What Are Reload Offers?
A reload is just another term for making a deposit. The ‘re’ part of it refers to the fact that it’s not the first-ever deposit you made so reload betting offers are never part of a welcome offer. A reload offer involves sports betting sites giving you extra money when you make your next deposit but as we’ll soon see, it comes with some strings attached.
How Do Reload Offers Work?
The availability of reload betting bonuses is usually communicated to customers via private channels, like an e-mail, SMS or a pop-up message when you log in to your account. The reason that they’re not communicated to all customers at the same time is that all customers are different and of different value to sportsbooks. There isn’t a ’one-size-fits-all’ approach to giving out sportsbook reload bonuses.
Reload bonuses mean that when you next make a deposit the betting site will top up your deposit with their own money to give you extra funds to play with. There are normally three key elements to bookie reload offers:
- The bonus percentage: This could be anything between about 25% and 150%. 25% means the betting site will add 25% on top of whatever you deposited. 100% means they’ll double what you deposited and so on.
- The maximum amount you can claim: It wouldn’t be practical for someone to claim a 50% bonus on a deposit of €1 million and get €500,000 extra funds. So, the Sportsbook will determine the maximum amount you can claim as a bonus. For example, 100% up to €100 means bonus funds are capped at €100.
- Wagering requirements: A key part of betting reload offers is that they’re not given in cash. They’re bonus money so there are wagering requirements that must be met before you can withdraw the cash or else customers could just make a deposit, claim the reload offer and withdraw both the initial deposit and all the bonus money straight away.
Different Types of Betting Reload Offers
Most of the best sports reload betting bonuses work in this way: you make a deposit and will be given a pre-determined percentage of the value of your deposit to gamble with, up to a maximum amount. But they might differ in a few of the small details regarding what you need to do to get the bonus or how to use it.
Straight Reload Bonus
A reload bonus you can use however you like. In some cases, there may be an expiry date on the bonus money, though usually not the deposited money. It’s very rare for the reload bonus to be in free bets or any other form of bonus that’s not extra funds to play with.
Payment Method Reload Bonus
In a bid to motivate players to make their next deposit with Method A over Method B to try to create a habit for the future, bookies may offer a reload bonus that’s only available when depositing with a particular payment option.
Seasonal or Event-Specific Reload Bonus
It works the same way as ever with the only difference being that it’s time-specific in terms of when you can claim it and sometimes open to all customers rather than hand-picked ones. For example: the reload bonus may only be available to be claimed in the three days leading up to Christmas, or in the week preceding a big event like Wimbledon or the Euros.
How to Claim Reload Offers
Here’s what you need to do in order to claim a reload offer.
- Have an active betting account and set up a payment option.
- Find a live reload offer on your chosen sportsbook either via e-mail, SMS or in an on-site banner.
- Read the terms and conditions carefully so you know exactly what you need to do.
- Opt-in to the reload offer. This could be by just ticking a box or it might be that you need to enter a certain bonus code.
- Make your deposit remembering that there will be a minimum deposit amount required and payment method limitations.
- Make sure you use the bonus within the specified period, or you’ll lose it.
- Make a plan as to how you’re going to meet the wagering requirements and follow it, assuming you’re keen to withdraw the bonus and winnings from it.
Pros and Cons of Sportsbook Reload Offers
Every bonus or promotion has its good aspects and some downsides, so the question is what you are comfortable with when it comes to claiming a bonus. Let’s now look at all the pros and cons of reload offers.
Pros:
- An easy way to have extra real money to play with.
- Normally, there are very few or no restrictions regarding the sports to bet on or markets you can use it on.
- Claiming one reload offer is likely to see you being offered more in the future.
- You’re often being rewarded for something that maybe you were going to do anyway (make a deposit) rather than something you wouldn’t normally do.
Cons:
- A high minimum deposit requirement may convince you to deposit more than you normally would, just to get the offer.
- Wagering requirements of over 8x make it very tricky for you to meet them and collect the bonus.
- Because of the wagering requirements, betting bonuses of less than 25% are probably not worth your while.
Useful Tips About Betting Reload Offers
And now for some last-minute tips to get the most out of the reload bonus offers:
- Don’t deposit any more than the amount needed to claim the maximum amount in bonus money. Save the extra money for another day in the future when you might want to claim another reload offer.
- Always check this very page for the best reload offers going or other best free bet offers available.
- Read the terms and conditions carefully to avoid missing out on the reload offer entirely, or not making the most of it.
- Don’t be afraid to ask Customer Service at the Sportsbook itself, or your Account Manager (if you have one), for a reload bonus. Very often it’s as much in their interest to give you one, as it is yours.
