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Reload Offers

Even wondered how Bookmakers and Casinos keep their customers, when so many other sites are offering welcome offers and special deals to entice players to go elsewhere?  The answer is 'Reload Offers'.

Simply put, a Reload Offer is a special deal/offer that Bookmakers and Casinos give their customers to entice them to continue spending their money with them, instead of with a rival.

These 'Reload Offers' often fall into six distinct categories - 'Bet and Gets', 'Acca Refunds', 'Bet Builder Refunds', 'Horse Racing Refunds', 'Spend £10 to get free spins', and 'Free to play'.

We'll look in detail at each of these offers next, but if you want to jump to a particular type of Reload Offer, simply click the headings below :

Bet and Gets
Acca Refunds
Bet Builder Refunds
Horse Racing Refunds
Spend £10 to get free spins
Free to play

Reload Offers - What are they and how do they work?

1. Bet and Gets

By far the most common type of reload offer is the 'Bet and Get' offer.  Almost all the major Bookmakers offer these types of offers, so you should be able to find a 'Bet and Get' offer most days of the week.

One of the great things about 'Bet and Get' offers is that they offer you a way to obtain a free bet (or other reward) by placing a bet that you might already be intending to place, i.e, if you like betting on football on a Saturday, and someone offers you a free £5 bet for placing a £10 bet on a match on Saturday, you are only betting on something you would already be doing, so there is no extra risk to placing the bet.

You also don't have to place complicated bets or try to find a horse that will finish 2nd; in most cases, you simply need to place a pre-match bet of a certain value - usually £5 or £10.  Once your bet has settled, win or lose, you will be credited with a free bet that you can use on most sports events.

As with all offers, you need to read the terms and conditions of each offer to see if there are minimum odds or other qualifying criteria, but as an example, here is how a 'Bet £10 to get a £5 free bet' would work :

  1. Opt in to the offer (if required by the terms and conditions)
  2. Deposit £10
  3. Find a suitable pre-match bet at the required minimum odds (for example, 2/1)
  4. Place your 'qualifying bet'
  5. Wait for the bet to settle, after which you will be rewarded with a free £5 bet
  6. Use your free bet within the expiry period, usually 5-7 days, depending on the Bookmaker

As well as offering free bets, Bookmakers often run the same type of 'Bet and Get' offers with free spins or casino chips as the reward.  Check each offer carefully to see exactly what is being offered, and if it appeals to you, before engaging with the offer.

 2. Acca Refunds

An acca refund is a Bookmaker promotion that offers a refund when an accumulator bet loses under specific conditions. In most cases, the refund applies when only one selection in the acca loses.  Furthermore, the 'refund' is usually paid in the form of a free bet, not cash!

Typical acca refund offers follow this structure :

  1. You place a qualifying accumulator bet
  2. All but one selection must win
  3. If exactly one selection loses, your stake is refunded
  4. The refund is usually given as bonus credit or a free bet, not cash

If more than one selection loses, the refund does not apply!  As well as only receiving the refund if only one leg of the acca lets you down, there are often conditions attached to both the original acca bet and the free bet, such as a minimum number of legs, minimum odds, etc.  As always, make sure you read the terms and conditions carefully before placing your bet.

If you are comfortable with acca bets and understand how they work, acca refunds can be a good way to try to gain more value for your bet; however, if you don't usually place acca's then this type of offer may not be a suitable choice.

3. Bet Builder Refunds

A bet builder refund is a bookmaker promotion that offers a refund when a bet builder loses under specific conditions. Bet builders combine multiple selections from the same match into one bet, and normally, all selections must win for the bet to be successful.

While terms vary between bookmakers, bet builder refund offers typically work like this :

  1. You place a qualifying bet builder
  2. Most or all selections must win
  3. If one selection lets the bet down, the bookmaker may refund your stake
  4. The refund is usually issued as bonus credit or a free bet, not cash

If more than one selection loses, the refund usually does not apply!  As well as only receiving the refund if only one leg of the bet builder lets you down, there are often conditions attached to both the original bet and the free bet, such as a minimum number of legs, minimum odds, etc.  As always, make sure you read the terms and conditions carefully before placing your bet.

If you are comfortable with bet builder bets and understand how they work, bet builder refunds can be a good way to try to gain more value for your bet; however, if you don't usually place bet builder bets, then this type of offer may not be a suitable choice.

4. Horse Racing Refunds

There are several different types of horse racing refunds, but the most common include 'Money back if your horse finishes 2nd' or 'Free bet if your horse doesn't win a set race'.  In most cases, Bookmakers will run these offers on set days (Virgin Bet is on a Saturday) and on set races (for example, the 12.55 at Aintree).  Once you get used to when these offers are available, you can plan to take advantage of them.

You'll need to read the specific terms for each offer, but as a general rule, horse racing refunds work like this :

  1. Opt in to the offer if required by the terms and conditions
  2. Deposit the necessary amount (usually £10)
  3. Select the appropriate race and place a bet for the required amount on a horse that you think will not win (remember the refund only applies if your horse loses)
  4.  Wait for the race to finish, and if your horse didn't win, you should receive a free bet to the value of your original bet

If you are comfortable betting on horse racing and have a good understanding of how horse racing odds work, then it should be fairly simple to select a horse not to win (picking a horse to finish 2nd is more difficult), however, if you are new to horse race betting, then we would suggest that you practise with a few small horse racing bets (£1 or £2 per bet) to familiarise yourself with horse racing betting before attempting to use horse racing refunds.

5. Spend £10 to get free spins

Similar to a 'Bet and Get' offer, many Casinos use 'Spend and Get' offers to entice players to keep playing with them.  The premise is simple: spend a set amount of money on slots or table games (usually £10 or more), and you'll receive free spins.  The amount of free spins varies between Casinos, but the most common offer is 'Spend £10 to get 10 free spins'.

A typical 'Spend and Get' offer works like this :

  1. You deposit £10 with the Casino
  2. Wager the £10 on certain slots or table games
  3. Once you have wagered the full £10, your account will be credited with 10 free spins
  4. Use the free spins before they expire

'Spend and Get' offers can be a good way to extend your slot play, but as with all offers, the risk of losing money is still present, and you are not guaranteed to win anything from your free spins, so please consider how comfortable you are with slot games before accepting this type of offer.

6. Free to play

As their name suggests, free-to-play games are free, daily games that people can play without needing to deposit or wager money with the Bookmaker, and whilst the potential winnings are small, often 1-5 free spins or £0.10 to £0.50, they are a fun, simple way to interact with the Bookmaker and potentially win something each day.  Just bear in mind that if you only use a Bookmaker's free-to-play games and don't actually deposit and bet with them, this may negatively affect your account health and lead to possible account restrictions (see our 'Account Health' page for more information).

Some of our favourite free-to-play games include 'Fives' at Virgin Bet, 'The Prize Spinner' at SkyBet / SkyVegas, 'Paddy's Wonder Wheel' at PaddyPower, and 'Wheel of Fortune' at 888sport.com.

 

** Please note, the information provided on this page is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice!

Responsible Gambling: Betting involves risk. Only wager what you can afford to lose and ensure gambling is legal in your location. If you believe you may have a gambling issue, seek support from professional organizations.  When the fun stops, make sure you stop!
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