All you need to know to find the best betting sites

For new players seeking to discover the best betting sites for sports, it can at times be a lot trickier than first imagined. With the industry becoming so crowded in recent years, it is hard to sort between the genuinely quality online bookmakers, and those that really aren’t worth their weight in salt. But not to worry, throughout this page and much of this website, we’ll be delving deep into the question of what possibilities are available to punters these days and what makes a betting site truly great.

In our eyes, the best betting sites are:

1. bet365
2. Betway
3. Ladbrokes

How did we evaluate the bookies to pick the best betting sites?

In our opinion, choosing online bookmakers and sorting them in order of quality is a scientific process. There are many KPI’s that we use to organise the best betting sites from the least favourable. The good thing about utilising a process that is based on a standardised score sheet, it prevents emotions clouding judgement, it largely ignores the cosmetic factors that sometimes lure people into using a certain product. Here we are looking a purely gambling functionality of a platform. How easy is it to use? How enjoyable is the overall experience? Does this site truly care about there customers? These are all questions that can be answered when we delve deeper under the hood of each company we are partnered with. Follow on reading below to see the main factors that we consider when judging a new betting site and ranking it against the household names in the industry.

Live

As in-play sports betting sites take over the world, the increased technological capabilities of global data transfer and infrastructure is inevitable. It is no surprise that the number of live events available to bet upon has drastically increased. The huge interest in the in-play arena is fuelled by an increasing demand from the modern punter to get betting on demand and bet on immediate outcomes within the match. Many people love to watch live sport and react to developments as they happen before they strike their wager. In-play arenas need to have a huge number of markets and live betting types for them to be considered quality.

Streaming

There are a number of important things that can increase the enjoyability of the live gambolling experience, that is chiefly the number of events in live streaming availability. Of course, live streaming is usually never offered for free by the operator. The standard requirement is that a user first deposits some money into the sportsbook or has placed a bet in the past 24 hours. Most companies offer some form of streaming on their platform at a premium rate, this is to both encourage their users to bet on the events and spend more time browsing the platform. Most companies rely on the in-play arena to generate most of their betting volume and over the years offering high streaming quality and/or infographics if no streaming is available has proved to be an effective way to attract new players.

Payout (odds)

Perhaps nothing can be considered quite more essential to high-stakes gambling than the payout levels of the operator. Many companies have cropped up in response for the market need for information on who is offering the highest payouts on average, and specific fixture odds comparison. This is hugely beneficial to all parties involved, as it gives the user an excellent overview of what to expect from the sportsbook before they open an account and the operator can see where they compare in terms of strength of payout against their competitors. Payout rate obviously fluctuates wildly, and it is sometimes difficult to keep track of all the different sports markets that users love to pick from and compare them off against one another.

Welcome bonus

The welcome promo for a bookmaker is usually the most important factor for attracting low-stakes gamblers. It is often marketed clearly on the website for users to see before they make an account, thus giving the motivation to go ahead and sign-up for the service. There are many fantastic welcome bonuses available for bettors, the most common types are free bet, matched deposits and enhanced odds promotions. These three promotion types cover pretty much all welcome bonuses available on the market, but obviously, the amount offered to the player can vary greatly. Certain operators, usually the more established heavier backed financially offer much larger welcome offer deals, but this is not always the case and there are many smaller names within the industry that love to provide massive welcome deals, so always be on the lookout as these deals are constantly being updated and changing.

Ongoing bonuses, VIP systems and loyalty plans

Many sports betting sites will go to extreme lengths to try and keep your business – this is usually in the form of financial incentives. Loyalty schemes are becoming so common now in online sports betting that if your bookmaker doesn’t send you an email on a monthly basis offering you some sort of bonus or free bet, then you’re not getting the best out of the online experience and should look for a more generous bookie! There are several high-quality VIP systems that are commonly used, this could be exclusive invitations to live events or even credit to spend within a gift shop on the platform. If you’re unfamiliar with any of these things, then check out some of the fantastic companies available on this website as many of them will shower their players with financial and physical gifts if they are making regular deposits to the platform.

Deposits and withdrawals

The depositing and withdrawal processes in place at most online bookmakers are incredibly streamlined and flexible these days. You can usually choose from many banking and/or e-wallet options where there are clear deposit and withdrawal limits attached to each option. The different options all come with their own advantages and disadvantages, these are namely the fees and processing times attached to certain options. There are also several betting sites that have entered the realms of cryptocurrency wagering, allowing people to utilise cryptos such as Bitcoin and ETH to make deposits and bets.

A good gambling site will give their users plenty of options when it comes to depositing at the sportsbook, this is always accompanied by a solid range of withdrawal options where the user can feel safe and confident knowing that they will be able to take their money away stress-free and quickly!

Customer service

Perhaps no greater aspect of an online business gives so much importance to the trust that customers and clients can place in a service. Within the online gambling space customer service quality can vary greatly, from companies offering very little in terms of assistance and reachability, to bookies that give you plenty of different options and resolutions for a whole variety of issues. A site that truly care about their customers and players will always offer you a multitude of options when it comes to resolving issues, if you feel like your bookmaker isn’t giving you enough options, then look for another, because there are plenty out there worthy of your business! Live chat portals have become a mark of quality in our book, always look for a company that can offer you immediate resolutions through the live chat portal as this is quickly becoming a standard feature of the online betting industry.

Additional features

The best betting sites are constantly furthering the technological capabilities of their platforms, this is often through the release of stable integrations on the platform. Whether it’s using an efficient cashout system, or betting on virtual sports markets there are several ways that your bookmaker can make you feel like you’re getting fantastic value. There are plenty of sports betting sites that offer cashout these days and if you’re someone who likes to take the money early from your bets to ensure a profit, then you’ll have numerous options to do this. As for things such as statistics portals and livetickers, these features are very widely integrated into the majority of platforms and you’ll be hard pressed to find an operator that isn’t offering some sort of service with regard to these stats and scores information databases.

Betting types and markets

For punters that love to make big accumulator bets, there is perhaps nothing more important than the market variety at a betting operator. It is vital for an experienced bettor to look at a set of fixtures and be able to satisfy every hunch due to the comprehensive coverage throughout the markets offered. The second important fact is the bet types available. Most companies allow you to construct the betslip in a numerous amount of ways, whether it be a double, treble, fourfold or fivefold – these all belong to the accumulator bet type. However, if you were to make 5 selections and wanted to place a stake on many different outcomes, you could make a Super Yankee which involves 26x your stake backing different combinations of the outcome. You will win money if just 2 selections come in, these alternating bet types are very popular for players choosing lots of risky selections where they are confident a good proportion of them will return as a win.

Mobile app

Betting mobile is at the forefront of the gambling industry, they are quickly becoming the main domain in which bets are placed, as mobile app development is becoming a core focus of many software engineers at online sites, producing high-functioning and scalable mobile platforms is the difference between a successful betting site and one that is failing. Most punters these days will be used to playing on their mobile and may have used several different apps to conduct these activities. The majority of apps are built exclusively for Android and iOS and can be judged primarily on their UX and UI which are often very similar given the inherent needs of the modern-day punter. Critics will also be analysing how effective the navigation menus are, how many clicks are required to make the bet you are trying to conduct and whether there are any exclusive special features for the players using these mobile arenas.

UX

The user experience (UX) of a web application or mobile application is defined as the overall experience of a person using the product, especially in terms of ease-of-use and fulfilment whilst using it. This is not something that is easily achieved at a bookmaker, as the product is often relatively confusing and difficult to understand for new players, here presents a challenge of making a sportsbook easy enough for new players to understand, whilst still offering a deeper level of complexity and detail that will satisfy the more advanced bettors amongst us. User experience is vital for customer retention, in combination with user interface (UI) it can be the primary factor retaining players at a sportsbook, never mind high odds levels or wide market variety, many players are purely interested in a fun gambling experience and will prioritise things like UX/UI over all the other operational factors at a betting company.

Other gambling opportunities

Most sites offer the full gambling experience, in fact, many small sportsbooks purely exist to attract players into their (more profitable) alternate gambling opportunities. This is a fact, Casinos generate far more money for the house than sportsbook, hence why we are much more interested in the exploits of sports betting than going up against computer algorithms in casino and poker games. But if you do enjoy a bit of the adrenaline high that is caused by a quick casino session, you’ll find plenty of high-quality companies that are able to satisfy your every need when it comes to the full experience.

Security and legality

There are a few important factors that cannot ever be overlooked when you’re embarking on a sports betting mission, namely the security and legality of the platform in question. If you can’t trust the service is legitimate and you are worried about the security of the systems at an online operator then it is certainly worth doing your due diligence before opening an account there. The same goes for licensing and legality of sportsbooks, for UK operators we expect to see the UK Gambling Commission stamp of approval before we would recommend it to our readers. This is purely to ensure the safety of our players and to prevent us from being liable for promoting unsafe betting products. If you see a bookmaker on our website, trust that we have vetted and built a relationship with them to ensure they are legitimate and a safe and secure place to bet your money.

Years online, financial stability and reputation

When looking at a company in terms of legitimacy, there are several factors that can determine the trustworthiness of the betting site. Reputations take many years to build and can be destroyed instantaneously, any experienced executive will be able to tell you this. If you are particularly worried about an operator, have a look at our website for clear and honest reviews, or read some reviews made by other punters and see if they had positive or negative experiences with the company in question.

The top bookies per categories

Obviously, there are numerous factors that can differentiate best betting sites. You can be an individual that is particularly concerned about using a certain payment method or betting on an individual sport consistently, and that is what we will dive into throughout the following sections. The best bookmakers per category is a fantastic chance for you to evaluate the best operators throughout a series of categories and compare them against one another.

Key categories

There are a number of key categories we have selected in order to give our readers a full 360-degree roundup of the best betting sites across the board. This is an all-encompassing selection and ranking of certain operational factors, the functionality of the platforms themselves, and a variety of payment methods plus much more. Look below at the categories we have selected, alongside a rating for each section of the ranking.

Best in-play betting sites

There are many factors that determine the best in-play arenas around. One of the most important aspects of online gambling is the ability to follow the action and choose the exact moment to place your bet. This has long been an exciting feature of online betting – but many sites are pushing the boundaries on what is possible in this regard. With their excellent in-play graphics and live streaming (for players who have bet in the past 24 hours and/or have a funded account, geo-location restrictions also apply).

Best bonus betting sites

It is the best betting sites that know how to market themselves to a wider audience. There really is no better method of attraction than having a fantastic bonus for new players. Bookmakers that make a generous financial offer to new players are always at a massive advantage over those that fail to offer the same weight. Whether it be a free bet package, a standard bonus or first deposit match – it comes down primarily to the financial gain and specific bonus terms attached to the offer. A customer should think, how easy will it be to get away with the money, and what is the risk involved due to the wagering requirements and minimum odds. Then, and only then, should monetary value come into the judgement.

Highest odds level bookmakers

The best site for betting odds is not something you should take lightly. It is a fundamental aspect of the online gambling experience and the only thing that can directly influence how much money you are due to earn at the sportsbook. The bookmakers with the highest payout tend to be the favoured home of the high rolling gamblers, these are the guys that will benefit most greatly from a generous payout rate and tend to be less concerned with factors contributing to user experience and novelty enjoyment factors.

Interesting new bookies

It is always worth keeping your ear to the ground in an attempt to catch onto the latest trends. This rings true for sites cropping up around the world, many fantastic brands come into the top-tier on a yearly basis, all bringing with them a new and improved experienced. Check out some of our favourite new betting sites at the dedicated review page.

Betting exchanges

Betting exchanges are a relatively old phenomenon – having been founded almost 20 years ago, they allow users to bet against other players on the exchange. This is completely different from classic bookmaking, where you bet against the bookmaker for a certain outcome – here you can bet against outcomes not to happen by “laying” choosing how much you wish to stake – should you fail and the outcome does indeed happen, you will have to pay out at the winning odds to people who “backed” this outcome, just as a bookmaker would have to pay their winning customers. It is an interesting dynamic for sports betting and there are only really three companies dominating this form of gambling: Betfair, Betdaq and Matchbook.

Popular mobile betting apps

There are several fantastic ways to bet, but perhaps none are more exciting than using your mobile to bet. This method of placing your bets means that we can utilise a series of technological developments to make this a mobile-friendly activity. One of the best ways you can enjoy betting on your mobile is by checking around the App Store or Google Play Store, finding the best app for you and then getting down to business with your new favourite operator!

Betting sites offering no deposit bonuses

A very popular feature of the online gambling sphere in the past was no deposit betting sites. These were places where players could enter the action without making any financial commitment to the service, and still have the possibility to win money. Although you will be very hard stretched to find such an operator on the internet these days, they do crop up every so often. So, watch this space for the latest developments in sites offering no deposit bonuses.

Top high-roller betting sites

There are certain sites that give you the sense that you have to be into big betting to really make the most out of them. With huge deposit and withdrawal ceiling limitations, very little regard for aesthetical appeal or functionality, these are pure havens for the high-rollers. If you’re particularly interested in running a mammoth gambling campaign, then check out one of our top high-roller sites, they are just the right place for you!

Ranking bookies per payment method

When it comes to depositing with a specific payment method there are so many to choose from that we thought we would bring you a detailed overview of each one. This can be a very confusing aspect of online gambling – as companies handle payments in many different ways. The following sections will cover the most popular payment methods and bring you a detailed report and overview of which company is performing betting services the best for each payment method.

PayPal betting sites

The biggest payment method that is most widely used for online gambling is undoubtedly PayPal. The worlds favourite e-wallet is widely adopted across a multitude of countries and markets. This is purely down to the functionality, safety and speed of the service. You can utilise PayPal in a number of different currencies making it a very popular choice for deposits and withdrawals. If you still haven’t got a PayPal account, then you’re seriously missing out and causing yourself a lot of unnecessary hassle when it comes to e-commerce payments. Customers at Betway can enjoy very high-limits deposits using the PayPal option.

Skrill betting sites

The best Skrill betting sites on the market are widely used and can be accessed throughout the entire hemisphere of sports. The bookmakers in this category tend to be the ones that offer a wide array of deposit options and can be used across the board for all payment needs. One thing to consider when you’re using an e-wallet such as Skrill is that there are a number of restrictions in place when you are looking to take the money out of the wallet. You may be hit with fees, transfer limits and daily withdrawal limits, but for the majority of players, this will be a minimal issue.

Ranking bookmaker per sport

Throughout this section of our quest on discovering what makes an operator truly great, we’ll have a think about the individual sports and which operators are serving users in the most effective way under the banner of individual sportsbook capabilities. Although the quality of a sportsbook does not tend to differ greatly between sports at an individual bookmaker, there are certain factors that can differentiate the quality when comparing operators against one another. For instance, football betting across many operators can vary greatly in terms of additional features, graphics and odds. It would be unwise to, therefore, assume that a bookmaker that offers fantastic capabilities for football, also serves the interests of horse racing bettors in a similar fashion. This carryover of quality does happen often, but not in all cases. The following sections will help you decide which bookmaker is best for each sport, purely based on our objective observations of a vast list of operators.

Football betting sites

When it comes to online bookies, there is nothing quite like the thrill of betting on football. It is the world’s most popular sport, arguably one human’s greatest invention and is by far the most popular sport. In terms of what makes a great football sportsbook; there really is a lot to consider. Many bookmakers offer their customers live streaming, statistics portals, fantastic bet construction functionality, cash out options and great odds levels. To be a great football market provider you have to go beyond that – the in-play arena is really a huge part of this sport. For our top pick we really wanted to see a company that have optimised their in-play arena for football to the absolute limits of what is possible using current technology.

Golf betting sites

Golf is a very popular sport and pastime for millions of people around the world. It is a classic sport that is steeped in tradition and etiquette. There are many great tournaments around the world that draw huge attention from the whole sporting world, The Masters, Ryder Cup and The Open are some of the biggest to name just a few. Betting on golf usually involves high-odds single bets, or more defined lower odds condition bets. Whichever way you like to bet, there are several sites that do this better than the rest.

Cricket sportsbooks

Cricket has long been a niche field within the field of sports betting. Coming into prominence in recent years punters have been known to flock en masse to the bookies for high-profile international matches. When you find the best sportsbook for cricket you will know it because the market selection and odds levels will be more than satisfactory for any hunches you may have.

Horse racing betting sites

Another huge sport is horse racing, a sport that purely exists to serve the interests of betting. Horse racing is also enjoyed by millions of people around the world and this enjoyment extends far beyond the gambling community. There are many fantastic online sportsbooks that serve the interests of horse racing bettors. A great bookmaker will know how to offer the right promotions and additional features to tip them as the best operator in this sport. Horse racing has experienced a big shift from traditional offline bookmaking toward the modern online and live functionality, it is exciting to see what lays ahead for this traditional sport.

Greyhound betting sites

Greyhound racing has been a huge sport for the British Isles since its creation in the early 20th century. The dog races hold a soft spot for much of the older generation, it is becoming more of a novelty than a seriously regarded sport, but people still love to bet on the dogs. Have a look at our dedicated greyhound betting sites review by following the link above, for what we consider to be one of the best places serving the interests of greyhound racing bettors.

The best bookies in the different countries

Depending on where you are in the world can drastically influence the gambling experience you receive. Due to laws and regulation, many companies are limited to specific territories and offer services that can be very different. Presuming you are living in a country where gambling is legal you will have access to some form of sports betting service, there may be limited markets and match availability in a more restricted country, payment methods will differ and the ability to be in-play is sometimes withheld depending on which territory you are trying to bet from.

Conclusions

That’s it from us – we hope you understand from the above sections that choosing the best betting site for you is a very personal process that can be tailored to your immediate needs. We like to think of it primarily as a scientific process that can categorically score bookmakers based on a series of KPI’s. Using this objective methodology to rank bookmakers eliminates all bias from marketing, prominence and image in the public domain. We have taken many factors into account and utilised our expansive gaming experience to bring you an unbiased account of the best betting sites under many different criteria.

FAQ

The following sections are somewhat of a thought piece and reflections section of our research whilst constructing our website. We encounter many passionate people throughout this process all of them had many valid contributions and concerns that helped guide our process of choosing the best betting sites in each category. Below you will find some of the most common questions that we deliberated and discussed as we finalised our reports.

How can I open an account at an online bookmaker?

Opening an account at any online bookmaker on this page is a relatively simple process. You would start by choosing the bookmaker you find the most appealing and following the clickthrough link to their sign-up portal. Have your personal information at hand i.e. address, full name, DOB and payment information. You must use valid details and make sure you are able to confirm your address and identity upon demand after registration. You will then need to choose log in details and make an initial deposit. If you are attempting to claim a welcome bonus, make sure you check the terms of that offer as you may need to enter an offer code or use a particular payment method to be eligible to receive the bonus.

Is it legal to bet in the UK?

Betting on sports is legal and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission on behalf of the governments Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) under the Gambling Act 2005.

Is there a blacklist of bookies you don’t recommend?

As many of you know there are some rogue companies out there, and that is why we create pages like these to help you identify the quality bookmakers against the bad ones. Those on our blacklist are bookmakers that have be known to break regulations in terms of customer disputes, withholding winnings or simply losing their license to operate. Stay away from companies you see below.

What is the advantage of betting online rather than in a shop?

There really are endless reasons to give here. Countless more options to choose from at your fingertips, more markets, high-functioning live in-play arena, cash out, bigger welcome bonuses, more control. Need we go on?

How popular is betting in the UK?

Betting in the UK has reached an enormous audience. There are several companies that really dominate the market and the number speak for themselves. It is the country in the world most heavily involved with football wagering, per capita, and has the most licensed bookmakers out of any nation. Sports betting in the UK is a national pastime. This ethos is exemplified in the recent bet365 financial figures being disclosed for the 2017/18 tax year.

What is cashout and how to use it?

Cashout is a neat little feature that has truly revolutionised the way people bet within the live betting arena. Your bet slip always holds a ‘live’ value, depending on the course of events in a fixture you may be more likely to win to the point of absolute certainty. The cashout feature allows you to take the live value early before the bet is settled. You will find it under the bet management systems at most bookmakers; look for sections on the website such as “My Bets”.

What are the betting systems and how do they work?

System bets are a type of bet you can do when making multiple selections on the same betslip. The famous ones are Heinze, Super Heinze, Goliath and Canadian – but there are many others. Essentially you are making many very small bets all on different combinations of selections – you are therefore spreading your risk more evenly and won’t lose everything should one selection let you down, as in a traditional accumulator.

Where can I find a good tipster?

A lot of people like to consider themselves experts when it comes to sports betting, even posting tips on social media and blogs – and only really letting you know when they have made a win. The quality tipsters are the ones who are completely transparent, don’t make you pay for their tips (although this is sometimes worth it, but never pay more than £5 for betting tips), and post regular winners. Most quality tipsters will use some sort of point system to regulate how much to stake on a tip – thus letting you know how confident they are in their selections. There are numerous quality tipsters on the internet, do your digging using the principles above, and rely on your own inhibitions to make successful bets.