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Bonus hunting in sports betting

Bonuses and other rewards perfectly work in sports betting just as in other spheres. This much leads to new client flow who fall for such offers. 

Some even sign up with bookmakers deliberately just for using the benefits. They are literally hunting for bonuses. It may mean nothing for a newbie, but in fact it’s relatively common in betting. 

What is bonus hunting?

Bonus hunting is a hunt for benefits from sportsbooks, which are usually offered to new and existing clients. Except for bookmakers, the places to operate are online casinos with poker rooms. Would need to dig a little deeper to grasp the essence of the strategy.

Scale up the bankroll only using free riskless wagers - that’s what bonus hunters do. The approach perfectly works on the basis of surebets: a gambler signs up with a couple of bookmakers and places free bets for different outcomes of the same competition. This way the bet with at least one of the bookies would pay off.

The concept was quite popular around 5-7 years ago. The terms were extremely compelling and no one even followed the multi-account violation. Sportsbooks are now more meticulous about promotional offers establishing some truly rigid rules for winning back the bonuses.

Aside from all the appeal, bonus hunting is hardly an excellent betting tactic. And here is why.

How do sportsbooks treat the bonus hunters?

The way the bookmakers treat the bonus hunters is extremely negative. The strategy is frowned upon which makes perfect sense. No point in giving out free stuff if that won’t make the gambler stay, but he’ll ultimately be rambling around other bookies. 

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The management keeps a close eye on the clients’ accounts, especially those who are using bonuses, and will definitely take action if suspected of bonus hunting. There are two potential scenarios that may take place:

  1. The bookmaker refuses to provide a bonus referring to the terms of use.
  2. The account of the gambler gets suspended. The management requests additional papers for identity verification.

It's not rocket science to spot the gambler who’s misusing their promotional offers. Nearly all bookmakers cooperate with each other, so it’s hardly a problem to track them down by the Security Service.

What are bonuses given for?

Absolutely all sportsbooks provide some kind of benefit. Here are some common offers the gamblers can get: 

  1. Sign-up bonus. The offer is valid for all new clients who have completed the registration and made their first deposit. This deposit is usually doubled, but sometimes one can get free wagers.
  2. Free bet. A gambler can get a free bet for a certain amount but cannot cash it in right after the win. The gambler should wager this bonus a couple more times before making any withdrawal requests.
  3. Riskless bet. If the first bet the gambler made had been lost, the bookmaker would return the loss. The funds would be charged to the bonus account instead of the main one. 
  4. Bonus for attracting new customers. It usually gives no heated response among the hunters. Right after a newbie has made his first deposit and bet, the benefit is charged. There’s commonly no winning back in this case.

 

Bonus hunting

 

Large scale bookies are constantly giving out new and unique promotional offers to their clients, so it’s actually impossible to find the full list somewhere on their website. As a matter of fact, these bonuses are set up for client retention.

Bonus hunting drawbacks

Though the whole hunting thing is rather attractive, there is no point in doing it in the first place. Not only is there no manual for hunters, there are so many flaws like:

  1. Limited benefits. The most profitable and major benefits are the sign-up bonuses. However, the selection of bookmakers is limited and at some point the gambler ends up having accounts with all the bookies anyway, which would make him shift to other less beneficial offers.
  2. Harsh winning back conditions. The overall system is pretty complicated and may well lead to money loss.
  3. Complicated registration and account verification. Tons of accounts are impossible to handle with one email address and phone number. Verification is also quite specific: you may need to send over not only your ID but a utility receipt and a bank statement, etc.
  4. Negative attitude to bonus hunters. The strategy is discouraged by sportsbooks constantly throwing up roadblocks on the gamblers’ way.

Expert opinion

Bonus hunting is slowly leaving the business. Only some 5-10 years ago the gambler could earn a pretty penny with promotional offers. Now considerable income is virtually impossible with this kind of strategy.

Bonuses should be considered as add-ons but not as a way to earn a living. Especially because the hunting may lead to account suspension.

Want to get a solid return, start betting surebets or valuebets. To smooth the search process use BetBurger that analyses over 30 kinds of sport with 150+ bookmakers. Get the up-to-date list with no latency!

Artur Polianskyi
For today Artur has 12 years of betting experience, and he kindly shares his knowledge with the readers of our blog. In his articles, you will find many useful tips for different strategies and learn more about all types of bets.
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