Most bettors know the vocabulary. What they often miss is how bonus rules treat each wager type.

Key Takeaways

  • Straight bets are usually the cleanest bonus-eligible wager type.
  • Props, futures, teasers, and some live bets often get reduced or zero rollover credit.
  • Understanding the wager type is part of understanding the promo.

Moneyline

A moneyline bet is the simplest bet on the board: pick the winner. No spread. No total. Just the side.

Spread

A spread bet gives one side points and makes the bettor care about the margin, not just the winner.

Totals

Totals, or over-under bets, focus on combined scoring or output rather than the outright winner.

Parlays

Parlays combine multiple legs and offer larger payouts because every leg must win. They are simple to understand but dangerous to treat as automatic bonus-clearing tools because many books restrict how bonus funds can be used on parlays.

Teasers

A teaser is a modified parlay in which you buy points in exchange for lower payout value. Teasers are common offshore, but they are also common bonus-exclusion targets.

Props

Props are proposition bets on smaller events inside the game or match. They are popular recreationally and often weak for rollover because books either exclude them or limit their contribution.

Futures

Futures are long-dated bets on outcomes such as championship winners, season awards, or regular-season win totals. They often do not count toward sportsbook rollover.

Live bets

Live or in-play bets are wagers made after the event starts. Some books allow them for normal betting but restrict them for free-play or rollover use.

Round robins and other combo structures

Offshore books also offer round robins, if-bets, and more specialized structures. These are useful to know, but they are rarely the cleanest option when a bonus is active.

The four-book takeaway

  • BetOnline: free-bet rules center heavily on straight-bet usage and exclude many props, futures, and live situations.
  • BetUS: explicitly excludes props, futures, and some other wager types from core rollover contribution.
  • Bovada: broader sports usage exists, but active-bonus max-bet rules still matter.
  • BookMaker: classic sportsbook menu, but you should still treat straight bets as the cleanest promo-use case.

Final takeaway

Learn the wager type, then read the bonus rules. Offshore books often let you place the bet normally while refusing to give it full bonus credit.

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