Sporting Index has one sister site in Spreadex, which is 100% owned by the parent company, Spreadex Limited.
There are some question marks with the deal and merger due to competition concerns, but for now, they are a monopoly in the UK sports spread-betting market.
Aside from the obvious spread betting sister site, we have also included some fixed odds alternatives.
Who Owns Sporting Index. Well, there is a question. Ordinarily, these things are simple to answer. That is the case here too, if you want the direct line that Sporting Index are owned by Spreadex. It's not that straightforward though.
Spreadex did strike a deal to purchase Sporting Index, however, the CMA have put that deal under review.
Due to both brands having a huge significant share of the spread betting market in the UK, one owner of the two sites would, in the eyes of the CMA, create a monopoly. This is not good for punters, and not good for smaller players in the spread betting market.
With that all up in the air, Sporting Index remains operative under its Sporting Index Limited company, registered to the UKGC under 23743.
Well, from a flexibility perspective you win with one hand at Sporting Index, and then lose with the other. Take a starting block of the sportsbook.
Sporting Index provides bettors with a traditional sports betting capability. Alongside this, it also provides a huge opportunity for spread betting. What it lacks is a casino operation.
If you are someone that wants to dabble in casino games, as well as sports, it is not for you. Some of our Sporting Index sister site alternatives, however, do tick that box.
So, focusing on what Sporting Index does do, what is it like?
For starters, you benefit from a strong design. It's easy to switch between the two site function (spread betting or fixed odds betting) but equally, easy to ignore the other if you are only interested in one particular style.
The first real negative is the sports covered. It's a bit drab. You do have all the key sports covered, such as horse racing and football, but a selection of 23 sports is light. You'll find plenty of brands that provide 10+ more than that. The sports that are covered, however, impress.
Horse racing, for example, comes with live streaming and global race meets. Football markets are plentiful, with over 300 markets on Premier League fixtures. Betting margins of 6.35% are not bad either.
Sporting Index certainly has a lot of elements about it that are worth celebrating, and punters of a sporting persuasion won't be disappointed by what it offers. It is not the perfect site, though. As such, there is room for improvement.
Do any of these Sporting Index sister sites and alternatives deliver growth on top of what would already be a solid base?
We have already called out the ownership limbo Sporting Index finds itself in, with Spreadex. That should tell you that Spreadex is the closest thing you can get to a Sporting Index sister site right now. They are very, very similar too.
The site layout is consistent across the two brands with a toggle separating spread betting and fixed odds wagering, sports depths are uniform at 23 sports, and the odds are even replicated too.
We highlighted the lack of one at Sporting Index as a negative, and punters might get excited over the casino offering at SpreadEx. Don't. It is closing.
What you are then left with is a solid sportsbook offering. It is well designed, key sports are covered, market depth is decent, you've got access to in-play markets, live streaming and reasonable betting margins.
Bet £10 Get £60 in Free Bets
Min. Deposit | £10 |
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Max. Amount | £60 |
Turnover | No wagering |
Expiration | 28 days |
From a look and feel perspective, 10Bet isn’t a Sporting Index sister site, so there isn’t any uniform between brands.
Where both measure up well though is in usability; clear menus and simple navigation from point-to-point is imperative in the modern day. Android and iOS app availability is another big plus for this bookie.
As for what is under the hood, we have already highlighted that there are sites out there with stronger sports coverage than Sporting Index. 10Bet is one of them.
It offers 29 different options in its sportsbook; Gaelic Games, Table Tennis and Futsal being a non-exhaustive insight into some of the differences.
Betting margins are fairly similar too; our tests put 10Bet at 6.00%. That’s marginally better than at Sporting Index.
The other area of real success here is the payment options. You have loads of payment options, withdrawals from as little as £5 and a withdrawal process that took just four minutes in testing. Don’t forget the addition of a casino too!
We have touched on the importance of look and feel a couple of times already. BetTom is more than functional from a navigation angle, but it isn’t easy on the eye; that’s probably the big downside of what is otherwise a really strong operator.
The sportsbook boasts 33 different sports to wager on, including eSports, which is a rapidly growing area of online betting and then a variety of headline grabbing sports and more niche sports; surfing being a solid example that differentiates BetTom from 10Bet and Sporting Index.
In addition to those extras, it can measure up to Sporting Index across areas like live streaming as well, and similar to 10Bet, a mobile app is also available for punters.
You’ve also got pushing towards 2,000 casino games to explore: they are split across a casino and live casino. Betting margins are pretty damn good too at 5.29%.
The banking side of BetTom meanwhile really comes down to individual preference. If you value a wide array of options, it doesn’t deliver.
If, however, you can facilitate from debut card or Apple Pay then it’s excellent. Deposits start from just £1, and withdrawals were rapid. Our test took only two minutes.
50% Back As Free Bet Up to £25 + 10 Free Spins
Min. Deposit | £30 |
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Max. Amount | £25 |
Turnover | No wagering |
Expiration | 7 days |
Ashley, an Ipswich Town fan, is an experienced content writer in the sports & betting space, who also has an extensive background in data analytics. Those skills combine here to allow for unique angles to be taken across a host of topics.