Sports betting bonuses are a significant part of the online betting experience for Indian players. These promotions improve the betting experience by providing additional funds to bet with. Nearly all sportsbooks offer some form of betting bonus to their players, so it’s important to find the promotion that suits your betting strategy.
A betting bonus is a promotion offered by sportsbooks that allows you to place real money wagers on sporting events without risking your bankroll. There are a variety of different betting bonuses available; some, such as welcome bonuses and no deposit bonuses, can only be claimed by new players, while others, such as reload bonuses and loyalty programs, are exclusive to existing players.
How Sports Betting Promotions Work
Betting bonuses attract new players to a sportsbook by giving them great value for money on their first deposits. Welcome bonuses, matched bonuses, and free bet bonuses are all common examples of promotions used to bring in new players.
They’re also used to reward existing players for their loyalty. VIP programs, reload bonuses, and odds boost tokens are just some of the ways that sportsbooks provide value to their loyal customers.
Types of Sportsbook Bonuses and Promotions
Sportsbook bonuses can come in a variety of different formats based on what the betting site is trying to achieve. Each of these variants is claimed in a unique way and offers distinct rewards.
To help you understand the differences between these bonuses, we’ve explored the most popular options below:
Welcome Bonus
A welcome bonus is a type of promotion that’s exclusively available to new players as a way of attracting them to the site. They’re often the most generous bonuses offered by the sportsbook, making them a particularly attractive promotion.
Welcome packages usually offer players a large deposit bonus coupled with other rewards such as free bets or odds boost tokens. Some sites will offer multiple deposit bonuses in their welcome offers, providing players with value across their first 2-4 deposits.
Bookmakers Welcome Bonuses You Can Explore Today
To give you an idea of the types of welcome bonuses on offer, we’ve highlighted the packages provided by the most popular sportsbooks available to Indian players:
Sportsbook
Welcome Bonuses
Wagering Requirements
Minimum Deposit
Promo Code
Parimatch
150% up to ₹20,000
16x
₹200
N/A
BetWinner
100% up to ₹8,000
5x
₹80
N/A
Melbet
150% up to ₹40,000
10x
₹75
N/A
BC.Game
120% up to $500 (₹42,000)
10x
$10 (₹840)
N/A
1xBet
120% up to ₹33,000
10x
₹200
N/A
Deposit Match Offer
This promotion matches a percentage of your deposit in bonus funds, meaning that the more you deposit, the bigger your bonus is. For example, a sportsbook is offering a 200% matched deposit bonus of up to ₹40,000. If you make a ₹2,000 deposit, you’ll receive an extra ₹4,000, giving you ₹6,000 to play with, but if you deposit ₹15,000, you’ll receive an extra ₹30,000, giving you ₹45,000 to bet with.
No-Deposit Bonus
No deposit bonuses, as the name implies, offer rewards such as free bets and bonus funds without the need for a real money deposit. These promotions are usually offered to new players when they create and verify their accounts. They offer a great way to try out a new sportsbook in a low-risk environment, as you do not need to use any of your bankrolls to start playing.
While these bonuses allow you to play without making a deposit, the value of these rewards are typically lower than those offered by deposit bonuses.
Free Bet
Rather than giving you bonus funds that you can use however you please, this promotion offers you a fixed bet size that cannot be changed. For example, you deposit and receive a ₹10,000 free bet. When using your rewards, you must place a ₹10,000 bet; you cannot split it into two ₹5,000 bets.
Cashback
Instead of offering free bets or bonus funds for you to use, this promotion offers money back on losing bets. Also known as the risk-free bet, the second chance bet offers you a second chance if your original bet loses by refunding your stake as a free bet.
Cashback bets are a popular promotion among Indian players as if you win your original bet, you don’t need to clear any wagering requirements to access your winnings.
Early Payout Offer
This promotion will payout qualifying bets before the match ends as long as certain conditions are met, allowing you to receive your winnings early. For example, a bookmaker may have an early payout football promotion where your match result bet will payout if your team goes 2 goals up at any point in the match.
These promotions help provide additional value to your bets; by receiving an early payout, you’re protected in the event that the team you backed goes on to lose the match.
Referral Bonus
These promotions provide you with an incentive to recruit another player to the site. By getting a friend to sign up with your unique referral link/code, both you and your friend will receive rewards such as free bets or bonus funds
To qualify for a referral bonus, your friend must be a new customer and meet certain deposit and wagering requirements. Once all the requirements have been filled, both of your accounts will be credited with your rewards.
Reload Bonus
Reload bonuses are given to existing players as motivation to re-deposit. They offer rewards such as risk-free bets, bonus funds, and free bets when you make a qualifying real money deposit. They’re perfect for players who want to get some extra value when they top-up their account.
Profit and Odds Boost Tokens
Some bookmakers give you the chance to increase the potential return of your bet via odds boost tokens. When you go to place your bet, you can activate one of these tokens to increase your odds, giving you a greater rate of return if your bet wins.
For example, you want to bet ₹10,000 on a three-fold accumulator with odds of 2.50. You apply your odds boost token, which increases your odds to 3.50. This means that if your bet wins, your profits will increase from ₹1,500 to ₹2,500.
Loyalty and VIP Programs
Loyalty programs reward you for your continued play, offering rewards such as exclusive bonuses, free bets, or even cash prizes. You earn points by placing real money bets on the site; the more bets you place, the more points you earn.
As you accumulate points, you’ll rise through the ranks of the program and unlock bigger and better rewards. Some of the best loyalty programs reward their top players with VIP account managers, cashback rewards, and invites to special events.
Understanding Sports Betting Bonuses Terms and Conditions
It’s an unavoidable fact that sports betting bonuses come with terms and conditions that you must follow while claiming and using your rewards. While most players skip over them, they contain important information that helps you avoid potential issues further down the line and helps you determine the true value of your bonus.
So, the next time you claim a sports betting bonus, check for these T&Cs.
Wagering requirements
This condition outlines how much you need to use your bonus winnings before you can withdraw them. These requirements are often the largest obstacle a player faces when trying to cash out their winnings.
For example, you claim a ₹5,000 sports bet bonus has 5x wagering requirements. This means that you’ll need to wager ₹25,000 at the sportsbook to convert your bonus funds to real money.
The lower the wagering requirements are, the better your chances of converting your bonus to real money.
Minimum odds
When using your sports bonus, many betting sites require you to place wagers that meet the minimum odds requirements. Depending on the bonus, the minimum odds can vary between 1.50 and 2.00. The larger this requirement is, the riskier your bet becomes, increasing the likelihood that it loses.
This condition impacts players who like to use low-risk betting strategies. For example, you find a bet with odds of 1.25 that you think will win 90% of the time. Due to the minimum odds requirement, you are unable to use your free bet to take advantage of this opportunity.
Maximum withdrawal
To prevent players from winning too much from their sports bonuses, it’s common for promotions to have a maximum withdrawal limit. Any winnings above this cap will be removed from your account at the point of real money conversion.
This condition severely impacts players who enjoy long-shot parlays, as most of their winnings cannot be withdrawn. Aside from looking for bonuses with no win cap, we recommend reducing the potential payout of your bet to ensure you don’t exceed this limit.
Expiration date
Once you claim your bonus, you will trigger the expiration date. You must fully use your bonus and clear the wagering requirements of any winnings before this expiration date passes. While the average validity period is around 30 days, some can be as short as 7 days, so make sure you’re prepared to use your bonus once you claim it.
Shorter validity periods impact your ability to enjoy the bonus and can force you into making bets you’re not confident in, just so you don’t lose your rewards. Promotions such as deposit bonuses and free bets typically have longer expiration dates compared to no-deposit bonuses and second-chance bets.
How to Claim Sportsbook Bonuses and Promos
Getting started at online betting sites with bonuses is simple; in fact, our experts found that it often takes less than five minutes to get your account set up and receive your rewards.
Pick one of our recommended sportsbook promotions.
Read through the terms and conditions of the offer.
Create your account by entering your personal info in the space provided.
Enter any bonus codes required to claim your rewards.
Verify your sportsbook account.
Opt-in to the promotion.
Those of you claiming deposit bonuses will need to complete these extra steps:
Go to the Cashier section of your sportsbook.
Choose one of the approved payment methods from the list of options.
Input your deposit amount and any required promo codes.
Enter your payment details and approve the transaction.
After receiving your deposit, the sportsbook will release your rewards to your account.
How to Choose the Best Sports Betting Bonus Offers
Choosing the best sports betting bonus offers can significantly enhance your betting experience, giving you more value for your money. Let’s dive into how to make the most of these promotions!
Minimum Deposit Requirements – Large deposit requirements act as a barrier to entry for casual players who want to enjoy sports betting without a large financial risk. When choosing a bonus, be mindful of your budget and don’t exceed it just to claim a bonus.
Maximum Win – The maximum win limit has a tangible impact on the value of your bonus. Restrictive bonuses will have small win limits that don’t allow your winnings to exceed your deposit amount; e.g., if you deposit ₹5,000, your maximum win is ₹5,000. We recommend looking for bonuses with reasonable win limits.
Available Markets – Some promotions are limited to specific sports or markets as part of a special offer, such as football betting bonuses or cricket betting bonuses, restricting your potential options. Always check the scope of your bonus to ensure you can place the bets you want before claiming it.
Claim Your Bonuses and Enjoy Your Win
Sportsbook bonuses enhance the betting experience for Indian players by providing additional funds to play with. Promotions such as matched deposits and free bets extend your bankroll, giving you more opportunities to win. Other offers, such as odds boost increase your potential returns, providing you with a greater range of profitable bets.
Our experts have found a number of top sports betting bonuses available to Indian players, so make sure you check them out and enjoy your rewards.
Betting Bonuses FAQs
Welcome bonuses, free bet bonuses, and deposit match bonuses.
Yes, however, some are limited to certain events or bet types.
An online betting site offering bonuses for new customers rarely allows players to have more than one active bonus at a time. If you try to activate a second promotion, you will forfeit your original bonus.
You can do so if you have met the wagering requirements.
On average, these minimum odds range from 1.50 to 2.0.
Look at the minimum deposit requirements, the maximum win limits, and the available markets.
Almost all sports betting bonuses require you to make a deposit to receive your rewards; however, no deposit bonuses can be claimed with no real money deposit required.