When it comes to online sports betting, Nigeria is one country whose citizens are the most passionate. Almost every football season sees people gathered in viewing centres or seated at home following every match they’ve placed a bet on. The many sportsbooks in the region have since found ways to encourage more people to bet on their favourite sports with different bonuses like free bet no deposits in Nigeria.
Having access to such free bets doesn’t guarantee wins, and neither does sports betting qualify as a money-making venture. Still, it’s a great idea to know what free bets are and how to utilise them. Read on to understand the different types of free bets, terms that may be attached to them, and how to use them.
Types of Free Bets
Sports free bets come in different variants, and each type might come with unique qualifying conditions. The most common types of free bets you can encounter in Nigeria include these:
- No Deposit Free Bet: A no deposit free bet can be part of a welcome offer or even a promo deal. If it is a bonus for new clients, all it requires is to register at your preferred sportsbook. Sometimes you also have to verify your account. However, you must study the terms and conditions related to a no-deposit-free bet before using it. In many cases, such free bets can only be used for specific sporting activities and have wagering requirements.
- First Deposit Free Bet: Many bookmakers will give you a free bet after register with them and make a first deposit of a certain amount, usually specified in the terms and conditions. Sometimes making a bet of the same amount is also a qualifying thing to do. There is an opinion that a deposit bonus is far preferable to a no deposit free bet credited upon registration because there are typically many more T&Cs involved. As a rule, you can use a deposit free bet on any market.
- Bet Refund: This type of bonus is usually given to existing customers, but it can sometimes be a part of a sign-up offer. A losing wager’s value can be refunded in the form of cash or bet credits under a bet refund policy. Of course, there are limits and conditions to keep in mind, but these incentives can be very enticing. Quite many bookmakers offer cashback to their loyal customers which means they pay a certain percentage (usually 2%-5%, but the figure can be up to 15%) of all lost bets – as a rule, in the form of free bets.
- VIP (or Loyalty) Free Bet: Some bookmakers offer free bets as their loyalty bonus offer. You must be a member of the bookie’s VIP scheme or be able to wager a specified amount in sports bets within a fixed period. VIP free bets usually come with terms and conditions to be met before you can withdraw any winnings.
Qualifying conditions and steps for receiving Free Bets
Different types of free bets have different qualifying criteria. Every bookmaker will state these terms clearly under the bonus offer on the terms and conditions page. However, here’s an overview of what you’ll likely need to do to qualify and how to receive free bets.
Apart from the main qualifying actions described in the previous section (such as signing up, making a deposit and/or a bet, or meeting some criteria specified by a VIP programme), you may be required to enter a promotional or a bonus code provided by a bookmaker when registering a new account: unfortunately, if you forget to do so, the bookmaker will not credit you its bonus.
Some bookmakers make it a qualifying condition to top up your betting account using a specified payment system, though more often they state which payment methods make you not eligible for a free bet.
Sometimes you are not credited a free bet bonus automatically, but you have to send a request to customer support service, though these situations are rare.
The most important thing is to read the terms and conditions of receiving and using a bonus carefully and watch out for fine print.
Suppose your free bets are coming as a reload or cashback bonus. Claiming them is much easier as you don’t need to fill in any forms. For a reload deal, you simply need to top up your account to claim the free bets. If what you’re getting is a cashback bonus, you can only claim it after losing a certain amount in bets within a specified timeframe.
Customers looking to enjoy this perk as a VIP bonus must be part of the bookie’s VIP club. This can be a tricky one as different operators offer different criteria for joining their VIP programmes. At some Nigerian sportsbooks, you become a member of the VIP scheme once you register. Some others will send you a message when you qualify to become a member.
How to use Free Bets
Whenever you claim a bonus, the goal is to make the best use of it to enhance your sports betting experience. However, the only way you can enjoy your free bets is by understanding what the bookie expects in return for such generosity. This is where the terms and conditions come in, and you’ll have to meet them before you can make withdrawals most of the time.
When using free bets, it’s always a great idea to do so for fun and with no expectations. You can use these offers to test your prediction skills, as bets are mostly a matter of predicting possible outcomes. Besides, there is little or nothing at risk when you use free bets since your bankroll stays intact.
Why is it necessary to read the terms and conditions of receiving Free Bets?
The discussion of wagering requirements is the first and most crucial section of the terms and conditions of online bookmakers. Whether as a new customer or an existing one, you must meet the wagering requirements before you can withdraw your winnings you’ve got using bonuses. In other words, if you get a NGN100 bonus with a 10x wager requirement, you must first bet NGN1000 on betting markets that meet the requirements before you can withdraw any possible net bonus winnings. The free bet stake is usually not returned.
Another term to look out for is the bonus validity period. Bookmakers usually set the validity period for free bets between 3 and 7 days. If you don’t use them in time or don’t meet the wagering requirements, you could lose your winnings and any bonuses you haven’t used.
Also it is important to know for sure what the betting requirements are, i.e. odds and events. In many cases bookmakers state that you have to place a bet using a free bet credited at specified odds and on certain events or markets.
The terms and conditions can be boring and lengthy, but they hold all the important details for any bonus. You could end up claiming an offer with unrealistic requirements or missing out on any other clause if you don’t read the terms and conditions thoroughly.
Among the bookmakers operating in Nigeria and offering free bets are Betway, 1xBet, MelBet, BetBonanza. You can find a full list of reliable bookmakers at Match.Center Nigeria. This platform also provides info on their betting offers and bonuses for you to compare and choose the best conditions for you.