For quite a long time UK Betting Sites have been an integral part of sports and despite the fact that gamlbing has been illegal at some moments, many people have always had an interest in this activity. Sports provide an excitement by themselves and when you add the probability to win real money through sports betting or to show to the others your understanding of the game, you have a very alluring combination.
Therefore sports betting has become one of the most common activities worldwide and when you add the fact that online betting is much simpler than ever before, we shouldn’t be surprised to discover that the total amount of people betting on sports is rising every year.
In the UK and in Europe in general, the most common sports to bet on are horse racing and football, or as Americans say – soccer. Other very common sports for betting are rugby and tennis. In the United States horse racing is very popular, but several American sports like American football, baseball and basketball are quite more popular sports for betting. On the other hand, since online betting offers a greater number of sports to bet on, there is an opportunity for everyone to bet on any sports they like. There are so many little-known sports played worldwide, but because of the comprehensive coverage offered by sports betting websites, there is a chance for all the internet bettors to play on all sports they love and even more!
Our site’s team has been persistently looking for new internet gambling sites that could be included in the list of the best rated UK betting sites online. This is a gradual process, so you will observe our website changing its content from time to time as the list of the top sites is being updated. There are basic criteria that we consider when making a site review and some of these are the sign-up bonuses and what gambling options they provide for casino, poker, slots and others since the bonuses for any of these can vary. Other features we evaluate are ease of use of the website, customer support, deposit and withdrawal options and the variety of the offered games and sports. Overall, we check comprehensively each website before choosing it as one of the top UK betting sites.
# | Bookmaker | Review | Offer | Claim |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Betfair |
|
Bet £10 Get £30 | Claim now |
2 |
10bet |
|
£200 | Claim now |
3 |
888sport |
|
£10 Free Bet18+; T&C’s apply! | Claim now |
4 |
BetVictor |
|
N/A | Not Verified |
5 |
SkyBet |
|
N/A | Not Verified |
6 |
William Hill |
|
N/A | Not Verified |
7 |
BetFred |
|
N/A | Not Verified |
8 |
Stan James |
|
N/A | Not Verified |
9 |
Bet365 |
|
N/A | Not Verified |
It would be very useful for you to check our website often, as we are constantly writing new honest and comprehensive reviews of the best betting sites, bingo sites, casino sites and how to take advantage of their bonus codes. Very soon new reviews will appear. We appreciate your patience and keep in mind that our goal is to be the Bettor’s top friend!
Top Offers for Betting Online
Of all the pertinent features we have evaluated in our graphic, one of the essential ones are bonus offers. Honestly, nothing cheers up your day like a great promotion giving you some additional cash to gamble with. And not only the bonus amount should be considered, some UK betting sites give rewards to regular loyalty by providing the players with a small amount every week as an encouragement for future using of the website. There is a great number of different offers and we have chosen and evaluated the most important ones.
Deposit Bonuses
Contemporary internet bookmakers are very persistent in attracting new customers and all betting operators want to attract you with a welcome bonus. The sign-up offers could be a wonderful way of enhancing your bankroll and provide more opportunities for winning. So it is no surprise that we have rated Bet365 very highly. The hundred percent first deposit bonus they offer to all new players is absolutely incomparable in the field. All you need to do is to sign up for a first time at their mobile app or website. Then you will get a promo code ending on NCDB2. After completing your initial deposit, fill the code in the members menu and Bet365 will make it double in an instant for up to two hundred pounds.
Free Bets
Most of the offers for open account at UK betting sites come in the shape of free bets. In our sophisticated team’s opinion, free bets are the second best offers after deposit bonuses and they have many positive aspects. As a beginning, you can receive a free bet on many occasions and not just at the time of registration. Moreover, a free bet comes with easier wagering terms. For example, the 10Bet fifty pounds free bet. There is a single requirement to receive it and it is that your first stake has to be equal to or over five pounds and should be placed on odds of ½ or more. Later in your betting experience, you will get the opportunity to place an additional risk-free bet, very likely as a consequence of a refund.
The #1 – Betfair
- Betfair
- Bet £10 Get £30 bonus
-
Rating: 4.7
- Claim
Specials for Money Back
In regards to refunds, we should mention the Paddy Power’s popular money back specials which are great to begin the evaluation of other common promotions. In fact, the operator has made this type of offers its staple and has come with one for absolutely every common betting market. The bonus ACCAs (accumulators) are another wonderful feature you can discover at various bookmakers. And again, in this regard, Bet365 are to be followed. The bookie based at Stoke on Trent could offer you up to hundred percent on top of the ACCA bets you have placed for football. The definite number solely depends on the selections number. You will be rewarded with five percent for your winning trebles, the bonus for six folds is twenty percent and you need to make fourteen correct picks for the maximum amount.View the Site Video Here
Offers According to Markets
Some of the bookmakers could be considered as “good all-rounders”, while others UK betting sites specialize in just one or two fields. Choosing a bookmaker who provides the top odds for the markets you are planning to bet on, can be very advantageous to your bankroll. At the following section, we pay attention at the two of the most common markets, namely football, and horse racing and you will notice that bookmakers could be quite different.
Football Betting
To facilitate your choice for the appropriate operator for your selected market, we have completed a thorough research on seven operators, we randomly selected four football matches and reviewed the seven companies’ odds for a home win. To provide an unbiased reflection, we selected one Championship game, two Premier League games, and one League one game. Afterward, we evaluated the difference between the lowest odds and the best odds.
![btps](/pics/btps.jpg)
Have you noticed an advertisement on television for a drink where the price appears implausibly low? After seeing it, you drive your car to the store and get your bargain drink but when you arrive home you face the realization that your total amount of shopping is higher than the usual! This turns out to be because, despite the low price of the drink, the other items cost more and overall there was no bargain, quite the opposite. The perfect decision would be to purchase the cheap drink and then finish the rest of your shopping in your usual supermarket.
We have presented this analogy, as it is applicable to the betting market, because when you shop around and have more than one account, this will help you to get the top value. We have discovered that there are companies offering almost fourteen percent better odds than their competitors and we have also found that Premier League games could be enticing to punters with big differences between the worst odds and the best odds ( 6.13% and 13.94% on our two sample games) then is championship with 4.16% variance and League 1 with 5.04% variance.
Relying on our research, we understandably suggest that you don’t use just one company – this also provides you with the opportunity to take advantage of some wonderful bonuses for new players – for instance, 10Bet have an offer bet five pounds, get twenty pounds free bet for new customers. In case you are betting on a top game, make sure that you notice if they are any special ‘price boosts’ offered. And we recommend that you check back quite often because there are big fluctuations in the market.
The results of our small sample evaluation have led us to recommend William Hill and Betvictor for betting on Premier League and Bet365 for betting on a lower league.
Horse Racing Betting
When it comes to horse racing, comparing the markets in advance is not that simple because many UK betting sites just show Starting Price, or “SP”. The odds offered “on course” are the base for the starting price, where on course means at the actual race meeting. There are various ways to decide the starting prices but most of the times the starting price is decided by a panel by observing the price changes at the racecourse. The general idea of a SP is to determine where no fixed odds have been taken or offered when the bet was placed.
On the other hand, all websites we have listed offer ‘BOG’ or ‘Best odds guaranteed’ in which when the starting price changes and becomes higher than the odds taken, then the higher price will be paid out by the bookmaker. Regarding all offers, we strongly suggest you review the terms and conditions of the UK betting sites.
Bet365 casino provides not just the BOG offer, but have also some wonderful promotions for the horse races on channel 4. “Back a winner at odds of 4/1 or more and get a risk free bet” is one of the best promotions we have encountered and in its case, if you win on a televised, featured channel 4 race you will receive a free bet which is the same amount as your winning stake. In regards to the risk-free bet winnings, they are minus the stake and the bet has to be placed and paid for in the usual way, if the bet loses, then the stake is received as a refund within an hour after the race meeting. If you haven’t registered with Bet365 casino then you can add to this the offer for new customer – a hundred percent deposit match and this will definitely enhance your bankroll.
In regards to comparing horse racing betting, we have chosen four races right before the ‘off’ and made a comparison of the initial odds for a random bettor at our listed bookmakers. We then made a comparison of all the various prices offered and similar to what we did in our football section, we got the option for comparison based on a like for like.
Similar to the football, there could be great differences between the bookmaker who offers the words odds and the bookmaker who offers the top odds. In the small sample in the first race we calculated a 30.76% variance between the best bookmakers (Skybet, 10Bet and Betvictor) and the worst bookmakers (Paddy Power, Bet365, betfair and William Hill). The second race was with a 26.66% variance with four bookmakers who offered the best odds (William Hill, Bet365, Betvictor and betfair) and the worst were offered by Paddy Power and 10Bet. Race three revealed a great, forty percent difference between Betvictor, 10Bet and Bet365 in comparison to betfair which turned out to have the worst odds. And the last sample revealed a difference of 30.76% between the top ones (SkyBet, 10Bet, betfair and Paddypower) and the worst (Betvictor and William Hill).
The lesson learnt by this data is that shopping around is essential for getting the top odds for your spending and in many cases it is a clever decision to use two separate companies for the same race. Because quite often there are differences of twenty-five percent or more.
The Convenience of Mobile Betting
It was like yesterday when mobile phones were solely used for making calls and texting. Yes, actually that was quite recently, several years ago. However, in that brief stretch of time, the technology has advanced tremendously. Nowadays, the formerly ubiquitous mobile phones with buttons are almost entirely in history and the great majority of the new devices being sold have a touch screen and internet connection. Also, the services provided by classic betting shops and internet bookmakers have taken place into mobile applications. Those apps provide you with a quick and simple access to all the preferable markets and could run on almost all contemporary mobile devices.
Every reputable betting website runs a mobile version and these days betting apps are already a must and not a luxury. In other words, all our recommended UK betting sites support iOS and Android devices, as well as Blackberry and Windows Phone. Bet365 casino goes further by offering a special bonus to all customers who have chosen to register through the mobile platform, which meanwhile features all the available markets in the bookie’s desktop version. We have made a comprehensive testing of this operator and the other available mobile-friendly betting websites and we published the results in the section for mobile apps betting which will give you a great perspective for betting on the go.
Live Streaming and Betting
Live (or In-Play) is the quickest developing market in the field of UK betting sites. And it is considered the coolest thing by many. If the bookmaker doesn’t provide you a comprehensive choice, it means that you have to reconsider the bookie you chose. We can accept many flaws in a certain sports book but the absence of live betting is a thing we just can’t forgive. What is so important about live betting? Almost nothing can beat seeing a live game, expecting something to happen and then placing a bet. Owing to live betting we can select to support curling players, horses, football teams…anything. This way the sport and the game becomes more interactive and being able to see what actually happens live is the cherry on the top. In regards to seeing, it should be noted that video streams are an essential feature on a website, tightly connected to the live betting itself. The best bookmakers have appropriated the needed resources to offer video streams of the events you can place your bet on. In most situations, everything you need if you want to be able to watch the stream is to place a bet (could be very small one ) on a certain event or your account to be with a positive balance. Anyway, to sum up: we don’t evaluate well UK betting sites that don’t offer
- abundant live markets
- video streams or at least audio commentary
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Betting
Quite often we assume that everyone we are in contact with understands us and has the same interest and all companies are out there to help us but sadly not everyone is our best friend and greed and money could be a great stimulus for a rogue betting website. So how can we recognize a dodgy internet bookie?
What about the fairness of the games?
We could manipulate the software a little bit so we can boost the profit margin, who would check? If a customer asks us whether our games are tested for fairness we could always get ‘Dangerous Steve’ to make a fast Microsoft Word certificate which appears quite official, then we could fake a decent ‘Government of Barbados’ stamp and we are ready to go. If some player actually wins something (almost impossible but mistakes happen) we have covered this with our plan as we have a hidden clause in our terms and conditions saying that we make payments only on the thirty-second of Juctober. That will work and if someone pushes too hard, we will pay a little bit, like forty pounds a month, so we could appease them. And saying forty means of course forty minus conversion fee of twenty percent, local taxes of thirty percent, bank charges – ten percent and administration fee of thirty percent, honestly we could make it in such a way so they owe us money, it would be such a fun!
Are we looking for a similar scenario?
All of our ancient instincts are related to security. On a more advanced level, all the time we are looking for stability in our family, career and everyday life. It wouldn’t be wrong to imply that we are looking for it in pretty much all aspects of our lives and sports betting is not an exception. Let’s be honest about it, we play with our own money which means that any potential problem has to be absolutely avoided. If you observe in detail the Gambling Commission report you will notice that within the last three years monitoring on sports books has been applied twice as much as on all other gambling sectors.
In December 2014 there was an introduction of a change in the way companies offer their services in the UK, before that change companies could be regulated and licensed in other various countries (such as Guernsey and Malta) but the 2014 change meant that any sports book that provided services to UK customers had to have a licence by the UK Gambling Commission. This alteration has been great for the customers because makes sure that one regulatory body regulates all the companies and this provides consistency as a consequence.
Lucid regulations mean that if a customer wins, he or she will be actually paid. And in addition, your personal information’s privacy is a hundred percent guaranteed. At the end, it is what we all want.
Best UK Betting Sites for Sports
The UK market for sports betting is one of the most developed ones. There are betting brands in the UK that have existed for decades and have gained a firm reputation for trustworthiness, excellent products and top customer service.
Licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, a lot of UK betting websites have additional operations offshore, where they are regulated and licensed by the different countries’ government bodies. The following article will give you an outlook of what to consider when making a research of internet UK betting sites, which includes identifying reputable and reliable brands and making sure your deposits are safe after you have selected your company where you play.
Betting Websites in the UK
Sports betting has been regulated and licensed in the UK market for several decades. As a consequence, many of the world’s internet betting brands with a great reputation are UK based and provide service to sports betting players all over the world.
UK betting websites specialize primarily at sports that are common in Europe, Great Britain and Ireland. These are darts, soccer, rugby, cricket and tennis. On the other hand, recently the UK betting brands have drastically enhanced their inclusion of North America major league sports, which include baseball, American football, hockey and basketball and have started offering betting lines and feature coverage and news about MLB, NFL, NHL and NBA.
Comprehensive betting lines including moneylines, point spreads and three-way betting lines are offered for all popular sports, as well as futures betting and props wagering on team sports and popular events. There is also availability of Live In-Play wagering on popular sporting events.
Undoubtedly, betting websites in the UK would be incomplete without the presence of horse racing. Almost all of the UK’s best brands provide daily races coverage from the UK, Australia, Ireland, The United States and South Africa. Promotions and comprehensive coverage are provided for popular horse racing events, which include Royal Ascot, Grand National and the US Triple Crown races. In addition, the UK betting sites provide incentives and promotions to both existing and new customers. Cross promotions entice players to make a combination of wagers on sports they don’t usually play, or to try out the casino games and poker offered by established UK brands.
Very often, new players get welcome packages which could include free bet options and alluring deposit bonuses.
How to Make Sure That a UK Betting Website is Legal
In many cases, the main concern that UK sports betting fans who are beginners at online betting have is ensuring that the site they have selected is legitimate. The good thing is that this is a simple task in general.
UK betting sites with great reputation in the UK are regulated and licensed by the Gambling Commission. Established according to the 2005’s UK gambling act in order to regulate the commercial gambling in the UK, the Gambling Commission is completely independent body overlooked by the UK department of Culture, Media and Sport, which regulates all commercial gambling operators in a transparent way.
The UK betting brands under the regulation of the Gambling Commission usually provide their license details on their websites. Many UK betting sites with a great reputation also operate offshore in the Caribbean, Europe and Central America and their regulation is under the governing bodies in the jurisdiction where the operation takes place. Of course, such licensing is not enough guarantee for the reliability of a certain internet betting website but the absence of licensing should alarm you instantly.
Selecting betting websites that have existed for more than five years is also recommended. The establishment of an internet brand with a firm reputation is a very difficult process, could take many years and only the best companies survive.
It is also crucial to review the brand’s policies on betting and the customer support provided. As with any internet company you could decide to work with, you will require a smooth communication with the betting website you have selected, according to your chosen way and especially when your deposit is concerned.
Only the top brands ensure great customer service. Betting websites that don’t provide reliable customer support or that perform unethical actions are quickly taken out of business.
How to Make a Deposit for Online Betting
The most common way for depositing at UK betting sites is using a debit card. Most betting brands in the UK accept Mastercard and Visa, as well as various other brands of debit cards.
Another way that has become very popular for making a deposit is Paypal and despite the complexity of the process, bank transfers are almost universally accepted.
After your wise wagering has paid off, you are presented with several withdrawal options. You can withdraw your money directly to your debit card or you could be issued a paper check and mailed to you.
Several betting sites in the UK run also classical betting shops and offer you the opportunity to create an online voucher that afterwards could be cashed in person, at the betting shop over the counter. So many of the world’s betting websites with great reputation are based in the UK. If you want to have a great fun while betting, you should select a UK betting brand which is regulated, reliable and has established great reputation.
Make a Wise Choice of Online Betting Operator
When you choose an internet bookmaker you want to make sure that you choose the most suitable one for you. Right at the beginning of this process, you make the realization that there is sufficient reason some of the UK betting sites for sports on the internet to be considerably more popular than most of the others. A certain bookie will get more positive attitude over time by providing its customers more of what they need when they play at the website. For this reason, you can diminish most of the work of choosing the appropriate provider just by paying closer attention to the best ones in the field and making a comparison between them.
By making a comparison only between the top internet bookmakers, you have less work to do and you can quickly choose the best one for you. When you want to select from the most common brands with a great reputation, you can find an abundance of resources. A great option in this regard is finding a decent sports betting forum with plenty of posts and a lot of daily traffic. This will provide you with the opportunity to ask questions about the different betting websites in the market and in the meanwhile read what others have written regarding their experience which can involve useful information about gambling. And of course, make sure you read our reviews if you want to get a clear view of the most reputable brands in the field.
On the other hand, you need to keep in mind that your tastes differ from those of other bettors and this is a good reason to make the comparison between the best UK betting sites yourself. You want to make sure that the sports markets you relate to are offered by the provider of your choice. In addition, the design of the website has to be appealing and easy for you, so you can smoothly find your way. Also, it would be great if you choose a bookmaker providing generous free bet offers and promotions as these can supply you with additional money to bet with. If you are interested in other kinds of gambling, you have to look for a bookie suitable for a certain area. Some of the online gambling websites provide you with seamless access to other kinds of gambling, such as lottery, poker, casino, bingo, etc.
When you choose any of these operators, you accept that you can trust them for essential things like great customer support and safety and security. The top betting websites have gradually reached their position by providing these features. On the other hand, you don’t have to make sure that the website complies with your needs regarding to your secure banking options. Once you have selected an established bookmaker which is well known in the field, you can truly enjoy the online betting at its best without any worries.
Read About UK Betting Sites Online
- All Bets Are Off: Why Bookmakers Aren’t Playing Fair (The Odds are Firmly in Favour of the Big Online Firms)
- Legalized Websites for Gambling in Britain (Online Betting Shops That Let Brits Play Political Odds)
- Football Betting – Global Gambling Industry Worth Billions (Football Challenges the Position of Horse Racing)
- Investors Bank on Bookies for Brexit Trends (All Bookmakers in Britain Offer a Cear Trend)
- Bookmakers Track Your Every Move – How to Get Around (Operators Weed out Info from Every Customer’s Profile)