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You placed the qualifying bet, it settled, and the free bet has not appeared. Before you contact anyone, it is worth working through the list below, because in most cases the answer is a specific line in the offer terms rather than a mistake by the bookmaker.
One thing to be straight about up front: whether a free bet is owed to you depends entirely on the bookmaker’s own terms for that promotion. Nothing on this page can promise you it will be credited. What it can do is tell you where to look.
Check these first, in this order
1. Has the qualifying bet actually settled?
Free bets are almost always issued after the qualifying bet settles, not when it is placed. If the event has finished but the market has not been settled yet — which can take a while on some sports, and considerably longer if there is a stewards’ enquiry or a disputed result — the free bet has not been triggered yet. Check your bet history rather than the event result.
2. Did the qualifying bet meet the minimum odds?
Almost every welcome offer sets a minimum price. The most common beginner error is backing something at odds just under the threshold — and the odds that count are the ones your bet was struck at, not the ones showing now. This is the single most frequent cause.
3. Did you cash out?
Cashing out a qualifying bet very commonly voids it for promotional purposes, even though you still placed and settled a bet. If you cashed out, check that term specifically.
4. Which payment method did you deposit with?
Deposits made with certain e-wallets are excluded from promotions by many bookmakers. If you funded the account that way, the qualifying bet may never have counted. A debit card is the safe default when you are working an offer.
5. Did you need to opt in, or enter a code?
Some offers require you to click an opt-in button, or enter a promo code at registration or deposit, before the qualifying bet. Opting in afterwards does not usually backdate.
6. Was the bet type or market eligible?
Offers often specify a sport, a market, or a bet type. Each-way bets, system bets and some in-play markets are frequently excluded where the terms say “single bets only”. Check what you actually placed against what the terms allow.
7. Is it already there, somewhere else?
Free bets do not always land in your main balance. They frequently sit in a separate promotions, rewards or free bets area, and on some accounts they only appear as an option on the betslip once you have made a selection. Build a bet and look at the betslip before concluding it is missing.
If none of that explains it
Contact the bookmaker through live chat, and go in with the specifics: the bet ID or reference, the date and time it was placed, the odds it was struck at, and the exact wording of the offer you were working. A message that says “my free bet is missing” gets a slow generic reply. One that says “bet ID 12345678, placed 14:02 at 2.10, qualifying for the bet-and-get offer advertised on the sportsbook homepage” usually gets resolved on the spot.
If the bookmaker declines and you think their decision is wrong, UK-licensed operators must offer access to an approved alternative dispute resolution provider, and their complaints procedure will tell you which one they use.
Avoiding it next time
Screenshot the offer terms before you start. Promotions get edited, and having the version you actually acted on is worth a great deal in a live chat. Opt in first, use a debit card, check the minimum odds against your betslip before confirming, and do not cash out a qualifying bet.
Worth knowing that a missing free bet is not the same thing as a restricted account — if offers have stopped appearing for you entirely, that is a different problem. And if you are still working out how the qualifying bet and free bet fit together, the difference between stake-returned and stake-not-returned free bets is the thing to understand next, because it changes what the free bet is worth.
18+ only. Matched betting involves placing real bets and carries risk if done incorrectly. Please gamble responsibly. For free, confidential support visit BeGambleAware.
