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These are the best UK betting sites, compared. We list 58 sports betting sites, all licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, and rate 21 of them out of five on the same criteria: licence and safety, odds, sportsbook, offers, and payments and support. The top 20 are in the table below with their current welcome offers and significant terms.
Our highest-rated betting site in that table is Betfred, at 4.7/5. Below the table you'll find every site we review, highest rated first, our picks by category and by sport, and how to check that any betting site is licensed.
Best Betting Sites by Category
The best betting site for you depends on what you bet on and how. These are our picks for the things UK bettors ask about most, each with its current welcome offer.
| Best for | Betting site | Why we pick it | Welcome offer |
|---|
| Football | Sky Bet | Deep Premier League and EFL markets, Request a Bet and regular price boosts | £30 in Free Bets
Odds 1/1 or greater. 3 x £10 bet tokens. Free Bet stakes not included in returns. Free Bets exclude virtuals… |
| Horse racing | Betfred | Best Odds Guaranteed, extra places and strong racing promotions | Bet £10 Get £50
New customers only. Register, deposit with a Debit Card, and place a first bet of £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on… |
| In-play and live streaming | bet365 | The widest in-play coverage we review, with live streaming across many sports | Bet £10 Get £30
New customers only. Min deposit £5. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of qualifying bet to value… |
| Bet Builder | Betway | A quick, flexible Bet Builder on football | Bet £10 Get £40
New customers only. Min deposit £10. Place a qualifying pre-event single bet of £10+ at min odds of EVS (2.0)… |
| Price boosts | talkSPORT BET | Frequent boosts on the weekend's football | Up to £30 in Free Bets
18+ New Customers. Opt in, deposit & bet £10+ on any football market (odds 1/1+) within 7 days of sign up… |
| Money back specials | Paddy Power | Regular refund offers on football and racing | Bet £5 Get £30
New Customer offer - Use promo code YSKAST. Place a min £5 bet on the sportsbook at odds of min EVS (2.0) and… |
| Mobile app | Betano | A fast, well laid out app with Bet Builder and live streaming | Bet £10 Get £30
18+ New Customers. Opt in, deposit and bet £10+ on any football (odds 1/1+) within 3 days of sign up. Get… |
| Betting exchange | Betfair | Exchange and sportsbook in one account | Bet £10 Get £50
Place a min £10 bet on Sportsbook on odds of min EVS (2.0), get 5x £10 in Free Bet Builders, Accumulators or… |
Every site in the table is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. Click a name for our full review, or the offer for its terms.
How We Rank UK Betting Sites
Each bookmaker gets an editorial rating out of five from our review. We score every site against the same five areas:
- Licence and safety. A current UK Gambling Commission licence is the entry requirement. Sites without one aren't listed at all.
- Odds and value. How competitive the prices are across the main markets, week in and week out, not just on one headline event.
- Sportsbook. The depth of markets, in-play betting, Cash Out, Bet Builder and live streaming.
- Offers. The welcome offer's real value and terms, plus what existing customers get once it's used.
- Payments and support. Payment choice, withdrawal speed, and how quickly and well customer support answers.
The table at the top of this page is our featured list. The full list below it is every betting site we review, highest rated first, and every bookmaker is also in our UK bookmakers A–Z. We may earn a commission when you join a site through our links; it doesn't buy a rating. The full method is on how we review.
What Makes a Good Betting Site?
A big welcome offer gets you through the door once. These are the things that decide whether a site is worth keeping.
A UK Gambling Commission Licence
The licence means the operator has to keep customer funds safe, verify ages and identities, handle complaints through an approved dispute service and offer safer gambling tools. You can check any site on the UKGC public register; the steps are further down this page.
Competitive Odds
Every bookmaker builds a margin into its prices, known as the overround. The smaller the margin, the more you get back when you win. Two sites can differ by several percent on the same match, and over a season that adds up to more than any welcome offer. Our best odds comparison shows who is offering the top price on upcoming games.
Markets and Features
Look for the sports and bet types you actually use. Football bettors want Bet Builder, player markets and early payout. Racing fans want Best Odds Guaranteed and each-way extra places. If you bet in-play, live streaming and a quick Cash Out matter more than anything else.
Payments and Withdrawals
Check that the site takes your preferred payment method for both deposits and withdrawals, and how long withdrawals take once approved. Our fast withdrawal betting sites page ranks bookmakers on payout speed.
Offers for Existing Customers
The welcome offer is a one-off. Price boosts, acca insurance, free bet clubs and money back specials are what you'll use every week, and some sites run far more of them than others.
Betting Site Welcome Offers
Most UK betting sites open with a bet and get offer: place a qualifying bet, often £5 or £10, and receive free bets in return. The headline amount is only part of the story. Minimum odds, payment method exclusions, expiry dates and whether the stake is returned all change what an offer is really worth. Our free bets page compares every live welcome offer side by side, each with its significant terms and the date it was last checked.
Best Betting Sites by Sport
Every site on this page covers the major sports, but some are noticeably stronger on certain ones.
Football
Football is the biggest betting sport in the UK and the most competitive. Sky Bet, bet365, Betway and talkSPORT BET stand out for market depth, Bet Builder and regular promotions around the Premier League, Champions League and international tournaments. See our football betting sites page for the full ranking.
Horse Racing
Betfred, William Hill, Planet Sport Bet, Fitzdares and Tote are our picks for racing, with Best Odds Guaranteed, extra places and specials around Cheltenham, Royal Ascot and the Grand National. Compare them on our horse racing betting sites page.
Golf
bet365, BetVictor and Paddy Power are strong on outright and each-way markets, with extra places at the majors. More on our golf betting sites page.
Tennis, Cricket and Darts
For tennis, bet365, Betano and William Hill offer deep in-play markets through the ATP, WTA and Grand Slams. For cricket, bet365, Sky Bet, Betfred and BetVictor cover domestic and international fixtures well. For darts, bet365, Paddy Power, Betfred and Ladbrokes run the most markets and promotions through the PDC calendar.
New Betting Sites
New UK betting sites need exactly the same UK Gambling Commission licence as the established brands. Most launch with a generous welcome offer to win customers over, but we score them on the same five areas as everyone else, so a big offer alone won't get a new site to the top. Our new betting sites page lists recent launches, and independent bookmakers covers the privately owned firms outside the big groups.
Betting Apps
Almost every bookmaker here has an iOS and Android app, and most bets are now placed on a phone. A good app makes in-play betting, Bet Builder, live streaming and quick deposits easy, and doesn't drop out when you need it. Our best betting apps page ranks them on speed, reliability and ease of use.
Payment Methods at UK Betting Sites
UK betting sites can't accept credit cards, so debit cards, e-wallets, mobile wallets and bank transfers do most of the work. Withdrawal times depend on the site's own processing as well as the method, so treat these as typical times once a withdrawal is approved.
| Payment method | Deposits | Withdrawals | Typical withdrawal time |
|---|
| Debit card | Yes | Yes | Same day to 3 working days |
| PayPal | Yes | Yes | Often within 24 hours |
| Skrill and Neteller | Yes | Yes | Often within 24 hours |
| Apple Pay and Google Pay | Yes | At some sites | Same as debit card where offered |
| Trustly and bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Same day to 5 working days |
| Paysafecard | Yes | Rarely | Usually needs another method |
Two things catch people out. Your first withdrawal will wait until the site has verified your identity, so do it early. And some welcome offers don't count deposits made by e-wallet, so check the offer's terms before you choose how to pay.
Betting Sites vs Betting Exchanges
At a betting site you bet against the bookmaker at the odds it sets. On a betting exchange you bet against other customers, can lay a selection to lose, and pay a commission on winning bets instead. Exchanges often have better prices on popular markets but fewer promotions. Most people start with a bookmaker; our betting exchange sites page compares the UK exchanges if you want to try one.
Are UK Betting Sites Legal and Safe?
Yes, as long as the site holds a UK Gambling Commission licence. Licensed sites must protect your money and data, check your age and identity, handle complaints fairly and give you tools to control your gambling: deposit limits, reality checks, time-outs and self-exclusion. Sites without a UK licence are breaking the law by taking UK bets, and you'd have no protection if something went wrong. Every site on this page is UKGC-licensed, and the checklist below shows how to confirm any site yourself in a couple of minutes.
If you have a dispute a bookmaker won't resolve, complain to the bookmaker first. If you're still unhappy after eight weeks, or once you've had its final response, every licensed site must let you take the complaint to an approved independent dispute service, such as IBAS. The site's terms name which one it uses.
Betting sites FAQs
- What is the best betting site in the UK?
- It depends on what you bet on. Our highest-rated site is named at the top of this page and leads the full list. For football we pick Sky Bet, for horse racing Betfred and for in-play betting bet365. Use the categories above to find the one that fits how you bet.
- Which betting site has the best odds?
- No bookmaker is cheapest on everything; prices vary by market and by day. Many bettors keep two or three accounts and take the best price on each bet. Our best odds comparison shows who has the top price on upcoming games, and Best Odds Guaranteed on racing pays the starting price if it beats the price you took.
- Are betting sites legal in the UK?
- Yes. Online betting is legal for adults aged 18 and over, and any site taking bets from UK customers must hold a UK Gambling Commission licence. Every betting site on this page is licensed.
- How do I check a betting site is licensed?
- Find the licence number in the site's footer, then search for it or the operating company on the UK Gambling Commission public register. The entry should be active and the company name should match the one in the site's terms.
- Can I use a credit card at UK betting sites?
- No. Gambling with a credit card has been banned in the UK since April 2020. You can use a debit card, an e-wallet such as PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay, or a bank transfer.
- Do betting sites charge fees?
- Most UK betting sites don't charge for deposits or withdrawals, though a few charge for small or frequent withdrawals. Check the payments page before you join. Betting exchanges charge a commission on winning bets instead of building a margin into the odds.
- Which betting site has the fastest withdrawals?
- Withdrawal speed depends on both the site and the payment method. E-wallets such as PayPal are usually the quickest once a withdrawal is approved. Our fast withdrawal betting sites page ranks bookmakers on payout speed.
- Can I trust new betting sites?
- A new site with a UK Gambling Commission licence has to meet the same rules as an established one. Check the licence, read the terms and look at recent customer reviews before you deposit. Our new betting sites page lists recent launches we review.
- What do I need to open a betting account?
- You need to be 18 or over and live in the UK. You'll give your name, date of birth, address and email, and the site will check your age and identity, sometimes asking for a photo ID or proof of address before you can withdraw.
- Can I have accounts with more than one betting site?
- Yes, and it's worth doing. It lets you take the best odds on each bet and claim each site's welcome offer once. You can only hold one account per bookmaker.
- Do I pay tax on betting winnings in the UK?
- No. Gambling winnings aren't taxed for UK bettors, and betting duty is paid by the bookmaker.
- Can I watch live sport at betting sites?
- Many bookmakers stream live sport, especially horse racing, tennis and international football. You usually need a funded account or a bet on the event to watch.
- How often is this page updated?
- Welcome offers are checked against each bookmaker's own site and every offer shows the date of its last check. Ratings change when we re-review a bookmaker, and the lists on this page update as soon as they do.
