Best Betting Sites UK | New Bookmakers in 2025

Our Picks For The Best UK Betting Sites

Our bookmaker testing process provides us with all the information we need to categorise the best betting sites for specific sports or features.

We also call on our experience to highlight each site’s pros and cons, so you know exactly what to expect if you choose to sign up for a betting account.

We don’t hold back when it comes to honest feedback and every review includes detailed, unbiased analysis, to ensure complete transparency.

Read on to discover why the following sites made the cut and find out which ones are best-suited to your style of betting.

Best New Betting Sites 2025

Our research consistently shows that the best new bookmakers drive competition by introducing new innovative betting markets and offers. 

With this in mind, these are the best new betting sites in 2025, as chosen by experts and Gambling.com users.

Our Top Pick: Bet442

Why we Picked Bet442

When testing Bet442, we found that this new betting site is home to appealing promotions and features that we usually only associate with established bookmakers.

For example, we were able to watch live streams of all the big horse and greyhound races from the UK and Ireland, with no buffering issues reported during our mobile and desktop tests.

After signing up and claiming the welcome offer, we're taken to the homepage, where our attention is drawn to the number of odds boosts available. These enhancements are mainly for football markets and the latest boosts appear in the top left of the home screen.

Bet442's best feature, however, is the bet builder. This same-game accumulator allows us to combine up to 30 markets in one bet, which is more than most new betting sites offer.

The same-game acca is available across 10 sports, including cricket, a sort which most bookmakers don't have a bet builder option for.

Who It's For

Bet442 is something of an all-rounder, but if you like to bet on football, horse racing or cricket, the odds and betting options here are first-rate.

This new betting site also caters to a wide range of payment methods. If you prefer using alternative options like AstroPay or ecoPayz, Bet442 is an ideal choice.

Alternative New Betting Options

Of all new betting sites we've tested, PricedUp has the most appealing layout and user interface.

While the best price boosts at Bet442 are reserved for football, we were able to claim enhanced odds on boxing, darts and UFC with PricedUp.

If you want a new betting site and you're a fan of virtual betting, Gentleman Jim is the best option to go with.

There are over 20 different virtual betting markets to choose from at any time, including golf, football, basketball, horse racing and darts.

Best Betting Sites For Offers

Promotions are a deciding factor for a lot of punters when choosing a site to sign up with. This is the case for many of our own expert team members and for Gambling.com users. 

We've taken user feedback into account and combined it with our own findings in order to recommend these five bookies as the best betting sites for offers and free bets in 2025.

Our Top Pick For Offers: BoyleSports

Why we Picked BoyleSports

BoyleSports tops our list in this category thanks to its early payout deals across multiple sports.

During our testing process, we took advantage of early payouts for 11 sports in total. For example, football bets paid out if our team led by two goals and golf bets settled if our player led after the third round - valuable given only 35% of third-round leaders actually go on to win tournaments.

The BoyleSports welcome offer is also a strong deal. After signing up, we claimed £30 in free bets and a £10 casino bonus.

All this took was a £10 deposit and a £10 bet at odds of even money. We found the process to be quick and our analysis of the T&Cs revealed no nasty surprises.

Additional offers like money-back specials, extra each-way places, best odds guaranteed and odds boosts further enhanced our experience with this betting site.

Who It's For

BoyleSports is an ideal bookmaker for multi-sport bettors as the offers are never restricted to just one or two sports.

If you're into football accumulators, the early payout deal applies to accas as well as singles. Some competitors, like Paddy Power, generally only apply early payouts to single bets, greatly reducing the value of this offer.

For American sports enthusiasts, BoyleSports has early payout offers on basketball and NFL games.

Alternative Betting Options For Offers

Our latest research of UK betting sites shows that Betfred's bet £10 get £50 deal is the best welcome offer available.

While this is higher in value than the BoyleSports bonus, you don't get as many early payouts with Betfred.

For money-back offers, Kwiff is an ideal betting site to use, refunding bets if your horse finishes second to the favourite in selected races.

For odds boosts, Unibet's 'Uniboosts' consistently deliver the best value when compared to enhanced price offers from other online bookmakers.

Best Online Betting Sites For Football

Every betting site in the UK offers football betting markets, but some stand out with exclusive offers, value odds and extra features like live streaming of matches. 

Here's a detailed look of some of the best football betting sites in the UK and what they offer punters.

Our Top Pick For Football Betting: BetMGM

Why we Picked BetMGM

BetMGM is a relatively new betting site that came to the UK in 2023 and brought a big reputation from the United States. 

Due to this being a US betting site originally, we were unsure if the UK's favourite sports would get enough attention when we tried out the UK version. Those fears proved to be unfounded and we now consider BetMGM to be the best football betting site online, according to our latest tests.

The free 'Golden Goals' prediction game is the standout promotion here, with a £1million jackpot for correctly predicting six football scores. If you get a minimum of two predictions right, there are other prizes on offer, ranging from free bets to a share of £5k.

For example, we received a £20 free bet for getting three scores correct on a Premier League matchday when testing this betting site.

We’re also impressed by the 'In-Play Boosts', offering 50% extra profit on live bets for selected Premier League games. With an average of 180 live betting markets per match, there are plenty of opportunities to take advantage of this feature.

Who It's For

BetMGM is an ideal betting site for betting on the Premier League in particular.

The bookmaker is an official partner of Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers, offering 10% profit boosts for winning bets placed on these teams.

On an average Premier League matchday, there are more than 40 price boosts available across all games combined.

BetMGM also has extensive options for PL bet builders, with dozens of markets. For example, when testing the site we noticed a recent game between Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace had 62 bet builder markets available.

Alternative Football Betting Options

William Hill is home to some football promotions that BetMGM doesn't have, like early payouts and free bets for correctly predicting match statistics.

Like BetMGM, LeoVegas has profit boosts on sponsored clubs, except instead this offer applies to games involving Manchester City and Inter Milan.

Ladbrokes is our go-to betting website for live football streams. Once signed up, games from leagues like Spain's La Liga and the Dutch Eredivisie can be watched live while you bet.

Best Betting Sites For Horse Racing

Our latest user surveys show that over 52% of bettors in the UK have placed a bet on a horse race in the past year. 

The popularity of racing means that betting sites compete fiercely for business from racing punters, especially when major festivals like Cheltenham come around. 

Here's a look at our picks for the best horse racing betting sites in 2025, including their standout features.

Our Top Pick For Horse Racing Betting: Coral

Why we Picked Coral

Coral is a household name in UK horse racing, with roots as a racecourse bookmaker dating back to 1926. The bookie also sponsors major races like the Coral Cup at Cheltenham, which tells us a lot about its commitment to the sport.

After thorough testing, we found the 'Coral Racing Club' to be the standout feature here, with exclusive prizes on offer at no extra cost. After signing up, we had access to competitions with prizes including raceday tickets and visits to trainers' yards.

We enjoy the 'Racing Super Series' game as well, which challenges you to predict a horse to place in seven races, to win a share of a £25k prize pool.

Though we haven't yet won during testing, recent payouts (e.g. 42 winners sharing £543.48 each) show this game's potential.

Other perks that caught our attention were live streams, best odds guaranteed, odds boosts and extra each-way places.

We also took advantage of the option to bet on winning distances in selected races. We recommend this as a useful feature if you have a strong fancy and want to increase the odds by predicting the margin of victory.

Who It's For

Coral is a good online betting site for experienced horse racing bettors who want a range of features and promotions to choose from.

The mobile betting app is highly-rated by our review team and Gambling.com users alike, so if you place most of your bets via mobile, Coral will suit you.

If you're looking for a stripped-back site without too many bells and whistles, Coral might not be for you.

Alternative Horse Racing Betting Options

The Tote is a strong alternative if you like pool betting - where the money placed on a race is shared between winning punters. This can mean greater returns if you like to back outside shots.

BetGoodwin has four money-back specials (more than Coral and other leading betting sites) where you get your stake back if your horse loses in certain scenarios.

If you like to back Lucky 15s or Lucky 31s, Fitzdares has profit boosts on both.

Bet UK is handy for watching races while you bet. We've watched races from the UK, Ireland, France, the USA and Chile using the website and app.

Best Sites For Live In-Play Betting

One of the big advantages of online betting is the opportunity to place in-play bets while watching sport live. 

Our research shows that the best live betting sites have a wide selection of in-play betting markets, outstanding live odds and extra features like cash out and live live streams. If you bet in-play regularly, these are some good bookmakers to consider.

Our Top Pick For Live Betting: bet365

Why we Picked bet365

bet365 was one of the the pioneers of in-play betting around the turn of the century and our latest tests show that this betting site remains an industry leader for live betting.

The streaming service is comprehensive, with over 600,000 sporting events shown live for bet365 customers annually. During our testing, we watched streams of horse racing, golf, football, tennis, NBA, NFL, and cricket.

The streams are consistently high-quality and there are very few buffering issues, something which other betting websites sometimes struggle with.

To access streams, your account needs to have a positive balance, or you need to have placed a bet in the previous 24 hours.

The range of in-play markets also really impressed us. For example, a WTA tennis match comes with over 70 live betting options, along with an in-play bet builder - something not many other sites offer.

Another in-play betting feature worth mentioning at bet365 is partial cash out. This allows us to cash out a portion of our bet, leaving the remainder to play out at the original odds.

Who It's For

While we've highlighted bet365 for in-play betting, this bookmaker really is an all-rounder, as evidenced by the fact that it has over 90 million customers worldwide.

No matter what sport you're betting on, bet365 will have competitive odds and a range of markets that can compete with any of the best online bookmakers in the UK.

Alternative Live Betting Options

Kwiff is an interesting alternative for in-play betting, with some unique offers like 'supercharged cash out', where cash out values are randomly boosted.

If you like to use statistics to your advantage, Virgin Bet has a live event centre which makes it easy to track in-play stats.

Bwin is a betting site that gives you lots of options with your live bets. For instance, we noticed over 120 live betting markets available for a Premier League football match during our testing.

BetVictor is another strong live betting site - where the in-play odds are rarely beaten by competitors.

Best UK Betting Sites For Esports

Esports betting has surged in popularity in recent years, with market projections now suggesting the industry will be worth £19million by 2031. When we try out any online bookmaker, we expect to see a range of betting markets for competitive video gaming. 

Below you'll find the best Esports betting sites in 2025 according to our latest reviews, with the most markets and best Esports odds.

Our Top Pick For Esports Betting: Betway

Why we Picked Betway

We've been really impressed by Betway's Esports offering. The betting site now has a dedicated section which is prominent on the homepage - indicating how seriously this bookmaker takes Esports.

Betway is the only site we've tested that has a specific free bet club for Esports. We placed £25 on Esports accumulators within the space of a week and received a £10 free bet as a reward.

The key thing to note here is that the accumulators must be placed between Monday and Sunday, with the free bets credited to your account the following Monday. Also be aware that the total minimum odds of the accumulator must add up to 2/1 to trigger the offer.

There's no limit to how many times this promotion can be claimed, so if you regularly place Esports bets, it's a nice promotion to take advantage of.

There are plenty of live streams as well, with games like Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 available to watch while you bet.

During our testing, we found that the streams work best on mobile and are generally more reliable when watched on the Betway app, rather than the browser version of the betting website.

Who It's For

If you're a keen Esports bettor and plan to place most of your bets on competitive video games, Betway is an ideal betting site to go with.

The free bet club promo is tailored for accumulator backers. If you plan to back Esports multiples regularly, this bookmaker is highly recommended.

For fans of other sports, Betway also offers a variety of odds boosts, including 'Super Boosts' which significantly enhance the value of selected markets.

Alternative Esports Betting Options

Pub Sports is a good alternative to Betway for streaming Esports while betting. Most of the streams come directly from Twitch, but it's handy to have them all organised in the one place alongside their betting markets.

In our odds comparison tests, Parimatch consistently beat other betting sites with its Esports prices.

QuinnBet is a bookmaker with a unique promotion for Esports and online casino fans. Place £10 or more on Esports bets to unlock five free spins for slot games.

Meanwhile, Grosvenor Sport stands out with its extensive market coverage. For instance, when betting on Counter-Strike, we found dozens of markets across 11 different leagues, including the CCT European Finals and ESL Challenger leagues.

Best Apps For Mobile Betting

Experience teaches us that betting apps often provide a better user experience than desktop or mobile browser versions of betting sites. 

When you download an app, you can get perks like exclusive mobile bonuses and push notifications that tell you about the latest odds boosts.

Apps often come with reduced loading times and a better overall design. Here are some of the best apps for betting in 2025, as selected by users and Gambling.com experts.

Our Top Pick For Mobile Betting: Betano

Why we Picked Betano

Betano ranked highest in our latest round of app testing and its popularity is reflected in user reviews: 4.5/5 stars from over 43,000 Google Play users and 4.6/5 stars from 12,467 App Store users.

The app loads quickly and isn't prone to crashing. In our recent tests on Android and iOS, it didn’t crash once - outperforming betting apps from other bookmakers that are known for frequent glitches.

When using the Betano app you can generally get your bet on without any delay. This is particularly handy for live bettors who want to exploit in-play odds before something happens that affects the price.

Live streaming is another highlight, with smooth video coverage of horse races from the UK, Ireland and eight other countries. Greyhound races are streamed as well, but we’d like to see more sports added to the streaming lineup.

As part of the BetVictor portfolio, Betano comes from a trusted British gambling company, so you know the app is licensed and safe to download.

Betano is also the main shirt sponsor of Aston Villa and offers exclusive odds boosts for Villa’s Premier League and Champions League matches. The site sponsors the UEFA Europa League and Conference League competitions as well, lending further credibility to this brand.

Who It's For

If you prefer placing bets on your mobile device and value competitive odds, the Betano app is an excellent choice.

Like its sister-site BetVictor, Betano consistently offers high-value odds, particularly for horse racing, with prices rarely beaten by competitors.

If free bets and odds boosts are key factors for you, Betano delivers on both fronts, making it a standout option for bettors seeking promotions.

Alternative Betting App Options

talkSPORT BET is another highly-rated app that comes with boosted bet builders and a free football score prediction game. There aren't many better apps for betting on football.

For an app with a valuable welcome offer, LiveScore Bet is a good option. The sign up offer comes with £30 worth of free bets and there are also plenty of live streams on the app, including tennis matches.

BetVictor is an app with a wide range of odds boosts, a best odds guaranteed offer for racing and a cash refund if your horse loses all chance at the start of a race.

Unibet isn't rated as highly by users as the other betting apps in our list. However, we feel it's worthy of inclusion because you can stream football, tennis, horse racing and all of the major American sports on the app.

Betting Sites With The Best Bet Builders

Gone are the days when accumulators could only be placed on multiple games. Bet builders now allow you to combine multiple markets from the same game and they've become really popular with punters.

These same-game accas were introduced as recently as 2018, so the best bet builder sites are continuing to develop this feature, with new options and perks constantly being introduced.

Here are the betting sites with the best bet builders in 2025, according to our latest reviews.

Our Top Pick For Bet Builders: Bzeebet

Why we Picked Bzeebet

We rate Bzeebet as the best bet builder betting site for two main reasons - the first being that you can combine up to 30 legs in one bet builder. Only a handful of online bookmakers match up to this range of options.

Perhaps more importantly though, Bzeebet's bet builder covers 10 different sports. Our research shows that online betting sites generally only offer bet builders on four or five sports, so Bzeebet really excels in this area.

During our testing process, we placed bet builders on football, tennis, rugby union, rugby league, ice hockey, cricket, basketball, baseball, American football and Australian Rules football at Bzeebet.

You'll notice that very few sports betting sites have same-game acca options for the likes of rugby and cricket, so Bzeebet gets high marks for this.

We also enjoyed placing multi-game bet builders, which combine markets from different games that normally wouldn't be eligible for accumulators.

For instance, you could combine a bet on a player to score two goals in a football match with a bet on a basketball player to score 30+ points in an NBA game.

The icing on the cake is Bzeebet's 'Combo Boost' offer, which boosts profits on successful bet builders consisting of four legs or more.

Who It's For

Bzeebet does lack some sports betting bells and whistles, like live streams and early payout deals, but if you're mainly looking to place bet builders, this is a great betting site to sign up with.

Punters who value access to a wide range of markets and a small amount of uncomplicated bonuses will enjoy this site.

Alternative Bet Builder Betting Sites

QuinnBet is another good sports betting option for fans of bet builders, as this site has offers specifically for same-game accas. For example, you get a £2 free bet whenever you wager £20 or more on a bet builder with a minimum of three legs.

When we signed up with NetBet, we got two free bet builders worth £10 each once we had placed our first £10 bet.

Like Bzeebet, Unibet has a range of multi-match builder options, while Bet442 comes from the same betting company as Bzeebet (AG Communications), and therefore has a very similar bet builder with 10 different sports covered.

Best Cricket Betting Sites

Online cricket betting is big business in the UK and we expect to find a range of cricket betting options and offers at the best cricket betting sites.

In-play cricket betting is particularly important considering the length of cricket matches, especially in the Test format.

We've bet on ODIs, Twenty20 matches and Tests with dozens of online bookmakers and have selected the following as the best cricket betting sites, taking into account user reviews as well as our own testing process.

Our Top Pick For Cricket Betting: Unibet

Why we Picked Unibet

Unibet tops our cricket betting list with features like live streams, odds boosts, loyalty free bets and ball-by-ball betting.

International test matches, one-day internationals and selected domestic games are streamed live when you have a Unibet account.

The cricket streams here are among the best we've watched in terms of quality and reliability. It's very rare that a stream crashes, unless there's an issue with the device being used to watch the action.

While watching games we had access to 'Action Betting' markets. These allow you to place live bets on the outcome of every ball that's bowled in a match.

Unibet's flagship promotion is enhanced odds, with these 'Uniboosts' applying to dozens of cricket markets every day.

Another perk to betting with this betting site is access to free bets, which usually come in the form of loyalty rewards for regular betting.

Who It's For

Anyone who bets on cricket regularly will enjoy what Unibet has to offer - no matter what format of the game you prefer.

Fans of tennis, darts, football, snooker, Esports and American sports will also enjoy Unibet. All of these sports come with live streams, including of top football leagues like La Liga, Serie A, the FA Cup and the EFL Championship.

Alternative Cricket Betting Options

William Hill is another good betting website to explore for cricket odds boosts, former England international Phil Tufnell nominating markets for price enhancements.

Spreadex is one of the only online betting sites to make our list that offers cricket spread betting options. This provides a chance for bigger winnings on markets like run totals if your prediction is accurate - but it also comes with extra risk if your bet is way off the mark.

10bet has a unique deal which rewards regular cricket betting. If you place £40 or more on cricket in a month, you'll get a £6 free bet.

bet365, meanwhile, has an impressive range of live cricket markets, as well as a selection of live streams to rival Unibet.

Best Golf Betting Sites

The priorities of golf punters differ to bettors of other sports due to some of the unique quirks of golf betting. For example, each-way terms are a big priority for golf bettors, especially when the majors are on.

Our golf betting experts and Gambling.com users have selected their best golf betting sites in 2025, taking into account factors such as odds, betting markets and promotions such as extra places.

Our Top Pick: Fitzdares

Why we Picked Fitzdares

Fitzdares has everything we look for in a golf betting site, including a wide range of markets, valuable odds, competitive each-way terms and unique offers.

When we visited the golf section, all available offers were listed at the top of the page. Below that was a comprehensive list of upcoming tournaments and outright markets for big events like the majors and the Ryder Cup.

When comparing Fitzdares' odds with the leading bookmakers, we found that they often provide the highest value, particularly when you look down the board at less-fancied golfers.

In terms of specific golf offers, there are free in-play bets whenever you back five players in a tournament. Five places are generally paid out as standard for most events.

One really unique feature here is the ability to negotiate prices with oddsmakers - over the phone, by email or via 24/7 live chat. We tried this for three PGA Tour events when testing the site and managed to negotiate better odds on several occasions.

Who It's For

Fitzdares has a history as a boutique bookmaker that prides itself on catering to customers. So, if you're looking for a bespoke, personal service, this is probably the right betting site for you.

There are compelling offers available for football, cricket, tennis, horse racing and NFL betting, so if you like any of these sports, it's worth opening a Fitzdares account.

Alternative Golf Betting Options

Star Sports isn't a household name yet but this relatively new betting site puts a big emphasis on golf. The range of golf betting markets is second-to-none, with upwards of 50 betting options for some events.

bet365 has some of the best each-way place terms in the business, giving users the chance to customise extra places, with 12 places paid for some of the majors.

BoyleSports' early payout offer (when your player leads at the end of the third round) means it has to make our golf betting sites list, while Sporting Index gives you golf spread betting options, along with lots of value in the fixed-odds section of the site.

Betting Site of The Week: LiveScore Bet

A busy week of horse racing and football action awaits punters, with great odds and offers to capitalise on at the best UK betting sites.

After the drama of last week's EFL and FA Cup ties, football punters can look forward to a bumper week of Premier League action. 

Tonight, league leaders Liverpool take on high-flying Nottingham Forest, Man City are in action against Brentford, while Chelsea host Bournemouth. 

Arsenal, who were knocked out of both the EFL Cup and the FA Cup last week, will look to arrest their poor run of form when they take on Spurs in the North London Derby tomorrow. And there's plenty more Premier League action to bet on over the weekend, including Man United's game against Brighton on Sunday.

We recommend LiveScore Bet for betting on this week's sporting action. 

Look out for the 'Half Time Heroes' early payout offer, which is perfect for betting on Premier League football. Under the terms of this deal, your bet will be paid out in full if all the teams in your five-leg football acca lead at half-time, regardless of the full-time result.

LiveScore Bet also has a Bet £10 Get £30 welcome offer for new customers. The £30 free bet bonus can be used on any sport you fancy - good news if you plan to bet on any of this week's horse racing, which comes from Newcastle, Southwell and Kempton.

All major races from the UK and Ireland can be watched live on the LiveScore Bet site and app.

How we Review & Rank Betting Sites

We rank betting websites using an in-depth process, which we constantly strive to improve and perfect. Here's a step-by-step insight into how our process works:

Step 1 - Testing & Reviewing

In order to evaluate whether it is worth signing up, we need to have plenty of first-hand experience using a bookmaker.

The first step in our process is for one of our betting experts to sign up with an online bookmaker and put it under the microscope over a period of weeks, trying out all the key features before reporting their findings.

A fact-checker then reads through their report, conducts their own research, cross-references their findings and applies any edits that are needed. This ensures every review is 100% accurate and up-to-date.

Step 2 - Analysing User Reviews

As well as leaning on our own experience, we take into account the opinions of Gambling.com users.

If users consistently post negative reviews about a particular betting site, we consider it a big red flag.

For example, if we notice negative reviews about payment speeds, we’ll look to confirm whether this is a problem by attempting to deposit and withdraw funds ourselves with a range of banking methods.

Experience teaches us that the customer usually knows best. However, we advise against taking every review at face-value when evaluating sports betting sites, because occasionally someone will post a negative review which has no real substance behind it.

Step 3 - Comparing & Rating

The comprehensive data we gather is essential to our process, because it allows us to compare online betting sites.

For example, when we review new betting sites or make updates to an existing review, we always take note of the number of sports that have in-play betting markets.

Having this sort of data to hand means that we can easily compare dozens of bookmakers for a range of different factors.

Some of these factors are worth taking note of in case you're trying a site out for the first time yourself. We've explained the most important comparative factors below:

Step 4 - Regular Updates

You'll find that our reviews are regularly updated, along with our ratings.

We then update the rankings on this page to ensure those updates are reflected and that the best betting sites are highlighted above the rest. 

For this reason, we encourage readers to bookmark this page and check back at any time to see which sites top the list. 

Our Expert Review Team

Our award-winning online betting review team is made up of experienced gambling industry professionals, helping to make Gambling.com the go-to source for online betting information. 

Our experts have amassed decades of experience in online betting between them, across a variety of roles. The majority are also active bettors, so they know what punters want from a modern sports betting site.

Our dedication to delivering the most objective and comprehensive sports betting reviews was honoured with the prestigious 'Sports Betting Affiliate of the Year' award at the eGaming Review Awards in London.

Here's some more information on the professionals who test betting sites, review licensed bookmakers and update the rankings on this page with their latest findings.

How to Choose The Right Betting Site For You

When choosing a new betting site, personal preference will play a huge part in your decision.

However, there are still some standard questions you should ask yourself before registering with a new bookmaker, to avoid disappointment after you’ve signed up:

Is The Site Safe?

The nightmare scenario for any bettor is signing up to a sports betting site, entering payment details and then realising the site isn’t safe to use.

There are a lot of disreputable, unregulated betting sites online and you want to completely avoid these types of bookmakers.

As mentioned earlier in this guide, the online betting options listed here are all licensed and regulated in the UK. This page is designed to simplify the task of choosing a safe bookmaker, so use it to your advantage.

As we've covered, the key thing to check for is a UK Gambling Commission licence. If you come across a new betting site and you're not sure if it's trustworthy, search the UKGC business register to see if it has a UK licence.

Can You Bet on Your Favourite Sports?

An online bookmaker is useless if it doesn’t offer betting markets for the sports you want to bet on.

All UK betting sites have a decent range of football and horse racing markets, but if you want to bet on niche markets like politics, or indeed less popular sports, you need to ensure the right betting markets are available.

Most betting sites list all available sports and markets on the left-hand side of their homepages, so you can take a quick glance this way. 

We also cover the numbers of sports and markets available to bet on in our expert bookmaker reviews.

Are The Odds Valuable For Your Favourite Sports?

If a bookmaker consistently low-balls its customers with its prices, you’ll pay for it in the long run, as any potential profits from successful bets will be diminished.

Some betting sites offer market-leading odds for one sport, but don’t excel as much with their prices for other sports. Others might have strong in-play value but poor outright odds.

Before signing up, compare the odds across a few different sites for the sports and markets you plan to bet on.

Can You Get The Promotions You Want?

Personal preference will play a big role here - so make sure the bookie has the types of promotions you want to claim.

For instance, some members of our review team value money-back offers above all else, while others are more keen to take advantage of odds boosts. Free bets are often the main attraction for bettors.

Consider which types of offers you value most and factor this into your choice of betting site.

Is The Site Reliable & Easy to Use?

Signing up, depositing and placing bets should be straightforward.

If you can’t find your favourite betting markets easily, then you are best-off looking elsewhere, as this is usually a sign that the bookmaker isn’t user-friendly.

You also want a site that loads quickly and doesn’t crash - especially if you’re betting in-play and want to capitalise on live betting odds before they change.

Can You Use Your Preferred Payment Method?

Decide which payment method you want to use to deposit and withdraw funds and check if the betting site caters to your preference.

In the list of online bookmakers at the top of this page, beside each site, you’ll see which payment methods are available.

If you visit a site’s homepage and scroll to the bottom, the payment options will usually be listed there as well.

What Will Happen if You Have an Issue?

Even the best betting sites might throw up an issue from time-to-time. In these instances, you want to be able to get in touch with customer support to raise a query.

We cover all customer support methods and rate the overall quality of customer service in our betting site reviews.

If you’re checking out a bookmaker before signing up, you’ll usually be able to see which contact methods are available within the customer support section. Sites with 24/7 live chat are usually the best for customer service.

What Are Other Users Saying?

User reviews will tell you a lot about the quality of a betting site. Regular users can give a deep insight into a site’s pros and cons that newcomers naturally won’t have.

Experience has taught us that the customer is usually right. If reviews are overwhelmingly negative, it should be a big red flag.

What Are Industry Experts Saying About a Betting Site?

Industry experts can offer a balanced perspective, with reviews that cover all of a bookmaker's features in-depth.

The average user can’t be expected to put every single aspect of a site to the test. At Gambling.com, this is our job - to assess the pros and cons and provide an unbiased picture.

We encourage you to read our comprehensive reviews if you need more information about any betting site you’re considering signing up with.
 

Best Payment Methods to Use at Betting Sites

The best bookmakers in the UK have a range of payment options.

Below are some of the methods we recommend for depositing and withdrawing money to your online sports betting account.

Debit Cards

Debit cards are the most widely accepted payment method and can be used at all licensed sports betting websites. They offer a straightforward way to deposit funds, by simply entering your card details. 

Online bookmakers in the UK are legally prohibited from accepting credit cards, so you won't be able to deposit using a credit card if the bookie is licensed to offer its services here.

PayPal

PayPal is a globally recognised e-wallet and a convenient choice for online betting. 

It’s quick and easy to set up a PayPal account and there are dozens of online PayPal bookmakers to choose from. 

However, keep in mind that deposits made through PayPal may not qualify for certain promotions or free bet offers.

Trustly

Trustly is a secure e-wallet that facilitates smooth payments.

A key advantage to using Trustly betting sites is that you don’t need to create an account for this payment method. 

Instead, you simply enter your regular card details and select Trustly to deposit or withdraw - it works as a bridge between your bank account and the betting site you're using.

Boku

Boku is a unique payment method that also allows you to deposit funds without needing to provide card details. 

The deposit is charged directly to your phone, so transactions from Boku betting sites won't appear on your bank statement. Instead, deposit statements appear on your phone bill.

Neteller

Neteller is one of the most popular e-wallets in the UK and is frequently used for online betting.

Like other e-wallets, however, deposits made through Neteller may not always qualify for welcome offers. 

For this reason, always check the terms and conditions before depositing and betting with Neteller.

PaysafeCard

PaysafeCard doesn’t link directly to your bank account, so PaysafeCard bookmakers provide a certain degree of privacy when betting online.

You can use PaysafeCard for both deposits and withdrawals. A unique 16-digit PIN code will need to be entered when depositing or withrdawing funds.

Skrill

Skrill, formerly known as Moneybookers, is another e-wallet option worth considering. Some betting sites that accept Skrill are among the best bookmakers in the UK.

To use Skrill, you set up a separate account where you link your bank details before transferring funds to your betting account. 

Apple Pay

Many UK betting sites now accept Apple Pay, allowing users to make secure and quick deposits directly from their iPhones or other Apple devices. 

This payment method is increasingly popular for its convenience, as it eliminates the need to enter card details or share sensitive information with the betting site.

Responsible Betting Tips & Resources

At Gambling.com, we believe that responsible gambling is essential to ensure online betting remains an enjoyable pastime.

The best betting sites take this responsibility seriously, by offering tools and support to help bettors stay in control.

For most people, betting is entertainment, not a source of reliable income. To help you gamble safely and responsibly, here are some practical tips and resources to consider:

1. Stick to a Betting Budget

Always set a betting budget that aligns with your financial situation and stick to it.

Calculate how much you can afford to spend on betting weekly or monthly and avoid exceeding this limit, even during winning streaks.

2. Avoid Chasing Losses

Gambling responsibly means making decisions with your head, not your heart.

Chasing losses can lead to poor decisions and increased financial risk. Accept losses as part of sports betting and don't try to win them back, particularly by betting on markets you don't have any knowledge of.

3. Use Responsible Gambling Tools

Licensed UK betting sites offer a variety of tools to help you stay in control, including:

• Deposit Limits: Allows you to set a maximum amount of money you can deposit into your account within a specified period (e.g. daily, weekly, or monthly). Used to ensure you don't deposit more than you can afford.
• Loss Limits: Caps the total amount of money you can lose within a defined timeframe (e.g. per day or week). Keeps losses manageable by stopping any further bets once the limit is reached.
• Time-Outs: Temporarily blocks access to your account for a short period (e.g. 24 hours, 7 days, or up to six weeks). Useful as a cooling-off period if you feel your gambling is becoming too frequent.
• Self-Exclusion: Blocks access to your account for a longer, fixed period (e.g. one year, or longer). This is the tool to use if you feel you need to step away from gambling entirely.
• Reality Checks: Provides notifications summarising your activity, including time spent, money wagered and winnings/losses over a set period of time. This encourages informed betting, by giving you a clear picture of where you stand.
• Bet Limits: Sets a maximum amount for individual bets and encourages strategic online betting by keeping stakes within reasonable limits.
• Self-Assessment: Some betting websites offer a self-assessment questionnaire, which provides an opportunity to reflect and examine if you're at risk of having an issue. Advice and tools will then be recommended based on your responses.

4. Seek Support When Needed

If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, there are organisations ready to help. We recommend reaching out to these trusted resources if necessary:

BeGambleAware

Provides information to help people make informed decisions about their gambling. Offers a directory of support services and practical tools to promote safer gambling.

GamCare

Operates the National Gambling Helpline, offering free, confidential advice and support 24/7. Provides live chat, group chat rooms and face-to-face counselling. 

GAMSTOP

A free service that allows individuals to self-exclude from all online gambling companies licensed in Great Britain. 

National Gambling Helpline

Operated by GamCare, this helpline provides free, confidential advice and support for anyone affected by gambling problems. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Safer Gambling UK

Offers information and resources to promote safer gambling practices. Provides advice, helplines, and tools to help individuals stay in control.

5. Why Responsible Gambling Matters

Betting should be enjoyable and should not be a cause of stress or financial difficulty.

That’s why the bet sites featured at Gambling.com are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission and prioritise protection.

Always remember to gamble responsibly and enjoy the best of online betting. For more information, check out our dedicated responsible gambling hub.

Why we Only Highlight Licensed Betting Sites

As we've mentioned throughout this guide, the UK Gambling Commission seal of approval is a must for reputable betting companies. 

The UKGC is one of the most respected regulatory bodies in the world of online betting and there are a number of reasons why it has gained such a reputation:

• Personal Data Protection: The UKGC regulates betting sites so that they keep bettors' personal data safe. Personal data can only be obtained for the prevention of crimes such as money laundering and not for any other purpose.
• Responsible Gambling Code: In order to obtain a UK Gambling Commission licence, a bookmaker must make responsible gambling information available to customers and follow a strict code of practice.
• Gambling Licence Enforcement: If a betting site is found to have broken UKGC regulations, its parent company could be fined large sums of money or have their gambling licence revoked, meaning they won't be permitted to offer betting services in the UK.

Our Final Thoughts on UK Betting Sites

We created this guide to help you find trusted betting sites that match your preferences.

From competitive odds to valuable promotions and user-friendly platforms, we’ve reviewed and ranked the best betting sites in the UK so you can make an informed decision with confidence.

We update this list regularly, adding new bookmakers that meet our strict criteria for safety, fairness and quality. 

Above all, betting should be enjoyable. It should add excitement to your favorite sports, but it’s important to stay in control. 

With this in mind, set limits, stick to them and always remember to gamble responsibly. If you ever feel overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to seek support.

Explore the best UK betting sites in 2025 today and enjoy a safe, fun betting experience.