What is stake-returned (FSR)?
When a promotional bet behaves more like cash if it wins — and why calculators label it separately.
Information only. Not financial, legal, or gambling advice. Rules and offers change; always read the operator's terms.
The idea
Some offers credit rewards so that, if your free or promotional back wins, you receive stake-like value back — as cash, withdrawable balance, or a credit treated like cash for practical purposes. That is broadly what people mean by stake returned (FSR) in matched-betting shorthand.
Because the upside is larger than in the pure SNR case, optimal lay stakes are higher for the same prices: you are covering a bigger win case on the book side.
Branding vs mechanics
Operators rarely print “FSR” on the tin. Read settlement examples carefully: “returns include your stake” vs “returns exclude free-bet stake” matters. When in doubt, paper-trade the scenario in a spreadsheet before you place real money.