Betting Bonuses France - What You Need to Know
France has a rich history when it comes to gambling, with horse racing, sports betting, card games, lotteries and land-based casinos all being a big part of French culture for decades. Something that was only enhanced by the arrival of the internet, which made so many of these forms of gambling so much more accessible.
Furthermore, the 2010 law that was introduced to allow private operators to enter the sports betting market in France not only increased the amount of betting sites where French players could play but also vastly increased the number and variety of France betting bonuses on offer.
Whereas previously, going online meant going to state-owned betting websites with little or nothing in terms of betting bonuses for France players, the goalposts have now shifted for good.
Let’s have a look at what sort of betting bonuses in France are on offer, how they work and the key terms and conditions you should be aware of to get the most out of them.
Different Types of Betting Bonuses in France
Experienced gamblers will know that there are dozens of different betting bonuses when it comes to online sports betting. From old favourites such as reload bonuses and free bets to more recent additions like Odds Boosts, there’s plenty to look forward to.
If you’re a bit new to the best betting offers France, here’s a summary of some of the ones to look out for and how they work.
Free Bets
This is probably the most common bonus across online sportsbooks all over the world at the moment, with free bets also rapidly becoming a firm favourite when it comes to France betting bonuses.
Free bets normally come in two forms: those awarded as part of the Welcome Offer or those awarded further down the line to existing customers.
When it’s part of the sports betting welcome offers, it normally requires you to make a deposit before you can claim it.
The best free bets are the ones where once you deposit a minimum amount, say €5 or 10, the betting site will give you €20-50 in free bets for you to use. Normally, you can use them on any sport you like, though there may be restrictions in terms of the minimum odds at which you place them (normally 1.5 or greater) or the type of bet you must place.
For example, maybe they have to be placed as multiples, or alternatively, maybe they can only be placed as singles.
Free bets awarded to existing customers generally don’t require you to make a deposit. They’re a reward for your loyalty or a way for the Sportsbook to promote a particular event.
Deposit Match Bonuses
These are very much dependent on you making a deposit and, again, can either be part of a welcome offer or be available to existing customers.
The idea is that the betting site gives you extra (bonus) money to bet with, the exact amount being dependent on the percentage mentioned in the deposit offer and the maximum amount you can claim.
For example:
100% up to €100
Whatever you deposit, the site will match. If you deposit €20, they’ll give you 20. If you deposit €100, you’ll get the full 100.
50% up to €50
Here, you get half of what you deposit given to you as bonus money to bet with. If you deposit 50, you’ll get 25. If you deposit 100, you’ll get a maximum of €50.
Cashback Betting Bonuses
Generally, this refers to a betting company giving you back a percentage of any losses incurred over a particular period, like a week or month.
For example, if you had a bad month and lost €500 during it, the sportsbook may give you back, say, 20%, meaning they’ll credit your account with €100, so you have money to bet with and another chance to try and secure a profit.
One thing to be aware of here- and the same is true of all bonus money- is that it’s different to cash; see the wagering requirements explanation below.
It should also be noted that in many cases, cashback bonuses are only available to VIP customers or saved for cases where a large amount of money has been lost over a time period.
Cashback is very rarely on offer to all customers at a sportsbook as France sports betting bonuses.
Boosted Odds
This one has become very fashionable recently to the extent that it’s now one of the more common France betting bonuses.
Here, a Sportsbook will give you increased odds on a particular selection. For example, they might give you odds of 1.8 on PSG to beat Marseille, when normally PSG would be 1.65.
Given you’re getting a bigger payout than usual should it win, it’s a form of bonus in its own right. But the extra winnings are cash, not bonus money, which is a good thing.
Risk-Free Bets
These, on the other hand, have gone somewhat out of fashion, but you do still see them among betting bonuses for France players.
The difference between risk-free bets and free bets is that risk-free bets require you to use your own money to place the original bet. If it wins, you pocket the winnings plus the stake. If it loses, you’ll get a bet for the same amount to use on a future event.
Bonus Terms and Conditions in France
Bonus terms and conditions in France vary from sportsbook to sportsbook and from offer to offer. Here are a few to be aware of that are present at most betting sites.
- Minimum deposit/minimum bet amount: There will always be a minimum amount you need to deposit or to bet in order to get your deposit bonus or free bet/risk-free bet. Make sure you meet that requirement.
- Expiry date(s): There will generally be a date by which you need to make your deposit in order to be able to claim the bonus. When awarded a free bet, there will also be a certain number of days (normally 7) by which you need to use it. If you don’t use it by then, you’ll lose it.
- Minimum odds: Both with qualifying bets and free/risk-free bets, there will generally be a requirement that you need to place the bet at minimum odds, which are generally 1.5 or 1.8. Make sure you do, or you won’t be able to claim the bonus or keep the winnings from your free bet. There will never be maximum odds at which you can place the bet.
- Wagering requirements: Reload bonuses will always have wagering requirements, as does cashback, while winnings from free bets sometimes do, as well. When a betting site gives you cashback or bonus money courtesy of a deposit bonus, it’s not yours to withdraw instantly. Instead, it’s money available for you to bet with, and you’ll always have to play it through at least once before you can withdraw it. If you were given €20 in bonus money with wagering requirements of 4x, you’d need to wager €80 worth of bets before you could withdraw it.
- Stake not returned: When you’re given a free bet, and it goes on to win, you generally only get to keep the winnings from it, not the stake itself. So, if you were given a €5 free bet, you placed it on a 3.0 chance, and it won, you’d keep the profits (€10), but the betting site would keep the €5 stake.
