- Multiple BC UK Bookmaker Awards winner, including Best Bookmaker
- Attractive promos, including boosted odds & free games
- Hugely attractive new customer welcome offer, offering £50 in bonuses
- Popular Double Delight promo offers great value on goalscorer bets
- New to the UK betting scene, and set to make a big impression
- Partnering with BVGroup, so customers benefit from bet builders & odds boosts
- Sky Bet Club offers regular rewards, boosts, cash drops & more
- Super 6 promo offers customers free-to-play games with big prizes
- Combo boost promo increases your winning on successful accas
- Use bet builder and cash out to stay in control of your bets
- Generous and easy to follow welcome offer
- Existing customer offers include prediction games & Best Odds Guaranteed
- Brand new sportsbook launched, offering far more than just horse racing
- Benefit from the unique Tote dividend as an alternative to normal fixed odds betting
- Welcome offer gives new customers more free bets than most
- Profit boosts and free football predictors are part of a host of attractive offers
- Plenty of existing customer offers available
- Range of payment methods accessible
- Sign up offer is among the most generous on the market
- Spread betting option offers a completely different way of betting
- £30 in free bets is a great welcome offer for football bettors
- BV Loyalty Club and Guaranteed Prize Wheel offer reasons to use the site regularly
- Free bet rewards offered across various sports to reward most regular customers
- Cash boosts of up to 100% available when your acca wins
- Power Prices, Wonder Wheel & Acca Insurance among a range of top offers
- Innovative Super Sub offer means bets roll over to the player coming on
- Impressive range of casino games.
- Easy to use betting site.
- Great range of promotions
- Impressive depth in casino games
- Always outstanding promotions
- Reliable bookmaker for all
- Well Displayed Site
- Great Squads Game
- E-Sports Specialist
- Easy To Navigate Around Site And Mobile App
- Great Odds & Cash Out feature
- High quality on live-streaming service
- Winner of Best Market Selection at the BC Bookmaker Awards
- William Hill Plus card lets you cash out in-shop bets online
- Supercharged Cash Out available
- Surprise Bets on offer
- Reliable bookmaker for all
- Sizeable range of betting markets
- All-around, great bookie
- Wide range of payment options
- Winner of Best Customer Service at BC Bookmaker Awards
- Great existing customer games including Fives
- Strong Sign-Up Offer
- Great Customer Service
- Many payment options available
- Great sign-up offer for new customers
- Great Promotional Offers
- 24/7 Customer Service
- Easy to use site
- Great loyalty programme for existing customers
- Well-designed mobile app
- Range of payment options available
- Welcome offer gives new customers more free bets than most
- Profit boosts and free football predictors are part of a host of attractive offers
- Generous and easy to follow welcome offer
- Existing customer offers include prediction games & Best Odds Guaranteed
- E-Sports Specialist
- Easy To Navigate Around Site And Mobile App
- In-depth statistical based Premier League markets
- Eye-catching sign-up offer
- Supercharged Cash Out available
- Surprise Bets on offer
- Build A Racecard feature available
- AK Bets Podcast
- Many payment options available
- Great sign-up offer for new customers
- Accept larger bets than most rival betting sites
- Comprehensive racing coverage, featuring extra place races
- Streamlined Approach To Betting
- Transparent Rewards Scheme
- Easy to use site
- Great loyalty programme for existing customers
About the Author – Jacob Potter
I currently work full time in the betting industry, and have been betting on sports online for almost ten years. This experience has seen me build up an extensive knowledge of betting sites from across the UK. Whether it’s the so-called ‘big names’ in the betting industry such as bet365, Sky Bet, and William Hill, or the newer operators such as BetMGM, talkSPORT BET, or Betano, I’ll be reporting daily on the latest trends and reviewing their offers.
I have full access to the UK Bookmaker data set, so I can add my own perspective, which provides clarity behind the expert opinions provided on MyBettingSites. In my role, I need to spend considerable time comparing the best betting sites, so you can be sure the information provided comes from an experienced bettor.
You’ll find all the small details you’ll want to know about each bookmaker, which includes the pros and cons, which I’ve found whilst using these betting sites in a considerable amount of depth.
Where to use your Sign Up Offers
Once you’ve signed up with the UK’s best betting sites, the next step is deciding where to place the free bets you’ll have earned. There’s certainly plenty of options out there, so take a look at our recommendations for the best sporting events to use your free bets on.
- Football – Top flight football returns after the international break and there’s plenty of exciting action to look forward to at both ends of the table. Saturday sees a couple of early season six pointers, as Ipswich host Everton, still searching for their first league win, and Leicester travel to Southampton with hope of hauling themselves further clear of the drop zone. Super Sunday then gives us a match that’s well worth getting involved in, as Liverpool face arguably their toughest test under Arne Slot’s tenure. Will Cole Palmer and co take advantage of a Liverpool side missing Alisson. Have a closer look at the best football betting sites!
- Horse Racing – British Champions Day is the richest day in British racing and it’ll all unfold this Saturday at Ascot. Kyprios, Kinross and Economics are amongst the top rated favourites looking to justify their odds, before Limerick hosts the Munster National on Sunday afternoon. Many of the main contenders for Cheltenham and the Grand National are expected to be in action, so it’s the perfect opportunity to gauge the early season form. Be sure to check out the best horse racing betting sites.
- Cricket – England pulled off a remarkable first test win over Pakistan last week, but there’s little time to recover from the record-filled match. Will the rejigged Pakistan side come back with a vengeance, or are we set for more of the same, as Joe Root and Harry Brook continue to fill their boots? Find out more about the best cricket betting sites.
- Tennis – The likes of Jan Sinner and Novak Djokovic are having a well earned rest this week, but there’s still plenty of top class tennis to look forward to in Antwerp and Stockholm as the ATP Finals race heats up. Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart carry British hopes in Ningbo and Osaka respectively, and both will be keen to end their season on a high. Find out more about the best tennis betting sites.
How we tested the Best Betting Sites
Using data from the only data-driven UK Bookmaker Awards, MyBettingSites presents a comprehensive list of the best betting sites. We do these awards in collaboration with our parent company, Better Collective.
But before we get into the results, let’s take a quick look at the process for creating our list:
- A team were dedicated to collecting data through large-scale surveys on betting habits and markets.
- UK specific focus groups were used to collect data.
- 1.8m data points were collected across the year.
- Winners were finalised using the data collected
- An annual award show took place to celebrate the best betting sites and was attended by bookmakers.
We explain the process taken by the Bookmaker Awards in more detail. However, to help you find out who won, we’ll go straight into the best betting sites for each category and why they performed well.
The Top 5 Best Betting Sites
Discover the best UK betting sites, free bets, and betting offers for October 2024, compared, rated and reviewed regularly by our experts. Our top 5 betting sites list combines data from the UK Bookmaker Awards and our first-hand experience. Find out who tops our comparison lists and why.
1. bet365
bet365 leads the way as one of the best betting sites and a personal favourite of ours. Their high standards were recognised at the Bookmaker Awards, winning categories such as Best Sports Bookmaker, Best Welcome Offer and Best Horse Racing Odds. With back to back wins as best bookmaker, they’re hard to beat, so find out more about the bet365 bonus code and how to sign up. We were particularly impressed with their range of statistical-based betting markets on leagues such as the Premier League, with markets such as free-kicks, throw-ins, and goal-kicks, something that isn’t available with the majority of other bookmakers.
Pros
- Winner of Best Sports Bookmaker at the Bookmaker Awards
- Award winning welcome offer
- Impressive statistical-based markets
Cons
- Skrill and Neteller not available
2. Unibet
Unibet are an industry favourite and came in second in the Best Sports Bookmaker category at the Bookmaker Awards. They also featured within the top-five for multiple categories such as Best Welcome Offer, Best User Experience and Best Banking. They have a site with less of a modern look compared to some other top betting sites, which is one of the few negatives that we have to write about. But they make up for that with in-depth betting markets on popular sports such as football, tennis, and basketball. Some examples of this being the case is stat markets such as how many shots a team will have in a Premier League match, or how many points a player will score in the NBA. They also boast a dedicated betting tips section available on horse racing. Something that sets them apart from the rest.
Pros
- Second place in Best Sports Bookmaker category
- One of the best welcome offers in the industry
Cons
- Wagering requirements on casino bonus entailed within welcome offer
- Less modern look to the site compared to others
3. Sky Bet
Sky Bet is one of the betting sites that come closest to the high standards set by bet365. They performed well at the Bookmaker Awards, despite not winning in any category, and gained good scores across the board. For overall Best Sports Bookmaker they finished third, helped by an impressive score in Best User Experience. Something we agreed with. From our experience, Sky Bet has a site that makes it incredibly simple to find any feature. Sky Bet also came third as the Best Sports Bookmaker: Players Choice, which is a notable accolade. It’s clear to see that their punters are keen on revisiting their site and this is largely down to their existing customer offers. While this wasn’t a specific category in the 2023 awards it will have played a big part in the Players Choice Award. Their loyalty program, which offers plenty of different awards, is a great incentive and games like Super 6, keep players entertained without having to keep depositing funds.
Pros
- Awarded second place for Best User Experience at BC Bookmaker Awards
- Top three in the Players Choice Award
- Great loyalty program and existing customer offers
Cons
- E-wallets are not available to use
4. Coral
Coral came second in the BC Bookmaker Awards for Best Banking Options, with only Sportingbet beating them to the number one spot. Coral offers Coral Connect as a payment option, which allows their customers to deposit as little as £1 through their Coral Connect card, which can then be used to fund bets placed online or in person at one of their shops in the UK. We found that if you’re a keen statistical-based bettor, then Coral tops the list of where to be, as they cover more leagues than any other UK betting site when it comes to prop markets. Betting markets such as player shots, player passes, and player tackles are just some of what you’ll find on matches in the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, and Serie A.
Pros
- Top five in the Best Sports Bookmaker category of the UK Bookmaker Awards
- In-depth statistical-based betting markets
Cons
- Sign-up offer could offer more in free bets
5. William Hill
William Hill are a household name in the betting industry, and for any new bettors, you can rest assured knowing that this bookmaker has you covered with plenty of different features. They have a great mobile app that you can use from your selected mobile device, and with dedicated mobile apps to different areas of their site including casino, this is a real positive with this operator. It’s not just new customers who benefit from their impressive signup offer though, as existing customers can access a range of promotions on various different sports.
Pros
- Second in the Players Choice award
- Great range of existing customer offers
- One of the best betting apps
Cons
- Odds on certain markets could be more competitive
Best Overall Sports Betting Sites
| Best UK Sports Betting Sites | Top UK Betting Sites |
|---|---|
| 1st | bet365 |
| 2nd | Unibet |
| 3rd | Sky Bet |
| 4th | Coral |
| 5th | William Hill |
The Best Sports Bookmaker award combines all other categories and gives an overall score. With awards won in Horse Racing Odds, Betting Experience and the Welcome Bonus categories, it’ll come as no surprise that bet365 come out on top. The only area they really struggle with is Customer Service and came close to the top in Market Selection and Football Odds. Despite failing to win any award, Unibet came in second. They score well across all categories, just falling behind bet365 in the Welcome Bonus category and finishing fourth in both Banking and Horse Racing Odds. In third were Sky Bet. Their best category was Betting Experience, finishing in second behind bet365.
Best Betting Sites for Welcome Offers
Sign-up offers are the first thing we look at when assessing the best betting sites. They can vary from a ‘% back’ to a standard ‘bet £10 get £40’ with the higher rewards often making for a better offer. But the Bookmaker Awards go a step further than just highlighting the offers with the most free bets. Focussing on specifics such as min odds, expiration and max deposit, they collected the opinions from thousands of bettors and listed bet365 as the betting site with the best welcome bonus. They have no expiry on free bets, ranked well on minimum deposits and were one of the best for maximum profit.
Best Betting Sites for Markets
Other than sign up offers, the most important things we look for in a bookmaker is the depth in markets. This is based on comprehensive data from thousands of players taking part in large scale surveys. They look into more advanced betting markets on popular sports, such as football, and give each betting site a score. They used market selection on various top leagues, such as La Liga, Premier League, and the Bundesliga and combined the score from each category.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites
bet365 came first for best horse racing odds with the data revealing they outperform other operators across regular meets and major events, such as the Cheltenham Festival and The Grand National. Ladbrokes were their closest competitor with Unibet and Skybet also amongst those in the top five. For more on this and a look at our full list, see our page for the best horse racing betting sites.
Best Betting Sites for User Experience
bet365 leads the way as the bookmaker with the best user experience. The testers for this category looked into ease of use, live streaming and the mobile app, giving each site a score. It should also be noted that not all sites offer live streaming, which will have caused them to fall behind in this specific category. From our experiences, bet365 are a worthy winner and Sky Bet placed in second comes as no surprise. Based on the data, Sky Bet performed better than bet365 for the Ease of Use category, only failing to win overall due to their scores on live streaming and mobile app. The bet365 mobile app outperformed other betting sites by a large margin and only Betway and William Hill came close to matching their quality.
| Best Betting Sites | Best Welcome Offers | Best Markets Selection | Best Racing Odds | Best User Experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | bet365 | ZetBet | bet365 | bet365 |
| 2nd | Unibet | William Hill | Ladbrokes | Sky Bet |
| 3rd | SBK | bet365 | 888sport | Unibet |
| 4th | 888Sport | LiveScore Bet | Unibet | William Hill |
| 5th | Coral | Virgin Bet | Sky Bet | Betway |
Why we use the Bookmaker Awards Data
We use the UK Bookmaker Awards to form our list of best betting sites as they provide in-depth data and user-tested evaluations. This is taken from a wide range of punters, rather than simply using our personal experience. You can find the full list of categories below:
| UK Bookmaker Award Categories | Winning Betting Sites |
|---|---|
| Best Football Odds | SBK |
| Best Horse Racing Odds | bet365 |
| Best Markets Selection | ZetBet |
| Best Customer Service | Virgin Bet |
| Best Banking Options | Sportingbet |
| Best User Experience | bet365 |
| Best Welcome Offer | bet365 |
| Best Sports Bookmaker | bet365 |
| Best Sports Bookmaker Players Choice | bet365 |
| Most Improved Bookmaker | Sportingbet |
The bookmaker awards data will:
- Give you data driven information to help you make an informed decision
- Avoid opinions made on a single day by a single writer
- Level the playing field and help the newer operators compete with more established betting sites
- Maintain a consistency with data pulled over the course of a year
- Help you make a choice of betting site based on multiple categories
Why does the awards data help bettors?
In the video below, Christian Kirk Rasmussen, COO and Co-Founder of Better Collective, gives more information on the Bookmaker Awards and how it can help you make a more educated decision on the best betting sites.
How is the data gathered?
In each category, the bookmaker is given a score. These scores are then compiled to determine the best betting site. A team of betting experts closely scrutinises each category, ensuring that the data provided by the UK Bookmaker Awards is reliable and valuable, especially for novice bettors.
To score well in the welcome bonus category, bookmakers need an offer that provides a substantial amount in free bets while featuring clear and manageable wagering requirements and qualifying bets. An offer with a sizable amount in free bets might look eye-catching at first glance, but the wagering requirements and qualifying bet could be hefty before a withdrawal can take place. The market selection category is also assessed similarly, with a focus on a bookmaker’s coverage and depth, including unique options not available with some competitors. Achieving this on their site can lead to a high score.
Customer service is another crucial category. The best UK betting sites offer a range of contact methods, including email, telephone, social media, and live chat. Response time is examined closely; if a bookmaker takes too long to respond, it affects their score. Payment methods and banking are also essential factors in choosing the best betting site. Top bookmakers provide various deposit and withdrawal options, and the minimum deposit and withdrawal times are closely scrutinised.
Another category assessed in the UK Bookmaker Awards is the betting experience. This is based on user testing and looks into response time, site/app layout and overall site navigation. bet365 won the award for the Best User Experience at the Bookmaker Awards this year, as they edged out the likes of Sky Bet and Unibet to claim the award. This data-driven system provides users with expert analysis from professionals who understand what makes a great betting site. We aim to help you make an informed decision about which site is best for you.
Best New Betting Sites UK
We know in the UK that an average player has around five betting accounts. It’s possible that someone might want multiple accounts to take advantage of different new and existing welcome offers, whilst being free to place their bet with whichever sportsbook has the best odds for a given sporting event. Therefore, exploring new betting sites can be worthwhile. As an experienced bettor, I’ll guide you through some of the new betting sites worth considering.
1. BetMGM
- Welcome offer gives new customers more free bets than most
- Profit boosts and free football predictors are part of a host of attractive offers
BetMGM is one of the newest betting sites we’ve introduced to the site. They’ve got a great sign-up offer which rewards new customers with £40 in free bets when you deposit and wager funds of just £10. One of the key positives that I noticed was their range of existing customer offers, which offered more depth than other bookmaking heavyweights such as Betfred and Sky Bet to name a few. Promotions such as profit boosts, double your winnings, weekly sports free bets, and jackpots are just some of what’s available with BetMGM, who rank highly amongst our expert analysts on this front.
2. TalkSport Bet
- Generous and easy to follow welcome offer
- Existing customer offers include prediction games & Best Odds Guaranteed
The BetVictor Group announced a partnership with talkSPORT to form talkSPORT BET and they’re certainly worth considering. I’m impressed with the clean layout of their site, which is similar to that of BetVictor, who set the bar high with their sportsbook on both the desktop version of their site, as well as their mobile app. They’re a new betting site with an extensive range of existing customer offers and stand out customer service options with plenty of methods to communicate with an agent. Response times vary as it depends on the time of day in which you ask a question. But with methods such as live chat, Facebook, Twitter, SMS and email all being available, you won’t struggle if you encounter a problem.
3. BetGoodwin
- Strong Sign-Up Offer
- Great Customer Service
BetGoodwin were founded in 2021, and they’re worthy of a mention when it comes to new betting sites. They have some great horse racing promotions that are available to both new and existing customers, which aren’t available elsewhere, so they’re worth looking into ahead of popular horse racing events in the sporting calendar such as the Cheltenham Festival, Grand National, and Glorious Goodwood. This includes free bets if your selected horse is beaten by a head, beaten by a nose, beaten by under half a length, and falling at the last when in front. It’s good to see BetGoodwin having this available on their site, as many other new betting sites don’t offer as many promotions for existing customers.
What are the advantages of new betting sites?
So, why should you consider new bookmakers over their more established counterparts? There are many reasons why customers choose new sites, rather than the bigger names in the industry.
Firstly, new sites have to try extremely hard to attract customers away from their competitors. They’re eager to impress, so they have to offer something that very few of their competitors do.
This can come in the form of attractive new betting sites promotions, an excellent standard of customer service or offering odds and markets on different sports.
Secondly, signing up to new bookmakers, or established ones, means you can have greater freedom in your betting. There are many advantages that online betting has over betting at a retail site. These advantages include the following.
- The ability to place your bets no matter what time of day
- The option to take welcome bonuses, rarely available in the high street
- A much more in-depth menu of general promotions
- Place bets no matter where you are
- Find a bigger range of markets
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How To Choose The Best Betting Site
The Welcome Offer
Pick a welcome bonus that is right for you. Some will be better suited to those looking to bet big, while others are better for more casual punters. Betting is meant to be fun, so don’t stretch yourself, and bet responsibly.
Existing Customer Offers
Each bookmaker will have offers for existing members, plus loyalty schemes which can be accessed on either the desktop version of their website, or their mobile apps. These vary with different bookmakers so look around for the best value promotional offers.
Live Streaming
Some betting sites allow you to live stream a sporting event. To do so, you might need to bet on the event, or at least have credit in your balance. Plenty of bookies allow you to stream various events across the sporting calendar.
Betting Markets
If you’re going to bet on a range of sports and leagues, research which bookmakers cover the markets you need. All betting websites will have markets for the most popular sports and competitions. But not all sites cover obscure leagues or events.
Odds
Everyone wants to win as much as possible. It is challenging to know who has the best odds because all bookmakers boast that they have them! Most punters often have several accounts and place their bet with whoever has the best odds for a particular event.
Interface
This, again, comes down to personal preference. Each bookmaker has a slightly different interface. As long as it’s not slow, and is easy to use, then it should be fine. Some are more modern than others.
Mobile Experience
Mobile apps are the go-to way to access many bookmakers nowadays, as punters can access all the features they need whilst on-the-go, which is hugely popular. Each mobile app is different though, with some being more easy to navigate around than others.
Industry Reputation
As with every business, bookmakers thrive on reputation. Reputation isn’t the be-all and end-all, but it can give you a good idea on which bookies are worth considering. There’s a reason why the industry leaders maintain their regular client base.
Payment Methods & Banking Options
The safety and security of your money are extremely important. We recommend you choose a bookmaker who offers a variety of payment options, including debit card and e-wallet facilities. In addition, ensure your choice offers the latest, up-to-date security for your selected payment methods.
Sign-Up Process
With most online bookmakers, the sign-up process should only take a few minutes. Note that most bookmakers now employ a Know Your Customer scheme. They may request that you provide additional documents to prove your identity.
Our Content
*To keep mybettingsites.co.uk 100% free for users, we receive advertising compensation from the gambling operators listed on this page. This compensation may impact how and where the gambling operators appear on the page, including the order in which they appear.
Best Betting Sites FAQs
There are a number of factors that should be considered when deciding which are the best betting sites in the UK. bet365 ticks many of the boxes, while SkyBet and Unibet are also prominent on our top betting sites list. But all the betting sites we compare and review will score well in different areas, so make sure you pick the ones that fit your own needs best.
The best betting sign up offers are the ones that give new customers up to £50 – and occasionally even more – in free bets, once the qualifying bet has been settled. Betfred and Betfair are amongst the UK betting sites with new customer betting offers of £50 but do check MyBettingSites regularly as the welcome bonuses do change regularly.
You can earn free bets from a host of top UK betting sites, with over 40 top welcome offers currently available on MyBettingSites. The most generous UK betting offers are reserved for new customers, but the like of bet365, Paddy Power and Ladbrokes also run attractive online betting offers to retain the loyalty of their existing customers. These free bet offers are described in more detail on our betting site review pages.
There isn’t technically a safest online betting site. The likes of bet365, Sky Bet, Unibet, William Hill, Betfair, Coral, and Ladbrokes are just some of the names we’d recommend to bettors in the UK, as they’re well-established bookmakers in the betting industry, and are licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.
If you use reputable betting sites that are licensed and regulated by appropriate gambling authorities, then yes, it is safe to gamble online. All betting sites we compare and recommend on MyBettingSites are safe to use, and you can rest assured that your funds are safe with them.
