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Finding the best betting sites for UK players can be a difficult task – especially if you’re not up for comparing the odds and markets between hundreds of bookmakers.
We, however, have got years of gambling experience, and when it comes to UK online betting sites, we know a thing or two about what makes a good one and why.
Our research and methodology crowned Grosvenor Sport the number one UK online betting site for sports wagers.
Ready to dive in and see how they all compare? Let’s get started.
🏆 Best overall | Grosvenor Sport |
🥊 Best for live betting | BetDukes |
⚽️ Top pick for football bets | Luckland |
🔝 Top pick for accumulators | Mr Play |
Our research and methodology crowned Grosvenor Sport the number one UK online betting site for sports wagers.
Ready to dive in and see how they all compare? Let’s get started.
Number one on our list is Grosvenor Sport, providing an excellent variety of bonuses and betting markets to go along with a sleek design and high-profile reputation.
Grosvenor features 32 different ‘sports’ to bet on. We put sports in quotation marks as the definition can be a tad liberal, with both TV and Politics sneaking in. But still, you’ll find all the popular sports here, with football and horse racing leading the way.
One of our favourite features of the sportsbook was the ability to boost up to three different accumulator bets a week, completely free. Accumulators already offer lucrative payouts, so this is an awesome way to add some potential extra winnings with no increased risk.
As a side note, Grosvenor is also one of the best UK online casino sites, so be sure to check out its casino offering in case you’re also interested in playing casino games.
There’s a variety of promotions available at Grosvenor for fans of all different types of sports.
First off, you can double the odds on your first bet up to £10. You can place your £10 bet on any odds and any sport – and Grosvenor will double the odds and pay you out in cash if you end up winning your bet.
You can also enjoy runner-up refunds on tennis, bonus bets on golf, and money-back offers on horse racing. All of this makes it an attractive long-term destination for those looking to make a sports bookie their home.
First and foremost, we’d have liked to have seen more distinction between Grosvenor’s casino and sports section. They both look very similar, and although that’s expected as they are the main site, it’s a bit confusing when you’re browsing between the two.
Functionality-wise, we have no complaints. The website works well, and we were able to find and locate markets quickly without much hassle. Live streaming worked well, and making bets in-play was an easy process.
There’s a small number of payment methods available at Grosvenor, but they cover all the main bases. You can use your regular debit card or Paysafe if you feel more cautious about your details. There is also the option of using PayPal, the world’s number one e-wallet.
In business for a decade, BetDukes is our next pick. It stands out with a wide variety of promos, a cool £10 welcome bonus, and some of the best tennis markets in the UK.
BetDukes makes it easy to dive into the betting markets straight from the front page, highlighting the football, tennis, and golf markets it offers.
Tennis is our top pick here because the platform does a stellar job covering all major tourneys, as well as many of the lesser-known ones.
BetDukes offers Formula 1 betting as well, plus a full-on casino section with all the classic games.
By registering at BetDukes as a new customer, you are eligible for a £10 welcome bonus bet that you can use on 1.5 minimum odds. The stake, however, is not returned, and you will need to wager your winnings once before converting them to real money
Note that the offer is valid for 7 days after registration with £200 max conversion.
BetDukes also offers a rewards program for all regular players, and you can join the Wager Wars tourney with £500 in prizes up for grabs.
Every Monday, there’s a free bet for all registered players, and we particularly liked the 10% cashback deal for Formula 1 wagers (worth up to £500). There’s a very similar cashback deal for tennis betting.
BetDukes is on par with all the leading UK bookies in terms of functionality. The pages load smoothly, the site looks professional, and the navigation is a breeze.
Help is always available via live chat, which is nicely integrated with the FAQ library so you can get your question answered hassle-free. However, you will get automated responses to the first few questions via live chat, and if that doesn’t help, you will get assigned a support agent.
As you can see, BetDukes accepts all of the most popular payment methods in the UK. The minimum deposit for most of them ranges from £10 to £20.
Most ewallet withdrawal requests only take a business day for full processing, while other options require 3 to 7 business days.
Luckland makes our list at number three, offering huge global football betting coverage and a top welcome bonus.
There are 27 categories to bet on at Luckland, with football leading the way by a fair margin. When we say leading the way, we really mean it, too. The amount of football markets on offer is staggering.
We’re not just talking about the elite European leagues here. There’s a whole global feast on offer, including Peruvian football, MLS, all the way to the Iranian second division.
We realise the chances of most of you reading this being an actual fan of these obscure football leagues is low, but having the option to bet on them can’t be a bad thing, can it? We’re sure you’ve had worse Friday nights than landing a mixed accumulator in the Puerto Rico National League.
The welcome bonus made available to new users at Luckland is one of the best on offer. Why? Because it has no wagering requirements. It asks that you make a £15 bet on any sports event with odds of evens or above.
As a result, you’ll be credited with a bonus bet of £10. No strings attached. Just be careful, as it’s not valid for any players who use PayPal, Neteller, Paysafe, Skrill or Skrill 1-Tap to deposit.
Luckland’s overall design doesn’t really seem fit for a sportsbook. It looks like more of a casino style in which a sports betting platform was very much an afterthought. It isn’t a huge dealbreaker, but annoying nonetheless.
The design aside, the platform itself works great and doesn’t lag at all. The pages load fast, too, so placing live bets is a pleasing experience.
The selection of payment methods available at Luckland is pretty diverse and manages to cover most bases. As always, though, if you’re looking for speed and efficiency, PayPal and Instant Banking should be top of your list.
Mr Play’s competitive spirit is what drives this sportsbook and makes it distinct from the competition.
‘Battle of the Punters’ is the name of MrPlay’s daily tournament, in which all players on the website earn points for their correct bets. The top 3 bettors are then rewarded for their gambling guile.
There are not many bookies out there that will pay you out on winnings and then further reward you just for being smart. That’s what makes Mr Play, for our money, one of the best betting sites in the UK.
Another fantastic feature is the ‘Playbot’, an algorithmic bet compiler that suggests certain bets based on the live games currently going on.
One thing’s for sure – you’ll never be lost for inspiration while betting at Mr Play.
Mr Play’s welcome bonus is a straightforward one. Make a bet of £10, and you’ll receive a bonus bet of £10. No overriding terms and conditions. Just a bet for a bet.
Players who enjoy accumulator betting will be keen on using Mr Play’s ‘PlayBOOST’ promotion which offers a potential extra 77% on top of those already lucrative multi-winnings. The higher you go with your selections, the bigger boost you get.
We had a few issues when browsing the website, especially because the homepage suffers from overcrowding issues. Making it a bit simpler to use could go a long way.
Otherwise, we didn’t notice any navigational problems and the website loaded fast.
There’s a dynamic selection of payment methods to choose from at Mr Play, including two Skrill variants, MuchBetter, and of course, the all-dominant and mighty PayPal.
Every sportsbook will largely function the same as its competitors. After all, the aim for each website is the same – it’s a platform where you go and make your bets.
We’ve looked at everything that makes one betting site distinct from another, including special bet features and even enhanced promotions or more opportunities for live betting.
These days, bonuses have become so prevalent it can be difficult to know where the value begins and ends. Buried in the terms and conditions, you’ll often be surprised at how even the most awesome-sounding promos can end up not being worth your while.
To put it simply, we’ve read the terms and conditions, so you don’t have to. And all that betting jargon? We’ve simplified it for you and let you know whether you’re getting a good deal or not – in plain English.
There are two main principles when it comes to the design of a betting site. The first and the most obvious is how it looks. It may seem shallow and unimportant, but if you’ve ever used a bad-looking betting site for more than an hour, you’ll know what we’re talking about.
The second and arguably most important is functionality. The best gambling sites will have intuitive and easy-to-use platforms. Making bets should be a simple process – that includes both finding the betting markets you want and making deposits and withdrawals into your online betting account.
Everyone has their own preferred banking tools, especially when it comes to spending money online.
With betting sites, safety and security are always at the top of people’s agendas. People want to be able to use payment methods they trust, so we’ll take that into account when evaluating what’s available.
These casinos are late to the crypto party, though, so if that’s something you’re interested in, check out our review of the best UK crypto casinos.
Some of the most popular sports to bet on in the United Kingdom include:
There are numerous types of bets available to place across a range of different betting markets. Some new betting sites like Mr Play offer even more unique options. We've listed some of the most common below, plus a brief explanation of each. Win Single This is the most common type of bet in the UK and most likely the first bet you'll make after opening your new account. It's pretty self-explanatory: you are betting on a winning outcome for an event or athlete. Place Bet This is a bet on your selection finishing within a certain position. As such, it can only be used in certain sporting events. It's most commonly used in horse racing betting sites, where you'll make a bet on a horse finishing within the top three or four. You'll make a return, just not as much as you would on a win single bet. Some bookmakers will offer extra places in a race as a promotion. Each Way Bet This is similar to place betting. It's a combination of both a win single and a place bet, split into two parts. For example, if you place a bet of £5 each way on a horse, your total bet will be £10. You've wagered £5 on the horse to finish within the top 4 and another £5 on the horse to win outright. Some bettors use this as an insurance policy on selections they think have the potential to win but may fall short. Multiple Bet Accumulator This is when you make multiple selections and combine them together into one bet for a higher payout. An example of this might be to make a bet on Liverpool to win, Tottenham to win, and Manchester United to win. These are three win single bets by themselves, but when combined together, they become a multiple bet accumulator with higher odds. The catch? All three bets must win for a payout. Bet Builder This type of bet has different names across the world but is increasingly becoming one of the most popular types of wagers in the industry. It functions similarly to a multiple bet accumulator, except all the selections are from the same event. For example, you might make a bet on Tottenham to win, Kane to score, and Rodrigo Bentancur to be carded. All odds will combine into one larger number and payout if all instances occur.
There are a variety of banking tools available at most betting sites in the UK, but the selection and quality will differ for each bookmaker. We've made a list of the more common methods below:
Based on the variety of markets and the quality of odds it offers, Luckland is the UK’s best betting site to use for all your football bets. As a plus, there is a nice Acca Boost going on, through which you can increase your bet slip’s payout by as much as 77% if you include 15 selections.
Bonuses at best online betting sites for UK punters come in all shapes and sizes – we’ve listed the most popular ones below: Welcome Bonus Pretty much a standard for the industry, a welcome bonus is promoted as an incentive to get you signed up and playing at a bookie's website. They come in various different forms with lots of different terms and conditions attached. Bonus Bet Does what it says on the tin. Bonus bet credits are usually subject to various terms and conditions. Sometimes they are given out as part of loyalty schemes. Other times they can be used as a welcome bonus.
Yes, bonus bets are valid for a limited period of time, so it’s wise to place your bonus bet stake as soon as you claim it.
Yes, betting on sports is legal in the UK. Every single betting site on this list is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission and is legitimate. Even if some of the online bookmakers we choose are new betting sites, you can rest assured that they are reputable.
Here’s a quick comparison of our top 5 best betting sites and their key features.
Grosvenor Sport: Grosvenor Sport combines its stellar reputation with a treasure trove of betting markets and bonuses to be crowned our number one UK sports betting site. Register now and double the odds on your first bet. Overall score: 99%. Full T&Cs apply.
BetDukes: BetDukes stands out the most with its intuitive live betting interface, which is a real pleasure to use. It’s also a great bookie for tennis bettors, considering the 10% cashback you get on your lost tennis bets. You can get started with a £10 bonus bet. Overall score: 98.5%. Full T&Cs apply.
Luckland: Are you a football friend? Then Luckland’s is likely to be the best option for you, featuring the widest range of football betting markets from all over the world. Place your first £15 bet to get a £10 bonus bet. Overall score: 96%. Full T&Cs apply.
Mr Play: If you always find yourself placing multi-legged accumulators, then Mr Play is likely to offer the best return on your bets. With the PlayBOOST feature, this bookie can increase the value of your Acca by as much as 77%. Overall score: 95%. Full T&Cs apply.
Sports betting has long been a UK tradition, and the transition online has made it even more accessible to thousands of residents keen to make a wager on their favourite teams and athletes across the country.
During our extensive research, we named Grosvenor Sport the best betting site in the UK for sports wagers.
That being said, there’s no law that says you can’t sign up for every single betting site we’ve featured in this article. After all, those bonuses aren’t going to use themselves.
Just remember the golden rules – have fun and please bet responsibly!
DISCLAIMER: Please note that online gambling is only for entertainment purposes and comes with a certain level of financial risk. So it’s important that you’re aware of such risks and avoid using online gambling as a solution to financial problems.
If you or anyone you know has a gambling addiction, you can contact the National Gambling Helpline on 0808-8020-133 for assistance.
Online gambling websites are rated 18+. The laws involving online gambling are not the same in every jurisdiction. So you should check with your local authorities if online gambling is legal in your area.
You can find valuable gambling addiction resources from these organisations:
Affiliate Disclosure: This is an affiliate post. We don’t offer casino games ourselves. Instead, we help you find a place to play. When you go to a casino via our site and play there, we receive compensation
Finding the best betting sites for UK players can be a difficult task – especially if you’re not up for...
Finding the best betting sites for UK players can be a difficult task – especially if you’re not up for...
Finding the best betting sites for UK players can be a difficult task – especially if you’re not up for...
Finding the best betting sites for UK players can be a difficult task – especially if you’re not up for...