Best Live Betting & In-play Betting Sites

Best Live Betting Sites

The best betting sites offer a wide range of choices for both live and pre-game betting. In-play or live betting is simply placing a bet on an event once it starts up to its conclusion. Pre-game is simply betting on an event before it starts and there are a few notable differences when betting in-play.

Odds can change rapidly depending on what is occurring during the event. If a football team scores or a tennis player wins a set, odds will change dramatically to reflect this. Also, betting will temporarily be suspended until the odds update.

Markets can also be individually suspended depending on what is happening in the event. Say a player receives a card, you will see the card markets suspend and odds update.

On some sites, you can find “Fast Markets” in which you can bet on say, the next point winner in tennis. Or a team to score in the next 5 minutes.

When placing a bet you will have a processing time that could stop your bet if the odds change during that time. Say you are placing a bet but a team scores, the odds will change and your bet will not go through. You can then place the bet with new odds or find a different bet.

How Do We Pick the Best Live Betting Sites?

Betting sites are constantly improving their in-play designs and features to draw in more customers. But, we believe there are several key factors that bookies must have to be the best.

Live Streaming

In the UK it's getting harder to watch live sports each year. With big companies like BT, Sky and now even Amazon bidding for rights to the Premier League you would need to spend hundreds of pounds a month on subscriptions.

Betting sites can’t do a lot for the English football issue, but in other leagues, you can stream football live on many different betting sites for free.

You can watch a range of free live streams covering plenty of different sports ranging from tennis, baseball, basketball and many more.

For us here at BettingLounge, we believe live streaming or at least watching the event live is very important for betting. It is one of the main advantages of pre-game betting. You can see exactly how a player/team is performing and make an informed decision when browsing for a good value bet.

Also, betting should never be seen as a good way to make money, because let's face it, it isn't. Very few people make money while betting, but, it is a great tool for enhancing sports, especially when watching live.

Sports/Events

Firstly, the best live betting sites need to offer all the events or sports you want to bet on. Almost all bookies will have the major sporting events and the live betting sites in our top list will have 20+ sports for you to choose from.

Depending on the sports you are interested in check out our horse racing, football or tennis pages for the best betting sites in these sports.

If you want to choose a site that isn’t on our list, we recommend checking out their in-play section before you sign up. During a major sporting event (World Cup) you will see plenty of live betting options, but, it is best to decide this to get a "real" look.

Markets

You are likely to find more markets for pre-game betting than in-play. This is mostly due to how hard it is for the betting sites to keep up with all the different markets and change odds during an event. But, you can still find a great range of markets in play and sometimes a lot better value.

Say a favourite goes behind early on, the odds for them to come back and win are a lot better than their pre-game odds.

In football, you can also find decent in-play bets with great value in their more obscure markets. Often their Asian Handicap odds are very decent or even their "Fast Markets".

In the fast markets, you can find great value in even the smallest decisions in a game. Say a team is very wide and piling on the pressure, you could bet on a corner in the next 1 or 5 minutes for some pretty tasty odds.

You can also find a “Your Odds” type feature like the one at William Hill. This is a service in which you tweet the betting site with your bet and they can give you odds for it.

Say both teams to score and each team over 4 corners at 6/1 in the England vs Croatia game. You can bet pre-game and in-play in this market. In our list, all the live betting sites will have a wide range of markets to choose from, including fast markets and other unique features.

Value

It is important to get the best value for your money. You can make sure of this by comparing odds, making sure there is a cash-out option and taking advantage of their promotions.

Comparing odds - You can do this by simply checking similar markets. For example, if you are betting on over 2.5 goals, check both the standard and the Asian markets to see which has better value.

The same applies to cards, corners and other similar markets. Always compare odds and look for the best value bet.

Cash-out - Firstly, check out our Cash Out Guide if you are unsure of this feature. In our list, all the sites have cash out features, and for good reason.

You can quickly cash out for a profit if your bet is winning but feel it could go wrong at any minute. This is also why it’s important to have access to a live stream.

Promotions - During a major sporting event, you will find an abundance of promotions to get the best value for your money.

For example, Betfair claims to have the highest odds on several football leagues including the Premier League,

Two or more betting sites - To truly make the most of your money, it is best to use more than two different betting sites.

You can use your favourite for most of the bets, but, other sites will often compete with potentially better odds, features, and promotions for you to choose from.

You can find the best promotions and unique features in the latest betting sites in the UK. This is mostly because the new betting sites need to offer something different to attract new customers.

Live Betting Sites Stats

Almost all live betting sites offer basic stats during a live event. For example, in football, you will see the score, possession percentage, corners, free kicks, throw-ins and a lot more.

If you are unable to watch the game live, these stats are all you can use to understand what’s happening in the game. Crucial when you are picking a bet.

The best betting sites will offer live score updates & stats that you can use for both pre-game and in-play betting. These stats can include the players/teams form, table position, goals scored and so much more. Again, this is crucial when deciding on a bet. If you want further help, check out our betting guides!

Mobile Platforms

According to the UK Gambling Commission, 51% of people now use betting apps on their phones or tablets, with a vast majority of those using their devices to bet in-play. All the best apps and mobile sites are designed to make betting in-play easy, fast and fun.

Again, most of the promotions and features are aimed at the live betting market. Like the cash-out, live streaming and fast markets all being accessible on your devices.