What bonuses can you get?

Every time you sign up with a bookmaker to bet on MLB, you will have the option to accept one of the many bonuses available. Loyal customers may also receive new deposit bonuses. However, understanding the bonuses of online betting sites can be quite tricky, as you need to understand the sometimes unclear terms and conditions.

Bookmaker	Specialty	Bonus	Discover
review	Almost all baseball tournaments + excellent odds + live betting + handicaps.	$1000	Visit
review	Comprehensive on baseball and US competitions. But does not accept players from all countries.	$100	Visit
review	Renowned operator 100% in cryptocurrency. Accepts players without KYC. No fantasy betting.	500 USDT	Visit
review	Good alternative with livestreaming on major matches, but winnings > 2,000$ refused	$100	Visit

For details on the bonuses from the operators in my selection, please read the review of each of them.

Although each bookmaker offering bets on Major League Baseball has different bonuses available for its customers, and these can vary significantly from site to site, they all have one thing in common: the unlocking conditions. Regardless of the operator you sign up with, the unlocking conditions of a given bonus will generally be the determining factor in whether you accept the offer or not.

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The conditions for obtaining a bonus

The first thing you need to understand about bonuses is how the unlocking (that is, how to obtain it in full within a given time) works.

Regardless of the bonus or advantage you accept, there will be a condition for obtaining it that you must fulfill before you can withdraw the money won on a deposit where the said bonus was activated. In gambling terms, the rollover is the total amount you must wager with the bookmaker of your choice before you can withdraw the winnings associated with it.

To better understand this "Rollover", or funding of your bonus, consider the following example: Suppose you sign up with an operator who offers a 50% bonus of up to $2500, and it has a requirement to wager 10X that amount. To obtain the maximum bonus, you will need to deposit $5000. Your account will then show a bankroll of $7500.

This part is crucial: To withdraw all winnings made with your deposited money + the bonus, you must wager 10X the amount of $7500. In other words, you need to spend $75000 betting on Major League Baseball (or other sports) before you can claim your entire bankroll with the bonus.

If you think this is a bad deal, you might be right! Of course, you could also be wrong. Also remember that since this requirement of $75000 represents the total amount of your bets (and not just the winnings or losses), it is actually smaller than it seems:

For example, if you bet $500 on a wager, it will count towards the bonus, whether you win or lose. If you win, you can bet again with the winnings, and that will still count. If you win in a row, you could unlock your entire bonus without ever depositing more than $500.

You are also not required to deposit a lot of money the first time. This limits the amount of the bonus, but will allow you to obtain it without too much difficulty.

In general, whether you take a bonus with a bookmaker comes down to one thing: How long do you intend to bet on this site? If you just want to make a few bets and withdraw money as soon as possible, then you should never accept a bonus. Similarly, if you use MLB sports betting as a supplement to your regular income and need your winnings to help pay your bills, avoid accepting the bonus (as bonuses "block" your winnings until you have met the required rollover).

However, if you intend to bet on Baseball throughout the season and bet frequently, the bonuses offered to you can significantly increase your return on investment. Additionally, if you are a big bettor looking to wager three or four figures on the games you love, you will reach your rollover limits in a short amount of time and can then take the money for free.

Cash bonuses

Cash bonuses (or no deposit, or bet reimbursement) are not often offered, but when you get one they work exactly like the normal funds you have deposited into your account.

To illustrate this, let's say you get a cash bonus of 100% of a maximum value of $500 on a deposit. To receive this bonus (which, as you might guess, comes with a rollover requirement), you need to put in $500 of your own money. Now, you have $1000 to bet on baseball. You go to your favorite MLB betting site and see an interesting matchup: New York Yankees (-145) against Baltimore Orioles (+130). You bet $500 on the Yankees and win.

Since this is a cash bonus, it works like cash. In other words, you pay the bookmaker $500 for the bet, NY wins, and the operator refunds your initial stake of $500 plus the $344.83 in winnings for a total of $844.83. All this money goes back into your account and you can use it to make more bets.

Free bet bonuses

Free bet bonuses (or no deposit bonuses, or free bets) do not work the same way as cash bonuses. Every time you get a free bet bonus, you split your sports betting portfolio into two financial accounts: cash and free bets. Using the example above, you have exactly the same bonus, except this time it is the most common variety in free-play. You deposit $500 and receive an additional $500 in free bets added to your account.
Now, you have a total of $1000 in your account, just like before. This time, however, the amount of the free bet bonus is separated from the rest, and you bet with it first (until it is exhausted).

Let's take our example with the New York Yankees favored over the Baltimore Orioles (at +130). You place a bet of $500 on the Yankees with your free bet account. Thus, you give $500 to the bookmaker, the Yankees win and you win $344.83. However, instead of recovering your initial stake + winnings for a total of $844.83, you only receive the winnings themselves. That’s why this bonus is called a free bet - the initial stake is "free", so you do not recover it as part of the withdrawal.