Best Betting Bonus Offers in the US

Find out all you need to know about betting bonuses. We explain the most popular bonus types, how to use them, and list legal US betting sites with the best offers.

Great betting bonuses give you money you can spend on a sportsbook that is not yours – but you get to keep the winnings! For many bettors, good bonuses can make or break a sportsbook.

 

Betting Bonuses in September 2023

Check out the best betting bonuses available in the US. Just choose your state from the list to see which sportsbooks are available to you.

The number of online betting offers out there can be overwhelming and so we have collated the best sportsbook bonuses available to US residents.

Betting sites offer welcome bonuses, which you receive when you sign up to a sportsbook, and regular bonuses which are available to registered bettors. The best online sportsbooks are good at offering attractive bonuses of both types.

We have pitted all the bonuses available against a series of criteria, including the highest amount, wagering requirements, and how user-friendly the sportsbook is. You can read more about that criteria further down the page.

 

Best Betting Offers by Category

There are many different types of sportsbook bonuses available for US bettors, all of which can be acquired in different ways. We have covered all the categories of betting site offers and picked out the best ones.

BetRivers have the best matched deposit bonus that gives you up to $250 in bonus funds with your first deposit on the site. Most betting sites don’t offer matched deposit bonuses so is $250 is a strong amount.

One of the leading sportsbooks for bonuses is Caesars, which routinely offers promos with low wagering amounts and are also one of the few sites to have bonuses for in-play sports betting.

The best free bet offers come from PointsBet as they always have a wide variety of promos that give bettors free bets, such as a risk free same game parlay that returns stakes as a free bet if it loses.

Best Online Betting Offers in More Detail

The best betting bonuses combine large amounts with favorable terms like lengthy expiry times and 1x wagering requirements.

There are so many legal betting sites out there that searching through them all is a time-consuming task. Fortunately, we’ve gathered all the best online sportsbook offers below and also what makes them so appealing.

 

Types of Betting Bonus Offers

There are a few different types of promotions available for bettors and you should be aware of them if you want to find the best betting offers in the US.

Some of these sportsbook bonuses are similar but there are key differences to be aware of before you opt-in to promotions.

 

Betting Signup Offers

A sign-up offer is the betting bonus you get when you register with a new betting site. As the name suggests, sportsbooks have these offers to draw bettors into signing up with them and so these promotions tend to be very attractive – more so than ones for current players.

Many betting sites will offer upwards of $100 as a sign-up offer but it is not uncommon to see bonus funds of $1,000 or more be available to new bettors. Usually, this comes in the form of a risk-free bet, where the sportsbook returns your first wager as a free bet if it loses.

Some new customer offers will have very unfriendly wagering requirements and restrictive minimum odds as a result of this but otherwise, there are very few sign-up offers that are not worth claiming.

 

Matched Deposit Promotions

Matched deposits are the other common kind of sportsbook welcome bonus although it is not exclusive to new bettors. This promotion sees betting sites give you a set percentage of your deposit up to a certain amount, which could be as low as 10% or even as high as 200%.

So if you deposit $50 and the sportsbook matches 50% of it, you will have $50 in real money and $25 in sportsbook bonus funds. These bonuses are almost always subject to wagering requirements and you should always check how many times you have to wager the bonus funds before opting in to the offer.

For instance, BetRivers’ welcome bonus is a 100% matched deposit up to $250 and that is one of the more generous bonuses of this type. DraftKings Sportsbook offer up to $1,000 matched deposit but their 25x wagering requirement makes it one of the worst welcome bonuses around.

 

No Deposit Bonuses

No deposit bonuses are arguably the best offers available to US bettors because you get them without having to pay. All you usually have to do is redeem the bonus in your account or in the promotions tab of a sportsbook.

For this reason, it is rare that any sportsbook will offer no deposit bonuses and any amounts offered are low – usually only $5 or $10.

Because they are such low amounts, no deposit bonuses only come with 1x wagering requirements so you keep whatever you win.

 

Free Bets

Free bets allow you to wager on sports without spending your own money and then keep any winnings. Free bet stakes are not included in returns so many bettors prefer to use them on longer odds selections.

Some sportsbooks give out free bets as single amounts that must be spent all at once, whereas some offer it all as bonus funds from which you can wager however much or little as you want.

There is no hard and fast rule about wagering requirements for free bets and it could be anywhere from 1x WR to as much as 30x, depending on the betting site and the amount given.

If it’s just 1x then any winnings from your free bet wager are yours to keep and withdraw or bet again as you see fit. If it’s more, such as 10x, then you have to wager the winnings again and again until you staify the requirements.

 

Enhanced Odds

Enhanced odds give bettors more returns on winnings. A betting site will occasionally boost the price of a certain market, such as anytime touchdown scorer in the NFL, to get the best price over competitors.

These are usually subject to wagering limits which can be as low as $10 or as high as $10,000, but that does depend on the sportsbook and the price that the market has been boosted to.

For instance, you will generally be able to put more money in a market that has been boosted from -120 to +100 compared to one that has been enhanced from +800 to +1200.

Parlay Insurance

Parlays are one of the most popular bet types and having some insurance gives bettors peace of mind if theirs doesn’t win. Sportsbooks with parlay insurance promos usually return the stake as a free bet if it falls one leg short, provided the parlay meets minimum leg and odds requirements.

It’s common for betting sites to have this promo specifically for same game parlays on major sports like football and baseball, although it’s not usually available for every game. For instance, some betting sites have parlay insurance on TV games whilst others only make it available on a specific day.

 

Best Betting Offers by Sport

Sportsbooks sometimes restrict their promotions to specific sports so you can only use certain bonuses on certain games or events.

You can find the best bonuses per sport by using the links below, which will you take you to each sport’s dedicated page.

Some betting offers are only available on specific sports rather than giving you free choice, so there’s not much point in using a sportsbook that doesn’t have offers for your preferred sports.

We’ve taken a look at every legal US sportsbook to determine the best betting offers by sport and you can use the table below to go straight to your favorite.

Football Betting Bonuses

There is a hugely diverse range of football promotions out there because of how infrequently games are played. Most of the NFL games take place on Sunday during the season, which runs from September to February, so sportsbooks want to take advantage of this by offering plenty of exciting bonuses.

You don’t have to look far to find good NFL bonuses such as parlay insurance, boosted returns on parlays, reduced juice spreads, and risk-free same game parlays, with the likes of PointsBet, BetMGM, Caesars, and FanDuel Sportsbook amongst the best for NFL bonuses.

The great thing is that most of these promos are available on every game because there are only 18 regular season weeks plus four playoff weeks.

Things are then ramped up for the Super Bowl, which is the biggest sporting event for NFL betting with over $7 billion wagered on the game, so there’s even more bonuses available for the culmination of the NFL season.

Basketball Betting Bonuses

Many sportsbooks choose to run promos only on NBA and usually offer solid bonuses throughout the season, given that pro basketball is played almost every day from October to June.

The most popular bonuses are free bet rewards for placing same game parlays and odds boosts on particular games, and there are also some more unique ones out there across NBA sportsbooks.

For instance, if you bet $10 on the overs on an NBA game at MaximBet, they will give you $1 in free bet credits for every point the game goes over the projected total. Elsewhere, bet365 will pay you out in full early if the team you bet on goes up by 20 points or more in a game.

Hockey Betting Bonuses

Hockey bonuses are rarer to find than other sports because of NHL’s declining popularity in the US, although there are still a few out there.

Many parlay insurance and parlay boost promos allow you to include hockey legs in them but many betting sites don’t have hockey-specific bonuses and the ones that do usually restrict them to low amounts of up to $25.

BetRivers is one of the few sportsbooks with a hockey promotion, but it is very restrictive as it is a 20% profit boost that can only be used on Fridays.

Even when it comes to the playoffs and the Stanley Cup, you won’t find many extra bonuses available for NHL betting. bet365 do continue with their early payout offer that settles moneyline bets as winners if your team goes up by three goals.

Baseball Betting Bonuses

The sheer number of baseball games played in an MLB season (162 per team) means that many betting sites don’t offer baseball-specific bonuses.

You can still include MLB bets in parlays to take advantage of parlay insurance and boosted returns, so all is not lost, and there are some decent if limited sportsbook promos.

FanDuel Sportsbook have perhaps the best MLB promo out there. Place $25+ “To Hit a Home Run” prop wager on any Tuesday MLB Game & get a $5 bonus in site credit for each home run hit by either team in the game (max $25) whether your bet wins/loses.

 

How Do Online Betting Promotions Work?

Online betting promotions are usually displayed in the promotions tab of any US sportsbook and in most cases, you will have to opt-in or enter a promo code.

These steps will almost certainly be displayed clearly on the betting site as they want you to utilize the offer, otherwise the promotion would not exist.

The full terms and conditions will always be found near the bonus, and if you’re still a bit unsure about how to qualify then the sportsbook customer support will always have the answer.

 

How to Claim a Sports Betting Bonus

Most sportsbooks make it easy to claim bonuses because they want you to bet with them. As such, the steps below apply to almost every legal betting site in the US.

Always make sure to read the terms and conditions associated with the bonus to make sure that your account is eligible and so you know exactly what you need to do to qualify.

Why Sportsbooks Offer Bonuses

Sportsbooks offer bonuses because they want you to bet with them, whether you’re a new bettor or already registered. All bonuses represent the betting site’s attitude towards risk and long-term feasibility.

Sites with either a lot of promotions or top-tier bonuses are more likely to attract players, which gives the sportsbook a larger player base and essentially means they’ll likely be more successful in the long run.

The US is such a new market and new states are legalizing online sports betting all the time, which means some sportsbooks offer aggressive welcome bonuses such as over $1,000 to new bettors.

Other sites with smaller welcome offers and fewer promotions are more risk-averse and don’t want to spend too much money to attract new players.

Wagering Requirements

Wagering requirements are the bane of betting promotions. They force a bettor to wager bonus funds multiple times before they are able to withdraw it, sometimes up to hundreds of dollars.

You ideally should only partake in bonuses that have minimal wagering requirements as the ecstasy of winning a bet can only be matched by the realization that you can’t cash out the winnings.

Bonuses that have 1x wagering requirements are the ones to look out for as these become real money that you can withdraw if you place a winning bet. All bonuses have at least a 1x wagering requirement to ensure that bettors cannot use them to launder money.

Any bonus with high WR – such as 10x or higher – is not usually worth doing because you will almost certainly never meet the required threshold.

The table below shows the various types of sportsbook bonuses available and the lowest wagering requirements that you should expect to find for each.

How to Calculate the Wagering Requirements Amount?

Working out how much you will need to wager is a straightforward calculation, and in some cases, the betting site will even do the math for you.

 

Other Bonus Restrictions

There are plenty of other restrictions that can be inserted into bonus terms and conditions by sportsbooks, some of which can be very unfriendly for customers.

You should always read the terms and conditions of any betting bonus and if there is anything you are uncertain of, the sportsbook’s customer support will almost always be able to help you out.

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  Minimum odds

  Some sportsbook bonuses have minimum odds restrictions, which means you have to place the bonus funds or free bet on a market with higher odds than specified. If the minimum odds is -200, then prices such as -110 or +200 are fine to bet on but -300 is not.

  Usually, minimum odds terms will be anywhere between -200 and -500 but always check with the sportsbook.

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  Minimum deposit

  This particularly applies to welcome bonuses as they usually require you to deposit a certain amount to access the promotion. The minimum deposit at a sportsbook is usually $10 but some bonuses require higher amounts.

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  Restricted sports

  Some promotions will only be eligible to use on a certain sport or event but this is quite a rare term for a sportsbook to impose. Most betting sites will let you bet on any sport with your bonus.

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  Restricted payment methods

  Sportsbooks will sometimes prefer you to deposit with a specific payment method, usually to reduce the fees they pay, and only those will be eligible for bonuses. This is not very common but it’s always worth looking out for in case your preferred payment method excludes you from a bonus.

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  Expiration date

  All bonuses have an expiration date that could be anywhere between one day and 90 days. Most tend to fall around the 7-14 day region and you should always be aware of when your bonus expires so you don’t lose it.

 

Sports Betting Bonus Codes

Some sportsbooks use codes for their bonuses but there is no difference between an offer that requires one and an offer that does not. A bonus code can also be referred to as a promo code or a coupon code.

Signing up to a new betting site may sometimes require a bonus code to access their welcome offer, as do some promotions. Bonus codes exist to make it easier for sportsbooks to send out promotions to specific customers and to track how many take part.

To use a bonus code, simply type it in when prompted during registration or in your account if it’s a promotion for existing customers. Some betting sites may automatically fill in the bonus code during the sign-up process.

 

New Online Sportsbook Bonuses

New sportsbooks are popping up all the time as the US betting scene continues to expand and evolve, and the competition for bettors means they are almost always offering fantastic bonuses.

Bonuses at new online betting sites are usually more generous because they’re trying to compete against more established names, and so it’s common to find welcome bonuses worth at least $1,000.

These bonuses are also very favorable for bettors, with very small wagering requirements – usually only 1x – and don’t come with sports restrictions.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Betting Bonuses

It’s not easy to know how to use betting bonuses, especially for those who are new to sports wagering, so we’ve put together some tips to make sure you’re getting the most out of them.

 

How We Rate Sportsbook Bonuses

Finding the best betting promotions is not easy due to the sheer number of sportsbooks operating in the US. However, there are some specific factors you should always look for when picking a betting site and a bonus as that will make it easier to narrow your choices down.

After you have followed these tips a few times then it will become almost reflex to continue to do so for any future bonuses, allowing you to easily identify the best betting promotions in the US.

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  Bonus amount

  The highest bonus amount is usually better as it gives you more money to play with on the sportsbook and thus more chances to win. However, you should also check for wagering requirements and expiry dates on bonuses to ensure that it is favorable.

  Bonuses that are $1,000 or higher are the best ones on the market and those that are below $250 are  almost always not good offers.

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  Bonus type

  The main bonus types are risk free bets and matched deposit bonuses. Both are good for new players who are happy to make a big first deposit, potentially as high as $2,000, and risk free bet bonuses are great for players who are happy to make big bets.

  Some sportsbooks also offer enhanced odds on certain lines to boost your overall returns, and parlay insurance is another popular bonus which allows you to get money back (usually as a free bet) if your parlay falls one leg short.

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  Wagering requirements

  Wagering requirements can make or break a bonus because if the bonus needs to be wagered multiple times, then it becomes nigh-on impossible to make any real money from it. Most bonuses only need to be wagered once, which is ideal, but there are some which can be as high as 25x.

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  Other restrictions

  As well as wagering requirements, there are some terms and conditions to check. Minimum odds is the key restriction to look out for as some sportsbooks require qualifying bets to be of a minimum value. The expiry date is another, with many bonuses only being valued for between 7-30 days.

  Sports restrictions and eligible payment methods are also occasionally included in bonus terms and conditions, but these are rare.

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  Sportsbook quality

  There’s no point in using a great bonus if the sportsbook isn’t very good. The best sportsbooks not only offer attractive promotions, they also have a decent variety of sports, competitive odds to ensure you get the best return, and ideally a good app so you can bet on mobile.

Sportsbook Bonuses to Avoid

There are some sportsbook bonuses that should definitely be avoided. Usually, this is because they are unlicensed in the US and so are not subject to the same regulation as legal betting sites, but also some legit sportsbooks simply have extremely unfavorable promotions.

Using these sportsbooks opens you up to potentially being scammed as some are known for withholding winnings, forcing you to jump through excessive amounts of hoops in the hope that you’ll give up trying.

They also usually have very high deposit and withdrawal amounts, and also charge fees for using popular methods like VISA that legit sportsbooks don’t charge.

 

Pros & Cons of Betting Promotions

Sportsbook bonuses are almost always a good thing because they give you rewards for betting with a particular operator, but they can come with some limitations so you should stay realistic.

It’s important to note both good points and bad points when using bonuses.

The best part about bonuses is that it’s free money and it gives you the chance to explore the sportsbook and see if you like it. Plus, you get to keep what you win once you’ve satisfied wagering requirements.

However, you should note that bets made with bonus credits don’t include the stake in the returns and you often have to use the bonus within a few days.

Why Should You Use Betting Bonuses?

Sportsbook bonuses are a great reward for either signing up to a new betting site or for wagering with them. The most common types of bonuses are free bets, which sportsbooks offer in exchange for completion of certain promotions, such as wagering $25 on a same game parlay.

Bonus amounts can range anywhere from just a few dollars up to $5,000, depending on the sportsbook and the type of promo. Those with bigger rewards tend to require you to spend more money to receive them,

It’s free money to use on basically whatever markets you want and provided there are friendly wagering requirements, you can then either withdraw or wager the winnings again.

All bonuses have terms and conditions that you should read as they may be unfavorable to you, such as if they have 10x wagering requirements or if the reward just isn’t worth the total risk.

 

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