Free Bets & Betting Offers in South Africa

Free Bets & Betting Offers in South Africa

Our list of free bets & betting offers is updated daily to include over R10000 in sign up bonuses for players from South Africa. All of the betting sites in our list are legal, safe, and accept deposits in South African Rand (ZAR).

If you didn't know, free bets and betting offers are widely available in South Africa these days. With a growing amount of competition within the country's expanding online gambling industry, the promotions and offers operators are putting together just keep getting better.

Using free bets is a great way for sports fans to enjoy putting on a wager without having to risk any of their own money. While the stake is not usually returned when a free bet is used, it still provides a chance to make a big potential profit for zero per cent risk, which is attractive.

It is typically the case that free bets are given out when a new customer makes their first deposit after signing up for a South African online bookmaker. People who are new to betting through the internet might be unsure about how all these different free bets and betting offers work, though. After all, they usually come with a set of terms and conditions attached and wading through all the small print can feel a little overwhelming for those with little experience.

Comparing the different bonuses and free bets offered by top online betting sites in South Africa is also not easy. So this is where we come in to help, with our complete guide to free bets & betting offers in South Africa. Read on for absolutely everything that you need to know. 

What is a Free Bet?

Free bets are exactly what the name suggests: it is a type of betting offer, widely available, that sees customers given a bet for free that they can often use on any market that they want.

Sometimes, though, the free bet will only be able to be used for certain things. These free bets always have certain terms and conditions attached - more details on those will come later on.

South African betting sites offer free bets and similar promotions for one major reason. As there are so many operators fighting for customers, free bets are seen as one of the very best ways to attract people to sign up for a particular site rather than joining a rival company.

As a result, there are probably more free bets out there in South Africa right now than at any other time. With betting through the internet getting more and more popular because of the flexibility it provides, it is a great time at the moment to be looking for a new betting site to sign up within SA.

Free bets are often offered as part of a betting site's welcome bonus. These offers are specifically designed to look as appealing as possible, but they are not always as great as they look on the surface. Checking the small print is necessary to see if they are worth taking. 

So for those who are just getting started with using free bets and betting offers in South Africa, what do you actually need to do to get them? Let's take a look at free bets in more detail next.

How to get Free Bets

There are various ways to get free bets from South African betting sites. However, the most common is to get them as part of a welcome bonus designed to attract new users to sign up.

Many online bookmakers have deals including free bets that are given out to people who join. With dozens of different online sports betting sites currently available in South Africa, these special promotions are one of the main ways that operators attract customers to them.

It is usually the case that players will have to make a deposit to qualify for the free bet. A minimum deposit is often in place, while a qualifying bet might need to be wagered as well.

In the event of a qualifying bet being needed to get free bets in South Africa, these will usually have their own set of terms and conditions attached. Among these will be whether or not the qualifying bet has to be placed at certain minimum odds in order to earn the free bet.

While it might sound complicated, operators of South African sports betting sites need to put these provisions in place to protect themselves. Many users try to exploit free bets on as many different online bookmaker sites as they can, which means terms and conditions are needed.

Without minimum odds for a qualifying bet, customers could simply place a wager at a very short price that was virtually guaranteed to come in, then use their free bet, withdraw any winnings and then move on to the next welcome bonus that is up for grabs in the industry.

How Free Bets Work

Free bets usually work in a similar way, though there can be a small amount of variation across the many different South African sports betting sites that operate via the internet these days.

As detailed above, a process is usually in place with a deposit that needs to be made, plus a qualifying wager will typically have to be placed by the user as well if they want the free bet. Sometimes operators will have restrictions on how free bets can be used. For example, they might only be available for certain sports, or for a set range of online betting markets.

It is almost always the case that free bet stakes are not returned as part of the winnings. While a normal bet that wins has the stake repaid, this is not the case for a free bet wager. Again, this is to protect betting sites from sustaining large losses as a result of dishing out these offers.

Using a free bet is an easy process. Once it has been added to an account, it will usually show up in a separate section to a customer's balance on the betting site. Then, when they go to place an eligible wager, they will see an option to use the free bet for at least part of their stake.

It is important to note free bets are not just available for new customers on betting sites in South Africa. Many online bookmakers use this type of bonus to reward the loyalty of their users.

With so many different types of betting offers out there - see below for the many various options that are offered - it is not always straightforward to know what to look for in a free bet. Bigger is not always better, for starters. It might seem like larger free bets that are available on sites are automatically worth taking over smaller offers, but this is not always going to be the case.

Whether or not free bets are good value depends on a few different factors. Mostly, these refer to either how they need to be earned, or the terms and conditions of their use. After all, it is not for nothing that people say there is no such thing as a free lunch - the same is true for a free bet. There is usually some sort of catch and this is what users must have their eyes peeled for.

One of the most important things to look out for in South Africa free bets is how winnings are paid. Betting sites usually pay free bet winnings as cash, but this is not always the case. Should free bet winnings be paid in bonus money, that cash will not be available to be withdrawn. There might even be wagering requirements that need to be completed before it can be unlocked. Wagering requirements - which are common for online casino offers like free spins - can make it very hard for customers to turn free bets into cold hard cash they can put in their pocket.

Not all banking methods can be used to make deposits to qualify for free bets either. E-wallets like Skrill are routinely excluded from welcome bonuses that are offered to new users by South African betting sites, while other payment methods might be left off the list as well.

Important Terms and Conditions Explained

There are several important terms and conditions you need to look at before committing to any free bets or betting offers.

1. Bonus code (If required) and where the bonus can be used (sportsbook or casino)
2. Any deposit restrictions for the bonus (e-wallets not always accepted)
3. The minimum deposit amount
4. Minimum qualifying odds to place or unlock the betting offer
5. The wagering requirements to unlock the funds for withdrawal
6. How long the bonus is valid for (typically 7 - 30 days)

Check our operator reviews for guides on how to claim each betting offer.

Bonus Code

Be sure to look for a bonus code that you will need to enter during your registration. Not all free bets and betting offers have bonus codes, but it is important to check for one.

We list all of the sports and casino bonus codes in our operator reviews and have guides for how to claim and use each betting offer.

Deposit Restrictions

Several betting offers have deposit restrictions on certain payment methods, which are often e-wallets such as Skrill, Neteller, and prepaid cards like Paysafecard. You will need to deposit funds using a bank transfer, or debit/credit card (if possible) to claim these betting offers.

Minimum Deposit Amount, Qualifying Odds & Wagering Requirements

You will need to deposit a minimum amount on your first deposit to claim most betting offers. And, place a bet at minimum odds to claim some free bet offers.

The wagering requirements are how much you need to wager the amount to unlock the funds for withdrawal. You will usually have to wager the set amount of money in a set amount of time which varies from 7-30 days.

Different Types of Betting Offers

When browsing South African betting sites, it quickly becomes clear that there are a wide range of different types of betting offers available. Here is a breakdown of the main types offered:

• Risk-free: For this type of betting offer, users will be refunded their stake in the event the wager loses. This is often paid as a free bet that they can use to have another chance of making a profit. Of course, bookmakers will be hoping that the player loses both of the bets they place. 
• No deposit: One of the best types of promotion out there is a no deposit bonus. As the name says, this deal means users do not even have to deposit any of their own cash to earn a bonus such as a free bet. However, free bets in no deposit deals do tend to be smaller, while they might also have stricter terms and conditions as a result. Always check the small print. 
• Matched deposit: A common betting bonus is a matched deposit. This means players might get 100 per cent of what they deposit on top, which is often paid out as a free bet. There is a limit to the matched deposit level that is available and this varies a lot across different betting sites. 
• Cashback: Some betting sites in South Africa also offer a cashback bonus. This might be in the form of a rebate made up of a percentage of their losses from certain types of bet they place. 
• Money-back specials: Many online bookmakers offer a form of money back special. This means the stake is returned - usually as a free bet - in the event of certain circumstances. An example might be in football where bookies may offer money-back specials for goalless draws.