Deciding the best place to bet can be tricky when there are so many options to choose from. At MyBettingSites, we’ve tried to make it as simple as possible for you.
Find out more about the process and factors involved in coming up with our rankings, giving you the confidence to make the best decisions for your individual needs.
How to choose the best place to bet
Choosing the best place to bet should be based on a number of factors. For some, the most important of these is simply the size of the welcome bonus, whereas others may be more interested in somewhere that offers a specific market to bet on.
Below we’ve highlighted what we believe are the 10 most important areas to consider. We’ve taken each of these into account when putting together our site rankings.
1. Welcome Offer
When signing up with a new bookmaker, the first thing you’re likely to be attracted by is the welcome bonus. Expect to see a combination of ‘Bet and Get’ offers, alongside enhanced odds on big events.
Some betting sites also refund losses on your first bets, so find the type of offer that appeals to your needs best.
2. Existing Customer Offers
It’s not just new customers who benefit from promotions. The best UK betting sites regularly run offers for existing customers too. These range from free bet clubs and price boosts to money-back specials on popular sports.
It’s worth comparing different online betting sites to see where you can find the best long-term value.
3. Live Streaming
One of the most popular features at UK betting sites is the ability to live stream sporting events. This allows you to watch the action unfold in real time while placing in-play bets.
With plenty of online betting sites now offering this, live streaming is a must-have if you want convenience and entertainment in one place.
4. Betting Markets
Every major bookmaker will cover the most popular sports and competitions, but not every site goes beyond the main markets.
If your interests extend beyond the usual favourites, it pays to compare betting sites and find one that offers the depth of coverage you need.
5. Betting Odds
Everyone wants to maximise their winnings when their bets comes in, but working out which betting site truly offers the best odds can be a challenge.
Shopping around for the best odds is one of the easiest ways to boost your betting potential, and it’s a key reason why people don’t limit themselves to just one betting site.
6. Interface
Each bookmaker has its own layout, design, and way of navigating markets. Some prioritise a clean, modern look, while others go with a more traditional style.
The most important factor is that the platform is quick, responsive, and easy to use. A slow interface can be frustrating, especially when placing in-play bets where speed matters.
7. Mobile Experience
Mobile apps have become the go-to way to access betting sites. They allow you to enjoy all the features of online betting sites while on the move.
Each betting app is different, though. It’s therefore worth testing out different mobile betting apps to see which ones provide the best experience.
8. Industry Reputation
Established UK betting sites have built their names on trust, consistent service, and strong customer support.
But reputation isn’t the be-all and end-all. Some new betting sites may not yet have the same standing, but still offer excellent odds, modern features, and generous promos as they establish themselves.
9. Payment Methods & Banking Options
The safety of your money and personal details should always come first when choosing UK betting sites. The most reliable ones use the latest encryption technology, giving you peace of mind when you deposit or withdraw.
Before signing up, always check that the bookmaker is fully licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.
10. Sign-Up Process
Signing up with UK betting sites is quick and straightforward, usually taking just a few minutes to complete.
It’s worth noting that most now use Know Your Customer (KYC) checks. This is a standard security measure required by the UK Gambling Commission, designed to protect players and prevent fraud.
UK Bookmaker Awards
Although we believe our personal opinions and experiences are a good starting point when ranking where to bet, we also feel that combining them with hard data-driven facts is necessary.
This combination should ensure the final lists you see on MyBettingSites are as comprehensive and accurate as possible.
How is the UK Bookmakers Awards data gathered?
The UK Bookmaker Awards were created 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 online betting sites.
- Analysing their sign up offers
These awards look into the most important categories for customers when they are betting and rank each bookmaker accordingly in these categories. They score each betting site and combine the results to work out the overall winners.
Industry experts were used to assess every key aspect, ensuring the results are accurate and useful for customers who are new to online betting.
Welcome offers
Welcome bonuses were one of the most scrutinised categories. To earn high marks, a site had to offer not just generous free bets, but also transparent terms and conditions.
While eye-catching betting offers are relatively easy to find, we feel the real value lies in low wagering requirements and reasonable qualifying bet criteria, as this combination is more likely to result in you earning some winnings to ultimately withdraw.
Market depth & variety
Market depth and variety were also major scoring factors. Bookmakers were judged on how many sports and betting markets they offer, as well as the uniqueness of those options.
Sites which make the effort to provide a greater quantity and quality of markets and bet types tend to perform better, as they give us more flexibility and opportunities to find value.
Customer service
Customer service is very important. All the top online bookmakers offer great customer service for everyone who wants to bet with them. They provide multiple ways to help, including a live chat service, which is typically available 24/7, and a phone and email support service.
We tested the speed at which betting sites responded to our queries, and the sites that replied quickly ranked better. We also checked the payment options available, and this included looking into the speed of withdrawing money and the amount of payment methods available.
First-hand experience
First-hand experience was used to judge the overall user experience. This included assessing the design, ease of navigation, and responsiveness of both the desktop site and mobile app. In this category, bet365 came out on top, edging ahead of close contenders like Sky Bet and Unibet.
This detailed, data-driven approach ensures that you can get an honest and reliable view of betting sites, whether you’re a seasoned pro looking for the best new betting sites, or are a new to the world of online betting. Whether you’re after great odds, solid customer support, or an intuitive app, using the results of UK Bookmaker Awards alongside our first-hand experiences can help you make a confident, informed decision.
Why we use the UK Bookmaker Awards Data
We use the UK Bookmaker Awards to form our list of best bookmakers 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 Bookmakers Award Categories | UK Bookmakers Award Winners |
|---|---|
| Best Football Odds | SBK |
| Best Horse Racing Odds | bet365 |
| Best Markets Selection | ZetBet |
| Best Customer Service | Virgin Bet |
| Best User Experience | bet365 |
| Best Welcome Offer | bet365 |
| Best Sports Bookmaker | bet365 |
| Best Sports Bookmaker Players Choice | bet365 |
Best Sports Bookmaker
| Position | Best Bookmakers |
|---|---|
| 1st | bet365 |
| 2nd | Unibet |
| 3rd | Sky Bet |
| 4th | Coral |
| 5th | William Hill |
- Tons of free-to-play games offering free bets & huge cash prizes
- Super Boosts & Boosted Bet Builders guarantee attractive odds daily
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 Bookmakers for Welcome Offers
New customer offers are a crucial thing we look at when trying to rate and rank the UK’s bookmakers. Sign up offers vary from site to site, but they typically offer you some free bets when you meet their requirements. Other offers can see the betting site give you a refund up to a certain percentage.
When looking to sign up to a new UK betting site, you should look at the new customer offer available and also check the key terms and conditions for the offer. Some sign up offers are not just available for sports betting, but also casino and bingo, so you can find the offer tailored to you with ease.
We also used the UK Bookmaker Awards to help rank the best sign up offers available across UK betting sites and this helped us evaluate factors like minimum odds, expiry dates, and deposit limits. We also asked thousands of betting customers, who crowned bet365 as the best bookmaker for welcome bonuses. This was mainly because your free bets do not expire, as well as the low minimum deposit they have.
Best UK Bookmakers for Markets
Other than sign up offers, one of the most important thing we look for in UK bookmakers is the depth of 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.
Top UK Bookmakers for User Experience
bet365 leads the way as the betting site 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.
| Bookmakers Rankings | Welcome Offer | Markets Selection | User Experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | bet365 | ZetBet | bet365 |
| 2nd | Unibet | William Hill | Sky Bet |
| 3rd | SBK | bet365 | Unibet |
| 4th | 888Sport | LiveScore Bet | William Hill |
| 5th | Coral | Virgin Bet | Betway |
- Excellent racing product including BOG available from 8am
- Play Spin ‘n’ Win daily to win free spins and cash prizes
- Best Odds Guaranteed starts as early as 8am each day
- Boosted winnings on Bet Builders and Accumulators
- Stake as little as 5p to benefit from new customer offer
- Recent site refresh has made navigation far more friendly