Free Bets Canada
Canadian fans of premium sports betting and online casino gaming rejoice! Online casinos and sportsbooks around Canada have prepared a number of exciting bonus offers and promotions to attract new customers and help them maximize the odds of winning and get the best value for money. Read More
Sports Betting Sites Offering Free Bets
Betting sites across Canada and the world are doing business in an incredibly competitive market, making it quite challenging to attract new customers and retain the old ones. This is where free bets and other promotions come into play.
Why Do Sport Betting Sites Offer Free Bets?
Free bets and other series of welcome bonuses are directed toward new players who get a certain amount of money from the online betting site to use on selected sports and markets. This way, customers do not have to stake their own money when placing a bet while still withdrawing the potential winnings under specific conditions.
However, there are various types of free bets, and the majority of these bonus promotions will require players to make a deposit and place a bet with their own cash before the betting sites release the bonus bets. Stay tuned as we will give you a detailed overview of the types of free bets soon enough. In the meantime, we will present the idea behind free bets.
The logic behind this kind of promotion is straightforward. When you just type something like free bets Canada in your browser, you will see several betting sites and online casinos that would love to have you in their midst.
However, they all need a leverage point, and players know that. That leverage comes in the form of free bets and other promotions that will hopefully entice you to register an account in that particular Canadian sports betting site and stick around long enough to give the site an opportunity to prove its worth.
Even though online sportsbooks are focused on attracting new customers, that does not mean existing players are neglected. Once you have chosen to claim the first deposit free bet offer or any other welcome bonus, you want to know if the betting site is going to do anything to make you keep betting on their website.
To keep you occupied, the Canadian sport betting sites also offer free bets and all kinds of other betting bonuses rewarded for subsequent deposits you make, so that the existing players know their money and time are appreciated.
Types of Free Bets in Canadian Sports Betting Sites
Free bets come in many shapes and sizes, so it is essential that you know what kinds of free bets you can expect to get.
Matched Free Bets
Matched free bets are one of the most common forms of free bets you can find in Canadian betting sites at the moment. This type of free bet is very simple to understand. Once you have opened your account and funded it with the specified amount, your next move is placing a wager. Opting for the matched free bet bonus means that the bookie will match your initial stake to a specified amount.
Usually, the bookmakers offer 100% matched free bets, which means you will be seeing a new stake that is double the original one. For example, if your first bet is valued at C$10, the bookmaker will give an extra C$10, which means your total stake will be C$20.
Another frequently seen form of matched free bets is where the free bets are not paid in a lump sum for a single bet but in several individual bets. For example, bookmakers might offer a 100% matched free bet up to C$100 that will be divided into five different bets valued at C$20 each.
No Deposit Free Bets
The no deposit bonuses are considered to be the holy grail of all betting site bonuses as they are deemed to be the most generous towards players. Namely, a bookmaker will give players a certain amount of free bets without requesting the players to make a deposit or a bet before receiving the no deposit free bet. Such offers are not so frequently seen, which makes them even more valuable.
However, you shouldn’t think they are without criteria that need to be met before you can actually cash out the winnings generated from the no deposit free bets. We will deal with the terms and conditions of free bets soon enough, but what you need to know about no deposit free bets is that you still have to register an account before claiming the no deposit free bets offer. It is most likely that the no deposit free bet stake won’t be included in the payout.
Risk-Free Bet
Risk-free bets also belong to the group of much-coveted free-bet offers. The risk-free bet is a great welcome and reload-type bonus as the players can have their stake protected no matter the outcome of the bet. For example, a bookie will offer you a C$10 risk-free bet on an NBA game, If you happen to lose the bet, your C$10 will be reimbursed in the form of a free bet or bonus cash. In some cases, you might even get it back as real cash. In any case, your stake will be safe.
Qualifying Free Bets
Qualifying free bets bonus offers are also quite frequent in online betting sites across Canada. Namely, players need to follow a series of instructions and make particular bets with specific odds on selected matches in order to meet the wagering requirements and unlock the bonus free bets. These bets are not substantial in size but will be attached to exciting events with possibly high payouts that can help you cash out your winnings more quickly.
Enhanced Winnings
Sometimes, new players will be given unusually high odds for a particular event. Let’s say that the standard offer is +300, and if you register an account, you will be awarded +3,000 on that event. If the bet wins, you will be given +300 winnings in cash, while the remaining sum will be provided in free bets.
First Deposit Bonus Free Bets
The first deposit bonus is the most common form of bonus for both online casinos and bookmakers. Before players are given free bets, they will be required to make a qualifying deposit via selected payment methods. Once the deposit is cleared, players receive 100% deposit match offers or any other deposit percentage as free bets.
There will be a limit to how much new customers will get as a deposit match offer, and it rarely goes over C$300. Naturally, there will be some requirements and conditions to meet, such as wagering requirements, before the players can cash out the winnings that come by way of 1st deposit bet credits.
Online Casino Sites Offering Free Bets
It is not only online sportsbooks that use free bets as bonus offers. Online casino sites are not far behind in the use of different deposit and no deposit free bets promotions directed at new players who register their accounts for the first time and make their initial deposits if required.
The competition among online casinos is as fierce as the one between online betting sites. There are thousands of online casinos available to Canadians, and each is looking for a way to make its name stand out in the crowd, and free bets and other bonuses are the go-to tactics for most.
Free bets and online casinos are a perfect match given that most of these free bets come in the form of either free spins on selected slot games or free bonus cash, which players can wager on slots and table casino games.
There is a lot to decipher when these online casino free bets are concerned. You need to know that free bets for slot games are called free spins, while the free bets for other casino games are called casino bonus cash.
Sometimes, online casino sites will combine both free spins and bonus cash to attract new customers, and these welcome bonus packages are highly sought after.
Despite the fact that free bets in online casinos are mostly reserved for newly-registered players, existing players can use them. Namely, there is a series of bonuses where players get rewarded with free bets for their subsequent deposits or when they reach a particular level in the loyalty bonus scheme.
Let’s see the types of free bets you can find in Canada’s online casinos.
Types of Free Bets in Canada’s Online Casinos
As we said, free bets in Canadian online casinos come in many forms. You can use them as free spins on selected slot games or as free bonus cash to bet on your choice games. The free bets come either in the form of deposit match bonuses or as no deposit bonuses.
Bonus Cash
Like Canadian sports betting platforms, online casinos offer deposit and no deposit bonuses. The deposit bonus is where players usually receive a 100% deposit match bonus cash up to a certain amount for their initial deposit. The deposit match bonuses can give up to C$1,500 in bonus cash, but the more likely amount is somewhere around C$150.
Bonus cash can be used on slot games and table games, and each bet has a specific limit and value. Also, there are particular wagering requirements you need to be aware of and other terms and conditions of use, which ultimately help you determine if the bonus is worth taking or not. For example, there is almost always a minimum deposit limit required to activate the bonus.
On the other hand, the bonus cash might also appear as a no deposit bonus. This means that players won’t need to make a qualifying deposit in order to claim the bonus cash. With no deposit bonus funds, the amount you get is usually quite limited and rarely goes over C$20. You can use the bonus funds to place free bets on either slots or table games but never live casino games.
No deposit casino bonuses have more restrictive terms and conditions of use. You will find limits on how much you can win from the no deposit bonus cash, as well as the validity period of the bonus and many others we will be presenting shortly.
Either way, no deposit bonuses are a great way of using free bets from the casino without having to stake your own money first.
Free Spins Bonus
The free spins bonus offers are quite ubiquitous when it comes to online casino free bets bonuses. Namely, an online casino might issue a number of free spins on a selected game to all new customers who register an account and make the 1st deposit. These are called the deposit bonus free spins and are a great way of testing the slot game and winning something out of it.
The number of free spins varies depending on the casino, but you will usually get from 100 up to 200 free spins on a selected slot game. To activate the deposit free spins, you need to make at least the minimum required deposit, but the general rule is the more you deposit, the more free spins you will get.
On the other hand, no deposit free spins are also quite popular and beloved among players. The no deposit free spins are issued to all players who register their accounts for the first time without making a deposit. Usually, the number of these spins is more limited than what you get from the deposit bonus, but you can still count on around 20 free spins.
As is the case with bonus cash, free spins also involve specific requirements and terms of use, such as wagering requirements, maximum win caps, validity period, and many others.
Cashback Bonuses
Cashback bonuses are another popular casino bonus that players love to see, mainly because they have to do with losing bets. Namely, online casinos will give a portion of the losses you accumulate in a given period in the form of free bets/ bonus cash you can use on selected slot games mostly.
The cashback bonuses are perfect for both new and existing players as both groups of players can have access to this type of bonus. Usually, cashback bonuses are around 10% of your total losses in a given period but can be more generous than that.
Reload Bonuses
Reload bonuses are another form of online casino bonus designed for existing players. Namely, an online casino with a reload bonus promotion in action will reward players for their regular deposits with a deposit match offer up to a certain amount.
Reload bonuses are usually tied to deposits made on particular days or periods. They appear in the form of free spins and bonus cash, depending on the casino. Reload bonuses can even offer as much as 100% of the deposit in bonus funds, making them one of the more lucrative online casino bonuses.
How Do Free Bets Work?
People who say that free bets sound too good to be true might be right to a certain degree, but not entirely. The main difference between a regular bet and a free bet is that you don’t need to pay for the stake with free bets. Rather, it is given to you by the bookies as a reward for choosing to join them and registering an account. Of course, there are different ways in which you get free bets.
Some bookies require you to make a qualifying deposit first before granting you some free bets, while others might give free bets as a part of a no deposit bonus. You need to know that with all free bets, there are certain conditions to be met before you can take full advantage of them.
Once you meet these initial requirements, such as a qualifying deposit or simple account registration, the free bets will get automatically credited to your playing account, and you will be ready to place your wagers.
Free Bets Terms and Conditions
As we have pointed out, free bets come with some heavy restrictions that you need to bear in mind at all times. Below is an overview of all restrictions that apply to free-bet offers from bookmakers and online casinos.
Wagering Requirements
What good is a free bet bonus if you can’t generate real-money wins out of it, right? To be able to withdraw the winnings from the free bets, you must first meet what is called the wagering or playthrough requirement. The wagering requirements tell you how many times you have to wager the amount of the free bet before you can make a withdrawal.
The wagering requirements can range from 1x to 60x, depending on the bookmaker or online casino.
Minimum Odds and Stake Requirements
Thanks to the minimum odds requirements, bookmakers protect themselves from players who want to abuse the wagering requirement and find some loopholes there. Namely, to meet the wagering requirements, players will have to place a number of bets with the specified odds.
For example, most bookmakers will require players to place wagers on fixtures with minimum odds of 1.50 to meet the playthrough requirements. Only these bets and the ones with even higher odds will count towards meeting the requirements.
Also, not only winnings can have the minimum odds requirements. Qualifying bets that you need to place before the free bets bonus is issued to you also have minimum odds requirements. More often than not, these qualifying bets need to be placed on fixtures with even odds (2.0) or higher.
In addition, there might be a minimum stake requirement, as well. As its name suggests, the minimum stake requirement tells about the qualifying bet’s minimum value before the players can claim the free bets offer.
The Value of Free Bets and Possible Winnings
Even when credited, free bets will have a specific maximum value. That value can range anywhere from C$5 to C$250 or more, depending on the casino. Also, not only the value of free bets will be limited. The number of possible winnings will also be limited as bookies can’t afford to have players winning left and right and cashing out since that would leave them high and dry. The maximum win cap depends on the sportsbook and is usually around C$200.
It is also critical to note that most, if not all of these free bets bonuses, are stake-not-returned bonuses, which means the payouts do not include the free bet stake.
The Expiration Date
Almost all free bet bonus offers, from Sports Interaction to all other bookies, have an expiration date, or a validity period. That period can be anywhere from 24 hours to 7 days or even 30 days. During this period, you must use all the free bets and meet the wagering requirements. Otherwise, the free bets and the winnings generated from them will be annulled.
Payment Processor Restrictions
Players also need to be aware of restrictions regarding the payment methods used for deposit-free bets. Namely, some bookies do not count deposits made with Skrill or Neteller towards activating the deposit-free bet offer, which somewhat limits the players and directs them towards using other payment methods.
Other Ways to Get Free Bets
As we mentioned earlier, welcome bonuses are not the only forms of online sportsbooks and casino bonuses that can offer free bets. Some bookies offer free bets as part of reload bonuses that reward players for their recurring deposits. Others might offer free bets as part of loyalty schemes and programs. Players who make real-money bets can accumulate loyalty points and move up the ranks towards hefty free-bet bonuses.
Besides, free bets are becoming frequently used as rewards for special daily and weekly promotions. For example, placing a Pre Play or Builder Bet, or even some of the unique bets in In-Play Soccer markets might activate a free-bet promotion where players will get some free-bet cash in another market.
Free Bets – The Final Word
The best betting sites we present here are not only the best for having a vast gaming offer, fast and reliable payment methods, and licensed software, but also because they have enticing free-bet bonus offers.
With free bets, new customers can have their stakes doubled or simply receive the free bets without either depositing their real cash or wager it. Even the existing customers can take advantage of this type of bonus through loyalty schemes, cashback, and reload promotions, making them accessible for all kinds of players.
Free bets are present in most bookmakers and online casinos in Canada as they are incredibly easy to use and allow the players not to risk their own money when pursuing huge wins.
Free Bets FAQs
What is a free bet?
A free bet is a type of bonus where newly-registered players receive a specific amount of cash to wager on their favourite sporting events and fixtures as a reward for registering an account with that betting site.
Can I win real money from free bets?
Absolutely. Once you meet the wagering requirements, you can cash out the winnings generated from the free bets.
Are free-bet bonuses time limited?
This type of bonus offer is almost always time-limited and has an expiration date of around 7-30 days.
Are all payment methods eligible for free bets?
Not necessarily. Some bookies state that deposits made via Skrill or Neteller are not eligible for bonus offers.
