Sportsbook Deposit Bonuses: Complete Guide to Sign-Up Offers

Learn how to maximize sportsbook bonuses and clear rollover requirements efficiently.

A deposit bonus is when the sportsbook loads your account with more money than the exact amount deposited, usually in the form of free bets or site credit.

Like any other competitive market, sportsbooks are constantly fighting for users. This is great news for intelligent bettors who know how to take advantage of offers and promotions. One of the most common ways to draw in customers is offering a sportsbook deposit bonus.

What is a Sportsbook Deposit Bonus?

Deposit bonuses come in several forms:

• 100% deposit match: Deposit €250, get €250 bonus (total €500)
• Percentage match: Deposit €1,000, get 20% = €200 bonus
• Free bets: Bonus given as bet tokens (stake not returned)
• Site credit: Bonus works like cash in your account

The catch is that you can't simply withdraw the bonus immediately. You must meet rollover (playthrough) requirements first.

Which Sportsbooks Offer Deposit Bonuses?

Most major sportsbooks offer deposit bonuses to attract new customers. Here are common examples:

The nice thing about some offers is that if you're just getting into betting and don't want to deposit the maximum, they'll match any amount. If you just want to put in €20, you'll get a €20 deposit match (depending on the promotion).

Obviously depositing the maximum to earn the full bonus match is the most profitable option, but it's understandable if new users just dipping their toes in the water of sports betting aren't ready to make a large commitment.

Understanding Rollover Requirements

Rollover (also called playthrough) is the most important term to understand with deposit bonuses.

What is rollover? The amount you must wager before you can withdraw bonus funds.

Common rollover multiples:

• 1x rollover: Wager the bonus amount once (e.g., €250 bonus = €250 wagered)
• 5x rollover: Wager 5 times the bonus (e.g., €200 bonus = €1,000 wagered)
• 10x rollover: Wager 10 times the bonus (e.g., €100 bonus = €1,000 wagered)

Example calculation:

DraftKings gives you a €200 bonus with 5x rollover. To withdraw that €200, you must place bets totaling €1,000 (€200 × 5). This doesn't mean you need to PROFIT €1,000—just that the total amount staked across all bets must equal €1,000.

How to Use Sportsbook Deposit Bonus Offers

Example: 100% Match with 1x Rollover

If you have deposited €250 and therefore earned another €250, you will have €500 in your account. From there, you can place several bets at your preferred amount which adds up to €250 in total wagered.

Once you've done that, you are eligible to withdraw whatever funds you have in your account. Even if you do not win a single bet, you'll still have the €250 you deposited in the first place.

Unless you risk all €250 on a single bet or take a risk on some extremely long odds, probability says that you will likely win at least one of those bets and likely more. After this process, you'll have over €250 in your account that is eligible to be withdrawn straight to your bank account.

Example: 20% Match with 5x Rollover

If you deposit €1,000, you are eligible to have €200 in bonus funds, but to turn that money into withdrawable cash you'll have to bet 5x that bonus. This would be €1,000 wagered to cash out the full €200 in bonus money.

Best Strategies for Clearing Bonuses

Strategy 1: Low-Hold Betting

The most efficient way to clear rollover requirements is using low-hold betting.

Find markets where you can bet both sides for 0-2% loss. This lets you churn through rollover requirements while losing only a tiny percentage of your bankroll.

Example: You need to clear €1,000 rollover with 1% average hold. You'll lose approximately €10 to convert a €200 bonus into cash. That's a 95% bonus conversion rate, which is exceptional.

Strategy 2: Positive EV Betting

If you're confident in finding +EV opportunities, you can actually PROFIT while clearing rollover by betting value bets only.

At 3% average EV across €1,000 rollover, you'd expect to profit €30 while simultaneously clearing the bonus. You're essentially double-dipping: clearing rollover AND making +EV bets.

Strategy 3: Free Bet Conversion

Some sportsbooks give deposit bonuses in the form of free bet tokens. Since the stake isn't returned on a free bet, it would make no sense to use it on a heavy favorite.

If you have a €10 free bet used on a 1.10 favorite, even if the bet wins, you only come away with €1.

The best way to use a free bet is on a longshot with positive expected value. If you don't want to risk coming away with nothing, you can convert free bets using arbitrage or low-hold strategies on another sportsbook.

Most of the time, it's possible to convert a free bet at a rate of 70-80% by hedging on another sportsbook.

Strategy 4: Site Credit Arbitrage

If the bonus is in site credit (works like cash), find an arbitrage or zero-hold opportunity. That way once the bets settle, you'll have that amount in withdrawable cash from the sportsbook where the winning side was.

Best Way to Use Sportsbook Deposit Bonus Offers

In order to best use sportsbook deposit bonus offers, you have to have a full understanding of the terms and requirements.

Step-by-step approach:

1. Read all terms and requirements (see section below)
2. Deposit the maximum amount if you can afford it (maximizes bonus value)
3. Understand your rollover requirement (1x, 5x, 10x?)
4. Choose your clearing strategy (low-holds, +EV, arbitrage)
5. Track your progress (how much rollover cleared vs remaining)
6. Withdraw once requirements met

If you can afford it, it is most profitable to deposit the maximum amount of money that the bonus allows. For a €250 100% match example, depositing €250 would increase your balance by 100% and earn you the maximum amount of bonus funds.

If you only deposit €10, you'll still have 100% more of your balance, but not to the maximum potential amount. If you deposit €1,000 when the max bonus is €250, you'll have the maximum bonus at €250, but your account balance will only be raised by 25% and you have to be careful not to lose that €1,000 investment.

Sportsbook Deposit Bonus Terms and Requirements

Reading the sportsbook deposit bonus terms and requirements is absolutely necessary to gain a full understanding of what you're dealing with.

Sure, it may be a pain, or a general habit to just hit "agree" or "next," but it is crucial to being intelligent with your money on these sportsbooks.

Common terms and restrictions:

• Rollover/playthrough requirements: How much you must wager before withdrawal (1x to 10x)
• Minimum odds requirements: Often must bet at 1.50+ decimal odds
• Upper and lower deposit limits: Min/max deposits to qualify
• Time limits: Usually 30-90 days to clear rollover or lose bonus
• Eligible bet types: Some bonuses exclude parlays, props, or certain markets
• Geographic restrictions: Offers vary by state/country
• Withdrawal restrictions: Withdrawing early may forfeit bonus and sometimes winnings
• One per household: Can't create multiple accounts for bonuses

Just as you always need to remember to "opt in" to many promos on sportsbooks like DraftKings, FanDuel, and Bet365, it is crucial to cross your t's and dot your i's to be sure you have full understanding of the terms and requirements.

Common Deposit Bonus Mistakes

• Not reading terms: Missing rollover requirements or restrictions
• Withdrawing too early: Forfeiting bonus by cashing out before clearing rollover
• Betting recklessly to clear fast: Taking terrible odds just to hit rollover
• Using free bets on favorites: Getting €1 profit from a €10 free bet at 1.10 odds
• Ignoring minimum odds: Placing bets below the required odds threshold
• Missing opt-in: Forgetting to activate the promotion before depositing

Maximizing Multiple Sportsbook Bonuses

The real power comes from claiming bonuses at multiple sportsbooks:

Strategy:

1. Sign up at 5-10 different sportsbooks
2. Claim the deposit bonus at each
3. Use low-hold betting across books to clear all rollovers simultaneously
4. By betting both sides of low-hold markets, you clear rollover on two books at once
5. Repeat until all bonuses cleared

Example across two books:

You have €250 rollover at BetRivers and €1,000 rollover at DraftKings. Find a 1% hold market, bet €100 on Book A and €100 on Book B. You've cleared €100 rollover at each book while losing only €1 total.

Ready to find low-hold opportunities to clear your bonuses? FairOdds Terminal displays low-hold markets across 60+ sportsbooks to help you clear rollover efficiently.

Sportsbook Deposit Bonuses FAQ