Betting Sites UK

What Can I Bet on This Week?

The conclusion to the group stages of Euro 2024 qualifying dominate the start of the week and it’s set to be a tense Tuesday night in Cardiff, where Wales need a win over Turkey to have a shot at automatic qualification.

A 1-1 draw with Armenia last Saturday means Wales’ fate is no longer in their hands. They need a favour from the Armenians against Croatia and to beat group leaders Turkey, who have only lost once in the qualifying process.

Simon Sinclair has previewed that crunch Wales vs Turkey clash, while we’ve also picked out our best bets from the night’s other Euro 2024 qualifiers. 

In South America, there’s the small matter of world champions Argentina going to Rio de Janeiro to take on fierce rivals Brazil in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, it’s Thanksgiving in the United States on Thursday and that means a triple header of NFL games. 

The holiday season is a time for miracles and the Green Bay Packers, Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks are all priced up by bookmakers as needing one when taking on the play-off bound trio of the Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers respectively.

If that wasn’t enough midweek gridiron action, there’s the first-ever Black Friday game between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins to enjoy the following day.

In tennis, the Davis Cup finals get underway on Tuesday with Great Britain taking on Serbia in the quarter-finals on Thursday. The Brits are the outsiders to win the Davis Cup and will be without talisman Andy Murray, who is sidelined with a shoulder injury.

Finally, India get an early chance to avenge last weekend’s Cricket World Cup final defeat to Australia when the two sides kick off a five-game T20 series on Thursday. 

We’ll have our NFL, tennis and cricket betting experts making selections on all the midweek action.

The Independent Picks for the Best Betting Sites in November 2023

Whether you're an avid football bettor, a horse racing punter or someone who loves to place a bet builder, certain online bookmaker platforms are better suited to meet your needs than others. To help you find the perfect fit, we've categorised the top betting sites in the UK according to specific features:

Best Betting Sites for Football: Spreadex

1. Spreadex

Spreadex stand out from other betting sites by offering both fixed odds and spread betting from a single account. Among the football spread betting options of note are Player Performance bets, where you can bet over/under a points total based upon players' achievements such as goals, assists, shots on target, tackles won and more.

Primary shirt sponsors of Sunderland AFC, they also offer an extensive range of in-play football betting markets and First Goalscorer Insurance: money back if your chosen player fails to score first but scores last instead.

2. Kwiff

Kwiff is an innovative and unique betting site with a Sports Club which rewards customers with 'Football Surprise Bets' of up to £20 a week, plus a 'Football Acca Shield' if one leg of your football accumulator fails you.

They also offer a 'Guaranteed Weekend Supercharge' on 3+ fold accas, random 'Supercharged Cash Outs' for those looking to cash out in-running, or even to 'kwiff' your bet, with the odds suddenly improved as a surprise.

3. Bzeebet

Despite being one of the newest online betting sites in the UK, Bzeebet has already created a good impression by offering free football bets every Thursday if you place accumulators throughout the week.

There are also football Bet Builder and Cash Out options, plus 'BZ Combo Boosts' on football accumulators - with your odds boosted by up to 77%.

Best Betting Sites for Horse Racing: Unibet

1. Unibet

Unibet have firmly established themselves as one of the best horse racing betting sites, featuring live streaming of UK and Irish races and best odds guaranteed, plus regular racing promotions with three 'Uniboosts' a day on any horse you choose, a daily Acca Boost, money back specials on ITV races and more extra places than other bookies.

Sponsors of the Unibet Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, plus Kempton All Weather meetings, they also have top trainers Nicky Henderson and Richard Hannon as ambassadors, offering exclusive weekly insight. It comes as no surprise that Unibet were crowned 'Horse Race Betting Operator of the Year' in both 2021 & 2022.

2. BetGoodwin

BetGoodwin is the new online betting site from the well-established Goodwin Racing telephone bookmakers and boast various racing ambassadors, including jockeys Hayley Turner and Tom Cannon, plus trainer Alan King.

They are another to stand out for racing money-back specials: if your horse is beaten by a nose (or half a length in a chase), falls at the last when in front, or finishes second to a 50/1+ winner, you get your money back as a free bet up to £100. BetGoodwin also offer live streaming and best odds guaranteed on all UK and Irish racing.

3. Fitzdares

Fitzdares are the official betting partner of Fulham FC and were awarded 'Racing Sportsbook of the Year' in 2020. They offer live streaming of UK, Irish and international racing, generous specials and boosts on racing multiples.

One of the world's oldest bookies, having offered a boutique bookmaker service to members of The Fitzdares Club in Mayfair since 1882, Fitzdares now have a new club at Ben Pauling's yard in the Cotswolds. Their online betting site offers a unique personal service, including exclusive insight from racing broadcaster Cornelius Lysaght.

Best Betting Sites for Bet Builders: bet365

1. bet365

Bet365 stands out for the wide range of sports you can build bets for - in total there are 11: football, tennis, rugby union, rugby league, boxing, basketball, baseball, ice hockey, American football, Aussie Rules football and MMA. 

Their Bet Builder functionality is intuitive and effortless to navigate, we could add or remove selections with a simple click with the odds adjusting as each choice was added. Plus, unlike most other UK betting sites, you can include selections from different games or even add them to the bet slip alongside non-Bet Builder bets.

2. Betway 

Betway allow you to create your own personalised bets on major football matches with their user-friendly interface. You can combine up to 10 selections into one unique bet or choose pre-built ones from the list of ‘Popular Bets’. 

As well as being the longest running shirt sponsor of Premier League club West Ham United, Betway are the global betting partner of Brighton & Hove Albion and sponsor the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

3. NetBet

NetBet is another online bookmaker to make the process of building customised bets easy. Simply choose your match, click the Bet Builder toggle and start adding your selections, then just add your stake and place your bet.

It's not only football bet builders with NetBet, you can also build bets on the likes of cricket, rugby, basketball and American football, plus they also offer a Weekly Free Bet Club and enhanced odds on big events with BetPlus+.

How to choose between UK Betting Sites: key questions to ask

Always prioritise the features that suit your betting style when choosing a bookmaker to sign up with. If you're a golf bettor, for example, you'll want extra each-way places for the majors, competitive golf odds and price boosts for all the big weekly tournaments.

There are, however, certain features that every betting site should have, regardless of which sports you like to bet on. The following are some of the questions our experts look to answer when reviewing the best UK betting sites.

Is the bookmaker licensed?

Only sign up with licensed betting sites that are legal to use in the UK. All of the bookies highlighted at The Independent are licensed, so you'll be guaranteed a regulated betting environment if you sign up via this page.

If you're ever unsure whether an online bookmaker is licensed when browsing the internet yourself, scroll down to the bottom of the site's homepage, where licensing details should be clearly visible. You can also check the UK Gambling Commission public register to see which betting companies are regulated in the UK.

What offers and promotions are available?

The online betting landscape in the UK is extremely competitive and there are dozens of bet sites vying for your business. For this reason, the best betting sites have welcome offers to encourage new customers to sign up.

All of the best bookmakers should have a welcome offer of some sort, which will usually involve depositing/betting with real money and claiming free bets in return. Aside from a welcome bonus, there should also be regular promos for existing customers like money-back specials, price boosts, profit boosts and free bets.

Does the betting site work well on mobile?

The latest data from UK Gambling Commission research shows that over 60% of online bettors use their phones to gamble. With the majority of online betting done through smartphones in 2023, there are no excuses if a bookmaker's mobile product isn't up to scratch.

Mobile betting sites should load quickly and should be super-easy to navigate. Many of the best online bookmakers also have handy betting apps that you can download directly to Android or iOS devices.

Do the betting odds provide value?

If a bookmaker is consistently beaten on prices, it won't make the cut for our betting sites UK list. A key part of our review process involves comparing the value of betting odds across online bookmakers.

If you plan to bet on a couple of sports or markets in particular, it's worth carrying out your own research by comparing the prices of different bookies for your favourite markets.

What are my payment options?

We like betting websites that give bettors choices when it comes to payment options. Bookmakers who process withdrawals and deposits quickly get extra marks from our reviewers. All top bookies and gambling sites accept debit cards, while many new betting sites also accept e-wallets or PayPal payments.

Welcome offers will often be restricted to debit cards only and it's also worth noting that credit card gambling has been illegal in the UK since 2020.

How strong is the customer support?

The best betting sites make it easy to get in touch with their support teams whenever you have a question or request. Email, telephone and social media are popular methods, but live chat is probably the quickest and handiest way to get a question answered.

We favour online bookmakers with helpful, polite live chat support teams that operate 24/7 and respond within minutes when contacted.

What live betting options are there?

One of the perks of online betting is the ability to bet in-play as the action happens. The best live betting sites give punters the opportunity to watch events through live streams and to cash out bets by taking an offer from the bookie before a market is settled.

If live streams aren't present, we want trackers that provide live updates and statistics during a sporting event.

UK Bookmaker bonus offers to look out for

• Welcome Bonus: A welcome bonus is a promotional offer designed to attract new customers to a betting site. It typically involves a bonus activated when making an initial deposit or placing a qualifying bet. For example, a sports betting UK site may offer a 100% matched bonus up to a certain amount, effectively doubling your first deposit.
• Free Bets: Most bet sites will offer free bets as part of a welcome package or as part of ongoing promotions for existing customers. Free bets can be awarded in various ways, through loyalty programmes, referral bonuses, or specific event promotions.
• Enhanced Odds: Enhanced odds promotions allow customers to bet on select events at higher odds than regular market prices. For example, you might find a bookie boosts England's price in a big World Cup game to encourage new bettors to sign up or to reward existing customers.
• Cashback Offers: Cashback promotions provide something of a safety net for bettors by offering a refund on specific bets or a percentage of losses within a certain period. For instance, a betting site might offer a cashback deal where customers receive 10% of their net weekly losses back.
• Acca Insurance: Acca Insurance is a popular promotion that refunds bettors who narrowly miss out on winning accumulator bets. With this promotion, if one leg of an accumulator bet loses, the betting site refunds the stake or provides a free bet as compensation.

Best payment methods for online betting

When choosing an online bookmaker, making sure that they accept your preferred banking methods is essential. The best UK betting sites typically offer a variety of payment options, including:

• Visa Debit
• Debit Mastercard
• Debit Maestro
• PayPal
• Apple Pay
• Google Pay
• Skrill
• Neteller
• ecoPayz
• Paysafecard
• Bank Transfer

How to deposit and withdraw funds

1. Navigate to the 'Deposit', 'Withdraw' or 'Cashier' section of your sports betting site. It is usually located in the top menu or on the account dashboard.
2. Select your preferred banking method from the options provided.
3. Enter the transaction details, including the deposit or withdrawal amount and payment information (card number, expiration date, CVV etc).
4. Verify that the entered information is accurate and confirm the transaction.
5. Wait for the payment to be processed. In most cases, deposits are instant, but it may take a few moments for the funds to reach your online betting account. Some top betting sites now have instant withdrawals that reach your account straight away, while others can take between 1-3 days.

How the UK Gambling Commission regulates online bookies

The UK Gambling Commission is the authority that regulates gambling sites in Great Britain. Established under the Gambling Act of 2005, this body oversees all commercial gambling including online casinos, bingo clubs, sports betting and online betting.

As we've touched on, one of the Commission's key roles is the licensing of gambling operators. Businesses that wish to provide gambling services must meet strict standards and comply with the laws set forth by the Commission. If they fall foul of the regulations, they can be hit with fines or have their licence revoked.

Another essential part of the Commission's mandate is promoting responsible gambling and protecting vulnerable individuals. All UK betting companies must verify the age and identity of players to prevent underage gambling. They are also required to keep customers' betting funds separate from their business accounts.

The Commission requires betting companies to clearly communicate rules, odds and risks to players, promoting fairness and preventing deceptive practices. To help people maintain control over their gambling, bookmakers must also provide responsible gambling tools, self-exclusion schemes and information on help services.

How Bookmakers operate

The name 'bookmaker' originates from the practice of recording wagers in a hand-bound ledger (the 'book') and so the person laying the bets would thus be ‘making the book’.

Bookmakers primarily operate by adjusting what are determined to be the true odds of the various outcomes of an event in a downward fashion (i.e. pay out an amount which is slightly less than the true odds would have paid).

Let’s consider a very basic example of how bookmakers adjust the prices available to us when placing a wager.

Suppose we are rolling dice and a bookmaker wants to offer odds on the six possible outcomes (each with a one in six chance of occurring).

The bookie knows the probability of each is 16.666% (100 divided by the 6 possible outcomes) and that the 'true' odds of each outcome is 5/1 (5+1=6).

If they offer 5/1 and lay bets to the same stakes on all six outcomes, they will pay back out exactly what they take. 

For instance, they field total bets of £60 at a rate of £10 per number. Now, whatever number is rolled, they will pay out one winning bet at odds of 5/1 (a total of £60 including the returned stake).

Of course, that won't make them a profit, so instead of 5/1, they might choose to offer 4/1 on each selection - now representing a theoretical 20% chance of winning per number as implied by the odds. 

Therefore, although the true percentage chance of each number hasn’t changed (16.666%), their ‘book’ is now priced to a different theoretical chance - what is known as their ‘margin’ or the 'overround'.

Taking six selections, each with a theoretical 20% chance of winning, and adding these up, we end up with:

20% x 6 = 120% (total theoretical chance)

By offering 4/1 and again taking a £10 bet on each number, they would again field the same £60 into the book, but would now pay out just £50 (£10 at 4/1) on the winning number after the dice is rolled, keeping £10 profit.

Thus, it is clear why bookies consistently offer odds which are marginally shorter than the true probability and why an overround of closer to 100% is a better value for bettors.

Fortunately, today’s crowded and competitive betting market has led to online betting sites, in particular, offering more attractive odds - reducing the overround and operating to lower margins to attract more customers.

In the early 2000’s it was considered the norm for football betting sites to price up a Premier League match to 111%, but they now tend to price these game to around 104% (their margin cut significantly from 11% to just 4%).

It is crucial to remember that the total probabilities of all participants in an event must always add up to 100% mathematically. However, because sporting events are never conducted under the same conditions and are subject to countless variables, the true odds (based on statistical probability) are always a matter of opinion. 

The Best Betting Sites: The Independent View

You should now have a good idea of how bookmakers work and the factors that distinguish the best sports betting sites in the UK from the rest. 

To make an informed decision when choosing a bookmaker, consider factors such as licensing, promotions, mobile compatibility, customer support and competitive odds. Additionally, remember to prioritise the features that align with your own betting preferences.

Whether you are new to the world of online betting or an experienced punter in search of more betting options or new betting sites, we trust this sports betting UK guide contains everything you need to find your perfect bookie.