Online sportsbook real money free bonus are very popular promotions offered by legal US sportsbooks to encourage new customers to sign up and deposit funds. They are also commonly known as free bets, risk-free wagers or second chance bonus bets and come in a variety of forms.
The most common form of the online sportsbook real money free bonus is a bet an amount, get an amount type offer where a sportsbook matches your first real-money wager with a free bet of equal value up to a predetermined limit. Some sportsbooks match your first bet dollar for dollar with a free bet but others will use the total amount of real-money wagers placed by the player as their basis for free bet allocation.
Another way to offer a sportsbook real money free bonus is to give players money back on losing wagers throughout the week or for specific events. These are often called money-back free bets and can be claimed via a sportsbook’s website or mobile betting apps. Some sportsbooks even have VIP schemes where they reward loyal players with ongoing free bets and other bonuses.
To claim a sportsbook real money free bonus you need to register at an online or mobile sportsbook and provide some key personal details. This includes full name, date of birth and home address. You may also be required to verify your identity by providing a government issued photo ID or some part of your social security number. The sportsbook will then verify that you are 21 or older and located within the state in which it is licensed.
Once you have successfully registered at an online or mobile sportsbook and provided all the correct details, you can start placing wagers with the bonus funds in your account. The bonus funds are usually subject to a playthrough requirement and must be wagered at least once over before you can withdraw the funds from your account. This is a necessary measure to prevent sportsbooks from giving away free money to unqualified customers.
The amount of playthrough required at an online sportsbook varies between US sportsbooks, but most are set at a level that is realistic to be successful and not overly burdensome for the customer. The most competitive US sportsbooks typically have a playthrough of 1-50x, while the smaller brands have higher requirements and less generous terms.
Many sportsbooks will also have other types of offers to keep existing players happy, such as odds boosts on certain games or unique promos around major sporting events like March Madness or the Super Bowl. These can be a great way to help recoup losses or build up your bankroll, and are a good reason to check out the sportsbook’s full bonus offer terms before you make any deposits.