Welcome Bonuses - What are they?
A welcome bonus literally welcomes you at a betting site. You decide to sign up at a betting site and they give you a welcome bonus as a way to say hello and welcome you into the fold of new punters.
Such a welcome bonus can come in different shapes and sizes, depending on what a betting site offers. Many betting sites have more than one welcome bonus available, recognising that different players have different preferences.
Since there are always bonus conditions attached, however, you can usually opt out of receiving such a welcome bonus and start betting right away with your own money. One way or another, this choice should be yours.
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100% Welcome Bonus up to ₹35,000
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Let's take a look at the different kinds of welcome bonuses you may find.
Best Welcome Offers
Which site has the best welcome bonus depends on what you are hoping to get in a welcome bonus. Ideally, a betting site offer various options for you to choose from. But that is rarely the case. Usually, you will get one offer and you either take it or leave it.
We have some example of betting site offers from our favourite betting sites.
Keep in mind that betting offers differ depending on your region. We will focus on offers from betting sites in India on this page.
Ultimately, it pays checking all the welcome offers a betting site has and comparing the bonus conditions. Of course, our comprehensive reviews will also check the welcome offer, though keep in mind that welcome offers are subject to change.
What types of Welcome Bonuses are there?
Here is an overview of the most common welcome bonuses that are available:
1st deposit
A common type of welcome bonus is a match bonus for your first deposit. This means you get bonus cash to use for your betting. A common example may be:
Receive a 100% match bonus and up to ₹5,000
In such a case you can deposit ₹5,000 to receive the maximum bonus of ₹5,000. You can also deposit ₹10,000, but you would still only receive ₹5,000. If you were to deposit ₹2,500, you'd receive ₹2,500 in bonus funds.
Match bonuses for online betting tend to be smaller than those you can receive at online casinos.
No deposit
This is a type of welcome offer often handed out to new customers after they signed up and before they made a first deposit. This can come in form of a free bet or simply bonus cash. The amount is quite small and wagering requirements are usually strict.
The advantage is that you don’t need to risk any of your own money just yet. And you are usually also able to go ahead and claim a proper welcome bonus for your first deposit as well.
Free bet/Risk-free Bet
One of the most common welcome offers at betting sites is the free bet. A version of the free bet is the risk-free bet.
Either way, you will usually have to make a deposit and/or an initial first bet to receive the free bet. With the more regular free bet offer, you will receive a free bet (up to a specified amount) after you have placed your own bet. This may take until your bet is settled, but usually you receive such a free bet right away.
A risk-free bet is only awarded in case your first bet loses. It's more or less and insurance, which gives you the money back you risked on your first bet. However, there is always a maximum amount specified that you would get back.
A common example is:
Place a ₹1,000 single bet on odds of 1.5 or higher on any market and receive a ₹1,000 free bet in return
The free bet may have some limitations, or you may be able to use it as you like. Either way, the stake of the free bet is never included in the return of any winnings.
Welcome Bonus Conditions
One caveat of welcome offers or bonuses in general are the wagering requirements. There really is no way around them, though they can differ a lot between betting sites. Some are stricter than others, which sometimes make a welcome bonus not worthy your while as the bonus conditions are impossible to meet.
We'll be taking a look at the different bonus conditions depending on what type of welcome bonus you're looking at.
Deposit bonus conditions
Here you simply must make a specified minimum deposit to be eligible for the bonus. The bonus offer itself will have wagering requirements. For sports deposit bonuses (including the welcome offer), you can expect at least 5x wagering on bets of odds of 1.5 or higher. You may be restricted to single bets or accumulator bets, though you are rarely restricted to markets.
The bonus usually has to be wagered within 14 to 30 days. If you are required to wager it more than 6x, it may not be worth your while.
No Deposit Bonus Conditions
The bonus amount is usually quite small. Perhaps only ₹500 or ₹1,000. This typically needs to be wagered as well. With no deposit sports bonuses you can expect to wager it at least 15x if not more. A casino no deposit bonus may be wagered up to 100x.
Usually, winnings from such bonuses are also capped.
Free Bets
The important bonus conditions to consider here are usually the ones you need to meet before you get to use your free bet. That is, betting a certain amount at minimum odds.
Sometimes free bet can then be used at will, though you will usually only be able to use the complete free bet on a single or accumulator bet. Sometimes minimum odds are required here as well. Usually, free bets are valid for 7 days. Winnings should not be capped, though the free bet stake is not part of any returns.
These are just general bonus terms to be aware of, but individually, you will find many differences. Always read the complete bonus terms to prevent any unpleasant surprises down the line. Losing bonus funds because one violated the terms is one of the most common complaints at betting sites.
