When you join a new betting site, you will look for what welcome offer or UK free bet is available. Currently, the most popular sign-up bonus is a £10 free bet. On this page, we’ll go into what a £10 free bet is, how to claim it and where you can find them.
If you take a look through our list of top UK betting sites, you will find a whole range of sportsbooks, and with them, all different welcome offers and free bet offers. However, the most popular, especially for newer sportsbooks, such as InfernoBet and RubyBet, getting their promotions through their betting providers is the £10 free bet.
But is it really a free bet? Well, in a sense, implying you get something for free implies parting with no money. That isn’t quite the case here, as you need to put money into your account to get your free bet. However, generally, you don’t need to actually make a bet, but make the deposit, which means that you can place the first bet from your first deposit as you like, with no specifications. You then get the chance to make another bet without depositing any more money – as such, it is more like a Buy One Get One Free deal.
The good thing is that anyone who signs up for the site will benefit… unlike the risk-free bet offer, where you only get any benefit if your bet actually loses… and if you get a winning bet, then you don’t gain anything. However, whether your first bet wins or loses, you will benefit from the £10 free bet.
With most of the £10 free bet offers, you will be required to make a minimum deposit using a qualifying deposit method. As soon as this is done, you will get the free bet credited into your account. You will then have to follow all the terms and conditions attached to the free bet to utilise it fully.
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So, when you get your free bet in your account, how can you use it? There are certain rules that you have to stick to.
You have picked a site that you want to join and have seen that it has a £10 free bet offer on sign up. Firstly, you need to see whether it has a promo code attached to it. If it does, make sure that you copy it exactly.
You will then need to register with the betting site, adding your promo code if necessary. When this is done, you will need to make your qualifying deposit as per the T&Cs attached. As soon as your deposit is made, your free bet will be credited to your account.
Afterwards, as stated in the small print, you can use the free bet. However, you will need to see what markets you can use the free bet on. There will likely be a minimum odds requirement attached and certain markets excluded. Once you have found a qualifying bet to make, you can then use your free bet, sit back and wait for the result to come in.
Free bets are not cash equivalents, and that needs to be understood. If you have a £10 free bet credited into your account, then you can’t just withdraw it as £10 cash. You need to use it on a qualifying market. Once you have done this, it is still not the equivalent of betting with £10 of your own money.
The bet, once made, will still have terms attached when it comes to the winnings. You won’t just be able to withdraw your cash. There will generally be wagering requirements attached to the winnings, which means you may have to make several bets on the site before you can get to the money. Furthermore, with standard bets, you get the winnings plus your wager back. However, with most £10 free bets, you do not get the £10 stake returned, just the winnings.
So, for example, if you win a bet of £10 on over 2.5 goals at odds of 2/1, your winnings will be £20. BUT you won’t get your original £10 bet return, so your overall profit will be £20 (£30 minus your £10 stake). Still, not bad for a bet you didn’t pay for!
So, you claimed your £10 free bet. Do you spend it for fun, as you have nothing to lose? Or do you use a strategy to get the most of the opportunity? With free bets, you can use certain available strategies to normal bets, as long as the bet fulfils the criteria. So, what are the best strategies you could use?
Well, this very much depends on the free bet available, as you may not be able to use the bet on certain markets. If you are going to bet on your favourite strategy, you may hit problems if there are minimum odds requirements. As such, you may be able to go for a slight favourite, but it is unlikely you can use it on a heavy favourite.
You could, however, bet on the underdog strategy. This means you pick an underdog (with research) that has a chance of getting the win due to various reasons. However, again, be aware that maximum winning restrictions could come into play, so you need to make sure you know any cap placed on your winning.
Using betting strategies on £10 free bets for big wins is tougher as often accas and other bet types are prohibited. To use a strategy effectively, you need to carefully study the terms and conditions and study the betting markets available.
One popular free bet strategy is arbitrage betting. You could use it to fund an arbitrage bet – so use your own money to bet on one outcome and use the free bet on the opposing outcome (read more in our arbitrage betting guide). This works if you can find a bet with reasonably generous odds on either side.
An example might be if you get a £10 free bet and decide to use it on Liverpool v Arsenal. You use your free bet on Liverpool at 2/1. You then place a £10 bet on a site that offers odds on Arsenal of around 3/2.
So, if Liverpool wins, you will get a £20 win, but you won’t get your £10 stake returned, so you get £20. However, if you have bet £10 on Arsenal, then that’s £10 down from that – so your overall profit will be £10.
However, if Arsenal wins, you will win £15 plus your £10 stake, so £25. However, because the bet on Liverpool was a free bet, there is no loss there, so that you will be up £25. Either way, you will be in credit.
You need to be aware that there will be terms and conditions attached, like any betting offer or promotion. These could include:
Having said that, each betting site will offer different terms, so read through very carefully.
£10 free bets are excellent offers and are the standard betting site welcome bonus. You may well find more generous out there – such as the Ladbrokes free bet offer or TitanBet’s offer. However, the great thing about betting sites is that you don’t have to stick to just one! The good thing about the £10 free bet offer is that anyone who signs up will benefit from it, unlike the risk-free bet.
However, although it’s a standard offer, the terms and conditions vary a lot. This is what differentiates them from each other. Not all £10 free bets are created equally. Generally, when picking between the offers, look at what you need to do to get the free bet and what you need to do to use your free bet and get the winnings. Look for lower wagering requirements, longer validity and fewer stipulations. The more freedom you have with your bet, the better!
All in all, it’s generally worth taking up the offer. You don’t have anything to lose if you were going to sign up and make a bet anyway!
