How Sign Up Bonuses Work At US Sportsbooks
Each sportsbook is different. Each online sportsbook offers something that they feel is competitive within this newfound frontier of legal sports betting. Some bonuses are undoubtedly better than others, but some sports betting apps with lower bonuses make up for it with a tremendous user experience once you really get going betting on sports.
It is all up to you. In our humble opinion, it makes sense to have as many of the best online sportsbooks as your bankroll permits because you want to be able to get the best sports gambling odds on futures and the best lines on your straight bets and prop bets. If one betting site has -110 and another has -115 on a spread, that can make a huge difference in your long-term profit. In some respects, that can be viewed as getting your own bonuses even after you’ve used up your initial deposit, free bets, bonus bets or welcome bonus. It is important to factor that into the equation if you have the resources to have multiple accounts.
Scroll through our online sportsbook reviews and the current welcome bonus offers and then visit us down at the bottom of the page so we can explain how the process works.
Look at all of those options! Free play and welcome bonus offers are part of the game in the sports betting world. They always have been. These are things that you cannot get at a retail us betting site. US players can’t walk into the Westgate or the Caesars Sportsbook at Caesars and ask for a welcome bonus offer. It doesn’t work that way. That is one of the great perks of online betting.
But you have to be aware of how the bonuses work. You have to know what you are getting into. There are several different kinds of bonus offers, and each one has its own terms and conditions, especially when it comes to new users or returning sports players. Always read the small print to see if there are restrictions on what you can bet, how long you have to use your free money and the rollover requirements for deposits and withdrawals after receiving a welcome bonus.
No-Deposit Sign Up Bonus
This one is simple and straightforward. Some online sportsbooks offer a No-Deposit Free Bonus Bet. Your account will be credited with the current bonus offer amount just for signing up and taking a look around. You’ve surely heard of the “No purchase necessary” offers that are out there. That is effectively what this is. No money down, no deposit. Just a bonus bet for test-driving the betting site app.
Match Bonus
A Match Bonus means that an online sportsbook will match your deposit amount. If it is a 100% Match Bonus offer on a $250 deposit, you will receive $250 in bonus money. Some sports betting sites credit that money to the same account as your real funds. Others credit that money into a separate “Bonus Money” aka ‘Free Play” bankroll that you can use in the same manner.
Other online sports betting sites offer a 50% Match Bonus. In the same example with a $250 deposit, your bonus amount would be $125.
Unlike the No-Deposit Bonus Bet, you do have to fund your account via credit card/debit card, ACH/e-check, PayPal, PayNearMe, cash at the casino cage, or one of the other deposit methods, so you will have to invest in yourself and in that betting account. That is the case with most promotions and bonuses.
Second Chance Bet
The best online sportsbooks in the post-PASPA world that are no longer offshore sportsbooks have gone the route of the Second Chance Bet also known as “First Bet Insurance”, “No Sweat Bet” etc… This means that you have the opportunity to “bet with house money”. Basically, you cannot lose. If the bet that you make does lose, the sportsbook will reimburse your bet up to a certain amount.
This is where it is important to pay attention as an app user. If the second chance bet is up to $250, it is in your best interest to bet the full $250. You cannot lose. If your bet wins, you just about doubled your money. If your bet loses, the online sportsbook will put the losses back into your account as a free play.
If you sign up at a online sports betting site with a $250 second chance bet and only bet $100, you are not getting the maximum value out of the promotion.
For the most part, the second chance bets ONLY apply to the first bet that you make, and there will be restrictions. It would have to be a straight bet and not a parlay, and there could be odds restrictions as well depending on the online sportsbook, but it is in your best interest to bet the full amount under the terms and conditions just to ensure that you get the maximum dollar value back if your bet does not win.
Odds Boost – Bet & Get Sportsbook Promotions
Odds Boosts or Bet & Get promos allow bettors to win more money with a minimal amount of risk involved. Early on, as the sports betting industry evolved in the US, sportsbooks would offer Bet $1 Get $100 promotions or an Odds Boost of 100-1; while these are still offered, it’s more common to find Bet $5 and Get $150 or $200.
Casino Bonus Money
Several online sports betting sites also have an online casino component. You will find this with online betting sites that have their own brick-and-mortar gaming locations, not online betting-only operators like PointsBet, FanDuel, and DraftKings. These would be for apps like SugarHouse, Borgata, and Resorts.
The online casino side can have a different website address or be on a different part of the app. If you choose to play virtual slots or table games, you can take advantage of the casino bonus offers upon making your first deposit. This would also apply in New Jersey to something like online poker, which is offered through apps like PokerStars, a component of the Stars Group that includes Fox Bet.
Most online casino bonuses fall into three categories – a no-deposit bonus, a match bonus, or free bonus spins. A No deposit bonus is popular among US casinos, it allows users to register and get 10-$25 to test the site out without making a deposit, one example of this is BetMGM no deposit bonus.
A Match Bonus is exactly like an online sportsbook match bonus, in which you will get the percentage being offered added to your deposit.
The free bonus spins is oftentimes a multiplier on your deposit. Say you deposit $100 and your bonus spins bonus is 3x. That would be $300 in bonus money.
How do I claim a betting site welcome promo or signup bonus?
As mentioned, it all depends on the type of bonus and the current offer. In some cases, you may have to enter a promo code upon deposit to make sure that you get the bonus. In most cases, you can simply sign up through ATS, and our unique link will give you access to the best offers in an online sportsbook review.
The “No-Deposit Free Play or Bonus Bet” will be automatically claimed once you sign up for an account. Most first deposit bonuses are automatically applied after signing up as well, but to be safe, you should go through our ATS sportsbook reviews to ensure that you get the welcome bonus offer to which you are entitled.
Existing User Sportsbook Bonuses
The bonuses and offers don’t stop once you sign up and make your initial deposit. Just about every one of the best sports betting sites or apps offers additional perks for both first-time users and past players. There will be contests with low entry fees, like an NFL Pick ‘Em contest or a Guess the Score contest. There will be some sports betting apps that offer betting odds Boosts on certain sporting events or props. Some betting sites and online sportsbooks also offer Parlay Boosters depending on the sport and time of the year.
Another popular feature with several online sportsbooks is the “Cash Out” offer, where you can avoid the dreaded backdoor or bad beat by cashing out your bet when it is winning before the end of the game. The odds will be adjusted to reflect that the game is not over, but this is a version of a bonus in that it allows you to pick up a winner without sweating at the end of the game.
Some sports betting sites even offer “Cash Back” bonuses, where you will get a percentage of your losses on bets made a certain day. This is also really popular with sports betting apps that have a horse racing component. Certain days of the week will feature reload bonuses, which means that you can get bonus money on funds that you add to your existing bankroll. Say you add $100 to your bankroll on Monday when the sports betting site is offering a 25% reload bonus. You would get an additional $25 in bonus money for adding to your account on Monday.
Online casinos are synonymous with bonuses for existing users. They will run slot or blackjack tournaments. Some casinos offer rebates and cash back on certain days or offer games with slightly different odds that are worse for the player, but the player might get 5% back on losses.
Once these online sportsbooks get you in, they don’t want to let you get away. Sign-up bonuses and ongoing bonus offers for current users will vary, but there will always be something out there to sweeten the deal. It is a very competitive industry, and that means a good thing for you.
Now that you know how the bonuses work, scroll back up and check out our online betting sites and sportsbook reviews of reputable and user-friendly sports betting apps, and start taking advantage of the great promotions and offers today!