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Ultimate Guide to Cheltenham Free Bets and Betting Offers
The Cheltenham Festival, held from March 11–14, 2025, is a premier horse racing event featuring many world-class races, including the best of them all: The Cheltenham Gold Cup. Known for its thrilling atmosphere, the festival attracts thousands of attendees and millions of viewers and bettors annually.
Why Use Cheltenham Betting Offers in 2025
Free bets and promotions provide betting options, offering incentives to try new bookmakers for the first time. With betting sites rolling out Cheltenham-specific deals, they’re an excellent way to gain some free bets at the start and potentially for each event day.
This guide is perfect for bettors seeking the best Cheltenham offers. Find new bookmakers for Cheltenham and discover top deals, expert tips, and strategies to make the most of these promotions for Cheltenham 2025.
Best Cheltenham Bookies
Year after year, we can expect the big betting brands to come out all guns blazing with Cheltenham free bet offers. Paddy Power is famous for its marketing and promotional activity in the run-up to and during the festival.
Not far behind, major brands like Betfred, Ladbrokes, Coral, and William Hill will be making as much noise as possible. Expect newer brands in the market to get involved just as BetMGM did in 2024. Betting Exchanges like Betfair will promote their alternative markets, as will sports spread betting sites like SpreadEx.
Tips to Maximize Cheltenham Promotions
Claiming free bets is simple: sign up with a bookmaker, deposit the required amount, and place a qualifying bet. Follow the terms carefully to ensure eligibility and unlock your free bet reward.
These strategies maximize value by leveraging early bonuses and race-specific promotions effectively.
Timing Your Bets
Claim early offers to secure better deals, but check for race-day boosts, which can offer extra value on high-profile Cheltenham races.
Example
Claim a welcome offer just ahead of the festival of “Bet £10, Get £50” free bet offer a week before Cheltenham begins to secure bonus funds. On each day, use more different bookmakers to secure more promotions like “Money Back if Your Horse Finishes Second” for additional coverage.
Mixing and Matching Offers
Use multiple bookmaker promotions strategically, combining free bets and boosts for maximum returns across different races.
Example
Use a new bookie's enhanced odds on a favourite for the Champion Hurdle and combine this with a free bet from another bookie's “Bet £10, Get £30” promotion to cover another runner in the same race.
Staying Organized
Keep track of claimed offers, their terms, and expiry dates using a simple list or spreadsheet to avoid missing valuable opportunities.
Example: Create a spreadsheet with columns for the bookmaker name, offer details (e.g., “Bet £10, Get £30”), expiry date, and terms (e.g., minimum odds). Update it daily during Cheltenham to track which offers are active and when they expire, ensuring no missed opportunities.
| Bookmaker | When to open an account | Offer | Special Terms | Expiry | Max Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bookie 1 | Before event | Deposit £10 get £40 | Minimum odds | 7 Days from registration | £40 |
| Bookie 2 | On the day of the bet | Bet £10 get £20 | Free bet must be full stake | 7 Days | £20 |
| Bookie 3 | On Day | Odds Boost 10/1 | Maximum Stake £1 | n/a | £10 |
| Bookie 4 | On Day | Cashback if 2nd to Favourite | Maximum £25 benefit | n/a | £25 |
Avoiding Pitfalls
Read the terms and conditions thoroughly. Watch for restrictions like minimum odds, wagering requirements, and expiry dates to maximize the value of your free bets.
Race by Race Cheltenham Betting Offers
Explore various Cheltenham new customer betting promotions to find the one that is right for the type of bets you plan to make for the week. From matched deposit bonuses to cashback offers and free betting credits, these options provide different ways to start with a fresh betting site. Always check the terms and gamble responsibly.
Cheltenham Day 1 Offers - Tuesday 11th March
Tuesday is the opening day, with the Champion Hurdle feature race. There will, however, be plenty of Supreme Novice Hurdle free bets to be had as the opening race of the week.
Supreme Novice Hurdle
Bookmakers will offer various promotions for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, including free bets and enhanced odds. Expect free bet promotions around feature horses like Salvator Mundi as current favourite.
Arkle Challenge Trophy
Ante-post betting markets for the Arkle feature horses like Ballyburn as a hot favourite. We could see free bets and welcome offers based on odds boosts for this runner or money back if losing to the favourite.
Ultima Handicap Chase
The Ultima handicap will be the first big field race of the Cheltenham festival and is a candidate for bookmakers to offer extra places for each way punters.
Champion Hurdle
As the premier race on Cheltenham's opening day, the Champion Hurdle attracts significant attention from bettors and bookmakers alike. Its high profile and competitive field make it an ideal event for bookmakers to offer special promotions, such as enhanced odds and free bet opportunities, to engage new and existing customers. These offers aim to capitalize on the race's popularity, drawing in a larger betting audience and enhancing the overall excitement of the event.
Mares Hurdle
There is often a short-priced favourite for the Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham, providing an ideal opportunity to use boosted odd or a welcome offer for a bet.
Boodles Fred Winter
National Hunt Chase
Cheltenham Day 2 Offers - Wednesday 12th March
Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival is Champion Chase day
Gallaghers Novice Hurdle
Brown Advisory Novices' Chase
Coral Cup
Champion Chase
Cross Country Chase
Grand Annual
Champion Bumper
Cheltenham Day 3 Offers - Thursday 13th March
The Stayers Hurdle is the 3rd of the 4 Championship races and take place on Day 3 of the Cheltenham festival
Turners Novice's Chase
Pertempts Final
TrustATrader Plater
Ryanair Chase
Stayers Chase
Mares' Novices' Hurdle
Kim Muir Fulke Walwyn
Cheltenham Day 4 Offers - Friday 14th March
The day everyone looks for is the final day and the Cheltenham Gold Cup
Triumph Hurdle
County Trophy
Albert Bartlett
Cheltenham Gold Cup
Hunters Chase
Mares' Chase
Martin Pipe
Types of Cheltenham Betting Offers
Expect to find a host of different betting offers for the Cheltenham Festival as bookmakers clamour for your business, hoping you sign up and use them to place all your Cheltenham bets for the festival week and beyond.
Navigating through the various types can be confusing, so here we break down all that you might find and how they are best used to the maximum effect. It is also important to be aware of those to avoid when a better offer with the same bookmaker may be available.
| Offer Type | Aimed At |
|---|---|
| Free Bets Matched Deposit | New Customers |
| Cashback Welcome Offers | New Customers |
| First Bet Matched Offers | New Customers |
| Risk-Free Welcome Offers | New Customers |
| Free Betting Credits | New Customers |
| Enhanced Odds Offers & Price Boosts | Everyone |
| Profit Boosts | Everyone |
| Money Back Special Free Bets | Everyone |
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Offer will come in two categories:
New Customer Offers
Arguably the best offers for new customer registrations with bookmakers come in the run up to the Cheltenham festival, one of the most anticipated and bet upon racing meeting of all of the year-round horse racing calendar and by far the biggest event of the national Hunt season.
Almost every bookmaker and online betting site will offer enhanced incentives for potential customer to sign up and register a new account to use foe the duration of the four day event.
From enhanced odds offers, larger than normal deposit matches, and the offer of making one bet on the first race of the day to receive free bets on the remainder of the races on that days card, it can be tricky to figure out which are best. below we will run through everything you may come across and the pros and cons of each.
Existing Customer Offers
Many of the big odds bosts, and larger deposit match offers will only apply to customer opening an account with a specific bookmaker for the first time - This custs out the benefit for people who already hold accounts with these bookmakers, so in an attempt to service loyal customers, betting sites can and will offer other Cheltenham betting offers for existing account holders in some of these forms.
🎁 Matched Deposit Bonus
Matched Deposit Bonuses boost your betting bankroll by matching your initial deposit with bonus funds, ranging from 50% to 100%. Be aware of any wagering requirements before diving in, as they can be substantial, although often lowered for the Cheltenham Festival.
🎁 Cashback Welcome Offers
Cashback offers, though often misnomers, provide a portion of your losses back as bonus funds rather than direct cash. These are valuable, especially from exchanges or spread betting firms, but always review the terms.
🎁 First Bet Matched Offers
First Bet Matched Offers give you a free bet matching your initial wager when opening a new account. The qualifier is your first bet, often requiring specific odds or sports. Maximum matching limits and conditions vary, so read the fine print!
🎁 Free Betting Credits
Deposit Match Variations offer betting credits instead of direct bonuses. These credits function like free bets, enhancing your betting experience with unique terms. Always review the offer details, as conditions and maximums can differ.
🎁 Enhanced Odds Sign Up Offers
Enhanced Odds and Price Boosts offer bigger odds on popular bets, especially during major events. While winnings often come as free bets, they boost your returns. With a £1 stake, you might see odds jump from 4/1 to 24/1—ideal for low-risk enthusiasts!
Cheltenham Betting Offers (Existing Customers)
Now let's look at the type of offers available for customers already registered with accounts with the main betting site brands and what they can expect in terms of offers if they do not want to open more new betting app accounts.
| Bookie | Price boost | Money back | Extra places | Non runner no bet | Acca insurance | BOG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bet365 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Paddy Power | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Betfair | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| BetMGM | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Tote | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Ladbrokes | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
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Price Boost Offers
Lots of bookmakers will offer enhanced odds – and therefore greater value – on specific, selected horses in a race. Most of the time these are horses that are among the favourites, with quite short odds to begin with, in an attempt to attract users. That said, sometimes the offer centres around a price boost that you can give to a horse of your choice, although this is less common.
Best Price Boost Betting Sites
Acca Insurance Offers
This is a fairly common offer that can be seen across multiple sports, not just horse racing, but is still worth knowing about. If one of your legs loses, but the rest win, although you don’t win your bet you’ll usually get your stake back as a free bet. Bookies will set a minimum amount of legs for this offer to count, with four legs being fairly standard.
Best Acca Insurance Betting Sites
Extra Places Offers
Each way betting is obviously a very popular way for punters to make some money, particularly on those horses with longer odds, and the general standard for paying out is three places. During Cheltenham bookies will increase the number of places up to four or five for some races, and even to as many as eight places for some of the big handicaps that get run during festival week.
Best Extra Places Betting Sites
Money Back Offers
Money back offers at Cheltenham can take several forms, but essentially revolve around minimising your risk when placing bets, and getting your money back as a free bet. The methods for this vary, but popular among these are money back if your horse finishes second to the race’s favourite, or if it falls during the race.
Best Money Back Betting Sites
Non Runner No Bet (NRNB) Offers
Most betting at Cheltenham is done on the day, but there are still plenty of punters placing antepost bets in advance, especially if they’re trying to get more value. You may have bet on a horse weeks, or even months, ahead of the actual race and that horse may not eventually run. If that is the case bookies can choose to give you your stake back as part of a Non Runner No Bet offer.
Best Non Runner Betting Sites
Faller Insurance Offers
Faller insurance is a type of bet that offers some safety to your stake should the horse that you’ve backed not finish. This means falling at a fence (rather than being pulled up) but, if your horse falls at a jump/hurdle you’ll get your stake back refunded as a free bet.
Both BetGoodwin and Quinnbet offer this promotion, so with such competitive jump racing on offer, these could be excellent accounts to hold for the day to day betting throughout the festival.
Not a huge brand but rated #2 horse racing betting site on OLBG
- Faller Insurance
- Free Bet Club
- Best Odds Guaranteed
Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG) Offers
Punters are always looking for value, for angles, for different ways of maximising their profit when betting on horse racing and BOG is a brilliant way to lock that in. As with most betting, shopping around can really boost value, and Best Odds Guaranteed is probably the best example of that and a key thing to consider when placing bets given how markets can shift. With that in mind, it’s important to know who’s the best around for your horse racing tips and what makes them that in the first place.
| Betting Site | BOG Rating/50 | Multiples | Time? |
|---|---|---|---|
| bet365 | 33 | 8.00 AM | |
| BetVictor | 32 | ✅ | 9.00 AM |
| talkSPORT BET | 32 | ✅ | 9.00 AM |
| Netbet | 32 | ✅ | 9.00 AM |
| BetGoodwin | 31 | ✅ | 7.00 AM |
| Virginbet | 31 | ✅ | 10.00 AM |
| 888Sport | 30 | Day Of The Race | |
| Coral | 30 | Day Of The Race | |
| BetUK | 28 | ✅ | 11.00 AM |
| FAFABet | 28 | ✅ | 8.30 AM |
| BetFred | 28 | 8.00 AM | |
| BetWay | 27 | 9.00 AM | |
| GrosvenorSport | 27 | ✅ | 9.00 AM |
| SKYBET | 27 | 9.00 AM | |
| SportingBet | 26 | ✅ | 8.00 AM |
| Ladbrokes | 25 | ✅ | 8.00 AM |
| Paddy Power | 25 | ✅ | 8.00 AM |
| BetDaq Sportsbook | 25 | Day Of The Race | |
| Unibet | 23 | 8.00 AM | |
| QuinnBet | 23 | ✅ | 8.30 AM |
| William Hill | 23 | ✅ | 8.00 AM |
| The Pools | 22 | ✅ | 10.00 AM |
| BWin | 21 | 8.00 AM | |
| Betfair | 20 | 8.00 AM | |
| Boylesports | 20 | 8.00 AM |
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VBet is the leading UK bookmaker for Best Odds Guaranteed, specifically for horse racing in the UK and for the Cheltenham festival, the feature is activated at midnight, distinguishing itself as one of only four to do so. Unlike most bookmakers, VBet doesn't cap additional winnings, allowing usage in multiples.
Super fast site is great for in play betting with great stats centre and unique offers for registered customers. Vbet are better than expected.
- Excellent Stats Centre
- Unique offers for existing customers
- Their website is really fast, perfect for in-play betting.
For a full, detailed rundown, check out our best bookies for Best Odds Guaranteed.
