The UK's Top Online Betting Sites for Sports in 2024

Whether you're mad on online sports betting in the UK or looking to try betting sites for the first time, you're in the right place. We've got tons of information on everything sports betting, from where to grab the top bonuses through to information about all of the different sports and events you can bet on, plus we'll show you:

Where to find the best online sports betting sites The ins and outs of claiming (and using) an online sports betting bonus The different sports and types of bets you can place at an online bookies How to stay safe when making real money deposits and withdrawals

Betting Exchanges vs Bookmakers

The main difference between using an online bookmaker, where you place your bets on odds set by the betting site(s) you're using, and a betting exchange is that the latter allows you to bet against other British punters.

Because a betting exchange is driven by supply and demand, you can find some seriously impressive sports betting odds (without the commission of online bookies built in) but that also means there's a risk that no-one will want to take you up on a particular bet you're looking to place.

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Bet On Top Football Fixtures

The Sports Betting Bonuses Available

  • "No Deposit" free bet - Think of this as a taster for online betting on sports; anything you win with this risk-free bet will need to be wagered many times over before it can be withdrawn
  • % match bonus - Probably the most common type of bonus, where any real money you deposit is matched (or better) with credit for online betting on sports
  • Enhanced odds - Depending on the sport/event you're betting on, online bookies may offer you improved odds on your first bet

It's worth highlighting once more that even the best online sports betting sites impose wagering requirements on their bonuses: you can't (unfortunately!) simply withdraw your bonus as real money right off the bat.

Recommended Football offers this month

Editors Pick

100%

100% deposit bonus of up to £30

Players Favourite

£30

Bet £10 get £30 when you place your first bet

The Sports Available On Betting Sites

If you're looking to make a sports bet, UK customers have a staggering range of events and activities to bet on in 2024.
The below is by no means exhaustive but it does offer a quick look at some of the sports that you can bet on at online bookies.

Football

Considering how much the average Brit loves footy, it's not surprising that the beautiful game is one of the most popular sports betting options in the UK

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Horse Racing

Queueing up to get your real moneywagers placed at a local horse racing track in time is (or at least can be) a thing of the past!

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Basketball

Whether NBA, NCAA or British hoops, there's always plenty of basketball events to bet on across the season - it's a slam dunk!

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Motorsports

High octane and high risk, wagering on racing at betting sites is one that will appeal to all the adrenaline junkies out there

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Cycling

An exciting test of stamina and skill, races across the United Kingdom (and all over the world) are even more fun to watch when they come with a big money win

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NFL

Hit and miss with folks in Britain, but the Super Bowl is the culmination of a long, hard season and is always a talking point in the office or down at the pub

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Golf

Perhaps the ultimate game of skill, golf leader boards can change drastically in a matter of hours - this makes for some seriously up and down sports betting

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Rugby

However you feel about rugby (trying to get league and union fans to agree is often very difficult!), we're sure you'll love getting a slice of action betting online

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Tennis

With all sorts of different events - played on grass, artificial and clay courts - betting on tennis is a tricky one to master, but still very enjoyable

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Baseball

The games may be long, and it's certainly America's game rather than the UK's, but the World Series is among the most high profile sporting events to date

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Boxing

Sometimes matches last close to an hour, other times they're over in a matter of seconds. As long as your fighter wins, you probably won't care which!

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Cricket

Invented in England but (arguably!) perfected in India, cricket is always an interesting way to enjoy sports betting and there are several big-name events in 2024

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Snooker

A game of wits as much as it is one of physical skill, it's almost too much fun watching the player you're backing hammer another by snookering them

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Darts

Trying to resist the temptation to say that "I could do better down at my local!" when someone misses the treble 20 aside, this is a solid activity to bet on

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Chess

Not exactly a sport so much as it is a game, although chess fanatics out there might disagree with us on that one, but still a heck of a lot of fun to bet on

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Motorbike Racing

However you feel about rugby (trying to get league and union fans to agree is often very difficult!), we're sure you'll love getting a slice of action betting online

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Bowls

More slow-paced than many of the other games on this list, but still one that can end with thrills and chills if it all comes down to the wire

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Ice Hockey

With action in the United Kingdom (EIHL) and USA (NHL), there's plenty of ice hockey action to enjoy throughout the year

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Fantasy Football - Premier League

Is the UK flavour, and is definitely a strangely compulsive activity to enjoy with friends or colleagues

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Fantasy Football - NFL

Read up on building the perfect NFL Fantasy team with key players from the season, and learn how betting works on virtual games.

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E-Sports

Watching strangers play video games might sound like an odd way to pass the time, let alone betting on it, but its popularity continues to grow in 2024!

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Politics

If there's one thing that spices up all of that 24 hour news coverage as the next general or presidential election draws near, it's having some cash on the line

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Mobile Gambling Compatibility

Guide To Online Betting On Sports

  • Let's say that "the line" is 14 (although it's more likely to be a non-rounded number like 14.5 to avoid ties) for an upcoming NFL game. This means that one team must beat the other by more than 14 points in order for a bet on the favourite to pay out, while bets on the losing team will pay even if they're beaten by 13 points.
  • You'll also probably come across "in play" betting. In the context of sports betting, this means that you can continue to wager on a game/event as it happens. Odds are updated in real-time to reflect the likelihood of the outcome as it changes.For example, if a strong favourite is walloping the underdog then even longer odds will be offered on the underdog making a comeback.
  • Part of the beauty of online sports betting in the UK is that, as long as you don't mind signing up to a few different sites (which will usually release an online sports betting bonus each time you do), you can shop around for the best odds and bonuses that the market has to offer every time you play.

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Betting On Mobile

If you’re looking for championship odds or the latest Premier League betting you don’t need to feel tied to your computer. There are plenty of apps for iPhone and Android out there (see this page for links to what we believe to be the best online football betting app) and mobile sites you can use to play for real money as well.

Playing on mobile is a nice way to get in on the action if you’re, say, out watching the game with friends at the pub.

Betting Online with Mobile Devices

Signing Up For Sports Online Betting

When joining up with sites for online sports betting in the UK, the average person seems to wonder primarily about two things: first, the legal side of it and second, how an online sports betting bonus works. We'll get to both of those very soon!

First off, you'll be glad to know that folks aged over 18 can legally gamble in the United Kingdom, both in bricks and mortar venues and on the web.One more good thing - residents of the UK don't need to pay tax on gambling winnings! That only gets a bit more complicated if you get to the point where you consider online gambling your primary career, and most of you probably aren't at that stage yet.

When it comes to withdrawing bonus credit as real cash, once you've met the play through requirements of the offer you'll need to submit some form(s) of identification to the online bookmaker. Something like a scan of your driving license/passport and a utility bill will usually suffice, though you may need to provide additional proof that the deposit/withdrawal option you're using definitely belongs to you. Theoretically you might need to submit this before playing but, in practice, most sites don't bother with ID until you're withdrawing your winnings.

Conclusion

When enjoying sports online betting, the most important thing is to keep your personal information and payment details safe and secure. The easiest way to do that is to play only at sites that are reputable, licensed by the appropriate authorities and well-known for being fair to players.

That's all we'll ever recommend to you on this website, since we've spent countless hours ranking those sites offering the best range of sports markets with decent odds and real value in their promos and free bets, all with the aim of finding the top venues for online sports betting in the UK.

The UK’s Top 5 Bookies for Sports
October 2024

GAMBLING COMMISSION
VERIFIED PARTNERS
Rank Rating Offer Payment methods Features
Rank
Rating
4.6/5
Offer
Deposit match 100% 100% deposit bonus of up to £30
Payment methods
PayPal
VISA
MasterCard
+7 more
Features
In-play betting
Free bets
Best odds
Rank 2
Rating
4.3/5
Offer
Free bet £30 Bet £10 get £30 when you place your first bet
Payment methods
PayPal
Neteller
MasterCard
+6 more
Features
In-play betting
Mobile app
Free bets
Rank 3
Rating
4.5/5
Offer
Deposit match 100% 100% deposit bonus of up to £30
Payment methods
PayPal
Visa
Maestro
+7 more
Features
In-play betting
Mobile app
Free bets
Rank 4
Rating
4.7/5
Offer
Free bet £30 Bet £10 get £30
Payment methods
PayPal
Visa
MasterCard
+6 more
Features
In-play betting
Mobile app
Free bets
Rank 5
Rating
4.7/5
Offer
Free bet £100 Receive up to £100 free bets when you place a minimum of 5 bets
Payment methods
PayPal
Visa
MasterCard
+6 more
Features
In-play betting
Free bets
Mobile app

T&Cs Apply to All Bonuses. 18+ only. Gamble Responsibly.

Online Sports Betting

It’s not unusual for those who are new to online gambling to have questions about football betting online. Here are a few of those we receive most often

The sky's the limit! You can bet on multiple matches, either individually or as part of an accumulator, at once, or just focus all of your efforts on a single game. It's totally up to you.

If you stick with the honest and reputable sites that we recommend, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll encounter any problems. Remember, if a site offers odds for online betting on football games that appear too good to be true then they probably are!

Absolutely. Almost all of the top football betting sites offer bonuses in the form of free bets, matched deposits or accumulator insurance. There's no shortage of real money bonuses to be claimed from an online bookie!

Some people think you can only bet on the overall winner of a match or tournament, but that couldn't be further from the truth. In 2018, you can bet on who will score first, the final score, the number of goals scored by a certain player and all sorts of other things.

We've been on the hunt for the best football betting sites and are proud to present our findings on this page. Visit any of the sites we recommend and you're in for a great time. We'll only ever suggest sites that have been thoroughly tested for everything, from security to the bonuses available.

FAQs