Betting Sites UK | Best New & Online Bookmakers in 2025
Craig Jones 
Will Jackson
Explore the new and top betting sites, licensed by the UK Gambling commission, with our expert views and the latest exclusive free bets. We bring you the best bookmakers in the industry to enhance your betting experience. You can start by looking at our trusted recommendations. Go on to read our tips on how to find your best sports betting sites.
Best UK Betting Sites
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Featured Betting Site This Week: Betway
Betway is one of the most trusted names in online betting, offering a comprehensive platform for sports betting, casino games, and esports. Founded in 2006, Betway has built a strong reputation for providing a secure and user-friendly experience.
It’s fully licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, ensuring that players can bet with confidence. Betway covers a wide range of markets, from popular sports like football, horse racing, and tennis to niche markets like esports, darts, and snooker, giving users plenty of options to explore.
One of Betway’s key strengths is its competitive odds, which often rank among the best in the industry. The platform’s in-play betting feature allows users to place bets on live events as the action unfolds, with dynamic odds updating in real time.
There's always a lot of attractive bonuses and promotions going on with Betway, making it one of the best sites for existing customers in the industry, in addition to the excellent welcome offer with plenty of free bets and matched deposits part of the experience.
It's a fairly quiet week of sporting action this week, but with all the international football taking place you can be reassured that Betway will have all the odds and markets you need as well as they best action from this week's horse racing, which features races from Kelso, Newbury and Bangor.
How We Select The Best New and Established Online Bookmakers
When looking out for a new bookie to bet with, everyone has their list of wants and nice-to-haves. We select our favourite betting sites by reviewing them against the following benchmarks:
- Licensing: We ensure the betting site is licensed and regulated by a reputable gambling authority, such as the UK Gambling Commission.
- Security: Online security is essential, so we look for UK sports betting sites with SSL encryption to protect your personal and financial information.
- Payment Methods: We ensure the betting site offers payment methods that are convenient for you, such as debit cards and e-wallets.
- Betting Odds: We want to provide value for our followers, so we only recommend sports betting sites that provide competitive betting odds.
- Betting Markets: Any betting site we recommend provides a wide range of markets, including the sports and events in which punters are interested.
- Features: Useful extras such as live-streaming, in-play betting & bet builders can help separate the best from the rest.
- Bonuses & Promotions: Here at Freebets, we work with some of the biggest names in the sports betting industry to bring you unique betting bonuses and promotions.
- Customer Support: We look for UK sports betting sites that provide good customer support, ideally via 24/7 Live Chat, to answer your queries and resolve any issues.
Alongside the above, we have learnt to take a mobile first approach when it comes to finding out the best online bookmakers.
Our own site statistics show that many of our users are visiting on their mobile device. The number of people downloading mobile betting apps has seen a huge increase over the past five years, based on stats from the various app stores such as the Apple Store and Google Play Store.
With this in mind, to service our users the best, based on their habits, we have done all the above and put it alongside a mobile first approach. This should mean that we deliver the right information and facts for you, and cater specifically to your needs.
We work with many brands on the site, but not all, and this is because we look at the brands and make sure they pass our test, before reviewing them and putting them onto our site.
This is an important step for us, because we want to be known as a brand that won’t just work with everyone, we only work with brands that we are happy to recommend, and satisfied that they are going to offer a good service to players. Of course, some are better than others, but minimum requirements need to be met.
Firstly, we look at the safety of our players, the most important part, and ensure that all brands we work with are licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. By having a license, they’ve demonstrated their ability to keep you and your funds safe to the organisation in charge of gambling in the UK.
Next up we take a look at the service they offer. Bare minimum requirements we look out for include the number of sports and markets on offer, competitive odds, in play betting, types of bet accepted and more, as we try to showcase only brands that offer enough for customers, regardless of the sports they love.
Of course, a big part of our work is done around offers and free bets. We want brands to have free bets available to new customers as a minimum requirement, while others such as existing customer offers and money back deals are all seen as added extras on top, which separates the very best brands from the rest.
By putting all of this together, we build up a picture of what we need to see from a brand, in order for them to be placed on our website. When that is confirmed, and we are happy, then we will begin to work with the brand, and showcase what they have available to our readers.
| Top UK Betting Sites | |
|---|---|
| Best Betting Site for In-Play Betting | bet365 |
| Best Betting Site for Offers | CopyBet |
| Best Betting Site for Enhanced Odds | Betfair |
| Best Betting Site for Frequent Promotions | Betfred |
| Best Betting Site for Odds | Paddy Power |
The Best Online Bookmakers for:
Football
bet365 holds top spot for football betting, offering numerous sports betting markets, competitive odds, and live betting on leagues and competitions worldwide.
They also have their popular 2 Goals Ahead promotion - if the team you back to win goes two goals ahead at any stage during the match, bet365 will settle your single bet as a winner regardless of whether the opposition comes back to draw or win the game.
The international fixtures conclude early in the week with England taking on Latvia after beating Albania on Friday, while Wales face North Macedonia on Tuesday and Northern Ireland take on Sweden.
Argentina host Brazil on Tuesday night in the highlight of other games around the world.
After that, it's back to domestic football with the Championship returning on Friday night with Sheffield United looking to go top of the league against Coventry.
The FA Cup quarter-finals take centre-stage over the weekend which means there is no Premier League action until next midweek.
Horse Racing
William Hill are a trusted name in horse racing betting, offering a wide range of markets and competitive odds on races worldwide.
We may still only be in March but the flat returns this weekend with the Doncaster's Lincoln meeting - the traditional curtain raiser to the flat turf season.
Other Sports
Paddy Power offers a comprehensive sports betting experience with various markets, including match outcomes, performance of players, and a lot more, ideal for the all round sports fan.
Known for their competitive odds and unique promotions, Paddy Power is a popular choice for punters.
The IPL is now under way, with English players such as Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Jofra Archer, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran and Will Jacks among those involved.
The Premier League Darts continues in Newcastle this week. Luke Littler won in Cardiff to go top of the standings while Stephen Bunting remains without a win into the eighth week.
Biggest Events to Bet On with Betting Sites This Week
The busy weekend of international football comes to an end with big games for Scotland and Republic of Ireland, as they face the second legs of their Nations League play-offs.
Scotland won 1-0 in Greece on Thursday while Ireland beat Bulgaria 2-1 also away from home, setting both sides up perfectly for their games on Sunday.
There are also second legs for the four quarter-finals of the Nations League, with Denmark, Germany and Croatia ahead after the first legs and Spain and Netherlands level at two apiece.
Here are our highlights:
Sunday - Scotland v Greece, Republic of Ireland v Bulgaria, France v Croatia, Germany v Italy, Portugal v Denmark, Spain v Netherlands (Nations League)
Monday - England v Latvia (World Cup Qualifier)
What Makes the Best Betting Sites?
There are many areas where the best sports betting sites go head to head in a bid to show they are one of the best online bookmakers, and a site you should be using.
Not all of the different elements will be important to you, and some will have far more importance than others, which is when choosing between UK betting sites becomes a little more personal, and we will help you with that below.
But before, it’s best to take a general look at online betting sites, what they offer, and where they try to stand out from the crowd.
Best Odds
If we’re looking at this realistically, you won’t get the best odds guaranteed every single time you place a bet, unless you have a sports betting account with almost every operator.
So when we talk about best odds from a realistic point of view, we’re talking about claiming the best odds sometimes, and at other times, getting good, above average odds.
Every time you land a winning bet and you don’t have the best odds, you will be leaving profit behind, you should try and make sure you don’t do this often.
The best betting sites will offer competitive odds, better than the market average, because they know how important they are.
These will allow them to stand out from other online betting sites, because comparing the best odds has never been so easy. With many options such as comparison sites, people no longer have to do manual, time consuming work, to find the best odds, they can get them in just a few clicks.
This means if betting sites are not offering good odds, and at least being competitive, they those who are taking part in online betting, will find out.
Choice of Markets
This really depends on the sports you are wagering on. For example, with horse racing betting, choice is limited anyway, where as with football and other popular sports, there’s potentially huge choice for you out there.
Other sports events, such as tennis betting, are somewhere in the middle, where you can find a little extra choice, if you look around.
But you should always look at the sports markets on offer and see how many are available for you to use with the most popular betting sites in the UK.
It’s always worth looking at the best new betting sites for this too. They often hit the market with a point to prove, and a plan to stand out from the crowd, creating new markets and ways to bet could be their choice, which is great news for punters.
This also extends to in play betting, for those who take part in that, a growing area of online betting, and one set to get bigger.
Many popular sports have a wide range of sports betting options for players, some more than others and while you may never use some of the markets on offer, choice is always a good thing when it comes to betting.
Betting Offers
When you sign up with a new betting site, you should receive a welcome bonus for new customers. These are a great way to get started, allowing new customers to explore the website, and claim free bets along the way.
We don’t just look at the size of that offer though, as the best betting sites will also offer free bets and bonuses to their existing customers from time to time.
This could be free bets, a deposit bonus, money back offer, enhanced terms or something else, but all are capable of giving you a better deal with your sports betting, when they come around.
If you want the best betting deal, then finding UK betting sites that offer free bets and promotions on a regular basis is key.
You don’t want them to stop after claiming the welcome offer, these should continue, other sports betting sites will offer them, make sure yours does too.
Betting Apps
The best betting sites will offer you the convenience of sports betting via their website, or using betting apps to place your bets.
This means your betting site is just a few clicks and swipes away, after you’ve downloaded the app to your device.
Perfect for in play betting, where markets and odds change within seconds, using betting apps is the most convenient way to place a wager.
From online betting on the next horse racing event to putting together your acca, it’s all made easy thanks to sports betting apps.
Most UK betting sites now offer one, make sure you’re not without one while other online bookmakers are giving their players the convenience of using one.
In Play Betting
In play betting, also known as live betting, is becoming more and more popular with players, and the best betting sites are responding to what their players want.
We are seeing in play betting grow with sports betting sites, the online betting hub is the best place for it to shine.
Check out the in play betting service, looking out for the best odds and what markets are available to you across the sports that you bet on.
Not really relevant for horse racing, but if you are looking for tennis betting sites, or you are a regular when it comes to betting on football, then in play betting is highly likely to be part of your overall strategy.
UK customers have many live betting options, if you take part in this type of sports betting, then make sure you’re searching through betting sites that offer it to players.
Betting Features
Thanks to a highly competitive market, you should find plenty of interesting features across UK betting sites.
We’ve already mentioned in play betting and betting apps, they deserve their own section, but something else that is big, and continuing to grow, is having a live streaming service.
If you are taking part in live betting, then this is perfect, allowing you to watch the action while looking at the sports markets, so you can decide whether to bet or not.
Elsewhere, if you’re looking for a new betting site then check out any regular offers, such as money back or boosts. These are more popular with football than any other sport, but can be found on others.
Often quite small, but given the fact they’re regular, you can take advantage every week, which all adds up over many sporting events, enhancing your sports betting deal.
Security
It goes without saying that security should be right at the top of your priority list. From keeping accounts secure to using a trusted payment method, you can do your bit.
But online betting sites need to do their bit too. This begins with UK betting sites that are licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, where they are given a license after proving they operate correctly.
This means they will have demonstrated how they keep your payment method safe, how they look after funds, and what other measures they have in place to help new UK customers.
Make sure your online betting takes place on a site that is safe for UK customers, on a betting site that you trust, which will go a long way to helping your enjoyment.
Get this right, and sports betting can be something you enjoy without worry, using betting apps or online betting sites to place wagers on the sporting events you are excited about.
How to Choose the Right Betting Site for You
There are many betting sites to choose from, and there are some punters that decide to have multiple accounts open at the same time.
But if you get the right betting site for you, then there shouldn’t be any need for that.
Picking between the best UK betting sites is not easy, and it’s not a decision you should take lightly. Get this decision right, you’ve got one sports betting account that fulfils your needs, allowing you to enjoy your betting for years to come.
Get it wrong though, and you’ll be left wanting to find new betting sites to use, and worse, you could be left missing out, either on the best deals, odds, or even betting markets, if your online betting site isn’t the right one for you.
The phrase ‘for you’ has already been mentioned quite a bit, and that’s incredibly important. Betting is personal, the sports betting sites that works for you, may not work for your friends and family.
This is why we give a large choice to players when it comes to UK betting sites, so you can take our information, and choose the best bookmaker for you.
Below, there are three areas we believe are key. These are not the only areas to think about, but if your sports betting service gives you positives in these areas, then it is certainly a good starting point.
This isn’t to do with why odds they give, the markets on offer, or any bonuses to new customers, this is about being happy while betting, having a connection to your online betting site, and being able to enjoy your gambling, without worry or fear.
Trust & Confidence in the Site
Firstly, when you look at the many online bookmakers you can choose from, you should always think about how you view the site.
Having trust in your sports betting company, and confidence that they are one of the best betting sites for you, is absolutely vital.
Without this, you’re unlikely to ever fully relax, and be able to enjoy your online sports betting, and it doesn’t matter what kind of betting features the site offers.
Confidence is also key. When you open up betting websites, you are usually making a money transaction, it could be placing a bet online, or it could be using a payment method to add funds.
Even if this is a minimum deposit, you still want to be assured that your money, and the details of your payment method, are safe, so you can start betting straight after.
If a betting site doesn’t demonstrate that they have customers online safety as number one priority, then you won’t have the confidence you need.
UK customers are protected with this, by the UK Gambling Commission, but of course, you want to see and feel it yourself, especially if using a new UK betting site.
Whether you are using UK betting sites or betting apps, trusting your provider and being confident that your UK betting site has you protected, is vital to your long term enjoyment of online betting.
Reliability & Place in the Market
A similar point to the one above, but looking at things from a slightly different angle, is playing with UK betting sites that are reliable, and have a place in the market.
When you choose your online betting site, it should be one that you are going to play with for many years.
Whether you're betting on horse racing, football or something else, whatever you plan to do on the betting site, should be a long term plan.
But you will only get this, if you go with online bookmakers that are reliable, and have a place in the market so you know they are going to stick around.
Not knowing if your UK betting site is going to stay in the market, is going to give you something else to worry about, as we’ve just mentioned above.
Instead, the best betting sites, will offer you reliability, they are going to be by your side, offering you online betting for as long as you need them.
Whether new betting sites or old ones, they’ve got a place in the market, a way to attract new customers online, and are building their UK betting platform up, for the long haul.
Does the Sports Betting Site Serve Your Needs?
The best betting sites will always be those that deliver the needs of their customers. But those needs are always slightly different, so for you, it needs to be the best betting site for your own personal needs.
You should never find yourself looking at other UK betting sites and seeing something available there, which isn’t available on your current sports betting account.
The best way to approach this is to work out what it is that you want from your betting site. Think of the sports betting markets you need, any in play betting requirements, specific payment method, betting apps as well as one that offers sports betting on a website, and anything else you have.
This list is going to be personal to you, and your own needs, and this is why we give many options when it comes to the best betting sites, because you need to do your own tests.
The sporting events you want to bet on, should always be there, whether it’s football betting, tennis betting, golf betting or something completely different.
These will be different to what other people want, someone who only takes part in horse racing betting will not care about tennis betting, or golf betting too much. On top of that, in play betting is very rare in horse racing, so they won’t be interested in that either.
However, flip that round to a football fan who also likes tennis betting and makes a lot of their bets using in play betting markets, and you’ve all of a sudden got a very different set of needs and requirements, to find the best betting site for this person.
It goes without saying, but the list you create has to be detailed and correct, to ensure you get the best betting site from it.
Established vs New Betting Sites - Compared
When choosing a betting site to open a new account, one usually wonders: should I go for an established name or a new bookmaker? There is no clear answer to that question, but here we are going to outline the differences, advantages, and disadvantages of both.
| Feature Compared | New Betting Sites | Established Bookmakers |
|---|---|---|
| 🎁 Welcome offers | Usually Higher | Lower but stable |
| ⚽ Odds | Competitive but volatile | Consistent and Fair |
| 💳 Payment Options | More selection - crypto, e-wallets | Traditional |
| ⭐ Reputation | Less track record | Established Reputation |
| 📲 Mobile UX | Optimised, app first | Varies |
| 🤝 Customer Support | Can be limited | Usually 24/7 |
Now that we've compared some features lets dive in the pros and cons of the two.
Pros & Cons of New Betting Sites
- Better Offers
- Innovative
- Better UX and Apps
- Less proven reliability
- May lack payment options
Pros & Cons of Established Betting Sites
- Trusted Reputation
- Secure and Consistent
- Better Customer Support
- Lower Bonuses
- Lacks innovation
Which one is Best for You?
Choosing a particular bookmakers always boils down to preference and how much comfortable you are with the platform offered. We tried to simplify the choice for you to help you start your evaluation:
- Best for Casual Play: Established betting sites as these are the safest and most reliable.
- Best for Promo Hunters and Innovation fans: New betting sites usually offer better promos and a modern platform.
- Best Overall? That is up to you to decide but a mix of both might give you the best deal.
Popular Betting Sites in the UK Reviewed
Check out our mini reviews of the top 10 betting sites below, where we give a brief overview of the top sites in the UK.
Betfred: Excellence with Horse Racing
Betfred are widely recognised as the best bookmaker for promotions, with Betfred founder Fred Done quoted as saying he “knows exactly what punters want”.
Betfred have a great reputation as being one of the best sports betting sites when it comes to promotions.
What’s great, and really makes their service stand out, is the further offers for existing customers that you can use after you’ve signed up and taken the welcome promotion.
Paddy Power: Football Specials and Bet Builders
Paddy Power is synonymous with making sports betting fun, with humorous ad campaigns, alongside being recognised as one of the best bookies for Horse Racing.
When the big events come around, Paddy Power offer regular enhanced odds offers for players, so you can get even more value with these events.
From football to horse racing and many other sports, these enhanced odds will be available ahead of the big action.
Betfair: Promotions and Free Bets
Betfair is one of the biggest names in the business, with it’s hugely popular Exchange and Sportsbook.
Of all the websites for sports betting, Betfair have one of the very biggest services on offer. Their choice is excellent, with a huge range of betting markets available for all sports.
So if it’s size and variation you want from your betting, Betfair could make a great partner for you.
bet365: Biggest Betting Platform
bet365 is well known for it’s diverse sports betting markets, impressive in-play betting, user-friendly platform, famous bet builders, alongside generous Free Bets.
Known for being one of the best online betting sites, Bet365 places a huge element of their service on the in play section of their site. Here they offer everything a punter needs, from a wide choice of sports, excellent betting markets, quick updates, and great streaming coverage, so you can watch the game unfold.
One of the biggest names in the industry, built on offering quality, bet365 tick all boxes for a lot of punters.
BetMGM: Existing Customer Offers
Big in the US, and over here to now crack the UK market, BetMGM have put together a list of sponsorship deals and ambassadors to get their name out.
With a very strong welcome offer, and further existing customer offers, they are great for those looking to source the biggest deal.
After success in the USA, BetMGM are already making big strides in the UK, and plenty of players are joining them on the ride.
Unibet: Mobile Betting Platform
Always seen as a strong name in the industry, and one offering an excellent mobile platform, which is of course where more and more people are now heading to bet.
With simple and easy to use menus, clearly labelled markets and sports betting options, this is the perfect mobile app to get started.
They’ve spent a long time in the industry, a long time in the UK market, and have a service that showcases that to players.
Betway: Competitive Odds
Betway are another long standing company in the UK market, and have a reputation for offering a complete gambling platform, as they also offer high quality casino gaming.
When it comes to sports, they offer highly competitive odds, and are usually either offering the best on the market, or close to it, as they look to give the best value to players in that way.
So if it’s the best odds you want, then Betway may be the brand for you.
10Bet: Diverse Sports to Bet On
If it’s a diverse sportsbook, without a real leading sport and instead, offering strong coverage across a number of different sports and events, then 10Bet offer that to their UK players.
Of course, they cover the main events, but dive deeper, with sports coverage strong elsewhere, really rounding off their service.
If you don’t want to stick with just one sport, then 10Bet can give you multiple options on their platform, all covered in depth.
Copybet: Football Markets
Copybet have come onto the UK market with a diverse sportsbook, but there is no doubt that football betting is the main part of their service, and what they want to pride themselves on.
With plenty of leagues and competitions covered, and many ways to bet, including a range of specials and enhancements to choose from.
If it’s football you’re looking for, then the action packed football part of the Copybet site is going to tick plenty of your boxes.
William Hill: Odds Boosts
A big name high street brand in the UK, William Hill have been associated with the UK betting industry for decades.
They’ve taken their platform forward by offering an excellent online service, and as part of that, regular odds boosts to try and give customers the best possible value.
So whether you want to boost your own selections, or take advantage of special site boosts, they’ve got you covered.
Loyalty Bonuses
Bookies don’t just offer sign-up deals and promotions to new customers – they also keep their existing customers happy with different loyalty bonuses and promotions.
From free-to-play, free bets, and money-back specials, the best gambling sites, including Betfred and Virgin Bet, keep their customers feeling rewarded and coming back for more.
Why Trust Freebets?
At Freebets, trust is the foundation of everything we do. Here’s why you can rely on us for your sports betting needs:
Expertise You Can Count On
Our team of passionate writers are true sports betting enthusiasts with in-depth knowledge across a wide range of sports, including horse racing, football, cricket, and greyhound racing. With their insights, you’ll receive accurate, detailed guidance tailored to your interests.
Exclusive Offers Just for You
As part of GDC Media Limited, we have access to exclusive bonuses and promotions that you won’t find on other affiliate websites. These unique deals are designed to enhance your sports betting experience and give you added value.
Safety and Security Guaranteed
We only feature offers and promotions from fully licensed and regulated operators. This ensures your sports betting experience is not only enjoyable but also secure, with your personal information and transactions fully protected.
Honest, Unbiased Recommendations
While we do receive commissions from operators, our writers maintain complete editorial independence. This means you can trust our honest and impartial advice about the best places to bet and the most rewarding offers available.
Committed to Responsible Gambling
We actively promote safe and responsible gambling. Our reviews clearly highlight important terms and conditions, ensuring you’re fully informed when signing up with betting sites or claiming promotions.
By prioritizing your safety, security, and satisfaction, Freebets stands out as a trusted source for all your sports betting needs. Start your journey with confidence today!
How We Rate Brands
We have a full page around how we rank and rate betting sites for those who want to get the full detail on our process.
However, if it's a quick overview of what we do, then the points below cover our process.
- The biggest factor we look at is security and trust, we want safe sites only
- Next we look at payment methods on offer, so you're comfortable when making a deposit or withdrawal
- Features and sports markets are the next element, as we look for choice
- The welcome bonus and promotions come next, so we can ensure you're getting a good deal
- Building further on getting a good deal, we look at the quality and variety of odds on offer
- Next we look at the interface, experience and design, so you can use the site or app with ease
- Finally, we compare the customer service options, for peace of mind, just in case you need help
Regulation & Licensing of Bookmakers In The UK
Gambling laws in the UK provide some of the world’s most stringent legislation and protections. Gambling licences are in place to protect not only punters from unlicensed operators but also bookmakers and sports betting operators.
The UK Gambling Commission licences all UK online bookies and all members of other key organisations, prioritising punter and operator safety.
These organisations include the ‘European Sports Security Association’, GamCare (a leading national provider of information, advice, support and free counselling for the prevention and treatment of problem gambling) and IBAS (an authoritative, independent third-party with adjudication for customers who have an unresolved dispute with their UK bookmaker).
Fair & Safe Betting Sites
As with any online transaction, finding a fair and secure website is paramount for sports betting. The UK betting sites we recommend are fully licensed and regulated to operate in the UK, with many holding a UK Gambling Commission license.
With safe betting sites, you can focus on enjoying your gambling and not worrying about your funds and whether you are being given a fair deal.
Responsible Gambling
UK bookmakers are required to promote responsible gambling. They must offer tools and information to help people gamble safely and avoid addiction - these include:
- Setting limits on how much money people can deposit and bet
- Offering self-exclusion tools that allow people to take a break from gambling
- Providing information about gambling addiction and how to get help
If you are concerned about gambling, contact the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.
Here are some additional tips for responsible gambling:
- Only gamble with money that you can afford to lose
- Set limits on how much time you spend gambling
- Take regular breaks from sports betting
- Be aware of the signs of gambling addiction
- If you are concerned about your gambling, seek help