The best U.S. licensed online sportsbooks offer generous sign-up bonuses for first-time customers and if you are smart you can take advantage of these offers and put money in your pocket!
Do Your Homework
Depending on where you live, the opportunities to take advantage of these Free Plays will vary because the licensed sportsbooks differ from state to state.
Some of the bigger online books such as FanDuel, BetMGM, and Caesars Sportsbook, have licenses in several areas but others may have promotions that are equally as attractive. Make sure to find out which online sportsbooks are available in your area and scan their sign-up promotions for the most appealing bonuses.
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Also note that you are not restricted to having an account at only one book, the more the merrier!
Professional sports bettors often have accounts at several sportsbooks so that they will not only get the sign-up bonuses but, more importantly, will be able to get the best line or odds and not be held hostage to whatever is being offered at only one sportsbook.
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If the jurisdiction in which you live has not yet adopted legal sports betting, then look to the closest state that does allow it and you will be able to download the app and bet to your heart’s content as long as you are within that state’s boundaries.
All you have to do is take a drive over the border and you are free to legally gamble as long as you remain within that state. Remember, you must be 21 years old or older and physically be within the state’s boundaries to bet. As long as you meet those qualifications, you are in it to win it!
How Does it Work?
The best time to sign up as a first-time customer is usually a week before the Super Bowl or March Madness. Another prime opportunity is when the state first legalizes sports betting because the competition is fierce to get early adopters.
The online sportsbooks realize that these are the best opportunities to attract new customers because of the buzz that accompanies these two massive sporting events, as well as opening up a brand-new sports betting market. Understand that the books will run promos throughout the year but usually the most generous bonuses are offered shortly before these events.
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The best bonuses are those that will match your initial deposit. Caesars was running a promotion in New York that would match up to $1500 which means if you deposited $1500 then they would match $1500 in Free Plays. The minimum deposit is usually $50 which the book would match with a $50 Free Play. As you can see, the more you deposit, the more valuable the bonus.
All bonuses have different rules but if we use the Caesars promotion, we could get $1500 in Free Plays and then sign up at another sportsbook like FanDuel and get a similar matching deposit. If we bet both sides of the same game using these promotions, we are guaranteed to make money because one side will cover while the other will not.
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The side that covers will cause the book to convert that Free Play into cold, hard cash while the losing side will cause no harm whatsoever because all you lose is the Free Play credit.
Make sure to read the fine print and get the most out of your sign-up bonus because you won’t get it again. Nevertheless, there are also loyalty and reload bonuses for existing customers so the promos don’t go away, they just aren’t as generous as the initial sign-up offerings.
And remember to check back for more betting strategy at the OddsTrader blog. Happy betting!