Sign-up betting bonuses are well-structured, i.e., there’s a list of steps that you have to fulfill to redeem an offer of this type. Before all else, we have to note that all users must be of legal age (per local state law) to join any sportsbook on our list.
Now, let’s imagine that you’re registering at BetMGM and that you want to know the mechanics of its welcome bonus:
- Registering: Open an account to access any real-money service (including the BetMGM welcome offer). You can do this by clicking the
“Sign Up” button, and providing your account and personal info (email, phone number, full name, date of birth, SSN, and more).
- Verification: Verify your account by sending the required government-issued documents.
- Bonus selection: Tick the mark on the bonus and confirm that you wish to use the “Up to $1,500 Refunded If First Bet Loses” bonus or opt for the same offer in the “Rewards” section.
- Depositing: Fund your account with the minimum amount ($10) or higher.
- Placing a qualifying bet: Place a wager on any sport and outcome while respecting the minimum odds (-200).
- Using the bonus: If your bet loses, you will receive the bonus sum that you can use on almost all markets and sports. Unlike with sportsbook promos, you’ll have 7 days to spend the incentive granted by BetMGM.

As you probably know, there are various sorts of sportsbook sign up bonuses. Since they don’t work the same way, we’ll show you the most common offers, along with the key details you should know to help you select the most suitable one.
| Bonus type |
Deposit required? |
Rollover |
Risk |
Ease of use |
Ideal bettor profile |
| Bet & Get |
Yes |
None or 1x the deposit amount |
Medium |
Simple to moderate |
Depends on the bonus amount |
| First Bet Insurance |
Yes |
Usually none |
Low |
Simple to moderate |
● Beginners
● Low rollers
● High rollers (only if the incentive is large) |
| Deposit Match Bonus |
Yes |
None or 1-3x the bonus amount |
Medium |
Moderate |
Decently experienced bettors |
| Profit Boost |
Yes |
Mostly none |
Medium-high |
Moderate |
● Slow-paced bettors
● Experienced bettors |
| No Deposit Bonus |
No |
None to several times the bonus sum |
Low |
Simple |
Beginners |
Bet & Get
As the name implies, customers need to place a bet to receive a bonus. The qualifying bet for these offers mostly implies a $5-$10 stake. Moreover, bettors have the freedom to choose the sports and the bet type. The last factors are the expiry date (≈ 7 days) and odds, which, for the qualifying wager, range from -100 to -500 or longer.
This is how it all looks in practice:
- You sign up, deposit $10, and bet on your favorite NCAA team to win.
- The bet settles, and you get another $10 to make any picks.
- You choose to predict the March Madness final using the bonus ($10).
A great example of a brand offering a Bet & Get bonus is bet365 (Bet $10 ($5 in IL) and Get $200 in Bonus Bets Win or Lose).
First Bet Insurance
The first-bet insurance bonus is about creating an account with an online sportsbook for the first time and placing an initial bet, with an incentive guaranteed regardless of the outcome.
So, you could either win or lose your bet, but you’ll still get the bonus.
The least you need to deposit and stake is around $10, and you’ll most likely be able to pick any sport and market for your initial wager. The wagering requirement is either zero or 1x the bonus sum, and the expiry date is not longer than 7 days. Speaking of the odds, they shouldn’t be lower than -100/-200.
Let’s look at an example:
- After registering, you decide to deposit $20 and use it on the Sox vs Tigers game.
- Your bet is successful, and you win $40, plus you receive another $20 as a bonus.
- Now, you have $60 in total to place a wager on whichever leagues/tournaments you desire.
BetMGM is an operator that features a nice first bet insurance bonus.
Deposit Match Bonus
You could guess from the name that this offer includes making a deposit after signing up. Once a customer does that, they receive a bonus of a different value (e.g., 50%, 75%, 100%, 150% match). Oftentimes, this incentive is only available for the first deposit.
When using the bonus, bettors must make picks with minimum odds of -100 to -500 within one week. Additionally, the playthrough requirement is from none to 10x the reward amount.
Now, imagine this:
- You open an account, deposit $50, and grab another $50.
- You place one NBA and one NHL bet, $25 each at odds of -100 and -200, respectively.
- Both of your wagers win (total payout: $87.50).
- The wagering requirement was 1x the bonus, so you now have $87.50 + $50 you deposited for betting.
The one deposit match bonus we liked very much is Fanatic’s Up to $1,000 in FanCash Matched Bets, which mirrors the amount of your mandatory qualifying bet.
Profit Boost
Whatever your payout may be, it can only grow bigger with this type of welcome bonus. To put it differently, you will be given the minimum odds (which are often low, e.g., -1000), with a wide selection of sports and markets to choose from.
Once you create a bet slip, the sportsbook you registered with will calculate your total payout, and if your bet wins, it will increase it by a certain percentage (e.g., 100%). Lastly, the operator will require you to use the bonus within one or two weeks, likely without a wagering requirement.
To exemplify:
- A profit boost offer is active on a bettor’s profile, so they place a $100 MLS bet at -1000 odds.
- The bet is, unfortunately, unsuccessful, so the customer gets no payout.
- Still, if they won, they’d receive $110, after which the book would boost it 100% and make it $220.
Caesars, from our list of best books, has a great profit boost bonus.
No Deposit Bonus
Once again, a self-explanatory bonus variant, implying that you don’t need to use your own funds to get a bonus. While this is true, no deposit offers typically have stricter rules, including higher minimum odds and wagering requirements for the sum you win.
It comes without a risk, but still demands action:
- A bettor sets up an account and chooses a no deposit bonus.
- They get $15 dollars to use on the NFL only.
- The turnover requirement is 3x, so the user must wager $45 in total to unlock any potential winnings from the bonus bets (if they lose the $15 along the way, they will not meet this criterion).
Currently, none of our best 8 sportsbooks has a no deposit bonus, which, of course, doesn’t mean they won’t feature one in the future. Make sure to stay with us, as we’ll promptly update you on this matter.