The Pools Sister Sites: Best Alternatives & Offers (2026)
List of The Pools Alternatives
The Pools shut down its sportsbook and casino in the summer of 2026, but since there were no sister sites prior to that, the alternatives below are all the more relevant now.
-
18+. If your first bet is a Treble or Up on Any Sport (minimum 3 selections, odds evens) AK Bets will boost the profit gained on that initial bet by 25% in the form of a Free Bet up to a value of £/€100. Applies to new customers who sign up with the promo code AKACCA100. 7-day expiry on free bet. -
New customers only. Register, deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility exclusions & T&Cs Apply. -
New customers only. Place a min £20 cash bet at odds 2.00+ to qualify. Build-A-Bet / Bet Builder bets do not qualify. Max reward: one £10 In-Play Free Bet and one £10 Bet Builder Free Bet. In-Play Free Bet min odds 2.0 (1/1). Bet Builder Free Bet min odds 3.0 (2/1). Free Bets expire 7 days after credit. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. -
New customers online only. Register and bet a min £/€5 at odds of 1/1 (2.0) or greater across sports or racing within 7 days of registration to qualify. Receive £/€10 Tote Credit, £/€10 Free Sports Bet within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool or sports bet added to bet slip. Voided/non-runner bets will not qualify; subsequent bet will be qualifying bet. 7-day expiry. 18+. One per customer. Selected customers only. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org. Full T&Cs apply. -
18+. Play Safe. Online only. Ends 31.12.26. New UK customers only, registering with promo code R30. Make your first deposit of £10+, then place a £10 single bet from main balance at odds of 1/2+ on any sports market (excluding Virtuals). Get £30 in Free Bets (3x£10) after settlement. Free Bets valid on any sports market excl. Virtuals, expire in 7 days, non-withdrawable and must be used in full (£10 each). Deposits via PayPal, Neosurf, Paysafe, Apple Pay, NETELLER, Skrill, ecoPayz, Kalibra/Postpay and WH PLUS Card excluded. One per customer. Full T&Cs apply. #ad -
18+. New Customers only. Min Deposit £10. Min Stake £10. Min Odds 1/1. The qualifying bet must be a single selection only. Free bet added on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. Free bet is a matched free bet of £20. Free bet expiry is 24 hours. 1 Free bet offer per customer. Cashed out bets won’t apply. T&C’s apply. -
18+ New customers only. Place a £10 sportsbook bet at minimum odds 1/1 (2.0), within 14 days of sign-up and get £30 in Free Bets, valid for 7 days on selected bets and games only. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org -
18+ | New UK customers only. Place a £20+ bet with minimum 3 legs, min 2/1 and receive a £10 Free Bet. The Free Bet will be credited once your qualifying bet settles. Free Bet expires 7 days after being awarded. BeGambleAware.org | T&Cs & Maximum Payouts apply. -
18+ Offer available to new customers only who sign up with Promo Code BET40GET20. Place a bet of £40 (or more) at EVS (2.0) or greater and Get 2 x £10 Free Bets. 1 x £10 Free Bet paid automatically & following £10 Free Bet after 24hrs. Min Free Bet odds 4/1 (5.0). Free Bets expire after 24hrs. Full T&Cs apply.
- New customers only. 1+ deposit with Debit Card. Opt in and stake £10+ on Casino slots within 30 days of reg. Max 200 Free Spins. Credited within 48 hours. 7-day expiry. Game restrictions apply. Email/SMS validation may apply. T&Cs Apply.
- First Deposit only. Min. deposit £20 and wager £20 cash on slots to receive 50 Free Spins on Big Bass Football Bonanza. Qualifying deposit must be made via the promotion in the deposit drop-down. Max. 1 token per customer. £50 max redemption. Free Spins credited within 7 days and valid for 7 days. Spin value 10p. One bonus or set of Free Spins can be active at a time. 18+. T&Cs apply.
- New customers online only. Only valid with code B10GET100 on registration. £/€10 min stake on slots and receive 100 Free Spins on Big Bass Splash. Free Spins credited within 48 hours of meeting qualifying criteria. 7-day expiry on code and Free Spins. One per customer. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org.
- 18+. Play Safe. Ends 31/12/26. New UK customers only. Register with code WHV200, opt in via promo page and within 7 days deposit £10+ & stake £10+ from main balance on the advertised game to receive 200 Free Spins (10p each). Free Spins expire 72 hours from credit. Free Spins winnings must be wagered 10x on the advertised game within the same period. Winnings capped at £30. 1 per person. T&Cs apply. #ad
-
18+. New customers only. Stake £20 on selected SWIFTY Slots to receive 50 free spins on Dead or Alive 3: Wanted (each £0.10). Free spins credited within 24 hours, must be used in one session within 72 hours, max winnings £100. Valid on selected SWIFTY Slots only; bonus bets and non-eligible games do not count. No cash value, non-transferable, and require a positive cash balance to use. Swifty Sports may withdraw or restrict the offer at any time. Gamble responsibly. T&Cs apply. - 18+ New customers only. Wager £20 or more on Midnite Casino within 14 days of sign-up. Get 150 Free Spins to use on selected games, valued at 10p and valid for 7 days. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
- New UK customers only. Wager £20+ on selected Pragmatic Play slots to get 50 Free Spins daily for 5 days. Spins expire 24 hrs after issue. Max Payouts & Full T&Cs apply.
- New customers only. Deposit and wager a minimum of £25 on Big Bass Splash 1000 on registration day receive 100 Free Spins on Big Bass Splash 1000. Free Spins will be credited by midday the following day and expire after 7 days. 10x wagering requirement on Pragmatic Play slots before withdrawal. Full T&Cs apply.
- New customers only. Use promo code LOTTO20. Deposit with Debit Card & stake £5 on Lotto or Numbers draws within 7 days. First bet must be on Lotto or Numbers draws. £20 in Free Bets to be used on Lotto or Numbers draws, credited within 24 hours. Free Bet amount is not included in any return and expire after 7 days. Payment restrictions apply. SMS validation may be required. Betfred Lotto is fixed odds betting on an outcome of an official lottery draw or numbers game. Full T&Cs apply.
Who Owns The Pools?
The Pools may have been around for a long time but the same cannot be said for its online activities. In fact, the sportsbook and casino sections were only launched in 2018 as the bookmaker decided to build on its already solid pool betting. At the end of 2024, the site was further improved thanks to a partnership with the platform provider GiG.
Football Pools Limited owns and operates The Pools and previously, the site actually went by the name 'The Football Pools'. However, this all changed when the rebrand and sportsbook launch took place in 2008. In any case, the company has decided to focus solely on The Pools and is thus yet to launch a sister site, which some punters might be disappointed to hear.
On the other hand, there are several good alternatives in the UK - which we will discuss more below - and there is also ample reason to remain at The Pools instead of switching at all.
What Makes The Pools So Good?
Above all, at least in my opinion, The Pools offers something different from the rest of the betting sites in the UK. Many of the latter tend to be very similar and browsing them can be rather boring, but that is not the case at The Pools. The site has a unique design and the pool games - as well as the lotto games - are fun to bet on even for the 'regular' sports punters.
Getting into the specifics, our test of The Pools also showed that withdrawals take just three hours, at least when you use a debit card. Many of the new betting sites tend to struggle on this front but at The Pools, it is the complete opposite. In short, there are many reasons to like The Pools but the uniqueness is the crucial one.
The Pools Alternatives Reviewed
The Pools does not have any sister sites, having decided to focus on the core product, but there are some good alternatives for those who like lotto betting.
Lottoland
Lottoland is perhaps the biggest player in the industry when it comes to online lotto betting, so it is certainly a great alternative to The Pools. Similarly to the latter, Lottoland also introduced sportsbook and casino sections several years after the initial launch, now advertising to a much larger demographic.
On the sports side of things, the market depth is actually pretty good and there is even a bet builder. The bookie was also the first in the UK to accept £1 deposits, which is great, even if more sites offer it now too.
As for the lotto games, Minted 4 Life has the highest jackpot of £9m, but the minimum stake is £2 per bet, whereas the other games are between 50p-£1.
Betfred
Betfred is known for being a very versatile betting site and that becomes clear when you take a look at the lotto section. It is not just a part of the sportsbook, but rather a separate section and here, Betfred offers everything from national lotteries to lotto games of its own, which is a very nice touch.
Betfred's Nifty Fifty is a particularly popular game, having become a staple of the lotto section, but the odds offered for all games are very good. The sportsbook is obviously very comprehensive and this is where Betfred sees the most success, along with the casino, making it a great The Pools alternative.
William Hill
William Hill is our final pick for The Pools alternatives as the impressive sportsbook along with the lotto section comes close to some extent. But mostly it is just a good versatile choice. National lotteries are available on the site, as well as the 49s game, and the odds are similar to what you would find on the rival Betfred.
The minimum betting amount is also very low, which some will appreciate, but it must be said that William Hill is bang average for lotto betting. There are no special games or markets and this is something you will find at Lottoland.
If you are mainly betting on the Premier League, for example, and just want to place the occasional lotto bet then William Hill is a solid choice.
More The Pools Guides
Isak is an experienced content writer with a background in sports journalism. Having focused mainly on football in the past, he certainly knows a thing or two about the betting industry and what makes a good bookie. At BettingLounge, he makes sure that the content is up-to-date and presented in the best way possible.