Best Sportsbook Promotions
Thinking about getting into sports betting? We recommend that you join not one online sportsbook, but several. This gives you a chance to shop around for the best odds—and also to take advantage of the best bonuses.
Bonuses are a big part of online betting, so almost every sportsbook you find will offer something. Many sites offer a range of different bonuses and promotions. Some of these are year-round while others are seasonal.
Common types of sportsbook promotions include:
- New account bonuses (often in the form of a match on your first deposit)
- Repeated deposit bonuses for loyal customers
- Bonuses for betting on your mobile device
- Online casino bonuses (for sportsbooks that also offer casino games)
- Free bets
What You Should Know About Sportsbook Bonuses
In this article, I will tell you about some of the best sportsbook bonuses available for 2016. Before I get to the list, though, I think it is important to talk about how bonus money works in-depth. If you are already familiar with this information, just skip on down to the list.
Bonuses can be very exciting, whether you are brand new to the world of sports betting or you have been punting for a while. But it is important to know that they often come with strings attached. Sportsbooks are not in the business of giving away free money.
Usually the strings attached to bonuses take the form of turnover requirements, also known as “rollover requirements.”
Essentially, the bonus money is deposited into your account. You can use it to play, but you are borrowing it. It does not yet belong to you—not until you meet the turnover requirement.
Let’s look at a simple example. Imagine that you are depositing $200 to open an account with a sportsbook that offers a 50% match bonus. The online bookie will deposit $100 into your account, giving you a total of $300. Imagine that the website has a turnover requirement of 3x. Here is what that means. You need to risk triple the amount of the bonus and your original deposit added together: $900. There generally is no restriction on how many bets you place or what size they are, but they need to total $900. Only after you meet that requirement will the bonus money be yours to withdraw.
What Are Typical Turnover Requirements for Online Sportsbooks?
Turnover requirements can range quite a bit from one sportsbook to the next. A typical range is somewhere between 1x-20x. Naturally the larger turnover requirements are those which are tied to bigger bonus amounts. So if you are accepting a 30% cash bonus, you might find a low turnover requirement: 1-5x. If you are accepting a 200% bonus, the turnover requirement might be in the 15-20x range.
As intimidating as this may sound, these rollover requirements really are not that high compared to those offered in related industries like binary options trading (which is typically used as a gambling vehicle).
Always check the Terms and Conditions page for any broker to find out what their turnover requirements currently are and how they will affect your withdrawals!
Bonus Warnings – Pitfalls to Watch Out For:
You do not own the bonus money until you meet the rollover requirement. Be sure to find out how this affects any withdrawals you try to place in the meantime. Will you forfeit the bonus? What about winnings tied to it? Will you simply be unable to withdraw your winnings (or a certain percentage of them) until you meet the turnover requirement? What if you want to withdraw your original deposit?
Try not to get confused about money management. If you are trading with a bonus, you are essentially borrowing cash until you meet the rollover. While this can grow your account quickly if you win, it can also destroy your account quickly if you lose.
While there are a lot of cautionary notes here, bonuses can be a lot of fun. Upping your stakes can also increase the excitement of wagering on your favorite sport. So long as you are using bonuses responsibly and you know the terms governing them, you should be in good shape.
Top Bookmaker Bonuses for Fall and Winter 2016
Some bonuses offer more value and friendlier terms than others. As promised, here is a quick rundown of some of the best sportsbook promotions offered this year!
One of the most popular sportsbooks on the planet is Bet365. This online bookie accepts customers from around the world and offers excellent odds. Stream more than 70,000 events live and bet in-play. Bet365 offers a ton of cool promotions for sports bettors.
Bet365 promotions for 2016 include:
Get up to 100% in match deposit bonus money up to $100 if you are on Bet365. The rollover requirement is 3x the total of your deposit + the bonus money. This is a high bonus amount with a very low turnover requirement!
- Penalty Payback. If your team is eliminated on a penalty, you can get a refund.
- Tennis Accumulator Bonus: You can get up to 50% more on your tennis accumulator bets. Bets like these are very high risk, but if you are into making them, this bonus adds incredible value.v
- Euro Basketball Bonus: Earn up to 50% more on your accumulator bets.
- Parlay Bonus: Earn up to 50% more on parlay accumulator bets.
- Euro Soccer Bonus: Earn up to 100% more on accumulator bets.
- Get your money back in case of a 0-0 score.
There are also a range of other bonuses available for specific sports such as horse racing, Australian racing, and greyhounds.
If you want to play at the casino, you can get up to $200 as a new standard player with a $100 match bonus. If you are a slots-only player, you can get a 200% match bonus up to $200. If you are a VIP new player, you can get a 50% match bonus up to $1,000. The rollover requirements range from 20-50x.
In short, you are going to find other sportsbooks that can compete with the promotions offered by Bet365. Most other sportsbooks only offer a couple of different types of promotions for punters, reserving most of their big bonuses for casino players. Bet365 is one of the few which offer an abundance of unique benefits for sports bettors!
BetOnline
Among USA sportsbooks, BetOnline shines as one of the best. They have been around for over a decade now and are renowned for their fast payouts, flexible bet sizes, and early betting lines.
In terms of bonuses in 2016, here is what BetOnline has to offer:
Get a 25% welcome bonus up to $1,000. To obtain this freebie, just enter in the promo code FIRST when you sign up and place your first deposit. The minimum deposit to take advantage of this deal is $50. The rollover requirement is 6x, which is quite low considering the high ceiling of $1,000. This makes this one of the best deals around right now.
Get a 25% match bonus on subsequent deposits up to $1,000. That’s right, you can actually take advantage of this deal again and again, so long as you have used up all previous free bets. Just enter in the promo code LIFEBONUS.
Get a $25 free bet in-play. This is a great promotion if you are new to in-play betting and want to try it out with no risk.
Get a $50 free play the first time you place a bet on your mobile device. If you win, you just get the profit from your bet, but if you lose, you score the $50 free play as a reimbursement.
Refer-a-friend. Every time you refer a friend to BetOnline, you can earn a $50 free play.
Wagering on horse racing? You can get track rebates each day up to 7%. If you decide to wager on the phone instead of online, that drops to 4%. Also, if you are placing your first horse racing bet, you can get a free play up to $25.
If you want to play at BetOnline’s casino, there are a number of exciting bonuses you can take advantage of. These include a 100% match bonus on slots, a $25 free play for the live dealer casino, a monthly high roller bonus, a 25% reload on any deposit you place, and a 10% rebate program. On top of that, there are a whole bunch of poker promotions.
With so many outstanding promotions for sports bettors in 2016, BetOnline definitely is one of the best choices around.
Bovada
Bovada is one of the top sportsbooks in the world, and it also happens to be one of our favorites. The site accepts a wide range of currencies for betting, including Bitcoin. If you are into handicapping, you will find an abundance of resources including current news and live results for a number of betting markets right on the site. Bet ahead of time or in-play on your desktop, laptop or mobile device.
What can you expect as far as bonuses in 2016 from Bovada?
Right now, if you want to bet on sports, you can get a 50% match on your deposit bonus for amounts up to $250.
If you are also interested in playing at Bovada’s online casino, you can get a $3,000 all-purpose welcome bonus or a 100% poker welcome bonus. There are also a number of other fun promotions and benefits for specific types of games (blackjack, etc.).
Bovada has a refer-a-friend program where you can get a cash bonus up to 200% of your friend’s first deposit up to $100. You can do this as many times as you want.
The rollover amount is 5x the amount of the bonus you accept for sports betting and 20x the amount you accept for casino games. In the poker room, it is 3 points per dollar. As you can see, this is a great deal for sports bettors!
Coral has been around for ages; this sportsbook first started taking bets clear back in 1926. So they have a solid reputation, particularly in the UK. You do have to bet in Pounds Sterling, so that is something you will have to get used to if you are outside of Britain. Note that USA customers are not accepted.
What bonuses is Coral offering in 2016?
Bet £5, get £20 in free bets. As the minimum deposit at Coral is also £5, this works out very nicely. Note that unfortunately this offer is only available in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Your first bet needs to be at fractional odds of ½ or greater. You have 14 days to use the promotion before it expires. There may also be rollover requirements. It is hard to find information on Coral’s website about them, but most third-party sites list the rollover at 1x. Ask customer service for more information.
If you want to play at Coral’s casino, you can also take advantage of a £50 sign-up bonus when you deposit £10. On top of that, there is a £25 bingo welcome offer when you deposit £5. Play poker? Deposit £5 and get £20.
Conclusion: There Are Awesome Deals Out There Waiting For You!
Whether you are new to sports betting and want some risk-free bets or you are looking for an online bookie that will reward your continuing loyalty, there are a ton of great choices out there. When you sign up for several of the sportsbooks above, you can take advantage of multiple promotions and shop the odds. Be sure to check out all our reviews to learn about even more great offers!