Site Credit
Non-withdrawable funds dropped into your account to bet with — and on a winner, the full payout including stake usually comes back as cash.
Site credit is promotional currency a sportsbook drops straight into your account. Unlike a cash deposit, you cannot pull site credit out directly — you have to bet it. The key difference from a standard bonus bet is this: when a wager placed with site credit wins, the full payout — stake included — usually comes back as withdrawable cash. That makes site credit generally more valuable than a bonus bet of the same face amount, because you effectively keep the stake on a winner.
Books hand out site credit in plenty of situations: sign-up promos, compensation for a losing bet, loyalty rewards, or special promotional events. The exact terms swing from operator to operator, so read the fine print. Some books treat site credit exactly like a bonus bet (stake not returned), while others run the friendlier full-payout structure. Knowing which one applies directly changes how you should value and deploy the offer.
Example
A sportsbook credits $100 in site credit to a bettor’s account after a qualifying deposit. The bettor fires the $100 site credit on an NFL spread at -110 odds. Win it, and the bettor collects the full payout of roughly $190.91 — the $100 stake plus $90.91 in profit — all as withdrawable cash. Lose it, and the bettor is out the $100 site credit but has not touched a dollar of their own deposited funds. Compare that to a $100 bonus bet at the same odds: a winning bonus bet returns only $90.91 in profit (no stake back), making the site credit worth about $100 more on a winning wager.
Key Points
- Stake included on wins: The main edge of site credit over a standard bonus bet is that winners return the full payout, stake and all, as withdrawable cash — putting it much closer to real money.
- Cannot be withdrawn directly: Site credit has to be wagered at least once before any funds free up for withdrawal. It is not a cash deposit and cannot just be cashed out.
- Terms vary by sportsbook: Not every operator defines site credit the same way. Some run it like a bonus bet where the stake is gone. Always confirm the payout rules before betting with it.
- Often paired with conditions: Site credit may carry minimum odds requirements, expiration dates, or market restrictions. Some promos also attach wagering requirements you must clear before winnings become withdrawable.
- Higher real value: Thanks to the full-payout structure, site credit is generally worth more in expected value than a same-face-amount bonus bet, assuming the stake-included terms apply.