Best Sportsbook Promos & Bonuses May 2025

👉 Get Started With Sportsbook Promo Codes

What are the best sportsbook promo codes for you? That's really a personal choice that depends on what you're looking to do on your online sportsbook. The good news is that top online sportsbooks understand that potential customers have myriad sports betting options, so they all offer some type of online sportsbook promo codes for new users, and you can sign up for multiple of the best betting apps and cash in on a host of offers.

These sportsbook promo codes can result in a number of different perks for sports bettors, and it can seem daunting. We're here to help you sort through the seemingly endless options, and the best online sports betting sites will have sportsbook promos for all users.

It's also why we recommend that bettors use multiple online sportsbooks. In addition to shopping for the best lines on a daily basis, having multiple sportsbooks means taking advantage of more than one promo code and sign-up bonus. In this guide, we'll go over the different types of sportsbook promos that bettors can expect to see on different sports betting sites, how to best take advantage of all they have to offer, and how they're useful for both new and existing users.

We also cannot stress enough the importance of taking advantage of these offers. It's free money to enhance your betting experience.

Types of Sportsbook Promos And Bonuses

Sign-up sportsbook promos are exactly what it sounds like. New users who join an online sportsbook will receive some type of promotion upon completing their registration. These sign-up sportsbook promos can vary (we'll get to those shortly), but it's important to note that a legal online sports betting website will typically have a promo code, sometimes referred to as a bonus code, for new users.

Bonus Bet

This betting promotion is one of the most common sportsbook promos on the market right now. The Caesars Sportsbook promo code is the largest on the market right now, offering up to $1,000 back if your first bet loses. These promos work by insuring your first bet, by refunding your stake (up to a maximum value) if your bet doesn't win.

For example, if you make your bet — $200 on the Celtics moneyline, let’s say — and it wins, you collect your payout as usual. If it loses, the sportsbook will reimburse you with $200 in site credit. If you want to take full advantage, you would have to bet the maximum value.

These sportsbook promo codes are great if you want to make a big initial deposit into your account and have a first bet you feel strongly about, since you can bet it and either collect the payout or have it refunded. However, it’s important to remember that bonus bets work by refunding a real money wager with non-withdrawable site credit, so only bet what you’re willing to deposit into your account. Also, you'll likely have to use these bets within a week or two.

First Deposit Bonus

A first-deposit match bonus is another online sports betting promo that has become increasingly common in the world of legal sports betting. These sportsbook promos are pretty easy to understand: They work by matching your initial deposit, up to a maximum value.

For instance, right now DraftKings offers a 20% deposit match, up to a maximum of $1,000. That means that if you deposit $200 into your account, your account balance will be $240. If you deposit $1,000, your balance will be $1,200. In order to get the maximum match, you'd need to deposit $5,000, since 20% of 5,000 is $1,000.

DraftKings offer is suited more toward big bettors and the playthrough requirement reflects that (25x). Meanwhile, BetRivers offers a 100% deposit match up to $250 and there's a mere 1x playthrough requirement (meaning you only need to bet the bonus once to withdraw funds associated with this offer), so it could be more suited for the average bettor.

Any way you slice it, first-deposit match bonuses are great options because the online sportsbook doubles what you deposit, at no cost to you, and the promo is not attached to a big first wager. On the other hand, a bonus only awards you what you’re willing to bet. As we mentioned, however, it’s important to watch out for playthrough requirements.

No Deposit Bonus

No deposit bonus codes are rare, but very worthwhile sportsbook promo codes. Essentially, these are bonuses awarded to you by online sportsbooks, without you having to actually make a cash deposit. For casual bettors, these are some of the best sportsbook promo codes on the market, since they'll net you money without any investment on your part.

These no-deposit promo codes will have fairly low ceilings on the value you can earn — typically between $5 and $20. Nonetheless, definitely look out for these, since it doesn't hurt to make an account without depositing (in fact, it's often a good idea to sign up with multiple sportsbooks to claim several available sportsbook promo codes).

Bear in mind that these sportsbook promo codes will often have rollover, or playthrough requirements attached, so your bonus bets might not be totally free — you'll have to bet your bonus money, potentially multiple times, before you can withdraw any of it. With all that said, a no-deposit bonus is still one of the best sportsbook promos available, so keep your eyes peeled for when they pop up.

Reload Sportsbook Promo Codes

Reload bonuses are very frequently offered as ongoing sportsbook promos, and they’re a great perk, since they can net you bonus money every time you deposit money into your account. Reload bonuses will be offered as percentage values that boost your deposit by X amount, so the more you deposit, the more you get as a bonus.

The percentage point boost means if your sportsbook is offering you a 20% reload bonus, whatever you deposit will get a 20% boost, or be multiplied by 1.2. Therefore, if you deposit $100 into an empty account, your account balance will be $120.

As with every type of sportsbook bonus, the value of reload bonuses will vary from operator to operator. Nevertheless, it’s a great idea to sign up with a sportsbook which will reward you for reloading your account.

Boosted Odds Bonuses

Odds boosts are another kind of exciting best-betting promotion that most legal online sports betting operators will offer at least periodically. Odds boosts are essentially sportsbook promotions where the house offers you a better deal on your bet, in order to undercut the competition.

They might do this by offering a more generous line or spread, shifting a line from +110 to +130, or a spread from +4.5 to +7.5. These kinds of sportsbook promos will be offered for specific eligible bets of all types. You might see an odds boost for the point spreads on an NFL game, or even just on a few prop bets.

Some legal online sports betting platforms and mobile sports betting apps will have a full section or tab dedicated specifically to odds boosts, which is a great feature worth looking for. Odds boosts are extremely common at Caesars Sportsbook and BetRivers, among others.

Referral Bonuses

Referrals are another kind of promotion offered at many online sportsbooks. These are super straightforward bonuses, that will reward you with bonus bets for getting your friends to sign up with a sportsbook using a link or code that you provide them.

If someone uses your link or code to make an account and deposit money with the sportsbook, you'll be entitled to bonus money. Usually, these max out around $50 in value, but occasionally you might see one pop up offering $100.

If you have a friend who's just started online sports betting and is in the market for a sportsbook, and you have a sportsbook you like that is offering a referral bonus, sending your friend a referral link is a great chance for you to earn a quick $25 to $50 in bonus bets. It's important to note that your friend must make a deposit for the bonus to activate. We recommend the Fanatics Referral Bonus or the bet365 refer a friend program.

Special Betting Event Offers

A special betting event offer is a kind of bonus issued by a sportsbook because of some kind of event or tournament that's going on at the time, like March Madness or the NFL season. Many sportsbooks will take advantage of major, exciting events to attract more bettors, and as a result will give out additional sports betting promos, bonuses or bonus bets.

The best sportsbook promotions can be used on just about any sport, but every sport is different. In this section, we'll explain how to best use sportsbook promo code and bonus code offers on different available sports.

🏈 NFL Football Betting Promos

The NFL is the most popular league in the country. Whether you like college sports or you've got a favorite NFL team, football season is an exciting time to bet. Football is an extremely popular sport for spreads and also for prop bets. We have you covered with expert NFL picks come football season.

On any NFL team or game, you'll be able to bet on things like who scores the first touchdown, the number of field goals, and everything in between.

You'll frequently find lots of NFL football betting promo codes and bonuses — like boosted odds — available on football bets. The NFL playoffs are also super exciting events to bet on, with tons of event-specific promos available at most legal sportsbooks. Caesars Sportsbook always has ton of NFL-related offers, since it's an official partner of the league.

🏀 NBA Betting Promos

The NBA is another fantastic league bet, with lots of sportsbook promo codes available. Usually, an NBA game will be high-scoring, and have frequent momentum swings and comebacks. The fast pace makes it an ideal sport to bet on, especially when it comes to live betting. Our NBA free picks are top-notch, consistently bringing our readers profits.

If you bet with a sportsbook that offers lots of live betting promos and odds boosts, then you'll definitely have plenty of options. Even if you aren't betting live, fans of professional basketball should have a wealth of available bets at virtually every major American sportsbook. BetMGM has some of the best NBA offers around, specifically its up to $1500 in bonus bets offers that often feature something as simple as if either team hits a 3-pointer.

⚾ MLB Betting Promos

There are also plenty of MLB bonuses to be found at most major sportsbooks. Fans who enjoy America's national pastime will find that baseball — with its frequent breaks in play and relatively slower pace — will allow plenty of time for in-play wagering. MLB bonuses will often reflect that. Regardless, many major sports betting operators are partnering with MLB teams to bring you promo code offers and lots of betting options on this very popular market.

🏒 NHL Betting Promos

Professional hockey is just about an ideal sport for sports betting and sports betting bonuses alike. It's fast-paced, chaotic, and relatively high-scoring, and with the NHL growing in popularity you'll find more and more sportsbooks that offer dedicated bonus code offers on the league.

The Stanley Cup playoffs are especially exciting, as sportsbooks will offer lots of dedicated promos — like parlay insurance or odds boosts — for you to enjoy. The fast-paced entertainment of an NHL game makes it a great league to bet on, and a great place to use your sports betting bonuses. Caesars Sportsbook had an overwhelming amount of markets and odds boost during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

🥇 College Sports Betting Promos

For fans of college sports — whether it's NCAA football, March Madness, college hockey, or anything else — there are plenty of college sports betting promotions and offers on the market. Be sure to pay attention to your state's rules and regulations, as different jurisdictions have different rules about college sports betting.

Some will not allow it altogether, or prohibit you from live betting or betting on in-state college sports. If it's allowed, however, you will surely be able to find plenty of bonus code offers to use, especially around major events like March Madness, college football bowls, and the National Championships.

When it comes to college football, PointsBet is a great option because you can adjust the lines and make more money when Alabama wins by 30 instead of the 17-point spread.
 

Why Do Sportsbooks Offer Promo Codes?

The sports betting world is, quite simply, exploding. In legal sports betting states, new users have sometimes dozens of different options to choose from. Different sportsbooks provide different sportsbook promo codes and sign-up bonuses to entice new players to use their sites. Sign-up bonuses and promo codes also encourage players to use the website or mobile app more and become more familiar with their product, which goes a long way.

Extremely strong bonus codes like BetMGM's bonus bet up to $1,500 is its way of getting you to take that offer, rather than sign up with a sportsbook that is offering different bonus codes. With so many bonus code offers out there, it's important to keep checking in with Bookies.com to see who's actually offering the best deal at any given time.

Why are online sports betting launches the best time to claim welcome bonuses?

When online sports betting launches in new jurisdictions, all the newly legal operators have to scramble to build a customer base in the new state. To do this, they have to splash some serious cash to entice you to sign up. Because of that, launches are often the best time to find the most lucrative bonus codes, since the sportsbooks are desperate to get your business to make sure they can corner a share of the newly legal market.