When you have found an offer and received some free bets from your Irish bookmaker, the next step is to place a bet with them.
Bookmakers in Ireland offer a wide range of sports you can bet on, from local action such as horse racing, greyhounds and gaelic sports to the biggest worldwide events from sports like football, tennis, golf and a lot more.
If you need assistance with these then our resident tipsters will be on hand to help you out. Our experts will search out the value and bring their best bets to you each day.
What are the Different Types of Free Bets Available in Ireland?
The best Irish bookmakers are often those that stand out from the crowd and offer something different to their players. Sometimes, this includes how they present their free bets to players, and what style they are in.
This is a constantly changing part of gambling, and below you can see some of the most common examples of free bets you can claim in Ireland.
- Stake not returned (SNR) – the most common type of free bet. This means you only receive the winnings you make as part of the bet and not the stake itself.
- Matched free bet – this is usually provided to new players. This means your bet will be matched by the bookmaker, so a €25 wager becomes a €50 total bet.
- Matched deposit – this is where the bookmaker matches the sum deposited by a player into their casino account, so a €30 deposit becomes €60 to play with.
- Enhanced odds bonus – usually provided to new players, these promotions offer better odds on a sports event than is typically available, so 8/13 odds become 33/1.
- No deposit free bets – considered the best free bet by many, this is a complimentary bet provided to players without the need to make a deposit or wager.
- Free Bet Sign Up Offers – Generally speaking, free bet offers for new customers are very simple with a minimum deposit limit initiating a free bet offer which is activated once your first qualifying bet is settled.
- Cash Back Free Bets – But free betting sites can also work their new customer promotions to act as consolation prizes whereby you will receive a free bet credit if your first bet is a loser.
Free Bets vs Betting Offers
Punters in Ireland have a choice when they are claiming a welcome bonus from their bookmaker.
On the surface, Free Bet Offers and Bonus Offers may well seem to be the same thing, with both being offered regularly by bookmakers to new customers.
However, there are a few differences between Irish free bet offers and bonus offers that punters should always looks out for when signing up to a new bookmaker.
Bonus offers initially work on the same system as a free bet: place a bet and once the bet is settled a bonus amount will be credited to an account.
The key difference with bonus offers is the flexibility they give punters as they can be broken up and used as multiple bets, making them ideal for rookie bettors.
For example, if you take up a ‘Bet €5, Get €20 in bonus bets’ offer, you can use the bonus to place one €10, another €5 bet and five €1 bets (assuming the TnCs allow you to place small bets).
Your Irish bookie may also offer bonuses that can only be used on other products like casino, bingo and poker.
With sportsbook betting the bonuses are easy to use but be sure to read all the terms and conditions attached to online slots and casino free bets.
Is a Free Bet Really Free?
The name free bet comes from the fact that punters don’t have to part with their own money when using one of these offers. Instead of their betting balance, stakes are covered by free bet tokens.
The catch behind a free bet is in reality there is almost always an expense required before you can earn a free bet and most free bets can’t be cashed out.
Whether this expense takes the form of a qualifying bet, first deposit or participation in a free bet club, it’s vital to understand what is required before your free bet bonus is credited.
Understanding Free Bets Terms and Conditions in Ireland
The most important piece of advice we could give you when it comes to free bets Irish punters can take advantage of is to read the terms and conditions. Bookmakers use free bet promotions to entice customers but they always come with conditions attached.
You will usually find the terms and conditions written in small print below the main details and the key terms to look out for are:
- Timeframe – typically you have seven days to use a free bet once rewarded. Be sure to do so as the free bet could be removed thereafter.
- Winnings – In a few, rare situations, free bet offers may have a cap on the amount you can win using your free bet credits/tokens.
Other conditions include:
- Minimum odds requirements
- Who is eligible
- Minimum deposit amounts
- Accepted and restricted deposit methods
- How and when free bets are credited
- What sort of bets (singles, multiples, etc) are eligible
If you are in any doubt about free bet sign-up T&C’s we suggest that you get clarification from the bookmaker’s customer support staff before entering the free bet promotion.
Tips & Strategies for Choosing a Free Bet Offer
The most obvious way to start with this is to look out for the biggest free bet offers, and use that as your starting point.
For a long time, betting sign up offers were described as a ‘matched bet offer’ whereby a first time deposit/bet would receive an identical amount as a free bet bonus.
But nowadays, free bets in Ireland come in all shapes and sizes. Here’s a few things to consider:
- How much do I need to deposit/bet to get the biggest free bet bonus?
- Will the free bets be credited to my account immediately?
- What are the time restrictions on placing my free bets?
- Are there realistic restrictions on the amount I can win?
- Will I have to place additional bets before I can withdraw my free bet winnings?
- What are the minimum deposit required to trigger my free bet?
- What sports, events and market types do my free bets work on?
- Is the bookmaker is fully licensed and regulated in my country?
What are the Advantages of Free Bets
Free bets are incentives that require a small qualifying stake and that means a punter can be carefree with them backing big odds selections giving the prospect of big returns.
What are the Disadvantages of Free Bets
Free bet offers are a mainstay of the free betting sites but they do have some disadvantages such as:
- The stake is not returned from free bets
- Qualifying criteria can be very difficult to achieve
- Limitations on the markets, bets you can place
- Punters almost always have to pay something before getting a free bet
- Terms and conditions are sometimes difficult to understand
- Betting sign up offers and free bets can encourage you to gamble when you might not normally do so.
Free Bets in Ireland for Existing Customers
As an existing customer, you can and will receive free sports bets from Irish bookmakers, and here are some examples of those.
- Free Bet Clubs – Many firms have ‘bet clubs’ which will credit you with a free bet every week if you place a certain number of bets during the course of the previous seven days.
- Reload Bonuses – If replenishing your online account with cash you might find your online bookmaker has a random free bet bonus offer which is triggered when making a new deposit.
- Consolation Prizes – It is not uncommon for ongoing promotions to have free bet concessions associated with them. Free bets are often given to existing customers when their horse is beaten into second by a favourite or falls at the last flight of a race. Another example in sports betting is you can collect free bets for Grand Slam tennis matches if your player goes two sets ahead but loses.
- Justice Payments – Many free bet offers involve ‘fair play’ and so, for example, if you back a horse who plants himself in the stalls at the off or who weighs in light after the race, you may receive a free bet as compensation.
- Loyalty Bonuses – Regular punters are often rewarded for their loyalty via free bets.
Free Bets Ireland FAQs
Can you cash out a free bet?
Unlike bets placed with cash a free bet cannot be cashed out either prior to the start of the event or in-play.
Do free bets expire?
Normally betting sites have a 7 day period between a free bet being credited and it expiring and being removed. You can, however, place a free bet on a long-range event such as the FA Cup of Cheltenham Festival.
What does paid in free bets mean?
As opposed to winnings being paid in cash, under some circumstances free bet credits / bonuses are used as a payment method. As your stakes are not returned with the winnings from a free bet, free bet bonuses have a lesser worth than actual cash.
Can you make money on free bets?
Like all sports bets, you can make money from free bets if your bet wins. Although you won’t receive your stake back you will receive the winnings. The bigger the odds, the more you’ll win.
How to use a free bet?
Once you have decided on a selection simply select/click it and it will appear in your betting slip. Here you will usually see a small button or checkbox saying ‘Use free bet bonus’ or similar. If you want to use your free bet simply click this before confirming your bet placement.
Can you withdraw money from a free bet?
You cannot withdraw a free bet or free bet bonus balance as cash but you can withdraw winnings from a free bet.
What are betting bonuses?
A betting bonus is a common promotion offered by bookmakers that matches your first deposit up to a certain percentage, usually no more than 200%. This type of promotion is essentially a matched deposit free bet, but it’s important to read the full terms and requirements before redeeming any betting bonus, as there’s typically a limit on the deposit amount a bookmaker will match.
What is a cashback free bet?
A cashback free bet is a wager that you can place knowing that even if it proves unsuccessful, you’ll still get part or all of your stake back. How much you’ll get back depends on the actual free bet offer - for example, some bookmakers may only return 50% of a losing bet, while others will return 100%. Cash back free bets are particularly attractive to new players as they tend to be open to all sports and bet types.
:fill(white):background_color(white)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/xlmedia/JTHZXSLH5ZBJLLQHYBQQFGVSTQ.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/xlmedia/YCTEK4TIGJEN3A5WBCJZJJBXSY.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/xlmedia/OJO5KXKSEBEMFDXS5YCBS6DYUM.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/xlmedia/3BITAQYFZZEL5OC46U5MSL4KIY.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/xlmedia/7E7EBHSXHNFVVLJOXTBBH6HVMI.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/xlmedia/GTBZEXBRJNFLHPZFITYHVWMASI.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/xlmedia/N257J345O5HUHJ5TE5YR5J3F3E.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/xlmedia/H44DNGIEB5ATFMFLOCERSEQFJ4.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/xlmedia/US46HOR7RBE4FFSZFMVKSONRIA.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/xlmedia/OJO5KXKSEBEMFDXS5YCBS6DYUM.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/xlmedia/YCTEK4TIGJEN3A5WBCJZJJBXSY.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/xlmedia/4S7YUK3DZ5B3HCG7IMU3VSTHGY.png)
