Tennis is the third most bet on sport after football and horse racing and that may be surprising given the relative size of the fan base for the sport. The thing with tennis is even occasional fans get involved with betting on the sport and that is largely thanks to the fact that there are games on pretty much every day all year round. Often there are tens to hundreds of games to choose from each day and that makes it a good market for accas.
It is not just the frequency of matches either, games are simple, there are only two outcomes and there has to be one winner and one loser. There is also a balance of markets that range from outright tournament betting that can ride for weeks, match betting that last for hours right down to betting on the result of the next point which can take a matter of seconds. For this reason tennis suits a lot of different punters and that is why it has become a popular sport for betting compared to other sports supported to similar levels like rugby, cricket and golf.
The fact that tennis is popular is a good thing for punters as that means competition. Tennis match result odds for major tournaments are some of the lowest margin markets around and that means more default value for the punter. On top of this, and likely the reason you are on this page, bookies pump out a huge number of tennis offers to try to attract all that custom. After football and racing tennis is the sport where you will find the most existing customer promotions. If you are going to bet on tennis anyway you may as well try to get some added value by utilising an offer. Without further ado then here are some of the leading tennis free bets, money back and accumulator offers available right now.
Best Tennis Betting Offers
Types Of Tennis Betting Offers
Accas
There are a lot of sites now with either dedicated tennis accumulator offers or with acca insurance or bonuses that include tennis as a sport. As an example you might see a tiered accumulator bonus that increases your winnings in cash, or as additional promo funds, if your multiple bet wins. The more selections added the higher the bonus. These tend to apply to match result markets but can sometimes apply to set result and other lines.
If you are going to place an accumulator on tennis anyway you might as well utilise one of these acca offers. Odds markets for match result bet are really competitive, especially for the big matches, so there is not a lot of price differences between the bookies. Looking for a bonus or insurance is therefore a good way to get added value if you plan to bet this way anyway.
The important thing is to not add more legs into your acca just to get the acca insurance or to increase the acca bonus. It is better to choose the bet you want to place even if it doesn’t qualify for the offer or look for a site that has an offer that suits the way you want to bet. Ultimately accumulators are bad value bets as the bookie margins are additive, the more selections you add the higher the bookies margin and the worse value to you.
That doesn’t mean don’t place accas, they are enjoyable and are a preferred way for many punters who like to bet small stakes at higher odds. The main thing is to bear in mind that the bookie wants you to add more selections to an acca so make sure you stick to your guns and place the multiple bets you want to not the bet needed for the offer.
Money Back & Insurance
Money back and insurance offers are very popular for tennis. These often come in various guises but ultimately will give you your stake back if something happens. Generally your stake is returned as a free bet but occasionally this may be as bonus funds or even as cash. It is important to check the terms about what minimum stake is required, if there are any odds restrictions and if what the free bet restrictions are if you are given your money back.
Various examples of this type of offer may include:
- Money back if a player loses in the deciding set (often open to men and women)
- Money back if a player loses in the 5th set (often open to men only)
- Money back if a player retires
- Insurance that gives you a percentage of your losses back, e.g. 10% in-play
- Money back on set betting if the set goes to a tie-break
These insurance offers are generally for match result bets but sometimes is open to other markets. On the whole the free bets awarded are open to all sports markets but with some offers they may be restricted to tennis or indeed a specific tournament or match. Make sure to check how long the free bet is valid for and what you can use it on.
Free Bets
Free bets are by far the most common offer for higher level tennis. These come in all sorts of forms but most will follow a couple of general rules. You will need to stake something to qualify, this may need to be on a specific tournament or match and will often have minimum odds quotas. You will also be awarded a free bet that usually matches the stake and this may be open to all sports or be restricted to tennis or a single match / market.
In-play free bets are common, either ones that match your in-play bet with a free bet or ones that give you an in-play free bet if you bet on a game pre-match. Generally these are restricted to one a day or per game.
Free bets have also become popular for placing bet builders and accas. Although beware that both of these bet types are generally poor value bets so only place them if that is what you intended to do anyway.
For outright tournament betting free bets are common. This may be a straight up free bet that is given simply by backing a tournament winner or may be something that is awarded depending on performance. For example, back a player to win a grand slam £10+ and get a £2 free bet for each match they win.
Other free bet offers for tennis give you a free bet if something happens, e.g. get a free bet on top of winnings if a player doesn’t lose a set or wins from behind, etc.
The main thing to always consider with free bet offers is would you have placed that bet if the offer wasn’t available? Ultimately free bet offers can be great at adding value to your tennis bets, especially for the big tournaments, but can become a trap if you end up placing bets simply to claim an offer. It is better to decide what you want to bet on and then go find an offer that suits it.
Free Bet Clubs & Loyalty
Bookies know that tennis matches and tournaments come thick and fast and so reward clubs have become a thing in recent years. It is common to see offers that give you a free bet for placing so many bets on tennis, pre-match, in-play or both.
These offers tend to be more open in terms of the markets you can bet on within an match / tournament and reward you for placing a cumulative total of bets. There are reward clubs that are general but open to tennis and more temporary offers set up for specific tournaments.
Clubs like this are good for people that like to place a lot of bets on tennis, those that do this anyway could enhance their betting value by participating in one of these. What you should be careful of, however, is feeling you need to place so many bets in order to get a free bet. Only use these promotions if you are someone that would naturally meet the qualifying criteria without an offer.
Early Payout
Early payout offers have become more popular in recent years and are very often seen for tennis. The standard offer of this type will pay you out in cash if a player goes 2 set up, even if that player goes on to lose 3-2.
While it is rare for a player winning 2-0 to lose 3-2 it does happen and this is an added insurance for you bet. You are better off choosing a bookie that will pay you out early compared to one that doesn’t, assuming the odds are similar, as over time this bet could pay out for you.
Consider, for example, Rafa Nadal’s dramatic comeback in the 2022 Australian Open, where he was two sets behind and went on to beat Daniil Medvedev 3-2. In this instance those bookies with 2 up and you win offers will have paid out on both players and given the final of a grand slam is heavily bet on many people will have gained from that.
It is worth noting that typically this offer is only available for men’s games as women’s games are only 3 sets. It is also not available in ATP tournaments where men play best of 3 sets instead of 5.
Extra Winnings
On occasion some sites will pay you out extra winnings, e.g. double winning up to a certain stake value, if a given scenario occurs. In the past sites have paid extra winnings if a player loses the first set but goes on to win, for example.
Typically these extra winnings are paid as cash but that is not always a given so it is worth checking how the additional reward is paid.
Getting The Most Out Of Tennis Promotions
Avoid Fast Markets
Tennis is a sport made for betting on thanks to the fact it covers all time scales. A tournament can last weeks and a match can last many hours but at the same time there are bets you can place that can settle in seconds, such as the result of the next point.
This makes the sport attractive for betting ante-post, pre-event and in-play and largely explains why tennis punches well above its weight in terms of gambling revenues derived from it relative to its popularity.
It is important, however, to avoid betting on the fast moving markets on a regular basis as this is a known potential route to problem gambling. When betting on tennis what we are doing is trying to win the bet but at the same time enhance our enjoyment of the games. This can be achieved just as effectively by betting on a tournament winner or by betting on a match winner, or a market that will last for most of the match.
It may be tempting to bet on fast markets like the next point in order to capitalise on an offer. This approach in the long run will likely be more harmful than beneficial. If you do bet on the fast moving markets make sure you understand your risks.
Do Not Bet Just To Get A Promo
As eluded to many times on this page it is always sensible to find a promotion that fits with what you plan to bet on rather than changing what you would bet on just to claim an offer.
Offers are there as a loyalty reward to customers who come back to place their bets given the huge choice of bookmakers available. You can take advantage of these sensibly and get added betting value without betting more than you would have done anyway.
These offers are also there to entice you and this is where it is important to recognise whether you are claiming an offer because it adds to what you want to bet on or you are claiming it because you’ve been influenced to do so.
Know What You Are Betting On
It is tempting to add a player, match or tournament you know little about to an acca or bet to claim an offer but this is a bad idea. If you like betting on tennis bet on the tennis you know and understand. It is one thing betting on well known players in a grand slam tournament it is another thing to bet on a random tournament in Asia taking place in the middle of the night.
Tennis markets are well priced and offers can enhance value further but that is only if you also take the time to study your bets and understand what you are betting and why. You can look at the odds of a world top 100 player and have a rough idea if they are fair or not, you have no idea if the odds are fair or reflective if you are betting on a random player in a random tournament you don’t have a clue about.
Unfortunately low level tennis is also renowned for match fixing too so in many ways is best avoided. Stick to tennis you know and understand.
Read The Terms
As with all offers it is important you read the significant terms so you don’t come unstuck. It is critical to look for the following terms:
- What is the minimum bet to activate the offer and the maximum it will return in free / additional funds?
- Are there minimum odds (either per selection or overall)?
- Is the reward is cash, free bets or bonus funds?
- If the reward is free bet or bonus how long is it valid for and what can you use it on (e.g. some free bets may be restricted to tennis)?
- Is the offer activated by pre-match or in-play bets (or both) and is the reward available to use pre-match or in-play (or both)?
- Are there any payment methods restricted from the offer, e.g. it is common for people who deposit by eWallets to have promotion restrictions?
- Can you claim the offer multiple times or just once?
- Do you need to opt-in first to claim?
- What happens if matches are voided or postponed?
- Is cash out available with the offer?
- Is the offer available for women’s as well as men’s matches?
- What markets are applicable to the offer, is it just match result or can you have others such as set result?
- Can you use any free bet or offer in conjunction with other promotions, e.g. enhanced odds?
