UK Bookmakers to Avoid in 2026
As betting sites are competing constantly for sports and casino punters in the UK, we have put together a list of bookmakers that you should stay away from in 2026.
The Importance of a Bookmakers Blacklist
The list of betting sites in the UK almost appears to be endless, and new betting sites are constantly being added to it as well. Therefore, as it can even be difficult for us to stay on top of the developments, inexperienced punters do not stand much of a chance. This is where our bookmakers blacklist comes in, hoping to provide you with a fundamental benchmark in your betting ventures.
Although some sites may offer enticing welcome offers and promotions, it is important to dig deeper and investigate the site's general practices. In our reviews, we place a great amount of focus on factors such as registration, identify verification and customer precedents. All in an attempt to gather the most comprehensive picture of a site, which can suffer from serious faults despite good offers. You can read more about how we rate betting sites here.
Our reviews are thus the foundation of the bookmakers blacklist, ensuring that the latter is both reliable and accurate.
Betting Sites to Avoid
- Rollerbet
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Too many negative real player reviews
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- RubyBet
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Too many negative reviews
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Fees for deposits and withdrawals
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- BetMorph
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Too many negative reviews
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Charges for deposits and withdrawals
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- MrRex
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Could not withdraw money
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Verification process almost impossible
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- Cocoa Casino
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Unlicensed casino
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Not safe for UK players
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- BetSteve
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Too many negative reviews
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Withdrawal issues
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- Betti Casino
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Unlicensed casino
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Not safe for UK players
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- GoldenBet
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Unlicensed operator
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Not safe for UK players
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- BetNeptune
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Fees for deposits and withdrawals
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Hard to contact support
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- Qbet Casino
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Unlicensed casino
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Not safe for UK players
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- Jokabet
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Unlicensed casino
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Not safe for UK players
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- MyStake
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Unlicensed casino
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Not safe for UK players
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- Nine Casino
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Unlicensed casino
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Not safe for UK players
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- Winissimo
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Negative real player reviews
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Fees for deposits and withdrawals
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- DaVinci's Gold
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Unlicensed casino
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Not safe for UK players
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- HeySpin
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No longer offers sports betting.
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- Alfobet
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Navigational failures
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- Ejjabet
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Too many negative reviews
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- Tangobet
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Loading issues, page failures and missing odds.
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High betting margins at 9.28% in our tests.
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Closed Betting Sites
| Operator | Year | Reason |
|---|---|---|
 | 2026 | Bet St George closed down at the start of September 2026, following an investigation into anti-money laundering and social responsibility failures by the UKGC. |
 | 2026 | Betgrouse closed down at the beginning of June, 2026, as part of the licence provider Aspire Global's exit from the UK market. |
 | 2026 | Betiton closed down at the end of February, 2026, as part of the licence provider Aspire Global's exit from the UK market. |
 | 2026 | BetTarget ceased operations as of 24 August 2026. |
 | 2026 | BresBet closed down at the start of September 2026, following an investigation into anti-money laundering and social responsibility failures by the UKGC. |
 | 2026 | Bzeebet closed at the start of 2026 as a result of Aspire Global's decision to leave the UK market, converting to an affiliate site instead. |
 | 2026 | Casino Luck closed down at the end of February, 2026, as part of the licence provider Aspire Global's exit from the UK market. |
 | 2026 | GatoBet is no longer active in the UK, having closed down in 2026. The site now redirects to another casino operator. |
 | 2026 | Gentlemen Jim closed down in the middle of May, opting to withdraw from the competitive market. |
 | 2026 | Hopa ceased operations as of August 24th 2026. |
 | 2026 | Jackie Jackpot closed down at the end of March, 2026, as part of the licence provider Aspire Global's exit from the UK market. |
 | 2026 | Karamba ceased operations as of 24 August 2026. |
 | 2026 | Ceased operating 7 September 2026. |
 | 2026 | Luckland closed down at the end of January, 2026, as part of the licence provider Aspire Global's exit from the UK market. |
 | 2026 | Luckster closed down at the beginning of June, 2026, as part of the licence provider Aspire Global's exit from the UK market. |
 | 2026 | MetGaming closed down at the end of April, 2026, as part of the licence provider Aspire Global's exit from the UK market. |
 | 2026 | Mr Mega closed down at the end of February, 2026, as part of the licence provider Aspire Global's exit from the UK market. |
 | 2026 | Mr Play closed down at the beginning of June, 2026, as part of the licence provider Aspire Global's exit from the UK market. |
 | 2026 | Neptune Play closed down at the beginning of June, 2026, as part of the licence provider Aspire Global's exit from the UK market. |
 | 2026 | No Bonus Casino closed down in September 2026, following a decision made by the parent company L&L Europe. |
 | 2026 | NRG left the UK market in April 2026. |
 | 2026 | Puntit left the UK market in February 2026, operating for just a few months with BV Gaming before deciding it wasn't working out. |
 | 2026 | Ceased operating on Friday, 4th September 2026. |
 | 2026 | Closed down on 18th August 2026. |
 | 2026 | SlotsnPlay closed down at the beginning of January, 2026, as part of the licence provider Aspire Global's exit from the UK market. |
 | 2026 | The Pools has shut down the sportsbook and casino part of the business, leaving only the jackpots. It can be considered closed, as such. |
 | 2026 | Ceased operating 4 September 2026 |
 | 2026 | Vegasland closed down at the beginning of 2026, as part of the licence provider Aspire Global's exit from the UK market. |
 | 2026 | ZetBet closed down at the beginning of June, 2026, as part of the licence provider Aspire Global's exit from the UK market. |
 | 2025 | Atlantic Spins closed down at the end of December, 2025, as part of the licence provider Aspire Global's exit from the UK market. |
 | 2025 | Betzone opted to cease operations on December 7, 2025, citing a 'competitive market' as the reason for the decision. |
 | 2025 | Fafabet closed down the site in November 2025, initially stating that a platform migration was on the cards. However, that never materialised. |
 | 2025 | Jaak Casino closed down at the end of December, 2025, as part of the licence provider Aspire Global's exit from the UK market. |
 | 2025 | Kaiser Slots closed down at the end of December, 2025, as part of the licence provider Aspire Global's exit from the UK market. |
 | 2025 | Playsunny closed down its UK-facing site at the end of 2025, so it's no longer possible to bet with the operator. |
 | 2025 | The site shut down in March 2025 as part of a strategic move, meaning it is no longer possible to sign up. |
 | 2025 | In September 2025, VBet announced the decision to leave the UK market. While the site remains live for now, it can be considered closed in terms of functionality. |
 | 2025 | Yako Casino ceased operations on September 30, 2025, as the parent company L&L Europe decided to focus on its other sites instead. |
 | 2024 | BritainBet made the decision to rebrand to Betrino in 2024, closing down the original site and launching a new one instead. |
 | 2024 | In March 2024, TonyBet announced the decision to leave the UK market. The site now focuses solely on other markets, having failed to break through in the UK. |
 | 2023 | 2kBet shut down the site and is no longer available for UK punters. |
 | 2023 | Bonus Boss closed down the site in September 2023, after the parent company surrendered its licence to the UKGC. |
 | 2023 | Cashmo closed down the site in September 2023, after the parent company surrendered its licence to the UKGC. |
 | 2023 | Cashmo closed down the site in September 2023, after the parent company surrendered its licence to the UKGC. |
 | 2023 | Dr Bet closed down the site in 2023 and is thus no longer available for UK punters. |
 | 2023 | InfernoBet closed down the site and is no longer available for UK punters. |
 | 2023 | Jammy Monkey closed down the site in September 2023, after the parent company surrendered its licence to the UKGC. |
 | 2023 | WinstonBet has closed down its site in the UK, meaning it is no longer possible to join the site. |
 | 2023 | Xtremewin ceased operations in September 2023, though that's not a great shame as we didn't recommend joining the site anyway. |
 | 2020 | Swishbet is no longer available to join for UK punters after closing down in 2020. |
Why You Should Avoid Certain Bookmakers
Unfortunately, there are far too many examples of betting sites with poor practices in the UK, with especially new sites being culprits of this. These practices can involve anything from unjustified account suspensions to withholding of winnings. Another big issue has been a lack of social responsibility, with even the top UK bookmakers allowing customers to bet way beyond their means before taking action.
In short, it is important for new customers to carry out due diligence on the site in question, even though that can sometimes be difficult. Our bookmakers blacklist will hopefully help with this and as always, you can also read our review of the site in question. Not all sites are avoid-worthy, of course, but it is always good to find out more about a site before signing up regardless.
Bookmakers We Recommend
Just as identifying poor bookmakers is not always easy, that can also be the case for finding the best ones. Fortunately for UK punters, there are indeed several good bookmakers on the market. Below, we have picked out a few operators that stand out from the rest, and which certainly are worth giving a go if you have not tried them already.
- Withdrawal Time: 60 Minutes (Our Test)
- Low Betting Margins: 5.4%
- Fantastic Betting App
- Withdrawal Time: 3 hours (Our Test)
- Lucky Dip Options
- Great Betting App
- Withdrawal Time: 15 Minutes (Our Test)
- Generous Welcome Offer
- Golden Goals With £1m Jackpot
- Withdrawal Time: Instant (Our Test)
- Comprehensive Sportsbook
- Fantastic Betting App