Best Welcome Offers
Best Bookmaker Welcome Offers
There are hundreds of welcome bonuses for online sports betting, so we have compared and ranked the top offers for the UK sports betting market.
Each bonus is ranked according to what it is best for so you can make the right choice for you.
This page has picked only the best, most unique and interesting welcome bonuses to discuss, rank and review for the top UK bookmakers.
Welcome Offers vs Free Bets
A lot of welcome offers are free bets, but there are other types of offer available such as odds or profit boosts.
If you are only interested in free bets, I have a page for that.
The purpose of this page is to introduce you to the main types of welcome bonuses; free bets, deposit match, profit boosts and odds boosts.
Best Welcome Offers By Feature
Looking for a welcome offer that has the lowest minimum odds, largest free bet amount or longest expiry time?
These are the best welcome offers reviewed by their features.
Frequently asked questions about Welcome Offers
A welcome bonus is an offer given to new customers by bookmakers, often in the form of free bets, which encourages punters to sign up and place multiple bets with that bookmaker.
You can only claim one welcome offer per person, per bookmaker.
Yes! Welcome bonuses are common across both casino and sports. Welcome offers are often called:
- Sign up offers
- Welcome bonuses
- New customer bonuses
- New customer offers
The one with the largest bonus amount, smallest wagering requirement and fewest restrictions on your free bet reward.
- Free bets
- Profit boost
- Odds boost
- Deposit match
But there are more!
As is suggested by the term 'welcome bonus', they are for new customers only.
If you have never ever signed up with a bookmaker, you can choose any welcome bonus from this page.
Top 3 welcome offers
⭐️ Author's Pick ⭐️
Taking into account all the redeeming features of welcome offers, such as bonus amount, minimum deposit and wagering requirements, here are the top 3 overall welcome offers.
- Largest free bet amount of all current sports welcome bonuses
- Free bets can be used on any sport and on any market
- bet365 have an incredibly well-developed sportsbook
- 30 days to claim the bonus, which is really generous
Why I like this welcome offer the most
Okay so aside from the obviously large amount of free bets, it is more to do with bet365 itself. They have brilliant odds, superb bet builder functions and a prestige that is second to none.
- Total of 3 x £10 bets awarded to use across the whole sportsbook
- Must use free bet on accas
- Low minimum odds of 1.3 per selection for your free bet accas
- Any type of bet can make up your initial £10 bet
Why this is the best welcome offer for beginners
Many people are comfortable betting a single here and there, but Bet UK gives you the opportunity to build your own bet for free and keep any winnings from your free bet accumulator. Their sportsbook is also 10/10 and very logical and beginner friendly too.
Betfred give you:
- £20 in Free Bets to be used on the sportsbook
- £10 in Free Bets to be used on Lotto
- 50 free spins (£10 equivalent value) to be used on Eyes of Horus (+ Megaways) or Fishin' Frenzy (+ Megaways)
ALL CUSTOMERS WHO QUALIFY FOR THE FIRST SET OF BONUSES THEN RECEIVE:
- Another £20 in Free Bets to be used on Sports, Lotto and Virtual Scheduled markets
Why this is one of the best welcome offers
Aside from getting the largest bonus amount and having no wagering requirements on the casino bonus, Betfred have an incredibly user-friendly sportsbook and history of trustworthiness and value to the punter. You can use this welcome offer across their entire product and get a true feel for betting with Betfred.
Types of Welcome Offers
1) Free Bet offers such as:
2) Profit Boost offers
These are often called 'win up to x amount extra' by bookmakers, and they can see your profits boosted by over a certain amount. Profit boost offers are good because extra winnings are normally paid directly into your account, and you can choose which bet to activate your profit boost on - it does not necessarily have to be the first bet you ever place with the bookmaker.
LeoVegas' welcome offer offers a profit boost up to £100
3) Odds Boost bonuses
These are clearly marked as Odds Boosts! This type of welcome bonus can see your odds boosted by up to 100% on your first deposit made with the bookmaker. A good thing about odds boost bonuses is that you can choose the sport and market on which to use your token, and most types of bets are eligible for the odds boost bonus token.
Grosvenor Sport are currently offering Double the Odds:)
4) Deposit match bonuses
Get up to 100% back from your first deposit with a new bookmaker. Depending on how much you deposit, you could get a higher amount back than from a free bet or an odds boost bonus. I like deposit match bonuses because there are very few out there, meaning when a bookmaker has a deposit match bonus it is normally genuinely good value.
888sport are offering an 100% matched deposit bonus up to £100
It might seem like there are too many welcome bonuses to count, but if you know which type you are looking for (hint: it is probably free bets) then you are on your way to greatness.
Casino Welcome Bonuses
The most popular types of casino welcome offers or casino bonuses are:
> Free spins
Free spins are spins on selected (or sometimes all) slot games that you do not have to buy with your own money. Normally you can take advantage of the free spins in a casino bonus BUT if you want to withdraw any winnings as cash, you need to wager your deposit x amount of times in order to do so.
e.g. The Bet UK welcome bonus states: Rewards have 7 days from registration to opt-in from “My Promotions” page & each with 7 days wagering time. Deposit £10, £25 or £50 & wager 35x.
> Deposit match bonuses
Deposit match bonuses are also a popular form of casino welcome bonus. They function in the same way, and will have some wagering requirements attached to them.
e.g. The Betway welcome bonus states: 100% Match Bonus up to £50 on 1st deposit of £10+. 50x bonus wagering applies as do weighting requirements.
Not going to name any names, but often there are large wagering requirements on free spins which are hidden away in the small print, which you need to match before you can withdraw any winnings from the casino part of the welcome bonus.. Please read the T&Cs carefully before taking a casino bonus!
Casino + Sport Welcome Offers
The world is diverse, and to reflect that diversity bookmakers who have both a great sportsbook and casino include both a sport and casino bonus in their welcome offer.
A lot of bookmakers have sports welcome offers that include free spins, which is great if you want to do both instead of choosing either the sports or the casino welcome bonus.
Wagering Requirements
There are sometimes wagering requirements for the casino part of the top sports welcome offers that also include free spins or bonuses for casino:
Betway - x50
Parimatch - x35
Spreadex - no wagering requirements
Betfred - no wagering requirements
BoyleSports - x5
Take into consideration the free bet welcome offer AND the casino bonus wagering requirements.
Important welcome offer conditions
1) Welcome bonus amount
Obviously the bigger the better, but if there is a huge wagering requirement or high initial deposit, you need to ask yourself if it is worth it for you.
2) Minimum/maximum stake
Normally they are reasonable (as low as £5) for sports welcome offers.
3) Minimum odds requirement
If you place a bet which meets the minimum stake requirement but at odds that are below the minimum, then you will not be eligible for the welcome offer and you will be? Sad.
4) Initial bet requirements
Do you need to place your first bet on singles or accas or specific sports? Are each-way bets eligible for your initial qualifying bet? Check all the conditions for your initial bet.
5) Wagering requirements
ALWAYS the lower the better.
6) Expiry date
7 days is the standard, but if you are off to Benny for a cheeky icelolly.com getaway, maybe look at a bonus with a longer expiry time.
💂♀️ Claiming a Welcome Offer
If you have decided to take one of these welcome offers, then follow the simple steps below to sign up with your chosen bookmaker. You will need to be over 18 and have all the relevant forms of ID (passport, proof of address) to complete the registration process.
Make sure you are happy with the bonus amount.
If there are wagering requirements, will you be able to meet them?
If not, are you happy to just take the sports welcome bonus?
Make sure you are over 18 and are a UK resident.
Have all relevant forms of ID (normally a passport and some proof of address) to hand when you sign up.
If there are any T&Cs you are unsure of, make sure you contact the bookmaker before placing your first bet.
Make sure you are happy with the general bonus T&Cs and the specific T&Cs for the welcome offer you have chosen.
It is a good idea to spend some time getting to know the sportsbook design and layout before you place your initial bet, as they are all slightly different!
Welcome offer conclusion
Most bet offers are welcome bonuses ans vice versa, but there are other types that could be good for you!
98% of the betting population love a free bet bonus, but perhaps a short expiry time or acca requirements placed on the free bets make a different type of welcome offer like an odds boost a better welcome bonus option.
Sports welcome offers can also include casino bonuses and free spins, but you have to meet the wagering requirements before you can withdraw any cash $£€.
Remember to always read the full T&Cs of each welcome offer before taking it, and always gamble responsibly hunnies 🚀
Welcome Offer FAQs
No. You can use both parts or just one!
But remember, if you use the casino bonus part and there are wagering requirements attached, you will need to meet these before you can withdraw any winnings.
The one with the largest bonus amount, smallest wagering requirement and fewest restrictions on your free bet reward!
Personally? I like Free Bets and Odds Boost bonuses the best.
A free bet welcome bonus is good for beginners as you only need to make a small deposit (normally between £5 and £20) and get a free bet reward of at least £10 to use - and you get to keep any winnings you make from the free bet!
Read the bookmaker bonuses page and maybe more about free bets 😊
If you know which bookmaker you want but want to check their T&Cs, contact the bookmaker directly. All the customer help emails can be found on my bookmaker reviews.
About the Author
Poppy Taylor
Hey! My name is Poppy and I am the resident UK betting expert here at Betting Bonus. Welcome bonuses for sports are by far one of the most lucrative bonuses with fewer wagering requirements than casino welcome bonuses, which is why they deserve a whole page just for themselves.
I research, use and compare every bonus to give you an honest review, so you can feel confident that you are reading something worth the virtual paper. Affiliate marketing works well when you have great partners and exclusive deals, which is something we specialise in at Betting Bonus.
If you have any thoughts or questions, tweet me @littleabbzz ☆
