Sports betting has been present in the United Kingdom since the 1600s. Among punters, football is the most popular. Different football events or tournaments such as the FA Cup, La Liga, world cup, UEFA Champions League and Europa League, college football and many others are present in a vast majority of the best betting site in the U.K.
Football betting sites are influential and famous in the country, evident from the sponsorship of most Premier League facilities, stadiums and teams.
Many football bookmakers in the U.K. opine that their betting site is the best because of their numerous sports bet options. So how do you separate the wheat from the chaff?
This guide provides all the ins and outs of football betting sites. You’ll also find crucial information on the accessibility and navigation of each site, together with different markets on offer. All this information is tailored to ensure your football betting experience is seamless.
Football is a viral game that is watched all over the world. It is the biggest and most successful sport in the U.K. and other nations worldwide.
With the wealth of markets and offers available in football, football is among the most popular options for sports bettors.
In the U.K., most bookmakers believe that their football betting sites are the best. A few factors are considered in a compilation of the best football betting sites. These include navigation and accessibility of the sites and the different markets offered, among many other factors.
Here are the top betting sites in the U.K. for everyone interested in sports betting and football betting.
William Hill is a British online betting company set up in 1934. Among the oldest and the most successful gambling companies, Wiliam Hill is split into two divisions; the U.K. and International William Hill betting company.
The company offers products such as sports betting, online casino, online bingo and online poker. The services offered at William Hill Ltd include retail betting shops, gaming machines and online betting and gaming.
The company gives promotions and bonuses to customers to maintain their loyalty and attract new customers. The betting site allows users to select their preferred odds format. To work out the winnings, one needs to multiply the odds by the stakes they place.
The three major types of bets at William Hill are fractional bets (British), money line odds (American) and decimal odds (European). It is one of the most respectable and trusted bookmakers and does not exploit or violate the rights of its users and customers.
BetVictor is an online gambling company among Europe's leading sports betting companies. A leader in the football betting market, BetVictor is widely known for the generous deposit bonus, football bet, an array of online sports, remarkable bet credits, a generous betting bonus, live football, enhanced odds, a reasonable min deposit, and a great bonus offer. Furthermore, it accommodates customers from over 250 countries.
This company was founded in the year 1946, and it has its headquarters in Gibraltar. It offers products such as sports betting and casino.
BetVictor has sponsored several teams in the English premier league. The first sponsorship was Nottingham Forest from 2009-2012, Chelsea FC in 2015-2016 and Liverpool FC in the 2016-2018 era. While it sponsored these clubs, BetVictor served as their official betting and gaming partner.
To place a bet on BetVictor, one signs up or logs in to their account and makes a security deposit. From the football tab, you click on the game you intend to bet on and enter the amount you wish to wager. Finally, place the bet and go to the Betslip to check the potential returns.
BetVictor offers brilliant betting odds, comprehensive football coverage, simple in-play betting and easy withdrawals.
BoyleSports is an Irish gambling company that was founded in 1982. It is one of the leading UK betting sites for online football and free bet. With its headquarters in Dundalk, Ireland, BoyleSports offers sports betting, online poker, online bingo and online casino.
Among the best football betting site, the company offers betting opportunities in football, tennis, golf, NFL, horse racing, basketball and lottery.
The site is one of the best gambling companies because it features irresistible offers, including the BoyleSports Welcome Offers for beginners. The company also offers several promotions and bonuses for their customers. These include accumulator awards, Fantasy5 monthly rewards, BoyleXtra Rewards, money-back free bets and bet builder bonuses.
In terms of functionality, BoyleSports ensures that users have the easiest time while gambling. The bookmaker has a user-friendly interface; it offers live betting, comprehensive football coverage, live streaming options and exceptional security.
Another best betting site for football is Coral. Coral is a chain of betting shops in the U.K. The business was set up in 1926 by Joe Coral and is now owned by Entain. It is the third largest betting company featuring over 1800 physical shops across the U.K. and Italy.
The site, with a pocket-friendly min deposit, great betting bonus, and football betting odds features a mobile app that makes transactions much more accessible. The Coral mobile app works on Windows devices and is also compatible with Android and iOS devices. This unique feature allows a simple user interface where users can select their options easily.
The Coral mobile app offers a variety of sports to bet on, ranging from football, horse racing, basketball and tennis, among others.
Coral is the best option for sports betting because it offers live betting, higher than the average market odds. Moreover, it features a cash-out option and live streaming. The Coral mobile app is available on multiple operating systems.
Ladbrokes is one of the oldest and most successful gambling companies, established in 1886. Today, it is a booming business split into two divisions, U.K. and internationally.
Ladbrokes is a pacesetter in the gambling business, extending its markets beyond the U.K. Due to its extensive retail presence, the company runs over 2700 betting shops worldwide.
The company offers its customers access to endless local and international events of football and other sports. In addition, it features betting transactions such as betting on a range of events, checking winnings, cashing out winnings and withdrawing funds at any time.
The company offers excellent odds for football and other high-profile sports. It is also one of the few bookmakers that accept FIFA bets. In addition, they provide their customers with the following features: live streaming, easy cash outs, GetAPrice feature that allows one to create customized chances. One can also track their bet by scanning the bet slip.
LeoVegas is one of the most recognized betting companies in the U.K. It was founded in 2012 and has bagged several accolades, including Mobile Operator of the Year in 2016 and 2018.
The company has introduced two fully functional apps compatible with almost every device, making it the most reachable betting app. They offer betting opportunities for various sports, including football, baseball, basketball, and tennis.
For unlimited access to the bookmaker, you can download the mobile app designed for iOS or Android from the website bookie, Google Play or Appstore. The mobile app for LeoVegas betting has no market or banking limitations and offers up to 10 languages.
The betting apps provide punters with enhanced odds and bonuses as incentives. These include the welcome bonus for first-time users, weekly live betting offers, and free bets and profit boosts. They also feature the 50% Weekly Accumulator Profit Boost.
Users can place their deposits using Paysafecard or any other credit or debit card branded by MasterCard or Visa. Debit cards are allowed for cashing out. Others include iDebit, Instadebit, bank transfers and MuchBetter, among others.
Bet365 is a leading online betting company that was founded in 2000. This UK betting sites has its headquarters in North Staffordshire, U.K.
It is recognized as the best mobile betting site because of an array of reasons such as free bet, impressive football betting odds, and casino bonus. They feature a mobile app that can be downloaded on all mobile devices across several software systems. The advantages of the mobile app include easy accessibility from anywhere, no installation needed, identical features with the desktop sites and new software systems that hackers do not easily access.
Virgin Bet is among the newest and upcoming betting platforms in the U.K. Established in 2019; the company has risen to have a solid and commendable reputation in the gambling business.
Virgin Bet is run on SBTech, which also features several other bookmakers. The most prominent sports in Virgin Bet are football and horse racing. However, other sporting activities such as tennis, basketball and cricket are offered for customers to venture in.
The company offers live streaming for most events but also provides a virtual sports section. The Virgin bet odds are very competitive, including over and under goals, both teams to score, price boosts, and special offers for users to choose from.
The Virgin Bet bookmaker features a simple user interface that allows users to access and navigate the site easily. The sign-up offer for new users is one of the many generous and exciting promotions on the betting site.
Unibet is a legit sports betting site based in New Jersey. It is licensed and regulated in several states to ensure the safety and security of the bettors' funds.
Unibet started in 1997 and has grown to be among the most trusted betting platforms in the U.K. Some factors that have contributed significantly towards this success are easy navigation, numerous sports betting offers and maintaining reachable and friendly customer service.
Unibet offers fast and instant payouts, global football coverage and other sports events, live betting options and a simple and easy-to-navigate website. It comes with a money-back offer, among many other enticing offers and promotions. The main aim of promotions and bonuses is to retain customers, reward them for loyalty, and attract new customers to bet at Unibet. There is also an offer for referring a new user to place a bet on the site.
BetUk is a betting and gambling company based in Malta, UK. It was founded in 2012 by Intellectual Property and Software Ltd and was later sold to LeoVegas Gaming Group in 2018.
The betting site offers over 30 sports, including football, rugby, tennis, cricket, and darts. Logging in to one's account on the website gives access to the number of events covered for each sport. There are about 150-200 matches for pre-match wagering, although more are offered for live wagering.
The betting limits for BetUK are customer favourites, as the minimum bet is 1 Euro and does not stipulate a concrete maximum. The betting limits also apply to the amount one can win in a single wager.
Livestreaming, the most crucial feature of betting sites, is also available in BetUK. It is made available for customers who maintain a funded account. It is available for all the sporting activities covered.
The site allows customers to cash out.
The feature is supported for all the available markets; you can have a partial cash-out to keep some initial stakes in play. The site also features fixed promotions, such as Acca Club, and flash promotions determined by one's betting activity.
Spreadex is the only gambling company that allows fixed odds and spread betting. Founded in 1999, it has its headquarters in St. Albans, Hertfordshire.
Offering both fixed odds and spread betting, the company takes care of all the betting needs of users who prefer the random nature of spreads and those who prefer the more guaranteed and easily predictable fixed odds. The markets are accessible by navigating between fixed odds or spread bets depending on one's preferences. One can also place casino and financial spread bets with Spreadex betting company.
Due to the extensive nature of Spreadex, they have more in-play sports and broader markets compared to fixed odds bookmakers. They feature three cash-out options, namely, one-click cash-out, Auto cash out and Partial cash out.
The financial spread betting markets include indices, bonds, interest rates, shares, F.X., ETFs and other commodities.
Pools were being played until 1994 when they lost their popularity to the lottery. With the reduced jackpots and reduced customers, Pools slowly slipped out of the market only to resurface in 2017. It was rebranded as an online sportsbook and The Pools Casino. Over the last few years, it has risen among significant gambling players.
The Pools betting site is licensed and regulated by the U.K. Gambling Commission. User data is secured through SSL encryption technology. The company is also signed to the IBAS, which oversees peaceful transactions between bookmarks and customers. All these are put in place to safeguard the user's trust, prevent criminal activities and maintain high returns for the company and the customers.
The Pools give two welcome offers; one for The Pools sports betting and another for The Pools casino section. Both are for attracting new customers to place their bets at The Pools.
They also feature other promotions for existing and loyal customers, including the daily bet bundle, Acca boost, free bet grabber, loyalty club and best odds guaranteed.
The Pools support several betting options. These include odds, live in-play betting, extra features, bet limits and customer support.
Betfair is a UK-based gambling company that operates the world's most influential online betting platform because of their array of betting option and qualifying bet. The products offered by Betfair include online casinos, online bingo, online poker and sports betting.
Select the sport and event you wish to bet on to place a bet on Betfair. After selecting your event of choice, click on the price that has the selection appearing on the bet slip on the right side of the screen. You must enter the amount you wish to stake, and their potential winnings will appear.
The Betfair Exchange allows customers to bet against each other rather than just betting against a bookmaker. Customers choose their football betting odds and determine the price at which they want to buy and sell their shares. Betfair, on the other side, matches all the bets and charges a 5% commission on any winning bet. Because of this, the company has a low-profit margin like other bookies that exploit their customers.
Paddy Power is an Irish betting company that was founded in the year 1988. It has its headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. The business has flourished over the years and has steadily expanded its market. For better management, it is split into two divisions; U.K. and International Paddy Power.
They offer sports betting, online casinos, online poker and online bingo. Being one of the biggest betting platforms in the UK, Paddy Power offers markets on a wide range of sports, from football to horse racing.
The company offers several customer incentives, such as a welcome offer for first-time users. Other advantages of Paddy Power over other betting companies are that they provide frequent and instant money-back specials, live streaming of football games, comprehensive coverage of football events and odds are offered in over 50 markets.
You need to analyze a betting site for its policies, rules critically, and products offered, among many other factors. Gambling is a serious undertaking that requires you to deal with a company you can trust with your details, time and money. The reliability of a betting site is known from the data they provide online and from reviews and ratings made by other customers.
Reviewing helps one to clear the authenticity of a betting site. It also equips a new customer on what to expect while dealing with the betting site. On top of that, reviewing helps customer service to get hold of the problems encountered by customers and figure out the solutions for the best experience.
Here are a few factors that are typically reviewed, and each contributes to customer satisfaction.
In contemplating whether to invest in a betting company, the most crucial factor to consider is whether it is licensed. With the increase of cybercrimes such as scamming, one cannot just give their details and money to an online betting platform without proof that it is registered, licensed and regulated by a betting regulatory board or government of that particular nation.
For every country that has allowed betting to be carried out as a business, there is a regulating body that protects the interests of the citizens who wish to indulge in gambling. For this reason, a betting company that is not registered or licensed is questionable and may be a scam.
In addition, a betting site’s data security is also a requirement. One that encrypts user data and information, upholds security requirements and protects customers against online hacking and other crimes.
When selecting a bookmaker, most people need to remember to consider customer support. When a problem arises, we all quickly realize the importance of functional customer care.
Most bookmakers know that bettors seek help from their customer care if they have problems on the site. For this reason, most of them have developed excellent customer service.
Good customer care should be able to handle any problem encountered at the betting site by providing answers to generally asked questions in their FAQs section. Good customer service should offer other reliable communication means if you face more complex issues. They should always be reachable to serve customers immediately after concerns are raised.
Most online gambling companies allow communication with customers through email, live chat and even on social media platforms such as Twitter.
A welcome bonus is an offer or promotion to customers when they register a new account with a betting company. To fully enjoy welcome bonuses, you must understand how they work and the requirements.
Welcome offers come with terms and conditions like minimum states and odds. Welcome offers also have a validity period. If one uses their welcome bonus within a set period after setting up their account, it expires and becomes invalid.
Welcome bonuses include free bets, risk-free bets and no deposit free bets. The type of welcome bonus bet offered entirely depends on the betting site’s preferences.
Betting has become a big booming business for gamblers all over the world. With all the transactions and activities involved, you do not have to sit in betting shops all day, as most bookmaker companies have developed mobile apps that can be used on mobile phones for all the gambling activities involved.
Mobile apps make the site easily accessible to users at their comfort. The betting experience is also improved, and there are no time limits as in betting shops that have opening and closing hours.
Besides placing a bet, mobile apps can carry out other gambling activities such as registration, live streaming sports events, and making deposits and withdrawals.
When selecting a betting site, it is advisable to go for a mobile compatible app for convenience and a better user experience. A good mobile app should be safe and secure, easy to use, offer different betting and payment options, have bonuses and promotions, and have active customer service.
Mobile compatibility is all about the devices onto which the betting site can be functional. While a dedicated mobile app is the best option, not every betting site has a dedicated app.
In this case, the website should be mobile optimised and work the same way on mobile phones and laptops as on a laptop or desktop.
We recommend avoiding betting sites that are not mobile optimised as, in our view, they are poor quality.
Betting markets are the specific outcomes of an event. Betting site operators use these markets to guide the bettors on what decisions to make as they place their bets on a particular event. They are easily accessible online and in physical betting shops.
Usually, you’re provided with multiple betting markets per match, depending on the betting site and type of sport. However, to have a good understanding of how betting works, one needs to know fully well all about betting markets.
Choosing the right betting markets is very important for every gambler because it is the only way to increase the chances of winning a bet. The right betting markets usually come with generous odds, and you’re most likely to bag significant earnings, which is why you should be extra careful when selecting betting markets.
The most widely known betting markets in football include over/under markets, outrights, both teams to score, Asian handicap, Double chance and draw no bet, and ACCA bets. All betting markets simplify the betting process and increase the chances of winning. With the proper knowledge of betting markets and their importance, one should be able to have a successful betting experience.
Watching and betting on the same platform is every bettor’s desire, making live streaming one of the most important factors to consider when selecting a betting site. Most betting companies with an official live stream license provide live stream options for most events on the available sports.
You can watch different events through live-streaming betting sites, from Football and Snooker to Golf and Darts. Some sites allow players to watch matches on an integrated program, review odds and place their bets.
To Live Stream a game, one must set up an account at the betting site and maintain a positive funds balance in their history. You must also have an internet connection and a compatible browser for your phone.
Live streaming lets customers easily place in-play bets and access real-time odds and information on the same screen. The service is also necessary for fast markets such as a corner or next goal or card, or other bets as the game is going on.
With a licensed live stream site, one avoids unnecessary and irrelevant advertisements which cause delays.
Fast cash out is every bettor’s dream. Waiting for a long time for funds from your winnings to reach your account can be frustrating. However, it can be easy as there are betting sites that cash out fast.
Trusted online fast-payment betting sites are the best for cashing out your money. Fast cashing out prevents inconveniences involved with waiting. It also allows you to invest your money and move on to the following activities.
Another essential factor is the payment method before settling for a betting site. Different betting sites have other payment methods, and it is crucial to find out which ways are easy and accessible for you. The reason for additional payment methods includes safety, interest rates and ease of payment.
Some of betting sites’ most trusted payment methods include Visa, American Express, PayPal, MasterCard, Skrill, Neteller, and EcoPayz, among others.
As mentioned earlier, betting markets are the specific outcomes of an event or fixture. The football betting markets guide bettors to make the right decisions before placing a bet. With the right betting markets, the chances of placing a winning bet are doubled. The right markets also come with generous fixed odds.
Betting markets expand the available possibilities. The chances of winning are increased because one can succeed in various ways. All the winning options depend on the final score when the game is finished.
Here are a few football betting markets explained in detail.
1×2 betting is a betting market that is one of the easiest and simplest ways to place a bet on teams that are likely to draw. The bet does not consider the differences between the two playing teams.
The 1 represents a home win, * a draw, and the two illustrates the away win.
The market gets its popularity from its simple format. The correct calculation gives one a great chance to profit from this market.
BTTS is a unique betting market that does not require one to pick the winner between the two playing teams. One only has to state whether they expect any or both teams playing are going to score before the end of the match.
The bet features some big odds, which makes it a favourite market for bettors. One can easily bag a winning bet on the Both Teams To Score football market with the correct prediction.
Total Goals Over/Under is the betting market entirely dependent on wagers regarding the number of expected goals. Unlike fixed bets, where one has to say the exact expected number of goals, this type of bet allows one to say the number of goals would or would not exceed a particular number.
The most common wager in this type of bet is 2.5′. If you think a team would score less than two goals, it is referred to as the Under 2.5′, and if a team scores more than two goals, it is referred to as the Over 2.5′ wager.
To place an over/under bet, one must understand both teams and be informed of the risk they are about to take.
The Asian Handicap betting focuses on bringing the chances of the two playing teams playing to 50%. A handicap of 0 shows that both teams have an equal chance of winning. If one team has one of -1, the other team has +1. For the team with -1 to win, they have to score two goals more than the opposing leading team.
The corner betting market allows one to predict the teams and the number of times they will be awarded corner kicks.
Most bettors love this market because they do not have to predict the team winning at the match’s end. Corner betting is due to the high risk involved in making the decision.
The most outstanding advantage of the corner bets is that they can be combined with other markets, such as the under/over markets. The half-time, second-half, and combined corner bets have relatively high odds. However, the market is difficult to predict, and some bookmakers offer only a few options in this market.
Double Chance, as the title suggests, allows one to select two possible outcomes. Usually, the two outcomes are chosen from a potential of three. With the two options, the winning chances are higher than those of a single-chance bet. However, the odds of double-event betting are also lower, which makes the amount to be won low.
Promotions in betting are opportunities presented by the betting company to their customers. They are usually meant to have them build their bank roles from bonuses such as risk-free bets and odds boosts.
Customer promotions are generally given to reward customers for their loyalty to the betting site and to keep them interested by providing for all their betting needs.
With the significant number of betting companies, customer competition is stiff. Each bookmaker constantly competes with others to provide the best and most enticing offers to attract new customers and maintain their loyalty.
Before picking a betting company to place your bets, it is vital to know the customer promotions and offers they give to their customers. Most companies provide a welcome offer for new customers and several offers for existing customers from time to time. This changes from one company to another and the betting markets one engages in.
The best odds guaranteed are one of the most straightforward customer bonuses. One places their bet and takes the odds. If the S.P. is more extensive, they get the best odds. One gets paid out at the best odds, either the odds taken when the bet was being placed or from the Starting Price (S.P.)
The best odds guaranteed allow the players to relax after picking their odds because they know they will be rewarded if they have a better starting price. For taking an early price for fixed odds and the starting price is better, one receives the most significant odds with the best odds guaranteed.
Betting companies that offer the best odds guaranteed usually allow multiples to win on both singles and multiples.
A cash-out is a unique feature that allows punters to settle a bet by accepting a payout that has not reached the expected win when the competition ends. Betters are allowed to cash out during the lifespan of the competition. A futures wager can also be cashed out until there are no more bets taken on the event.
Cashouts are calculated from the current odds alongside the potential winnings from a bet if it was placed now.
ACCA insurance is a customer promotion that offers insurance on accumulator bets. The insurance covers one’s stake when one of their bet selections loses. Instead of losing everything, the stake is given back to the customer in the form of bonuses, free bets and, in some instances, cash.
The ACCA Insurance is a great way to make the first bet with a new bookmaker when trying them out before you decide to make them your betting site of choice.
The promotion does not allow one to create a bet to qualify for, but it adds a little value to a bet by insuring the user against total loss when one of their selections flops. When gambling at a site that offers this service, it is advisable to go for it.
Match special is a promotion that allows users to bet on whether a particular thing will happen or not happen throughout the game.
A betting site may have several match total specials offers in the following forms; Total Passing Yards, Total Tackles and Total Rushing Attempts. Each of these lines contains the totals for the two playing teams.
Football is not only a darling of U.K. enthusiasts but many fans across the world. Watching it is a favourite of many in the country. With such popularity among sports bettors, it is only natural to desire to know which are the best U.K. football betting sites in 2024. Our comprehensive list has the top picks and tons of valuable information on how to enjoy your football betting experience.
