To give you a nudge in the right direction, we have listed the best UK betting sites by category below. If live streaming is very important to you, for example, you will easily be able to pick out the best site for this.
💻 Operator | 🥇 Best Betting Site Category | 👉 Visit Site |
---|---|---|
bet365 | 🏆 Best Betting Site Overall | Join Bookie |
Unibet | 🏇 Best Horse Racing Betting | Join Bookie |
bet365 | ⚽ Best Football Betting | Join Bookie |
CopyBet | 💰 Best Welcome Offer | Join Bookie |
SBK | 🔢 Best Odds | Join Bookie |
William Hill | 📺 Best Live Streaming | Join Bookie |
Kwiff | 📱 Best Betting App | Join Bookie |
Lottoland | 🆕 Best New Betting Site | Join Bookie |
Spreadex Sports | 📊 Best Spread Betting | Join Bookie |
William Hill | 💳 Best Payment Methods | Join Bookie |
After rigorous tests, our experts compare and rank the best betting sites available for UK punters. Of course, picking the "best" betting site is undeniably subjective, with all UK online bookmakers on our list offering great gambling products.
Also, no one bookmaker is universally perfect for everyone, and you will only find out if it's right for you by trying it yourself. Below, we have listed the best betting sites for the most prominent sports in the UK, seeing as many punters only tend to bet on one sport. It makes sense, therefore, to choose the best bookie for the sport in question.
Best Features: If there is one thing that our experts have in common, it is the love for bet365. The betting site offers everything you need and consistently stays ahead of the competition with innovative features. The most important one, in our opinion, is the bet builder tool which is miles ahead of the competition.
Biggest Negatives: The bet365 website and mobile app are very user-friendly and easy to use. However, the design can be a bit boring at times and this is something that the bookie can improve. We are clutching at straws here, though, as we genuinely feel that be365 has no weaknesses.
Our View: Bet365 is the best sports betting site in the UK because it offers a wide range of sports and markets, competitive odds, live betting and streaming, a user-friendly platform, and a number of other features and benefits. Once you try the site, you will likely never want to leave. One can also respect bet365's decision not to launch any sister sites, focusing solely on the core.
Best Features: Unibet is truly one of the best bookies when it comes to horse racing, covering meetings from all over the world. Best Odds Guaranteed is in place for UK and Irish races, as you would expect, and the promotion Uniboost allows punters to boost the odds of a horse racing bet three times per day (!). The latter really makes the bookie and out.
Biggest Negatives: Perhaps the only downside of using Unibet for horse racing betting is the fact that Tote betting is not offered. Almost all of the top horse racing competitors offer this, such as Placepot and Quadpot, so Unibet should probably look at getting that fixed as soon as possible.
Our View: Unibet is an extremely solid bookmaker for most sports and the racing section has been given a bit more love. Promotions are not really offered for any other sports, not even football most of the time, so it is clear that the bookmaker focuses more on racing in the UK.
Best Features: It is hard to argue against bet365 offering one of the most complete football betting sites in the UK. In our tests, bet365 had low betting margins and high odds on many different betting markets, while the depth of markets is incredibly impressive.
Biggest Negatives: Bet365 is not the best when it comes to football-based promotions, but they do have a great sign-up offer for new customers. Of course, because the product is so good, it is not like the bookie needs a ton of promotions to entice new customers to sign up.
Our View: bet365 has one of the largest, if not the largest, range of football matches available and a wide variety of betting markets to choose from, including the brilliant bet builder. Live betting is fast, and user-friendly on the app and desktop, and you will find hundreds of free live football streams each month.
Best Features: Some punters might be unfamiliar with CopyBet but the betting site actually has one of the best welcome offers, offering a bet £10 get £50 deal to new customers. The free bets are divided into five £10 bets and there are some selected markets, which is worth keeping in mind.
Biggest Negatives: The biggest downside to CopyBet's welcome offer is the maximum winnings cap of £500 per free bet. On the other hand, anyone who wins £500 from a £10 free bet will probably be happy and it is not that uncommon for betting sites to cap the winnings either.
Our View: We are big fans of CopyBet's welcome offer, even though it might not be the best sportsbook around. In addition to the standard welcome offer, CopyBet also has a no-deposit welcome offer which some might prefer, and this only confirms the bookie's stance as the best for welcome offers.
Best Features: Based on the Smarkets betting exchange, SBK is a rather new sportsbook but it has already made a strong splash in the industry thanks to market-leading odds. SBK is made for mobile and the betting app works brilliantly on all types of devices.
Biggest Negatives: The live streaming available at SBK is limited right now, with a more no-frills approach taken compared to some of the other top mobile betting sites around.
Our View: Sports fans who want to make sure they get the best possible value out of their bets really should be using SBK as its odds come from the Smarkets betting exchange and are usually the best around in our tests. The mobile app from SBK works like a dream, so it is easier and faster than ever before for users to place in-play bets.
Best Features: William Hill is certainly one of the best bookmakers in the UK, offering great depth for almost all sports, and live streaming has been a key strength of the site for many years. Most punters will have heard of William Hill TV and the reputation is indeed warranted, with many different events to stream.
Biggest Negatives: Although the live streaming is very good, William Hill is not always the most 'flashy' bookmaker. The site design is rather dull and while there are some good promotions, one can understand why punters might opt for another bookie. After all, these days, the design and overall feel are very important.
Our View: William Hill remains a good choice for almost every sport and this is also the main strength of the site. If you are a punter who likes to bet on several different sports, William Hill could be the perfect site for you.
Best Features: Kwiff was initially launched as a mobile-only brand in 2015, but has since expanded its operations to desktop and mobile browsers. Based on the ratings, with 4.5 and 3.-5 out of five stars on the App Store and Google Play Store respectively, Kwiff has one of the best betting apps on the market. After all, you cannot argue with the experiences of other punters.
Biggest Negatives: The sportsbook at Kwiff is still a bit undeveloped compared to other betting sites in the UK. As we covered in our review of the site, there is currently no bet builder and this is something that will have to be fixed. The depth of markets is also not as impressive as the bid dogs.
Our View: Kwiff is a fun and engaging betting site thanks to the 'Kwiffed' or 'Supercharged' feature. This means that randomly, the bookie might decide to boost the odds of your placed bets, which adds an element of surprise to the betting. If you are tired of the conventional bookies, therefore, Kwiff could be worth a try.
Best Features: Lottoland is not exactly known for its sportsbook, which is a relatively new section of the site, and thus some UK punters might be hesitant. However, the sportsbook is actually fairly decent and the ability to deposit just £1 could come in handy, even if it might be hard to make a profit.
Biggest Negatives: Similarly to Kwiff, the sportsbook still needs a lot of work to be considered among the best in the UK. There is a bet builder, which Lottoland deserves praise for, but the depth of markets is currently not enough. The popular e-wallets are also missing from the list of payment methods.
Our View: As often is the case with less prominent bookies, Lottoland has clearly decided to focus on one thing to gain attention, more specifically the low deposit and withdrawal amounts. And props to them, because that strategy is working! The £1 minimum deposit will surely catch the eye of many punters.
Best Features: While spread betting is complex and not suitable for beginners, Spreadex makes it straightforward to learn all about how it works and gets users up and running very quickly. The site also has a simple sportsbook so there is much more on offer here than just spread betting.
Biggest Negatives: Spread betting is not something for the faint-hearted and it is possible to lose substantial amounts of money, though Spreadex is good at helping its users to set limits in place so it is fairly easy to ensure that customers always stay in control of their betting here.
Our View: Spread betting is still seen as a fairly niche option within the UK online betting world, but Spreadex also has a solid sportsbook site so it covers a wide range of bases. There is no doubt that the popularity of spread betting is on the rise, with Spreadex well-placed to profit.
Best Features: These days, almost all punters in the UK prioritise good payment method options. E-wallets have grown tremendously in popularity and the introduction of Instant Bank Transfer has changed the way we look at fast withdrawals. On these fronts, William Hill shines with low minimum amounts and many options to choose between.
Biggest Negatives: For the e-wallets, William Hill has a minimum deposit of £10 and that could certainly be lowered. Skrill and Neteller users can withdraw £5, but the PayPal limit is still set at £10 for withdrawals. This will not be a problem for most punters, but it is still worth keeping in mind.
Our View: William Hill is one of the best bookmakers, there is no doubt about it, and having your winnings within just a few minutes (via Instant Bank Transfer) is a huge perk. Anyone who wants a solid bookmaker with a good user experience will likely not be disappointed by the blue and yellow-themed bookie.
Almost all the best betting sites, and especially the most prominent football bookmakers, now offer cash out and most have the partial cash-out feature too.
Football has the most cash-out markets in most UK bookies. But, be sure to check which markets have it on your site. Usually, you will see a cash-out symbol near the market or event.
My top pick among the UK betting sites is bet365. It may feel like an obvious pick, but it has been my go-to bookmaker for over 10 years. I only bet on my mobile, and it feels pretty hard to beat the bet365 app for ease of use, speed and fast live betting.
The 2 Goals Ahead Early Payout for Acca's is a must-use bonus if you regularly place Accumulator bets, and I have won countless selections from this feature, even if my pick lost in the end.
Then it comes to the feature I use most, which is bet365's Bet Builder. The range of markets and choices available on bet365's Bet Builder is by far the best I have seen personally. They have also recently added the option for "Player Fouls Committed" for pre-match football bets, but not in-play bets just yet. Also, the ability to build Acca Bet Builders from multiple games is a fantastic feature that I have not seen on other bookies.
Aside from our expert reviews, another brilliant way to identify the best betting sites is by looking at the recent award-winning bookies.
These top-rated platforms have been recognised for their exceptional features, reliability, and outstanding user experiences.
Below are the latest winners from the 2023 awards ceremonies.
What is the most trusted betting site in the UK? According to real player reviews from Trustpilot, BetVictor is currently the most trusted bookmaker in the UK, with a rating of 4.4 out of 5 and over 3500 reviews.
If you didn't know, Trustpilot is a well-known review platform where customers share their experiences.
These ratings help us understand which online bookmakers are trusted and appreciated by the betting community for their service, user-friendliness, and overall reliability.
Although people are more likely to leave negative reviews than positive reviews, even when they are satisfied with a product or service, we believe that ratings should still be considered when choosing a betting site.
For example, bet365 is one of the lowest-rated UK betting sites on Trustpilot, with a rating of 1.3 out of 5 and over 3,800 reviews. However, we still rank it as the #1 best UK betting site based on our own evaluation criteria.
We do not dismiss player reviews on Trustpilot, but we see them as only one factor in our rating process. Unfortunately, there are not many well-known bookmakers with positive reviews due to the nature of online gambling.
💻 Operator | BetVictor | 10bet | Spreadex Sports | BetGoodwin | Kwiff | Betfred | William Hill | Unibet | Ladbrokes | bet365 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
🔢 Trustpilot Rating | 4.3/5 | 4.3/5 | 3.8/5 | 3.7/5 | 3.7/5 | 3.0/5 | 1.6/5 | 1.4/5 | 1.3/5 | 1.3/5 |
📊 Number of Ratings | 3.7k+ reviews | 1k+ reviews | 1k+ reviews | 300+ reviews | 4.1k+ reviews | 5.5k+ reviews | 5,5k+ reviews | 2k+ reviews | 3.2k+ reviews | 4.3k+ reviews |
👉 Visit Site | Join Bookie | Join Bookie | Join Bookie | Join Bookie | Join Bookie | Join Bookie | Join Bookie | Join Bookie | Join Bookie | Join Bookie |
On top of the TrustPilot reviews, we also check the user ratings and reviews from fellow bettors on the app stores.
As most people now bet on their phones, many more reviews and ratings are available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store compared to Trustpilot and other review sites.
Below are the top 10 bookmakers with the highest user ratings on both App Stores.
💻 Operator | bet365 | Paddy Power | Betfair | William Hill | BetMGM | Betway | Kwiff | Ladbrokes | BetVictor | Betfred |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
📱 Android Rating | 4.6/5 | 4.4/5 | 4.4/5 | 4.3/5 | 4.2/5 | 4.2/5 | 4.3/5 | 4.1/5 | 3.3/5 | 3.5/5 |
🍏 iOS Rating | 4.7/5 | 4.7/5 | 4.6/5 | 4.7/5 | 4.8/5 | 4.7/5 | 4.3/5 | 4.6/5 | 4.7/5 | 4.3/5 |
📊 Number of Reviews | 300k+ | 130k+ | 100k+ | 160k+ | 28k+ | 50k+ | 12k+ | 30k+ | 49k+ | 30k+ |
Visit | Read review | Read review | Visit | Visit | Visit | Visit | Visit | Visit | Visit |
Below are the best UK bookmakers that offer the lowest deposits and the fastest withdrawals. These are some of the most important factors that we test to get accurate data.
We have tested the deposits and withdrawals on over 50 UK bookmakers and found most have outdated information or inaccurate claims of fast withdrawals.
Below are our favourite bookmakers from these tests and the important terms for each.
💻 Operator | William Hill | Coral | Unibet | bet365 | Lottoland |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
🔢 Minimum Deposit/Withdrawal | £5/£5 | £5/£5 | £5/£5 | £5/£5 | £1/£1 |
⏱️ Fastest Withdrawal Method | Instant Bank Transfer (Within minutes) | Instant Bank Transfer (Within minutes) | Instant Bank Transfer (Within minutes) | Visa Direct (Within 2 hours) | Debit Card (2-5 business days) |
💳 Accepts PayPal | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
👉 Visit Site | Join Bookie | Join Bookie | Join Bookie | Join Bookie | Join Bookie |
The UK is a major hub for online betting, and there are many different online bookmakers to choose from. However, not all betting sites are created equal, and some are best avoided.
In this section, we will list some of the UK betting sites we recommend avoiding, and explain why they should be avoided. We will also provide tips on how to choose a safe and reputable betting site.
Here are some reasons why you might want to avoid a particular betting site:
If you are considering using a betting site that is not listed on our website, we recommend that you do your research carefully before signing up. Read online reviews and compare the site to other betting sites to make sure that it is safe and reputable.
Too many negative reviews
Received fines for targeting vulnerable customers
£2.2m fine for failing to protect customers and stop stolen money being gambled
Too many negative reviews
Withdrawal issues
Negative real player reviews
Deposit and withdrawal fees/issues
Awful welcome bonus terms
Received fines for targeting vulnerable customers
£2.2m fine for failing to protect customers and stop stolen money being gambled
Too many negative reviews
Concerning amount of negative reviews
Fees for deposits
Issues withdrawing money from HighBet
Bad welcome offer
Hard to contact customer support
Limited payment methods
Online sports betting, when played responsibly, can be a form of entertainment. But, there has been a concerning rise in online betting sites that are not registered with GamStop.
Since 31 March 2020, all businesses licensed to provide online gambling services to individuals in the UK must be part of the GAMSTOP scheme as part of the licence granted to them by the Gambling Commission.
We do not recommend joining any online gambling site that is promoted as non-GamStop as they are operating illegally in the UK.
Steven is an experienced iGaming content writer who has been working in the industry since 2018. He is passionate about sports betting and enjoys writing about all aspects of the industry, including bookmaker reviews, betting tips and strategies, and news and analysis. If you have any questions about online gambling in the UK, please don't hesitate to contact him.