Some of the sportsbooks featured on this page are our partners. We may receive compensation if you sign up for one through our links, but this doesn't affect our ratings or opinions in any way. You can learn more by visiting our advertiser disclosure page.
You can argue that no deposit free bets are the best out of all sports betting promotions.
They give you a chance to place a free bet without requiring you to deposit any real money, essentially giving your a true risk-free wager. But because no deposit free bets are so good, you won’t find them on too many betting sites.
This guide will help you locate all the current no deposit free bets at sportsbooks, explain how they work, and compare them to other types of betting bonuses.
We will also keep you in the loop by promptly updating this page when any new no deposit free bets appear on our radar, so make sure to check back in from time to time.
Current No Deposit Free Bet Bonuses
Here are all the current no deposit free bets that you can take advantage of by just creating an account:
Barstool Sportsbook ($15 total)
For a limited time, you can claim a $10 sign-up bonus on Barstool Sportsbook after successfully registering a new account.
You must not be a previously registered customer and you can take advantage of this promotion from Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The bonus cash is subject to wagering requirements of 1x and can only be used on odds of -200 or longer. You can also get an additional $5 in bonus cash for customizing your account, which involves just updating the “Betting Favorites” section on your account. Both offers are valid until 12/31/2022.
*Special offers from our partners. May vary by state.
Our Partners
Intro Bonus
Next Steps
No Sweat First Bet Up to $1,000
States: AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MA MD, MI, NJ, OH, NY, PA, TN, WV, WY, VA
Second Chance Bet Up to $500
States: AZ, CO, IL, IN, IA, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA
Up to $1,000 Back in Bonus Bets
States: AZ, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY
100% Deposit Match Up to $100
*Not a sportsbook. DFS site that offers Pick'Em contests on player stats.
How No Deposit Free Bets Work
You can claim most no deposit free bets in only a couple of minutes. Here are the necessary steps:
- Pick a sportsbook that offers a no deposit free bet. Note that these offers are typically only available to new customers. If you already have an account with a given sportsbook, you may not be eligible for this promotion.
- Register a new account. This involves completing a registration form that consists of your personal details such as full name, date of birth, residential address, last four digits of your SSN, email address, etc.
- Check the terms and conditions of the bonus. So you can see whether you must complete any additional things, like using the bonus code or customizing your account.
- Use your no deposit free bet! Once the no deposit bet has been credited to your account, you can use it on all eligible markets.
No Deposit Free Bets vs. Other Betting Offers
Here’s how no deposit free bets compare with other common sports betting promotions:
No Deposit Free Bets vs. First Bet Matches
First bet matches work like this: the sportsbook will match your first bet by giving you a free bet in the same amount. The good thing about them is that you will earn a free bet regardless of whether your first bet wins or loses.
On the downside, getting the biggest free bet possible can seem irresistible but can be quite risky. For instance, if your first bet is $1,000, you will get a $1,000 free bet. Although that might be great, there’s always a chance that both of your bets will lose, so you’ll be down quite a lot. No deposit free bets are significantly smaller but involve no risk whatsoever.
No deposit free bets are better since you don’t have to place any real-money wagers to earn the free bet as you do with first bet matches—though they are typically for much smaller amounts.
No Deposit Free Bets vs. Risk-Free Bets
Risk-free bets are the most popular form of intro promos for sportsbooks in the U.S. With these, you receive a free bet or site credit if your first bet loses up to a certain amount of money.
Risk-free bets are larger than most no deposit free bets, typically ranging between $100 and $2,000.
The downside, however, is that there’s still risk involved with risk-free bets. If the risk-free bet earns you a single free bet and it loses, you’ll be left with nothing. The situation is a bit better when a risk-free bet awards multiple free bets or site credit, as it gives you more than one opportunity to win.
Though no deposit free bets have much smaller total value than “risk-free” bets, they are truly “risk-free” unlike what most sportsbooks call “risk-free bets.”
No Deposit Free Bets vs. Deposit Matches
Deposit matches are the complete opposite of no deposit free bets. To get them, you must deposit after creating an account. You’ll receive bonus credits without having to do anything else (unlike risk-free bets).
Also, deposit matches are quite big. If the sportsbook offers a 100% match up to $1,000, you can end up with $2,000 in your account ($1,000 deposit + $1,000 in bonus credits).
The downside is that deposit matches usually have high wagering requirements. While most free bets have a rollover of 1x, deposit matches can force you to wager the bonus 5 or more times, making it very difficult to acquire any withdrawable winnings.
No Deposit Free Bets vs. Free Bets from Wagering or Hitting Other Requirements
Another way of earning free bets is by wagering. For instance, you may earn a $10 free bet if your bets accumulated to $100 or more during the promotional week.
Of course, you’ll need to bet a lot to earn a free bet like this, so you should mainly focus on winning your qualifying bets rather than just waiting to claim the free one.
On the other hand, these promotions are available to everyone who meets the requirements, while a no deposit free bet is typically only available to new customers and can only be used once.
>> Read More: Best Free Bets & Betting Offers at Sportsbooks
No Deposit Free Bet Strategy
An important thing to note is that no deposit free bets only provide the winnings acquired from the bet. The actual free bet amount is voided once used.
Therefore, to maximize the expected value of a no deposit free bet, you should make a longshot wager, having the potential payout much larger than the bet itself.
Here’s an example to highlight the logic:
A $10 free bet on the odds of -400 is likely to succeed 80% of the time and will get you a $2.5 profit, so the expected value is just $2 (80% * $2.50).
On the other hand, the same $10 bet on the odds of +1000 pays out $100 profit with the probability of 9.09%, meaning the expected value is $9.09 (9.09% * $100).
To see which odds are worth betting on with a no deposit free bet, you can use our free bet calculator.
No Deposit Free Bet Bonus FAQs
How can I tell if my sportsbook offers a no deposit free bet?
A sportsbook will usually have a promotional banner telling you such a bet is available, but you may also want to check the promotions page on your site or app.
Can I take advantage of other intro promos if I use a no deposit free bet?
Yes, you typically won’t be restricted to using other intro promotions after using your no deposit free bet.
Can I use a no deposit free bet more than once?
Most no deposit promotions can only be used once.
Do I have to use a promo code to get a no deposit free bet?
Some no deposit free bets require a bonus code. These are usually easy to find as they’re clearly displayed on the sportsbook’s promotion page.
Can I withdraw the no deposit free bet instead of wagering it?
No. You typically need to bet the no deposit free bet at least once before withdrawing the winnings.
How large are no deposit free bets?
No deposit free bets are typically between $5 and $25, but some can be larger.
Does BetRivers offer a no deposit bonus?
No, there is currently not a BetRivers no deposit bonus available.
Which states can I get no deposit free bets in?
Whether you find a no deposit free bet or not depends on the sportsbooks that operate in that state and not the state itself. In other words, you have the potential of finding a no deposit free bet in all states with legal sports betting.
