Looking for the hottest football betting offers of the moment? You’ve come to the right place. This guide has all you need to know about scoring the best bonuses on the market right now. We’ll also discuss some of the terms and conditions you may have to tackle, so you’ll be able to make an informed choice when seeking out free football bets and other top bonuses at the UK’s top bookies.
How We Picked Our Best Football Betting Offers
When assessing the quality of football betting sign up offers and other promotions, we don’t just look at how much you stand to gain in free bets or matched deposit credits. A full, 360-degree assessment of the site is required, with the first priority being to check that it’s licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. We’ll then take a thorough look at the market coverage and depth. Ideally, we want to see plenty of ways to bet on football, well beyond which team will win a match.
It’s crucial to consider the terms and conditions of the various bet offers. We want these to be as player-friendly as possible. Most, if not all, payment methods will ideally be eligible for unlocking free football betting deals, and the expiry dates of bet offers won’t be too tight. Wagering requirements are important too. These denote how many times you have to play through your bonus funds before you’re able to withdraw any winnings.
Football Betting Bonus Types
Football is the most popular sport in the world and as such, the number of betting bonuses you can claim are broad and varied. From top quality welcome bonuses, to high-value existing player promotions, let’s have a look at some of the key options available to you.
Matched Deposit Bonus
Football betting sign up offers can include matched deposit bonuses, where you’re given bonus credits in proportion to the amount you pay into your account. For example, if a bookie offers ‘100% up to £150’ and you deposit £50, you’ll actually end up with a bankroll of £100 to bet with. Just remember to read the small print to see if wagering requirements apply to your haul of bonus funds.
Free Bet Offers
If you score a free bet, you’ll be able to place a wager without risking any of your own cash. These are common bonuses for both newbie bettors and existing players. They are often made available as a sign-up incentive, as a loyalty reward, or when there are major tournaments like the Champions League or the World Cup on the horizon. While free bets may sometimes be given as a no deposit bonus, you’ll often have to make a qualifying wager to bag this bonus. A typical offer might be something like ‘Bet £10, Get £20’.
Event Offers
Certain events draw in truly mammoth audiences, such as contests between Manchester United and Liverpool, or London derby days such as Arsenal v Spurs. When such big-ticket fixtures come around, it’s quite common for sites to offer football betting offers specifically tied to that match. These can be anything from free football bets to odds boosts on certain players to score first.
Acca Bonus
Many punters like combining football bets as accumulators, better known as accas. Reflecting the popularity of this market, top bookies often serve up bonuses specifically tied to accas. A great example is bet365, which currently boosts winning football accas depending on how many selections you’ve picked. There’s a 10% boost for a winning four-fold acca, for example, and a whopping 70% boost for 14-folds and higher.
Acca Insurance
Speaking of accumulators, one of the most widespread football betting offers is acca insurance. With this in place, you’ll get a refund of your original stake – either in the form of cash or bet credits – if your acca loses by only one selection. It’s a good way to reduce the risk on those ambitious accas, but it should not be seen as an incentive to stake a lot on high-risk bets.
Enhanced Odds
An enhanced odds promotion is when a bookmaker offers significantly better odds than you’d usually expect to get on certain football bets. They’re frequently offered up on major matches and promoted on the front pages of betting sites. For example, you might see enhanced odds of 5/1 for Man City to beat Brighton, making betting on the favourite far more appealing. Just be sure to check the terms and conditions here, as there may be a fairly low maximum cap on how much you can wager on enhanced odds markets.
Money Back Specials
Money back promotions do just as the name implies. If an outcome doesn’t go your way – say you bet on Tottenham to beat Chelsea 2-1 but the scoreline ends up the other way around – your stake will be refunded as either cash or free bet credits, depending on the exact deal. Paddy Power is particularly well known for this sort of promotion, but you can also find it at other bookies, like BetVictor.
Early Payout Offers
You don’t always have to wait till the end of a match to get a return with football bets. Bookies will sometimes give you an early payout if your team surges ahead by a certain margin. A great example is the bet365 2 Goals Ahead offer. As the name suggests, if you back a team to win and they manage to go two goals ahead at any stage, the bet will be settled in your favour – even if they later slip up and lose the match.
Football Betting Markets
UK bookmakers offer all sorts of markets for fans of the beautiful game. It’s no longer just about backing a potential winner – you can bet on the smallest details, from who’ll score the next goal, to the total number of corners in a match. What’s more, football betting offers like free bets can be used across a wide number of these markets – though you’ll need to check the terms and conditions of the promotion to be sure. Let’s run through some of the most popular ways to wager, whether you’re using free football betting promotions or your own funds.
Match Result
This is as straightforward as it sounds. You’re betting on the home team to win, or the away team to win, or a draw. Simple, yes, but this market is no less difficult to predict, especially if you’re wagering on a competition where upsets are common, such as the FA Cup.
Double Chance
You can increase your chances of winning by going for a double chance bet. There are three approaches: betting on the home team to either win or draw, betting on the away team to either win or draw, or betting on either team to win (in which case a draw would cause you to lose your bet). But beari in mind that by increasing your chances of winning, you significant;y reduce the amount you can win.
Over/Under Goals
With over/unders, you’re betting on whether the final goal tally will be above or below a certain threshold, such as 2.5 goals. In this example, if you reckon Harry Kane will hit a hat trick then bet ‘over’. If you think the match has got nil-nil draw written all over it, go ‘under’.
Correct Score
Correct score bets are for punters looking to predict the precise outcome of a match. This is a tough ask, which is why this market often comes with significantly longer odds.
Half Time/Full Time
A half time/full time wager is made up of two separate bets. The first predicts which team (if any) will be ahead at the end of the first half, and the second predicts the overall result of the match. You have to be right about both to win.
First Goalscorer
This one’s pretty self-explanatory. You are simply wagering which team or individual will be the first to break the deadlock in a game.
Win to Nil
If you’re sure that one team will win and you think they’re also good enough to keep a clean sheet while doing it, the win to nil bet is for you. It’s essentially two bets, with one part predicting the victor, and the other predicting that the opposition won’t score.
Asian Handicap
Asian handicaps come in various forms, but the essence of this market is that it applies an advantage to one team, making it a popular go-to when there’s a mismatch in strength. Say there’s an FA Cup match between a Premier League team and some plucky underdogs from League Two. This market can provide more attractive odds for backing the Premier League favourites by giving them, say, a one goal deficit to overcome. In which case, they’d have to win by at least two goals for your bet to come good.
Draw No Bet
Here, you’ll back a team to win, and if there’s a draw you’ll get your stake back. This reduces your risk compared to the standard match result market, as there’s a lower probability of a losing outcome.
Both Teams to Score
This market is great if you are struggling to pick a winner between two sides, or if the odds on the favourite are too short to be worth your money. It is a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ market and can provide some great value.
Both Teams to Score and Win
To succeed in this market, you’ll need your backed team to win, and for both teams to score. So, if the team you’re backing was to triumph 3-0, you’d actually lose the bet.
Ready to Claim Football Betting Offers?
We’ve hopefully provided a useful overview of the top bet offers for footie. Now, you’re all set to browse our pick of the best betting sites, compare welcome offers and sign up for whatever you fancy. Good luck!
Frequently Asked Questions
There are all sorts of bet offers around, so this really comes down to your personal preferences. The good news is you’ll often be able to take advantage of multiple bet offers at many top bookies, from free football bets to acca boosts, and they can all enhance your gambling experience in different ways.
There are a number of organisations offering help and support with problem gambling. They include BeGambleAware and Gamcare. You can also call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.
An accumulator involves putting multiple bets – such as your predicted winners of five different matches – on the same slip. An acca can boost your potential return as the odds are combined, but be aware that all the selections need to go your way for you to win.
Cashing out means closing a wager before the outcome has been determined, and collecting the return being offered at that exact moment in time. It can be a good way to secure a profit if your team is currently ahead but you’re worried they may falter. Or, you might do it to cut your losses on what you feel is a doomed bet. This option usually won’t usually be available on a free bet wager until the cash out amount exceeds the value of the free bet.
That depends on what you’re after. Some punters like the bankroll boost that comes with a sports betting deposit bonus, others enjoy the prospect of an early pay-out offer, while acca fans will probably want to keep an eye out for insurance deals. You can compare some of the best deals for football bets right here and see which bookmakers offer what you’re looking for.
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- HelpGuide.org – ‘Gambling Addiction and Problem Gambling’
