The most exciting part of a quiz show is when they begin the bonus round. During each quarter of any NBA game, both teams strive to get into the bonus, when every foul automatically calls for the non-offending player to go to the free throw line. The entire premise of the film National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation was built around the plot of Clark Griswold anxiously awaiting the arrival of his Christmas bonus, which would enable him to build a swimming pool for their family home.
This pursuit of a bonus is entirely understandable. Whether it’s for loyalty, productivity, or simply because you followed the rules and did things the right way, everyone loves getting a little extra reward in their lives.
Online betting sites get this desire and respond accordingly. They encourage new players to join up at their sites by offering a variety of bonus payments that will give those newcomers not only an added incentive to sign up, but also that sensation of getting a bit extra for their choice. It could be a free bet, it might be a no-deposit bonus, or perhaps a matching first deposit bonus.
Whatever the case, and no matter the betting site, after signing up, all new players will come away with a sensation of getting something for nothing. Let’s take a deeper dive into these signup bonuses and see what each variety of offer entails, as well as what it provides to the player.
No Deposit Bonus
This bonus offer truly fits into the proverbial something for nothing narrative. Simply for signing up with an online sportsbook, they will make a deposit into your new account of free cash to use to play on their site
Generally, these no-deposit bonuses aren’t extremely lucrative. They tend to run in amounts between $10-$25. Still, it is free money to wager at their betting site and it gives new bettors the opportunity to place their first bet without the risk of losing their own money.
Some betting sites will make exclusive offers of no deposit bonuses to loyal players as recognition of appreciation for their loyalty.
Risk Free Bet Bonus
As the name suggests, with this bonus offer, players can place their first wager at a new betting site firm in the knowledge that if it loses, they’ll get a second chance to win.
Let’s suppose a site lists a risk-free first bet for new players up to a maximum amount of $500. If you were to have wagered $500 on the Kansas City Chiefs to win Super Bowl 55 over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, you would’ve lost that bet. However, if this was your first bet at the site and they guaranteed a $500 refund on a losing first wager, you’ll get that money back to make other bets on their site.
The name is a bit of a misnomer. Yes, they did give you the $500 back. However, it’s not like you can pocket the cash and go home. You’ll still be required to wager that money again. And this time, without a money-back guarantee.
Matching First Deposit Bonus
This is the most common form of signup bonus employed by online betting sites and it’s a bonus offer that takes on many forms.
For instance, Bovada offers newcomers a 50 percent matching signup bonus worth a maximum of $250. So to gain the entire $250 bonus, your first deposit to your account would need to be $500.
BetUS gives new players a matching first deposit of 125 percent up to $2500. Both BetOnline and MyBookie provide a 50 percent matching signup bonus that peaks at $1000.
Read The Fine Print
You know that old saying about there being no such thing as a free lunch? Well, keep that in mind as you peruse the various signup bonus offers.
Always read the terms and conditions before signing up at any betting site. All sites will attach rollover requirements to bonus funds. That’s how many times you must bet the money before you’re permitted to withdraw it from your account. This generally ranges anywhere from five to 40 times.
Is there a promo code that must be input in order to activate the bonus offer? What restrictions, if any, are in place in terms of how you can wager the bonus funds? Is there a minimum amount that must be deposited to activate the bonus? Are there time restrictions in place that govern how quickly the rollover requirements must be met?
Know the answer to all of these questions before agreeing to any offer, and you’ll be sure to get the most out of your bonus.
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash
