Greater Choice Of Odds
The odds of a bet determine how much your returns are if your bet wins. Bigger Odds = Bigger Returns and so it makes sense to always try and get the best odds possible when placing your bets. To do this, you’ll need to have accounts with more than one bookie so that you can see which one is offering the best odds. Not all bookmakers offer the same odds and there can be a considerable difference between them which is more apparent at higher odds.
Who regulates UK betting sites?
All legitimate UK betting sites, and certainly all sites I recommend, are regulated by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission. The UKGC is one of the most stringent regulators in the industry, ensuring all British casinos are compliant with the industry’s highest standards.
🔒 Security and licensing
Security is paramount to me personally, and the whole team at talkSPORT. I would never recommend an operator that isn’t fully licensed and regulated by the UKGC. What’s more, most of the bookies you’ll find on this page are continuously audited by third parties for fairness and security.
Alternative Payment Methods
As the online gambling industry has expanded and improved over recent years, so have the banking options that are available to customers. It used to be that bank cards were the only way to deposit and withdraw from your betting accounts but now, there are often dozens of options ranging from e-wallets and pre-paid cards to even cryptocurrency.
Many new betting sites look for a USP to make them stand out from the more established bookies and one way that they can do that is by offering a greater selection of banking options to appeal to more customers.
Getting your money quickly after a withdrawal is also a huge bonus and some new betting sites offer Fast Funds which allows customers who are withdrawing to a Visa debit card to receive their funds in their bank account almost instantly.
How I rate UK betting sites
I include a lot of factors in my betting site analysis. You can always return to this handy guide if you need a refresher, since I’ll keep the selection on offer updated, but here are the most impactful aspects of a betting site:
When looking through the best UK betting sites, one of the first things I check is how many betting markets are at my disposal. Most top UK bookmakers will cover the main sports and leagues, but they won’t all offer the same depth. That's why I make sure to go through the markets of individual sports to find if they suit my needs.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
🎁 Welcome offer and free bets
Bookmakers are always looking for ways to attract new customers, and one of the most effective methods is to offer a generous welcome bonus. Of course, there are other things I factor in outside of the size of the bonus - a generous free bet package is easily offset by tricky terms and conditions and wagering requirements.
If a bonus has a short expiry date, a ridiculously high initial bet stake, too many payment exclusions, or overly complicated eligibility requirements, I'll tend to avoid signing up.
It’s not just new customers that need nice treatment. I also look for betting sites that have ongoing promotions for their existing customers as well. I'll be further impressed if a bookie's loyalty programs and VIP schemes are on par with its newcomer generosity.
For example, acca insurance or an odds boost are the type of promotion I tend to expect from all established bookmakers now, but an occasional promo code and exclusive specials for the punter who remains will set a sportsbook apart even further.
Of course, I’ll check out the odds at each bookmaker and let my readers know the best ones after a thorough comparison. If the odds come with price boosts and other odds-related bonuses, even better!
There is no point in me recommending a bookmaker if you can’t get your money in and out easily. All the operators I recommend have an array of banking methods and offer flexible deposit and withdrawal limits. I'll also be sure to let you know if I had to wait an age to cash out my winnings after bet settlement, or if the payout speed was negligible.
Top payment methods and processing times at UK betting sites
There are many popular banking methods available at UK betting sites. Visa/Mastercard debit card payments remain the most popular deposit methods among players. If you want a quicker withdrawal, e-wallets like PayPal, Neteller, and Skrill are often popular choices. Mobile-based methods like Apple Pay and Google Pay are also becoming increasingly popular.
The withdrawal time for methods will depend on the betting platform, so the following are averages. In some instances, for example, bookies may offer instant withdrawal, regardless of the method. This is something I always look for, but it's a rare gift.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention that players won't be able to use credit cards to make deposits or withdrawals in the UK as per UKGC guidelines.
🦺 Responsible gambling
The bookmakers I’ve reviewed here all offer responsible gambling support for players. This includes access to useful resources, as well as tools like self-exclusion and time limits. Of course, you can look into the available resources yourself on sites like GamCare and GambleAware.org.
New Horse Racing Betting Sites
Many new bookies do not cover horse racing which is especially true with the white labels of Progress Play sites and some others. However, there are a few new betting sites to have launched in recent years that do offer horse racing and are in fact, very good at it.
Some of the best new betting sites for horse racing are listed below.
1. £20 In Free Bets 2. Regular Price Boosts 3. Live Streaming Of Horse Racing 4. Best Odds Guaranteed 5. Nice Website & App
Virgin Bet T&Cs. *New members. £10 min deposit & bet on sportsbook, placed & settled at 1.5 min odds within 14 days of sign-up. Win part of E/W bets. 2 non-withdrawable £10 Free Bet Tokens: accept in 7 days, valid for 7 days from acceptance (ex. E/Ws & Multiples), stakes not returned. Click here for Rules & Exclusions. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org 18+
1. Refund up to £25 2. Horse Racing-focussed 3. Regular racing offers 4. Trusted brand 5. Competitive Odds
BetGoodwin T&Cs. 18+. New accounts only. Must have a min. of 3 bets of £10 at odds of evens (2.0). Full T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org
1. Regular promotions 2. Worldwide racing coverage 3. Competitive odds
StarSports T&Cs. 18+ BeGambleAware
Unlike horse racing, almost every online bookmaker will offer odds on football matches and competitions. However, there are some better than others in may ways and so you should give some thought to which betting site you are using to place your football bets with.
Many of the established bookmakers such as Bet365, Betfred, William Hill and BetVictor are all great choices when it comes to football betting. However, new football betting sites are launched throughout the year and some of them offer more in terms of better odds, live streaming of football matches, football betting offers, price boosts and additional football betting markets such as fast markets and bet builders.
Below, we’ve listed some of the best new football betting sites to have launched recently.
1. Up to £50 in free bets 2. Regular football promotions 3. Competitive football odds
Fafabet T&Cs. New 18+ New Customers only. Deposit and bet on any sports with min odds of 2.0. Get 50% Back of your first days’ losses as a Free bet up to £50+£20 Casino Bonus. T&Cs apply BeGambleAware #ad
1. Bet £10 Get £20 2. Any bet can be boosted 3. Good mobile app
Kwiff T&Cs. New customers & 18+ only. Min. deposit of £/€10. Qualifying real money bet of £/€10. Min odds greater than or equal to 1.5 required. E/W bets excluded. Offer credited within 48 hours. Full T&Cs apply.
1. Bet £10 Get £20 2. Football-focussed bookie 3. Regular football promotions
LiveScore Bet T&Cs. *New members. £10 min deposit & bet on sportsbook, placed & settled at 1.5 min odds within 14 days of sign-up. Win part of E/W bets. 2 non-withdrawable £10 Free Bet Tokens: accept in 7 days, valid for 7 days from crediting (ex. E/Ws & Multiples), stakes not returned. Click here for Rules & Exclusions. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
