Cheltenham Festival: Free Betting Offers
Every year for the Cheltenham Festival online bookmakers increase their new customer free bet offers, as well as running fantastic promotions for existing customers. Our blog talks through some of the promotions available from some of our partner bookmakers, and helps you to make the most out of the week’s offers.
The Festival
The Cheltenham Festival runs from Tuesday 12th March to Friday 15th March. This four-day event is the pinnacle of the National Hunt season and is widely regarded as the Greatest Festival of Horse Racing in the world. Top races include the Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the World Hurdle and the most eagerly anticipated of them all Friday’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Why are the offers and promotions so good?
The Festival gives online bookmakers a fantastic opportunity to attract potential new customers and showcase their site. Bookmakers can also show themselves to be generous with promotions and reward existing customers. The nature and size of promotions and offers also gives bookmakers an opportunity to gain increased publicity. Online bookmakers are able to encourage sign ups from people new to betting online, as well as people gambling on other sites who want to try out new sites and benefit from promotions.
New Customer Free Bets supersized!
Many online bookmakers increase or better their usual ongoing one off new customer sign up offer. As an example William Hill who traditionally offer a £25 matched free bet are offering a £50 matched free bet during Cheltenham Week.
Existing customers, you are in for a treat too...
Each day of Cheltenham new and existing customers can benefit from a host of other promotions. These include refund offers where a bookmaker returns stake if a horse is beaten narrowly, or if one horse they choose wins.
Enhanced odds offers are also common place, for example Coral’s offering of Evens on odds on favourite Sprinter Sacre (1/4 with some other bookmakers) to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase is one that has even been trending on Twitter.
Daily free bets are also being offered by some online bookmakers (to new and existing customers), essentially allowing the new customer offer to be taken each day of the festival. These encourage users to get involved each day and represent a great chance to bash the bookies.
Maximising your Bonus
As with any bonus/offer there are terms and conditions that are met in order to qualify for, and to use the bonus. These can be simply depositing and betting a certain amount, or betting on a certain race. Below we introduce our main partner bookmakers one by one, and explain their sign up offer, and other offers. We strongly recommend all our site users to sign up to several new bookmakers during the Festival, in order to benefit from the great offers, and try the sites out.
New Customer Sign Up: £50 Matched Free Bet (increased from a £25 Matched Free Bet)
This increased offer is the same terms and conditions as the standard offer and can be taken from Saturday 9th March to Friday 15th March. This can be wagered on any sporting event in Cheltenham week, not just the Festival. The code C50 must be used on sign up. The first bet must be placed at evens or greater on any event. The first bet amount will be matched so if you want the full £50 free bet you need to stake £50 on the first bet after depositing. The free bet must be used in its entirety and the free bet stake is not returned with the winnings.
Existing Customer Offer: Best Price Guarantee
William Hill are also offering best prices on the leading horses in major races each day, keep checking the homepage for details of this.
New Customer Sign Up: £60 Free Bet Basket (increased from a £50 Matched Free Bet)
This great offer allows you to receive £60 worth of free bets, without having to stake £50 in one bet as you would do with the £50 offer. This offer is structures as bet £20 to get a £20 free bet and can be repeated three times during the festival. Each of the three qualifying bets must be placed at odds of 1/2 or greater. Each free bet must be used in its entirety and the free bet stake is not returned with the winnings.
Existing Customer Offer: £40 Free Bet Basket (Bet £10, get £10 each day)
AND: Enhanced Odds sprinter Sacre to win Queen Mother Champion Chase
The bet basket offer can be used by existing and new customers, meaning new customers can potentially benefit from £100 worth of free bets. Customers need to stake £10 on the first race of the Festival each day, to then receive a £10 free bet by 4:30pm the same day. Free bets can be used on any sporting events. Sprinter Sacre is as short as 1/4 to win the Champion chase, however race sponsor Coral are offering odds of Even money. This can be taken by all customers up to a maximum stake of £20.
New Customer Sign Up: £50 No-Lose Bet (Increased from a £20 no-lose bet)
Betfair's appeal for Cheltenham is the betting exchange system which allows people to lay as well as back selections. Laying horses essentially means betting on a horse not to win a race. This offers a price and matches with another site user who is backing the horse to win. The £50 no-lose bet is an excellent offer too, if the first bet placed (up to £50 loses) then £50 is added back to the balance to be bet again. This is a huge offer, with Betfair's normal offer a £20 no-lose bet.
Existing Customer Offer: 2nd Place Specials
Betfair will be offering money back if your selected horse comes second on a number of races in the Festival. These will be announced each day.
New Customer Sign Up: £200 Matched Free Bet
Bet365 fantastic sign up offer doubles a new customer’s first deposit up to a maximum of £200. This means depositing £200 turns the balance into £400. As the free bet is converted into the account balance this means that effectively the stake of the free bet is returned with the winnings. The total balance needs to be turned over 3 times before a withdrawal is made, meaning betting through £1200 if the full £200 bonus is taken. This can be wagered at short odds of 1/2 which means this is easy to achieve.
Existing Customer Offer: Channel 4 Refund Offer
This offer can be used by existing customers, and new customers turning over their deposit and bonus. When betting on any of the Festivals many televised races on Channel 4 if a winner is chosen at odds of 4/1 or greater then the same stake is available as a free bet on the next televised race. This refund offer will be given up to £50 on each race. The offer applies on the first horse backed in the race.
Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply
Click to ClaimJon is one of Howtobet4free’s co-founders and as well as producing content for the site also helps run the @howtobet4free_ Twitter account and Cheltenham Festival Facebook page. Jon works in Marketing and Communications in professional sport.
