At one time, DraftKings was a name that people associated strictly with Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS). But in the past few years, with the legalization of full-scale sports betting in New Jersey and many other states, this forward-thinking company seized the opportunity to expand its services to also include much more.

DraftKings Sportsbook not only takes virtually every variety of existing sports betting action but is loaded with opportunities to win big money.

While profit boosts, odds boosts, and parlay boosts and even contests with massive multi-million-dollar prize pools cater to seasoned sports bettors, DraftKings Sportsbook also welcomes beginners. In fact, this weekend looks like a great time for potential newcomers to the world of sports betting to get their feet wet by opting into the following special offer from one of the leading NJ gambling websites:

Bet $1 on the money line on any NFL, NHL, or MLB game, and win or lose, get $100 in Free Bets!

How the DraftKings Sportsbook offer to Bet $1 and Get $100 in Free Bets works

This offer is valid now through Sunday, Oct. 17 only, and it is only open to first-time DraftKings Sportsbook customers.

Here are the simple instructions you need to follow:

• Register with DraftKings Sportsbook as a new player if you have not already done so.
• Make a deposit of at least $5.
• Bet at least $1 on the moneyline on any NFL, NHL, or MLB game prior to the start of the game

Then, regardless of whether this bet wins or loses, as long as at least one NFL or NHL team scores in that game or at least one MLB team has a hit in that game, you will get your bonus.

Keep in mind that you can only access this offer once, and the total amount of the Free Bet offer remains fixed at $100 regardless of the size of your qualifying moneyline bet. So, unless you have a strong enough opinion about the winner of the game to back it up with a larger wager, you should not bet more than $1.

You will receive your bonus in the form of four Free Bets, each valued at $25.

Rules for using the Free Bets

You have up to seven days from the time you receive your Free Bets to use them. Failure to use any or all of them before they expire will make them void.

If you win a Free Bet, you will receive your winnings from the bet only, not the $25 amount of the bet.

Free Bets are non-transferable and non-refundable, and you cannot redeem them for cash.

Is the DraftKings Sportsbook Bet $1, Get $100 in Free Bets offer for new players a good deal?

You bet. It’s a great way for first-time sports bettors to test the waters.

But here’s a word to the wise. At the beginning of the season, DraftKings offered new players who bet $1 a total of $200 in Free Bets. Later, before lowering the bonus to $100, they offered $150 in Free Bets. If you keep procrastinating, the offer is likely to drop below $100 or be discontinued.

DraftKings Sportsbook alternative larger deposit bonus offer for big players

Some of you who are considering signing up with DraftKings Sportsbook might plan to bet a lot more than $25 per game, in which case the prospect of four Free Bets of $25 each doesn’t thrill you. Perhaps the following alternative welcome bonus is more to your liking.

20% Deposit Bonus up to $1,000

Instead of giving you four Free Bets of $25 each, DraftKings Sportsbook will match your deposit with a 20 percent bonus in the form of site credits that you can use anywhere on the site (sportsbook, casino, or DFS) in the next 90 days.

Personally, I don’t think you’re getting very good value with only a 20 percent bonus when many NJ gambling websites offer a 100 percent welcome bonus to first-time customers. But if getting a large bonus is what matters most to you, this offer certainly qualifies.

Keep in mind that because this is only a 20 percent bonus, in order to get the maximum possible amount of $1,000, you will need to make an initial deposit of $5,000. If you make an initial deposit of $1,000, you will receive $200 in site credits, while if you make an initial deposit of $500 or less, you will receive $100 or less in site credits. Obviously, since you can receive $100 in Free Bets with the other offer with a deposit of only $5, it would be foolish to accept this offer unless you are making a large enough deposit to receive more than $100 in site credits.

Additional terms and conditions

For every $25 you wager, DraftKings will release $1 of your bonus money into your account. Therefore, if you receive the maximum bonus of $1,000, you will need to wager a total of $25,000. Or if you receive a bonus of $200, you will need to wager $5,000, and so on. You have up to 90 days to complete the wagering requirements.

The 2020-2021 NBA regular season ended on Sun., May 16. But some of the most exciting basketball action is still ahead in the NBA playoffs.

First, for the benefit of those who have not been following the sport closely but might want to bet on the playoffs., we will tell you which teams are still in contention. We will also briefly describe what will happen in the upcoming play-in tournaments which precede the playoffs.

Lastly, you will learn about two special NBA playoffs promotions that DraftKings Sportsbook is offering sports bettors this year. If you’re a registered DraftKings player (or plan to join before the playoffs start), don’t miss these easy, exciting ways to boost your bankroll.

The 12 teams already in the 2021 NBA playoffs and the eight more with a shot to get in

This year the NBA playoffs won’t start as soon as you might think. They can’t because not all of the 16 teams that will compete have been decided.

From Tues., May 18 through Fri., May 21, a series of NBA play-in tournaments will determine which two teams in each of the two conferences will get the 7^th and 8^th seeds. Then, on Sat., May 22, with all 16 slots finally filled, the NBA playoffs will begin.

Seeds 1-6 in each conference are already set

Only one team can be crowned the NBA champion. But out of the 30 teams in the league, 16 will compete in the playoffs for a shot at the title. The top six teams in the Eastern Conference and the top six teams in the Western Conference are already in the NBA playoffs based on their regular season record. Here they are in order of seeding.

Seeds 7 & 8 in each conference are still up for grabs

 Besides the 12 teams listed above, two of the four teams in each conference that finished the regular season in 7^th through 10^th place will also make the playoffs.  depending on what happens in the play-in tournaments.

Of course, the sportsbooks aren’t limiting your bets at this time to individual NBA games. You can also make future bets. For example, if you already have an opinion about which team will win the 2021 NBA championship and would like to bet on it now, all of the NJ sportsbooks are offering that option. As of this writing, you can bet on any of the 20 teams that have not yet been eliminated. Or, if you prefer, you can make your wager at any point during the NBA play-ins or playoffs. But keep in mind that as the field narrows down, the odds can change dramatically.

Right now, the Brooklyn Nets are the favorite, and the LA Lakers–the 2020 champion–are the second choice. But how can that be? The above table showing the 12 teams that are definitely in the playoffs this year doesn’t even include the Lakers!

That’s true. One way the Lakers can make the playoffs this year would be to beat the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament. If they do, they will be the Western Conference 7^th seed. Or, if they lose to the Warriors, they can still make the playoffs if they beat the winner of the Memphis-San Antonio play-in game.

The four Eastern Conference teams and four Western Conference teams still hoping to win their way into the playoffs via the play-in tournament route are as follows:

How the play-in tournaments work

Prior to 2020, as soon as the regular NBA season ended, all of the playoffs seedings were finalized. A team was either in or out. However, during the 2020 season, where all games took place in the Orlando bubble, the concept of play-in tournaments to decide the lowest seeds and give some teams a second chance was introduced. This year, the play-in concept was modified to extend the chance to qualify for the playoffs even to the team in 10^th place.

Another difference between this season and last season is that once again, as usual, all regular and post-season games take place on one team’s home court.

The 2021 NBA play-in tournaments will proceed as follows:

Within each conference, the 7^th place team will host the 8^th place team. The winner of that game then becomes the 7^th seed in the NBA playoffs. However, the loser of that game gets a second chance after the 9^th place team hosts the 10^th place team. The loser of that game is eliminated, but the winner plays a second game against the loser of the game between the 7^th and 8^th place teams to decide which of those two becomes the eighth seed in the playoffs.

For the teams that emerge victorious from the play-in tournaments, how realistic are their chances after that in the NBA playoffs?

Once all of the seedings for the NBA playoffs have been finalized, those games will start the very next day, Sat., May 22. Keep in mind that while the possibility certainly exists for the 7^th and 8^th seeded teams to advance far in the playoffs and even win the championship, two major factors will work against them.

• They have to start the playoffs with virtually no rest, whereas their Round 1 opponents, whose last game was Sun., May 16, will have a whole week of rest.
• The teams they have to face in Round 1 will be the teams with the best and second-best regular season records in the conference. Moreover, because of their superior record, during this best-of-seven opening round, they get the home-court advantage.

The 7^th seeded team will play the 2^nd seeded team, while the bottom seeded team will have to play the top seeded team, Winning at least one game on a superior team’s court is a tall order under any circumstances, and here, the disparity in talent may be too great. However, if you want to take the favorite, don’t be surprised if you see double-digit point spreads and very steep moneylines.

DraftKings NBA Playoffs Free Bets

Because all of the NBA playoffs matches are best-of-seven series, the playoffs could last for many weeks. It could take all the way up to July 22 before an NBA champion is crowned.

That’s a lot of games. So, if you are a small bettor, you need to be very careful not to overbet your bankroll. But the following two special offers from DraftKings will not only make betting the NBA playoffs more fun and exciting.

Pick the NBA Champion

Before the playoffs start, bet $25 or more on the team you think will win the NBA championship. Get a $5 Free Bet for every round the team wins.

How to participate in this promotion

This offer is open to registered DraftKings account-holders in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, or Colorado.

If you qualify and wish to participate, here is what you need to do no later than May 21.

• Log in to your DraftKings Sportsbook account and opt-in to this promotion.
• Bet $25 or more on one team to win the NBA championship.

Additional terms and conditions

• You can only bet on one team to win the championship.
• Your wager must be placed before 11:59 p.m. on Fri., May 21.
• You will receive a $5 Free Bet for every series (excluding play-in games) that your team wins. The Free Bet will be credited to your account by 11:59 p.m. on the day after the series win takes place.
• You then have up to seven days to use your free bet. You cannot use it for live bets, parlays, odds boosts, additions to other free bets, or bets that have already been voided or cashed out.
• If you win your Free Bet, you will receive the winnings from the bet but not the cost of the bet.

NBA Playoffs Daily Bet & Get

Every day you bet $25 or more on the NBA playoffs from 5/17/21 through 5/31/21, win or lose, you will get a $5 Free Bet.

How to participate in this promotion

This promotion is open to registered DK players in the same states as the first promotion.

If you are eligible and wish to participate, here are the steps you need to follow:

• Log in to your DraftKings Sportsbook account and opt-in to this promotion.

However,  it is not clear whether a single opt-in will suffice or if you need to opt-in separately on each day you wish to play.

• Bet $25 or more on one or more NBA playoff games. Qualifying bets can include live bets and parlays if desired. However, minimum odds of -250 or longer are required.

Additional terms and conditions

• Players are eligible for one Free Bet per day.
• You have up to seven days from the time you receive your Free Bet to use it.
• You cannot use your Free Bets for live bets, parlays, odds boosts, additions to other free bets, or bets that have already been voided or cashed out.
• If you win your Free Bet, you will receive the winnings from the bet but not the cost of the bet.

Summary and conclusion

There is a lot of money waiting to be won during the NBA playoffs season. So, whatever size player you are, this a great time to put your handicapping knowledge and good luck to the test and see where it takes you. That includes grabbing every small edge you can, like with DraftKings two offers for Free Bets. Also, check out other NJ gambling websites to see what special deals they have to offer.

Spring is in the air, and one sure sign that will remove any doubt in your mind is that Thurs., April 1 marks the official start of the Major League Baseball (MLB) season.

Now that the NCAA Tournament is down to the final four–the best of the best–handicapping the remaining games will be tougher than ever. Or maybe all of the present focus on basketball is too one-sided for your tastes. If so, you will welcome the opportunity to watch and bet on another favorite sport.

Also, for those of you who are big baseball fans and have been keeping up-to-date during the off-season about the teams, important trades, and promising new players, give yourself a pat on the back. You finally have a chance to put your knowledge to the test and reap the rewards. There may be no better time to plunge in than now before the oddsmakers make the needed adjustments.

Clearly, you already have plenty of incentive to take advantage of what could be some great opening day baseball betting opportunities on NJ gambling websites. However, BetMGM has gone the extra mile by offering a special bonus for April 1 only that is truly a home run.

Baseball Season opening day bonus: BetMGM Home Run Boost

This special offer is open to all registered BetMGM players. However, it is valid for the Thurs., April 1 opening day MLB games only.

Make a real money wager of $25 or more on a single MLB game on opening day, Thurs., 4/1/21. 

How to participate in the BetMGM Bet & Get A Home Run Boost offer

If you have an account at BetMGM Sports and you wish to take advantage of this offer, here are the steps you need to follow:

• Log in to the BetMGM sportsbook app.
• Opt-in to the MLB Home Run Boost promotion.
• Bet $25 or more on any MLB game with odds of -200 or greater taking place that day.

Additional terms and conditions

Your qualifying bet must have odds of -200 or greater (e.g., -200, -110, +150, or +200).

Also, you can only claim this offer once, and only your first baseball wager on BetMGM on opening day will qualify.

Using your Bonus Bet

The maximum amount you can receive in Bonus Bets from this promotion is $50.

You will receive your Bonus Bet as a credit to your account within 24 hours of the end of the last MLB game of the day. This credit will be in the form of a single bet on any sport of your choosing.

Keep in mind that you can only redeem your Bonus Bet online or via the BetMGM mobile app. You cannot withdraw your Bonus Bet for cash or use it for casino games or poker.

Lastly, you have up to seven days only from the time you receive your Bonus Bet to use it in its entirety. Otherwise, your Bonus Bet will be forfeited.

If you win your Bonus Bet, you will be paid your winnings but not the cost of the bet.

Why the BetMGM Home Run Boost is a great offer

The 2021 Major League Baseball season is getting off to a flying start right off the bat. With a full slate of 15 games on tap for opening day alone, you not only have betting opportunities galore but as an added treat, many opportunities for home runs.

The minimum bet of only $25 is small enough to make this promotion accessible to almost anyone, so no need to risk any more of your bankroll than you can comfortably afford.

So, if you’re a BetMGM player who loves baseball, don’t procrastinate. Hit it out of the park with the BetMGM Home Run Boost!