coral logo

Coral UK Review - Is It Safe or a Scam? (2024)

UKGC Licence Number (54743) 54743

Coral, one of the UK’s largest bookmakers, has been in operation since 1926 and provides various gambling products such as sports betting and casino games. In this review, we will take a closer look at everything that Coral has to offer, highlighting some of the pros and cons so that you can make an informed decision about whether to sign up or not.

18+ New UK & ROI Customers only. Min deposit £5. Min first £5 bet at minimum odds 1/2 to qualify for 1x 20 free bet. Certain deposit methods and bet types excl. Free bet valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply.
Isak Möller
Reviewed by Isak Möller
Last updated: 04/12/2024
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We are partners with bookmakers, but we will never accept money to adjust the reviews or purposely write positive content. We are committed to providing our readers with honest and impartial information so they can make informed decisions about their betting activities.

Coral Welcome Offers

Swipe to see all 2 offers
Betting

Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets

Turnover No wagering
Max. Amount £40
Min. Deposit £10
Expiration 7 days
18+ New UK+ROI Customers only. Min deposit & bet £10 at min odds 1/2 to qualify for 4 x £10 free bets. Certain deposit methods and bet types excl. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply.
No code required
Claim Offer
Casino

Play £10 Get £50 Casino Bonus

Turnover 40x
Max. Amount £50
Min. Deposit £10
Expiration 30 Days
18+. New customers only. Min spend £10 on qualifying games. Certain deposit types excluded. £50 Bonus on selected games subject to 40x wager req. Must accept within 14 days, valid for 30 days. Player restrictions and T&Cs apply.
No code required
Claim Offer

Coral Overall Score

Bonus 9
Sportsbook 9
Casino 8
Customer Support 9
Payment 8
Licensing Safety 9
Design and Usability 8
Overall 9
Isak Möller
Reviewed by Isak Möller

Coral has become a very popular sportsbook among punters and one can certainly understand why, with a great range of sports and markets as well as low betting margins. On top of that, there is a generous welcome offer up for grabs along with some nice promotions.

Live streaming is offered for many sports events and all of the key features can be accessed through the app as well, making for a convenient on-the-go betting product. The casino section, albeit perhaps not as developed, is certainly sufficient and this makes Coral a very good all-round solution for UK punters.

Key Information About Coral

⚽ Football Coverage (PL game) 200+ markets
🏇 Horse Racing Coverage UK & Ireland + International
📊 Betting Margins (Average) 5.84%
👷 Bet Builder
📱 Mobile App
💰 Minimum Deposit £5
⏱️ Fastest Withdrawal Method Visa (60 minutes in our test)

About Coral

Coral is one of the UK's oldest betting brands, with its history going back almost 100 years. It was founded by a man named Joe Coral all the way back in 1926 and it still trades under his name to this day, running in the region of 2,000 betting shops in the UK, as well as its website.

Starting out with betting pitches at racecourses, Coral then moved into speedway betting and also ran greyhound racing pitches before creating his first licensed betting office in 1961. A merger with Mark Lane in 1971 helped to boost Coral's expansion and, in the 1970s, the Coral Leisure Group moved into a range of other big departments, including bingo.

Coral has since been the subject of various ownership changes, including the purchase by Ladbrokes in 2016 as the merger passed, following the sale of hundreds of their betting shops. GVC Holdings then moved to purchase the new company in March 2018, a deal that was reported to be worth around £4 billion in total. GVC has since rebranded as Entain and its ownership means Coral has several sister sites.

In this review, we will take a closer look at everything that Coral has to offer, from its betting markets to its customer service. We will also highlight some of the pros and cons of using Coral so that you can make an informed decision about whether it is the right gambling site for you.

Is Coral Safe?

Coral is regarded as a trusted betting brand in the UK. The site is licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission in the UK, meaning the site adheres to a certain set of standards and rules.

Furthermore, the games on the Coral site have been "rigorously tested and certified as fair and random by an independent test house" to ensure that they provide 100% fairness to the betting brand's customers.

However, it should also be noted that Entain - the company that owns both Coral and Ladbrokes - has been fined on a couple of occasions by the Gambling Commission. The most recent one, back in 2022, involved a whopping £17m fine due to anti-money laundering and social responsibility failures.

Coral Welcome Offer

Unlike its sister site, i.e. Ladbrokes, Coral offers new customers who sign up on the site a bet £10 get £40 deal. Considering that the stake is so low, and that it gets fourfolded, we think this is one of the best welcome offers on the market. So what are the terms and conditions that you need to fulfil? Well, it is actually very simple.

New customers at Coral just need to place a £10+ bet as their first one, within 14 days of registration, at a minimum odds of 1/2 (1.50). The free bets will then be credited as 4x£10 after the qualifying bet has been placed. These can be used on any sport but some markets are excluded, such as multiple bets.

It is important to note that the free bets will expire after 7 days and of course, the stake will not be returned with potential winnings. Nevertheless, we think the Coral offer is a really good one and it is certainly a reason to sign up on the site. Even if just to claim the welcome offer and then leave.

OperatorWelcome OfferBonus CodeClaim Offer
coral logo
Coral Betting offer
Welcome Offer
Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets
No code required
Claim Offer
18+ New UK+ROI Customers only. Min deposit & bet £10 at min odds 1/2 to qualify for 4 x £10 free bets. Certain deposit methods and bet types excl. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply.
coral logo
Coral Casino offer
Welcome Offer
Play £10 Get £50 Casino Bonus
No code required
Claim Offer
18+. New customers only. Min spend £10 on qualifying games. Certain deposit types excluded. £50 Bonus on selected games subject to 40x wager req. Must accept within 14 days, valid for 30 days. Player restrictions and T&Cs apply.

Coral Promotions

Since Coral is such a well-established site, it comes as no surprise that the promotions section is rather comprehensive. There is something for almost every punter, although there is a clear focus on football and horse racing. These are the two most popular sports to bet on in the UK, so it certainly makes sense. Of course, it should not be forgotten that the welcome offer can be used for any sport.

In any case, horse racing enthusiasts will likely be very happy with the promotions at Coral as best odds guaranteed, extra places every week and Tote Placepot is in place. The extra places are a very nice touch and it must be said that Coral is generous with this as well. Similarly to the latter, odds boosts are also regularly offered for most sports, including Snooker for which Coral is our bookmaker champion.

Coral Promotion FootbalL Super Series

Football fans can take part in the free-to-enter game Football Super Series, with £100 cash up for grabs. Players need to answer four questions about an upcoming game, such as who will win the game or how many corners will there be. It can thus be a rather tough one but the fact that there is no stake makes this a fun game. It should be noted that players can enter the game just once per week.

Coral also offers a free-to-enter game for horse racing, called Racing Super Series, and here players just need to pick one race to place in seven selected races. There is a £25,000 jackpot up for grabs and although the payouts can sometimes be low, it is certainly a fun game for sport of kings enthusiasts to try. This, in addition to other sportsbook factors, is why Coral is among the top ten horse racing bookmakers in our opinion.

Coral Deposit Methods

The number of payment methods has become increasingly important for betting sites in recent years, with customers looking for flexibility and above all to use e-wallets. There are some really good sites for that method but as far as Coral goes, improvement could be made on that front.

As per the information on the website, the popular PayPal and the pre-paid solution Paysafecard are available for those who do not want to use a debit card, or even Apple Pay which has grown in popularity. The likes of Neteller and Skrill are listed on the site, but not in the UK section and they are thus most likely not available.

Below is all the information you need about the payment methods at Coral:

Payment Method Min. Limit Max. Limit Transaction Fee Processing Time
Visa logo
Visa
£5 £2,000 No Fees Instant
Mastercard
Mastercard
£5 £2,000 No Fees Instant
Paysafecard
Paysafecard
£5 £2,000 No Fees Instant
Paypal
Paypal
£10 £2,000 No fee Instant
Apple Pay logo
Apple Pay
£5 £2,000 No Fees Instant
Google Pay
Google Pay
£5 £2,000 No Fees Instant
Instant Bank Transfer
Instant Bank Transfer
£5 £2,000 No Fees Instant

How to Deposit on Coral

Below, we have put together a step-by-step guide for depositing funds on Coral:

  • 1

    Enter the ‘Deposit’ Cashier

    After opening the app and signing into your Coral account, to deposit, you need to head to the ‘Profile’ section, which can be found by tapping on the icon in the top right-hand corner of your screen. You will be given two standout options, to ‘Deposit’ or to ‘Withdraw’, in this case, we want to click ‘Deposit’.

    Coral Deposit 1
  • 2

    Choose Your Preferred Deposit Method

    Next, you will be given a range of different methods that can be used to deposit funds. In our test, we chose to use a Visa debit card. In the future, you will be shown your ‘Preferred methods’, so you do not have to repeat the next step when depositing in the future.

    Coral deposit 2
  • 3

    Provide the Payment Method Details

    When using a new method or depositing for the first time, you will have to enter your details, but this is a very easy process.

    Coral deposit 3
  • 4

    Enter Your Deposit Amount

    After entering your details, you will be taken to the ‘Deposit’ screen. There will be pre-available options/recommendations for your amount, but we chose to deposit the minimum amount of £5.

    Coral deposit 4
  • 5

    Tap on the Green ‘Deposit’ Button

    Once you have entered your deposit amount, tap on the green ‘Deposit’ button, and you will be taken to a confirmation page. Deposits at Coral are instant, regardless of the payment method used.

    coral deposit 5

Coral Withdrawal Methods

The list of withdrawal methods at Coral is fairly comprehensive, though customers will not be able to find any e-wallet options, which is a rather big disadvantage. Not even PayPal, which is one of the deposit methods, can be used to withdraw funds and that is a bit strange.

Fortunately, punters who like sites with fast withdrawals will not be disappointed at Coral either, with Instant Banking available. With this method, customers can have the money in their bank account within just minutes! More and more sites are offering this and it is bound to become the most popular withdrawal method.

Below is everything you need to know about the withdrawal methods available at Coral:

Payment Method Min. Limit Max. Limit Transaction Fee Processing Time
Visa logo
Visa
£5 Not specified No Fees 60 minutes in our test
Mastercard
Mastercard
£5 Not specified No Fees 1-3 business days
Apple Pay logo
Apple Pay
£5 Not specified No Fees 1-3 business days
Bank transfer
Bank Transfer
£5 Not specified No Fees 2-4 business days
Instant Bank Transfer
Instant Bank Transfer
£5 Not specified No Fees Within minutes

How to Withdraw from Coral

If you are new to withdrawing funds from a Coral betting account, you can follow our step-by-step guide below:

  • 1

    Enter the ‘Withdraw’ Cashier

    When you would like to withdraw funds, you will need to head to the ‘Profile’ section, which can be found by clicking the icon in the top right-hand corner of your screen. You will be given two standout options, to ‘Deposit’ or to ‘Withdraw’, in this case, we want to ‘Withdraw’.

    Coral Deposit 1
  • 2

    Choose Your Withdrawal Method

    Similarly to the ‘Deposit’ process, you will be offered several methods to withdraw your funds. Having said that, you can also use the ‘Preferred Method’ option which is much faster if you want to use an already saved method. In our test, we withdrew with a Visa debit card.

    Coral withdrawal 2
  • 3

    Enter the Amount to Withdraw

    Next, you will need to enter the amount you would like to withdraw. The minimum amount is £5 for all payment methods and we opted for this amount in our test.

    Coral withdraw 3
  • 4

    Tap On the Green ‘Withdraw’ Button

    After entering the withdrawal amount, tap on the green ‘Withdraw’ button, and you will be taken to a confirmation page. There is a suggestion about how long the process will take, and whilst it says four hours, we received the payment in less than an hour in our test!

    Coral withdraw 4

How to Verify an Account at Coral

Coral has a KYC (Know Your Customer) process in place to verify the identity of its customers, meaning certain information has to be provided for a punter to register on the site. Usually, Coral will be able to verify the identity of the customer by using the information provided in the registration form.

However, at times, Coral will ask customers to provide additional information such as:

  • Proof of ID: Photo of Passport, Driver's license or national identity card.
  • Proof of Address: Utility bill or a bank statement

It is important to comply with this process, should Coral ask you for additional information, as failing to do so could result in an account suspension. Customers can upload these documents via the 'Document Uploader' at Coral, which can be found in the 'My Account' section.

Coral Sportsbook

Coral's sportsbook is more about substance than style, with a mediocre design made up for by a fantastic selection of sports and a great depth of markets. While football is the top sport to bet on, those who join Coral can also bet on everything from bowls and chess to hurling and handball, meaning the site is truly an all-round betting solution. Some of the sports include:

  • Football
  • Horse racing
  • Tennis
  • Snooker
  • NFL
  • And more

Taking a Premier League game as an example to investigate the markets, Coral usually offers around 200 markets for a game, which is certainly decent although some sites do offer more. The essentials markets and a bit more on top are there, though, and the bet builder feature is nice for punters who want to build their own market. Coral Cash Out is also offered for most of the markets.

As for the betting margins, our tests showed a very low average of 5.84%, which is great compared to some of the competitors. Betting margins is something that most punters tend to overlook, unfortunately, but those joining Voral can feel comfortable that the price offered is usually a good one.

Coral Sportsbook

In addition to the comprehensive coverage of sports, with live streaming offered for many events, there are also many special markets for political events and television shows at Coral. Placing bets on Esports has grown in popularity at a rapid rate as well, with Coral offering its users the chance to bet on games including Dota 2 and CS:GO. Having said that, some competitors such as Betway have a more comprehensive Esports offering.

Virtual sports can be found within the sportsbook section of the Coral site as well. The choice of virtual dogs, virtual football, virtual basketball or virtual racing is the same as people can find at Ladbrokes, with the two sister betting brands sharing the same virtual sports betting platform.

Coral Live Streaming

Live streaming is one of the main areas of strength at Coral. Customers can tune into horse racing from around the world, as well as UK meetings, while there is plenty of football to watch too. At the time of writing, Coral was showing top cup action from both Italy and Spain, while tennis, snooker and ice hockey are among the many other sports that are often available too.

Coral Casino

While Coral is one of our top 10 expert picks for sports betting, people might be more unsure about choosing this historic gambling brand to play online casino games such as slots or poker. Anyone who has been to the Ladbrokes casino site will feel at home if they go to Coral, with the two sites sharing the same casino offering.

Slots tournaments are one of the things that help the Coral casino stand out when compared to a lot of the other top online casinos in the UK. Players can join slots tournaments at Coral from 14:00 daily and there are strong prizes up for grabs for those who finish at the top of the tree.

Live Casino games are becoming very popular among players, with Coral making sure it has a very good offering in this department. Coral launched the live casino area a few years ago and it has gone from strength to strength. Old-school casino classics like baccarat and blackjack sit side by side with more modern games such as Monopoly Live, Crazy Time and Cash or Crash Live in this part of the Coral casino site.

Coral Casino

Promotions are what draw a lot of people in the UK to the best online casinos, of course, with Coral working to appeal to both new players and to keep existing customers coming back for more. We have teamed up with Coral to provide a deposit £10 get £50 welcome offer, with wagering requirements at 40x, while existing customers can try their luck on the free-to-play Rewards Grabber once a day.

Jackpot games are always popular at online casinos and this will be the case at Coral too. At the time of producing this complete Coral casino review, the site had a £1m+ million top prize up for grabs. There are also many games with smaller jackpots, making for a great selection in that sense.

Coral also has dedicated sections for Bingo and Poker, with players having to download a client program for the latter. Overall, just like with the sportsbook, Coral has made sure to cover all bases and while no casino section shines, the all-round approach should not be underestimated.

Coral Mobile App

Most of the top betting brands in the UK have a range of mobile betting options. Coral, like its rivals in the industry, has a solid mobile site as well as mobile betting apps for both iOS and Android. It boasts ratings of 3 and 4.1 out of five stars on the App Store and Google Play Store respectively, which is indeed decent.

Punters should note that there are two separate apps, one for the sportsbook and one for the casino section. As for the former, it is very similar to the mobile website and those making the switch to the app will thus have no issues. And all of the features that are available on the mobile website, such as live streaming, are available here as well.

Coral Mobile App

Overall, the Coral app offers a pleasant experience and an easy-to-use design, though some could argue that it could use some updating. Most of the apps provided by the UK bookmakers, in fact, are rather dull but the important thing is that the core features work well.

Most punters now only use the app to place bets and this means that brands such as Coral have to place a great amount of focus on the platform. If there are any quirks, therefore, it is likely that they will be fixed in the near future. Not to mention new features being added all the time.

Coral Responsible Gambling

It is easy for punters to get caught up in all of the enticing welcome offers and promotions these days, increasing the risk of gambling addiction. Therefore, especially for the big sites, it is important to have several responsible gambling tools in place. Coral has made sure of these, with tools included but not limited to:

  • Deposit limits (daily, weekly, monthly)
  • Reality checks
  • Self-assessment tool
  • Self-exclusion

New customers, as well as existing ones, should reflect on their betting habits and set deposit limits. These can go a long way to avoiding an addiction, and spending more money than you would have liked. Of course, some more serious tools are needed in some cases, and these are available at Coral.

Coral Customer Support

Coral does have a good amount of customer support options available, with social media and live chat offered by the brand. However, in our testing, we found it quite difficult to reach these options. Customers need to find their topic on the FAQ page and then tap on 'Yes' to the question 'Do you need more help?'.

Once customers have reached the options, though, the support is very good as agents generally respond quickly. The support is available 24/7 on social media - Facebook, Instagram and X - and via live chat, but customers can also email or phone the support team.

Overall, therefore, Coral has good customer support thanks to the many options offered. It is something you would expect from such a big betting site, though, and only the new UK betting sites tend to come up short. The FAQ page is also very comprehensive, it should be noted.

Chat Yes
Email [email protected]
Phone 0800 44 0011
Opening hours 7 Days a week, 24/7

How to Sign Up On Coral

If you are interesting in creating an account on Coral, you can follow our step-by-step guide below:

  • 1

    Head Over to sports.coral.co.uk and Tap on ‘Join'

    You can use our link at the top of this page, which will also bring you straight to the exclusive welcome offers for the sportsbook or the casino, depending on which you choose.

  • 2

    Choose Your Account Details

    In the first step of the registration, you will be asked to choose your account details - username and password - and to enter your email address. You will also need to choose your country and currency. Tap 'Continue' once that is done.

    Coral Registration 1
  • 3

    Enter Your Personal Details

    In the second part of the registration, you will be asked to enter your personal details such as full name and date of birth. Tap on 'Continue' once that is done.

    Coral Registration 2
  • 4

    Enter the Final Details

    In the final step of the registration, you will be asked to provide your home address as well as telephone number. You will also have to opt in/out of marketing messages.

  • 5

    Tap on ‘Create My Account’ and Start Betting!

    The registration process is now done! Remember that some of you might be asked to provide additional documents, as Coral must verify the identity of its customers.

    Coral Registration 3

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