free bets just for using their site. Here are some of our favourite free bets for existing customers.

Read on to find out more about our favourite free bet offers for existing customers.

BetUK: Bet £10 on football bet builder and get a £5 free bet

For you accumulator lovers out there, BetUK have a free bet offer worth considering. All you have to do is opt in via the ‘My Offers’ page and then stake at least £10 on any football bet builder market at betting odds of evens (1/1) or greater.

You will receive a £5 free bet that can then be used on any market, not just football, and there is no minimum odds requirement, although you will not receive the free bet stake in your winnings. There is a maximum of one £5 free bet per week.

BoyleSports: Acca Insure

A simple accumulator insurance policy from BoyleSports. When putting on an acca, you have the choice of Acca Boost or Acca Insure. Boost will increase your prospective winnings, while Insure means you get your money back as a free bet if just one leg of the accumulator lets you down.

You need a minimum of five selections in the acca to qualify for the insurance promotion and the maximum refund is £20. BoyleSports is one of the best operators around for this type of bonus, and although it delivers a high quality product across its entire sportsbook, its range of markets and odds on its tennis betting site are appealing to use with this promotion.

Kwiff: Football Acca Shield

The niftily-named Football Acca Shield from Kwiff is pretty similar to the BoyleSports offer above. After putting a pre-match football accumulator on (minimum four selections with minimum total odds of 4/1), you’ll receive your money back as a free bet up to £20 if one leg lets you down.

The twist with Kwiff – who pride themselves on doing things a bit differently in the UK betting market – is that the free bet will be what they call a ‘surprise bet’. That’s a bet generated by their algorithm so could be on any sport or bet type – as the customer, you’re not in control. This may be considered a downside by some and a charming quirk by others, so judge for yourself accordingly.

Unibet: Money back specials

Unibet is one of the top betting sites with free bets and they have a horse racing-specific money back offer that covers you when your horse is so near but yet so far.

If you place a single bet on any of the day’s selected races and your horse finishes second, then you’ll receive your stake back as a free bet (up to a maximum of £20, with a minimum £1 stake).

Unibet also sometimes run a similar offer where you’ll get your money back as cash (rather than a free bet) if your horse finishes second or third in selected races. They post the eligible races for both these offers on their site every day.

Bet365: Soccer Substitute Guarantee

It’s extremely frustrating when you bet on a player to do something in a match and then watching them get hobbled by a reckless challenge in the opening 10 minutes. Luckily, Bet365 have you covered on this front.

If your player is substituted before half-time, they will return your stake as a free bet on single markets (provided the market hasn’t already been settled) and for multiple bets, your remaining selections will be left to run.

So if you’ve bet on a player to be the last goalscorer or take a certain number of shots or to be booked and they are subbed in the first half, you’ll get your money back as a free bet.

Fitzdares: No More Bore Draws

Goalless draws can be painful viewing in football, especially if you’ve had a bet on one team to win, but with Fitzdares, at least you can get your money back as a free bet if the match finishes 0-0.

This offer is only available on Champions League games and to qualify, you’ll need to back one team to win the match at odds of 1/2 or greater.

If the game ends 0-0, Fitzdares will credit your account with free bets equivalent to the total you staked on the game, although the maximum free bet is £2.

Free bets UK: Best free bets clubs

Free bet clubs are generally opt-in deals for existing customers where you earn free bets by staking money throughout the week. The amount that needs to be staked and the amount of free bets given in return obviously varies from bookie to bookie, but we’ve picked five of our favourites here.

Read on to find out more about our favourite free bet clubs.

Betway Free Bet Club: Bet £25 on trebles or greater and get £10 in free bets

After opting into Betway’s Free Bet Club, you need to stake at least £25 on trebles, accumulators or bet builders (in any sport) between midnight GMT on Saturday and 11.59pm GMT the following Friday to qualify.

Do that and you’ll earn £10 in free bets in two £5 free bet chunks, with the first paid on the Saturday after qualification and the second paid on the Monday. If you’re into your accas anyway, this is a good deal to get involved with and the fact it’s available on any sport, not just football, is handy for betting all-rounders.

BetVictor Loyalty Club: Place 5x £5+ bets and get £1-£25 in free bets

If you enjoy a random element to your free bets, then BetVictor have added a fun gimmick to their Loyalty Club. If you make five bets of at least £5 throughout the week (midnight GMT Monday to 11.59pm GMT Sunday), each at odds of 1/2 or greater then you’ll earn a free bet.

To find out how much that free bet is, you ‘open the box’ and an amount between £1 and £25 is revealed. You’ll then have the flexibility to use that amount as one free bet or a number of smaller free bets as you wish, on any sports market. Incidentally, BetVictor is one of the top football betting sites and they also have one of the best betting apps with free bets.

BetUK Free Bet Club: Bet £15 on horse racing and get a £3 free bet

This is one for punters interested in horse racing betting sites. If you opt in to BetUK’s Free Bet Club and bet £15+ on horse racing between Monday and Sunday (at odds of evens or greater), you’ll earn a £3 free bet.

The £15 must be a single racing bet but you can do it on two occasions during the week, so could earn £6 of free bets for placing £30 of initial bets.

BoyleSports: Bet £50 and get £15 in free bets

If you enjoy betting in person in a physical bookmakers, then BoyleSports have an offer that could be right up your boulevard.

If you bet £50 across a week (Monday to Sunday), with at least one of those bets being in-shop using a BoyleXtra card then you’ll receive £15 in free bets the following Monday.

The BoyleSports free bets will be valid for 14 days (so longer than the standard seven days) and will consist of a £5 free bet to use online, a £5 free bet to use in-shop at the counter and a £5 free bet to use in-shop at the self-service betting terminal.

FafaBet Daily Free Bet: Get a free bet worth 5% of your daily in-play bets up to £10

A bit of a different offer from FafaBet to finish us off. You can earn a free bet worth up to £10 with them, based on your daily in-play bets.

To qualify, you need to place in-play bets on any sport between £5 and £10. FafaBet then track the total value of your in-play bets across a 24-hour period and give you a free bet worth five per cent of that total the following day.

For example, if you made five £10 in-play bets on a number of sports across a single day (£50 in total), you would receive a £2.50 free bet. That free bet can be used on any market within seven days.

And if you’re a new Fafabet customer you can claim 50 per cent of your first day losses back as a free bet up to £50, while they will also throw in £20 credit for their new UK casino.

QuinnBet Quarterback: Get 25% back of your weekly losses in free bets up to £50

QuinnBet are offering customers a free bet worth up to £50 as part of their QuinnBet Quarterback promotion.

To qualify, place a minimum of six bets during the week and if your account shows a loss come the end of that week, you’ll receive 25 per cent of your losses back as a free bet.

For example, if your account shows you lost £40 over the course of the week, QuinnBet will credit you with a £10 free bet.

The weekly promotion has a maximum value of £50, although if more than 50 per cent of your bets are placed on horse racing, you’ll only be eligible to receive a free bet worth up to £20.

Free bets no deposit offers

Sometimes you don’t even need to make a deposit in order to qualify for a free bet offer. Here, we outline several free-to-play games that can provide free bets for customers without the need for any deposit.

Read on below to find out more about these free bet offers and how to play games they are attached to. Incidentally, you may also be interested in no deposit free spins if casino offers are your thing.

Goals Giveaway (Bet365)

Bet365’s Goals Giveaway offers you the chance to win up to £50 in free bets every week as a result of the number of goals scored in certain football fixtures.

There’s no need for a deposit, you can simply reveal a match every weekday from 2pm and then you will be awarded free bets depending on the amount of goals there are in that match.

From 2pm each Friday you can see exactly how much you can win by clicking the ‘reveal prizes’ button. Free bets up to £50 will be deposited into your account in randomised amounts and you’ll then have seven days to use them.

Stat Attack (William Hill)

Stat Attack is William Hill’s weekly, free-to-play prediction game. There’s arguably more knowledge required than for Bet365’s Goals Giveaway above, as you’ll be answering stat-based questions about that week’s football.

There are normally five questions about the weekend’s biggest game, such as ‘how many goals will be scored’, ‘will there be over 10.5 corners in the match’ and ‘how many cards will be shown in the second half’.

The more answers you get right, the greater the amount of free bets you’re credited with. A great way to show off your football knowledge and earn some free bets.

Footie 4 Play (TalksportBet)

TalksportBet’s free-to-play predictor game is called Footie 4 Play and runs during each weekend of Premier League action.

It worked as follows. Customers submit their score predictions for four Premier League matches (with no deposit required) and are awarded a £1 free bet if two scores are correct, a £10 free bet for three correct scores and £500 cash for all four scores being correct. The bets are eligible for any sports market and expire three days after accreditation if not used.

If you’re an ace predictor, it’s well worth your time.

Correct Score Predictor (NetBet)

NetBet, who are currently promoted by former Arsenal star and England international Ray Parlour – who has one of the best football nicknames of all time in ‘The Romford Pele’ – offer a predictor game that is almost identical to TalksportBet’s Footie 4 Play above.

Their less snappily-named Correct Score Predictor does what it says on the tin. You predict four scores ahead of the weekend’s football and earn free bets or cash prizes if at least two are correct.

Their scaling of free bets is a £5 free bet for two correct scores, a £20 free bet for three and £500 cash for all four being right, although that will be split between winners if there is more than one. NetBet ran the game throughout last season and Euro 2024, and are expected to continue for the upcoming campaign.

BetVictor predictor (BetVictor)

Another free-to-play guess the scores game, this time from BetVictor, who are giving away £50,000 in cash to the bettor who can correctly the predict the scoreline of six Premier League matches each weekend.

You must be a BetVictor customer to play and there are different levels of prizes with two correct scores earning you a £1 free bet. The rewards only go up from there until you hit the £50k mark for a game that’s available every weekend there are Premier League matches played.

4 to win (Betway)

Betway gives racing punters the chance to win £1,000 each day by picking four winners from pre-selected UK races in their free-to-play 4 to Win game.

Go to the Betway website, find the 4 to Win promotion page and select the four runners you think have the best chance of winning in that day’s chosen races. Entries must be submitted before the first race gets underway each day.

If you correctly predict the winner of all four races, you’ll win £1,000 in cash.

The 4 to Win jackpot is boosted on a Saturday, too, with a minimum guaranteed prize pool of at least £10,000. While there are no free bets for hitting the frame, the prospect of a big cash prize is tantalising enough.

Best free bet offer this week

Free bet offer of the week 1

Unibet: Racing money back specials

Free bet offer of the week 2

Betfred: Tennis free bet club

How we rank and review free bets UK

Operators must meet a number of important attributes before being considered by our team when we’re compiling our list of the best free bet offers, such as:

Regulation

Only gambling sites who hold a valid licence from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) are considered when we evaluate free bet offers. Bookies who are not regulated are considered unsafe and we strongly recommend you to avoid engaging with them. Anyone can check the UKGC register for confirmation of a bookmakers’ licence to trade.

Reputation

There are lots of good new betting sites emerging in the UK, but reputation still goes a long way and it shows in our rankings as we’ve given preference to brands we’ve built up a solid level of trust in over a number of years. That’s why household names like Betfred, William Hill and Bet365 figure highly on best free bets list, although we do highly rate some newcomers such as BetMGM.

Odds & markets

What’s the point in having free bets if you don’t have much choice where to spend them? We take a close look at the number of markets a bookmaker offers on a particular sporting event to see how they compare with other betting sites. Within those markets, we also weigh up the odds, looking at how other operators have priced up the same market to determine whether they have competitive odds.

Promotions

Rewarding new custom is a given in the bookmaking industry and customers can expect to receive anything from free bets to price boosts upon registering. We factor in the welcome package when rating free bet offers, while we also consider their ongoing promotions once a user has moved beyond the new customer phase.

Mobile betting

The majority of bets are now placed through betting apps or mobile betting sites. Those bookmakers with dedicated betting apps that offer the same functionality as a desktop site will score higher marks than those that just offer a mobile version of their website. We also consider other users’ feedback on Apple and Google app stores when deciding which betting apps work better than others.

Customer experience

We put the customer service teams at leading bookmakers through the ringer during our testing phase, with preference given to those who resolve issues quickly and with a minimum of fuss. We mark bookies down if they have inefficient bots sending users around in circles.

Being responsible

Promoting responsible gambling is something we take very seriously and we’ll mark down bookmakers who don’t give users every opportunity to stay in control of their betting. All regulated gambling sites are required to offer safer betting tools but visibility and usability can vary from site to site. Preference is given to those who prominently promote their safer gambling tools and make them easy to use.

How to select your free bets UK offer

Choosing the free bet offer is all about personal preference. We’ve highlighted some of the best new customer offers for betting online, but the next step is all up to you.

You may choose the bonus that offers more for your money, or the offer that focuses on a particular sport.

Before you commit to use any of the betting sign up offers, read all the terms and conditions to ensure you qualify for the bonus. This may require you to deposit a certain amount of funds, use a particular payment method or bet on minimum odds.

Only choose your free bet offer after careful consideration to ensure that it meets your wagering requirements and allow you to enjoy the experience of signing up for a new bookie.

Types of free bet offers

As you will no doubt have seen, betting sites take different approaches when it comes to their betting sign up offers and free bet bonuses for existing customers. There are nuances to look out for and we’ll now take you through what type of free bet offers you may come across both when signing up for and using betting sites online.

Matched deposit

This is where customers deposit funds and receive the same amount back in free bets from the bookie if the bonus requirements are met. For example, if a customer deposits £20, they will receive £20 in free bets.

Matched free bets

With this offer, betting sites match the deposit and qualifying bet amount placed by customers after signing up online. This is the most common welcome offer on the market. If customers deposit and bet £10, they will receive £10 or more from the bookie depending on the value of the free bet offer.

Enhanced odds bonus

Betting sites offer enhanced odds bonuses for new customers. By signing up customers can qualify for special odds on a particular betting market, usually a football match, where the odds are boosted to a higher price than usual. This offer usually has a price cap depending on the odds available, usually around £1 depending on the bookmaker.

Free bets no deposit

These free bets are usually reserved for existing customers. Free bets are unlocked without having to place a deposit and are marked as a sign of loyalty for regular use of a betting site. They can often come in the form of free games, such as Bet365’s Goals Giveaway, where customers receive bet credits based on the number of goals scored by teams in a game.

Best free bets UK welcome bonuses

Responsible gambling

The most important thing to remember is to gamble responsibly. You’ve probably heard the slogan ‘When the fun stops. Stop’ plenty of times but it still rings true.

Betting can add further enjoyment to watching sporting events but there are certainly no guarantees you’ll make money out of it, no matter how much you think you know about sport.

When betting, always assume you’ll lose and therefore, only bet what you can afford to lose. If you win, then that’s simply a nice bonus. The same applies if you’re using casino sites, slot sites, poker sites or any other form of gambling.

It’s particularly important not to get carried away by free bet offers, or casino bonuses for that matter, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.

Make sure you use the responsible gambling tools offered by betting companies such as deposit limits, reality checks, loss limits and time outs. These can stop gambling getting out of hand.

If you have gambling-related concerns, then seek independent help. There are several UK charities and institutions that offer support, advice, and information, with a few listed below:

Best free bets offers summary

On this page, we’ve picked some of our favourite free bets and we only recommend safe betting sites that are regulated by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), so they are safe to engage with. There are plenty of illegitimate gambling companies out there, so be careful.

While our recommended free bets will be perfect for some people, you should always choose bookmakers who provide free bets that cater to your specific needs. Make sure you fully read the terms and conditions when signing up so you’re clear on how to qualify for the offers.

FAQs on Free Bets UK

What are free bet offers?

Free bet offers are available on the best gambling sites for both new and existing customers. Free bets are exactly as they sound, they allow you to place bets online without using your own money, although in most cases you may need to deposit funds to begin with in order to unlock the free bets.

How do you get free bets?

You can claim free bets by signing up for brand new betting sites and meeting the requirements of the bookie or by unlocking free bet rewards as an existing customer.

What are the best betting sign up offers?

The best betting sites offer the top free bet sign up offers. Betfred’s bet £10 get £50 free bet offer is arguably the best on the market right now, but there are plenty of bet £10 get £40 free bet offers which are also good, even if they’re worth slightly less than the Betfred bonus.

Are free bets limited to new customer offers betting online?

No. Free bets can be claimed by existing customers as well as new customers. Free bet offers will be available for regular users from free to play games and bet and get offers around sporting events.

Are free bets withdrawable from betting sites?

No. You must use your free bets on the betting site as they are not withdrawable from your online balance.

What are free bets no deposit bonuses?

No deposit free bets are bonuses that don’t require a deposit to unlock. These are one of the most popular free bet offers to obtain online, although they are not as readily available as deposit free bet bonuses.