Sportsbook promo terms explained

Sportsbook promo terms are the conditions attached to a sportsbook promotion: what you must bet, what you get, when it expires and what you can withdraw. This glossary defines those terms in plain English. LineGoat does not list or recommend offers, and nothing here is a reason to take one.

Several states set rules for what promotion terms must say. Ohio's sportsbook rules list the items promotion terms there must spell out: start and end dates, rules of play, the nature and value of the award, eligibility limits, wagering and redemption requirements, eligible events or wagers, and how to cancel. New Jersey's 2023 advertising standards require wagering requirements to be clear in the terms. Colorado and New York restrict calling an offer "free" when the bettor still risks their own money. Most of the terms below map to one of those rules.

Labels differ between sportsbooks. One sportsbook's "bonus funds" can be another sportsbook's "bonus bets", so read how the full terms define each label.

Playthrough (wagering requirement)

Playthrough is the amount you must bet before bonus money, or winnings tied to it, can be withdrawn as cash. Playthrough is also called a wagering requirement or a rollover requirement, and terms usually state playthrough as a multiple of the bonus, such as "1x" or "5x". On deposit bonuses, some sportsbooks apply the multiple to the deposit plus the bonus, not to the bonus alone.

EXAMPLE numbers, not a real offer: a $50 bonus with a 5x playthrough means $250 in qualifying bets ($50 × 5) before the bonus balance can be withdrawn. A 1x playthrough on the same $50 means $50 in qualifying bets.

Ohio's rules allow a sportsbook to require bonus funds to be played through before withdrawal, but your own deposited money and winnings from bets placed with your own money must stay withdrawable. New Jersey's 2023 advertising standards require wagering requirements to be clear in the terms.

Bonus bets

A bonus bet is a promotional stake you can bet with but cannot withdraw. When a bonus bet wins, sportsbooks usually pay only the winnings; the bonus bet stake itself is not returned.

EXAMPLE numbers, not a real offer: a $20 bonus bet at +150 that wins pays $30 (the winnings only). A $20 cash bet at +150 that wins returns $50 ($30 winnings plus the $20 stake).

Bonus bets usually come with conditions of their own: one bonus bet per wager, no splitting a bonus bet across several bets, exclusions for some bet types, and an expiry date. Winnings from a bonus bet usually land in your cash balance.

Site credit

Site credit is promotional money in your account that, at least one sportsbook says, returns both the stake and the winnings when a bet placed with it wins. A losing site credit bet returns nothing, and the site credit amount itself cannot be withdrawn before it is bet.

EXAMPLE numbers, not a real offer: a $20 site credit bet at +150 that wins returns $50 under that definition, the same as a cash bet. Other sportsbooks use "site credit" or "bonus funds" differently, so check how the term is defined before assuming the stake comes back.

Cash

Cash is the money in your account you can withdraw: your deposits and winnings that are not tied to a promotion. Bets placed with cash return the stake plus winnings when they win. A promotion's terms may require the qualifying bet to be placed with cash, not with bonus bets or site credit.

"Bet and get"

A "bet and get" promotion gives you a stated reward, usually in bonus bets, for placing a qualifying bet. In the "bet and get" definitions we read, the reward is issued whether the qualifying bet wins or loses, once the bet meets the terms.

EXAMPLE numbers, not a real offer: "bet $X, get $Y in bonus bets" means you bet $X of your own money on an eligible market at eligible odds, and $Y in bonus bets is credited later, with its own expiry date.

First-bet refund (also called a "No Sweat" or second-chance bet)

A first-bet refund is a promotion tied to an account's first qualifying bet. If that bet loses, the sportsbook refunds the stake up to a stated maximum, usually in bonus bets or site credit, not in cash. One US sportsbook calls this a "No Sweat" promotion, and Ontario's government-run sportsbook calls the same mechanic a "Second Chance Bet".

EXAMPLE numbers, not a real offer: a first bet of $25 that loses, under a refund offer with a $25 maximum, is refunded as $25 in bonus bets. Under the bonus bet rules above, that refund can't be withdrawn, and if the refund bet wins, the $25 stake is not returned. A refund in bonus bets is not the same as getting your $25 back in cash.

Deposit match

A deposit match is a promotion that adds bonus money equal to a percentage of a deposit, up to a stated cap. The bonus money comes with a playthrough requirement before it can be withdrawn, and some sportsbooks count the deposit plus the bonus toward that requirement.

EXAMPLE numbers, not a real offer: a 50% match with a $100 cap adds $50 to a $100 deposit and $100 to a $300 deposit. With a 1x playthrough on the bonus alone, the $50 bonus needs $50 in qualifying bets; on deposit plus bonus, it needs $150.

Odds boost (profit boost)

An odds boost raises the payout on one eligible bet. Each boost states what it can be used on: any bet, or one sport, game or bet type. Boosts expire, and one sportsbook's terms say a boost can't be combined with other rewards.

Odds minimum

An odds minimum is the shortest price a qualifying bet can have. Terms often write it as "-200 or longer", which means the bet must be priced at -200 or a bigger payout.

EXAMPLE numbers, not a real offer: under "-200 or longer", bets at -200, -150, +100 or +150 qualify. A bet at -250 does not qualify. For a parlay, the minimum usually applies to the total parlay odds.

Expiry

Expiry is the deadline to meet a promotion's requirements or to use a reward. Promotion terms can carry two deadlines: the promotion period (when the qualifying bet must be placed) and the reward's own expiry (when a bonus bet or site credit must be used). Unused rewards are lost at expiry.

EXAMPLE numbers, not a real offer: a bonus bet credited on day 1 with a 7-day expiry must be placed by the end of day 7.

Max bonus

Max bonus is the cap on what a promotion pays out, whatever the size of the qualifying bet. On a promotion that matches a percentage of your stake, the max bonus is the most it will match.

EXAMPLE numbers, not a real offer: a 50% match with a $100 max bonus pays $50 in bonus bets on a $100 qualifying bet and still $100 on a $500 bet, not $250.

Eligible markets

Eligible markets are the sports, games and bet types that count toward a promotion or that a reward can be used on. A bonus bet can be all-purpose or limited to one sport, one game or one bet type. Some bet types, such as teasers, can be excluded. A bet on an ineligible market does not count, even if it wins.

Opt-in

Opt-in is the step of signing up for a specific promotion before you place the qualifying bet. If a promotion requires opt-in, bets placed before opting in do not count, and some sportsbooks won't add the offer to your account afterwards, so check before you bet.

New vs existing customers

Eligibility rules say who can take a promotion. Some promotions are limited to new accounts, often tied to the first deposit or first bet. Others go only to existing customers, sometimes by invitation based on past betting activity. A sportsbook can also restrict any account from a promotion under its terms.

"Risk-free" (a term to be wary of)

"Risk-free" is promotional language that regulators and the industry's own code restrict, because a bet that refunds a loss in bonus bets still risks your cash. Ohio's rules say a promotion described as free or risk-free must not require you to lose or risk your own money to use it or withdraw its winnings. Colorado's rules bar calling an offer "free" or "risk free" unless it is, and New York's advertising rules restrict "free" and "free of risk" wording. New Jersey's 2023 standards target "risk-free" claims where a bettor is not fully compensated for a loss. The American Gaming Association's marketing code bars "risk free" language when the bettor's own money is at risk. If you see "risk-free" or "free bet", read the terms for what you must stake and in what form any refund arrives.

What to check in any promo's terms

1. What qualifies: stake, odds minimum, eligible markets, opt-in and dates.
2. What is paid, and in what form: bonus bets, site credit or cash, and the max bonus.
3. What it takes to withdraw: playthrough, expiry and whether the stake is returned.
4. Who is eligible: new or existing accounts, and which states.

Every promotion is still a bet. A refund or bonus does not change the odds on the bet itself, and you can lose your own money. Bet only what you can afford to lose.