How Do Bonus Bets Work? Sportsbook Bonuses Explained

• Bonuses are an easy way to increase your bankroll, but they come with conditions
• Sportsbooks typically require you to wager a certain amount before bonuses can be withdrawn – this is called a rollover
• Understand betting playthrough requirements with this guide

It’s easy to understand that sportsbook bonuses are a great way to bolster your bankroll.  Figuring out exactly what terms and conditions you have to fulfill before you’re able to withdraw these bonus bets is not as simple.

Every bonus offered by an online sportsbook, regardless of whether it’s an initial deposit bonus, a bonus bet, or otherwise, comes with a set of wagering requirements.

Understanding detailed terms of bonuses such as playthrough requirements and time limits can be complex, and sportsbooks often use complex jargon to obscure the complexities of redeeming these bonuses.

That’s where we come in. To have all the nuances of your sports betting bonus explained in simple, plain English, read on!

Find the best sign-up bonuses offered this season by checking our list of the best betting bonuses. Every site on the list has its best deposit bonus offer listed.

What is Rollover in Betting?

Firstly, “rollover” can also be referred to as “playthrough.” The two terms are interchangeable.

An example might help in understanding just what these mean.  Let’s say that you deposit $250 to a sportsbook that is offering a 50% bonus with a 5x rollover. This means that you’ll have $375 to bet with, but can’t withdraw the bonus money until you’ve placed $1,875 ((250+125)x5) in bets.

The following table illustrates how much you will have to wager in order to clear common rollover/playthrough requirements and obtain your bonus money, assuming a $100 initial deposit:

Sportsbooks calculate rollover and the bets that go towards clearing it differently, so be sure to read the terms and conditions carefully.

Sportsbooks May Place Odds Restrictions and Time Limits on Rollover

Some sportsbooks credit you your risk amount for losing bets, and the lesser of the risk or win amount for winning bets. This means that if you bet $10 on the Patriots at -110, you earn $10 towards your rollover requirement if they lose, but only $9.09 if they win.

Most books have rules against betting strong favorites to clear the rollover, so don’t be surprised if you have to bet at higher than even money to earn credit towards your rollover. If you have to bet at better than 2/1, it’s probably not a good deal.

Another thing to look out for is a time limit on the rollover. Rushing your bets to clear an arbitrary threshold is a sure way to place poor bets and lose money. Before you take a bonus with a time limit, calculate how much you need to bet per week to clear that requirement, and figure out if this makes sense for the way you want to bet.

Additional Requirements on Your Sportsbook Bonus

Besides rollover requirements, sportsbooks have a variety of other terms associated with sign-up bonuses that you need to be aware of in order to clear your bonus for withdrawal.

They vary from sportsbook to sportsbook, so it’s worth reading the fine print before jumping on one and trying to cash out before you’ve met all of them.

But to keep things simple, here’s an example of the terms and conditions (T&Cs) from a recent DraftKings welcome offer. This sign-up bonus gave new users $200 in bonus bets for simply making a $5 initial bet. Reminder, this isn’t necessarily the current DraftKings offer, but an example.

While these aren’t universal requirements, they can give you an idea of what to expect throughout the industry.

• Minimum odds requirement of -500, meaning your $5 bet must be made on a market that has odds of -500 or longer. A bet of -450, -110, +100, etc., would qualify, while -501, -750, -1000, etc., would not.
• Bonus bets expire seven (7) days after issuance. This is a use it or lose it situation.
• You can withdraw bonus bets.
• Bonus bet amount will not be included with winnings of successful wagers. If you use a $25 bonus bet to wager on something with +100 odds, you will receive the $25 in profit, but not the $25 you wagered.
• Bonus bets cannot be used with any other promotions, such as profit boosts, bet resets, etc.

Best Sports Betting Bonus Codes

Below is a list of resource pages that feature all the best sports betting promos for signing up today! From deposit matches to bonus bets, you can be sure your initial deposit goes the extra mile with these bonus codes.

• DraftKings promo code
• FanDuel Sportsbook promo code
• BetMGM promo code
• theScore Bet promo code
• Fanatics Sportsbook promo code
• Caesars Sportsbook promo code

Apply Your Knowledge and Start Betting Today!

Now that you know exactly how sports betting bonuses work, you know the next logical step: start betting!

No matter whether you’re after a sign-up bonus or an ongoing bonus, these sports betting promos can point you in the right direction that helps you decide on the optimal betting bonus.

Anything else you want to know about sports betting bonuses that we haven’t covered? Email us and we’ll make sure to cover it in an upcoming article.