Cheltenham Festival kicks off today and it’s arguably the most significant event in the horse racing calendar.
There are a number of key races on the opening day, with elite competitors helping to set the tone for the week of racing, including the Champion Hurdle.
Finding the best betting sites and free bet offers is key to getting the most out of Cheltenham Festival Day One, so we’ve compiled a list of the top betting offers today.
Best free bet offers today – Day 1
|
Rank |
Bookmaker |
Cheltenham Offers |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Betfred |
Betfred gives new customers the perfect opportunity to get their week started with a welcome offer worth £40 in free bets after signing up using the code ‘FRED40’ before depositing £10 and betting £10 on any race with odds of 1/1 or greater. |
|
2 |
BetGoodwin |
Money-back special up to £100. BetGoodwin offers users their money back as free bets if your horses loses by a nose, is beaten by a 50/1 shout or half-a-length in a chase or if your horse falls at the last while leading. |
|
3 |
Bwin |
Bwin are the ideal online bookmaker for small-stakes bettors, and their Cheltenham sign up offer hands out £20 in free bets (4 x £5 free bet tokens) after signing up and betting just £5 on odds of 1/2 or greater. |
|
4 |
BOYLE Sports |
BoyleSports gives users the chance to earn Acca Loyalty free bets by placing five accas over the course of the week to earn a £5 free bet. By placing five £5 accas with odds of 3/1 or greater, you’ll qualify for £5 in free Cheltenham bets. They also have a wide range of alternative Cheltenham promos. |
|
5 |
Bet365 |
Bet365 offer a diverse welcome offer for new users. Customer can pick their offer with their deposit. A £5 deposit and £5 bet on any market with odds of 1/5 or greater returns £15 in free bets. You can do exactly the same process with a £10 deposit and bet to secure £30 in free bets. |
Tips for maximising day one Cheltenham betting offers
Understanding Promotions: Read terms and conditions carefully to fully benefit from offers, such as non runner no bet. NRNB allows users to get their money back if their chosen horse does not compete.
Comparing Odds: Utilise odds comparison tools to ensure the best value. Look for odds boosts on different betting sites to get the most out of each promotion.
Free Bets: Use free bets wisely and don’t throw them away on long shots. Read the terms to use these offers before they expire.
Follow Expert Tips: Keep an eye on our horse racing correspondent Jonathan Doidge’s Cheltenham tips today and throughout the week.
How we rate a Cheltenham betting offer
Licensing: Our recommended Cheltenham offers come from betting sites that are licensed by the UKGC. We only recommend UKGC-licensed operators, ensuring that customers’ details are protected and that the bookmakers are regulated.
Welcome offer: We recommend betting offers that provide the best value for customers when signing up. The offer should be valuable compared to other operators and have a straightforward sign-up process.
Promotion strength: Recommended Cheltenham betting offers include free bets, moneyback specials, best odds guaranteed, non runner no bet, price boosts, acca boosts, acca insurance, acca rewards, super boosts, extra places and many more. The T&Cs must make the office worthwhile for the customer and this is something we scrutinise.
Markets: Cheltenham Festival is one of the biggest gambling events of the year and our recommended UK bookmakers ensure that there are a catalogue of options to satisfy your betting needs, including new types of betting such as racing bet builders.
Usability: Betting sites are not recommended unless they have sound usability and functionality for all features including bets and live streaming. Our recommended operators tick all the boxes when it comes to usability, providing a sound online betting experience.
App: The best Cheltenham betting sites will offer a quality betting app for both Apple and Android devices, or a well-functioning mobile site at the very least. Our carefully selected operators all deliver a sound experience for mobile users.
Payment options: We scoured the available payment options and only considered the ones that offered a wide variety of options, including PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay and more.
Next three races to bet on at Cheltenham
Responsible gambling
Bettors should always gamble responsibly online. Always remain within a budget and never exceed it. Never chase your losses.
Anyone can lose a bet even if they know a lot about horse racing. It is easy to get carried away with Cheltenham Festival, so remain in control of your time and betting.
The same principles apply if you’re gambling on online casinos, slot sites, poker sites or bingo sites.
Bettors can use responsible gambling tools provided by online bookies such as deposit limits, loss limits and self-exclusion among others.
Should you wish to seek help for gambling-related issues, there are several charities, organisations and healthcare providers who offer support and information:
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