Best UK Betting Sites List of 2021
Introduction
It doesn’t have to be the peak of the football or horse racing season to visit your favourite betting site and fill a few holes in your house budget; online betting sites nowadays will offer an array of online betting opportunities on sporting events all year long, but only the top-notch ones will be the first to give preliminary (and the most favourable) odds. UK online betting sites are widely recognized for their versatile platform, great promotional terms, fast withdrawals, and best odds, especially when you know exactly where to look.
How Many Licensed UK Bookmakers Are There?
As of 2021 there are over 50 online betting sites with a UK license available. Due to the strict regulation many bookmakers ceased to operate in the United Kingdom recently but also some new bookies entered the market. These betting sites are safe and trustworthy and follow the compliance guidelines of the UK Gambling Commission.
List of the Best Betting Sites in the UK – 2021
New Customers only; Min. deposit £15; Bonus amount 50% of deposit up to £50; Wager deposit and bonus 8x within 30 days; 4/5 Min. single odds or 2/5 min. acca selection odds; Max. stake contribution equal to the initial bonus; Certain bet types and payment methods excluded; full t cs apply; 18+
18+, New customers only, Min deposit £10 (UK debit cards only), Bet £10 at odds of evens (2.0) or greater, Multiple bets with cumulative odds of evens (2.0) count, each leg must have odds of 1/5 (1.2) to be eligible. Each way bets are eligible for this promotion. Upon qualifying bet settlement, 1 x £5.00 Free Bet will be credited to your account. Once the first £5.00 Free Bet has been used a further 3 x £5.00 Free Bets will be applied to your account. Free bet stake not returned after bet settlement. Valid for 7 days, each Free Bet must be used in its entirety. T&Cs Apply.
This promotion is only valid for new UK QuinnBet customers aged 18 years and over who have yet to avail of a QuinnBet Welcome Offer. To receive the No Deposit Free Bet, you must enter the coupon code BET in the coupon tab at registration and have your account details fully verified. Full t cs apply
New Customers only. First settled bet £/€10 (£10 E/W+) - £/€25 (£/€25 E/W+) at odds 2.0+ qualifies. If first settled bet loses, free bet credited within 24 hours of bet settlement, use within 7 days, Stake not returned. Full T&Cs Apply.
This offer is for new customers only and is available once per household. Offer valid only to customers making a first deposit of £10 or more and make a qualifying bet.
This Bonus will expire 30 days after activating it, any winnings from the bonus money will be deducted when the bonus is removed. A minimum deposit of £10 or currency equivalent has to be deposited to activate the bonus. You must wager the bonus money 5 times before any withdrawal can be made.
Minimum deposit is £10. Opt-in to the bonus during registration and make a first-time deposit of at least £10 (£9.70 via the Paysafe payment method). Place a sportsbook bet (except Racing) of £20+ or more at odds 3/5 (1.60) and once your bet is settled you will receive £40 in free bets + a £20 Casino Bonus (Casino Bonus Wagering: x35) Further Terms and Conditions Apply. 18+. New Customers Only. BeGambleAware.org
18+ | UK new customers only | KYC verified | Max £10 free bet | Min bet £20 | Min odds 7/10 (1.70) | Bet stake not returned | Certain Markets/sports/payment methods restrictions apply | Qualifying bet must be made within 30 days | Offer valid for 30 days | T&Cs Apply | General Promo Terms Apply.
New customers only. Deposit £10 min and claim in 'my offers' 1x100% mobile in-play profit boost. Max stake £10. Max extra winnings £100. Valid for 30 days. Skrill/Neteller deposits do not qualify. begambleaware.org, 18+, Full T&Cs apply
18+ | General Promotions Terms Apply | BeGambleAware.org
18+ | General Promotions Terms Apply | BeGambleAware.org
18+ New UK+IRE customers. Paypal and certain deposit types and bet types excluded. Min £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4 x £5 free bets. Offers valid for 7 days on sports, stake not returned, restrictions apply.
18+ Eligible UK+IRE players. Paypal & some deposit & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x £5 free bets. Offers valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions.
18+. The UK only. Available for new players who have registered at EnergyBet after 31.08.2020 and valid only for their first qualifying Sportsbook bet. Cash stakes only. Min. £10 deposit required. Min. total odds of 3/4. Min. odds for each selection 1/4. Bonus amount £10. Bonus funds to be wagered 1x on odds of 4/5 or higher. Bets placed for both sides, with the same outcome and for the same event, will be disqualified. Virtual Sports bets do not qualify. Cashed out bets do not qualify. Other T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org. Please bet responsibly.
18+. Minimum deposit £10. Only real money wagering with minimum 1.8 odds qualifies for the promotion. Bonus bet stake is not included in any winnings and winnings are paid in cash. Bonus bets are valid for 7 days and cannot be split. This offer is valid only for the first 30 days after creation of your gaming account.
Make a deposit and enter bonus code TONY200. Available to new players who made the first deposit. All players must be 18+ years old. For players who registered on TonyBet on or after 12/10/2018. Deposit 10 times on betting markets with odds of at least 1.65 within 30 days. If the wagering requirements of activated bonus are not met within 5 days, this bonus will be automatically cancelled. This offer is valid until the 1st of March 2019, 11:59 pm GMT +2.
New UK players only. Minimum deposit of £10 using deposit code 30F - A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 placed on any sports market - Minimum odds of 1/2 (1.5) - Free bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days - Free bet stakes not included in returns - Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days • To withdraw bonus/related wins, wager bonus amount x40 within 14 days • Wagering req. vary by game • Withdrawal restrictions and Full T&C’s apply
Deposit €10 and bet with €30. You must wager 5x (your deposit + bonus amount) to fulfil the requirements of this bonus. Offer valid for new customers who registered starting 21/05/14 CET.
New online account offer for Grosvenor Casino members. Must sign up with club membership card number. Min stake £10. Min odds 1/2.
The minimum odds available for profit boost is Evs. The maximum profit boost that will be credited is £100. This offer is only available to UK and Ireland registered customers. Customers who deposit via Skrill or Neteller do not qualify for this offer.
New players only. Qualifying bet(s) must have minimum odds of 3/1 and must be settled before triggering free bet. Free Bet must be used on an accumulator with 3 or more selections. 18+. begambleaware.org.
This offer is for new customers only and is available once per household. Max. amount £10. Minimum Deposit and wagering on sport to activate the Free Bet is £10.
Deposit €20 and get a €10 Rizk Free Bet on any event offered in the Sportsbook.
Alphabetical Full List of the UK Licensed Bookmakers – Last Update: September, 2021
- 10bet
- 1xbet
- 22Bet
- 2kBet
- 32Red
- 888Sport
- Bet At Home
- bet365
- BetBull
- BetDaq
- Betfair
- Betfred
- Betiton
- BetRegal
- BetVictor
- BetVision
- Betway
- Bookee (Swipe)
- BoyleSports
- BWin
- Casumo Sport
- Coral
- Dafabet
- Energy Bet
- FansBet
- GentingBet
- Grosvenor Sport
- infernobet
- Karamba
- Ladbrokes
- LeoVegas
- LV Bet
- MansionBet
- Marathonbet
- Matchbook
- Mr Green
- mr.play
- NetBet
- Novibet
- Paddy Power
- Parimatch
- QuinnBet
- RedZoneSports
- Royal Panda
- SBK
- Sky Bet
- Smarkets
- Sporting Index
- Sportingbet
- SportNation
- Spreadex
- STS
- TonyBet
- Unibet
- Vbet
- Virgin Bet
- William Hill
Guides to UK Betting Sites
Some of the highest ranked UK bookmakers offer restricted access to those outside the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Sports gambling aficionados who do not reside within these territories will not be able to register an account or, in some cases, even load the site.
Players eligible to use UK betting sites’ services will (almost without an exception) be met with a welcome bonus, available to new members who complete the registration process and submit their first deposit. It would be very difficult to find an online bookmaker that does not offer some sort of incentive, especially among sports gambling sites with the UK domain. Bonuses on UK sites can range from no-deposit bonus cash to deposit matches, reloads, cashbacks, profit boosts, cash pots, free bets, penalty paybacks, etc…
In most cases – especially with recently launched sites – no downloads will be required, and the players will be able to access their bookmakers directly from the browsers. Sports mobile apps are fairly common (offered on the site, Apple or Google store), and your betting history, latest odds, results or customer support will be at your disposal at all times.
Licenses
The majority of UK bookmakers is regulated by the UK Gambling Commission although multiple licences are not uncommon, each covering a different area of gambling. Apart from UKGC, MGA (Malta Gaming Authority) and Gibraltar Gambling licences, the online betting sites uk available to the players outside the UK territory also hold Alderney Gambling Control Commission licence.
Online Betting Markets
Betting markets available on UK online bookmakers are not limited to sporting events within the country’s borders nor are they relevant solely to the national teams – betting sites can host thousands of markets every day and the number of markets varies. Premier League, English Championship, European Champions Cup, Australian Open, and NFL Playoffs are among the busiest markets, followed by NBA, UFC, UK politics…
A single online betting market consists of a specific type of bets, which means that a sports event can have multiple markets, each for a different betting category.
For example, selecting the English Premier League section will list all the matches according to the date and each of the matches will have separate markets, relating to the match result, number of goals, players with the highest number of scored goals, etc. High profile matches are likely to have more markets and vice versa.
Bonuses and Promotions
Welcome offers attached to the sports betting can either be unlocked on sign-up, after placing your first deposit or submitting the first wager. Some betting sites awards bonus cash on specific sports only (regardless of the market), while others will match the deposit or the first bet by a certain percentage that can be used for new bets.
Another way to boost your cashier and earn some extra betting money is to refer the bookie to your friends or opt-in for one of many ongoing raffles with cash pools (usually launched at the start of an important tournament (Australian Open or Wimbledon).
Deposits and Withdrawals
Best betting sites accept cards (debit Visa, Maestro, MasterCard, prepaid Paysafecard…), e-wallets (PayPal, Skrill, Neteller…), Apple Pay, and bank transfers as payment methods, however, some betting sites will also accept Pay by Phone or cash deposits that the user can make in one of their official shops. The minimum/maximum deposit or withdrawal amounts are predetermined by the operator and the payout speed will depend on the selected method – 0-24 hours for e-wallets or up to 7 business days for card withdrawals.
Recommended Payment Options
Great Britain Pound Sterling and Euros are the preferred currencies, however, there are online betting sites that will only accept deposits in GBP. The choice of currency will, of course, depend on your own preferences, whereas the choice of method can be dictated by multiple factors, such as speed, safety, or discretion. To avoid unnecessary complications or unprocessed transactions, using GBP as your standard deposit currency is recommended.
Fractional and Other Types of Odds
The odds can be displayed as decimals or fractions, as selected by the site visitor.
UK punters prefer to see the potential profit represented through fractional odds – placing the bet with 5/1 odds, means that you will win £5 on every £1 wagered.
However, most European players prefer decimals, as it is much easier to instantly calculate the expected winning amount on a specific bet. If the odds for a correct score bet between the two teams are 6.5 on team A to win 1:0, then the player can count on £65 winning on the £10 bet:
6.5 x 10 = £65
American odds are not typically found on UK online bookmakers but should be mentioned for the sake of comparison. Displayed as positive and negative numbers, American odds indicate a sum of money one should bet to win a certain amount.
+120 means that you will win £120 on a £100
-160 means that will £100 if you bet £160
Online Gambling Law in the UK
In general, the UK is one of the most flexible and accommodating countries in the world when it comes to online gambling. The practise is open to all players aged 18 or over and potential customers have a number of online operators to choose from.
Those operators must be licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission in order to provide those gambling services in the United Kingdom. While it’s a relatively open situation, there are those regulations to take into account so here is the current position, as of 2021, in more detail.
Gambling Act 2005
The Gambling Act of 2005 is the primary source of legislation relating to all forms of gambling within the UK. It sets out its objectives as an aim to prevent crime, to protect the underage and the vulnerable and to make sure that gambling is carried out in a fair and open way.
This was the first time that gambling law in Great Britain included operations that were carried out over the internet. Questions over advertising, including TV commercials and sports sponsorship are also covered by the act.
The biggest amendment to the Gambling Act came in 2014. Among the updates was a change to tax laws involving offshore operators. Tax would subsequently be applied from point of sale as opposed to point of origin.
In 2021, there is a review of the Act which is ongoing at the time of writing. Its purpose is to make sure that the laws are up to date in the modern digital age.
UK Gambling Commission
The UK Gambling Commission is the chief regulator for betting sites, online casinos and any other form of operator looking to provide gambling services within Great Britain. The organisation was established in 2007 and it was brought in to replace the previous Gaming Board for Great Britain.
The aim of the commission is to ensure that gambling is conducted in a fair and open manner. It is there to protect vulnerable individuals and those who are under the legal age limit for betting. The body also strives to keep crime out of the industry.
All licenses within Great Britain are issued by the UK Gambling Commission and the organisation also has the power to revoke those licences or issue fines if the operator in question has broken any rules.
Whitelisted Gambling Jurisdictions
The Gambling Act of 2005 makes exceptions to rules relating to offshore territories, outside of the European Economic Area, who are otherwise banned from advertising their services in Great Britain.
The list of territories currently reads as follows
- Alderney
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Gibraltar
- Isle of Man
- Tasmania
IBAS (Independent Betting Adjudication Service)
The Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS) was established in 1998 as the demand for online gambling was starting to develop. Its primary purpose is to settle any disputes that may have arisen between a gambling operator and its customers.
It is not compulsory for any gambling operator to be a member of IBAS but signing up with the organisation is often seen as a mark of trust, honesty and integrity. Customers can register in the knowledge that, if they do have a subsequent dispute, an impartial, neutral organisation can be called upon to arbitrate.
EGBA (European Gaming and Betting Association)
EGBA is another independent gambling organisation which is specifically set up for operators within the European Union (EU). Formed in 2007 as the European Betting Association, its member operators now claim many millions of customers worldwide.
The United Kingdom is no longer part of the EU but many operators who provide services in Great Britain are still a part of the Union. Once again, membership of the European Gaming and Betting Association can be a useful endorsement of trust and integrity.
In fact, the list of member companies is relatively small with the Kindred Group, who own a number of well known brands, including Unibet and 32Red, among the more well-known organisations.
EGBA look to guard against crime and will aim to promote their own companies so that potential customers are not tempted to seek out unregulated operators. They also have a strong emphasis on safety online as well as responsible gambling.
European Sports Security Association
The European Sports Security Association (ESSA), was established in 2005 at the same time that the UK Gambling Act was introduced. The main aim of this organisation is to guard against betting corruption and they work closely with athletes with a view to preventing illegal approaches to individuals and the issues that can arise.
ESSA has a number of members and they also cover more than 7,000 betting shops in the UK. They work to uncover potential irregularities in betting patterns that could signify corruption within a certain sport. This is another voluntary body and one that isn’t directly targeted at the individual bettor but, if an operator partners in with ESSA, it’s another positive sign that points towards integrity and transparency.
