All bookmakers have some type of sign up offer to entice players to join and bet with them. This is great, because if you are smart it can really pay off.

At Bookmaker Advisor we have taken a lot of time to research these bonuses right down the finest detail. We have looked at the terms and conditions, and let us tell you, not all bonus offers are what they seem. They may look attractive but many have very strict rules as to how long the bonus is available for, what is the minimum odds you must bet at with your bonus, how many times you have to play through your deposit before you can make any withdrawal of funds.

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There are different levels of promotions with some having more quality than the other. These are the few betting promotions in the industry:

Cash Back Refund

Cash back refunds are promotions where the value of the bet is returned back to the punter in cash. The promotion is usually activated where the bet loses.

Early payout

Early payouts are promotions where the sportsbook credits the winnings on a bet to the punter before the conclusion of the event. The promotion is activated where a condition attached to the offer is met.

For instance, in a football match where a team is winning by over five goals, the sportsbook will classify the bet as a win even if the opposing team comes back to draw the match and or win the game.

Where the condition is met, early payouts can be more satisfying for the punter. This is because the punter not only keeps his stake but also profits from the winnings.

Bonus Bet Refunds

Bonus bet refunds are promotions where a bonus bet is awarded to the punter where the initial bet is a loss but meets the conditions attached to it. For instance, a punter can receive a bonus bet where he backs Harry Kane to score and loses the bet but Tottenham wins the match by three goals to nil.

Odds Special

Another marketing tool used by betting site is the odds special. The bookmaker provides special odds which are higher than the market price on special events or major occasions. For instance, the bookmaker could offer a price of £2 on odds that are worth £1.20. Although this promotion offers an excellent means of growing a punter’s bankroll, it is usually capped at a limit with some offering a maximum stake at £20.

Percentage bonuses

are bet offers that give the punter more money for winning the bet. For instance, a bookmaker may offer a punter 2x the value of the bet in winnings where the punter lays odds on a specific team or event. However, the stakes on this promotion is usually capped.

Reward Points

It has become the norm for bookmakers to have reward points which are attached to betting promotions. Reward points give the punter more impetus or reason to bet. They are sometimes used in place of a deposit bonus where the punter deposits funds using approved payment methods.

Promotions offered by sportsbook can be a tad confusing as a result of the evasive terms and conditions applied to them. Difficult rules and regulations known as T&Cs are attached to betting offers because they provide financial value to the punter.

Where left unrestricted, this can lead to exploitation and potential loss of profit for the bookmaker. Below is a comprehensive explanation of the main terms and conditions attached to some of the best betting promotions online:

No Refund Stake

NSR bets are some of the most common types of free bet promotions in the betting world. They are usually given to the punter as a reward for signing up with the bookmaker. No refund stakes are also used for one-time promos. They come in the guise of a “bet token”. The most important element of an NRS bet is that the winning is credited to the punter while the stake reverts back to the bookmaker.

Common Terms and Conditions

• When a punter registers a new account, he may need to type in a promo code to alert the bookmaker he wants the free bet.
• Before the bookmaker offers the free bet, the punter needs to deposit a specific amount of funds into their account and place their first bet – also known as the “qualifying bet”. The qualifying bet is typically a percentage of the free bet bonus with a minimum odd requirement which may be over 1.80 or more.
• NRS bets are not known to have a turnover requirement on the winnings which allows the punter to withdraw the winnings into his account.
• It is irrelevant whether the punter wins the qualifying bet. The free bet is credited into his account irrespective of the outcome of the event.
• The punter will normally wager the whole NRS in one bet without splitting the stake into different selections.

For instance, if a punter places a £20 NRS free bet on a greyhound at odds of 3.0 and the outcome is in his favor, he gets an ROI of £40 instead of £60 on a standard bet.

Bet Refunds

Punters sometimes have the option of choosing bet refunds as their sign-up offer. However, bet refunds are bonuses that are often applied for the benefit of existing customers. A punter enjoys a bet refund when he places a bet with his funds and the money is refunded to him in cash or bet credit when he loses. Bet Refunds are not exactly risk free. Punters will find terms and conditions attached to these offers.

Common Terms and Conditions

• The punter may need to type in a promo code to alert the bookmaker he wants the free bet.
• Before the punter gets the refund, he has to comply with the minimum odds requirement as specified by the bookmaker.
• Similar to the NRS bet, where the punter loses the initial bet or qualifying bet out of his funds, then he has one more chance.
• Bet Refunds are offered to the punter as an NRS bet which makes it less attractive than real money because the punter can still lose the bet.

For instance, a punter places a £20 stake on a greyhound at 5.0 odds. He loses the bet but gets refunded £20 in real money or £20 worth of free bets.

Returned Stake

Returned stake is a free bet that gets credited to the new punter after signing up. When a deposit is made, an extra amount of money known as a deposit bonus is credited into his account. The stake is often credited into the bonus balance. Unlike “ No Refund Stake” or “Bet Refunds”, Stake Returned is like actual cash. The difference is, the turnover requirement that must be fulfilled before the punter can withdraw the funds.

Common Terms and Conditions

• The punter may need to type in a promo code to alert the bookmaker he wants the bonus balance in his account after depositing funds.
• Before the punter can withdraw the money he needs to place additional bets while complying with the minimum odds requirement, e.g., over 1.80.
• Refund stakes usually have multiple turnover requirements before the punter can withdraw funds. However, this can leave the punter in a more difficult situation than placing his bets without using the bonus.
• If the punter runs out of funds, then the promotion ends. Luckily, the turnover requirement is not applied to the punter’s next deposit.
• Just as the name implies “Returned Stake” means the stake placed on bets credits to the punter’s account like a standard bet.
• Turnovers can be limited to a capped amount.

For instance, a punter deposits £20 and qualifies for a 100% returned stake bonus. He subsequently doubles his balance to £40 before placing a bet. However, he has to meet the minimum turnover requirement which can be 5x the deposit value. In this instance he has to place bets worth £200 in actual money.

Betting promotions are valid for the sport as specified by the sportsbook. Where a bookmaker states a promotion is for a certain sport, it cannot be applied on another sport.

However, there are promotions that are specially suited to a particular sport. For instance, where a bookmaker offers odds specials such as enhanced odds or price boosts, are more suited for football the same way best odds guaranteed are suitable for horse racing.

Because football remains the most popular sport worldwide, most betting sites will offer football promotions although the quantity varies from bookmaker to bookmaker. An European bookmaker will offer more football promotions compared to an American one. A few of the promotions that can be found in the football category are:

• Price boosts
• Enhanced odds
• Acca insurance

It is possible that some betting promotions may be valid in certain countries or jurisdictions. The punter has to find out if his geographical location is unrestricted to benefit from a promotion. Before committing funds into a promotion, punters should check to see if they are eligible. In most instances, punters from the UK and Ireland are generally allowed to benefit from most betting promotions. However, if a punter lives elsewhere, then such bonuses may not be applicable to him.

There are no clear cut lucrative promotions in online betting. A betting promotion is lucrative depending on the betting strategy applied by the punter. For the risk takers, acca boosts and acca insurance is the way to go. Cautious punters will definitely find value with the price boosts and enhance odds. However free bets are the most restrictive kinds of betting promotions and are usually offered to new customers by the bookmaker.

Betting Welcome Offers

Welcome offers are simply promotions run by bookmakers to reward new punters for choosing to sign-up with them. They are offered once to each punter throughout the lifetime of that betting account. The importance of the welcome offer cannot be overstated as it is the primary way for a bookmaker to expand their subscriber base.

The type of welcome bonus offered to the punter varies from sportsbook to sportsbook. Some betting sites offer free bets, while others match the deposits or give out enhanced odds. Whatever the offer, each of these bonuses are specially crafted to get the punter through the door. Some welcome offers that can be found online include:

• Bet Refunds
• Free bets
• Deposit Bonus
• Enhanced odds

For the new punter without any experience in online betting, it is important to note that welcome bonuses can take different forms. Some of these are:

Bet Refunds

Bet refunds are one of the most popular types of welcome offers provided to punters by bookmakers. The purpose of the bet refund is straightforward. Where the punter places an initial stake, and the bet is lost, the bookmaker will refund the value of the stake in full. The bookmaker does this, so the punter does not start his betting career with a loss. The amount is usually capped by the bookmaker.

Free bet

A free bet is another popular welcome offer that bookmakers used to lure customers. It also has a straightforward purpose. Once registered with a bookmaker, the punter is provided with a free bet which in most cases have conditions attached to them. The punter will have to lose the outcome of his initial bet before he can unlock the free bet offer.

Deposit Bonus

The penultimate offer is the deposit bonus. The bonus is granted to the punter based on a percentage of his first deposit into the betting account. For instance, a punter may deposit £50 as his first deposit and gets 100% of the amount added as his deposit bonus to bring the total to £100.

Enhanced odds

Although not as popular as the other offers, enhanced odds are beginning to get traction in the betting industry. It is not unheard for a bookmaker to increase the odds of a particular event for a limited time to allow new customers take advantage of such an offer. Enhanced odds are simple to understand. They give the punter more value on the odds than can reasonably be found anywhere else on the market.

Most bookmakers offer betting promotions that appeal to their type of subscriber. Punters will be hard pressed to find a consensus on who offers the best bang for their buck when it comes to promotions. That being said, there is not a lot of sportsbook who pay as much attention to detail as Bet365.

For the professional punter, Bet365 offers a custom experience ensuring their betting promotions are in consonance with the punter’s betting preferences. Furthermore, the length of time spent with a bookmaker is directly proportional to the quality of experience enjoyed by the punter.

Online betting is growing exponentially. There are more than ten million punters today than there was in the last decade. The innovation in technology is bringing up newer more convenient ways for punters to place their bets from different parts of the globe and in the comfort of their various environments. Bookmakers are making their services available on multiple platforms including the PC, mobile devices and physical betting sites.

These days, promotions abound in many forms for the punter to choose. Although there are many ways for punters to apply bet offers provided by the bookmaker, not all that glitters is gold.

These are the pros and cons of betting promotions:

Pros

• A higher chance of making a win.
• A more enjoyable, adrenaline-filled betting experience.
• Better odds mean more lucrative profits for the punter.
• Best way to expand knowledge of other betting markets.

Cons

• Makes punters narrow-minded and prevents them from picking value bets.
• Extremely difficult terms and conditions that prevent punters from making decent money.
• Promotion can have conditions such as the minimum odd requirement, wager requirement, and turnover requirement that leaves the punter worse off than he started.

Although the major bookmakers in the industry provide nonstop entertainment for their customers in the form of betting promotions, Paddy Power remains the best bet for punters who have a huge appetite for promotions. Apart from selecting from the myriad of bet offers on offer, punters can also receive custom betting promotions that have been customized to their taste.

When it comes to online betting, there is no such thing as a risk-free offer. However, there are offers which ensure the punter does not go home empty-handed and these offers come in different forms such as the bonus bets, bet credits, no refund stake, and free bets. The essence of these offers is to give the punter a second chance or a second bite at the cherry. Although these offers can be found within the welcome bonuses, many of them are offered to existing customers in the form of reload bonuses.

Nonetheless, there are companies like Betfair who give punters the chance to guarantee profit by providing the platform for them to back and lay a bet. Although this is not a betting promotion, it is one of the surest ways for punters to make a decent income from online betting.