Should you be using betting sites over more traditional methods?
Shop based bookies were once one of the easiest ways to get a bet on any sporting event across the UK. That was before the days of the internet though. While some bookies may of been slower than others to make the move as soon as they saw the fully online betting establishments such as bet365 growing massively in popularity they decided they had to take the plunge.
Better Odds
One of the main reasons why betting online is now one of the most popular ways to gamble is punters can get much better odds which are much more fluid, meaning depending on the time you place a bet you might get even better winnings than the standard ones that are already on offer.
Betting On The Go
Now thanks to the technological advancements in the mobile world you can even place a bet from anywhere in the world as long as your phone in connected to the internet which means there is no reason why you’ll miss out on being able to bet on your favourite sporting events. The vast majority of UK betting sites will have their offerings optimised to all mobile devices meaning you can place a bet while sat with your friends in the pub instead of having to get to a laptop or computer to bet.
Free Bets & Promotions
One of the most enticing reasons to start using betting sites to place a bet is all the fantastic free bets that are up for grabs which fortunately is what we’re all about at MaxFreeBets.co.uk. Its impossible for bookies to offer free bets in store due to all the fraud that could be committed so to try and get their punters to sign up to their site they will offer competitive welcome bonuses instead which can range from anywhere in between £10 all the way up to £200.
How to choose the best betting sites for yourself
Everyone wants to find the best betting sites to suit their needs, at the end of the day it actually pays to be loyal as bookies will reward you with bonuses and prizes if you stick with them. However its actually not in your best interest to be loyal to just one betting site you should have a few accounts so you can always ensure you’re getting the best prices for your bets.
Generally its best to find a site which caters specifically to the sport you wish to bet on, as the majority of our readers will be football bettors then you’re in luck as essentially every bookmakers will offer odds over this. However if you’re looking for horse racing sites you may want to check out websites such as RaceBets or PaddyPower who focus a bit more on horse racing specific markets.
You could always sign up to a site which will have a general focus on everything such as Bet365 while they may not offer the largest amount of markets on the more niche sports such as Handball they do provide a pretty good coverage.
Mobile Gambling
Mobiles are quickly becoming the go to tool for anything internet related, google itself has reported that now well over 50% of searches occurs from a mobile device meaning 50% of bettors are now betting from their mobile device which is why its incredibly important for betting sites to be mobile optimised or have their very own dedicated betting application to take advantage of all these customers using the small screen alternative.
How we review UK Betting Sites
Before we even list the sites free bets for our readers to claim we like to look in-depth in regards to whats on offer. But we don’t just review them in secret we provide you with a whole overview of whats on offer. For more information on our review criteria read below:
In-Play Betting Console
Bookies are always bringing out new ways to place bets and in-play is probably one of the most popular ideas they’ve had. Back in the early days of internet betting you could only place a bet pre-match similar to what you’d get in a bookmakers shop however thanks to the introduction of their in-play betting consoles you can now place a bet at any time throughout the match. This feature gives you the chance maximise your profit from a pre-match bet or even reverse your losses. As everything is live though you need to be quick to take advantage of the odds at their current state before they change.
Customer Promotions
Everyone gets attracted to a new betting site due to the enticing free bets or enhanced odds that are on offer but once you sign up to some sites theres nothing else for you to claim and here at MaxFreeBets.co.uk we think thats dreadful. This is why we look further than the welcome bonus and take a look at what promotions are on offer for customers who have already signed up. Nowadays there is quite a variety to choose from whether its the double delight/hatrick heaven promotion from Betfred or the £5 weekly free bet thats up for grabs from SkyBet. We always advise our readers to opt into all marketing communications from the sites they sign up to, yes they may fill up your inbox but you can set up folders for them so you don’t clutter your inbox all the time and then you’ll always be in the know with whats on offer.
Round The Clock Customer Support
Everyone runs into trouble at some point in their betting lives and this is when you’ll need the customer service on offer and there is nothing worse in our opinion when theres no one available to answer your questions until the following morning. This is why the majority of the bookies that make it onto our best betting sites list have 24/7 customer support. Not only that but we look at the types of support on offer such as Live Chat, Telephone, E-mail and even post. We also try out whats on offer with a few basic questions to see how quickly they respond.
VIP Loyalty Scheme
We mentioned above that Loyalty pays and for a bookmaker to truly consider themselves a success they need loyal customers which is where a VIP scheme comes into play. VIP Schemes work in rewarding customers with points whenever they wager on sports, casino, bingo or poker. These points can then later be traded in for prizes which can range from free bets, cash rewards or even prizes such as watches, tech, holidays. Its actually possible to be taken out on day trips to big event such as the grand national.
Payment Methods
Betting sites are unfortunately playing catchup with the rest of the online world in regards to integrating new and improved payment methods onto their sites. This is partly due to bonus abuse as each bookmakers has to make sure that they aren’t open to fraud. However some of the methods that have already been cleared and are ready for use by their customers are:
Credit & Debit Cards: A very well known method and probably the most common way to fund a betting account. Every betting website on our list accepts credit and debit cards including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Solo and Maestro. Withdrawal speeds are pretty standard with card and bank transfers taking approximately 3 – 5 working days before the money hits your bank account.
E-wallets: Quickly taking over as one of the most popular ways to bank with bookies, it has a few advantages over card and bank transfers such as they wont affect your credit score, same day withdrawals. Sites tend to accept the major players in this industry such as Neteller, Skrill and Paypal. Withdrawals are normally processed same day sometimes taking less than 2 hours to hit your account. However one thing worth noting is that at some sites you wont be able to claim their welcome bonus if you choose to use an e-wallet to fund your first deposit, this is because e-wallets are open to a lot of bonus abuse given the ease of setting up new accounts.
Pre-paid debit & credit cards: We’ve already mentioned that using your credit and debit card can have an effect on your credit score, fortunately you can purchase pre-paid debit and credit cards from shops which come already funded with cash to use. There are even cards which can be topped up whenever you want which will help make you more secure while betting online. The great thing about this is it can also prevent you from overspending as you’d have to fund your top up card again if you lost the money you previously deposited.
