Best UK Betting Sites
If you prefer to bet with UK’s most trusted online betting sites then these are undoubtedly the best ones! Bet with UK betting sites that are registered within the UK betting and gambling jurisdictions and are affiliated with IBAS, the Independent Betting Adjudication Service. The following British betting sites are offering the highest of standards in online betting and gaming.
UK Betting Site: 10Bet
Competitive odds laid out on a highly advanced betting website | |
Impressive selection of betting events and betting markets | |
£100 First Deposit Betting Bonus *, 18+, New Players Only, T&Cs Apply |
UK Betting Site: Sportingbet
Extensive coverage on football, accepting bets for over 700 leagues | |
Live streaming over 8,500 events every year | |
A variety of online bonuses, 18+, T&Cs Apply |
UK Betting Site: Betfred
Unmatched variety of promotions from the Bonus King | |
New, improved and impressive betting console | |
Bet £10 Get £30 Free, 18+, New Players Only, T&Cs Apply |
UK Betting Site: William Hill
Quality online betting services from an industry leader | |
Bet at great odds and watch live at home and on the move | |
£30 Free Bets, 18+, New Players Only, T&Cs Apply |
UK Betting Site: Ladbrokes
UK's first professional bookmaker | |
Good odds for sports, comprehensive variety of betting markets | |
£50 Free Bet, 18+, New Players Only, T&Cs Apply |
UK Betting Site: bet-at-home
One of the biggest European betting websites to operate in the UK market | |
Place your bets fast - in any online betting platform - and receive your winnings shortly after the event finishes | |
Bet live and watch matches streamed directly on your device |
Still haven't found what you are looking for in our UK betting sites page? View a list with the best UK horse racing betting sites that comprehensively cover all horse racing betting in the UK or check out our full list with all the best online bookmakers. Below is a list with the most reliable UK betting operators along with the channels where their members can use their services.
Bookmaker | UK License | UK Betting Site | UK Betting Shops |
---|---|---|---|
William Hill | |||
PaddyPower | |||
Coral | |||
Betfred | |||
Titanbet | |||
bet-at-home | |||
10bet | |||
Sportingbet |
The above UK bookies are all fully licensed within the jurisdiction of the UK Gambling Commission but not all of them operate brick and mortar betting shops. Some do treat their online betting websites completely different from their high street shops and offer different betting bonuses and different odds on each channel.
Types of Promotions for Online Betting offered by the best UK betting sites
Thinking about betting on sports online, but not sure what the advantages are over offline punting? One of the best reasons to bet online is to take advantage of all the different bonuses and promotions which are offered by the best UK betting sites to new and loyal customers. These rewards put money back in your bankroll, giving you a chance to play more and win more.
Here are some of the most common types of promotions you will encounter on UK betting websites:
- Sign-up bonuses
- Free bets
- Money-back specials
- Enhanced odds.
1. Sign-up bonuses
A sign-up bonus is any type of promotion which is offered to a brand new customer. By definition, a sign-up bonus is something you can only take advantage of once, though there may be similar bonuses available in the future to returning customers.
The most common form of sign-up bonus is known as a “match bonus.” With a match bonus, the betting site “matches” your deposit. So if the bonus is 100% up to £250, if you deposit £250, the betting site will deposit £250 as well. You will then have £500 to wager with. Some betting sites have turnover requirements and/or mimnimum odds requirements to release the deposit bonus, so make sure you check the bonus Terms and Conditions before making your first deposit.
Any of the types of bets below (free bets, money-back specials, and enhanced odds) may also be sign-up bonuses.
2. Free bets
This is a certain amount of money (usually a small amount, like £20) which a betting site gives you as a reward for placing another bet, often your first one. The money is available in your account for wagering only.
So for example, if you just joined a UK betting site, you might be offered a free bet of £20. But to claim that £20, you must first place another wager meeting certain criteria. You then have the £20 available to use for future bets.
Free bets confuse some newcomers because they do not understand the strings attached; read more about What You Should Know About Free Bet Offers. They can be incredibly useful however, especially if you are thinking about trying out matched betting.
3. Money-back specials
This is a promotion where you will get your money back on a losing bet under certain conditions. A great example would be in horse racing. Imagine that your horse lost by just a length or less—a very frustrating situation. Some horse racing betting sites offer a money-back special on scenarios like this. If your horse loses by a length or less, you get a refund on your bet.
Refunds on money-back specials typically take the form of free bets. Although you cannot withdraw them right away; you can use them for a future wager.
4. Enhanced odds
This type of promotion is exactly what it sounds like; you get an odds boost as a special promotion. While this kind of bonus may be offered by betting websites to new customers, it is often extended to returning customers as well as a loyalty reward.
What Should You Know About Online Betting Promotions?
One important thing to know about online betting promotions is that they are not free money. Anytime a UK sportsbook offers you a promotion, be sure to read the fine print on the offer. You will find that there is a rollover requirement which you need to meet to withdraw the bonus money. Until you meet that turnover requirement, the promotion can be used for wagering, but you cannot claim it as cash.
Turnover requirements at UK betting sites usually are not very high, however, and you will be betting anyway, so meeting the requirements to claim the bonus money as your own should not be very difficult. Just make sure you fully understand the terms and conditions. Read on our article on what to look out for in online betting site promotions to find out more.
Interested in the best online betting bonuses? We have done the hard work for you and have compiled a list of free bet and sign up bonus offers from the best online bookmakers. We update the list on a regular basis so that it remains current. Have fun betting!
Live Betting on UK betting sites
While learning about different types of sports bets, you probably have seen a lot of references to live betting. Live betting has grown hugely in popularity over recent years, thanks to the expanding selections offered by UK sportsbooks.
But what is live betting and how does it work?
Live betting is exactly what the name implies - it is betting which takes place live during a match or race in progress. Instead of wagering before the match begins, you wager during the action.
You can bet live on all kinds of different sports: football, cricket, rugby, tennis, horse racing, and more.
This obviously opens numerous different doors which would be closed to you if you could only bet before a match. Quite often you do not get a feel for what is going to happen until you actually watch part of a match. You may glean insights during live play that you never could have had before it got started. Live betting gives you a chance to take advantage of those insights and enrich your betting experience. Read more about live or in-play betting to find out more about the advantages it offers and how to prepare ahead of placing your first live bets.
How can you watch a match if you do not have access to it on TV or you cannot attend an event in person? For that, you need live streaming.
Live Streaming sports from UK betting websites
If you are planning on betting live during a match or a horse race, you need some way to watch the event. If you can attend the event in person and wager online, then you are obviously good to go. In many cases you may also be able to watch an event on Channel 4. But what if neither of these is an option? That is where live streaming comes into play.
A “live stream” is simply a live feed of a sporting event which you can watch online. You will find live streams at many reputable betting sites. Sometimes they are free; other times they cost money.
What is most relevant and important for you to know is that many UK betting sites offer free live streams of popular sporting events to anyone who is placing a minimum wager on those events! Some UK sportsbooks online also provide streams of all events which they offer action on. They may even require only that you register an account.
This is an outstanding opportunity to enjoy watching more sports while placing live bets. Note that some stadiums and race tracks have rules against mobile betting, so there are situations where it actually makes more sense to live stream an event at home and bet online than it does to attend in person and deal with long lines at the windows. So live streaming offers you an abundance of convenience.
Most Popular Events for Betting offered by UK bet sites
One of the cool things about betting online is that there are dozens of unusual and obscure betting markets available to you. But most punters are going to stick with the mainstays. What are the most popular sports to wager on in the UK?
- Football: Pretty much every nation on the planet plays football, which makes it a truly global sport. In the UK, football is at the centre of pub culture.
- Horse racing: Known as the “Sport of Kings,” horse racing is a thrilling sport which offers a range of exciting betting opportunities to newbies and veterans alike. Races like Royal Ascot and Cheltenham bring together athleticism, fashion, and dining, epitomising British high culture.
- Tennis: Like football, tennis is a global sport with four major tournaments throughout the world every year: the Championships at Wimbledon, the US Open, the Australian Open, and the French Open.
- Cricket: Cricket is a fascinating sport which includes a number of different types of matches including short-form Twenty20 and long-form test matches (which may run for up to five days). No matter what kind of pacing you are looking for, there is something for everyone in cricket.
- Rugby: You cannot beat rugby for a fast-paced, action-packed game. Rugby matches run only 80 minutes and feature minimal downtime. Rugby is an all-weather sport (like cricket), and conditions can impact the outcome of a match in all kinds of unexpected ways. Like the other sports which are beloved by UK punters, it has both domestic leagues and international games with teams participating from all over the world.
Betting on these popular sporting events online offers you access to all kinds of exciting promotions, many of which are available only for punters who wager on these specific sports.
Mobile Betting in UK betting websites
Nowadays mobile computing is at the point of eclipsing laptop and desktop use, so it should come as no surprise that mobile sports betting has become popular as well. Just as you might guess, you can now wager on UK betting sites using your smartphone or tablet. Generally speaking, this includes Android, iOS, and BlackBerry devices.
Whether or not you can wager on a specific device or operating system varies from one betting website to the next. While the majority do offer mobile betting on both Android and iOS, you will sometimes find bookmakers which only cater for one or the other.
There are two common ways to bet on your mobile device:
- By downloading and installing an app (from Google Play for Android devices, or from the App Store for iOS devices)
- By using the mobile version of the betting site (no download or installation required; simply navigate to the betting site and use it as you would on your laptop or desktop).
Mobile betting opens up the doors to many opportunities which you cannot take advantage of by wagering on your laptop or desktop. Read here more about how to use mobile technology when betting online.
Betting Apps available for betting sites in the UK
Gambling on a mobile device is a trend which is increasing at an astonishing rate. In fact, according to recent research on mobile betting published by Juniper Research, over the coming five years, the number of online gamblers betting on their smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices will soar by 100 million.
So there are now numerous apps available for punters online. You may already be familiar with one type of app, offered by your online sportsbook, which simply allows you to wager through the site on your iOS or Android device. While apps like these are common, they are becoming less so now that the majority of UK betting sites offer mobile versions of their websites. This eliminates the need for an app download simply to place bets on a tablet or smartphone.
There are a number of other types of betting apps, however. If you search on Google Play or the iTunes App Store, you will find dozens upon dozens of free and paid apps which can give you an edge while you are wagering on sports. Some of these include:
- Proprietary apps offered by various betting websites to facilitate faster and easier betting through customized screens.
- Apps for tracking your wins and losses. These can be helpful when it comes to measuring and managing your risk and the efficacy of your betting methods.
- Apps which provide you with a personalized news feed and betting tips.
- Apps which help you to manage matched betting.
- Apps which help you to shop for the best odds.
- Betting bots which place wagers automatically on your behalf using a method provided by either you or the bot’s creator.
- Apps which provide you with news, updates, tips, and odds specific to a particular sport. You might for example download an app for betting on horse racing, football, or rugby.
If you search for apps in the App Store or Google Play, you will be able to check out ratings and reviews. Because there are numerous apps, some only have a few reviews (or none), while others have many. While popular and highly rated apps are a great starting point to enhancing your betting experience, you will also find niche apps which are great if you are on the hunt for something really specific pertaining to a particular sport. Once you find a few apps which you like, you will discover they can greatly simplify and streamline your betting procedures, freeing up time and boosting your profitability.
Regulatory Bodies Governing UK Gambling Sites
If you are new to betting on sports online, it can be easy to feel lost. There are seemingly countless UK betting sites to choose from, plus a slew of international sites which offer their services to customers around the globe. You may have a lot of questions: “Is betting online safe?” “What happens if the site refuses to pay out my winnings?” “What do I do if I think a match was fixed?” “Who is looking out for my interests?”
There are a number of regulatory agencies which are looking out for you and which can help you to bet online safely. We have written guides which introduce you to all of them, but if you are not familiar with them, it can be hard to know where to start. Here's a quick guide to point you in the right direction.
- The European Gaming & Betting Association (EGBA): This organisation sets standards for fair sports and gaming all across Europe. EGBA members all belong to the ESSA (see below) and follow 134 protocols established by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) called the Responsible Remote Gambling Measures.
- The European Sports Security Association (ESSA): This non-profit organisation partners with IOC, FIFA and other governing bodies in the professional athletic community to operate an early warning system for match fixing and other forms of sporting fraud. If you suspect sporting fraud, this is the association you should contact.
- The UK Gambling Commission: This commission is sponsored by the British Department of Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS), and partners with licensing authorities to issue licenses to UK bet sites. The commission also has the power to revoke licenses when betting sites do not conform to fair gambling standards.
- The Independent Betting Adjudication Service: IBAS is an organisation which acts as an arbiter in situations where gaming sites and consumers are in conflict over wins, losses or payouts. If you suspect you are being treated unfairly or defrauded, you should get in contact with IBAS to request adjudication for your case.
- GambleAware: This independent national charity conducts research, education and treatment programs for problem gambling. They operate the National Gambling Helpline at 0808 8020 133 and also offer a live chat feature on their site. If you suspect you have a gambling problem, you should get in touch with GambleAware and get help.
Now you are familiar with the regulatory bodies which are in charge of ensuring a safe and fair sports betting experience for customers in the UK. Click on any of the links above to learn more about how these organisations can support you.