The Best Sportsbook Bonuses Available For South African Punters
So you’re keen to start playing online, you’ve visited our reviews page and you now have a pretty good idea of which sites you’d like to play with, Super!
If you are anything like we were when we started playing, we are sure that you’re still a bit nervous to part ways with your hard earned moola, and you know what, that’s perfectly normal.
The real truth, and something to always remember, sports betting sites were designed and created by humans. What this means is that they understand very well that if you are new to the world of sports betting you may first want a trial run before fully committing yourself, kind of like a test drive for a new car. It is based on this very test drive mentality that the bonus incentive was created. Making use of Bonuses is therefore a great way for you to experience a new bookmaker with little to no risk.
Similarly to this, customer loyalty in the sports betting game is everything, so making sure that loyal customers are rewarded is vitally important. Because of this Sportsbooks will ensure that attractive rewards and bonus incentives are constantly available for existing players to claim and utilise.
What Is A Sports Betting Bonus?
Think of a bonus as a type of reward or incentive that sports betting sites make available to help you on your betting journey. There are many different types of bonuses that sportsbooks make available to players, all of which carry different purposes. Bonuses are a great way to help elevate your chances of winning, they can also be a great way to get started.
Types Of Sports Betting Bonuses
There are many different types of bonuses available, there are those intended for new players when signing-up or registering for a new sports betting account, and then there are those used as rewards or incentives given to loyal or existing players.
Bonuses are great if you know how and when to use them correctly, here at Probets we are all about equipping you with the info you need to start playing intelligently, so for your ease we’ve identified the different types of bonus offers you could expect, and more importantly when to claim them.
No Deposit Bonus
No deposit bonuses are probably the most attractive and sought after bonus offers by players. No deposit bonuses require absolutely no initial real money deposit by the player when they sign up or register for an account. For example a sportsbook would offer new players a free R50 no deposit bonus incentive simply for signing up and creating a betting account. The bonus amount will normally be credited within 24hrs and is usually subject to FICA verification first.
No Deposit bonuses are a fantastic way for new players to trial a sportsbook without having to make a real money deposit using their own funds. Players can place bets using their no deposit bonus and based on their experience, decide whether to keep playing or to deposit further funds.
With any bonus it is vitally important to know that terms and conditions will always apply. Many of the time these come in the form of limited bets, so for example you bonus can only be utilised on certain sproting fixtures or events. The second thing that bonuses normally involve is that they require you to place a certain number of wagers/bets before you can cash out your winnings
No deposit bonuses in our view are always great to claim given that the wagering requirements are fair, and that the fixtures or events that you can actually utilise your bonus on aligns to your likes and preferences. If this isn’t the case then we recommend that you rather sign up and make your own small deposit where you will have far more control over your bets and winnings
Deposit Bonuses
Deposit bonuses are slightly different to that of the no deposit bonus, but still very valuable in the right situations. The deposit bonus simply requires you as the player to first make a deposit using your own funds before you can qualify to receive the specific bonus offer.
Generally deposit bonuses work on what is known as a percentage match basis, meaning that for every amount you deposit the sportsbook will match that deposit with a specific percentage amount, usually 100%, 200% or in some cases as much as 300%.
When it comes to deposit bonuses they normally carry with them a maximum deposit amount. You will normally see something along the lines of 100% up to xxx or 200% up to xxx. What this means is that the deposit bonus is only valid up to that specific deposit amount.
Additionally Deposit bonuses can also come in the form of a second or third deposit bonus. This is essentially rewarding or incentivising returning players who aren’t making their first deposit but rather their second or third.
When looking to claim a deposit bonus, first look at the wagering requirements as well as the max deposit amount, if these are favourable then this is a great incentive to take.
A word of caution, don’t fall victim to attractive bonuses if your financial means don’t allow. Always play responsibly and never over extend yourself.
Ongoing Bonuses & Promotions
The Final type of sports betting related bonus is those which are ongoing and very much dependant on the unique player. Many times sportsbooks will offer ongoing bonuses and promotions to reward and incentivise loyal and existing players.
The types of ongoing promotions also differ, majority of these come in the form of a deposit match bonus, whereby players will receive a percentage match of their deposit up to a certain point i.e. 100% up to R5,000
The other type of ongoing promotion follows very much the events and fixtures that are taking place. These could be example such as:
- Winning your multiple stake back if one of your multiple bets losses
- Receiving a bet boost if you place a multiple bet on the top four goal scorers for upcoming EPL fixtures
- Getting a free bet back if one of your multiple bets losses
The final type of ongoing bonus or promotion incentive includes those that carry with them a specific theme, these usually fall within major holidays or events such as Black Friday, Christmas and Easter specials which players can then claim and utilise over selected periods of time.
Who Can Claim A Bonus?
There are a few requirements that need to be met before you can qualify for a particular bonus, as mentioned these do differ from bookie to bookie, and bookies are by no means obligated to offer any type of bonus incentive, of course we recommend sticking to the ones that do.
The most noticeable requirements are as follows:
- You must be 18 years of age or older
- You must register an account with the specific bookmaker
- You must be FICA verified You must be a new customer, they won’t accept customer who have already registered in the past
Understanding the T’s & C’s
One of the most important rules when it comes to bonuses is to remember that pretty much every bonuses will come with it’s own terms & conditions.
We’ve seen and experienced this ourselves many times, you sign-up for your new account, your receive your great welcome bonus offer only to find out that you cannot bet on the sporting fixtures you want, or if you do bet and win you cannot withdrawal due to the minimum wagering requirements.
There are essentially two things you want to look out for when it comes to bonus terms and conditions.
Minimum Betting Odds requirements
What many bookmakers will do is that they will only allow you to utilise your bonus money on bets with specific odds, say 1,25 or more, normally the odds are high, placing the bet at greater risk, however with that being said greater odds means greater winnings too, and seeing as the bet is made using the bookmakers money you really have nothing to lose.
Roll over terms
The second thing you want to look out for is the number of times the bonus bet needs to be rolled over before you can withdraw your winnings, this one gets 99% of people. What this means is that you need make a specific number of bets using the bonus amount before you can actually withdrawal the winnings. For example if it says the bet needs to be rolled over 5 times that means you need to bet on different outcomes a min of 5 times before you can actually withdrawal your winnings.
The final thing we’d like you to know is that most bookies will require FICA verification before you can withdrawal, so just make sure to have these documents on hand prior to the time.