Bet Sites: The UK’s Best Betting Sites

If you’re looking for no nonsense betting advice, then betsites.co.uk is for you. We help you find the best betting sites by providing detailed lists of online bookmakers in easy to compare tables. Want weekly free bets? No problem. More interested in features such as cash out and streaming? We can help you with that as well.

The table below shows a general overview of all betting sites that we feature on the site. Each site has been thoroughly vetted for quality and all are licensed in the UK – meaning they’re safe, legal and trustworthy.

bet365
Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets
Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365.Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required. #ad
Betfred
Bet £10 Get £50 in Bonuses
New customers only. Register (excl. 13/04/24) with WELCOME50. First bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get Free Bets: £20 In-Play, £20 Acca & 50 x £0.20 (£10) Free Spins on Fishin’ Frenzy within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply. #ad

Features

In addition to the main comparison table, we also have articles and guides based on different promotions, features and payment methods. You’ll find guides to these below, starting with the different tools and features you can find online.

Betting Offers

Everybody loves a good offer, and this probably goes double for those of us who like a bet. Most betting sites will have a good range of promotions for you to claim, starting with a sign up bonus of some sort – you can find a list of these on our main betting offers page.

For existing customers there’s plenty to be had as well – from weekly free bets and loyalty points through to enhanced odds, price promises and lots and lots of money back offers.

Banking

In order to be for real money, you’ll need to get funds from your bank account to the bookie or betting site. The simplest way to do this is to use a debit card, but there are plenty of other options as well. Including depositing in cash at a betting shop, a wide aray of elecronic wallets and even new technology such as Bitcoin and ApplePay.

What to Consider When Choosing a Betting Site

There are so may different betting sites and bookmakers operating online these days, it can put punters in a spin trying to work out which are worthy of your time and which simply are not.

There are bookies which have made the switch online after decades of being present on the high street. There are firms who focus solely on their online operations, and then there are brands trying to penetrate the UK market from Europe and Asia; you’ll see these advertising on TV, at football grounds etc.

For new punters it can really be a head scratcher working out which are the best and which to avoid, so we’ve helped you out by compiling a list of some of the factors you should consider before taking the plunge with your next betting site.

Promotions/Bonuses

Okay, so this is the most obvious starting point because, well, we all like free stuff, right?

A deposit match bonus or free bets are certainly appealing, and if you play your cards right and use the bonus cash wisely you can build yourself a handy bankroll before even having to part with a single penny of your own hard-earned cash.

But as we know, all that glitters isn’t always golden, and while promises of ‘200% bonus up to £500’ and ‘free bets worth up to £50’ look good on paper, occasionally the actual reality is somewhat different.

Bookmakers aren’t daft – you’ll never see a poor bookie, and one of the reasons for this is that the welcome offers they present come packed with terms & conditions.

Wagering requirements, minimum bet amounts, time limits….these are all tools that betting sites use to ensure their outlay is minimal, and so our recommendation is that you don’t judge a bookmaker solely on the perceived generosity of their bonuses and promotions. Usually, once you’ve read between the lines you’ll notice that there isn’t always a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

The Odds

If you are a casual punter who will only have the odd flutter on the Grad National or the FA Cup final, for example, then the bookmakers’ odds will be of little relevance to you when deciding upon the right bookmaker.

But if you plan on wagering on a weekly basis or more, then the supplied odds should be the first factor you compare betting sites on.

Why? It’s quite simple: over a longer period of time, a bookmaker that offers more generous odds on the sports/markets you favour will ultimately pay you more in winnings than one that doesn’t.

If you are betting on the football or horse racing this may be one firm offering 13/8 and another 6/4 – a difference of 12p for every pound staked. Multiply this over a year and you can see how your returns would be adversely affected. Then consider golf bets or outright markets: a difference of 20/1 compared to 16/1 is £4 – extrapolate that over the long term and you could be chucking tens and even hundreds of pounds down the drain.

Note that all bookmakers differ when it comes to odds compiling, with some being more generous than others when it comes to betting on certain sports or markets. Do your research and you won’t go far wrong.

Maximum Bets and Payouts

Again, for the casual punter this won’t necessarily be a factor of importance, but anybody who wants to invest comprehensively in the bets simply has to know about each betting sites’ maximum limits.

These pertain to two specific areas: maximum bets accepted and payout limits.

Some firms have a maximum amount you can wager in place. This can range from astronomical amount that won’t be an issue for you, to occasionally maximum limits of £5,000 – especially the case for smaller brands with lower turnover.

But the biggest issue to be aware of is that of payout limits. Again, these are published liberally in the tiny smallprint of bookmakers’ sites, and these will determine how much you can earn from a bet. So if you win £100,000, for instance, but the bookie has a payout limit in place of £10,000, then you are going to feel very hard done by….to put it mildly.

And consider how these two elements work together too. A maximum bet limit of £1000 is no good if you want to wager on a horse that’s 8/1 and there is a payout limit in place of £5000!

Market Coverage

All bookmakers tend to offer the same markets across the board, so if you are sticking to the traditional options then happy days.

But if you have a particular specialism or want to target a specific niche, then shop around to find which betting site can satisfy your needs.

Indeed, it is worth spending the time to do this as you might uncover a market you didn’t know existed. An example in football is the Double Chance/Both Teams to Score market, which is a genuinely niche area that only a few bookmakers offer.

And the same reasoning exists for individual sports. Some firms offer prices for the likes of handball, table tennis and the Irish sports such as Gaelic football and hurling, whereas others do not.

Features

The world of online betting has changed almost beyond belief in the past decade, and now many betting firms are offering features and services which can absolutely enhance your experience.

One such feature is live streaming, which is a fantastic innovation. You can watch European football, UK and Irish horse racing, the ATP and WTA tennis tours and so much more on your laptop, tablet or phone, and in some cases you don’t even have to place a bet to get access.

Other notable features include in-play betting, cash out, ‘edit bet’ options and more. Consider which features you consider important, and choose your online bookmaker accordingly.

Payments

Here there are two items to consider: payment methods accepted and payout speeds.

As far as payment methods is concerned, you’ll find betting sites split broadly into two camps: those which accept deposits and withdrawals from PayPal, and those that don’t. This typically can be divided into those who have a strong UK presence (accept PayPal) and those from abroad who are dipping their toe in the water (don’t accept it).

Otherwise, most offer the same broad options across the board, from Visa and MasterCard to e-wallets such as Skrill and Neteller. If you have a preferred option, make sure it is listed before signing up.

And all betting sites, no matter where they are based, will differ as far as payment times are concerned. Deposits are almost instantaneous across the board, but withdrawals vary markedly between betting sites. The difference between receiving your winning within 12 hours or in five working days is quite stark!

Mobile Betting

How do you plan on placing the majority of your bets? Will you be using a desktop computer/laptop….or, more likely, will you be using a tablet or smartphone?

The latter option has naturally grown in popularity in the past decade, and allied to that has been the proliferation of mobile-friendly sites and dedicated apps.

Some work like a dream….some are a nightmare to navigate around, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder so take the time to use the mobile sites before making a deposit. Is finding your favourite sports/markets easy? How long does it take to get from choosing a selection to placing a bet? That latter feature is key for those wishing to get stuck into in-play betting.

Online Betting in the UK

If you are completely new to sports betting, at first the industry can feel like a minefield. Who are all these bookmakers? What can they offer me that is different to everyone else? What special features do they have? By using sites like ours, you will soon get to grips with the ins and outs of online betting.

And we are here to put other nagging doubts at ease, too. If you have spent time in the USA you will know that sports betting is, by and large, illegal, despite a few states such as Nevada and New Jersey offering a few opportunities to place a bet or two.

So you may be wondering whether online betting in the UK is legal or not? Let us put your mind at rest….

Is Online Betting in the UK Legal?

The short answer is yes, yes it is.

Back in the day – and we’re going back to the 1960s here, all forms of gambling were illegal unless they were carried out a licensed UK racecourse in the UK.

Then in 1963 the whole landscape changed with the advent of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act. This legislation essentially opened the doors to bookmakers and casinos on these shores as it legalised gambling activities away from the racetrack. For some 40 years, this regulation would form the basis of betting-based laws in the UK.

Then, in 2005, the Gambling Act was created to essentially modernise the legal framework within which UK bookmakers and betting operators were allowed to go about their business.

It was at this point that the UK Gambling Commission was created to ensure that the new regulatory framework was put into practice, and for the first online betting was given an equal legislative footing to land-based betting.

In 2014, the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act was created. This statute had the basic task of governing online betting firms that existed without the UK’s jurisdiction but who offered products and services to domestic punters. Many bookmakers moved to tax havens such as Gibraltar and the Isle of Man to protect their revenue, and the government’s new action ensured overseas firms were governed by similar laws to brands that remained in the United Kingdom.

Do You Have to Pay Tax on Gambling Winnings in the UK?

Betting taxes were abolished by the Labour Party in 2001, meaning that you don’t have to give up any of your winnings earned online or in a physical bookmaker.

Instead, Betting Duty was replaced by the Point of Consumption Tax, which ensures that bookmakers operating in the UK and overseas are taxed on their profits according to a fixed rate of 15%.

By taxing the bookie, rather than the punter, the government has helped the betting industry to become the billion-pound empire that it is today.

The UK Gambling Commission

The UK Gambling Commission is the public body which operates on behalf of the government in deciding upon the legal framework for the betting industry in the United Kingdom.

Established in 2005 as part of the Gambling Act, the Commission came into full being in 2007 and immediately took responsibility for the various gambling sectors in the UK, including sports betting (physical and online), the National Lottery, bingo, arcades, casinos and slot machines. The only area that does not fall under its jurisdiction is spread betting, which is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

The express aims of the UK Gambling Commission are as follows:

  • To prevent gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder, or being used to support crime.
  • To ensure that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way.
  • To protect children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.

They achieve the above by regularly monitoring and updating the terms with which betting firms operate, and by introducing a strict licensing scheme which means that all prospective new betting firms, and existing brands, have to adhere by some rather stringent guidelines if they are to continue ‘selling’ their products and services to UK based punters.

The Commission also works closely with a number of partner organisations, such as the Fraud Squad and HMRC, to help keep betting-related corruption out of sport.

The Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014

Under the terms of the Act, there is a legal requirement for all firms wishing to promote and offer betting services to UK-based customers, whether operating on these shores or abroad, to obtain a license from the UK Gambling Commission.

The conditions that licensees must adhere to include social responsibility (which encompasses underage gambling, self-exclusion and risk), anti-money laundering and technical compliance.

Those who do not comply get more than just a smacked bottom: the UK Gambling Commission is very serious about protecting punters in the UK from rogue operations. Any company that breaches the guidelines set out by the various acts can expect to face regulatory action.

The UK Gambling Commission has been granted authority by the government to dish out some hefty penalties for non-compliance. These can range from fines and market restrictions to full-on criminal investigations, and many firms have already fallen foul of the Commission’s strong-arm tactics.

In February 2018, betting behemoth William Hill were fined a whopping £6 million for breaching antimony laundering and social responsibility legislation as outlined by the UK Gambling Commission.

A report from the government agency found that the brand had not done enough to comply with regulation, and that effective preventative measures were not put into place.

The breach came after it was found that ten customers had been able to deposit funds in the region of £1 million that were liked to criminal offences, and the Gambling Commission’s investigators judged that William Hill had not done enough to find out more information about the source of such large-scale deposits.

This is only the second biggest penalty ever imposed by the Commission, with 888sport taking the top spot courtesy of their £7.8 million fine handed out in 2017.