The Cheltenham Festival is the pinnacle of the National Hunt season, and with it comes a wave of the best Cheltenham betting offers and Cheltenham free bets from the UK’s leading bookmakers. Whether you are a seasoned Festival punter or placing your first wager at Prestbury Park, there has never been a better time to get more from your money.
Every year, the Festival’s enormous betting volume prompts bookmakers to go further than usual — rolling out their most competitive welcome bonuses, matched deposit deals, and race-day promotions to attract new customers and reward loyal ones. The result is a genuinely rare window of opportunity for punters to secure exceptional value before a single horse has jumped a fence.
This guide cuts through the noise. We have done the hard work of comparing the top Cheltenham free bet offers currently available, evaluating everything from headline bonus amounts and minimum qualifying stakes to enhanced place terms and Best Odds Guaranteed policies. Our aim is simple: to help you find the right offer for the way you bet, so you can focus on what really matters — enjoying a week of world-class racing.
Whether you are opening a new account to unlock a high-value welcome bonus or looking for the best daily promotions for existing customers, our regularly updated list of Cheltenham betting offers has you covered from the opening race on Tuesday through to the Gold Cup on Friday.
Comparing Cheltenham Festival Betting Offers and Free Bets
Punters are spoilt for choice regarding free bet offers at the Cheltenham Festival 2026. Several bookmakers, such as Sky Bet and Paddy Power, are offering £40 Cheltenham free bets for new customers. Let’s compare the best Cheltenham betting offers currently available.
| Bookmaker | Cheltenham Offer | Min. Odds | Best Odds Guaranteed |
| BOYLE Sports | Bet £10, get £40 in free bets | 2.0 | Yes |
| Dabble | Bet £10+ & Receive £10 In Free Bets | N/A | No |
| Fairplay | Bet £20, get £20 in free bets | 2.0 | No |
| Stakemate | Bet £10, get £20 in free bets | 2.0 | No |
| 7Bet | Deposit £20, get up to £21 in free bets | 2.0 | No |
| Paddy Power | Bet £10 Get £60 in Free Bets | 1.5 | Yes |
| Sky Bet | Bet £1 Get £50 in Free Bets | 2.0 | Yes |
| Midnite | Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets | 2.0 | No |
| Bet365 | Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets | 1.2 | Yes |
| Betway | Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets | 2.0 | Yes |
Closer Look at the Top 10 Cheltenham Free Bet Offers
Let’s break down what distinguishes the best Cheltenham free bet offers ahead of the 2026 Festival. These will be being updated throughout Festival week, so keep checking back in for new Cheltenham offers.
1. BOYLE Sports Cheltenham Offer – Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets
Our top Cheltenham offer for 2026 currently stands as the excellent “Bet £10, Get £40” acquisition package from BoyleSports. This highly lucrative welcome bonus delivers a massive 400% return on your initial investment, providing new punters with substantial leverage ahead of the Festival. By registering and placing a straightforward £10 qualifying wager at minimum odds of evens (2.0), you instantly unlock £40 in free bet tokens once the initial bet settles. This robust arsenal allows you to aggressively target competitive handicap hurdles or back multiple runners in feature races without risking additional personal capital, making it an essential tool for your Cheltenham betting strategy.
2. Dabble – Bet £10+ & Receive £10 In Free Bets
Dabble represents a highly disruptive force in the UK betting landscape, having secured a Gambling Commission licence in June 2025. Engineered specifically for mobile-first users, Dabble differentiates itself through deeply integrated social betting mechanics. The platform allows users to follow prominent tipsters, duplicate complex accumulators with a single tap, and debate form in real-time chat rooms. Targeting a demographic seeking high engagement, Dabble delivers daily boosted odds, a unique “Copy Cash” reward system that monetises your shared slips, and a straightforward £10 free bet for new registrants. Although originating in Australia, the UK iteration operates out of Leeds, providing a robust, community-driven alternative to traditional sportsbook operators.
- Fantastic Promotions
- Fun Social Media Content
- New Bookmaker
#AD 18+ 7-day free bet expiry. Stake not returned. Promotional Terms Apply. GambleAware.org
3. Fairplay Cheltenham Offer –Bet £20 Get £20 in Free Bets
Our top Cheltenham offer for 2026 currently stands as the excellent “Bet £10, Get £40” acquisition package from BoyleSports. Crucially, BoyleSports also provides existing customers the opportunity to construct a supplementary bankroll of up to £60 in free bets ahead of the March start date. By placing a qualifying £/€10 wager on designated sports each day, punters begin accumulating rewards. Executing wagers on four or more days within a single week unlocks a £5 Cheltenham Free Bet, while betting across all seven days enters you into a £10,000 weekly jackpot distributed purely as withdrawable cash.
4. Stakemate Cheltenham Offer – Bet £10 Get £20 in Free Bets
New customers at Stakemate can claim a straightforward welcome bonus — Bet £10 Get £20 in Free Bets. Simply deposit and place a £10 qualifying bet at minimum odds of 2.0 (1/1), and once the bet settles, you’ll receive 4 × £5 free bets within 24 hours.
Stakemate stands out as a betting platform worth using for the Cheltenham Festival thanks to its mobile-first design, competitive offers and social features that make betting more engaging and user-friendly. The app’s current Cheltenham promotion gives new users a solid head start with a bet £10 and get £20 in free bets welcome bonus, letting you stretch your betting budget further across the festival’s key races.
5. 7Bet Cheltenham Offer – Bet £20, get up to £21 in free bets
7bet has quietly emerged as a new contender in the UK online betting scene, and one reason punters are taking notice is its Cheltenham Festival-focused welcome deal. With this offer, new customers who stake £20 on horse racing at minimum odds of 1/1 (2.0) can unlock up to £21 in free bets specifically for racing markets.
This bunch of free bets is split into one £6 free bet and three £5 free bets once the initial free bet is used and settled. This structure gives you multiple shots to spread your bonus across Festival days and big races, rather than receiving everything in one lump sum.
6. Paddy Power Cheltenham Offer – Bet £10 Get £60 in Free Bets
You can always rely on Paddy Power to provide excellent value at the Cheltenham Festival, and this year they are offering £60 Cheltenham free bets when you sign up and bet £10. This is one of the best Cheltenham offers going and is well worth considering if you aren’t already signed up to Paddy Power. You can also stream all the action on Paddy’s website and mobile app, and there are bound to be a plethora of ongoing Cheltenham free bets and promotions available throughout the week. Your Cheltenham free bets will be valid for 7 days, so bear that in mind when claiming your Paddy Power new customer offer in time for Cheltenham.
7. Sky Bet Cheltenham Offer – Bet £1, Get £50 in Free Bets
Next up is the Sky Bet Cheltenham offer of ‘Bet £1, Get £50 in Free Bets’. If you are yet to sign up to Sky Bet, we highly recommend availing yourselves of this offer, as it is without doubt the best value Cheltenham free bets package currently available. The minimum deposit is £5 at Sky Bet, so you will need to fund your account before claiming the offer, but beyond that all that is required to secure £50 in free bets is a £1 or more bet at odds of at least Evens.
That’s not all Sky Bet will be offering, either. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll be able to stream all the races at Cheltenham through the Sky Bet website and app, and claim a range of ongoing offers and free bets for existing customers including their daily mega boost which will offer great value odds on one popular bet on each day of the festival.
8. Midnite Cheltenham Offer – Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets
Another one of the newer bookmakers on the scene, the Midnite Cheltenham offer gifts out £30 in free bets for new customers that make a qualifying bet of £10. More famous for their e-sports offering, Midnite have made the bold move to join the sportsbook arena and it’s certainly paying off with these kind of offers.
- Bet £10 get £30
- Great for ESports
- Modern Betting Platform
- Uniquely Designed Sportsbook
#AD 18+ New customers only. Place a £10+ bet at min odds 1/1 (2.0) within 14 days of sign-up. Get £30 in Free Bets, valid for 7 days on selected bets only. Free stake not returned with winnings. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
9. Bet365 Cheltenham Offer – Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets
Perhaps the biggest bookmaker in our arsenal, bet365 are competing with the very best by offering £30 in Free Bets ahead of Cheltenham. With an industry-leading app and extensive market offering, Bet365 should be one of the first names on your list when it comes to opening a new account for Cheltenham Festival. The firm also provide Super Boosts each day of the Festival, with common enhancements such as 1/3 to 1/1. If you aren’t a registered bet365 customer, the Cheltenham Festival is the best time to get involved.
- Bet £10 get £30
- Excellent Football Betting Options
- Extensive Bet-Builder
- Multi-Award Winning Bookmaker
New customers can sign up using bonus code SQUAWKA365, bet £10 and get £30 in Free Bets. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration Required. This code is for marketing and tracking purposes only. #Ad.
10. Betway Cheltenham Offer –Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets plus build your Cheltenham Pot
Betway are celebrating the return of the Cheltenham Festival with a standout offer of their own, giving new customers the chance to bet £10 and receive £40 in free bets ahead of one of the biggest weeks in the jumps racing calendar. It’s a strong way to kick off your Festival betting, with a generous boost to your balance before the tapes go up.
Across the Festival and throughout March, Betway will also be running a host of Cheltenham-specific promotions and enhanced offers, ensuring there’s plenty of added value available. Whether you’re backing the favourites or searching for a big-priced winner, there are plenty of opportunities to make the most of the action all week long.
Cheltenham Betting Expert Insights
According to Cheltenham Festival betting expert Anthony Eadson: “Taking a chance on a big priced runner to sneak into the extra places can often pay dividends.
“Bookmakers also offer one ‘Super Boost’ on a horse daily. Typically, this can be for the headline race of the day, or for a horse that is a short-priced favourite. I’d advise taking any that are priced at evens or bigger.
“Don’t overlook accumulator bets during Cheltenham. Some bookmakers run Acca Insurance, so you get a free bet refund if one leg fails. 12 of the 28 races were won by the favourite in 2022, and combining a few of the biggest hopes is a popular and often profitable choice for punters at Cheltenham.
How To Use Your Cheltenham Free Bets
Using Cheltenham free bets is a straightforward process – as effortless as placing a regular bet on the racing action. However, always check the specific terms and conditions as these vary slightly between bookmakers.
The average process for using your Cheltenham free bets is as follows;
- Once you have fulfilled any qualifying requirements, any free bet should be automatically added to your account.
- Select the horse you want to back with your free bet and add it to the bet slip.
- Any free bet option should show on the bet slip, allowing you to select it to be used as the stake for your bet.
- If your free bet is a winner, then the winnings should typically be able to be withdrawn as if you have backed the horse with your own money.
Types of Cheltenham Betting Offers
The Cheltenham Festival sees all top online bookmakers battling it out for business, so they unleash an extravaganza of Cheltenham betting offers for punters to enjoy.
Here we take a closer look at five of the most popular Cheltenham betting offers you’ll likely see over the four-day Festival from 10-13 March, 2026.
Extra Each-Way Places
Some races at the Cheltenham Festival have over 20 runners and attract massive interest from each-way punters. And to attract business, most bookmakers will offer extra places on selected races at the Cheltenham Festival.
A 25-runner handicap would typically see four places paid for each-way betting, but at Cheltenham, some bookmakers will offer five, six and even seven places – always make sure to shop around when looking to place those each-way bets.
Money Back Specials
Be prepared for tremendous money-back specials to appear over the four days of the Cheltenham Festival.
These cover a variety of scenarios and typically see you receive your stake back as a free bet or cash. Such scenarios could be your horse finishing second or third in the race, finishing second behind the race favourite, falling at the final fence, and many more.
Enhanced Odds
Every bookmaker will offer enhanced odds or price boosts every day of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival. These can add some fantastic extra profit if they win, so check all of our recommended bookmakers daily to see what enhancements are available.
Non-Runner No Bet
‘Non-runner no bet’ comes into play for ante-post betting and is an excellent safeguard for punters who like to get their Cheltenham Festival bets on early. Odds are available on races at the Cheltenham Festival months in advance, but typically, if your horse does not run at the Festival, your bet is a loser.
With ‘Non-runner no bet’, however, if your horse fails to run at the Festival, you receive your stake back as cash.
Best Odds Guaranteed
All of our recommended bookmakers offer Best Odds Guaranteed throughout the Cheltenham Festival. This excellent bonus ensures you don’t miss out if your horse drifts in price and then wins.
If you back a horse and take the price, which returns at a starting price higher than the price you received, you will be paid out at the larger odds.
Lucky 15/31/63
A Lucky 15 is a type of multiple bet in sports betting, popular in horse racing and sometimes used in other sports as well. It involves making four selections and placing 15 separate bets on those selections.
You choose four different selections, typically horses in horse racing, but it could be any event with multiple outcomes. With those four selections, you place 15 bets:
- Four singles: One bet on each of the selections to win.
- Six doubles: Two bets on each of the possible pairs of selections.
- Four trebles: Three bets on each possible combination of three selections.
- One fourfold accumulator: One bet on all four selections to win.
The benefit of a Lucky 15 bet is that even if only one of your selections wins, you can still get a return on your bet. However, because you’re placing multiple bets, the initial stake can be higher than a standard bet.
A Lucky 31 and Lucky 63 work the same way but with additional bets and, therefore, additional stakes.
Bet Through the Card
Bet Through the Card refers to placing bets on every race on a card.
When you “Bet Through the Card,” you’re placing bets on each individual race that is scheduled to take place at the track during that racing day.
The idea behind betting through the card is to cover all the races on a race day to secure profits from multiple winning bets.
Acca Insurance
Acca insurance is a type of promotion provided by some bookmakers in horse racing betting. It is designed to provide some level of protection or refund to bettors who place accumulator bets, also known as accas, that narrowly miss winning.
Early Payout
Early payout is a promotion offered by bookmakers that refers to a situation where a bet is settled as a winner before the event has concluded, usually because the outcome of the bet is deemed highly likely to occur. This type of offer is rare when it comes to horse racing, however.
Daily Cheltenham Free Bets
Bettors are provided with a plethora of daily free bets from various bookmakers for the Cheltenham Festival. Commonly, firms such as Betfair will provide a daily free bet that can be used on an acca, while Paddy Power traditionally offer a £1 free bet, every day that can be used on a single of your choice on any race.
Furthermore, other daily promotions are provided such as Sky Bet’s money back on the first race of the day offer. Flash boosts and super boosts are also commonplace on one of the biggest betting weeks in the calendar, so punters can take advantage and tactically shop around to seek out the best offers.
Cheltenham Festival Betting Tips
If you’ve never placed a bet on horse racing but are looking to get involved in the Cheltenham Festival action, here are a few handy tips to get you started.
Statistical Approach to Cheltenham Betting
Looking at the stats behind the racing is an essential tactic for success at Cheltenham. Horse weight, age and form can all be important when deciding where to put your money and could give you the edge when it comes to winning your bets.
Trainer and Jockey Form
Another thing to consider is the form of the trainer and jockey in each race. There are certain trainers, Willie Mullins for example, that really focus on Cheltenham Festival and knowing they’ve entered their horses in certain races can be a good indication of their chances of success.
Some jockeys also seem to excel at Cheltenham, with the likes of Rachel Blackmore being one of the biggest success stories of recent years. Knowing which jockey is riding, and their form, can be a big help when it comes to placing your bets.
Shop Around
Spending the time to shop around when looking to place a bet can put extra money into your pocket. So if you are looking to bet on a horse, check a few bookmakers to see what betting odds are on offer and go with the best price.
Use Free Bets
Signing up to a bookmaker and receiving some free bets is an excellent way to enjoy the Cheltenham Festival without risking your own money. And with most free bets awarding you withdrawable cash, you could end the Cheltenham Festival in profit if you land a winner.
Don’t Chase Losses
As with all gambling, betting on the Cheltenham Festival should be considered a recreational activity, not a way to make money. So if you do lose, then ensure you never chase your losses.
Is Horse Race Betting Different Than Other Sports Betting?
Horse racing is an exciting sport, and each race offers several betting markets for punters to wager on. It’s a unique betting medium in that it sees humans and animals team up, and it’s one of the most popular sports for betting in the UK and Ireland.
There is some technical language in horse racing betting, and we’ve listed a few terms that you should know if you’re a horse racing betting novice.
Drifter – a horse in the betting that has significantly gone out in the betting odds.
Each-Way – an each-way bet is, in essence, two bets on the one horse, a win bet, and a bet on it to be placed.
Going – the going is the term used to describe ground conditions such as Good or Good to Soft.
Longshot – a horse with high odds in the race
Rule 4 – a deduction to winning bets to take into account non-runners in a race
Yankee – a multiple bet on four selections consisting of 11 bets (six doubles, four trebles, and one four-fold).
The Biggest Races at The Cheltenham Festival 2026
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious events in the horse racing calendar, featuring top-class racing across the week. Some of the biggest races coming up at the Cheltenham Festival in 2026 include:
Day 3 – Thursday, March 12, 2026
Stayers’ Hurdle: A Grade 1 hurdle race run over a distance of about 3 miles, traditionally held on the festival’s third day (Thursday). It is the championship race for long-distance hurdlers.
Ryanair Chase: A Grade 1 steeplechase run over a distance of about 2 miles 5 furlongs, typically held on the festival’s third day (Thursday). It is a top-level race for middle-distance chasers.
Day 4 – Friday, March 13, 2026
Cheltenham Gold Cup: The highlight of the festival and one of the most prestigious races in the world of jumps racing. The Gold Cup is a Grade 1 steeplechase run over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlongs, usually on the festival’s final day (Friday).
FAQ’s
Which bookmakers offer the best Cheltenham Festival betting odds?
Although all major bookmakers will offer betting odds on the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, we recommend bet365, Betfred, and Boylesports as having the most competitive odds.
It’s essential to compare the odds offered by multiple bookmakers to ensure you’re getting the best value for your bets. Additionally, keep an eye out for any special promotions or enhanced odds offers that bookmakers may provide specifically for the Cheltenham Festival, as these can sometimes offer even better value.
And remember to check the terms and conditions of any offers before placing your bets!
How do I get Cheltenham Festival free bets?
Getting some Cheltenham Festival free bets is a straightforward process. Simply look at our recommended bookmakers that offer excellent free bet offers and bonuses for new customers. Head to your desired site, sign-up, and enjoy the free bets during Cheltenham.
How do I get more free bets?
Punters are limited to one betting account with each bookmaker, but you’re not limited in the number of bookmakers you can join. So check out all the leading bookmakers and see which ones catch your eye with their free bet offers for new customers – ideal for using at the Cheltenham Festival.
Does free bet have cash out?
Typically, free bets cannot be cashed out, although this varies between bookmakers, so it’s best to check the relevant terms and conditions attached to each offer.
Where can I find horse racing tipsters?
Many horse racing tipsters are sharing their selections online or in national newspapers. However, we prefer to use a well-regarded tipping site such as GG.co.uk, which will provide free tips for every race at the Cheltenham Festival 2026.