Every sportsbook wants to entice you with their bonuses but not all bonuses are the same. Some are free plays, some are match plays and some are cash. Here’s a description of the three avenues you can take and what they mean:
Free Play
A free play bonus is free money that you get from the sportsbook that you can play with, but is never actually yours.
For example:
Sportsbooks ‘R Us gives you a 30% free play on your $1000 deposit. Now your account is $1300 but technically, only $1000 of it is yours. The other $300 you can bet with as if they are yours and keep the winnings, but you can never withdraw that $300. If you lose the money, it’s just a free play that was never yours to begin with.
Match Play
A match play is very similar to a free play and in many ways, it’s just a synonym. As a matter of fact, it is a synonym.
A lot of sportsbook will give you a match play bonus, meaning that if you deposit an amount, they will give you a 100% free play bonus, therefore matching your deposit into the sportsbook with an equal bonus.
As far as how the bonus actually works, it is the same as a free play bonus.
cash bonus
A cash bonus is very simple: whatever bonus they give you, that is cash in your account. Once you have completed the rollover requirements, you can take the money out and your original deposit – along with the bonus – is yours to keep.
Verdict
If you’re a betting man, you would always prefer a cash bonus to anything else. Free play bonuses tend to be higher but that money is never yours. A cash bonus gives you everything that a free play bonus and more because you can withdraw and keep the bonus that they give you.
