Best Betting Sites UK | New Online Bookmakers

The best betting sites in the UK, our top picks are explained here.  These are the overall top sites according to our team of expert reviewers. 

1. bet365
2. BetVictor
3. Kwiff
4. Unibet
5. Pari Match
6. Fitzdares

Below is a summary as to why each of these best betting sites have been rated highly. Visit the individual bookmaker review pages for each bookies full review and to read the thoughts of the OLBG members. 

1. bet365 

bet365 is the biggest online bookmaker in the World with a reported 35million + customers. bet365 has consistently been rated as the best online betting site by OLBG users for years. In our guides we review betting sites based on many different criteria. 

OLBG user Richerfrantz had this to say about bet365 "The most diversified bookmaker, covering all sports and events worldwide, wide variety of available markets, cash out option, clean design, intuitive, easy to use, among other benefits..."

Pros

+ rated number 1 in our analysis of best football betting sites

+ rated number 1 in our analysis of best bet builder sites

+ rated number 1 in our analysis of best cash out bookmakers

Cons

- not as good an offering as BetVictor, PariMatch, Betfair or Paddy Power when it comes to Tennis betting

- mobile app not rated as highly BetVictor when it comes to mobile betting

- there are much better offerings for casino players 

2. BetVictor 

BetVictor rates highly in many of our betting site research guides, consistently providing good odds for both horse racing and football. Mobile bettors seem particularly pleased with BetVictor which is backed up from our analysis of the best betting apps where they come out on top.

OLBG user touchofoscar was impressed enough with BetVictor to leave this review "BetVictor is an excellent sports betting site it has a clear and concise layout and allows a multitude of sports and betting angles.  Refreshing that they allow very low stakes and deposits which makes them accessible to even the most cautious punters"

Pros

+ Top rated site for Tennis betting 

+ Consistently offers good horse racing odds 

+ Rated best mobile experience in our deep analysis 

Cons

- not one of the top bet builder products according to our research 

- not one of the best cash out offerings

- no weekly free bet club 

3.  Kwiff 

Kwiff have been making great strides in the UK online betting space with a modern and innovative approach. As a Kwiff user you can be surprised with extra payouts, supercharged bets up to 2000x the odds, promotions and loyalty rewards. If you want to experience a slightly different way of betting, try Kwiff.

OLBG user iambenicto was really impressed with Kwiff stating "I'm using kwiff more than a month.. this bookies for me is the number overall to all bookies . easy to use and reliable for the people who wants to have an easy apps. nice and easy to deposit and withdraw and great offer and a lot of bonuses"

Pros

+ Unique offerings, promotions and rewards 

+ Great for Casino games 

+ Very easy to use site 

Cons 

- Not rated highly for horse racing betting 

- Limited choice of sports and markets compared to some

- Might not suit more serious punters used to traditional offerings

4. Unibet

Unite is a well rated UK bookie with a quick sign up, low minimum deposit and excellent in play betting offering. Unibet have been growing their position in the UK market over recent years. 

OLBG user nors noted his experience of how Unibet has been improving as a bookie "Unibet are offering a lot of promos especially on horse racing. Every big festival meeting they come up with something and I am spending more time betting with them ever before. I like the free bet club and extra place specials. If they carry on in this vein I expect I will drop another bookie and use Unibet for other sports."

Pros

+ One of the best bet builder products 

+ Good best odds guaranteed offering for horse racing 

+ Great free bets club 

Cons

- Wasn't rated in our top six for in play bookmakers

- Wasn't rated highly as a cash out bookmaker

- Mobile experience could be better 

5. Pari Match

Pari Match is a lesser known betting brand, although one of our reviewers pointed out that they have been around for over 17 years. The OLBG user ratings are very strong which is little surprise when you understand that behind the different branding you essential have the same site as BetVictor. Great esport coverage, great in play offering and very highly rated customer service.

OLBG user CJMST380 was very complementary in their review of PariMatch "If you like betting on the many different sports or playing casino type games then i would recommend Parimatch UK. They offer markets on the majority of sports with good odds. The website and app layout is very clear and easy enough to use."

Pros 

+ Excellent esports coverage

+ Great boxing offering 

+ Good in play offering 

Cons

- withdrawal process could be faster 

- not one of the best racing products 

- could be better for bet builders

6. Fitzdares 

Fitzdares bookmaker is bringing something different to online betting, styled as the Worlds finest bookmaker and has built its brand offline appealing to higher end punters. However the online offering is designed for all stake levels and aims to give you a bit more than other online bookmakers do. It certainly feels like a different experience betting with Fitzdares. 

Monkey321 had this to say about Fitzdares "Fitzdares are a breath of fresh air. The app/site works like a charm, never any weird downtime. They pay out in full in a timely manner and even give a free loyalty bet every week. Not quite sure what more you need. Solid bookie, keep up the good work."

Pros 

+ Unique new offering 

+ You'll feel more important betting with Fitzdares 

+ Great horse racing offering 

Cons 

- not yet got as comprehensive coverage as other bookmakers 

- best odds guaranteed not until after 9am

- not in our top 6 football betting sites 

Top rated bookmakers by OLBG Users

You can see the best rated betting sites in the UK from ratings collected at OLBG by sorting the table above y rating. Members of OLBG have been reviewing the best online betting sites since 2002. Who better to ask which the best online bookmakers are, than those who use them day in day out? 

Our members have tried and tested many uk bookmakers over the years and here they share with you their honest thoughts. Each time we add a new bookie to OLBG we ask our users to try it out and review it. This personal experience of using betting sites is valuable. We have highlighted some of these real user reviews in the content on this page as we feel that their feedback is really useful in helping you to choose your new betting account.

If you place the majority of your bets on one particular sport then rather than the overall best bookie, you may be looking for the best bookie for that particular sport. 

The Best Betting Sites By Sport

Here is a summary showing the best betting sites for some of the most popular sports in the United Kingdom, please explore the guides for more detail. 

Football 

bet365 stand out in our review of best football betting sites for their huge range of worldwide markets. They claim to be the home of the in play and with the popularity of in play betting on football especially, this really makes a difference to the regular football bettor. William Hill offered some niche markets and an excellent BetBuilder product. Read the full analysis of the best football betting sites

The best football betting sites are 

1. bet365
2. William Hill 
3. Paddy Power
4. Betway
5. Betfair
6. 10Bet 

Schleiche confirmed our findings in their bet365 review, stating "Good football odds and the best app layout. My go to bookmaker."

Horse Racing 

bet365 have always been popular with horse racing bettors at OLBG, offering consistently good odds, regular promotions, a great best odds guaranteed promotion and extra places in big races. Odds seem to be key for a betting site to get a good rating from horse racing bettors as BetVictor are also recommended in this category.

The best horse racing betting sites are 

1. bet365
2. BetVictor 
3. Betway
4. Paddy Power
5. Betfred
6. Betfair

Luke90 agreed with our assessment in their review of bet365 and had this to say "Definitely the best bookmaker out there with regards to prices and they give you best odds guaranteed from the day before which is a big one, it always used to be the deciding factor for me. They give odds in the without market for horse racing, not just without the favourite but without the front two."

Betway don't always fair so well for odds but their free bets club which includes horse racing is highly attractive and their top betting features include a range of tote options as well as a good all round betting experience. Read the full analysis of the best horse racing betting sites

Tennis

BetVictor have a great offering for Tennis punters. Our research has shown their odds to be consistently amongst the top bookmakers in the UK, they have good punter friendly rules over player retirements and they are a trusted online betting site. See the full analysis of top tennis betting sites here.

The best tennis betting sites for UK users are

1. BetVictor
2. PariMatch 
3. Betfair 
4. Paddy Power
5. bet365
6. William Hill  

Rehema00 gave BetVictor the full 5 stars in their recent review, stating "Bet Victor is the best when it comes to good offers, nice odds, bet boosters. I really love bet Victor."

Golf 

William Hill has a great offering for golf punters, covering a wide range of events, good choice of markets, favourable each way terms and top in play betting. Read the full research for top golf betting sites.

Our research showed the top golf betting sites are 

1. William Hill 
2. Betfair
3. Paddy Power 
4. BetVictor
5. bet365
6. 888Sport 

JediScout is a fan of William Hill going by this recent top rated review "My go to bookie becasue they always get it. They treat me well and I love their knowledge of sport. If I could only use one sport bookmaker it would have to be WH."

F1 & Motor Racing

In our analysis of the online bookmakers for motorsport betting and especially F1 betting we looked at range of markets, in play offering and good odds amongst other factors. BetVictor came out as number one. You can read more about why in the full analysis of best betting sites for F1.  The top F1 sites are

1. BetVictor
2. Betfair
3. William Hill 
4. Coral
5. Ladbrokes

Other Sports

For detailed analysis into the best betting sites for other sports please visit the guides following these links 

• Darts
• Snooker
• Boxing
• Greyhound Racing
• Rugby
• Esports 
• American Football
• Basketball
• Ice Hockey
• Baseball
• UFC & MMA
• Virtual Sports
• Aussie Rules
• Cycling
• Cricket
• GAA
• Speedway
• Handball
• Volleyball

Best Betting Sites By Category

If you bet on multiple sports, you may want to choose your new bookmaker based more on the way you like to bet. Maybe there are certain types of bets you like to place, perhaps exchange or spread betting is more your thing or maybe you also like to gamble on casino games. Here we look at the best sites for each for each category

Casino Games

If you like to play casino games alongside placing bets on sports, you may be looking for a strong betting site that offers a solid casino option too. The betting sites appearing highest in our best casino sites listing are 32Red, Quinnbet and Kwiff. You can separately look at our list of best casino sites.

The best sites for casino games are 

1. Kwiff 
2. 32Red
3. Quinnbet
4. Fitzdares
5. talkSportBet
6. BetVictor

Betting Exchanges 

Betting exchanges will always feature high up on our overall list of best betting sites as they offer good odds and don't restrict customer bets. Comparing them often comes down to the range of markets, degree of liquidity and rates of commission. If you are looking to start betting on an exchange site or are thinking of swopping sites, take a look at our detailed guide to UK betting exchanges.

The best betting exchanges are 

1. Betfair
2. Smarkets
3. Matchbook
4. Betdaq

This is what UBears025 had to say about Betfair Exchange in their recent review "Betfair is the best trading site in the UK and the concept of betting against other punters allows you to get great value on selections"

Spread Betting Sites

Sports spread betting sites are few and far between, perhaps because spread betting is a rather complicated and potentially risky way of betting online. If you are an experienced bettor and would like to try it then take a look at our guide to help you to choose the best sports spread betting site.

The best sports spread betting sites are 

1. Sporting Index
2. Spreadex

Cash Out Betting Sites

Cash out provides users with the option of cancelling all or part of their bet before the bet is completed, in the return for a pay out. This provides bettors with flexibility. bet365 hits the top of the list here due to its flexibility with auto cash management and edit my bet options. Read our full analysis of cash out betting sites.

The best cash out betting sites are 

1. bet365
2. Betfair 
3. Paddy Power
4. William Hill 

OLBG User Liveruz confirmed these findings with their review "They have the best odds options and odds are pretty good. But probably the best of bet365 is the cash-out system. It is definitely the best as you can cash out at anytime"

The Best Bet Builder Bookmakers

Bet builder, sometimes called request a bet has been growing in popularity amongst sports bettors in recent years. It provides the opportunity to combine different outcomes into one bet. Similar to an accumulator bet, it is possible to build a bet with large odds in an attempt to win big off a small stake. There are now in play bet builders too. Read all about this and the best bookies for placing bet builders.

The best bet builder bookmakers are

1. bet365
2. Quinnbet
3. Unibet
4. Betway 
5. Boylesports
6. Paddy Power  

Best Bookmakers for In Play Betting 

The service provided for in play betting varies greatly from site to site, with some not even providing it at all. This form of betting is now the most popular, with bookmakers taking the majority of their UK betting activity on in play football markets. bet365 advertise that they are all about the in play and our review backs that up. Read the full analysis of the best in play betting sites.

The best bookmakers for in play betting are 

1. bet365
2. LVBet
3. Smarkets
4. Virgin Bet 
5. William Hill
6. Ladbrokes

Best Odds Guaranteed Bookies

If you bet regularly on horse racing then you will know how important best odds guaranteed is. What is available, the terms and conditions attached and when you can and can't get access to it vary greatly by bookmaker. If you use best odds guaranteed then you should read our full guide here.

The best bookmakers for best odds guaranteed are 

1. bet365
2. Boylesports
3. Sportingbet
4. Betfred
5. Betfair
6. Unibet

Weekly Free Bet Clubs 

Free bets are well known as an incentive for people to open a new betting account but some bookmakers also offer them regularly after sign up. In our guide to free bet clubs we explain all.

The best weekly free bet clubs are

1. betway
2. Unibet
3. Paddy Power

Other Categories 

For detailed analysis of the best bookies by other categories please follow the links to check out these guides on the best betting sites for

• Providing the best odds
• Acca insurance
• Asian Handicap Betting
• Lucky 15s
• Live Streaming
• Football Accumulators

The best new online bookmakers will likely appeal to those who have tried many betting sites before. These are the best rated online bookmakers that have been more recently added to OLBG. This list of online bookmakers UK is updated all the time with new bookmakers being added every week. 

Some of these betting sites may not consider themselves as new bookies as they have all been established a good length of time either in the UK or elsewhere, but users may see them as being a new bookie compared to some of the bookmakers which have been around for decades.  

You can filter the above list by hitting the NEW tab, you will then see betting sites listed in order of the latest added to the site first.

Best new online bookmakers are 

1. Fitzdares
2. Star Sports
3. BetGoodwin 
4. Bet Target
5. Bet UK
6. The Pools 
7. Britain Bet
8. Luckster Sport

The editorial process for each review is detailed and thorough, the full process takes a minimum of a month from start to finish and involves more than 10 experienced reviewers along with dozens of regular sports bettors. This is a breakdown of our review and rating policy.

STEP 1 - Full Review By An Experienced Content Writer 

One of our experienced in house writers will spend a minimum of two weeks reviewing a betting site, placing a minimum of 10 bets (often more) and trying out different sports, markets and features. All of our reviewers have bet online for over 10 years and at numerous betting sites, allowing them to compare and contrast with their own personal experiences. 

These are some of the factors which our in house team review for each betting site we list at OLBG

• Customer Support 
• Banking & Payment Options
• Site usability 
• Mobile site & mobile app usability 
• Range of sports covered
• Range of markets covered
• Types of bets accepted 
• Odds offered 
• Promotions & Offers for existing customers
• Initial bonus or free bet terms
• User experience 
• Ease of registration & Account Verification
• In play offering & live streaming
• Maximum pay outs

STEP 2 - Our Review Panel Rates Each Bookmaker

During weeks three and four, the members of our 10 strong review panel will test out the site and along with our main reviewer, provide a rating out of 5 stars. These form the base rating for the betting site. The panel will also review what was written by the initial reviewer and add their own feedback to improve the content, spot anything the reviewer may have missed or just highlight areas they are particularly impressed with (or not!). This is extremely valuable as each member of the panel will have a different way of betting, different sports, bet types, markets they like to bet on. During this stage we conduct fact checking and editing too.

STEP 3 - OLBG Members & Regular Sports Bettors Carry Out Their Reviews

Once we have a full written review and a base rating from the panel, the OLBG members are then encouraged to try out a new betting side and provide their rating and feedback.

At OLBG we gather reviews and ratings for all uk licensed bookies from regular sports bettors so that you can compare and understand which betting sites may be best for you. You can read through the hundreds of bookmaker reviews and see what real users say about the bookies which they use. Reading real life experiences is the best way to learn about which online betting sites may be best for you.

Our members are asked to rate each of the bookmakers out of 5. You will see that we have listed 100s of reviews for UK Sportsbooks and we add new betting sites all the time. The most popular bookmaker reviewed has over 1000 ratings and at the time of writing a score of 4.4/5. This is the average rating for this betting site from all the user reviews.

If you go to the specific bookmaker page, for example bet 365 bookmaker review you will be able to read each of the individual reviews which make up this rating. You will see for this bookmaker that most of the reviews are 5 star.

We publish all betting site reviews unedited as long as they do not contain any swearing, potentially libellous content or individual specific dispute content. Where users have individual and specific disputes with online bookmakers we feel that they should discuss these direct with the bookie, rather than creating a review. OLBG has always been happy to offer help and advice in dealing with such disputes

There are many discussions on our forums where fellow members also offer their help and advice. We do however always encourage intital dialogue with the bookmaker concerned. IBAS can help with disputes with online bookmakers , they are the independent betting adjudication service to go to when users dont feel that their complaint has been resolved by talking directly with the bookmaker. 

We recommend only signing up with UK licensed betting sites if you are from the UK, so you will always have a method of resolving a dispute. 

STEP 4 - Regular Updates and Improvements

We update every review every month. We read every single new member review and this helps us to understand if a site has improved or changed. We can use this recent feedback to update the core review content. 

We will also regularly ask the operator if they have made any significant changes or improvements and update the review accordingly. If any of these changes are significantly large such as a site redesign or a major new sport being added, then that will trigger a full new review process and we will re assess the bookmaker, going back to step 1.

You can be confident that his rigorous process is carried out with all bookmaker reviews. 

STEP 5 - Detailed Comparison 

We contrast and compare the top bookmakers in detailed comparison guides covering the best sites for different sports and bet types. This is where we can highlight findings from our detailed reviews and the review team can work together to discuss which operators come out on top and which ones don't make the grade. 

So altogether this ads up to 100s of hours of work by dozens of experts, all to help you to find your next betting site. 

Why a bookmaker may achieve a high rating at OLBG

We have reviewed all the bookmaker reviews submitted to OLBG to try to understand why our members may rate a UK betting site highly. These are some of the key reasons. 

• Great odds
• Easy to use site/app/mobile site
• Good bonuses and offers 
• Good live streaming 
• Great coverage of events and markets. 
• Excellent customer service
• Good provision of in play markets and betting opportunities 
• Pricing markets up early. 
• Dont restrict winning accounts

Why online bookmakers are rated poorly by OLBG

These are some of the key reasons given by OLBG members for giving low bookmaker review ratings.

• Confusing opening account offers 
• Hard to use, navigate the site
• No or poor ongoing offers and bonuses for existing users
• Poor odds
• Poor coverage - no odds on events/markets that a user wants to bet on 
• Poor customer service - slow, unhelpful, no chat facility. 
• Limit bets. Especially when they limit very soon after opening an account. 
• Charges - on deposits for example or your account balance!

Who Created, Edited & Fact Checked The Content On This Page?

The content around our reviews including the editorial content on this page has been created by an experienced team of expert online sports bettors. Here is a bit more about them, what they look for in a top betting site and their current favourite sites for their own betting. 

• Darren Brett with 30 years betting experience including bookmaker side and content writer said that his current favourite bookmaker to use is The Tote

"I'm a big fan of the placepot so the site I use the most is the Tote."

• James Banting with 20 + years betting industry experience including working for a high street bookmaker said that he likes William Hill, Betfair and bet365 as his top betting sites to use. 

"For general sports betting I like William Hill as their market coverage is good with competitive odds, their website is nicely laid out and easy to
use. I also use betfair and bet365 a lot for in-play football betting and trading, the two sites work well in tandem for in-play bettors."

• Andrew Powell with 17 years of creating sports betting content writing experience likes to use 10bet for his personal betting as well as bet365. 

“When I am planning to bet on any US sports, mainly betting on the NHL, I head to 10Bet who I have found not to only have very competitive odds but also a great coverage of European leagues too.

When it comes to betting on horses, it is usually the Betfair exchange where I head, as someone who the majority of the time plays the place market it’s an ideal platform for doing so.

For the football, the Accumulator Bonus is great at bet365 which attracts me to them for that, also I rate their App as one of the best available which makes placing and keeping track of your bets very easy.”

• Nigel Skinner with 19 years of online gambling industry experience noted how he regularly uses Betfair as well as spread betting sites Spreadex and Sporting Index

"My first port of call is the Betfair Exchange, I tend not to back favourites and find the prices on offer on outsiders and the ability to bet place only suitable for my betting life. 

I always check the exchange prices against the spread betting prices on offer from Spreadex and Sporting Index and whichever gives me the best value for my money is where I place my bet. "

• Jake Ashton with 8 years experience as a sports betting journalist noted his favourite betting site as bet365.

"I use Bet365 because of their bet builders and easy to use app. Being able to pick my own selections in bet builders and then being able to double them with other bet builders means massive odds selections! They are great for bets including cards."

• Sam Darkens with 5 years experience working closely with online bookmakers to understand the key differences between them rated a number of bookmakers highly.

"For me a good online bookmaker must have a great app. I do most of my betting in apps and find Paddy Power, BetVictor, SBK and bet365 all good. For my esports betting, Betway has excellent coverage." 

• Steve Madgwick with 16 years of sports betting industry experience is the Editor In Chief who updates the content on this page weekly and ensures all supporting reviews and guides are updated at least monthly. His go to betting site is Betfair but also rates Fitzdares highly.

"Betfair is my first choice destination for most things betting. I enjoy the flexibility of using the exchange, and the convenience of switching to the sportsbook for adequate odds on football and snooker when looking to consider accumulators. I am excited to be a new Fitzdares customer which I use for Horse Racing."

• Richard Moffat with two decades of experience working with online bookmakers has fact checked all the information on this page to ensure its accuracy. When it comes to his own betting he recommends having a number of accounts and speaks highly of some of the new betting sites on the scene.

"When I bet I like to do so seriously on horse racing, so the best betting site for me is the one with the best odds and best terms on the horses I want to back. I'll use around 20 different betting sites to seek out the best value, in terms of best odds but also place terms, best odds guaranteed and any other relevant promotions or offers. Some new sites I've been impressed with are Kwiff, Talksportbet, Star Sports, Fitzdares and Betgoodwin"

As well as the experience of working within the sports betting industry for so long, all our contributors are keen sports bettors themselves so they each have many years experience of betting with multiple online betting sites. You can read more about our writers and our editorial policy on our About Us Page.

OLBG has an industry leading Trustpilot rating of 4.6 from over 800 reviews. You can read our OLBG reviews on Trustpilot here.

We recommend that if you are looking for a new betting site to open you consider the following factors. How do you determine if your next new online bookie is

• Trustworthy 
• Reliable 
• Low Risk 
• Reputable 
• Player Friendly With Their Terms and Conditions 
• Everything Else You Want!

With each new online bookmaker we review, we go through each of these areas in detail as we form our review. 

Trustworthy 

There are over 80 online bookmakers licensed to operate in the UK. We only list UK licensed bookmakers to UK traffic on this site and if you live in the UK we would advise that you dont bet with any bookmakers which arent licensed here. 

If you live outside the UK or are visiting another country where you plan to bet online, we advise that if gambling is regulated in that region that you only bet with locally licensed operators. We have separate pages for such trusted sites here 

• Irish betting sites
• Australian betting sites
• Canadian Betting Sites
• US sports betting sites

For the US we also have separate state pages as sports betting is licensed on a state by state basis. For example NJ sports betting sites or Michigan sports betting sites.

Non licensed betting sites may not adhere to the strict regulations laid down by the Gambling Commission and you may have trouble if you ever have a dispute with them.  We list the main ones on this page and you can check if betting sites hold a license by following this link for a full list of online bookmakers licensed in the UK.

Table showing top trusted betting sites according to trustpilot ratings as at 6th March 2023

Reliable 

We don't list every licensed UK bookmaker on this page. Some we don't consider to be trustworthy and reliable. This could be for a number of reasons including failing to pay what is owed, changing terms and conditions, having a poor record of customer service. 

We prefer to list bookmakers along with the poor reviews where there we have seen that customers have had bad experiences. However sometimes the bookmakers are so poor in terms of trust that we don’t list them at all. 

Low Risk 

There are many new online bookies, some very small companies investing in growing a business in the UK. There are risks betting with small companies as they could potentialy come into cash flow problems. However if they are registered with the UK Gambling Commission then there will be certain critiera they need to meet to ensure that they can pay out their customers. The risk is lower with larger more established companies. 

Whilst some bookmakers on this page may not be well known in the UK, they may be long established global businesses. Our reviews will tell you more. 

Whilst we have to mention it as a risk, it is though very rare for bookmakers to close and not honour bets. Recent closures of bookies have typically been where other bookmakers have bought them out. Typically with these betting sites, balances have been returned to customers and bets have been paid out. 

However there have been occasions where ante post (long term market) bets have been cancelled and stakes returned. This of course can be extremely bad for punters who have obtained great value prices on events far into the future. We recommend that you are cautious about which betting sites you use to place your ante post bets. Do so with a bookmaker which is larger and less likely to go out of business or be taken over. Or even better, consider splitting your bet around several betting sites. 

So rather than say have £20 with one bookmaker, make 4 £5 bets with different bookies. This same advice is often made by our members when users are discussing how to avoid having their stakes limited by bookies. 

Reputable 

The best way to see this is from user experience. This is why we have collected over 500 user reviews across the different UK betting sites from the members here at OLBG. Read their experiences and how they rate each of the bookies before deciding if you will open a new account with that online bookmaker. Our users will often talk about their experiences with customer services and how any issues they had were dealt with. 

Player Friendly With Their Terms and Conditions

We have spent hundreds of hours trawling through terms and conditions, withdrawal policies, depositing terms and so on for each of the betting sites we list, so that we can provide you with all the details. Some bookmakers do make charges for certain withdrawals. 

Some hit you with charges for not using your account (be careful here as some conditions can eventually clean out your funds if left for 6 months +). We dont want to scare you as most the bookmakers we list have fair terms and conditions and dont go too far away from what would be industry standards. However there are a few to watch out for. 

Our users may well have highlighted any in their reviews, or our researches will have found some in their hours of painstaking research. As part of our process we also look at other review sites such as trust pilot to identify any areas where customers aren’t happy with their bookmakers. Of course this also helps us to see positives and reasons why you may want to consider betting with the bookie being reviewed. 

Check our bookmaker reviews before opening your next betting account to see if there are any terms and conditions, a good range of payment methods, charges or withdrawal policies which you should look out for. If you have found something we haven’t highlighted then please let us know through adding a review. You can join OLBG for free if you aren’t yet a member and review all the bookmakers listed here. 

Everything else you want?

Think about what you want from your bookmaker and read the reviews to find users who have found that. Ask yourself, why would I open an account with this bookmaker AND bet with them regularly? That is the key. 

This page and the accompanying detailed guides are packed full of information to help you to find the best betting site for your needs. Opening lots of accounts and trying them out is an alternative to reading our guides and we are aware that some people may wish to do this and take advantage of the welcome offers available. 

Most betting sites provide a welcome offer when you register an account with them. This is sometimes called a free bet or a bonus. We discuss these in more detail on our free bets page but for your convenience here are some of the best betting sites offers available now. 

Make sure you are familiar with the terms and conditions when you register with an online bookmaker. Here is a selection of questions you should consider when looking through online bookmaker terms and conditions and particularly when assessing the customer offers available.

• Minimum deposit requirements.
• Deposit and withdrawal methods accepted.
• Options for withdrawals from betting account.
• Are fees charged to deposits on betting account?
• Are fees charged to withdrawals from betting account?
• Minimum bet amount taken.
• Maximum winnings allowed.
• Rules for the individual bet you place, especially rules for when bets are voided.

I want a site similar to my existing bookmaker

It may be that you have been quite happy with your existing online betting site but would like a change. Maybe you want to try a similar site to see if you prefer betting elsewhere, maybe you have had issues with your existing bookmaker.

 In recent times it has been common that people have been asked for proof of affordability and rather than provide such documents have looked elsewhere to bet. For whatever reasons, we are seeing many people looking for a similar bookmaker to the one they have. So here we try to answer some of those questions. 

What sites are similar to William Hill?

William Hill is a popular high street betting shop that has developed a great online offering. If you are looking for a strong UK brand then a similar offering is available with Ladbrokes or Betfred. 

What sites are similar to Betfair?

Betfair differs from many other UK betting sites as it also has the betting exchange offering. If you are looking for a similar betting exchange to Betfair then we would recommend Matchbook or SMarkets. They are both good alternatives for the exchange. If you bet on fixed odds and are looking for an online sportsbook offering then a similar site would be bet365 or BetVictor.

What sites are similar to Ladbrokes?

As a well known UK high street bookmaker with a reputation for good customer service, trust and reliability we would suggest that William Hill would be a similar alternative to Ladbrokes.

What sites are similar to bet365?

bet365 is such a popular online bookmaker that many sports bettors are on the look out for a similar site to bet365 or a better site than bet365. If you are looking for a large UK focused online bookmaker which provides good odds, a great range of markets and top in play betting then we would say that BetVictor is a similar site to bet365.

How To Sign Up To an Online Bookmaker

Here we look at each step of the process you will need to go through before opening your new account and help you with any questions you may have.

Deposit Methods  

The minimum deposit is often £5 but for some bookies it can be a lot higher. Check out our review pages for information on minimum deposit amounts for online betting sites. As well as varying by bookmaker this can also vary by deposit method used.

Bookmakers will normally return any winnings to the same card or payment method used to deposit unless instructed otherwise. Sometimes you will be asked to provide details to help the online bookmakers comply with money laundering regulations. Please understand that the online bookmakers are not being difficult, they are simply following legal guidelines. This will be even more likely to happen if you choose to withdraw to a different payment method than you used to deposit. 

Visa Debit Card

A debit card is the most common deposit method for online betting sites, this is a straight transfer from a UK bank account. Bookmakers or any gambling companies are no longer allowed to accept credit cards as a deposit method. 

PayPal

Most UK bookies accept PayPal which is the most popular e-wallet with sports bettors. Some people like to use it to keep betting transactions off their bank statements, others find it a much faster way to deposit in and out of betting sites. Be aware that using PayPal could exclude you from welcome offers with some bookies. 

Apple Pay

Many of the larger online betting sites support Apple Pay and it's like to be available on more sites soon. Deposit and withdrawal times will be the same as the bank cards being used through Apple Pay. 

Skrill 

Skrill is an alternative to PayPal. Used to be known as Mneybookers, this has always been a popular payment method for online gamblers. and is accepted at most sites. 

PaySafeCard

These are prepaid cards which can be used to fund online betting accounts. Fees aren't charged for deposits and so these are a popular way to fund online accounts for those who don't use bank cards. 

Take a look at the reviews for each bookmaker by clicking on the link in the above list where we will detail all the deposit methods available for each site. 

With most online bookmakers listed here you may be able to easily transfer money between the bookies other products such as poker, casino and bingo. Transferring money between accounts is often very simple and if you only want to play the sportsbook you can just ignore this function.

Many people use payment providers such as Skrill (formerly Moneybookers) for depositing into, and withdrawing from online bookmakers, as these can be faster, more convenient than bank or credit cards. However sometimes using these methods may exclude you from bookmakers welcome offers. If so this will be mentioned in the terms and conditions of the welcome offer. For more info on which payment methods are accepted by which bookmakers please read through our bookmaker reviews. 

Responsible Gambling, Identification & Affordability Checks

In recent years the regulations for bookmakers have tightened as the Gambling Commission have looked to increase the protection of the user. This is fantastic news for the industry and all who use online betting sites but you need to be aware that you may have some small inconveniences when trying to open a new online betting site or if you are wanting to place large bets with a bookmaker. ID verification is very strict and sometimes you may be asked to send off copies of documents for ID and address verification. 

Also if you are placing large bets and or making large deposits then online betting sites have a responsibility to ensure that you can afford to do so. You may be asked affordability checks such as showing your pay slips and or you may be asked for proof of funds for money laundering checks. Don't take such requests personally, all licensed online bookies must follow these regulations or they can face huge fines.

Here are some common tips to help you with gambling responsibily online. For more information take a look at our detailed responsible gambling guide. 

When The Fun Stops Stop

You will have seen this slogan used by online bookmakers frequently over recent years. It is trying to get across the serious point that if you aren't enjoying gambling you should stop immediately. You can use a process of self evaluation to help you to understand if you have a gambling problem. There is a great tool at Gamcare. 

If you do believe that you have a problem then there is always someone to talk to at begambleaware. They can offer great advice including helping you to self exclude. There is a valuable service called Gamstop which allows you to self exclude from all betting companies signed up to the program for a period of your choice. All UK licensed bookmakers listed on this site will be part of the GamStop programme. For this reason (and many others) you should never join betting sites not GamStop.

Set Limits and Use Bookmaker Tools

We strongly recommend that you record your gambling and set yourself limits. Only bet what you can afford to lose. Online betting sites have started to offer a number of tools to help you with this including 

• Deposit Limits 
• Session Limits
• Account History 
• Time Outs

Using playing time notifications to remind you how long you have been gambling and when to stop is a useful tool and so is setting a specific loss amount you are happy with in advance.

Online betting has been growing at a great rate in recent years, at the expense of high street betting shops. The Covid pandemic results in betting shop closures and as sports returned, sports bettors only had one choice if they wanted a bet and that was online. 

Many who hadn't already opened online betting accounts did so during this period, experiencing the benefits of betting by mobile phone via sites or apps. Once betting shops re opened, many had already experienced enough to stick with online betting. 

The Best Mobile Betting Sites & Apps 

The best betting sites for betting via mobile or app are 

1. BetVictor 
2. Betfair
3. Matchbook
4. Paddy Power
5. bet365
6. Betway 

The BetVictor mobile betting app provides versatile sports coverage with exclusive betting app features. Betfair is far easier to use via mobile app than site and Matchbook is a great alternative exchange which also has a highly rated mobile offering. Read our full analysis of the best betting apps. 

The Best High Street Betting Shops

Most UK high streets have one or more betting shops but they have been in decline as online gambling has grown. As of March 2020 there were 7,683 UK betting shops, down from 8,800 in March 2017 and 9,128 in March 2012 (source Statista).

More and more people are becoming aware of the benefits of betting online but plenty still mix this with visits to the local bookies or even exclusively use the high street shop. These are the biggest high street bookies by the number of shops they run. 

1. William Hill
2. Ladbrokes
3. Coral
4. Betfred 
5. Paddy Power 
6. Boylesports 

The latest figures available from Statista are from 2019 and show the declines since 2012. Keep in mind there has been further decline in total shops between 2019 (8,320 shops) and 2020 (7,683 shops)

Table showing top high street bookmakers by number of shops

If you are new to online betting, perhaps previously using high street betting shops to place your bets, then we recommend one of these better known brands for your first online betting account. 

These betting sites are all easy to use, offer a good range of betting opportunities, a good range of deposit methods, great customer service and an all round easy online betting experience. Make them your first port of call and once you are used to betting online, take a look around at other alternatives based on what sports you like to bet on or types of bet you like to place.

When looking for the best betting site for you, the key areas to consider are 

• OLBG experts analysis of best sites overall and best by the sport and category which you are most interested in
• OLBG user reviews to see what regular bettors say about their experiences at each site 
• The payment methods which you want to use and which sites support them
• How Trustworthy, Reliable and Reputable each site is 

The quick summary and conclusion from all our analysis is that these are the best betting sites in each category.

Best Overall - bet365

Best New Site - Fitzdares 

Best Football Bookmaker - bet365

Best For Horse Racing - bet365 

Best for Tennis Betting - Betvictor

Best Golf Betting Site - William Hill 

Best for Casino Games - Kwiff 

Best Betting Exchange - Betfair 

Best Spread Betting Site - Sporting Index

Best Cash Out Offering - bet365 

Best Bet Builder Offering - bet365 

Best In Play Bookmaker - bet365

Best Best Odds Guaranteed Offering - bet365

Best Weekly Free Bets Club - Betway

Want to learn more about online betting sites? OLBG is packed through of guides to help you to learn more and find the best sites for you to use. Here are some of the most relevant guides not already mentioned for further reading. 

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