The best betting sites in South Africa are loaded with different types of free bet promotions. This page covers everything from Betway free bets to offers from other bookmakers, so you know how they work and which ones provide the best value.
Best Free Bets on Registration
You don’t have to be an existing customer at a betting site to qualify for free bet bonuses. Here are some of the top-rated offers you can snap up when you join these online bookmakers. Note that to claim some of these offers, players may need to make a deposit.
| Operator | Welcome Offer | Visit the Site |
|---|---|---|
Betway | 100% first deposit match up to R1,000 as a Free Bet | |
Hollywoodbets | Get A FREE R25 Sign Up Bonus | |
Bet.co.za | Power bet bonus | |
Gbets | R25 Sign Up Free Bet |
What is a Free Bet Bonus?
As the name suggests, a free bet bonus is a type of bookmaker promotion. Of course, the customer needs to complete an action of some description to get the free bet.
For instance, some bookmakers offer free bets on registration, in which case, the required action is simply to register an account. Other betting sites have free bet welcome bonus offers for customers making their first deposit.
This is just a small sample of the types of free wagers that are available in South Africa. We explain many more further down this page. While there’s no disputing these are one of the top bonuses around, you will find some restrictions that affect the selections you can use them on.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It’s a FREE BET | Bookmakers do not return free bet stake |
| Can be used for singles and multis | Usually, minimum odds apply |
| Gives you a free hit at a longshot bet | Cannot be used on system bets |
Best Free Bets Offers
We’ve chosen three of the top betting sites in South Africa to examine the free bet promotions each one has.
Betway Free Bets
Betway kicks things off with a free bet welcome bonus for new customers, which is worth 100% of the first deposit value up to R1,000 that’s credited as a free bet.
To get your hands on the free bet, you must wager the amount of your first deposit 3 times on sports bets at odds of 3.0 (European decimal) or more.
If you complete this qualifying requirement within 30 days, Betway will give you a free bet equal to your first deposit. All winnings from the free bet (excluding the stake) are real money.
In addition to the welcome bonus, Betway has several other seasonal promotions where customers can win or earn a free bet. We won’t go into details as these are continually changing. However, you can view the latest offers on the promotions page on Betway’s website.
Hollywoodbets Free Bets
Hollywoodbets is one of several bookmakers that offers free bets on registration. Its current offer is an R25 sign-up bonus. Essentially, all you need to do is register a new player account (no deposit required), and you’re given R25 on the house.
The bonus is valid for 24 hours, so you need to place your wagers on the day you register. Furthermore, you cannot bet on selections with odds of 1/2 (0.5 South African decimal) or lower. Players must turn the bonus over once to convert the free wager into real money.
Another way to get bets for free on this betting site is through its Refer A Friend promo. If you get your mates to join and they deposit R50 and wager R75 (R25 sign-up bonus + R50 deposit) one time, Hollywoodbets will give you an R50 betting voucher, which is effectively the same as a free wager.
Bet.co.za Free Bets
The new customer welcome offer for Bet.co.za customers is a 100% matched deposit up to R1,000. Although the bonus funds can be used like free bets, there are certain qualifying restrictions and wagering requirements, which mean this isn’t a true free bet welcome bonus.
However, there are several ongoing free bet promotions available from this betting site, including:
- Cricket Live In-Play Promo – Place R1,000 or more of in-play cricket bets within a week and receive a R100 bet.
- Ton of Fun Promo – Back any player to be the top batsman (highest run scorer) and get a free bet equal to 50% of your stake if they score a ton.
- PSL Multi Madness – Get a free bet worth up to R100 when you place a PSL multiple with 5 or more legs.
- Live In-Play Tennis Promo – Place 7 in-play tennis bets and get a free bet based on your average stake (up to R500).
- Points Fest Promo – Place a pre-match rugby handicap bet and get your stake back as a free bet if your team scores 35+ points and loses.
- Footy Free Bet – Place R1,000 of bets on the English Premier League in a week and get a R100 free bet.
- Five’s Alive Promo – Back any player to be the top bowler and if they take 5+ wickets, you receive a free bet.
- NBA Rebound Promo – Place R1,000 of NBA bets and get R100 free bet.
- Go Golfing Promo – Place R1,000 in bets on golf and a bet worth R100.
Types of Free Bets in South Africa
All betting sites have their own promotions. However, there are a few common categories that they fall into. Here’s an introduction to the different types of free bets you’ll come across in South Africa.
Free Bets on Registration
A pure free bet on registration bonus is when the customer only has to register an account to receive the bonus. The best example of this is the R25 sign-up offer at Hollywoodbets.
Other sites also have registration bonuses, but these are usually for specific events, such as the Durban July or the Rugby World Cup.
As a note, you can include a free bet welcome bonus in this category, but customers usually need to make a real-money deposit to get the bonus from the betting site.
Free Bets No Deposit
Most free bet no deposit offers are simply a registration bonus. Betting sites use these to attract new players to their companies.
Again, the current Hollywoodbets sign-up offer is an excellent example. Players get R25 for creating an account without needing to make a deposit.
Other methods of getting free bets with no deposit are through birthday bonuses and refer-a-friend promos.
FICA Free Bet Bonus
Several South African betting sites used to offer FICA free bet bonuses, but they aren’t as popular now. In a nutshell, Bookmakers handed out these free wagers to customers who completed the FICA (Financial Intelligence Centre Act) requirements.
Refer A Friend Free Bet Bonus
Bring your friends to join you at the betting site and get a free bet as a reward. Of course, not all betting sites run Refer A Friend promotions, so you need to read our in-depth reviews of each bookmaker.
That said, Hollywoodbets is one site that certainly does have this promotion. Existing customers can get R50 for every friend who joins and fulfills the qualifying requirements.
Multiple Free Bets
Multiple free bets come in a few shapes and sizes. For example, at Bet.co.za, bettors can get R100 by placing a PSL multiple with five or more selections. Another type of multi free bet bonus is an insurance multiple. If one leg of your multiple loses, the bookmaker refunds your stake as a free bet.
Other Betting Sites with Free Bets on Registration
Want to know what other betting sites in South Africa have free bet offers? These are some of the other bookmakers worth checking out.
GBets
At GBets, new players can take advantage of a free bet welcome bonus (no deposit required). There are also soccer free bet promotions and others for existing customers to enjoy.
Supabets
Supabets is proud to claim that it offers ‘Mzansi’s biggest sign-up bonus’, which puts both Hollywoodbets and GBets in the shade. It follows this up with a large matched deposit bonus, which is similar to getting free wagers.
World Sports Betting
Joining the list of betting sites that offer no deposit free bets sign-up bonuses is World Sports Betting (WSB). Its offer matches that of Supabets, which is certainly generous. WSB also has an ongoing refer-a-friend promo where players can earn more bets. There’s also an eye-catching matched deposit bonus to enjoy.
How to Choose the Best Free Bet Bonus?
As you’ve seen throughout this article, there are many types of free bets. While they are all great in their own way, some offers are better than others. Therefore, how do you choose the best free bet bonuses?
Deposit amount
Arguably, no deposit free bets are the best around. These are completely risk-free, so bettors have absolutely nothing to lose by using them.
Qualifying odds
There are qualifying odds for some free wagers. For instance, the betting company may state that the free bet has to be used at odds of 2.00 or greater. Naturally, as a bettor, you don’t want the minimum qualifying odds too high because it reduces your chances of winning.
Time Limits
How long the free bets are valid for will have an impact on the wagers you can place. Therefore, you need to plan a strategy. For example, if the bet is only valid for 24 hours, it’s probably better to claim it on a Saturday when there is loads of sporting action compared with Mondays.
Qualifying Requirements
Free bet clubs reward loyal customers for placing a specific number of bets or wagering a certain amount within a set period, such as one week. It could be that one betting site states you need to bet R2,000 to receive a free bet, whereas another site offers free wagers if you wager a total of R1,000.
As a customer, you always want to look for the best value, so use these tips to help you find the best free bet bonuses in South Africa.
Betting Sites that Give Free Bet on Registration in South Africa FAQs
You can get free bets for all of South Africa’s top-rated betting sites, such as Betway, Bet.co.za, and Hollywoodbets.
Generally speaking, when you win a free bet, the winnings go straight into your account balance. However, the bookmaker does not let you keep the stake.
It’s highly unusual for a betting site to allow bettors to cash out their free bets. If you do cash out, it makes the whole bet void, and you lose any potential winnings you may have got.
Free bet conversion is a strategy where you use a free bet on one side of a 2-way market. Then you use a different bookmaker to back the other side of the same market. This results in you winning whatever the result. Of course, you need to calculate the correct stake with the betting odds to lock in a profit.
When you have available free bets, they appear in your bet slip. Therefore, at the time of staking your wager, you can choose to use the free bet (or real money).
