No Sweat Bets

Free bets, risk-free wagers & no sweat tokens - What’s the difference?

Occasionally, a mobile sportsbook will give a bettor a bone with a free play token of ranging value. These free bets can typically be used on any type of wager and have a minimum odds requirement of (-300) or higher. These bets do not take any money out of a bettor's bankroll, and while the bettor won’t get the initial stake back if their bet wins, they will make a profit.

Risk-free bets, or what are more commonly referred to as no-sweat bets, work differently. When a sportsbook offers a no-sweat bet, they are telling a bettor that if the bet they make through the promotion loses, they will be rewarded with a free bet that is either equal to their initial stake or a preset amount.

One of the biggest reasons “risk-free” promos have been mostly rebranded is that some states and gaming commissions found this wordplay misleading. These promos still require bettors to wager money in their account, so if a new customer sees a no-sweat offer for $500 and takes it, they would still need to win one of the two bets possibly associated with the promo. If they lose both wagers, the idea of being risk-free no longer has the same meaning, and that bettor did risk and lose $500.

Step-by-step introductions to no-sweat bets - Full breakdown

No-sweat bets are among the most common promos associated with sportsbooks trying to garner new customers. These promos essentially provide a second chance if a bettor loses a wager associated with the promo. For as great as that sounds, there is typically a caveat involved with each of these promotions, which is that they will not get the initial stake included in the winnings of their second chance bet.

For example, if you bet $10 on a bet at (-110), you would win $19.09, but if that $10 is from a risk-free or no-sweat promo, then the payout would be $9.09 since it doesn’t include the initial stake. Depending on the sportsbook a customer is using, these promos may have different names, but ultimately, they are all designed in a similar fashion.

Additionally, no matter what the promo is called, a bettor should always check if there is a maximum wager and maximum winning amount because they should factor into the initial wager. These guidelines won’t be plastered in broad daylight because that could take away from the appeal of the promo, but we always recommend reading the restrictions section before opting in.

Now, one of the biggest reasons they are so popular is because when bettors see “risk-free” or “no sweat,” they might put together a wager that is considered more of a long shot since they are getting their stake back. While they aren’t getting the stake back if their second wager wins, they still have the potential of getting something out of it, and the sportsbooks get a lot out of it by taking more action.

How to claim no-sweat betting offers?

Each sportsbook handles promotions a bit differently when it comes to actually claiming them. While some shops allow bettors to select the promotion right from the betslip before they place a bet, others require customers to opt into a promo directly before they make a wager. For new customers, there may be a few ways to claim a no-sweat offer, like using a promo code, but for existing customers, the process is usually more straightforward.

1. Log into a sports betting app and go through the current promotions

2. Select the current no-sweat bet being offered and read the guidelines

3. Either select opt-in and craft a bet that fits those guidelines, or craft a wager and activate the promotion from the betslip.

How to place a no-sweat bet?

Some sportsbooks require bettors to opt into a no-sweat promo before selecting a wager, while others will give the option to apply the promotion when the customer is in the betslip. If a bettor needs to opt in before making the wager, they’ll need to find the promo first and select it. In other cases, a bettor can read the guidelines of a promo, craft a bet that will be eligible, and then select the promotion before placing the wager in the betslip.

1. Find a no-sweat promotion from a sports betting app and read the guidelines.

2. If the promo requires the bet to be placed on a specific sport like the NFL, then head to the NFL betting markets and craft either a straight bet or a parlay.

3. Once the bet is crafted, bettors can enter how much they want to wager.

4. Select apply promo, activate token, or opt-in (depending on the sportsbook) before hitting place bet from the bet slip.

What happens if my no-sweat bet wins?

If an original bet in a no-sweat bet promo wins, then the bettor will receive his full payout just like any other bet, and the promo will be closed. The only time that would not be the case is if the sportsbooks offered a first bet match promo, which is typically just for new customers. More often than not, all sportsbooks will just payout a no-sweat bet if the first bet loses.

• A bettor opts into a no-sweat promo and places a two-leg parlay priced at (+250), which meets the promo minimum odds requirement.

• The bettor places $10 on the initial wager, the maximum amount allowed under the promo.

• The parlay hits, so the bettor is paid out $35, and the sportsbook deems the promotion over since the bettor won their initial wager.

My no sweat wager lost - what now?

If a bettor opts into a no-sweat promo and their initial bet loses, they will be awarded their initial stake as a bonus bet. Now, a few things could change with these promos, depending on the book. First, most shops have a maximum wager requirement associated, so if that was set at $25 and a bettor opts in and bets $50, their bonus bet amount will only be $25. Additionally, it may take between two minutes to 72 hours after a bet loses for a bonus bet to be rewarded.

• A bettor opts into a no-sweat or bet insurance promo and places a $20 bet on a (+250) parlay in the NBA.

• One leg of the parlay hits, and the other does not, deeming the bet a loss.

• The bettor is rewarded a $20 free bet within 48 hours.

• Once the free bet is received, the bettor places that $20 free bet on a straight bet at (-110) odds, and by winning that bet, they receive $18.18 in return since the initial stake will not be awarded back to the customer in most cases.

The best strategies for no-sweat betting

Anything is possible in sports betting, but there are ways for bettors to set themselves up for success when utilizing no-sweat promos. While these advantageous practices may take time and research, at the end of the day, they are very worth it, as they give the bettor a mathematical edge.

One of the more straightforward ways to fully capitalize on these promotions is by targeting underdogs. Using a no-sweat promo on a (-150) underdog does not allow the bettor to use the promo to their advantage. Instead, by betting on a big moneyline underdog, the bettor gives themself a better expected value.

The second method to help bettors take advantage of no-sweat or bet insurance promos is using an odds calculator and a second sportsbook. This strategy is essentially an expanded version of the one we discussed. In this case, bettors can use their no-sweat token on a moneyline underdog, and on a different sportsbook, they can take the other side of the game. However, it is essential to note that the bettor should use an odds calculator to ensure there is value in taking the prices offered on two different books.

What sportsbooks offer no sweat tokens today?

The top sports betting apps in the country like to rotate the promotions they offer new customers. Every month or so, a sportsbook will come up with a new promo that could be a deposit match, a first bet match, or a no-sweat bet. How often a sportsbook changes their new customer promo will vary, but there is generally at least one no-sweat promo for new customers running at all times across the top sportsbooks.

Existing sportsbook customers have a high likelihood of finding at least one no-sweat promo per day if they have multiple sports betting accounts. Sportsbooks like FanDuel, DraftKings, Bet365, BetMGM, and more tend to offer multiple no-sweat promotions per week, depending on the number of sporting events that occur during that time.

While other sportsbooks will offer this type of promo occasionally, in our experience, the four aforementioned sportsbooks provide them to their existing customers on the most consistent basis. The value of each of these promos will change based on which shop a customer is using, as most shops put a maximum wager amount on these offers, which may range from $10 to $100.

Fanduel no sweat bets

On average, FanDuel Sportsbook may offer existing customers around two no-sweat promotions per week. These promos may vary from sport to sport but are usually for parlays or same-game parlays. Depending on the sport or event, these promos usually require the parlay to have minimum odds of around (+400). While that could result in a big payout, the max refund for these promos is typically relatively small, as it is usually around $5-$10.

In comparison to other books, FanDuel’s no-sweat promotions can offer a decent payout depending on how much further past the minimum odds a bettor wants to go, but the max refund amount being small makes them a little less valuable than other promos in other shops.

DraftKings

Much like FanDuel, the number of no-sweat promos that DraftKings offers per week depends on the number of games that will be played. During a busy week with leagues like the NHL and NBA action, existing customers may see one to two no-sweat promos, which almost always involve same game parlays.

Instead of setting an overall odds requirement for these parlays, DraftKings typically requires each parlay to consist of three legs and requires each leg to have minimum odds of (-500). Each no-sweat promo also has a maximum refund. Still, that number will vary, so overall, while a bettor could always hit a long-shot parlay on the original bet, they are handicapped a bit when it comes to truly maximizing these types of promos.

BetMGM

Out of all the top sportsbooks, BetMGM may offer the most no-sweat promotions per week. BetMGM could offer up to four no-sweat tokens to existing customers across a range of leagues, regardless of how many events may be going on in a given week.

The requirements for these no-sweat tokens will change. For example, one week, a bettor could get a no-sweat token for a college football parlay with minimum odds of (+400). The next day, they could get a no-sweat token for any NFL bet with minimum odds of (-300). As far as max refunds go, BetMGM usually sets the refund limit at $10, so value-wise, these promos fall into a similar category to those offered by the other top sportsbooks.

Caesars Sportsbook

No-sweat promotions are not part of Caesars' promo rotation. Caesars tends to stick to odds and profit boosts, so existing customers should not expect to see one on their home page anytime soon. While this could always change, it is hard to imagine any no-sweat promo offered by Caesars would differ from the rest on the market, as the book always lays out minimum odds and maximum odds that tend to cap out at $10.

Bet365

At Bet365, all no-sweat promos are listed as “Safety Net Bets.” These “Safety Net Bets” are usually offered to existing customers twice a week. While the promo's name is different, its premise and value remain the same as similar offers.

Safety Net Bets on Bet365 are based around parlays and same-game parlays, both of which will most commonly have minimum odds of (+100) and a maximum refund of $10.

ESPN Bet

In a similar fashion to Caesars, ESPN Bet sportsbook sticks heavily with profit and odds boosts for their promotions. While existing customers will see a wide range of boosted promos, new customers do have the possibility to find a risk-free or no-sweat welcome offer, as ESPN Bet has offered them before.

These promotions are called “First Bet Resets,” and since they are for new customers, the maximum refund is higher. This is because the shop is trying to stand out. Most recently, this book offered up to a $1500 first bet reset, which is exceptionally generous compared to the market.

Benefits & pros of no sweat tokens & bet insurances

For new customers, no-sweat bets can help bettors potentially build their bankroll on a new sportsbook. As for existing customers, with the current landscape of these promos and the way the conditions are set, the most beneficial aspect is the chance to hit a big parlay with first wagers.

If there is a bettor who likes to place parlays every night, then these promos are worth checking out. As for serious handicappers hunting for value, these promos are not worth the time unless they allow for straight bets and higher than $10 refunds.

• Help new bettors build bankroll: New customers tend to get much higher maximum refunds on promotions, so even if they lose their first wager, they will have a nice share of free bets to build some capital.

• Potential High Payouts: With most of these promos being associated with parlays with plus money odds requirements, some bettors hit their first wager and reap the benefits of that.

Terms, conditions, and limitations

Often, the terms and conditions of no-sweat promotions can make or break whether they are worth taking advantage of. Outside of crafting the bet, reading the terms and conditions is the most crucial aspect of the process, as they will usually tell the bettor how much of a maximum refund they can receive or what the minimum odds are for their original bet.

• Maximum refunds: It is no surprise that sportsbooks don’t want to lose a lot of money. While no-sweat promos typically have minimum odds that are plus money, sportsbooks don’t want to risk the customer hitting their original bet on (+400) odds with a $100 wager. Instead, they’ll cap it with a max refund, so they aren’t getting burned either way.

• Minimum odds: Since most of these promos are associated with parlays, they will usually have minimum odds of at least plus money.

• Sport or Event Specific: Most of the time, these promos are made for specific leagues, games, or events, so all first wagers must be catered to the event laid out in the offer.

• Refund Time: Depending on the book, second-chance bets may be credited immediately, or it could take up to 48 hours to reach a bettors account.