Sports Betting Bonus

Bonuses and promotions are an essential aspect of the sportsbook landscape, as sports betting websites will use such offers to attract new players. Because of this, it will be necessary to cut through the promotional techniques used by the sportsbooks and work out exactly what each bonus has to offer.

If you make the right judgments, then you will be able to use the promotions to your full advantage. Our guide to the best sportsbook promotions of October 2024 will show you exactly how to do so...

How to Find the Best Sports Betting Bonus in 2024

With so many different sportsbook bonuses out there to choose from, each purporting to be the single best offer for Canadian players, how can you possibly hope to choose which is the right one for you? It can be easy to lose faith and simply join up the first sportsbook that you stumble into: after all, it will be bound to have some promotion or another. However, a savvy player will know that it will be worth taking the time to examine what your options are before committing to a sportsbook.

The best way to start research into sportsbooks bonus systems is by looking up a range of different sportsbooks and clicking the "promotions" link on each one: sometimes this will be present on the main page, other times you will need to open a drop-down menu to find it; but either way, if the site is well-designed, then you should have no trouble accessing the section in question. From there, see what kind of promotions each site has and in what quantities, and you shall soon find the candidates for the most generous sportsbook bonus system.

Sports Betting Bonus Types

All online sportsbooks will proudly trumpet their promotions in an effort to attract attention from new players, but in the process, they can sometimes obscure the details. Glancing around any given sportsbook, you will see plenty of cash figures being thrown your way, but exactly what will you need to do to earn that bonus money? Even the most generous sportsbook will not be giving money away for free, of course, and in practice, there will always be a few hoops to jump through.

Exactly what those "hoops" entail will depend on the type of bonus. So, to help you get your head around sportsbooks promotions 2024, here is our guide to the main varieties of bonuses: registration bonus, deposit bonus, match bonus, no deposit bonus, free bets, cashback bonus, high rollers bonus, a mobile betting bonus, sports betting tournaments and special promotions.

Registration Bonus

Sports betting websites, like online casinos, tend to offer welcome bonuses for new members. This will typically take the form of a match bonus that is split up across your first few deposits. For example, if you find a site promising a $750 welcome bonus amongst the sportsbooks promotions 2024 has to offer, then this might be split into three portions: a 100% match up to $250 on your first deposit, a 75% match up to $250 on your second, and a 50% match up to $250 on your final deposit. The end result, then, is that you will need to deposit more than $750 to earn the full $750 bonus. In practice, two sportsbooks will rarely be the same in terms of registration bonuses and so some will be more generous than others.

As a general rule, if you are choosing between different sportsbook sites based on their registration bonuses, then there are some specific factors that you should take into account. The most obvious is how large the overall welcome bonus is; the others are how many deposits you will need to make to claim the bonus, and what sort of percentages are attached to the individual match bonuses. The terms and conditions will also include nitty-gritty details such as how long you will have to spend your bonus money. All that being said, an increasing number of sportsbooks are moving away from the casino model of multiple match bonuses for new members and towards a single, done-in-one bonus with a smaller total amount but a smaller required deposit sum.

Deposit Bonus

As its name suggests, a deposit bonus is a bonus that you receive after making a deposit. These come in many different forms; the variation that you are likely to come across first is the registration bonus, which typically involves a deposit (see above), but different sites will offer different promotions. So, some match bonuses will earn your bonus money immediately, while others are less direct and instead grant you a free bet that can be used as an opportunity to win money. In addition, some will require only one deposit to be fulfilled, while others require the player to make multiple deposits. It will be worth taking a close look at the exact structure of any given deposit bonus before you take part. Note that a deposit bonus will have a minimum acceptable amount, often around $20 or $30, and if you do not fulfill this requirement, you will not be entitled to the bonus.

Match Bonus

A match bonus is one of the more common types of the deposit bonus. Quite simply, when you make a deposit, the bonus will match your deposited sum according to a certain percentage. So, for example, say you deposit $1000. A 100% match bonus will give you another $1000; a 75% match bonus will give you $750; and a 50% match bonus will get you $500. It will be good sense to pay close attention to the percentages and weigh up exactly how much you would need to deposit to win the full bonus -- is that extra $500 really worth depositing a full $1000 to earn, or should you settle for a lower sum? As described above, a match bonus or series of match bonuses will typically be used as a registration bonus.

Match bonuses are also used as ongoing promotions by many sports betting bonus systems; these are commonly termed reload bonuses. If a sports betting site provides reload bonuses, there is a good chance that these will be held every week and usually given a catchy name of some sort or another. To pick one example, Playzilla offers a weekly reload bonus that consists of 50% up to $750. As with all deposit bonuses, a match bonus will come with some sort of minimum accepted deposit sum before the player will qualify; you can expect this to be around $20 or $30.

No Deposit Bonus

A no-deposit bonus is a rare treat, as typically a sportsbook bonus will require some sort of deposit before the player qualifies. The hard truth of the matter is that a player is unlikely to find a no deposit bonus by scouring the promotions pages of sportsbook sites. The best way to earn a no deposit bonus is instead through using a bonus code or coupon -- but finding these is a lot easier said than done. Certain sportsbooks offer such codes to regular users and distribute them through either a regular newsletter or the members-only VIP scheme. It is also possible to find no-deposit bonus codes at certain sites that are partnered with the sportsbook in question, but you will need to be lucky to find one of these. While a Google search for "no deposit bonus code" or similar keywords will turn up no shortage of hits, the bulk of these are simply irrelevant sites using the term to try and lure in unsuspecting readers. So, while this may come as a disappointment to many readers, we have to conclude this section by saying that there is simply no surefire way of bagging yourself a no-deposit bonus. If you have managed to obtain one, consider yourself very lucky indeed.

Freebets

To start with, we will have to admit that the concept of a "free bet" is something of a misnomer. Unless you have been lucky enough to stumble across a no-deposit bonus (see above) then you will have to do something in return for your free bet. In most cases, you will need to make a deposit, although there are other options: Ditobet currently provides free bets to players who successfully refer friends to the site; this is a fairly common promotion and can be found as part of many sportsbooks promotions 2024. A free bet will typically apply to a single game, although a sportsbook may well offer different free bet promotions for different games.

Rabona, for example, offers separate free bet promotions for tennis, table tennis, and virtual sports. If you are a player who keeps a close eye on sportsbooks bonus systems when signing up for a sportsbook, then it will be a good idea to check not only if free bets are offered, but also if they are offered for your favorite games. Note that a free bet will inevitably come with a number of strings attached. A common caveat is that the offer will only apply to bets that are above certain odds, often 1.5. As with all other sportsbooks bonus offers, pay close attention to the terms and conditions so that you can tell if it is quite as generous as it might seem at first.

Cashback Bonus

A cashback bonus is something that can help to take the edge off a losing bet. Typically, a bonus of this sort will apply to a specific period (a week, for example) and will work on a calculation of the total losses that a player has suffered across that duration, and will reward you by returning a percentage of those losses up to a certain amount. As an example of how sportsbook cashback bonuses operate, let us take a look at Rabona's cashback offer. This is weekly, applying to a period that starts on the break of Monday to midnight on Sunday. If a player contacts customer support, they will be eligible for 10% cashback on their total losses during this period, from a minimum of $30 to a maximum of $750. The bonus money comes with a 3x wagering requirement that must be fulfilled, and apply only to the Rabona sportsbook (as opposed to the casino portion of the site).

If you play at various different sportsbook sites, you should find that Rabona's system is fairly typical, Other sites might vary the percentage of the minimum and maximum caps, but the basic structure will be the same. One small detail that you should be a little wary about is how sportsbook sites tend to trumpet the maximum rather than the percentage. In the case of Rabona, for example, the cashback offer is referred to not as a "10% cashback" but as "$750 cashback". The problem with this, of course, is that you will only claim the maximum sum of $750 if you have been unlucky enough to lose $7500 or more over the course of the week! So, pay less attention to the maximum and more to the percentage, as this will give a more stable idea of what the cashback bonus has to offer you.

High Rollers Bonus

A high roller bonus is simply a catchy name for a deposit bonus (usually a match bonus) that offers a larger sum in exchange for a larger deposit. It will often take the form of an alternate registration bonus: so, a sportsbook might offer a smaller-scale welcome bonus for most of its members, with the option of a larger bonus for the members who feel like splashing out. Not all sports betting sites offer high roller bonuses and those that do tend to vary the size of their offers considerably. It is therefore hard to provide any kind of specific advice on whether or not this is the bonus type for you.

As a general rule, however, you should think long and hard about whether it is worth taking the extra plunge. The expanded bonus sum might be tempting, but always weigh this against the large amount that you will need to deposit to claim that sum -- and the fact that there is never a guarantee that your bonus money will lead to any sort of winnings at the sportsbook. The bottom line is that high roller bonuses are for players with large wallets. If you have a substantial sum of money set aside for your pursuit at the sportsbooks, then, by all means, consider diving in. If sports betting is just a bit of fun on the side, however, then settle for the cheaper option.

Mobile Betting Bonus

Sportsbook bonus systems do not typically provide bonuses specifically for mobile users. That said, some sportsbooks do indeed have their own apps, and so will be particularly suited to mobile users. Examples of online sportsbooks for Canadian players that have dedicated apps are NorthStar Bets, BetRivers, ComeOn, 888 Sport, and BetMGM.

Each of these sites has its own bonus system. For example, currently at Northstar Bets, you will find such offers as a $1000 registration bonus, a $250 free bet for first-time betters, daily bet boosters, and a weekly Parlay Payday. BetMGM, meanwhile, has a $50 "refer a friend" offer, a $1000-maximum cashback promotion for new members, and more besides. Once you get the respective app installed on your mobile device, then each of these sportsbooks bonus offers will come under the umbrella of mobile betting bonuses.

Sports Betting Tournaments and Special Promotions

Tournaments are a tricky area of the sports betting bonus landscape for a simple reason: many sports betting websites are combined with casinos, and so many tournaments you come across there are likely to apply only to the casino sections of the site. That said, thee are indeed sportsbooks that run specifically sports-related tournaments, and the better-designed examples will allow you to sift between the casino slot tournaments and the sporting tournaments with ease. For example, consider Playzilla, which has a dedicated "tournaments" page that can be filtered between casino tournaments, sporting tournaments, and both with a simple click of a button. If a sportsbook bonus system includes any sort of tournament, this will likely be tied to a major real-world sporting event such as the Masters.

The tournament will typically have a prize pool, which players will compete to win a chunk of by earning points. Points are won by placing bets; in the more generous cases, players will still get points even if their bets lose, although they will likely get even more points if they win. The more points they get, the bigger portion of the prize pool they will win in the end. Tournament promotions are, by their nature, seasonal; even if a sportsbook holds tournaments, you will not necessarily come across one when you sign up. Sportsbooks promotions 2024 will include other seasonal offers, which can be collectively termed special promotions. These come in many different forms and, once again, combined sportsbook/casino sites will typically assign them to their casino rather than their sportsbook sections.

Sports Betting Bonus Terms and Conditions

If an online sports betting service is in any way reputable, then it will provide full terms and conditions for each of its offers (if it does not, then you should avoid signing up for it!) As a player, it will be your duty to pay close attention to these pages and make sure that you fully understand exactly what the site is offering you. The simple truth is that sportsbooks bonus systems will often be made to sound more generous than they actually are: what at first looks like an offer of free money will turn out to involve the player making a heavy deposit, and what is presented as a free bet may not be quite as free as it sounds.

How to Claim Sports Betting Bonus

The exact method of claiming a sports betting bonus will depend on the site. The broadest advice we can give is to take a look through multiple different sites and take a close look at their bonuses and promotions so that you have a clear idea of what sportsbooks promotions 2024 has to offer punters in Canada. Once you have made your decision, examine the full terms and conditions: after you have done so, follow the instructions provided by the sportsbook to claim your bonus.

Generally speaking, claiming a bonus at a sportsbook will involve either making some sort of deposit or placing a bet. In some cases the bonus will automatically be applied to your account; in other cases, you will need to get in touch with the support team to ensure that your bonus is passed through, or else you might be given a code that you will need to enter to activate the bonus. Note, also, that there are occasional bonus types that do not involve placing or making wagers: the "refer a friend" scheme shared by many online sportsbooks is a good example of this.

Make the Most of Your Sports Betting Bonus

We hope that our guide has given you a thorough understanding of the many different types of sports betting bonuses that are yours for the claim in 2024. Throughout our article, we have been eager to outline not only how the bonuses work, but also how sportsbook sites tend to present their bonuses -- which can sometimes be a little misleading. If you are a savvy player who knows where to place the wisest bets, then bonuses and promotions are yours to take advantage of: you just need to know the right strategy to get the most out of each one.