What Are Sports Betting Bonuses?

Updated: September 27, 2026

Almost every online sportsbook offers some form of bonus to players when they sign up for a new account. Sportsbooks know that players are looking for bonus opportunities. After all, who doesn't like free money?

For many players, deposit bonuses are what get them in the door when it comes to choosing a sportsbook. The overall odds, payout speeds, and other factors may be secondary to the amount of money they can get for just depositing.

While sports betting bonuses are an excellent way to boost your bankroll, especially for novice bettors, choosing a bonus is not as simple as depositing and collecting money. There is a certain amount of due diligence that bettors need to follow to make sure they are getting a fair shake when accepting a bonus offer.

In this article, we will go over the types of bonuses available to players that are most prominent in the US market, along with rollover rates and the best ways to clear sportsbook bonuses. We will also touch on VIP or rewards programs that are available at some sportsbooks.

Free Play vs. Cash Bonus

The most common bonuses offered by sportsbooks are "free play" bonuses. Players can receive a portion of their deposit in the form of free play, which sometimes comes with a rollover requirement. This can be a great way to get started.

Free play is very different from cash bonuses. When users wager from their free play balance, the amount is deducted from the balance regardless of the outcome of the wager. For example, if a player has a $300 free play balance and makes a $100 free play bet, that balance will be reduced to $200 regardless of whether the bet wins or loses. Free Play wagers do not return a player's wager with the player's winnings, but are added to the player's cash balance only if the wager is a winner.

Cash bonuses return both the deposit and the winnings if the bet is a winner. Cash bonuses are still the preferred choice when it comes to bonus options, but they aren't often offered in the US market, especially on first deposit or initial bonuses. These bonuses can still be found with some research.

Rollover Requirements

Receiving a bonus is not as simple as depositing money and receiving a refund. Players agree to a wagering requirement when they accept a bonus offer and must meet that requirement before they can withdraw their bonus.

Each bonus comes with a rollover, which on most sites means the number of times the bonus and first deposit must be wagered before the bonus can be withdrawn. For example, if a player deposits $2,000 and receives a 25% free play bonus, the player would have a free play balance of $500.

If a site required a 4x rollover, the player would have to wager $10,000 ($2,500 x 4) before being able to withdraw their $500 bonus. While this may sound unreasonable, consider that without a rollover, players could simply deposit and receive the bonus money without risking anything.

Rollovers protect sites from bettors who do this. However, it is also a double-edged sword. Rollover rates vary from sportsbook to sportsbook, and many bettors end up agreeing to absurd rollover rates without reading the fine print before signing up.

Rogue sportsbooks and those that are simply poorly rated often have absurd rollover rates that make it nearly impossible to clear the deposit bonuses offered without bankrupting your account. Rollovers between 3x and 6x are the most common at legitimate sportsbooks and are extremely fair as far as rollover rates go.

However, higher rollover rates make it much more difficult to clear bonuses. Those that are in the 10-12x range or higher make it basically impossible to clear without significant losses. Sites offering rollovers in this range are also generally not trustworthy.

Clearing Bonuses

Players can simply wager the required amount to clear their bonus, but there are several ways to maximize their EV when clearing deposit and reload bonuses, rather than just wagering on their favorite selections.

The first is betting parlays. Since free plays do not work the same way as money coming out of your cash balance or bonus, parlays allow players to bet the same amount multiple times. Unlike straight bets, parlays allow you to bet the same amount multiple times on different selections.

It is rare that players would bet parlays over two teams, but in terms of clearing bonuses, this is an optimal strategy. Betting 3-team parlays is an excellent way to maximize your chances of winning a freeroll and is one of the better ways to clear a rollover.

Another strategy that locks in a profit is the use of arbitrage or sure betting. Arbitrage involves locking in a profit by taking advantage of differences in betting lines between rival bookmakers. We cover this in much more detail in another article on hedging your bets, but the concept is easy to understand when clearing bonuses.

By watching the betting market, bettors can take advantage of line moves and bet their free play money on a market move, but lock in a price at another sportsbook that gives them the opportunity to make a small profit.

Of course, this requires two or more accounts at different sportsbooks. This is something that is not allowed if you are using a single sportsbook. Some sites will react negatively to players who are arbing or chasing steam, so it is important that you do this with a reputable operator with a longstanding reputation.

VIP and Rewards Programs

Most sportsbooks serving the US market do not offer rewards programs. However, the most notable of the bunch is Bookmaker.eu and their sister sportsbook, BetDSI. Intertops.eu, another sportsbook that is a lesser player in the American markets, also offers a VIP program. US-based powerhouses like 5Dimes and Bovada do not offer any VIP or rewards programs for sports bettors.

Compared to online poker sites, where VIP rewards and things like rakeback can add significantly to a player's bottom line, most online sportsbooks' rewards programs are afterthoughts. Bookmakers and Intertops rewards programs can add up to several hundred dollars a month if a player is a big wagerer, but offering the best odds and most markets is far better than any bonus.

These sportsbooks are no slouches in this department, especially with their long tenure in the industry. Both Bookmaker and Intertops.eu offer cash bonuses for their points programs, and Bookmaker has a tiered loyalty program that rewards players who reach the higher levels. They also have a points shop where players can purchase luxury items along with other bonuses.

VIP programs can be something to consider when signing up at a sportsbook, but in most cases they should be secondary to odds, reputation, and payout options and speeds.