Virgin Bet UK Review - Is It Safe or a Scam? (2024)
Virgin Bet is a relatively new betting site which entered the UK scene in 2019. It is optimised for mobile, with fast and user-friendly apps and sites, and punters can bet on 20+ sports with a wide range of betting markets and low betting margins. In this review, we will take a look at everything you need to know about the bookie.
Virgin Bet Overall Score
| Bonus | 8 |
|---|---|
| Sportsbook | 8 |
| Casino | 8 |
| Customer Support | 6 |
| Payment | 7 |
| Licensing Safety | 9 |
| Design and Usability | 8 |
| Overall | 8 |
Virgin Bet is far from the most high-profile betting brand in the UK, but it does offer a solid sportsbook with a good range of promotions, as well as an attached online casino. Live sports streaming is one of the big plus points of signing up for an account with Virgin Bet, which offers free-to-play games on both the sports betting and casino side for its customers.
Fully licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, the site is very safe and secure to use too, though there is a lack of payment methods in the cashier compared to rivals. The clean design of the site works well and the red and white colour scheme is easy on the eye.
Key Information About Virgin Bet
| ⚽ Football Coverage (PL game) | 200+ markets |
|---|---|
| 🏇 Horse Racing Coverage | UK, Ireland, South Africa, France, USA, Australia, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Uruguay. |
| 📊 Betting Margins (Average) | 12.24% |
| 👷 Bet Builder | ✅ |
| 📱 Mobile App | ✅ |
| 💰 Minimum Deposit | £5 |
| ⏱️ Fastest Withdrawal Method | PayPal (almost instant) |
| 👉 Visit Site | Join Virgin Bet |
About Virgin Bet
As the name and bright red logo suggests, Virgin Bet is a brand from the Virgin empire, which spans all types of industries and is headed by the British billionaire Richard Branson.
It is also part of the same gambling group as the new and popular LiveScore Bet, so the site is likely to have a familiar feel to anyone who has previously placed online wagers with LiveScore Bet. The LiveScore Group firm, which is made up of LiveScore, LiveScore Bet and Virgin Bet, was demerged from the Gamesys Group of online gambling companies in September 2019.
Claiming to be the UK's "fastest growing sports betting provider", Virgin Bet aims to provide its users with "exceptional customer service" and an "unbeatable betting offering". Virgin Casino and Virgin Games might sound like sister sites of Virgin Bet, but the latter is actually still a part of the Gamesys Group.
Virgin Bet itself has a range of great online gambling games such as slots available without the need to sign up for an account on either of those. Our full review of Virgin Bet will cover key information like the welcome offer, other major betting bonuses, sports betting markets and its customer service.
Is Virgin Bet Safe?
Virgin Bet operates under the Virgin banner, although it is actually a part of the LiveScore Group these days. Both Virgin and LiveScore Group are considered to be very trustworthy. 128-bit SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption is in place to protect customer data here.
With Virgin Bet having a licence (No: 54310) to operate in the UK from the Gambling Commission, it is legal to use for both sports betting and online casino games. Virgin Bet has its base in the World Trade Centre in Gibraltar, where the betting site is also operational.
Virgin Bet Welcome Offer
Virgin Bet has a solid but not spectacular welcome bonus to try to tempt new users to join. Customers who sign up for an account with Virgin Bet can get £20 in free bets by staking £10, though the free bets are not credited in one go, but instead as two sets of £10 free bets.
To get the Virgin Bet welcome offer, new customers will need to stake £10 at odds of 1/2 or greater on any sport. They get two £10 free bets regardless of whether the bet wins or loses. One thing to keep in mind is that the bets need to be 'claimed' via a pop-up that will appear.
The qualifying bet will need to be settled within 14 days of the new account being created. The free bets cannot be used on each-way, multiples, forecasts or tricast bets and, as is the case with most online betting sites in the UK, the free bet stake is not returned with winnings.
No wagering requirements are included in the Virgin Bet welcome offer and there is no mention within the bonus terms and conditions of any maximum win limit for the free bets
| Operator | Welcome Offer | Bonus Code | Claim Offer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Welcome Offer Bet £10 Get £20 in Free Bets | No code required | Claim Offer | **New members only. £10 min deposit & bet on sportsbook (ex. virtuals), placed & settled at 1.5 min odds in 14 days of sign-up. Win part of E/W bets. Free Bets: accept in 7 days, valid 7 days, use on sportsbook only (ex. virtuals), stakes not returned. T&Cs and deposit exclusions apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org. 18+ |
Virgin Bet Promotions
Along with the new customer welcome bonus at Virgin Bet, there are plenty of other betting promotions for users on the site, including a pair of free-to-play games. Virgin Bet FIVES gives players up to £50 in cash for every goal scored by their randomly allocated footballer in the weekend's fixtures. Users can reveal a player once a day from Monday to Friday, then spin the wheel to see what each goal they score will earn.
On the casino side of things there is another daily free game, Search for the Phoenix, which pays out real cash as well as free spins to use on games such as Secrets of the Phoenix, Secrets of the Phoenix Megaways or Secrets of the Phoenix Elements. Virgin Bet customers get six free picks a day and need to uncover matching symbols to get prizes.
The Virgin Bet sportsbook also has regular free bets up for grabs. During the 2023-24 English football season, customers could get a £5 free bet if they staked £10 on a qualifying bet between Friday and Sunday. There was also the chance to get a £5 free acca bet at Virgin Bet by placing five separate accas with stakes of £5 or more during the week.
Furthermore, extra betting bonuses are often launched around special sporting events at Virgin Bet. Major golf tournaments are among these where there are similar 'bet and get' deals up for grabs where free bets to use on the Virgin Bet sportsbook are up for grabs.
There are daily horse racing specials to browse at Virgin Bet as well, while the site has price boosts to ensure good value on certain selections too. Best odds guaranteed, one of the top horse racing bonuses, is provided for UK/Irish meetings. All of this means that there are plenty of betting bonuses for Virgin Bet customers to use.
Virgin Bet Deposit Methods
There is a rather limited choice when it comes to deposit methods at Virgin Bet UK. The first time that customers add funds to a Virgin Bet account, they will have to use a debit card, though they can opt for either Visa or Mastercard.
After making a first deposit into a new Virgin Bet UK account, the option to use PayPal will become available. There is a slightly higher minimum deposit for PayPal at Virgin Bet, while all of the deposit options in the cashier have the same maximum deposit limit of £20,000.
It is not possible to make a deposit using e-wallets such as Skrill and Neteller at Virgin Bet UK at the present time, while other leading payment methods like Apple Pay and Google Pay are not supported either.
Below, we have wrapped up everything you need to know about deposits at Virgin Bet UK:
| Payment Method | Min. Limit | Max. Limit | Transaction Fee | Processing Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Visa | £5 | £20,000 | No fee | Instant |
 Mastercard | £5 | £20,000 | No fee | Instant |
 Paypal | £30 | £20,000 | No fee | Instant |
How to Deposit at Virgin Bet
Below, we have put together a step-by-step guide for depositing funds into a Virgin Bet betting account. Just to be clear, we did this on the Virgin Bet app.
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Enter the Deposit Cashier
Once you have logged into your Virgin Bet account, the next step is to head to the ‘Deposit’ cashier. Luckily, this is very easy to find. Simply tap on the ‘Profile’ icon in the top right corner, and then select the ‘Deposit’ option.
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Enter Deposit Amount
The first step to depositing is to enter the amount. VirginBet allows a minimum deposit of £5, however, we chose to deposit £10 as is the standard in our testing. This is also because a £10 deposit is needed to claim the welcome offer at Virgin Bet.
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Insert Payment Method Details
Once the amount has been entered, the next step is to select the payment method. We could use a debit card or PayPal - as with all of our tests, we use a debit card but the £30 minimum deposit with PayPal would have pushed us to use a card regardless. Once you have selected your method, insert your details.
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Begin Betting
If the above has been completed, tap the red ‘Deposit’ box at the bottom of the screen, and you will be taken to a confirmation page to show that your deposit was successful. From here, you can begin betting, good luck!
Virgin Bet Withdrawal Methods
As with making a deposit into the cashier at Virgin Bet, there is not a lot of choice when it comes to payment methods available to withdraw winnings. For the first withdrawal a new customer makes, they will have to use the same debit card they used to make a deposit.
It can be beneficial to use a Visa debit card rather than one from Mastercard due to the fact the processing time for Visa withdrawals at Virgin Bet UK is much faster than Mastercard. Bank transfer joins the list of withdrawal methods that are supported by Virgin Bet UK, with all of the options having the same minimum and maximum withdrawal limits in place here.
However, bank transfers can take up to five working days to be processed, while PayPal is the fastest way to withdraw winnings. No fees will be charged by Virgin Bet, so whatever customers win they will be able to withdraw.
Below, we have detailed everything you need to know about withdrawals at Virgin Bet UK:
| Payment Method | Min. Limit | Max. Limit | Transaction Fee | Processing Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | £10 | £20,000 | No fee | 1-3 business days (2-3 hours Visa Direct) |
| Mastercard | £10 | £20,000 | No fee | 1-3 business days |
| Paypal | £10 | £20,000 | No fee | Within 24 hours |
Bank Transfer | £10 | £20,000 | No fee | 2-3 business days |
How to Withdraw Funds From Virgin Bet
If you haven't withdrawn money from Virgin Bet before, you can follow our step-by-step guide on how to do so below. We tested the process on the bookie's app.
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Enter ‘Withdraw’ Cashier
Just like when depositing, you must go to the ‘Profile’ area of the home screen. However, the withdrawal cashier is not as easy to spot as it is located at the bottom of the screen.
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Select Payment Method
Now, you must select your payment method and we had to opt for a debit card, as we did when depositing. In cases where your net deposit amount is lower on one payment method, VirginBet requires you to withdraw to zero before you can switch the method. For example, if you have a net deposit amount of -£25 on a debit card and £0 on PayPal, you must go with the debit card.
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Enter Withdrawal Amount
Finally, enter the amount that you would like to withdraw and then tap the red ‘Withdraw’ option at the bottom of the screen.
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Wait for the Money
In our test of Virgin Bet's withdrawal process, the money arrived within minutes thanks to the Visa Direct system that is used by Virgin Bet. This is fantastic as it means customers can receive their funds very quickly. For customers that do not have Visa debit cards, it states that withdrawals could take three days.
How to Verify An Account on Virgin Bet
All Virgin Bet customers will need to verify their account, but sometimes this step will happen automatically and users will not have to do anything themselves to complete this process.
To verify bank details, Virgin Bet requires an image of a document dated within the last three months. This can be a letter from a bank, a statement or a page from online banking. It must show the account holder's name, sort code, account number, bank's logo and the date.
Payment methods may also sometimes need to be verified by Virgin Bet. If this happens, the bookmaker will require an image of the front of the bank card. Users can block out the middle eight digits for security, but Virgin Bet needs to be able to see the card's expiry date, the cardholder's name and both the first four and last four digits of the long card number.
To verify an address, Virgin Bet will require an image of a utility bill - either electricity, gas or water - with a council tax bill or bank statement accepted. Documents may be required to verify the account holder's date of birth on occasion as well:
- driving licence (just the front of the photocard)
- Provisional driving licence (just the front of the photocard)
- Passport (complete picture of the ID/photo page)
- Birth certificate (complete picture of the whole certificate)
- UK residence permit (both the front and back of the card)
Uploading documents for verification at Virgin Bet is possible through the site's document uploader, a handy tool that should make the process as fast and painless as possible. On the Virgin Bet app for iOS or Android, go to More > My account > Account verification.
Virgin Bet Sportsbook
While there is an online casino at Virgin Bet, the sportsbook is its bread and butter. The site concentrates on football and horse racing, like most rivals in the industry, but there are a lot of different sports to bet on here, including futsal, handball, water polo and lacrosse, all of which are not always easy to find elsewhere.
Football naturally dominates here, with a vast array of competitions, leagues, cups and top tournaments to bet on. Premier League games remain the prime focus, with price boosts often available for every single game taking place over the weekend, with a lot of stats provided to help fans place the right bets.
Bet builders have become one of the most popular tools for users of especially football betting sites, so it is good to see Virgin Bet has worked hard on developing its feature. Quick bets are available that have been put together with the bet builder tool and account holders at Virgin Bet can pick from creative markets such as if a team will hit the woodwork.
Unfortunately, we found that the betting margins were usually very high, coming in at 12.04% on average in our test. This is very high as most bookies tend to be between 5-7%, so punters will not be getting as much when winning on Virgin Bet. We are quite surprised by this as the sister site LiveScoreBet has a more reasonable average margin at 7.36%.
In any case, the depth of markets when it comes to horse racing is similarly impressive. While a lot of top horse racing bookies focus mainly on domestic and European action, there are South American meetings from Chile, Uruguay and Argentina available, as well as races from as far afield as New Zealand and South Korea.
Greyhound racing betting is also offered by Virgin Bet, although there are now many sites offering betting options for this sport. Top esports such as Call of Duty, Dota 2, CS2 and the Valorant Champions Tour competitions are also covered by Virgin Bet, while there are some TV and special markets such as for the next UK and US elections to try out.
Live streaming has become a key selling point for betting sites in the UK and Virgin Bet is decent on this front. The streaming tab shows all the ongoing and upcoming action that will be available to watch through a Virgin Bet account, with tennis one of the main sports covered. There is no need to place a bet to watch most of the Virgin Bet live streams, just log in to a funded account.
In-play betting works well at Virgin Bet. The interface has been designed carefully to be very user-friendly and it is easy to navigate around the wide variety of live events covered. Plenty of stats and data are provided for live events too, making Virgin Bet a handy resource for those UK sports fans who like to crunch the numbers when they are trying to find a bet.
There are some virtual sports available as well, but the selection is a little limited compared to some of the top online bookmakers in the UK. There is virtual football and virtual horse racing to browse, but the only other option at Virgin Bet right now is virtual greyhound racing.
All in all, Virgin Bet's sportsbook is a strong option. There are a lot of price boosts up for grabs to bump up the value. The huge depth on show is truly impressive and all UK sports fans, especially those who enjoy finding winning wagers on global horse racing, are sure to find what they are looking for here - although the best odds guaranteed is only available for UK and Irish races.
Virgin Bet Casino
The casino can be a bit of an afterthought at some of the top online betting sites in the UK, but the Virgin Bet online casino site competes quite well in a very competitive marketplace. More than 600 slot games make up the majority of the library, with a well-designed homepage including sections such as 'new games' and 'UK favourites'.
The 'Virgin Bet Selects' page is a good place to start for hand-picked options in the casino. When we were putting together our full review of the Virgin Bet online casino, this area featured some good titles such as The Goonies Megaways, Double Bubble, Fishin' Frenzy The Big Catch and a handful of top exclusive games like Secrets of the Phoenix Elements.
Dozens of jackpot slots and Megaways games can also be found at the Virgin Bet casino. However, it was not easy to see which games had the biggest jackpot prizes up for grabs at Virgin Bet, compared to some UK online casinos that put this information front and centre.
Table games are available with 25 different roulette options and 17 for blackjack, while there are a handful of instant win options to try out too. Live casino games have their own area. With a dozen different roulette rooms to enter and six more for blackjack, there is a decent amount of choice but the Virgin Bet live casino is definitely not one of the biggest around.
One thing that appears to be missing from the Virgin Bet casino is a VIP loyalty scheme. Users who return regularly to play their favourite games will not earn points or prizes as a result, with Virgin Bet opting not to put this kind of program in place just yet. The daily free game, Search for the Phoenix, provides a reason to log in each day. A monthly free game pops up at the Virgin Bet casino on the last day of the month, so look out for that.
Free spins tournaments run on a regular basis at the Virgin Bet casino, but the range of other casino promotions on offer is not particularly impressive. There are a couple of reloads up for grabs each week but nowhere near as much as the best online casino sites in the UK.
Game outcomes at the Virgin Bet casino are determined by a random number generator and these are "independently audited and tested regularly" to make sure they are functioning. Players can keep an eye on spending at the Virgin Bet casino by checking the game history.
Anyone who was a bit disappointed by the meagre selection of virtual sports on offer in the Virgin Bet sportsbook will be happy to see more is provided on the casino side of things. There are 17 different virtual sports games on offer here, with a couple of good horse racing options and others worth trying out such as Instant Velodrome and Rush Darts by Inspired.
Virgin Bet's casino is not quite impressive enough to be considered one of the best online casino sites in the UK. But there is plenty of choice when it comes to the game selection, with titles from most of the biggest and best studios and developers in the business, and sports fans who are curious about slots can pick from hundreds of different options here.
Virgin Bet Mobile App
It is possible to access both the Virgin Bet sportsbook and online casino sites by downloading its app for iOS or for Android, though the Virgin Bet mobile site does a solid enough job too.
Both apps are well-reviewed by their respective user base. On iOS, the Virgin Bet app is actually rated as one of the very best betting apps around, while the Android option is not far behind. When we checked out the Virgin Bet app for iOS and Android, both versions had been updated within the past couple of weeks, showing the software is being regularly revised.
To download the Virgin Bet iOS app requires iOS 12.0 or later to be installed on the device. Android users will find that the Virgin Bet app works on the vast majority of Android devices.
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Virgin Bet
Google Play
App Store
Responsible Gambling
Virgin Bet customers have the chance to use a range of controls as part of the site's solid responsible gambling policy, which is comparable to most major UK online bookmakers. To keep track of spending, users can also view a recent history of all of their Virgin Bet deposits and withdrawals by heading to the transaction history page within their account settings.
Users are encouraged to set a deposit limit, which can be used to ensure they stay in control of how much money they are spending on sports betting and casino games at Virgin Bet.
Spending controls are also available to Virgin Bet's customers in the UK. This is a newer type of mechanism which controls the level of loss a user can experience through betting. Those who are getting close to the internal limit that has applied to their account may receive a message such as ‘Sorry, your bet was unsuccessful’ and that 'We couldn't place that bet due to your spend controls'.
Those who want to take a time out from being able to use their Virgin Bet account can also opt for a cool-off break for between 24 hours and six weeks. A further measure available to Virgin Bet customers is self-exclusion, with users able to lock themselves out of being able to use their accounts on the site for a minimum of six months up to as long as five years.
Self-assessment questions that will allow Virgin Bet customers to assess the level of their online gambling are provided on the site too. Those who feel that they could be at risk of developing an addiction to gambling can get help from a range of services linked to at Virgin Bet, such as TalkBanStop, GambleAware, GamCare, Gamblers Anonymous and Gamban.
Virgin Bet Customer Support
Virgin Bet claims to offer market-leading customer service, but Trustpilot users only rate it at 3.1 stars out of 5, suggesting that there could be quite a few issues in this vital department.
Live chat is easy to access but it is initially staffed by a Virgin Bet bot. This can be useful for more basic requests but complex problems will need to be handled by a human agent. The live chat offers the chance to download or email a transcript, which is useful for those who want to be able to refer back to what they were told by Virgin Bet's customer service team.
Virgin Bet has a handy Help Centre - which acts as its version of an FAQ - where there is a wealth of useful information for areas such as banking, promotions, betting rules and so on. In the event of a Virgin Bet UK customer wishing to make a complaint, it is recommended to detail the problem in an email sent to [email protected].
Virgin Bet says that it will aim to resolve complaints internally, but those who are not satisfied with the response that they receive can opt to escalate the matter by emailing [email protected] with the firm then promising to provide a full response within 14 days of receiving a complaint in this way.
Should a Virgin Bet customer still be dissatisfied, they can take their complaint to eCOGRA - which stands for eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance - which has been appointed by Virgin Bet as their alternative dispute resolution (ADR) service. A complaint handling tool such as the free Resolver system can also be used for issues with Virgin Bet.
| Chat | Yes |
|---|---|
| [email protected] | |
| Phone | N/A |
| Opening hours | 7 Days a week, 24/7 |
How to Get Started at Virgin Bet
If you would like to join Virgin Bet, just follow our step-by-step guide on how to do so below:
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Head Over to virginbet.com
You can use our link at the top of this page, or in the banner at the bottom, which will bring you straight to the welcome offer and the registration form.
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Tap on 'Join'
The button to sign up at Virgin Bet can be found in the top-right corner on mobile devices.
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Fill in the Necessary Details to Register
There are three pages of registration details to go through, with all the usual basics to fill in.
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Make a Deposit
Go to the cashier and add debit card details to add funds to a new Virgin Bet UK account.
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Start Betting!
You will need to place a qualifying wager to get the free bets for new customers at Virgin Bet.
User Reviews
Average score of 3.5 by 6 users
mark farquhar
3 June 2021
January 23rd. I deposit 140 to virgin bet from PAYPAL. I win and withdraw 500. Back to PAYPAL without any problemLater that evening . I deposit 200 plus 300.to virgin from PAYPAL. I win 100. I then withdraw the 600 to PAYPAL. Virgin cancel the withdrawal. And say I must withdraw back to the method of deposit . Virgin reverse the 600 back to my virgin balance . YES FOLKS YOU READING THIS PROPERLY. I then blow the 600 in 13 minutes . I then through anger deposit 300 from my DEBIT CARD to virgin . In the hope I can recover the 600 . Yes I know I was stupid . I phone virgin and ask for an explanation and they agree . I did request the 600 to paypal. And said they would investigate why my 600 withdrawal was reversed . They also said they are closing my account . With a balance of 100 left of the 300 I deposited by CARD . Having lost 200 of it . 40 minutes later .virgin credit my PAYPAL account with the remaining 100. YES FOLKS . BREAKING THEIR OWN WITHDRAWAL RULES . 25th jan Monday i get an email from virgin . Regarding my complaint .. they state they tried to credit my PAYPAL account with the 600 on the 24th BUT my paypal rejected the payment .. i then contact PAYPAL and they confirm . Virgin made no such attempt to credit my account . I put this to virgin .. true to form they ignore me and pass the buck for me to take this up with eCOGRA . This what they are getting away with . Breaking LCCP rules . What other way could I withdraw . If they have stringent withdrawal rules Of course its always the customers fault in their eyes .. while they advertise simple withdrawal AVOID THEM PLEASE virgin have been caught out and now ignore me the fight will go on
bob on the job
14 March 2021
pretty average. Do not do really do any special promotions. I joined got some free bets and then made a few more bets. Hadnt made that many bets really but they then sent me a email saying I cant use their promotions. I thought it was strange as they dont really do any promotions and I have not bet with them for 5 or 6 weeks. Hardly going to attract me back now.
Calum
13 January 2021
Have only had great experiences so far with Virgin Bet. Payout times are quick and they have a lot of different stuff you can bet on at any time would def recommend to check it out if you have not already.
Calum
1 October 2020
Withdrawal time stated as 1-5 days got my money after 1 day only. I also think the offer is great and the site is quick and easy to use even on mobile for once.
Martin
25 September 2020
Great for betting on mobile and quick withdrawals using my paypal account. The biggest plus is the live racing streams which you can watch if you have money in your accountOverall I would like to see more options for football bets though as I still need to go back to bet365 and use the bet builder or to even bet on asian lines.Still solid little bookie but i will update this review if they limit me like other scum bookies.
Jake
14 August 2020
Good bonus offer