Sportsbook Promo Terms: A Glossary of Bonus Language

Sportsbook terms and conditions are written by lawyers and read by almost nobody. Yet a handful of phrases in them decide what an offer is actually worth: whether the bonus arrives win or lose, how long it lasts, what odds a bet must have to count. Our editors have defined the terms that appear most often in US sportsbook and online casino promotions, with examples taken from the offers we track and verify.

The definitions are general. Each operator words its terms slightly differently, and the terms of the offer you claim always take precedence. Where we give an operator’s figure, it is the figure on its official promotion page when we last checked.

Terms That Decide What You Receive

Bet and get

An offer that credits a fixed amount of bonus credit after you place a qualifying bet. The best versions pay win or lose. FanDuel’s current offer is one: bet $5 on each of three days and receive $50 in bonus bets each day.

Bonus bet

Credit you bet with like cash. A winning bonus bet pays the profit only; the stake is not returned. Our bonus bets guide works through the arithmetic.

Bonus money

Promotional funds that must be wagered before they turn into cash. BetRivers applies a 1x playthrough to its sportsbook bonus money, meaning the bonus must be bet once.

Deposit match offer

Bonus funds added as a percentage of your first deposit. A 100% match up to $50 means a $50 deposit earns $50 in bonus credit. AmWager’s offer for horse racing is a 100% first-deposit match up to $50; the deposit must be bet within 30 days, and show bets do not count.

FanCash

Fanatics’ reward currency. Its welcome offer pays FanCash equal to your stake, and existing customers earn it on every settled cash bet, at rates that rise with the odds: up to 1% at +410 or shorter, rising to 9% to 10% at +14500 or longer. FanCash converts into bonus bets at face value from a $0.10 minimum, can become profit boost tokens or casino credit at half its value, or can be spent at Fanatics.com.

No Sweat bet

A bet protected against losing. If it loses, the sportsbook refunds the stake as a bonus bet, up to a cap; if it wins, you keep the cash and nothing is refunded. Hard Rock Bet’s welcome offer gives ten daily No Sweat tokens, each covering one cash bet of up to $50.

Second-chance bet

Another name for the same idea: a refund, as bonus credit, if the first bet loses. BetRivers’ welcome offer works this way: a second chance bet of up to $500, with lower caps in some states.

Win or lose

The most valuable phrase in a promotion. It means the bonus is paid regardless of the result of the qualifying bet. FanDuel’s and Fanatics’ current welcome offers are win or lose; Hard Rock Bet’s refund only follows a loss.

Terms That Set Conditions

Expiry

The date or time after which unused bonus credit disappears. Seven days is common: FanDuel and Hard Rock Bet bonus bets last seven days. Expiry usually runs from the moment each credit lands, not from sign-up.

Minimum deposit

The smallest deposit that qualifies for an offer. bet365 sets $10. FanDuel’s offer works from a $5 deposit.

Minimum odds

The shortest price a qualifying bet may have. Odds requirements are written as a line such as “-500 or longer”, meaning -500, -400 or +150 count but -600 does not. Hard Rock Bet requires -500 or longer for its first bet; Fanatics requires -200 or longer for FAN2026.

Maximum bonus

The cap on what an offer can pay. Fanatics’ FAN2026 matches up to $100 a day for ten days, a $1,000 maximum. Reaching it takes $100 of your own money on each of the ten days.

Opt-in

An action you must take before a bet for it to count, usually a button or toggle. Fanatics requires the promotion to be switched on in the bet slip each day of FAN2026. Most existing-customer tokens need an opt-in too.

Playthrough

Also called wagering or rollover. The total you must bet before bonus funds become withdrawable, quoted as a multiple. A $100 bonus at 15x needs $1,500 in eligible bets. Sportsbook playthrough is usually low, such as BetRivers’ 1x; casino playthrough is usually higher, as our online casino bonuses page shows.

Qualifying bet

The cash bet that triggers an offer. It must meet the stated stake, odds and timing rules. FanDuel’s qualifying bets must be placed between 3:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. ET.

One per customer

Welcome offers are limited to one per person, and often per household, device or IP address. Fanatics says new customers can claim only one registration bonus, so a code such as FAN2026 can be used only once.

Promotions for Existing Customers

Boost token

A token that improves the price or payout on one bet. Fanatics’ New York welcome offer is ten 100% profit boost tokens, with a $100 maximum stake at -500 or longer.

Profit boost

An increase in the winnings on one bet by a set percentage. FanDuel’s tokens add 25% to 100%. A 50% boost on a $20 bet at +150 raises the profit from $30 to $45.

Odds boost

A price the sportsbook has lengthened on a market it chooses. Unlike a profit boost, you do not apply it; you simply take the boosted market or leave it.

Boost Builder

FanDuel’s parlay token, which adds 5% to the profit boost for every extra leg on an eligible parlay.

Bet Reset

FanDuel’s token that returns your stake as bonus bets if an eligible bet loses.

Early Win

FanDuel’s token that pays a bet as a winner if your team goes ahead by a set margin, such as seven points, even if it loses later.

Parlay insurance

A refund, usually as a bonus bet, when one leg of a qualifying parlay lets you down. Terms set the minimum number of legs and minimum odds.

Refer a friend

A reward for introducing a new customer. At Hard Rock Bet, when a friend’s first bet of $10 or more at -250 or longer settles, you each get a bonus bet matching it, up to $50, for up to 20 friends.

Loyalty points and reward drops

Points earned on every bet and exchanged for rewards. Hard Rock Bet bets earn Unity Points, which stay live as long as you play at least once every 180 days; its Legendary Reward Drops open each Thursday around noon.

Casino Terms You Will Meet

Casino bonus spins

Free rounds on a named slot, each with a fixed value. Hard Rock Bet Casino’s 500 Cash Eruption Spins are worth $0.20 each. Winnings are usually paid as cash.

Lossback (casino credit back)

A refund of net losses over a set window, paid as bonus funds. Hard Rock Bet Casino refunds net slot losses over your first 24 hours of cash slot play, up to $1,000, with 1x wagering wi