Sportsbook Referral Bonuses

What is a Sportsbook Referral Bonus?

Referral bonuses are pretty straightforward to understand. In essence, when you are referring friends to a betting site you have joined, you are inviting them to sign up with it too. You can do this through a referral link or a referral code. If it is a referral link, you can copy it and send it to your friend who will click on it and follow the instructions to register and claim the bonus. In contrast, if you are sending a referral code, your friend will need to enter that string of letters and numbers when signing up with the online bookmaker. The invitee will then need to follow the instructions provided to set up the betting account and activate the referral bonus.

For a sportsbook referral to work, both you and your friend will need to meet the requirements stipulated in the promo. It should be noted, though, that the person inviting doesn't need to comply with as many conditions as the invitee. If you are sending the invitation, you will likely only need to be careful not to invite restricted customers, such as family members or people residing in countries where online sports betting is illegal. The friends you invite, on the other hand, will usually need to register with the sports betting site and make a minimum qualifying deposit using an accepted payment method. As soon as they do that, and complete other bonus conditions, such as placing a qualifying bet, both of you will benefit from the Refer-a-Friend program and get the bonus funds or free cash you were promised.

Key Facts about Sports Betting Referral Bonuses

There's nothing complicated about sportsbook referral bonuses. Learning the key facts of how they work will help you understand referral programs even quicker. Let's look at some interesting facts and figures of Refer-a-Friend promos to see how you can use them to your advantage.

• Referral bonuses allow you to invite friends to a sportsbook and get incentives when they start betting.
• A successful referral is when the friend you invite registers, deposits and places a qualifying bet.
• Most betting sites allow you to invite multiple friends through Refer-a-Friend schemes.
• Referral program incentives include bonus funds and free bets.
• You can usually track and follow the progress of the referral you made.
• The referral link can usually be found on the referral program page or in the Promotions section of the sportsbook.

What to Look for When Claiming Referral Bonuses?

When opting in for Refer-a-Friend bonuses, a little preparation can go a long way. The best way to know what to expect from a bonus is to look at several key factors. They will determine whether claiming a promo is worth it or if you should consider a different Refer-a-Friend program.

Bonus Requirements

Some referral bonuses come with requirements so difficult to complete that neither you nor your friend will have a chance to meet them. These may include an unreasonably high minimum deposit amount for the invitee, steep wagering requirements, short bonus validity period, withdrawal restrictions, etc. If your first instinct after reading the terms and conditions of a referral scheme is to look elsewhere, you should probably do that.

Bonus Amount

Another thing to consider is whether the referral bonus will be worth your time and energy. In short, you should avoid Refer-a-Friend schemes that promise a lot, but once you read the fine print, you realize they deliver very little. Only opt in for a referral program if you are sure that you will benefit from the bonus bets or funds you will get.

Friend's Expectations

Before inviting your friends to join a sportsbook, it is a good idea to talk to them about their expectations. If they are realistic and know they will need to meet some terms and conditions before they get their bonus bet, that is great - you can continue with the referral process. However, if your friends expect to get the extra money straight away without completing wagering or placing a qualifying bet, you might want to explain what triggering a referral bonus entails.

Bonus Validity Period

Some sportsbook bonuses expire within 24 hours of activating them. That means you have to act quickly to make the most of each promo you claim. Fortunately, Refer-a-Friend programs usually last longer, and, on average, you will have about 30 days to complete the bonus conditions. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't check how much time you have before referral bonus funds expire.

Withdrawal Limitations

A lot of bonuses have withdrawal restrictions that usually come in the form of wagering requirements. As a rule of thumb, the more attractive a Refer-a-Friend scheme is, the greater the chances that it will come with steep playthrough conditions. So, why is this important? Well, to be able to withdraw your bonus winnings, you will first need to meet wagering. If that requirement is 4x the bonus amount, you will need to spend four times what the bookie gave you to be able to collect your winnings.

Betting Site Reputation

Inviting your friends to join a second-rate sportsbook just because it has an enticing referral bonus may not be fair to them. After all, as lucrative as a Refer-a-Friend program can be, it doesn't make up for odds which are not competitive and a poor selection of sports. Even worse, that betting site may not be licensed or utilize industry-standard security technology. If that's the case, you and your friends are much better off considering other, better, betting sites even if their referral bonuses are not as generous.

Consider Betting Style and Approach

Are you and your friends on tight bankrolls when betting online? If you are, analyze sportsbook betting offers carefully before you activate them. That goes double for Refer-a-Friend bonuses. Often, and particularly in the case of wagering requirements, punters need to spend several times their deposit and bonus amount before they can collect their bonus windfall. Needless to say, that can be problematic if you are used to wagering only small to moderate bets.

Referral Bonus Terms and Conditions Explained

Referral bonuses allow you to wager using the bookmaker's funds. Even better, you get bonus money when your friends are placing bets, meaning you might not have to do anything to get your bonus money. So, signing up for Refer-a-Friend schemes makes sense and might even increase your chances of winning if you find the best ones. However, locating enticing referral bonuses is tricky, mainly because of the terms and conditions they come with. These are the bonus requirements you need to pay attention to when opting in for referral programs.

Bonus Expiry

Like other betting offers, Refer-a-Friend bonuses expire after some time. Sometimes that validity window is bigger and a bonus bet may remain available for up to a month. Other times, you may be asked to use your bonus funds or free bets obtained through the referral program within 24 hours. As a rule of thumb, opt for bonuses that have longer validity periods if you want to make the most of them.

Minimum Deposit

After your friends opt in for the referral program and register a betting account with the bookmaker, they will usually need to make a deposit. However, not any deposit will do. Instead, they will need to meet the minimum deposit amount. For instance, a bookmaker may ask your friend to deposit £20 for the referral bonus to be activated. In that case, a lower deposit won't trigger the promo and neither you nor your friend will get the bonus incentives.

Wagering Requirements

Many bettors consider wagering requirements to be the most important conditions when claiming referral bonuses, and they are probably right. If a Refer-a-Friend bonus comes with steep wagering requirements, such as 10x on the deposit and bonus amount, it means your friend will need to spend ten times the deposit and bonus amount combined before any bonus winnings can be withdrawn. Therefore, it is super-important that you locate Refer-a-Friend bonuses that have reasonable wagering conditions.

Player Restrictions

Many referral programs have restrictions on who you can invite to join the sportsbook. While it goes without saying that you cannot invite existing customers or players residing in restricted regions, you might sometimes be prohibited from inviting family members or people who used to have a betting account with the sportsbook but closed it in the past.

Payment Method Exclusions

Lastly, before triggering a Refer-a-Friend bonus, check if some banking options are excluded from the promo. Some bookmakers won't activate the bonus if your friend uses payment methods like NETELLER or Skrill, as these deposit options might not activate the promo. So, it is probably a good idea to check whether a banking option is accepted or not before inviting your friends to join.

Conclusion

Refer-a-Friend bonuses allow you to invite friends to join the betting site you know and love. And when your friends register and make a qualifying deposit, both of you will feel the referral bonus perks, whether in the form of free bets or bonus funds. 

Even better, you often won't need to do anything to get those incentives. Your friends will be meeting bonus requirements, and, once the referral completes these conditions, you will both get more money to play with, allowing you to place bolder bets and utilise advanced betting strategies and approaches with more freedom. Pretty cool, right?

However, to benefit from referral programs, you will need to find the best ones. There are two ways you can go about that. You can search for the best Refer-a-Friend Bonuses yourself, which will be quite demanding and time-consuming. Your second option is to pick one of the expert-vetted bookmakers Betpack features. These online sportsbooks have been checked by professionals, and, more importantly, seasoned bettors have examined their referral bonuses inside out.