What is a free bet?
How bookmaker “free bets” and bet credits work — and why the small print matters.
Information only. Not financial, legal, or gambling advice. Rules and offers change; always read the operator's terms.
The simple version
A free bet (or “bet credit”) is a promotion: the bookmaker lets you place a wager using their money instead of (or in addition to) your own cash balance. You usually unlock it after signing up, depositing, or placing a qualifying bet.
It sounds like “free money”, but it is not cash sitting in your bank. It is a voucher with rules: minimum odds, eligible markets, expiry dates, and sometimes payment-method restrictions.
Stake returned vs not returned
This app distinguishes two common shapes of free-bet maths:
- Stake returned (FSR) — If your free bet wins, you sometimes get the stake back as cash or as another credit (depends on the brand). The payoff behaves more like a normal bet with a discount; calculators treat this differently from SNR.
- Stake not returned (SNR) — If the free bet wins, you typically receive only the profit. The nominal stake of the free bet disappears from the accounting, which changes lay-stake sizing on the exchange.
Why brands offer them
Acquisition. They want you to open an account, deposit, and get used to their product. The expected value to them comes from customers who go on to bet casually and lose over time — not from matched bettors who grind promos with discipline.
Reality check
Always read the operator’s terms. Headline numbers (“Bet £10 get £30”) hide detail: which sports count, whether the reward is truly SNR or FSR, and whether offers stack or exclude each other.