Placing your first bet on any online sportsbook can be intimidating. Thankfully, DraftKings Sportsbook is making sure that new players in New Jersey can ease into sports betting with a free wager to get started.

To sign up and secure your $500 Risk-Free Bet, all you really need to do is create a FanDuel sportsbook account. Here are the basic steps to set up your account and take advantage of this offer. How the $500 First Bet Match works This promotion is open to newly-registered DraftKings accounts (here’s a how-to guide to get started). Simply make a first wager and see what happens. Whether that first bet wins or loses, a Free Bet for the same amount will soon appear in the player’s account.

DraftKings Sportsbook is now offering to match all first bets onsite up to $500. This deal, which is more than double its previous amount of $200, will give players more freedom and flexibility to see how things work.

How the $500 First Bet Match works

This promotion is open to newly-registered DraftKings accounts (here’s a how-to guide to get started). Simply make a first wager and see what happens.

Whether that first bet wins or loses, a Free Bet for the same amount will soon appear in the player’s account. In effect, DraftKings is doubling the bet amount for the first go-round.

There are a couple of caveats, however:

Draftkings 500 Free Bet

• The first is the timing of the bet — a player mustplace his or her wager within 30 days of registration in order for the bet to be eligible.
• The other issue is that the Free Bet is not a negotiable instrument. Bettors cannot simply exchange the Free Bet for cash – the new money must be put back in play. However, players will keep any winnings from the Free Bet.

Draftkings 500 Risk Free Bet

This promotion is active right now, but won’t last forever. Players need to be sure to make their first bet by Jan. 21, 2019.

What new players to DraftKings Sportsbook will find

DraftKings Sportsbook was the first online sportsbook to debut in NJ and it has maintained its dominance through innovative and intuitive design and operation. New players will likely be surprised at how easy it all is.

The first thing that greets players to the mobile site is the betting carousel. This design feature places bet suggestions on a wheel that mobile users can then rotate to see more options.

These suggestions are not just stock opportunities, however. Each player’s betting carousel is customized according to the player’s preferences and betting history.

The result is that no two players will experience the same DraftKings. Instead, each will find prompts for wagers they would be most likely to make, anyway.

DraftKings Sportsbook also offers incredible flexibility with its variety of wagers. Almost every type of bet and betting limit is available for players to craft their betting patterns. There are even betting limits that are less than a dollar.

Players also have options to guard against last-minute defeats or parlay legs that seem unreliable in hindsight. The DraftKings live ticket system allows bettors to cash out their tickets at almost any point during the game(s).

The bottom line is that DraftKings leading the field in New Jersey for a reason. With the site doubling players’ first bets up to $500, there’s no reason not to try out the sportsbook this month.