How to win free money on betting sites
To win free money with no outlay whatsoever, you have to play a free fantasy game that pays cash and hope that you're one of the very few winners that round. Most betting sites have these fantasy games where you can in theory win free money. But if you're reading this, you're not the only person searching this type of question, we're all looking for free cash!
Thousands of people log in and play these free fantasy betting games and there's only ever one winner. Thats usually a weekly jackpot prize paid to the person that correctly guesses the fantasy picks. The betting sites, being good at predicting the odds of outcomes, will have the math pretty tight on these games and will know the likelihood of people winning every week is slim.
The prizes seem high, but that is because the bookies will offset that against a value for participants. As a player of one of these free games, you still hold value as a customer and you might become a paying punter at some point. So the bookies can offer up free cash prizes or bonuses as free bets knowing you'll be interested in placing a paid bet at some point
What are the odds of winning a fantasy game?
There are two layers to this first you have to be right in your selections, then you have to be the only player to be right to win the jackpot. So there's no one calculation to determine your odds in this case. Most fantasy picks are 6-fold selections, so I'm going to guess 6 folds are the lucky number in normal sports betting terms. Bookies probably see a more positive ratio of 6-folds staked versus losses. It's small enough to still be popular (like an acca), but volatile enough not to pose them too much risk.
It's quite hard getting a 6-fold acca to win with simple results-based predictions, but in the fantasy games world, the bookies want an extra layer here, normally in the fact that you're picking scores and not results.
Looking at the odds for accas, a 6-fold with an average scoreline of 2-1 to the favourite is around 9/1 for each selection. So thats 999,999/1 for an average 6-fold final score acca. So this very raw calculation comes in at 1 million to 1 - so very unlikely!
Free Betting Prediction Games
There's a new wave of betting prediction games and free fantasy pickers. They're designed to offer more than the normal betting markets to give you a sense of satisfaction beyond placing bets. There's often less at risk meaning you can participate in most cases it doesn't cost you anything.
Fantasy games were often independent of betting sites, but over the years they've become more aligned as player preferences change. Companies like Flutter and Bet365 in the UK or FanDuel in the US have brought fantasy games closer to betting as a promotional tool to market to both audiences.
These are the typical free fantasy games that we looked out for when we built this list. If you don't see any betting sites listed, it might be that the content has been restricted as per the betting laws of your country.
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Score Predictors: Users can predict the final scores of upcoming sports events, such as soccer matches, American football games, or basketball games. They earn points based on how accurate their predictions are.
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Player to Score: Users predict which players will score goals, touchdowns, or points in a particular game. They can earn points for each correct prediction.
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Fantasy Sports: Users create their fantasy teams by selecting real players from a specific sport, such as fantasy football or fantasy basketball. They earn points based on the performance of their selected players in real games.
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Bracket Challenges: Users fill out brackets to predict the outcomes of sports tournaments, like the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament or the FIFA World Cup. Points are awarded for correct predictions at each stage of the tournament.
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Goal Scorers: Users predict which players will score goals in a soccer match or touchdowns in a football game. They can also predict the timing of the first goal or the total number of goals scored.
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Player Stats Predictions: Users make predictions about specific player statistics, such as the number of goals, assists, or rebounds a player will achieve in a game.
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Multi-Sport Predictions: Some platforms offer predictions for various sports, allowing users to make predictions across different events and leagues.
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Jackpot Games: Users make a series of correct predictions on multiple games or events to win a jackpot or a large prize. The predictions can involve various aspects of the games, such as scores, player performance, or game outcomes.
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Live Predictions: In-play or live betting prediction games, where users make real-time predictions during a sporting event, such as who will score the next goal or how many points will be scored in a quarter.
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Season-Long Competitions: Some fantasy games run throughout an entire sports season, allowing users to manage their fantasy teams or make predictions for an extended period.
Is Fantasy Football Gambling?
The classification of fantasy football as gambling depends on the specifics of how the game is played and whether there is actually money being wagered on things like league tables or results.
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Standalone Fantasy Football Games (e.g. Fantasy Premier League): If you are playing a standard fantasy football game that does not does not involve real-money transactions, it is generally not considered gambling. These types of games, like the Fantasy Premier League, are often viewed as games of skill rather than chance because they involve making strategic decisions based on players' performances. The lack of a monetary bet means there's no gambling in the legal sense.
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Paid Fantasy Games on Betting Sites: When fantasy football is played through betting sites like Bet365 Fantasy Sports where participants pay an entry fee or bet real money on the outcome, it could be considered gambling. This is because there is a risk of losing money based on the uncertain outcome of events and thats a fundamental aspect of of betting. Betting sites are regulated under gambling laws, and participating in paid games on these platforms falls under gambling activities. If you don't like gambling or the stigma associated with it, then you probably want to steer clear of the fantasy games on the betting sites - even the free ones!
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Exchanging Money in Fantasy Football Apps (Peer-to-Peer Betting): If you're participating in leagues or placing money on fixtures through a fantasy football app where there's an exchange of real money (e.g., entry fees, prizes, battles), it's considered a form of gambling. This is particularly true when the outcome of the fantasy football league directly influences the gain or loss of money, making it a form of peer-to-peer betting. Those apps still need a license in regulated countries even though the terms of that license differ from taking bets, it's still governed by gambling commissions designed to regulate betting.
- Betting with Fantasy Money or Credits (Not Real Money): Using virtual currency (Not crypto), credits, or any form of fake money that has no real-world value for betting within a fantasy football game is generally not considered gambling. Even though this involves the act of placing bets, the key factor that differentiates it from gambling is the absence of real money or anything of value being risked. This type of betting is designed to simulate the gambling experience without the financial risk associated with real gambling activities. Some betting sites use it to attract new customers under the guise of responsible fantasy betting, but deep down we know it's designed to generate leads for the real pay to play betting sites.
In summary, whether fantasy football is considered gambling depends on the involvement of real money and the platform used. Non-paid, skill-based fantasy games are generally not considered gambling, while paid participation on betting sites or apps where money is at stake is considered gambling. It's important to understand the laws and regulations in your jurisdiction, as definitions and legality of gambling can vary.
