Best Betting Sites UK 2023
There are many different bookmakers at a punter's disposal and here at BettingOdds.com we've compared our favourite betting sites and weighed up some of the pros and cons of each.
How To Sign Up To A Betting Site
Best Betting Sites Reviewed
Bet365
Bet365 offers new players £50 in Free Bets when they make their first qualifying deposit of £10. If, however, you want to deposit only £5, Bet365 will still give you £25 worth of free bets. There aren’t many betting sites out there that offer welcome bonuses worth just £5, and Bet365’s willingness to cater to all sorts of players and budgets is one of the things we love about them. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll find plenty more to like about Bet365, from their huge variety of markets, sports and payment options to their generous ongoing promotions and impressive mobile app.
Pros & Cons of using bet365
- Generous welcome offer
- Excellent bonuses for existing players, such as their accumulator bonus
- Great range of markets and sports, including esports
- Live streaming available to account holders
- Up to 12 selections in their unique soccer bet builder
- Rather uninspiring site design
William Hill
Founded in 1934, William Hill is one of the biggest and oldest sportsbooks in the world. William Hill boasts one of the largest selections of sports and markets, and frequently offers enhanced odds and other ongoing promotions. No matter what sport you’re interested in – be it football, horse racing or even water polo – William Hill will have you covered. They also provide one of the best mobile apps in the online gambling market, so you can access and even stream a number of these sports while on the go.
William Hill's current new customer promotion offers £30 in Free Bets after you place your first £10 bet.
Pros & Cons of using William Hill
- Huge selection of sports and markets
- Fantastic ongoing offers and promotions
- Live streaming available for a variety of sports
- Excellent mobile app that supports live streaming
- Their current welcome offer is not available to new accounts which funds are paid into by PayPal
Betfair
Betfair offers new customers £30 in Free Bets when they place a minimum qualifying bet of £10 on sportsbook. Alternatively, if you bet £20 on the Betfair Exchange – which is when you bet against other bettors rather than against the bookmaker – and lose, Betfair will refund your bet. Offering two types of welcome bonus – free bets and a money back bet – will appeal to different kinds of players, which is a big plus with any new gambling site. Also, the addition of the Betfair betting exchange, which often results in more favourable odds due to there being no need for the fixed-odds margins that bookmakers will include in their prices, offers a more authentic and efficient betting experience.
Pros & Cons of using Betfair
- A choice of generous welcome offers
- The best betting exchange platform in online gambling
- A range of quality apps available, including Betfair Sports, Betfair Exchange and Betfair Casino.
- Frequent enhanced odds and other ongoing promotions
- Can only qualify for welcome bonuses with debit card deposits
888sport
888sport may be the best sports betting site in terms of bonuses and promotions. Placing a qualifying bet of £10 as a new customer will get you £30 in free bets, as well as an extra £10 casino bonus in case you fancy switching things up, and the promotions don’t stop there. As an active 888casino customer, you are also entitled to a £5 free bet every week with their Acca Club promotion, as well as when you make any 1/4 bet and win. 888sport also offers a free £5 in-play bet on Champions League nights, providing you have made a pre-match bet. If you prefer to bet on the horses, 888sport also offers best odds guaranteed. All of this, plus the countless other promotions on offer, can be accessed on the 888sport app, which also supports their live streaming service that’s ripe for in-play betting.
Pros & Cons of using 888sport
- Excellent welcome bonus
- A wide range of generous offers and promotions for existing players
- Dedicated app with sleek interfaces and navigation
- Best odds guaranteed
- Bet Builder
- Live streaming
- PayPal, Muchbetter, Paysafecard, Neteller and Skrill payments are excluded from bonuses
Paddy Power
Paddy Power is one of the best betting sites in the business. They offer a range of promotions to both new and returning players, including a welcome offer that will refund your max qualifying bet of £20 as withdrawable cash if it loses. Paddy Power also gives you a free bet if one leg of your acca of 4+ bets doesn’t come good, regardless of markets or sports, and also provides best odds guaranteed on the horse racing. All of these generous promotions coupled with Paddy Power’s frequent price boosts and wide range of sports markets makes for a complete and rewarding gambling experience.
Pros & Cons of using Paddy Power
- Extensive range of sports and markets
- Lots of payment options available
- Frequent ‘Power Prices’ on sports events
- Excellent streaming service
- Great dedicated app
- Can only use debit cards for the bonus qualifying deposit
Betfred
Established in 1967, Betfred is a staple of sports betting. Like a number of its competitors, Betfred offers new customers £40 in bonuses when they stake £10, but there’s plenty on offer for existing customers too, especially for those who like to bet on the football. Their Acca Insurance bonus, for example, gives back £10 if one of your five football bets doesn’t come in, and there are countless other promotions and price boosts available for both pre-match and in-play betting. Betfred also provides excellent offers on horse racing – such as extra place races and best odds guaranteed – but there are certainly few better options for football fans.
Pros & Cons of using Betfred
- Wide range of offers and promotions on both football and horse racing
- Acca insurance
- Lots of price boosts
- Responsive bet builder function on Twitter at #PickYourPunt
- Fewer markets than some of the other big names
- Mastercard and e-wallets don’t qualify for their welcome offer
How We Compare Betting Sites
We take a number of things into account when comparing betting sites, so you can rest assured that any site we recommend has been thoroughly reviewed. Here are some of the factors that take precedence in our rankings:
- Licensing – The first thing we look for when reviewing a UK betting site is whether it is licensed by the UKGC – the UK Gambling Commission. Without a UKGC licence, we cannot guarantee player protection and security at the betting site in question, and so if an operator fails this initial test, we simply won’t mention them.
- Welcome offers – Welcome offers are, for many, the most significant factor in choosing a new casino, and we take this into consideration within our reviews. To do so, we scrutinise the bonus terms and conditions to make sure players are getting the best out of their bonuses, and alert them to any restrictions they might come with.
- Promotions – On top of welcome offers, it’s important that a betting site frequently rewards its returning players. Welcome bonuses are a good way of attracting new customers, but without recurrent rewards like Free Bets, boosted odds and acca insurances, there is little reason to keep betting at a particular site.
- Mobile experience – We prefer it when a betting site offers a dedicated mobile app, but it is possible to have a smooth and enjoyable gambling experience on a mobile-optimised site. The most important thing is that a mobile site or app is able to provide sleek interfaces, fast loading times, efficient navigation, in-play betting, and all the other aspects of the best betting sites that desktop players are able to enjoy.
- Competitive odds – It’s vital that players feel assured that they are getting the best odds available, which is why competitive odds are crucial to our selection criteria. It is for this reason that we recommend betting sites like Betfair, who offer a betting exchange platform that can provide improved odds. We also look out for best odds guaranteed (BOG) on the horses, which you will find at our top-rated betting sites.
- Payout speed – Fast payout speed is a must at the best betting sites. We understand that there are few things more frustrating in the world of online betting than having to wait a week for your cash to appear in your account after a win. You will find a number of fast withdrawal methods at each of our recommended betting sites, including e-wallets like PayPal, Neteller and Skrill.
- Reputation – Our top-ranked betting sites have established reputations in the betting industry. A good reputation should mean trust, quality and expert customer service, which are some of the things we value most in any betting site. That said, even if we are recommending an esteemed operator that has been in the business for many years, we will still provide an honest and thorough assessment of all its qualities and deficiencies.
Customer support – Round-the-clock customer support should be obligatory at the best betting sites. Almost all of the bookies we endorse will provide a live chat service that instantly puts customers in touch with an advisor if and when any problems should arise during any stage of the betting process. If live chat is not available, there will be a number of other avenues available for those in need of help and support, be it via phone, email or social media.
Common Features at the Best Betting Sites
Besides being able to make a straight up bet – the minimum requirement of any bookie – the best betting sites offer a variety of features that significantly enhance the betting experience. If you’re signed up to a betting site that isn’t offering the following in terms of betting variations, then you’re missing out on what separates the best from the rest.
We consider a variety of betting markets imperative to a complete gambling experience, and if your desired bet or accumulator isn’t immediately available, you should be able to build your own bet. Of course, not every betting site can offer a bet builder service, but we highly recommend those that do, like Bet365, 888sport and Betfair, among others.
In-play betting
In-play betting is, as the name suggests, when you bet on a match or race as it's happening, and is a must at all the best betting sites. It is perhaps the most fun you can have at a bookies, as it raises the stakes of any fixture you’re watching, whether you’re a fan or not. In-play betting, which is also referred to as live betting, is the best option for sports experts, as it is all about intuition, responding to the action as it happens. If you’re a sports betting fan and haven’t tried in-play betting yet, we highly recommend you give it a go.
Cash out
Cash out and in-play betting go hand in hand. If you’ve placed a bet on a fixture or race but you’re unsure of whether it will come through, most of the best betting sites will offer you the chance to ‘cash out’ before the final whistle. For example, if you have Arsenal to beat Tottenham, and Arsenal are 2-1 up with 10 minutes to go but you don’t think they’re going to hold on, you can cash out your bet and receive a portion of your potential winnings, depending on how probable the bookies consider a Spurs equaliser. Again, it makes for very entertaining viewing, and is a feature you should expect to find at the best betting sites.
Live streaming
Many of the best betting sites – like Bet365, 888sports, William Hill and Paddy Power – offer a live streaming service that facilitates in-play betting. To access this service you must be signed up to the relevant betting site, and in some cases must also have either a funded account, or have made a bet in the 24 hours leading up to the event in question. The sport most commonly covered by UK betting sites is horse racing, but you can also watch top-flight European football, Grand Slam tennis, and many other tournaments and sports.
Bet Builder
Bet builder is a feature that allows punters to build their own accumulators within a single match, race or event, and from a variety of markets. As such, bet builders allow you to craft your own unique bets. They are usually associated with football, due to their being so many established betting markets within the sport, but can increasingly be used with others as well.
Each Way
An each-way bet is made up of two parts of equal stake and is extremely popular in sports where there are numerous competitors, most pertinently horse racing and golf. The first part of your bet requires your selection to win and the second bet is on your selection to place; the number of places on offer is dependent on the bookmaker. So, while your selection may not always come out on top, opting for an each-way bet means you do still have the opportunity to receive a pay-out if your choice places in the event (place terms can vary but are usually in the region of 1/4 or 1/5 odds).
Banking Methods at Betting Sites
Each individual online betting site offers a range of different banking options for their customers. Below we run through a selection of the most popular payment methods which you can use to make deposits and withdrawals.
Debit Cards
Debit cards are the most popular method of payment on online betting sites. For good reason too, they are available to use with all bookmakers and offer a very straight forward, quick and safe way of opening an account and placing a bet.
PayPal
E-wallet giant PayPal is a simple to use, fast, and very popular method of payment on betting sites, which is now a widely available option with all major players in the field. Unlike with debit cards where your transactions show up on bank statements, PayPal offers individuals complete anonymity.
Trustly
While not as popular as PayPal in the UK, Swedish company Trustly is an online wallet that can be used as an effective and reputable method to deposit/withdraw funds with many online betting sites.
Google Pay
Google Pay is an increasingly popular online payment method. As it says on the tin, this is Google’s brainchild and everything is synced to your Google account and available to access through your computer, phone, tablet, or watch.
Apple Pay
iOS users can use Apple Pay, which offers customers a convenient, easy, safe and secure way of depositing. However, for all its benefits it’s important to note that you can’t currently withdraw money for Apple Pay.
AstroPay
AstroPay is a pre-paid card which customers can use to deposit funds to online betting sites. Similar to PayPal and Trustly, it gives individuals an extra layer of security as you won’t see transactions on your bank account. However, only certain bookmakers use it in the UK.
Betting Odds at Betting Sites
BettingOdds.com is the ideal place to browse markets, compare odds, and discover the best prices on a multitude of sports, events, and specials from the top tried and tested betting sites.
Whether you are seeking the odds on the first goalscorer in the Manchester Derby, the juiciest each-way prices for The Masters, or the runners and riders in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, we have you covered right here on site.
If you are keen to learn more about the best free bets and sign-up offers then take a closer look at our bookmaker review section, which we keep fresh and up-to-date with the latest new and existing customer offers.
Responsible Gambling at UK Betting Sites
With so many markets and features on offer at the best UK betting sites, it’s easy to get carried away. With that in mind, make sure you’re keeping on top of your gambling habits, as they can quickly get out of hand, and will suck all the enjoyment out of betting. Here are some of our tips for responsible gambling that you should always bear in mind:
- Set a budget – The best way to ensure that your gambling habits remain healthy is to impose your own spending limits. This can be done independently, but the best and easiest way to do it is through the gambling site that you’re using, if the feature is available. However you limit your budget, it’s vital that you’re honest with yourself, and that you never bet what you can’t afford to lose.
- Don’t chase losses – Self-discipline is the best quality you can have as a punter. If things aren’t going your way, the best thing for it is to shut your laptop or close your app. Chasing your losses is an extremely dangerous practice that can land you in a lot of trouble, so if you feel yourself falling into that trap, visit Begambleaware.org before things get worse.
- Make use of responsible gambling tools – Responsible gambling tools like GAMSTOP – a self-exclusion service available across all UKGC-licensed betting sites that restricts your access to gambling sites for a set period of time – are an extremely useful way of maintaining healthy gambling habits. Other tools out there include: deposit limits; losses limits; gaming time checks and budget calculators.
- Ask for help – If you feel you or someone close to you are showing signs of problem gambling or addiction, visit Begambleaware.org or Gamcare.org.uk to get in touch with those who can provide help, advice and support.
