Free Bets at licensed US sportsbooks in December 2024
One of the most popular ways of getting started at an online sportsbook in the US is by using a free bet. A free bet allows you as the name suggest placing a wager without putting up any of your own money.
In some rare occasions you will be able to receive a free bet on sign up. We call this a ‘’no deposit free bet’’. Although these promotions exist most free bet will be available on deposit. This means you will need to make a first deposit to unlock your free bet. Most US sportsbooks refer to this as a ‘’first bet offer’’. When you lose a first bet offer, you will get a refund which means a second shot for success.
In addition to free bets on sign up and deposit there are more ways to gather free bets. Some sports betting sites in the US will for example rewards you with a free bet for bringing in a friend. There are also sportsbooks that offer loyal player regular free bets to keep them happy and active. All in all, there a plenty of ways to take advantage of free bets.
In this article I will explain you what types of free bets you can claim at licensed US sportsbooks. Additionally, I will upgrade your knowledge with important information about what to mind while claiming free bets. Have a look at the overview below to check out the best free bet offers that you can claim during December 2024.
Best Free Bet Promotions in your State
Although the US had harsh online betting laws in most states, there is nowadays a strong portfolio of safe US online sportsbooks available in many states. People who are living in Delaware, Wyoming, New York, Arizona, Illinois, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Louisiana, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Virginia, Iowa, and West Virginia can choose to bet on sports at one of the available licensed and regulated sportsbooks.
In the table below you will find an overview of the best free bet promotions that you can claim during 2024.
Different types of free bets
As explained before, you can expect various types of free bets at licensed US sportsbooks. Each type of free bets comes with its own set of rules. These rules have impact on how to claim them, how to use them, and how to wager them.
Below I will highlight all types of free bets you can claim at most licensed sports betting sites.
No deposit free bet
As the name suggest, a no deposit free bet is a free bet which you can collect without making a deposit. So, all you must to do collect a no deposit free bet is sign up a free account.
Previously Unibet Sportsbook used to offer a no deposit free bet. They actually offered two of them. After signing up your account you could place two $10 bets for free. Sadly, they have withdrawn this offer and now you can ‘’only’’ take advantage of a $500 first bet offer.
Although the number of sportsbooks offering no deposit free bets is very limited it is really worth your time looking for these offers. In my opinion it is always interesting to be able to place a bet for free. It simply offers you the chance to win real money without staking any of your own.
Pros
- Get a free bet only for signing up a free account.
- Place a bet without staking any of your own real money.
- Free possibility to win real money.
Cons
- These offers are very hard to find.
- Winnings are normally subject to a play-through requirement.
First bet offer
One type of free bet promotion which you can find at a lot of licensed US sportsbook is a first bet offer. A first bet offer is really common, and I would say around 75% of all US sport betting sites offer one.
Using a first bet offer promotion, you can place a first bet, and get refunded when you loose.
Some sportsbooks offer a $250 bonus, other go up to $500, and some offer even first bet offer worht over $1,500.
Pros
- Place a first bet and get a bonus when you lose.
- Get a refund when your first bet misses.
- Place a second bet for free to try your luck one more time.
Cons
- Winnings are normally subject to a play-through requirement.
- Sometimes you can only withdrawal your winnings and not the initial value of the refund.
Match bonus
A match bonus is very common bonus in the online gambling industry. You can find match bonuses at both online casinos as well as sportsbooks.
With a match bonus you will enjoy a 100% bonus on top of your deposit. The casino or sportsbook basically matches your deposit with a matching amount in bonus funds.
Most match bonuses can be triggered with a $10 minimum deposit depending on the sportsbook of choice. Most match bonuses are capped at a certain value. You can for example get a $250, $500, or even $1000 in bonus funds.
Example: When you use a match bonus and make a $350 deposit, the sportsbook will match it with a $350 bonus. In this case you can start playing with a $700 balance.
All match bonuses will come with a rollover requirement. In most cases you will need to rollover the initial deposit plus the bonus amount.
A popular match bonus which is available in various states is the welcome promotion at BetRivers Sportsbook. When you now sign up your account at BetRivers you will be able to get a match bonus up $250 by using the BetRivers bonus code 250MATCH. The great thing of this bonus is that the play-through requirement for this bonus is only 1x. This means you can convert the entire bonus to cash by placing just 1 bet.
Pros
- Your deposit will be match with a 100% bonus.
- High bonuses available at most sportsbooks.
- This bonus is easy to use and understand for new bettors.
Cons
- You need to wager the deposit and bonus in most cases.
Deposit bonus
A deposit bonus works almost the same as the match bonus, the only difference is that the deposit bonus can be consist of different percentages. A match bonus always matched your deposit, which means you will receive a 100% bonus. A deposit bonus can be a lower or a higher amount.
A good example of a deposit bonus is the welcome offer at DraftKings sportsbook. At DraftKings you will get a 20% deposit bonus up $5000. When you for example deposit $2000, you will get a $400 bonus. This means you can play with a total of $2400.
When you want to receive the maximum bonus at DraftKings you will need to deposit $5000. In this case you will get the maximum bonus, which is $1000. Using this bonus, you can play with a total amount of up to $6000. Please do note that you won’t get the full bonus right away at DraftKings sportsbook. For every $25 your wager in real money bets, you will receive $1 in bonus credits.
You will also be able to find deposit bonuses with a higher percentage. Some sportsbooks offer a 25% bonus, some a 50%, and some a 75% bonus. There are even sports betting sites that offer bonus over 100%. Some bookies will go as high as 200% or even 300% to attract new players. Using these offers you can easily build up a big balance to play with.
Pros
- You can get huge bonuses up $2000.
- Easy to understand how this type of bonus works.
- Bonuses can go up to 200% or even 300%.
Cons
- Bonuses can be low, starting from 20%.
- Sometimes bonuses get paid in increments.
- You will need to wager your bonus credits.
Loyalty Free Bets
All US sportsbooks love loyal players. Without a big base of loyal players, a sports betting site can’t operate. To keep players happy and active most sports book offer a loyalty program / rewards program. By opting in for this program you can enjoy many extras including additional deposit offers, no deposit free bets, and free bets. Popular reward programs include.
- M Life Rewards: Using this program you can enjoy loyalty benefits at over 20 MGM Resorts properties, and through your BetMGM sportsbook account as well. Your M Life Rewards can be connected to your online casinos, online sports betting, or mobile BetMGM app account.
- iRush Rewards: You will find this loyalty program at BetRivers and Sugarhouse online properties. You can unlock up to 11 tiers to get more benefits. This includes VIP gifts, exclusive events, dinners, and a dedicated VIP concierge.
- Pointsbet Rewards: At Pointsbet sportsbook you will find a simple points-based loyalty scheme. You can earn points for placing fixed-odds wagers, parlays, and PointsBetting wagers. Each point you collect is worth $0,01. You can redeem your points for free site credit. A very similiar rewards program can be found at DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Caesars Rewards: The Caesars Rewards program is a more complicated loyalty program. This program combines online betting and offline betting to enjoy rewards for shopping, dining, and playing at Caesars properties. You can sign up for this program through the website, mobile app, or at a land-based casino. After opting in you can collect Tier Credits and Reward Credits which you can spend in various ways.
If you play often then it can be interesting to do some research about what loyalty program would be the most suitable for you. We at least recommend joining one program which you try to get the most out of. You can better have one strong loyalty account, then a few starting ones. By collecting a lot of points at one program you can enjoy many extras including invitation-only VIP Events, sports events, free rooms, free meals, limo service, top-tier customer services, and more.
Pros
- Collect points and redeem them for site credits.
- Unlock new tiers for extra loyalty benefits.
- VIP players enjoy huge extras including VIP events, sports events, free rooms, dinners, and more.
Cons
- You will need to sign up an loyalty account.
- Required a lot of playing (spending).
- You are sort of limited to playing at the brand that accepts your loyalty card to get the most out of your betting.
Refer a friend free bet
A very common type of free bet which you will find at various licensed US sportsbooks is the refer a friend free bet. This is a special reward which you can receive for referring someone to the sportsbook (duh).
So how does it work? Sports betting sites that offer a refer a friend free bet promotion will offer you a unique link which you can use to promote the brand under your social circle. This can be either friends, family, or people that you know through social media.
When a friend or relative signs up at the sportsbook using your link and makes a deposit you will be rewarded with a free bet. In most cases you will both be rewarded. By offering a reward it is easy for you to promote the sportsbook, and it is extra interesting for you since you get a free bet as well.
A popular refer a friend promotion is the one at Caesars Sportsbook. At Caesars you will be able to earn a $100 free bet by referring a friend. All you need to do is share your personal promotion link. Once done your friend needs to sign up and make a first deposit ($50 minimum). For every player you refer you will get a $100 free bet. You can refer up to 10 people. This means you can earn up to $1,000 in free bets.
As explained before the refer a friend bonus is a very common bonus. Another popular sportsbook which offers a refer a friend program is BetMGM sportsbook. At BetMGM you can earn up to $50 in cash for every friend you bring along. In total you can refer up to 20 people. This means you can earn up to $1,000 in cash by promoting BetMGM.
Other popular promotions
- At DraftKings Sportsbook you can get a $100 free bet for every friend you bring in.
- At Fanduel you can earn up to $50 in casino credits and a $50 free bet by bringing in friends.
- At Sugarhouse Sportsbook NJ you can earn up to $500 for each referral. For each friend you bring in you will get one free scratch card. Each scratch card pays a minimum of $50, but the prizes can go up to $500!
When you have accounts at multiple sports betting sites you can collect a lot of free bets. You can for example recommend a friend to join BetMGM sportsbook, Fanduel sportsbook, and DraftKings sportsbook and earn $250 in free bets and $50 free casino credit.
Pros
- Earn free bets by promoting sports betting sites in your social circle.
- Your friend will be rewarded as well.
- You can be rewarded multiple times for each friend you bring in.
Cons
- A friend must join and deposit using your unique referral link which can go wrong when your friend doesn’t understand how to sign up using your link.
In what states can I claim Free Bets?
Betting using free bets is now available in the following states.
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Washington D.C.
- West Virginia
- Arizona
- Connecticut
- Louisiana (just live)
- New Hampshire
- New York (just live)
- Wyoming
Latest sports betting promotions and free bets
All major sports betting sites in the US hold special promotions. Using these promotions you can enjoy massive free bets, first bet offers, and profit boosts. If you are looking to take advantage of the latest sports betting promotions and free bets, then have a look at the article stream below. Over here you will find the latest promotions and free bets we have added to our website.
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