Ladbrokes UK Sports Review (2024)
Ladbrokes is one of the world's oldest and most respected bookmakers. It offers a wide range of betting markets, competitive odds, and decent promotions. In this review, we will discuss everything that Ladbrokes has to offer, highlighting some of the pros and cons, and hopefully guide you to making an informed decision about whether or not to sign up.
Ladbrokes offers
About Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes is one of the oldest gambling brands in the whole world, as the company's roots can be traced back to 1886 when it was set up as a commission agent for horses that were trained at the Ladbroke Hall venue, which can be found in Warwickshire.
The Ladbrokes name was adopted in the early 20th century and remains in operation to this day, although the ownership of the betting brand has been in a constant state of flux as of late. In the summer of 2015, the company pursued a merger with fellow betting brand Coral and the deal went through November 2016, with the Competition and Markets Authority giving approval to the move.
The new Ladbrokes Coral company was then acquired by GVC Holdings just over a year later. The firm paid in the region of £4 billion for Ladbrokes Coral and GVC Holdings then said it would be changing its name to Entain. However, Ladbrokes remains a trusted brand regardless of the many different changes that have been made to its overall ownership structure over the years.
In this review, we will discuss everything you need to know about Ladbrokes, from the specifics of the welcome offer to the payment methods available. This should help you make the best decision about whether to sign up or not.
Is Ladbrokes Safe?
Ladbrokes is licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission in the UK. This means that the site is safe to use for UK punters, but it is worth mentioning that the licence itself is not a guarantee for good practice.
In fact, Ladbrokes has had issues with the regulator in the past. In July 2019, the Gambling Commission announced it was fining the parent company Entain almost £6 million as a result of the betting brand's multiple failings in anti-money laundering and social responsibility.
Furthermore, in 2022, Entain was fined a whopping £14m for social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures on multiple sites including Ladbrokes. The company was also fined an additional £3m for failures at Ladbrokes shops across the country.
The key takeaway from both of these fines is that Ladbrokes has failed to protect its customers from falling into gambling addiction. This is worth taking into consideration before signing up, although one would assume the site has learned from its past mistakes.
On the plus side, Ladbrokes is registered with IBAS - the Independent Betting Adjudication Service - which means customers can escalate potential disputes with the site. And since Ladbrokes is registered with the service, the rulings are also legally binding.
On Trustpilot, Ladbrokes has accumulated a very poor rating of 1.3 out of five stars, and 75% of the 3,000+ reviews made on the site are one star. It should be noted that many betting sites have poor ratings, but it might be worth taking into consideration.
Ladbrokes Welcome Offer
Welcome offers have become very important, with many betting sites competing for bettors, and Ladbrokes has done its part in trying to entice new customers.
New customers at Ladbrokes will be able to claim free bets to a value of £20, provided that they stake a £5 bet (or cumulative stakes) at a minimum odds of 1/2 (1.5). The free bets, divided into four £5 bets, will be credited to the account once the qualifying bet has been placed.
There are no wagering requirements for potential winnings of the free bets, and the stakes will not be returned. However, it is worth pointing out that the free bets must be placed on four different sportsbook markets. Although it is not the biggest welcome offer available, it is certainly one of the best and many bettors are probably willing to sign up just to make use of it.
There is a deposit £10 get £30 welcome offer for the casino section, but the 40x wagering is high compared to other no wagering casino bonuses that offer much better value.
Ladbrokes Promotions
There is a decent amount of promotions that new and existing Ladbrokes customers will be able to take advantage of. It comes as no surprise, given the UK market, that football and horse racing dominate this section.
Football fans will be happy to find out that Ladbrokes has placed a great deal of focus on its acca promotion. Not only is there a boost on the initial odds, which will vary, but bettors can also edit their accas in-play if one or more of the selections are bound to lose. Furthermore, if one selection in an acca with 5+ selections loses out, a £10 free bet will be credited.
For the latter, only a few markets are eligible, but the classic markets for accas such as match result and both teams to score are among them. While the acca promotion may not be that unique, Ladbrokes also offers a 5-A-Side game. Bettors who try their luck with this can pick five players, based on selected top European football games, to earn as many points as possible and get the chance to claim rewards like cash and free bets.
Horse racing enthusiasts will be able to rely on best odds guaranteed. If a bet is made on the day of the event - either for UK or Irish Horse Racing - and the starting price ends up being higher, Ladbrokes will guarantee the best odds. Of course, this only applies if the bet is a successful one, but it is certainly a nice promotion that many prominent UK bookmakers offer today.
For the casino section, customers can get free bets by playing blackjack at the live casino, while every Saturday night there is a Trivia Showdown where users answer questions for the chance to win up to £500. Daily drops are also available here too, and some customers will be keen to visit the site during the happy hour period known as Mega Mode, when up to 20 free spins are dished out.
Ladbrokes Deposit
Customers at Ladbrokes are able to choose from a comprehensive list of payment methods. Debit cards are available, as you would expect, but many will probably use one of the e-wallets for greater convenience. PayPal is one example, though others might be just fine using Apple Pay or Google Pay to deposit.
Ladbrokes does not offer deposits via bank transfer in the traditional sense, but only via the service Instant Bank Transfer. As the name suggests, this method is much faster and this also applies to withdrawals, which we will come to. Below are all the payment methods for deposits:
| Payment Method | Min. Limit | Max. Limit | Transaction Fee | Processing Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Visa
| £5 | £2,000 | No fee | Instant |
Mastercard
| £5 | £2,000 | No Fee | Instant |
Paysafecard
| £5 | £2,000 | No fee | Instant |
Paypal
| £10 | £2,000 | No fee | Instant |
Apple Pay
| £5 | £2,000 | No fee | Instant |
Google Pay
| £5 | £2,000 | No fee | Instant |
Instant Bank Transfer
| £5 | £2,000 | No fee | Instant |
As stated on the Ladbrokes website, deposits are capped at £2,000 at a time regardless of the payment method.
How to Deposit at Ladbrokes
- Tap on the account icon in the top-right corner of the screen
- Select 'Deposit' in the drop-down menu
- Choose your preferred payment method and enter the amount
- Enter the relevant payment method details and complete the process
Ladbrokes Withdrawal
As with the deposit, customers at Ladbrokes have many options for withdrawals, although it should be noted that these must be made using the same method as the deposit. For example, if you deposited £20 with a MasterCard, you will have to withdraw at least £20 to that method before you can switch.
Traditional bank transfer is available for withdrawals, unlike deposits, but customers will likely be more encouraged to use the Instant Bank Transfer instead. The payouts are instant with this method, arriving within just a few minutes, making it the fastest withdrawal option available on Ladbrokes. Below is everything you need to know about the different withdrawal methods.
| Payment Method | Min. Limit | Max. Limit | Transaction Fee | Processing Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Visa
| £5 | Not specified | No fee | 1-3 business days* (*Up to 4 hours with Visa Direct) |
|
Mastercard
| £5 | Not specified | No fee | 1-3 business days |
|
Apple Pay
| £5 | Not specified | No fee | 1-3 business days |
Bank Transfer
| £5 | Not specified | No fee | 2-4 business days |
|
Instant Bank Transfer
| £5 | Not specified | No fee | Within minutes |
How to Withdraw From Ladbrokes
- Tap on the account icon in the top-right corner of the screen
- Select 'Withdraw' in the drop-down menu
- Choose your preferred payment method and enter the amount
- Enter payment method details if needed, and then tap on 'Withdraw'
How to Verify an Account at Ladbrokes
In order to deposit funds into a Ladbrokes account, customers will have to confirm their identity and will be prompted to do so after completing the registration. Unlike other UK bookmakers, Ladbrokes does not require proof of address and customers thus only need to upload proof of ID, which can be done with the following: passport, ID card or driving licence (must include full name, date of birth, place of birth, and photograph).
Once the document has been confirmed by the Ladbrokes, then the customer in question will be able to start betting. The site may ask for additional documents down the line, which is worth keeping in mind. Always comply with the verification process, especially if you have winnings in your account, as failure to do so could result in a suspension.
Ladbrokes Sportsbook
Although Ladbrokes offers everything from slots and live casino games to poker and bingo, most folk who sign up for an account will probably do so to bet on sports like football. Users get access to a huge range of sports to bet on and some of the more prominent ones include:
- Football
- Horse racing
- Tennis
- Cricket
- Golf
Football betting fans will be thrilled with the range of markets offered at the Ladbrokes, featured in our top ten list for football betting. Most big games have more than 200 bets to pick from and high-profile matches such as those in the Premier League often have some odds boosts too. Furthermore, there is a bet builder available and there are many markets for it as well. Not all of them are eligible for cash out, though, which is worth noting.
Other major sports include horse racing, golf and cricket, with Ladbrokes named in our top ten list for the sport of kings. Customers can also bet on the outcome of UK/US politics, as well as find odds for TV shows. These so-called special markets, along with top Esports which are also offered on Ladbrokes, have become increasingly important for betting sites to stand out compared to competitors.
Those who are into betting on minor sports, such as chess, handball and pool, will not have a problem at Ladbrokes with around 40 sports available in total. As for the odds, Ladbrokes are known for being good in general and customers can also take advantage of boosted odds, with different markets boosted on a regular basis.
As for the betting margins, which you can read more about here, Ladbrokes boasts around 6% on average in our independent tests. Of course, we only test a small sample to give you an idea of the margins, but they are among the best bookmakers on the market. All of this means Ladbrokes has one of the best online sports betting sites in the UK right now.
The Ladbrokes mobile site has a basic but nice design which makes for easy navigation. There are some highlighted events on the home page, mainly from football and horse racing, but customers can easily filter the results by sport as well as in-play events. Even though it might not be the flashiest design around, therefore, bettors have everything they need - including speed.
| Football Markets (Premier League Game) | 200 |
|---|---|
| Betting Margins (Average) | 6.34% |
| Horse Racing Coverage (Countries) | UK & Ireland + International |
Ladbrokes and Live Streaming
Live streaming is available on selected events at Ladbrokes. With live sports streaming being required by a lot of sports fans in the UK these days, this is an important aspect. A 'Watch Live' section, inside the 'In-Play' tab, shows all of the events available with a decent offering for football, horse racing, snooker and more. Ladbrokes was even named as one of the top 2 betting sites for snooker in our test.
Ladbrokes Casino
Most top sportsbooks in the UK these days also have an online casino site and Ladbrokes is no different. In fact, customers have access to a massive range of casino games to try out. As with most top UK online casinos, slots games make up a majority of the casino on Ladbrokes but there are also classic card games such as Blackjack and Poker.
One of the main features, however, is the Ladbrokes Live Casino. Customers can find a huge choice of tables to join here, including a range of exclusives that are not available at any of the other online casinos in the UK right now. Classics like roulette, blackjack and baccarat are all available, while customers can try their luck at live dealer games such as Fan Tan, Lightning Dice and Crazy Time as well.
Unfortunately, the lack of VIP rewards at Ladbrokes is evident. Most UK customers have gotten used to earning rewards points for playing casino games, with these points able to be traded in for cash or a range of top prizes. However, with no VIP program in place at the Ladbrokes site as yet, some players may feel as if there are not enough reasons to return to this particular online casino regularly.
As for the design on the mobile version, it is nice in theory with many games being displayed in boxes on the homepage, based on categories as well. However, even with a fast internet connection, the game logos are slow to load which makes for a rather frustrating user experience. Furthermore, there is no search feature on the mobile version, although the categories will suffice for most.
Ladbrokes Bingo
Bingo might not be the first thing people think of when they hear the name Ladbrokes, but the company has carved out a reputation as one of the country's most solid online bingo brands. Customers can win thousands of pounds in the biggest cash rooms, but those who only have a modest budget for their favourite game can buy tickets for just a penny too.
Everything from standard variants such as 90-ball bingo and 75-ball bingo to the speedier 30-ball bingo is offered, while special features such as Everyone's a Winner - where all players earn a share of the prize pool - keep things entertaining. Furthermore, Bingo Chat hosts are in place to ensure the friendly banter keeps on flowing.
While the platform used to run on the Playtech software, Ladbrokes Bingo is now powered by Electraworks. Regardless of the change, Playtech games are still offered at Ladbrokes Bingo.
The welcome offer at Ladbrokes Bingo is a £25 bonus, which will be credited to the customer's account as soon as £5 or more has been spent on bingo games. The wagering requirements are two times the bonus amount, i.e. £50, which is not a fantastic offer but still decent.
Ladbrokes Poker
Poker players might often opt for a specialist site, but Ladbrokes has given them another choice, with a site that was powered by Microgaming when it was launched back in 2013.
Ladbrokes offers a new poker download client that players can get on their computers to play. Features of the Ladbrokes download client include automated weekly cashback, while there is also the chance to enjoy completely re-designed tables and a fresh lobby layout here as well.
Texas Hold’em is the default setting for online poker at Ladbrokes, but alternatives such as Omaha and Stud are also offered as well. A range of tournaments and cash tables are offered so poker players who join Ladbrokes can look forward to a large amount of choices on the site.
Poker promotions that are up for grabs for UK players at Ladbrokes include the chance to enter a daily freeroll event that has a $1,200 pot available. Sit-and-go daily leaderboards are also available at the Ladbrokes poker site, encouraging all their users to make repeat visits to play.
There is something for everyone at the Ladbrokes poker site - which now runs on iPoker software - ensuring it is a very strong option for anyone who wants to play.
Ladbrokes Mobile App
Mobile apps have become very important for betting sites, despite the increased functionality of responsive websites, and countless people have already downloaded the Ladbrokes mobile app onto their devices. In addition to the comprehensive sportsbook, live streaming of sports such as football and horse racing, which is nice.
The app is available for iOS and Android, boasting ratings of 3.1 and 4.1 out of five stars on the App Store and the Google Play Store respectively. This is certainly not bad compared to other top UK betting apps, although some have complained about the loading times on the app. Developers are constantly updating the app, though, so this might not be a big issue after all.
As for the design and navigation of the app, it is more or less the same as the mobile website. This should probably be considered as a perk, though, since customers who only have used the website before will be familiar with the design. It can be downloaded by heading over to your app store and searching for 'Ladbrokes'. You should then be able to find the classic red and white logo.
Ladbrokes Customer Support
A good customer support team is one of the factors that separates the good from the bad betting sites. And with Ladbrokes being one of the biggest sites in the UK, they are well aware of this.
Several different contact options are available on Ladbrokes, with traditional methods such as email and phone number appealing to some customers. A majority, however, will be using the live chat function which is available 24/7. In addition to that, customers can also contact Ladbrokes on social media.
However, one problem is that customers on the mobile website and app might find it difficult to access customer support. It is not simple to find the live chat option and Ladbrokes prefers to direct its customers to its detailed FAQ instead, which can be rather frustrating.
You can take a look at the table below to find all the necessary details about the customer support options at Ladbrokes.
| Chat | Yes |
|---|---|
| care@ladbrokes.com | |
| Phone | 0800 731 6191 |
| Opening hours | 7 Days a week, 24/7 |
Ladbrokes Responsible Gambling
Given the past failures of Ladbrokes to assume social responsibility, as we discussed under the section 'Is Ladbrokes Safe?', potential new customers will be wondering if the betting brand has improved its practices. In addition to a responsible gambling banner in the promotions section - at the very top of the site - there are some useful tools available:
- Deposit limit (Daily, weekly, monthly)
- Maximum stake limit
- Time management pop-up
- Self-exclusion
- Gamstop
Although these tools are all very useful, it is important to remember that the bettors themselves ultimately have to enforce them. It is also difficult to say, therefore, if Ladbrokes has improved on this front or if the brand is just following the minimum requirements.
Setting deposit limits upon registration is a great way to get started, and will force customers to reflect on their betting habits. Adhering to these throughout the betting venture will most likely result in more responsible spending.
How to Sign Up at Ladbrokes
If you want to sign up at Ladbrokes, you can follow our step-by-step guide on how to do so below:
Step 1: Head over to Ladbrokes.com and tap on 'Join'
You will be able to find the 'Join' button in the top-right corner, and tapping on it will bring you to the registration.
Step 2: Enter your account details
In the first step of the registration, you will be asked to enter your preferred email address and password. You will also choose your country of residence and currency. Tap on 'Continue' when done.
Step 3: Enter your personal details
In the second step of the registration, you will be asked to enter your full name and date of birth. Tap on 'Continue' when done.
Step 4: Complete the registration
In the final step of the registration, you will be asked to fill in your telephone number and home address. You will also have the option to opt in or out of market messages.
Once the above has been filled in, you can tap on 'Create my account' to complete the registration.
Step 5: Comply with the verification process and start betting
Ladbrokes might ask you to provide additional information to confirm your identity before you can start betting. It is important to comply with this process as failing to do so could result in an account suspension.
Overall Score
| Bonus | 9 |
|---|---|
| Sportsbook | 9 |
| Casino | 9 |
| Customer Support | 9 |
| Payment | 9 |
| Licensing Safety | 8 |
| Design and Usability | 9 |
| Overall | 9 |
Ladbrokes is one of the oldest betting sites in the industry and it shows. The welcome offer is very beneficial, the promotions are plenty and the sportsbook is certainly comprehensive. Not to mention that the casino sections have been significantly improved in recent years, resulting in a great product overall for new and existing customers.
Bettors who are thinking about signing up will most likely not be disappointed, even if just to claim the welcome offer, and we thus recommend Ladbrokes to our readers.
Ladbrokes FAQs
Who owns Ladbrokes?
How long does Ladbrokes withdrawal take?
How to delete a Ladbrokes account?
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How to get a free bet on Ladbrokes?
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