Best Free Bets & Betting Offers in the UK

Our Top Recommended Free Bets & Betting Offers - May 2025

What to Bet on With Your Free Bets in May 2025

Here, we share our tips on making the most of your free bets in May 2025 - a jam-packed month featuring the Giro d'Italia, PGA Championship, the French Open, as well as a plethora of domestic and European cup finals.

What Are Free Bets?

Free bets are a type of betting offer that entitles punters to free wagers up to a specific value set by online bookmakers. These promotions can either be part of sign-up bonuses or regular promotions, often leading up to popular sporting events such as the Grand National, World Cup, and Wimbledon. Free bets typically some of the most popular bet bonuses, allowing bettors to place predictions without spending their own money. However, free bets will almost always require punters to place a qualifying bet, which can range from 5p to £20 on average, to receive them.

The difference between free bets, sign-up offers, and other betting offers is simple. Sign-up offers are for new customers when they join a site, while free bets can be given to both new and existing customers. Betting offers, in general, cover any kind of promotion, including free bets and other bonuses, that bookmakers use to enhance the betting experience.

How Do Free Bet Offers Work?

Betting sites with free bets commonly place a few terms and conditions on these promotions, usually featuring minimum qualifying bets and winning caps. Additionally, remember that when you withdraw free bets, they only pay the potential winnings, and you won’t receive your free stake back as real money.

To help you understand how free bet offers work, let's refer to the following example. Consider BetMGM's 'Bet £10 and Get £40 in Free Bets' welcome offer. This requires an initial £10 stake on odds of 1/1 or greater before 4x £10 free bets are credited to your account. Once available, you’ll have 7 days to use the bonus bets before they expire.

What to Consider When Claiming Free Bets

Before claiming free bets, it’s important to know what to look out for. Understanding the key factors can help you make the most of these offers and avoid any surprises.

Expiry Dates

Most free bets come with an expiry date, meaning you’ll need to use them within a set time. Typically, free bets expire around 7 days after being credited to your account. Once they expire, they’ll be removed, and you won’t be able to use them anymore. Be sure to place your bets before the time runs out!

Minimum Deposit

With some bookmakers, the minimum deposit may differ from the amount you need to bet to claim your free bets. For instance, a bookmaker might ask you to bet £5 to qualify for the offer but still require a £10 minimum deposit. This means depositing and betting just £5 wouldn’t qualify you for the promotion. Be sure to check both requirements before you start.

Minimum Odds

Almost all bookmakers include a minimum odds requirement for their betting offers. Your bet must be placed on selections with odds that meet or exceed a specific threshold to qualify for the promotion. These odds requirements vary by bookmaker with some requiring as high as 1/1 odds. Be sure to check the terms and conditions to ensure your bet meets the minimum odds needed to unlock the offer.

Reviews of the Best Free Bet UK Offers

BettingOdds experts are constantly looking for the industry’s best free bet offers. Check below for a round-up of some of the top betting sites with free bets: 

Boylesports

BoyleSports are offering new UK customers (excluding Northern Ireland) a £40 welcome package when they sign up and place a £10 qualifying bet at minimum odds of 1/1 (2.0) or greater. The promotion includes £30 in Free Sports Bets, a £10 Casino Bonus, and a 25% winings boost on Premier League Bet Builders.

The Free Bets are credited upon settlement of the first qualifying bet and expire within 7 days, while the Casino Bonus must be accepted within 14 days and is valid for 3 day.

Pros & Cons of using Boylesports

Positives

• Generous welcome offer of £40 free bets and an Early Payout feature.
• Fantastic accumulator-based free bet offers
• Option to choose between a 100% odds boost on accas or insurance as a free bet if one leg loses.
• Regular free bet bonuses and promotions on specific sports events, such as the golf majors, tennis Grand Slams, and weekly football matches.

Negatives

• Must use your free bets within 7 days.
• The sign-up offer isn't currently available to customers in Northern Ireland.

BetMGM

BetMGM is a relatively new betting site which only launched in the UK in 2023. BetMGM is a big name in the United States which is keen to attract new UK customers with its generous free bet welcome offer. New customers can get £40 in free bets after placing a qualifying first bet of at least £10 within 7 days of registration. In a world where Bet £10 Get £30 is fairly common, BetMGM goes one step further.

What we love about this BetMGM promotion is that it encourages you to try out different bets. The four free bets are credited automatically and include 2 x £10 Bet Builders, a £10 free bet on football, and a £10 free bet on horse racing.

BetMGM's existing customers can choose from a variety of promotions, including  daily 10% profit boosts on horse racing, a £5 weekly free bet with a qualifying acca bet and bet builder bet, and the opportunity to double your odds on the darts. There are daily profit boosts too, including a 100% boost on any sport with a maximum £5 stake.

Pros & Cons of using BetMGM

Positives

• Getting £40 in free bets makes it one of the best free bets promotions available.
• Regular profit boosts, including 100% profit boosts.
• A modern and refreshing interface.
• Popular promotions such as Golden Goals and Golden Arrows

Negatives

• Free Bets cannot be used on e-sports and non UK/IE horse racing. 

Bet365

bet365 are one of the most popular bookmakers for UK bettors who offer new customers £30 in free bets after an initial £10 stake. Although the bet365 regular betting offers section doesn’t cover many free bet offers, you can still enjoy generous incentives, such as “Price Boost” and "Super Boosts" odds enhancements promos on football and horse racing, which are among the industry’s most abundant, giving several opportunities to boost potential profits. 

Pros & Cons of using Bet365

Positives

• Versatile betting sign up offer covering qualifying stakes between £5 and £10/
• Popular, appealing, and regular Price Boosts.
• One of the best betting interfaces.
• Numerous live streaming and in-play betting opportunities on a variety of sports.

Negatives

• Free bets can't be used on Tote, Colossus bets, Lotto markets or Fantasy Sports.

CopyBet

CopyBet welcomes new customers with a Bet £20 Get £60 In Free Bets promotion and a Daily Profit Boost of up to 15%.

What sets CopyBet apart from other bookmakers is its unique copy betting feature, allowing users to replicate bets and strategies from professional tipsters. These tipsters are ranked through a leaderboard system based on their profitability, risk level, and relevance, making it easy to find and follow successful bettors.

Pros & Cons of using CopyBet

Positives

• The sign-up offer provides new customers with £60 free bets.
• Unique approach which lets you copy the bets and strategies of top tipsters.
• Attractive daily Acca Boosters.

Negatives

• Must place a £20 qualifying bet to activate the £60 free bets.

Betway

Start your journey off at Betway with a £10 Free Bet when you sign up and place a qualifying first deposit and bet. It’s a straightforward welcome to one of the UK’s top sportsbooks. Whether you're backing a Premier League clash, a weekend accumulator, or a Grand Slam showdown, Betway gives you a head start.

Betway provides customers with strong, competitive odds across major sports, especially football and esports. They regularly feature boosted odds and enhanced multiples. Betway was one of the first major UK sportsbooks to embrace esports and has a dedicated esports section with comprehensive coverage of CS:GO, Dota 2, and League of Legends.

Pros & Cons of Using Betway

Positives

• High quality esports offering.
• Qualifying odds are low at 3/4 for a single.
• Excellent App.

Negatives

• Many competitors offer more free bets for the same qualifying stake.
• Only debit card qualifies as a deposit.

Midnite

Midnite are giving new users £20 in Free Bets plus 50 Free Spins on Big Bass Splash when you sign-up using the promo code BETGETSPORTS, deposit, and stake £10 on qualifying pre-match accas within 14 days of opening an account. The free bets come in the form of four £5, which are distributed as a Single, Accumulator, In-Play, and a Bet Builder.

Pros & Cons of Using Midnite

Positives

• Nice variety of free bets.
• Attractive daily bet boosts on football.
• Weekly Rewards such as £20 free bets.
• Great for esports enthusiasts.

Negatives

• Qualifying bet must be on an accumulator with 4+ legs.

Paddy Power

Paddy Power is giving new customers £50 in Bet Builders when they deposit a minimum of £10 and place a qualifying football bet of the same amount with odds of 1/2 or greater.

One of the standout features of Paddy Power is the variety of promotions available for both new and existing customers. From the popular 'Super Sub' football feature, which transfers your bet to a new player, to free spins, bonuses, and the free-to-play Eliminator horse racing game, there’s always something exciting to take advantage of and enhance your betting experience.

Pros & Cons of Using Paddy Power

Positives

• Generous free bets of £50 off a £10 qualifying bet.
• Qualifying odds are low at 1/2.
• Free Bet Builders are valid for a lengthy 90 days after being credited.
• 24/7 customer support via live chat, email, and phone.

Negatives

• Your qualifying bet must be on football.
• Free bets must be used on Bet Builders.

Sky Bet

Sky is a name that's become synonymous with quality and its betting site is no different. As far as new customer betting offers go, this is one of the best of all UK betting site platforms because of the minimum deposit and stake required. Sky Bet only requires a minimum deposit of £5 and an initial bet stake of 5p to access £30 in free bets, which makes it one of our favourite offers.

Besides this amazing welcome bonus, Sky Bet also has tons of other promotions for regular customers. These include £1 free bet stakes to use on BuildABet, cashback offers, and its Sky Bet Club, which rewards you with free bets weekly. This is an opt-in club where you can choose what to receive each week. Free bet stake options include a £5 free bet, a £6 free racing bet, a £5 free football bet, a £6 free in-play bet, or 50 free spins to use at the Sky Vegas casino sister site.

Pros & Cons of Using Sky Bet

Positives

• Minimum bet of just 5p to qualify for £30 in free bets.
• The minimum deposit for the free bets are low.
• There is an excellent range of promotions for different sports.
• There are lots of customer support channels, including social media.
• Plethora of Request-A-Bets.

Negatives

• The live chat isn't available as a widget on each screen.

How We Choose the Best Free Bet Offers in the UK

BettingOdds experts examine all areas to find the best free bet offers on the market. Our recommendations factor in everything from betting markets to the types of free bets and site security. We’ll go into more detail below: 

Licensing and Safety

Betting platforms with free bets can offer all the promos they want, but we cannot recommend them if there’s no verifiable UK Gambling Commission licensing. The regulator plays a key role in keeping bettors safe by regularly surveying operators and maintaining safe practices. Checking for this is our main worry when reviewing free bet offers. 

Quality of the Free Bet Offer

As you can imagine, the quality of the bonus is a pretty integral part of our selection criteria. Not only do our experts look for a generous amount in free bets — with some sites offering up to £40 — but we also look for favourable minimum qualifying bets and limited payment method or market restrictions. Additionally, we search for bookmakers with a regular stream of free bet offers for existing customers.

Betting Markets

Investigating the available betting markets on free bet offers is key to ensuring the best overall experience. We consider the availability of single bet markets alongside more complex options like accumulator wagers or bet builders, and explore whether any sports or markets are restricted from the advertised free bet offer. Additionally, we award extra points for intuitive layouts that make navigating through the options easy. 

Competitive Odds

Comparing the odds at betting sites with free bets against alternative bookies is also a crucial step. While odds don’t tend to fluctuate massively at the leading operators, small variations can make a significant difference depending on your stake. We look for the top sites offering competitive odds favouring punters as much as possible. 

Bonus Terms and Conditions 

Reading through free bet bonus terms and conditions is a fundamental necessity. Without doing so, you could open yourself up to unfavourable clauses like steep wagering requirements or large minimum qualifying bets. Our experts closely probe the terms and conditions at betting sites with free bets so we can avoid recommending disadvantageous examples.  

Payment Methods

BettingOdds also meticulously studies the available payment methods at bookmakers with free bets. Unfortunately, e-wallets like PayPal, Skrill and Neteller are often excluded as qualifying deposit methods on free bet offers, so we always check to see what your options are in terms of payments. As a general rule, it's usually best to make your first deposit with your debit card, which will always be eligible.

Customer Support

If, for some reason, you don't receive your free bets, you'll need quick access to customer support. We test all options when reviewing sports betting platforms, checking for polite and helpful operators alongside a 24/7 service. 

Banking Options

Banking options are an important part of our criteria when selecting the best free bet offers in the UK. We look for bookmakers that provide a variety of secure and convenient payment methods, such as debit cards, e-wallets, and bank transfers. Easy and fast transactions ensure you can deposit funds and withdraw winnings without any hassle.

How to Find the Best Free Bet Offers

Here at BettingOdds.com, we give you all the tools and information you need on all the latest bookmaker free bets and sign-up offers.

1. Compare Free Bet Offers  
   Scroll through our lists of the best free bet offers currently on the market, and click 'Get Offer' to be redirected to the relevant betting site.
2. Check the T&Cs 
   The next step is reading all the terms and conditions of the free bet offer. Things to look out for here are time limits, eligible payment methods, minimum odds requirements and applicable sports and markets. You don’t want to sign up for a free bet offer that’s exclusive to football if you’re looking to place a wager on the horses.
3. Explore the Sports and Markets 
   You shouldn't be looking at the free bet offer alone. Make sure you've checked to see whether all your favourite sports and markets are available before singing up, or else you'll have nothing to place your free bets on!
4. Sign Up, Deposit and Bet  
   Once you're happy with everything you can follow the simple step-by-step process to register your account and place your qualifying bet. Your free bets should be available once your original bet has been settled.

Types of New Customer Free Bet Offers

Below are some of the most common free bet offers for new customers.

Free Bet Welcome Bonus

Free bets are often given as sign-up bonuses, usually in return for an initial qualifying deposit or stake. For example, bet365 offers £30 in free bets after a £10 stake. There are often terms and conditions applied, these will include things like a minimum first bet amount, a maximum free bet amount, and a period after which the free bets expire. It is also typical for UK betting sites to have payment restrictions apply to their sign up offers, so it's always worth reading the T&Cs.

Cashback Welcome Offers

Some bookmakers offer free bets only if your first bet with them loses. Typically, this type of promotion allows you to bet up to a specific amount, like £100, with the assurance that if your initial bet doesn't win, you'll receive the same amount back in free bets. This allows new customers to place a riskier bet at longer odds, knowing they’ll get their money back in free bets if it doesn't come through.

Bonus Codes for Free Bets

Some bookmakers require new customers to enter a bonus code during the sign-up process to be eligible for free bet offers. Without entering this code, you won’t be able to claim the promotion, even if you meet all other qualifying criteria. So, ensure you know whether or not a bonus code is needed when signing up.

No Deposit Free Bets

Some bookmakers provide exceptionally generous offers where new customers can claim free bets without making any deposit. These no-deposit free bets are rare but highly attractive, allowing you to start betting without spending your money upfront. These offers are particularly appealing to new bettors who want to try out a bookmaker’s platform with zero financial commitment.

Types of Existing Customers Free Bet Offers

Free bet offers aren’t just for new account holders. Existing customers may also enjoy various types of free bets at the best bookies.

Loyalty Programs

Some bookmakers reward their existing customers with free bets as part of their loyalty programs. Typically, to qualify for these free bets, customers must place a certain number of bets or wager a specific amount within a set time frame. For example, Paddy Power offers free bets to customers who place 5 x £5 bets between Monday and Sunday each week. These loyalty rewards encourage regular betting and provide extra value for consistent players, making it a great perk for those who bet frequently.

Justice Payments

Often, bookmakers offer existing customers free bets as part of justice payments. This usually occurs when a customer does not get a true chance to win the bet they placed. For example, if a customer backs a football player to score and he gets injured in the warmup, in most cases, the bookmaker will offer their stake back as a free bet.

Event-Based Free Bets

Most bookmakers provide free bets to existing customers around major betting events. These offers might include a free bet builder for a big football match or a free bet to use during a major horse racing event. For instance, during Cheltenham, many bookmakers reward their customers with free bets for the day’s races. These promotions add extra excitement to high-profile events and offer great value to regular bettors.

Money Back Bets

A popular promotion in horse racing, offered by some bookmakers, is the chance to get your money back in free bets if the horse you backed to win finishes in second or third place. This promotion is typically only available for select races, usually high-profile events, adding extra excitement to these occasions. It’s a great way to encourage participation while giving bettors a second chance to benefit from their wager, even if their pick doesn’t win outright.

Best Betting Offers Available to You

Looking for the best Bet X Get X offers? These deals let you get more for your money with just a small bet. Check out the top offers below:

• Bet £5 Get £20
• Bet £5 Get £30
• Bet £10 Get £10
• Bet £10 Get £20
• Bet £10 Get £30
• Bet £10 Get £40
• Bet £10 Get £50
• Bet £10 Get £60

How to Best Use Free Bets

Follow this comprehensive expert guide to learn how to make the most of your free bets. Whether you're new to betting or an experienced punter, this guide will show you the best strategies and tips to boost your overall betting experience.

1. Understand the Terms and Conditions: Before signing up, make sure you know the terms and conditions of the offer. This includes the minimum deposit requirements and whether the offer requires a bonus code.
2. Make a High Odds Initial Bet: In most cases, your original bet doesn’t need to win for you to claim your free bets. This allows you to take a chance on a high-odds bet with the potential for more significant returns, knowing that even if your bet loses, you’ll still receive the free bets. It’s an excellent opportunity to explore riskier options.
3. Use Your Free Bets Strategically: When using your free bets, it's important to choose them wisely. Since the stake from free bets won’t be included in your winnings, it’s not ideal to place low-odds bets to convert them into cash. It may be best to try and place bets on odds of at least 1/1 in order to maximise your potential winnings.
4. Seek Advice From Expert Tipsters: Finding help from expert tipsters can help you boost your winnings. You can find these tipsters right here at BettingOdds!
5. Gamble Responsibly: It is vital to make sure you are always in control of your gambling habits. Never bet with money you can not afford to lose, and avail yourself of the many gambling control tools available at bookmakers to ensure you are always in control.

Best Casino Offers

If sports isn't your preferred way of betting, many bookmakers also offer a casino welcome offer that you can avail of instead. Casino free bets typically consist of free spins on slot games but can vary by the bookmaker. Take a look at the best online UK casinos to see the best casino free bet offers.

Free Bet Terms and Conditions

Take care not to get instantly carried away with free bet offers, as all promotions come with terms and conditions you must understand to ensure you take full advantage. These can include: 

• Minimum Bet – Most offers require an initial stake to activate the free bet bonus
• Time Limits – Ensure you check the expiry date on free bet offers so you don’t run out of time to use them 
• Win Limits – Most bookies attach winning caps to their free bet offers. As a result, you won’t be able to win over a certain amount from the bonus stake. 
• Minimum Odds Requirement – Examine the minimum odds requirement for qualifying bets before placing a bet. These are often between 1/1 and 1/2. 
• Market Restrictions – Many free bet offers are restricted to certain betting markets like singles. 
• Payment Exclusions – You’ll often find that e-wallets and many other payment methods other than debit cards are excluded from first deposit free bet welcome bonuses. 

Responsible Gambling Tips

While free bet offers are brilliant ways to enhance your sports betting enjoyment, they can also lead to negative consequences if you get carried away. Check below for some vital tips to enjoy free bet offers responsibly: 

• Withdraw any free bet winnings so you’re not tempted to spend them straight away. 
• Only bet on markets you're familiar with. If you want to explore a new area, ensure you do heavy research first. 
• Never chase your losses. 
• Consider visiting responsible gambling organisation websites like GambleAware.org and GamCare. 

Free Bets & Betting Offers FAQs