Whilst loyalty points and VIP sections are really common within the online casino industry, when it comes to sports betting the concept is actually pretty rare. For some reason, once through the doors, sports bettors are often not taken even nearly as good care of compared to other online gambling products, which we feel is a real shame.
But, there are a few standout bookmakers who go against the grain and allows you to access their loyalty points scheme for both sports and casino play. These schemes can be very lucrative, especially if you are someone who either places large bets or has a volume of bets within a short period of time.
- Free Bet Clubs: Many bookmakers also run promotions that dish out free bets every week. For details, see our free bet clubs page.
Bookmakers With Loyalty Programs
What are Loyalty Points?
Your loyalty points are essentially points that you earn as you place a bet with that bookmaker. They are often a reflection on the amount that you bet and as the numbers increase, as does the number of points on offer.
Typical Example
This is an actual loyalty point’s structure taken from a reputable bookmaker, but we think it offers you a good guide as to how these programs work.
The bookmaker allows you to work through several different ranks, each offering up slightly more lucrative rewards than the last. You start at the Blue level and then work through Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and then Black. What you may find is that the top tier, black in this case, is an invite only level and will only be accessible if you are either a high roller or a very high volume player. If you think you do meet this criteria we would encourage you to contact customer support straight away to get access.
For every £10 that you wager at the sportsbook, you are going to be given 5 loyalty points. The Blue level, which is the entry level that everyone starts at doesn’t require any points, but to get up to the next level, in his case Bronze, you need to earn 2,000 points. Essentially, you would need to wager £4,000 before moving up to the next level.
With each level it is going to become increasingly difficult to move up as you need to earn more points. But, if you do manage to level up, then the rewards can become extremely lucrative.
What Rewards are on Offer?
Each bookmaker will vary massively in terms of the rewards that are on offer. As mentioned, as you move up the ranks, you will have more to choose from.
Typically, most bookmakers will offer you something along the lines of the following:
- Bonus points boost
- Best odds guaranteed
- Dedicated support team
- VIP manger
- Invites to sporting events
- Invites to music concerts, film premiers and bookmaker run events
- Exclusive promotions tailored to your account
- Birthday bonuses
- Free bets
- Betting bonuses
- Increased withdrawal and bank processing times
- Access to VIP points store
Main Terms
As with any of the promotions on offer, you need to be aware of the terms that are required when you sign up to these loyalty programs. Below we have listed some of the more important ones to look out for.
Points Required for each Level
You need to be aware what you need to do in order to move up to the next level. Using the example above, you can see that you need to earn a certain number of points. We find it much easier to determine if you can get to that level what you need to wager in monetary value rather than points.
Some bookmakers may seem to offer fewer points for each level, but when you compare it based on the number of points you earn per unit, then it’s not always the most efficient way of claiming these types of offers.
Product Crossover
Sometimes you will find that the loyalty program is a cross-over between both sports and casino.
In fact, it could include bingo and poker merchants as well, although the latter two are less likely.
If this is the case then you are going to be able to clear points on all platforms, but the rates for points will likely be different.
For example, you might earn 10 points for £10 wagered on casino games, but only 5 points for £10 wagered on sports bets.
The same will likely be in place for both bingo and poker if eligible.
Bet Contribution
You might find that not your entire bet contributes towards earning loyalty points. Often the amount of points you earn per bet will be based on the odds of your bet. A typical example might look like this:
- Odds at 7/4 and above = 50% contribution
- Odds between 8/15 and 13/8 = 25% contribution
- Odds of 1/2 or lower = 0% contribution
For example, let’s say you place a £20 bet at odds of 2.00 and you receive 5 points for every £5 wagered. As your bet is over the top threshold, this means you get 50% of that stake contributing towards this offer. So, 50% of your £20 stake is £10 and this will then equate to 10 loyalty points for this offer.
The contribution amount will also apply to any casino games as well. Again it will range from game to game but it might for example be something like 100% for slots, 50% for table games and 10% for blackjack and roulette.
Points Expiry
Often you are going to find that you have a limited time to use your loyalty points. So, they might state that you have 90 days to use your points and then after that the points might reset and you are back to zero.
What most bookmakers say for this offer though is that once you get to a certain level, as long as you keep making ‘x’ amount of points each month then you can stay at that level. This way you still get access to rewards that you have worked hard to be triggered on your account.