5 Maryland Sportsbook Sign-Up Bonuses & Promo Codes for Thanksgiving NFL Slate

Legal, online sports betting is underway in Maryland, and new users can claim nearly $4,000 worth of value, should they maximize these bonuses for Thursday's Thanksgiving NFL slate which features Bills-Lions, Cowboys-Giants and Vikings-Patriots.

Wednesday, seven sportsbooks took their first bets — FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, Barstool, BetRivers, and PointsBet. They'll all be offering a full suite of spreads, totals, props and so much more on Thanksgiving.

We've compiled the five best sign-up offers below and ranked them, 1-5.

1. Barstool Sportsbook

• Sign-up link: Click here
• Promo code: ACTNEWSMD
• Offer: $100 in free bets + $1,000 new player bonus

Barstool Sportsbook has our favorite sign-up bonus, because it offers both guaranteed free bets, and a large bet on the house.

Here's how it works.

• Use code ACTNEWSMD and opt-in on the promotions page. If you place a bet, you'll get $100 in free bets.
• You also get a new player bonus — aka a bet on the house — up to $1,000. That means if your first bet loses, you get refunded an equal amount in free bets.

Let's cover a quick example. Say you deposit $500 and opt-in for the $100 free bets, then bet all $500 cash on the Patriots +110 against the Vikings.

You'll profit $550 if the Pats win, and keep the original $500. If the Pats lose, you get $500 back in free bets (Barstool calls it bonus cash). No matter the result, you'll get $100 in bonus cash.

2. PointsBet

• Sign-up link: Click here
• Promo code: None needed – just use the link!
• Offer: $200 in free bets + $100 risk-free for five days

This offer is a bit confusing, but it's a valuable one.

First, you'll get $200 in free bets no matter what — that alone makes it a good offer.

Second, you'll get a risk-free bet up to $100 every day for the first five days on the platform. It must be your first bet of that day. And if it loses, you'll get refunded in free bets, up to $100.

3. FanDuel

• Sign-up link: Click here
• Promo code: None needed – just use the link!
• Offer: Bet $5, Get $200

At FanDuel, you'll get $200 in free bets once you bet $5. The nice thing here compared to BetMGM, which offers the same dollar amount, is that you can bet $5 on any market — it doesn't have to be the World Cup or NFL — to get the $200.

You must actually make a bet to receive the free bets, but it can be as small as $5. Then you'll be free to use those bets on any market or sport you'd like — NFL, World Cup, college football and more.

4. BetMGM 

• Sign-up link: Click here
• Bonus code: ACTIONCUP
• Offer: $200 in free bets

BetMGM, third in market share in U.S. sports betting behind FanDuel and DraftKings, is offering new users in Maryland $200 in free bets when they bet $10 on the World Cup on Wednesday.

You can then use the free bets on anything, including the NFL on Thanksgiving. So you'll want to activate the free bets on either South Korea vs. Uruguay or Ghana vs. Portugal, then you'll have them by 1 p.m. ET at the latest.

5. Caesars Sportsbook

• Sign-up link: Click here
• Promo code: ACTION4PICS
• Offer: $100 in free bets or $1,500 on Caesars

Caesars' offer is a tiny bit confusing, so bear with me. It also can offer decent value if you're willing to risk $1,500, but most people aren't.

• If your first bet is between $20 and $100, Caesars will give you $100 in free bets no matter what.
• If your first bet is over $100, it will be "On Caesars" — meaning if that bet loses, you'll be refunded whatever you lost in free bets.

It will likely be the best offer Caesars has, as the book has gotten much more conservative with its promotional offers (especially after an epic-but-expensive promo offer in New York). But because it's somewhat confusing, we'll rank it last.

Claim it here or use promo code ACTION4PICS at checkout.