Stake not returned: why free bets pay profit only
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With stake not returned, a free bet pays only the profit, not the free stake. A £10 free bet at 5/2 pays £25, while a £10 cash bet at 5/2 returns £35 including your stake. The offer terms say which type you hold.
With stake not returned free bets, you keep the winnings but the free stake itself is not paid back. It is the most common type of free bet, and it explains why a payout can look smaller than expected.
A simple example of stake not returned
- £10 free bet at 5/2: a win pays £25 profit, and the £10 stake is not returned.
- £10 cash bet at 5/2: the same win pays £35, which is £25 profit plus your £10 stake.
- £10 free bet at evens: a win pays £10.
The odds apply to the profit only, because the stake was free and is not added back. That is why a free bet payout is lower than the same odds on a cash bet.
How to check your offer
Open the offer terms and look for “stake not returned” or “SNR”, then find the free bet in your bonus balance. Compare the potential return on the betslip before you confirm, because it shows the payout you will actually receive. Some offers do return the stake, so read the free bet terms rather than assuming. The terms decide, not the label on the offer.
Using a free bet well
Because only the profit is paid, a free bet keeps more of its value on longer odds. A free bet at 1/10 would pay almost nothing, while the same free bet at 5/1 pays five times the stake. Do not raise your cash stakes to chase a bigger free bet, though, since the free bet is worth only the profit it can add. Check the minimum odds and the expiry date before you choose the market, and let the credit lapse rather than bet more than you planned.