Promo Guides
Step-by-step guided workflows that walk you through completing a specific sportsbook promotion end to end — from signing up to placing the hedge and marking the promo complete.
What a Promo Guide is
A Promo Guide is a step-by-step workflow for a single, specific promotion. Where the Promo Recommender tells you which promotion to work next and the Promo Converter finds the matched bet that extracts the value, the guide connects the two by walking you through every action in sequence — from creating an account at the sportsbook to placing the qualifying bet, waiting for the result, and then placing the hedge if one is needed.
Each guide is generated from the promotion's own data: the bookmaker, the promo type, the required deposit, the minimum odds, and any special conditions the book has set. The instructions you see are specific to that promo, not a generic template.
How to open a guide
Guides are accessible in two ways. When you click Get Started on a promotion card in the Promo Recommender, SmartStake marks the promo as in progress and opens its guide immediately. You can also reach an in-progress guide directly from the Promotions Tracker by clicking any card in the in-progress section.
A guide is only accessible while a promotion has in-progress status. If you have not started a promotion yet, use the Promo Recommender to initiate it first.
What the guide contains
Every guide is built around the same numbered accordion steps, but the content of each step is drawn from the promotion's actual data.
- Step 1 — Sign up — instructions to create a new account at the sportsbook. If the promotion requires a sign-up code, the guide surfaces it with a copy button and a direct sign-up link. If no code is needed, the step says so explicitly.
- Step 2 — Deposit — the specific deposit amount required to trigger the maximum bonus, drawn from the promo's deposit requirement.
- Step 3 — Make the bets — the conversion instructions, which vary by promo type.
The promotion type determines what step 3 looks like:
For a No Sweat Bet, the guide first links to the Promo Converter pre-filtered for the no-sweat side of the bet. If that bet wins, the promo is complete. If it loses, the sportsbook issues a free-bet token, and the guide links to the Converter again — this time filtered for the free-bet conversion.
For a Bet and Get promo, the guide first directs you to find a low-hold bet to earn the free bet at minimal cost. Once the qualifying wager settles and the free bet is credited, it links to the Converter to convert the free bet.
For a Deposit Match, the guide explains that your bonus funds arrive as non-withdrawable credit. It then links to the Converter to find low-hold bets that meet the rollover requirement and unlock the bonus balance. If the bonus balance is not cleared after one round, the guide instructs you to repeat until the rollover is satisfied.
If the promotion has special conditions — minimum odds, a qualifying wager cap, or a note from SmartStake's promo team — those appear as a highlighted alert above the steps.
The overview panel
Alongside the step accordion, every guide displays an overview panel that summarises the promotion's key parameters at a glance: expected value, estimated days to complete, difficulty level, expiry, minimum odds, qualifying wager, maximum bet size, and rollover where applicable. The panel also has a Go to guide link that opens the general educational guide for that promo type, which covers the mechanics in more depth.
Quick Actions
A Quick Actions panel (shown in a sidebar on desktop and a dropdown menu on mobile) gives you direct links to the Promo Converter pre-filtered for the bet types relevant to your promotion, without having to navigate away from the guide. It also includes a Cancel Promo button to remove the promo from your in-progress list if circumstances change, and a Complete Promo button to mark the promotion as finished once you have cashed out.
Recording the bonus you received
When you mark a promo complete, you can enter the bonus you actually received. SmartStake records it as a settled free-bet wager tagged bonus in your Bet Tracker and Performance page, so it counts toward your profit at zero stake-at-risk. See Promo bonuses for how bonuses are tracked.
First time with this promo type?
When you open a guide for a promo type you have not completed before, a banner appears at the top with a link to the general educational guide for that type. Dismiss it once you are comfortable with the process — it will not reappear for that promo type.
How guides relate to the Converter and Recommender
The three promo tools form a workflow. The Promo Recommender sequences your promotions and surfaces the best one to work now. The Promo Converter finds the specific matched bet — the hedge that aims to secure most of the return. The Promo Guide connects them, stepping you through the whole process for a single promotion from start to finish, with direct links into the Converter at exactly the right moment. You can use the Converter on its own if you are experienced with a given promo type; the guide is there for when you want the full walkthrough.
Once you mark a promotion complete, the Promo Recommender updates and surfaces the next opportunity. Your completed and in-progress promotions are tracked in the Promotions Tracker.
- Odds, prices, expected value, conversion rates, and profit figures shown are estimates based on the last data we retrieved. They can change at any time — confirm the current price at the book before you bet, as odds may move and entry errors can occur.
- Sportsbook promotions are typically available to new customers only and are subject to each operator’s terms, conditions, and eligibility requirements.