Last Updated on 06/03/2026 by Andy Clark
Betfred’s Cheltenham sign-up offer gives new customers £40 in free bets when they register with promo code FRED40, deposit by debit card and place a qualifying £10 bet at odds of Evens (2.0) or greater.
The £40 arrives as two tokens — £20 for use on any sportsbook market and £20 specifically for accumulators — credited to your account within 24 hours of your qualifying bet settling. The offer is live from midnight on 6th March through to 23:59 on 13th March 2026 only.
Betfred are also running a brand new daily retention promotion for existing customers during the Festival — bet £10 on the first race each day and receive a £10 free bet for use on the same day. See the Betfred Cheltenham Daily Free Bet section below for full details.
Betfred are confirmed as exclusively Non-Runner No Bet on all 28 Festival races — meaning every ante-post bet automatically carries full NRNB protection.
Back to: Cheltenham Free Bets 2026 | Cheltenham Tips 2026
How to Claim the Betfred Cheltenham Offer
- Click this link to the Betfred sign-up page
- Register for a new account and enter promo code FRED40 when prompted
- Deposit £10 or more by debit card (e-wallets, PayPal, prepaid cards and Skrill do not qualify)
- Place a bet of £10 or more at minimum odds of Evens (2.0) on any sportsbook market within 7 days of registering
- Your £40 in free bets will be credited within 24 hours of your qualifying bet settling
Betfred Promo Code: FRED40
Enter FRED40 during registration to ensure you are opted in to the Cheltenham welcome offer. The code is pre-populated if you sign up via the links on this page.
Note on qualifying bet: Your qualifying bet must be placed on a fixed-odds sportsbook market — in-play bets, cash-out bets and void bets do not qualify. The bet must settle within 7 days of registering. Do not cash out your qualifying bet or it will be disqualified.
How the £40 Is Paid Out
The £40 arrives as two free bet tokens credited within 24 hours of your qualifying bet settling:
£20 Sports Free Bet — usable on any fixed-odds sportsbook market, including horse racing singles, football, and all Cheltenham Festival races. Stake is not returned with winnings.
£20 Acca Free Bet — usable on accumulators. Stake is not returned with winnings. Check Betfred’s full terms for minimum selection requirements.
Both tokens expire 7 days after being credited to your account. Use them promptly — they cannot be extended.
Using Your Betfred Free Bets at Cheltenham
The £20 sports token is the most flexible of the two and is best deployed on a Cheltenham race you have a view on. The free bet stake is not returned with winnings, so there’s no benefit to playing it at short odds. At Evens your net return is £20 — the same as the stake you put in with a cash bet. At 5/1 your £20 free bet returns £100 if it wins. Aim for horses at 5/1 or bigger to make the token count.
The Festival’s competitive handicaps — the BetMGM Cup, the County Hurdle, the Martin Pipe — are well suited to this. Big fields with genuine each-way chances at 8/1, 10/1 and bigger across all four days.
The £20 acca token works best as a multi-race accumulator across the Festival card. Build a four or five-fold from your fancied selections — if one or two of them land at reasonable prices, the return can be significant even from a free bet where the stake isn’t returned.
Combining with Betfred’s NRNB guarantee: Placing your qualifying £10 bet on a Cheltenham ante-post market is a sensible approach — if your selection is declared a non-runner, your £10 stake is returned in full as cash and you can place a fresh qualifying bet. See our Cheltenham Non-Runner No Bet guide for the full list of bookmakers offering NRNB protection.
Betfred Cheltenham Existing Customer Offers
Bet £10 on the First Race Each Day — Get £10 Free Bet
This is Betfred’s headline new retention promotion for the 2026 Festival. Opt in, bet £10 on the 13:20 race at Cheltenham on any of the four Festival days, and you’ll receive a £10 free bet to use on racing at Cheltenham on the same day.
Offer dates: 12:00pm Sunday 8th March – 13:20 Friday 13th March 2026
How it works: Opt in required. Place a £10 Win or Each-Way single on the 13:20 race at Cheltenham (10th–13th March). A £5 each-way bet counts. Free bet awarded on settlement. Restricted to bets on Cheltenham. Free bet offer removed at 17:30 on the same day.
Key points:
- Opt in is required before placing your qualifying bet each day
- The qualifying race is the 13:20 at Cheltenham — the first race each day
- A £5 each-way (£10 total) counts as a qualifying bet
- The free bet is for Cheltenham races only and must be used the same day — it expires at 17:30
- Available each day of the Festival: Champion Day (10th), Ladies Day (11th), St Patrick’s Thursday (12th), Gold Cup Day (13th)
Done right, this is a £10 free bet per day across all four days — £40 in total across the Festival for existing customers who opt in each morning.
See our dedicated post: Betfred Free £10 Bet Every Day at Cheltenham 2026 →
Turbo Boosts
Betfred are offering Turbo Boosts each day of the Festival on both horse racing and football.
Horse Racing Turbo Boosts: Available each day of the Festival (10th–13th March) from 10:30am. The specific boosts are confirmed 48 hours before each race day once declarations are made.
Football Turbo Boosts (UCL Matchdays):
- Tuesday 10th March: Galatasaray vs Liverpool — boost available from 10:00am
- Wednesday 11th March: Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal — boost available from 10:00am
Singles only. Max stakes vary. Limited availability. Full T&Cs apply. Check the Betfred promotions page each morning for the day’s specific boosts.
Non-Runner No Bet — All 28 Races
Betfred are confirmed as exclusively NRNB on all 28 Cheltenham Festival races. There is no standard ante-post market available — every bet placed in Betfred’s Cheltenham markets carries automatic non-runner protection. Stakes are returned in full as cash if your selection is declared a non-runner. Opt-in is not required.
Best Odds Guaranteed
Betfred offer Best Odds Guaranteed on all UK and Irish horse racing including the Cheltenham Festival. If the Starting Price of your selection is bigger than the odds you took when placing your bet, Betfred will pay you at the SP. BOG applies to win and each-way bets placed at a fixed price. Available to all registered customers, no opt-in required.
Super Extra Place Races
Betfred run Super Extra Place promotions on selected Festival races, paying additional places above the standard each-way terms. These are announced in the days before each race — check the Betfred promotions page each morning during Festival week. Most commonly applied to the larger-field handicaps.
For the full picture of Betfred’s Cheltenham offers alongside all other major bookmakers, see our Cheltenham Existing Customer Offers page.
About Betfred
Betfred was founded in Salford in 1967 by Fred Done and his brother Peter. Fred Done famously paid out early on Manchester United to win the 1998 Premier League title — only for Arsenal to pip them on the final day. From that single shop, Betfred has grown into one of the UK’s largest independent bookmakers, with over 1,400 high street shops alongside a full online sportsbook and casino. Fully licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, they are one of the most established and trusted brands in British betting.
Their commitment to horse racing runs deep — Betfred’s name appears on the Betfred Gold Cup at Haydock, the Betfred Bowl at Aintree, and a range of other major races throughout the season. That makes them a natural home for Cheltenham betting, backed by competitive markets, strong ante-post coverage, and their exclusive NRNB guarantee across all 28 Festival races.
Betfred Cheltenham Offer — Full Terms and Conditions
New customers only. 00:00 06/03/26 – 23:59 13/03/26. Register with FRED40, deposit with Debit Card, and place your first bet of £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to receive £20 in Sports Free Bets and £20 in Acca Free Bets within 24 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment exclusions & T&Cs Apply. Full terms at betfred.com. 18+. BeGambleAware.org.
Daily Free Bet Offer: Opt in required. £10 Win/E-W single on 13:20 Cheltenham 10–13/03/26. £5 E/W will count. Free Bets awarded on settlement. Restricted to bets on Cheltenham. Offer removed at 17:30 on the same day. T&Cs Apply.
Turbo Boosts: Singles only. Max stakes vary. Limited availability. T&Cs Apply.
Betfred Cheltenham Offer — FAQs
Do I need a promo code for the Betfred Cheltenham offer?
Yes. Enter FRED40 when registering. The code is pre-populated if you sign up via the links on this page. Note: the standard Betfred offer uses BETFRED50 — the FRED40 code unlocks the Cheltenham-specific deal.
How long is the Betfred Cheltenham offer available?
The offer is live from 00:00 on 6th March to 23:59 on 13th March 2026 only. After 13th March, Betfred’s standard welcome offer returns.
Can I use my qualifying bet on a Cheltenham Festival race?
Yes. Betfred are exclusively NRNB on all 28 Cheltenham Festival races, so placing your qualifying £10 bet on a Festival race carries full non-runner protection. If your selection is declared a non-runner, your £10 stake is returned in cash and you will need to place a new qualifying bet.
Can I place the qualifying bet each way?
Yes. An each-way £10 bet qualifies as long as the win part is at Evens (2.0) or greater.
When do the free bets arrive at Betfred?
Within 24 hours of your qualifying bet settling. Both tokens — the £20 sports free bet and the £20 acca free bet — are credited together.
Can I use the sports free bet on horse racing?
Yes. The £20 sports free bet can be placed on any sportsbook market including all Cheltenham Festival horse racing.
How long do I have to use the free bets?
7 days from the date they are credited. Both tokens share the same expiry window. Unused free bets are forfeited after expiry.
Can I withdraw the free bets as cash?
No. Free bets must be used on a qualifying bet first. Only the winnings from a successful free bet are withdrawable — the free bet stake is not returned.
What if my qualifying bet is voided?
A voided bet does not settle and does not trigger the free bet credit. Place a new qualifying bet.
Who is eligible for the daily £10 free bet offer?
The daily free bet is a retention offer for existing Betfred customers. New customers who sign up during the Festival period may also be eligible once their account is active — opt in each day via the Betfred promotions page and check the T&Cs on your account for eligibility.
Is Betfred available in Northern Ireland?
This offer is available to customers in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Gibraltar. Check betfred.com for eligibility in your region.
Other Cheltenham Free Bet Offers
If you already have a Betfred account or want to compare before deciding, see our full Cheltenham Free Bets hub for every sign-up offer currently available. Other bookmakers worth considering alongside Betfred for the 2026 Festival:
bet365 Cheltenham Offer — Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets. NRNB on all 28 races. BOG from 9am.
Boylesports Cheltenham Offer — Bet £10 Get a £40 Free Bet. Money back all losers on the first race each day. NRNB on all 28 races. BOG from 8am. Money Back 2nd to SP Favourite.
William Hill Cheltenham Offer — Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets. NRNB on all 28 races. BOG available.
SBK Cheltenham Offer — Bet £5 Get £30 in Free Bets with code TAG30. Six £5 tokens across 48 hours.
Ladbrokes Cheltenham Offer — Bet £5 Get £30 in Free Bets. NRNB on all 28 races.
Coral Cheltenham Offer — Bet £5 Get £30 in Free Bets. NRNB on all 28 races.
18+. BeGambleAware.org. Terms apply on all offers. Please gamble responsibly.