What Is a No Deposit Bonus?

Probably one of the rarest bonuses even from the best cricket betting sites, a no deposit bonus is sometimes called a free sign-up bonus. It refers to bonus funds that don’t require any deposit to be claimed; in other words, it’s literally free money to place wagers with!

You won’t see these too often, though – they are rarer than seeing Jos Buttler bowled for a duck. There are also several wagering requirements needed before you can withdraw winnings from a no deposit bonus, which we’ll go over in more detail later on.

If you keep your eyes peeled and check with us on a regular basis, you may be lucky enough to catch a no deposit bonus before it expires.

Types Of No Deposit Bonus

These bonuses are generally offered in two ways, as mentioned below:

Many no deposit bonuses top up your betting wallet with extra cash. This is the simplest and most common method at most betting sites offering a free registration bonus in India.

Here, bookies give you a no deposit bonus in the form of sports free bets. Instead of sending cash directly, the bookies load your wallet with free bets equivalent to the value of the no deposit bonus they intend to provide. We’ll go into further detail about free bets in India later on in this article.

(Source: Vbet)

Why Do Bookies Offer a No Deposit Bonus?

The no deposit bonus in India is one of the best incentives for new customers to sign up at a betting site. It also doesn’t cost much for a bookie to provide such a bonus – it usually consists of a tiny amount, and most punters won’t ever clear the wagering requirement with withdrawable funds intact.

So, bookies will offer a no deposit bonus when what they are really looking for is more sign-ups, and since regular welcome bonuses are usually enough to attract new punters, you will unfortunately not see this bonus too often.

Pros & Cons of No Deposit Bonuses

Pros

Requires no deposit
Winnings from no deposit free bets usually have no wagering requirement
Risk-free betting

Cons

Incredibly rare
Typically small, or has low max win limits

What Are Free Bets?

Free bets in India are offered quite regularly by leading bookmakers and can vary quite a bit depending on the operator. A free bet is a wager with zero risk, with the major difference here being that you can only take home the win part of the wager, and not the initial stake.

Example: A ₹100 free bet at odds of 10/1 would give you, on paper, a ₹1,000 return. However, you would only net ₹900, as the stake was placed as a free bet.

How to Qualify for Free Bets

There are typically a couple of ways to qualify for free bets in India.

The first is as a reward for completing a deposit, e.g. “Deposit ₹500 and get a ₹100 cricket free bet”.
The second is to claim a free bet by placing a specific wager. For example, during the IPL, many operators promote regular offers where you get free bets for completing a particular wager. It could be a bet on any game or something more specific, like a losing bet in which the last ball was a boundary.

During top cricket tournaments, bookies commonly offer cricket free bets as an opportunity to recoup losses and may require the bettor to place a specific losing bet to qualify – such as an accumulator, for example.

How to Use Free Bets

Free bets don’t have to be a throwaway bet for fun. There are some betting strategies to make a free bet work advantageously for you. So, when INR betting sites offer a free bet, don’t just wager it frivolously – consider these tactics instead.

This is probably the most obvious betting strategy. You may be able to use the free bet to increase your winnings on a wager you already had in mind. Of course, this depends on whether the free bet is allowed in your chosen market, but if it is, why not try and increase your potential winnings?

You can almost guarantee a profit by placing a free bet on the opposite outcome of an actual, real-money bet. For example, you can place a bet made up of your own funds on the Sydney Sixers to win a Big Bash League match, and then place a free bet on their opponents. Your chances of winning should then increase.

Free Bets in India: Terms & Conditions

Free Bets Betting Apps

Many operators offering cricket free bets and no deposit bonuses in India have dedicated mobile applications for Android & iOS, allowing you to wager on the go. Importantly, even if some of them don’t have an app, you can trust their website to be mobile-friendly.

Of course, claiming a free bet or a no deposit bonus using a betting app is no different than using the mobile browser. Just follow the same steps – enter a promo code, make a deposit, or place a specific wager.
Each bookie is different, so your bonus may appear instantly or require an additional step, like accepting the bonus from your account inbox.

Tips on Free Bets and No Deposit Bonus

A cheeky free bet or an ultra-rare no deposit bonus can really increase your potential profit, if used correctly. The wise punter knows that they can use these bonuses to their advantage – we know this too, and so we have included a few useful tips below for those about to use their free bets for the first time.

1. Go on a Hunt

Despite being some of the best betting offers around, no deposit bonuses are rare. Understandably so, considering it is free wagering at a betting site, but you’ll stand a better chance of nabbing one of these unicorn-like bonuses if you actually look for them.

Your best bet is to find promotional codes from affiliate websites who are given exclusive no deposit bonuses by bookies eager to attract new players, or looking to find best new betting sites trying to burst onto the scene.

2. Check What Sports You Can Bet on

While some online bookies may restrict a free bet to a certain sport – perhaps while promoting an upcoming event like an ICC World Cup final – most free bets in India can be used on absolutely any sport of your choosing.

Be sure to check what sports you’ll be allowed to bet on. If there are no restrictions, you’ll be free to bet on anything, from football, tennis, and rugby, to betting on kabaddi, esports, and any cricket league you can find.

3. Understand the Wagering Requirements

The wagering requirement is a vital component of any betting site bonus, but especially so with a no deposit bonus. Since a no deposit bonus is free bonus money, bookies will naturally want to make it as difficult as possible to actually withdraw any winnings.

The bonus funds will not be eligible for withdrawal from the get-go, as you’ll be required to wager the funds a certain number of times before any winnings can be claimed. Since no deposit was made to receive the bonus funds, only the winnings can be withdrawn – unlike a standard deposit bonus where both the bonus funds and winnings can be taken out.

Even free bets can have a wagering requirement of sorts. You’ll typically see this written as having to “turn a bet over” a certain amount of times.

Example: If a ₹100 free bet needs to be turned over 3x, then you’ll need to place ₹300 worth of wagers before your free bet winnings can be withdrawn.

How to Use Matched Betting in Cricket Betting

Many strategies attempt to guarantee profits by mitigating as much risk as possible, but few are as effective as matched betting.

Put simply, matched betting requires bettors to cover all possible outcomes, thereby mitigating all risks. While this will reduce the amount of your potential winnings, it does guarantee some profit, which is why this method continues to remain popular, especially when it comes to utilising cricket free bets in India.

Understanding Matched Betting With an Example

Free bets are the core component of matched bets. So, your first focus should be on unlocking free bets.

To learn more about matched bets in detail, check out our guide to no-risk matched betting.

You may often come across offers such as ‘Place bets worth ₹ X and unlock free bets worth ₹X’. Let’s assume that X is ₹100 in our example. So, you first have to unlock that free bet of ₹100.
To do so, select any cricket match and then pick a ‘safe’ betting market, i.e., one where the odds of winning and losing are almost equal (for ex, the ‘coin toss’ market).
Place a bet worth ₹100 on the toss flip for ‘heads’ and another bet for the same amount on ‘tails’. In this way, you’ve placed two bets of opposite nature. Now, whatever be the result of the coin toss, you will neither win any money nor lose any money.

However, you will have unlocked your free bet without losing any of your funds (unless there is a bookie commission that applies).

Now, using this ₹100 free bet in your wallet, place another bet in favour of an event in the cricket match (such bets are called back bets). You can place it for a player scoring a century.
Now match the value of the back bet and place a bet against the result of the event which you favoured with the back bet (that is, place a bet for the player not scoring a century). This bet is called a lay bet. It is usually placed with a separate betting exchange and not with the bookie.
By doing the above, you have covered the risk of all possible outcomes – whatever the result, you will score a win somehow. Even if you lose the free bet (back bet), you will not have lost any funds, and land some winnings from your lay bet, and vice versa.

No Deposit Bonus Casino

Online casino gaming is immensely enjoyable too. That’s why you should be on the lookout for a casino offering no deposit bonus types, such as free spins.

A no deposit bonus in India is a rare thing, but some of the best online casino sites feature free spin bonuses – that require no additional deposit – via their rewarding VIP or loyalty programmes.

No Deposit Bonus and Free Bet FAQs

What is a no deposit bonus?

A no deposit bonus consists of bonus funds awarded by a betting site, with no requirement to make any deposits. While it grants you free wagers, there are some important rules and wagering requirements from online betting sites to bear in mind.

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What are the best betting sites for no deposit bonuses and free bets?

The no deposit bonus may be rare, but free bets are plentiful. Many bookies across India offer their customers free bets, but we think that VBET, 10CRIC, and Betway are running some of the very best offers in the country.

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Can you win with a free bet?

You certainly can! Winning with a free bet is a little bit different, though. Since the bookie provides the stake, you’ll only receive the winning amount, not the stake return. For instance, a ₹200 stake with a ₹2000 win will actually result in a ₹1800 win for the punter. Still, not too shabby!

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Do free bets expire?

Yes, free bets will expire over time, so it is essential for punters to thoroughly read the bonus conditions to find out how long these offers last. Free bets are generally valid for 3 – 7 days, but thankfully, they are offered quite regularly.

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What are some examples of no deposit bonuses?

A no deposit bonus could be advertised as such: “Sign up today and get ₹40,000 no deposit bonus” or “Use promo code to receive ₹30,000 bonus funds with no deposit”. Both these offers would have wagering requirements attached, along with some payout limits too.

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Cricket Betting Advice Final Say

There is no greater welcome bonus or betting offer than the no deposit bonus. A rare sight to behold, punters should jump on one as soon as they see it. Apart from a no deposit bonus, be sure to look out for free spins, frequently found at many of the leading cricket betting apps and sites.

Be sure to check out our extensive list above for the best free bets and no deposit bonuses available in India!

The Cricket Betting Advice team of writers are all defined by one goal: to provide you with the best online cricket betting content on the web.