Bonus bet vs profit boost: how to compare them
Published 2026-09-29 · Updated 2026-09-30
A bonus bet and a profit boost are both promotions, but they pay out differently, so comparing their face amounts is misleading. Here is how to compare them fairly, with a worked example.
Two different tools
A bonus bet is a stake the sportsbook gives you: if it wins you keep the winnings but not the stake, and if it loses you've lost nothing of your own. A profit boost is a percentage added to the winnings on a bet you place with your own cash.
Because they work differently, the fair way to compare them is by what each one leaves you with in cash after hedging, and, if you paid for them with a rewards balance, per unit of that balance.
A worked comparison
| Bonus bet | Profit boost | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | $100 bonus bet at +250 | $50 bet at +150 with a 50% boost (pays like +225) |
| Hedge | $187 on the other side at -300 | $101 on the other side at -165 |
| Calculated result | +$62.33 | +$11.21 |
| The same hedge without the boost | n/a | -$3.33 |
Rounded down to whole dollars. Calculated with the same engine as the calculators; change the inputs in the FanCash calculator to see how the answer moves.
Why the boost is worth less here
A profit boost adds a percentage of your winnings, and you pay the sportsbooks' margin when you hedge. On the $50 bet above the boost adds $38 of winnings, but hedging costs margin on both sides, so the pair comes out at +$11.21 against -$3.33 without the boost. A bonus bet has no cash stake to lose, so its whole payout is upside.
When each one tends to win
- Bonus bets do best on longer odds, where the winnings you keep are largest relative to the hedge.
- Profit boosts do best when the boost is large, the maximum bet is high, and the other side is priced close to fair, so the margin you pay is small.
- A cap on extra winnings limits a boost. A bigger stake stops helping once the cap is reached.
- If you're choosing how to use a rewards balance, compare cash per unit of the balance rather than the face amounts.
Bonus bet or profit boost: which returns more per FanCash.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, a bonus bet or a profit boost?
Neither wins everywhere. The result depends on the odds, the size of the boost or bonus, and the price you can get for the other side. Put your numbers in the FanCash calculator to compare the calculated cash result of each.
Does a profit boost apply to my stake?
No. It applies to the winnings. Your stake is returned as usual when the bet wins.
Do I need my own cash for a bonus bet?
Not for the bonus bet itself, but the hedge on the other side is your own cash.
Is the calculated result locked in?
It's calculated at the prices you enter. Odds move and bets can be voided, so confirm both prices before placing either bet.
Want the bet found for you?
Pro searches live odds across the sportsbooks you hold and returns the bet, the hedge and the calculated result.