Do You Get Your Stake Back on a Free Bet?

Quick answer: no, unfortunately you don't get your stake back on free bets. Most bookies offer them under "Stake Not Returned" rules, so if they win you get the profit, but not the stake back.

Free bets are among the most popular promotional tools used by online bookies, designed to attract both new customers, as well as to retain existing members.

While they offer genuine value and a risk-free way to experience betting at a new online bookie, the finer details behind free bets can be misunderstood.

One of the most common question we get asked is: Do you get your stake back on free bets? The short answer is no, you won't get your stake back if you win a free bet.

With free bets, you only receive the profit if the bet wins, not the original stake. This is called "Stake Not Returned" (SNR), and is standard practice at the bookies we feature.

Free Bet Stakes Explained

Unlike normal betting where you supply the stake and it therefore means you're risking your own money, free bets allow you to place a bet without any risk to your personal finances.

However, this doesn't mean the returns from free bets are straightforward as they operate slightly differently from normal bets where you use your own funds.

When a regular bet wins you get both your original stake back, as well as the bets profit.

However, when a free bet wins you'll only receive the profit portion, as the stake was given to you as "betting credit" by the bookie, and therefore not your own money.

Example of a Free Bet:

• Free bet: Bet £20 on Arsenal at odds of 3.0 (2/1)
• Arsenal win: You only receive the £40 profit, not the £20 stake
• Arsenal lose: You receive nothing but also lose nothing

This difference between a free bets' stake and a normal bets' stake, impacts how you should use these types of bookie promotions and therefore the value you attach to them.

What Happens to Free Bet Winnings?

The winnings from free bets are treated as real money once credited to your account.

This means that you can withdraw the winnings immediately (subject to any potential wagering requirements that the free bet offer may have), or use them to place further bets.

Do You Get Money Back If Your Free Bet Loses?

No, unfortunately if your free bet loses, you receive nothing back from the transaction.

However, this is also the "risk-free" aspect of money back as a free bet offers - you haven't lost any of your own money, only the credit that the bookie gave you as part of the deal.

What Does "Stake Not Returned" (SNR) Mean?

The key principle governing the stakes of most free bets is SNR (Stake Not Returned).

SNR is the industry standard term for free bets where only the winnings are paid out, meaning the original stake isn't included in any returns if the bet proves successful.

This applies to even the best free bets that are currently being offered by UK bookies.

How SNR Works: Step-by-Step

To understand SNR further, here are identical bets using your own money, versus a free bet:

A Normal Cash Bet (Stake Returned):

• Bet: £20 on Newcastle Utd to win at odds of 3.0 (2/1)
• Newcastle Utd win: You receive £60 total (£40 profit + £20 original stake)
• Newcastle Utd lose: You lose your £20 stake

A Free Bet (Stake Not Returned):

• Free bet: £20 on Man City to win at odds of 3.0 (2/1)
• Man City win: You receive £40 profit only (no stake returned)
• Man City lose: You win nothing but also lose nothing

As these examples demonstrate, with SNR free bets, you only receive the winnings portion of what would normally be your total return. The £20 free bet stake is basically "consumed" by the bookie in the actual betting process, regardless of the outcome.

Why Won't i Get my Stake Back?

The reason that online bookies don't return stakes on free bets is pretty straightforward: the stake was never your money to start with.

The free bet represents promotional credit from the bookie, not your personal funds. When you use a free bet, you're actually using the bookie's money in an attempt to win real money.

This structure serves several purposes for bookies:

• It limits their liability when giving away free bets
• It keeps the promotional nature of the offer, while also providing value
• It encourages customers to place more bets after using the free bet

Why "SNR" Became Industry Standard

We believe that SNR (Stake Not Returned) rule became the universal standard for free bet stakes at all of the major UK bookies for several key reasons:

Controlling Costs: Retaining the stake on free bets limits a bookies liability while still appearing to provide genuine value to their members.

Regulatory Compliance: Most bookies clearly state in the terms and conditions of free bet offers whether stakes are returned, ensuring transparency.

Business Sustainability: Free bet promotions allow bookies to offer attractive deals without giving away excessive amounts of money.

Customer Acquisition: Even by retaining a free bets stake if it wins, they still provide decent value while encouraging potential customers to experience their betting platform.

In contrast the opposite term,"Stake Returned" (SR), is extremely rare and typically only found with dodgy offshore betting portals, which are rarely the best option for UK residents.

Stake returned free bets are generally much more valuable, allowing matched bettors to extract around 95% of the free bet's face value, compared to approximately 70% for SNR bets.

However, we've always advised betting with licensed UK betting platforms that are much safer to interact with as they're regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.

This body has also implemented strict regulations governing free bet offers, including requirements for clear terms and conditions and restrictions on potentially harmful promotions.

SNR's Impact on Free Bet Strategy & Value

Understanding the impact of a bookies "Stake Not Returned" policy on free bets really does affect how you should approach these types of promotions:

• Value: SNR free bets typically convert to around 70% of their stated value when employing matched betting, while SR bets can achieve conversion rates. of 90% or more.
• Odds: With SNR bets, higher odds generally provide better value since you're only receiving the profit portion of the bet. A £10 free bet at odds of 5.0 (4/1) will give you a £40 profit, while the same bet at odds of 1.5 (1/2) only returns a profit of £5.
• Matched Betting: While normal bets return your stake if they win, a free bet operates under SNR rules, requiring different calculations for lay betting strategies.

Current Market Practices:

When you see terms like "stakes not included in any returns" or "stakes not returned" in a free bets small print, this usually indicates that the promotion is adhering to SNR rules.

This means that whether you're claiming Bet Credits at bet365, a money back offer from Betfred, or a free bet on a specific event from Coral, the SNR rule will apply.

It's also a good thing that most online bookies have the SNR on free bets as it means you can apply the same value calculation methods and strategies regardless of bookie,

This makes it much easier to compare offers and maximise the value you get from free bets.

So How Much Is a Free Bet Actually Worth?

Due to the SNR nature of free bets, their actual value works out be less than their stated value. However with matched betting, free bets can be converted to around 70-80% of face value.

So to answer the question "Are free bets worth it?". Absolutely, just be aware of the following:

Free Bet Values:

• A £10 free bet = £7-8 real value
• A £25 free bet = £17.50-20 real value
• A £50 free bet = £35-40 real value

Maximise a Free Bets Value:

To get the most from SNR free bets:

• Bet at higher odds: Higher odds provide better value conversion
• Use matched betting - Potential to extract 70-80% value
• Read terms carefully - Check for minimum odds requirements
• Avoid low odds - These provide poor value for SNR bets

Optimal Odds Selection:

Research suggests that for SNR free bets, higher odds generally provide better value conversion rates. However, this needs to be balanced against the probability of the bet winning.

Free Bet Stakes v Normal Bet Stakes

When betting at online bookies it's important to understand that a normal bets stake differs from a free bets stake. The following table highlights the key differences between the two:

A normal bet means you're risking your own money so if it loses, you lose money as you supplied the stake. In contrast, a free bets stake is provided to you by the bookie, and therefore not your own funds, so it wouldn't be returned to you if it won.

Common Misconceptions About Free Bets

A few misunderstandings tend to pop up with free bets, which can lead to poor decision making:

Thought: Free bets make betting risk-free
Reality: While you don't risk your own money on a free bet, they can encourage you to gamble more and aren't truly "risk-free bets" in terms of developing bad habits.

Thought: All free bets are the same
Reality: Free bets come with varying terms and conditions, including restrictions. Some have to be used on certain sports or bet types, while others have minimum odds requirements.

Thought: Free bets have no real value
Reality: Free bets do offer some value as it's possible to convert them to approximately 70-80% of their face value, often via matched betting techniques.

Though: You should always bet on long shots
Reality: While higher odds offer higher potential returns, the best strategy depends on your goals and whether you're trying to convert the free bet into withdrawable cash.

Common Questions About Free Bet Stakes

Here some common questions that we get regarding free bets and how they effect stakes:

Q: What does SNR mean in relation to free bets?
A: SNR stands for "Stake Not Returned" - the standard term for free bets where only winnings are paid back to the bettor, not the original stake.

Q: Do you get your original stake back on a free bet?
A: Nearly all free bets operate on a SNR basis, meaning only profits are paid out if they win.

Q: Do all bookies free bets utilise SNR rules?
A: Yes, all of the licensed bookies that we feature use SNR terms for their free bet promotions.

Q: Can you withdraw free bet winnings immediately?
A: Yes, once free bet winnings are credited to your account, they become real money that you're able to withdraw (subject to any wagering requirements).

Q: Why don't bookies return the stake on free bets?
A: The stake was never yours to begin with - it's promotional credit that the bookie gave you. Returning it to you would mean they were giving away free money.

Q: Are there any free bets that return the stake?
A: Stake Returned (SR) free bets are extremely rare in the gambling industry, and are typically only offered by some offshore bookies, not licensed UK betting portals.

Free Bet Stake Returns: In Summary

To answer the original question: No, you generally don't get your stake back on a free bet.

This is the standard across all of the major bookies. Free bets use "Stake Not Returned" (SNR) rules, meaning you only receive the profit from winning bets, not the original stake.

While this slightly reduces the value of free bets to roughly 70-80% of their face value, they still provide a risk-free opportunity to potentially generate a profit.

The key to success with free bets lies in understanding the minor details, reading the terms and conditions associated with them, and having realistic expectations when using them.

Whether you're using free bets to try out a new online bookie, or to experience betting on a market, or bet type that you normally wouldn't, free bets can be valuable assets.

Remember that free bets are promotional tools designed to benefit bookies in the long run, but with proper understanding, they can provide significant value to most bettors.

By recognising that you don't get your stake back with free bets, and understanding the different types of offers that are available, you can make the most of these bookie promotions.

So the next time you get that tempting "Free £10 Bet" offer in your inbox, just remember that you’re only going to be playing for the profit, not the full return you get with normal bets.