With the online sports betting market being so competitive, different betting sites will attempt to entice customers by offering welcome bonuses to anyone signing up for a new account.

These offers can vary, from free bets to enhanced odds offers, and they will all have specific terms and conditions which apply to them.

The most common, and indeed most popular, welcome bonuses or offers are deposit bonuses and free bets. These are explained fully on different pages throughout this site but usually involve new customers being offered a certain number of free bets or an extra percentage added to their first deposit when signing up to a new account.

Here, we are going to look at the other welcome bonuses you may be offered and explain what each one entails.

Even though you are most likely to be offered a free bet or deposit bonus when signing up for a new online betting account, it is important to know what the other welcome offers are and what they include.

Here are some of the other bonuses you may be offered when looking to register a new betting account.

Enhanced odds welcome bonuses are becoming more popular and can be extremely tempting.

These offers are usually specific to a certain sporting event, be it a world title boxing match or an important Premier League football fixture, and a pre-set outcome. The odds for this outcome will be given a boost to new customers, in an attempt to gain more registrations for the site that particular day.

For example, a striker in brilliant goal scoring form may be priced at something like 7/10 (1.70) to score the first goal in his sides next match. With there being a high chance of this happening, betting sites can use this to entice new customers. So, they offer a welcome bonus giving new customers odds of 5/1 (6.00) for that player to score the first goal.

This is an extremely good marketing tool and potential punters will almost be counting their winnings before they have even completed the sign-up form.

Be aware though that there are usually several terms & conditions attached to enhanced odds offers. Usually, there is a maximum stake allowed and winnings may be paid as bonus funds until the stake has been turned over a certain number of times.

Read the terms & conditions to find out any requirements attached to the offer before staking your money. Pay special attention to the small print, as there may be certain requirements which devalue the offer.

The cash back bonus is similar to a deposit or reload bonus but is more commonly found on betting exchange sites and has a qualifying period of several weeks.

This usually involves new customers entering the qualifying period after they have placed their first bet with a new site. They will then be eligible for cash back throughout that period when they meet certain requirements.

For example, a customer may be given 20% cash back for every £/€100 they stake in a particular week. This will be up to a certain amount and last for a certain amount of time. In week one of the promotional period, when the customer stakes £/€100, they will receive 20% back as cash. This may be as bonus funds, so read the T&C’s carefully.

They will then receive the 20% bonus when they reach £/€100 staked every week until the promotional period ends.

This offer will usually only be applicable the first time customers reach the milestone in a week and will also have several other wagering requirements attached.

Sometimes, and rarer, is cash back on just a customers first bet. Meaning that new customers will receive their stake money back as cash if their first bet with a new site loses.

This bonus is usually offered to all customers, regardless of whether they are new or existing, but can be utilised as an extremely enticing welcome bonus.

Here, customers are offered insurance up to a certain amount on losing bets. This offer will be valid only for certain markets, bonuses are usually paid out in free bets, and other terms and conditions will need to be met.

Betting insurance bonuses will be offered for either a single event or as an accumulator bonus.

Single bet insurance will be valid for a certain sporting event or specific sport and will give insurance up to a certain amount.

For example, a betting site may offer new customers insurance on their first football bet of up to £/€25. This means that if they place a bet of £/€25 or less on any football market and it loses, they will receive their stake money back. Some site will offer this bonus to customers who stake more than the promotional amount advertised but will only refund the £/€25.

Accumulator insurance, or acca insurance, applies to multi-selection accumulator bets. The requirements for this will be slightly different than the single bet bonus, with a minimum number of selections required and other terms & conditions.

For example, a customer must place a minimum £/€10 bet on an accumulator bet of five or more selections. If one selection loses and the other four win, accumulator insurance will be applicable, and the stake refunded.

Stake money is usually refunded as bonus funds or free bets, although some sites do pay the bonus in real withdrawable cash.