How Do The New Customer Offers Work?

Better understand how these offers work, and you will make a better decision about which is right for you. It will also help ensure you meet the requirements to receive the bonus.

Each welcome offer varies, but there are generally two types.

Type 1) Matched Free Bet - Bet a required amount to receive a free bet.

Type 2) Matched Deposit Bonuses - Receive a bonus depending on the amount you deposit.

How Matched Free Bets Work

Matched free bet offers represent around 75% of welcome offers available if 2018. The advantages this type are that they are easy to understand and the free bets are easier to receive.

A betting site may have an offer such as 'Bet 10 and receive a £30 Free Bet'.

You will need a place a qualifying bet first. In our example, this is £10. This bet will have requirements to unlock the free bet. For instance, the first bet must put on an event with at least odds of 2.00 (evens). This prevents people from betting on a dead certainty to release the free bet.

Upon meeting these requirements, you will be able to use the free bet. Free bets are not returned as part of winnings. i.e. if you use your free £30 free bet, you will only receive the winnings from the bet, and not the £30 free bet stake itself.

How Matched Deposit Bonuses Work

As an alternative, a betting site may have an offer such as 'Deposit up to £100 and receive a 100% matched bonus'.

The bonus amount you receive depends on the amount you first deposit. If it's a 100% matched deposit, you will get a £100 bonus. If it's a 50% matched deposit, you will receive a £50 bonus.

Matched deposit offers provide the advantage of larger potential bonuses. They can, however, be more complex. Wagering requirements can add to this complexity.

There are two sets of wagering requirements. One to release the bonus, and another potentially to withdraw it as cash.

To unlock the initial bonus, there is usually a wagering requirement of 1 x. i.e. bet the total sum of your initial deposit. Once you have unlocked the bonus, you will be able to bet with it. To withdraw it as cash, you might need to wager the bonus around five times.

The variation between offers can make matched deposit bonuses harder to compare. For instance, a deposit might be matched 100%, but have higher wagering requirements.

Which Is the Best Betting Site?

There is no single factor determining what is the ‘best’ betting site. It depends on what factors are important to you. Here is a checklist of things to consider:

1. The Welcome Offer - As above, pick a welcome bonus that you understand and is right for you. Some will be better suited to those looking to bet big, while others are better for casual punters. Betting is meant to be fun, so don’t stretch yourself, and be responsible.
2. Ongoing Offers – Each bookmaker will have offers for existing members, plus loyalty schemes. See below for more detail on this.
3. Streaming Sport – Some betting sites allow you to stream sport. To do so, you might need to bet on the event, or at least have credit in your balance. If this is important to you, then Betfair, Paddy Power, and Ladbrokes will be of particular interest. You won’t be streaming Premier League action, but you do get some decent top flight foreign games.
4. Markets – If you’re going to bet on a range of sports and leagues, research which ones cover the markets you need. All betting websites will have markets for the most popular sports and leagues. It is only if you’re going to bet on an obscure league, or local dog racing event will this become more relevant.
5. Odds – Everyone wants to win as much as possible. It is challenging to know who has the best odds because all bookmakers boast that they have them! In one study, for football, Bet Victor was found to have the best odds. Most punters often have several accounts and place their bet with whoever has the best odds for a particular event.
6. Interface – It again comes down to personal preference. Each of the bookmakers has a slightly different interface. Personally, we’re fans of the Bet 365 one. As long as it’s not slow, and is easy to use, then it should be fine. Some are more modern than others.
7. Mobile Experience – In the past there was a lot of variation between the betting sites. In 2018, mobile-friendly websites and apps are very common, so this has become more of a hygiene factor.

Reading through that checklist will give you a good idea of which betting site may be more suitable for you. The truth is, if you’re a casual player, and bet on popular sporting events; then chances are all will be great for you. Here is a table ranking the best betting sites:

Best Betting Sites

Finally, we’d strongly recommend signing up with a trusted, UK licensed betting site. There are plenty of new betting sites popping up all the time. You wouldn’t save money in a bank you’ve never heard of, so why would you do the same with your gambling account? Importantly, all the sites we have listed on My Betting Sites are UK licensed.

Who Has the Best Betting Offers for Existing Customers?

For over two years, we have updated the site daily with betting offers across all sports. This means few people know this area as well as we do.

The majority of betting sites publish new offers daily. The best way to keep on top of them is via our homepage. We have sport specific pages if you're only interested in a particular sport. Don't bet before finding out if there is an offer first.

There are generally five types of offer:

1. Free Bets for Existing Customers – Sometimes these will be issued for a specific sporting event to increase the number of people betting on it.
2. Money Back Specials for Existing Customers – For instance, getting money back if your horse finishes second or if a particular player scores.
3. Enhancements for Existing Customers - You can sometimes earn extra winnings if a particular event happens (such as one of the teams hitting the crossbar).
4. Accumulators – Most betting sites offer either a bonus or insurance on your selections.
5. Loyalty Bonuses - Make a certain amount of bets weekly, and you may be issued a bonus weekly.

There are some online betting sites which have more offers than others. Some are better for specific sports. William Hill always has promotions for horse racing, and Boylesports regularly have money back specials for golf.

Sites including Betway, SunBets, Betfred and Totesport have offers daily. It is best to compare as much as possible and pick the bookmaker that gives you the best value for that event.