The Best UK Betting Sites for Sports Bettors

If you are trying to find the best betting sites in the UK with the best free bet offers, you are in the right place. We will closely examine some of the UK’s biggest names and best betting sites, analysing everything on offer so you don’t have to. You can view our comprehensive review of the best betting sites in the UK below.

Our Top UK Betting Sites for 2024

With over a decade of experience in the sports industry, we have gathered all the important information you need to know when choosing a bookmaker, whether it is new or an established name. We have compared all the online platforms available and looked at their key features to ensure they are competitive: odds, free bets, user experience, and much more. Our expert will help you find the best betting site for you.

Bet365 – Never Ordinary

Bet365 is a sports betting powerhouse and is one of the best online betting sites around. Bet365 offers a comprehensive sportsbook as well as unique promotions for customers. The welcome offer is fairly standard at Bet £10 Get £30 in free bets but football is where Bet365 shines above the rest.

With their Early Payout and Bet Boost promotions, live streaming, and in-play betting available on the Bet365 app, Bet365 is one of the best betting sites out there.

William Hill: Leading the pack in football and horse racing betting

The William hill welcome offer is the same as Bet365, Bet £10 Get £30 in free bets which is a fairly standard industry welcome offer. Though with the William hill promo code, you can get an exclusive £60 in free bets, only available on the William Hill app. William Hill is rightly one of the best online betting sites, particularly for fans of football and horse racing.

Their ongoing promotions seem tailored to both of these sports, and there are a vast number of betting options and markets for various sports. Look out for daily bet boosts and create your perfect bet with #YourOdds.

Betfred: Unmatched welcome offer

The current Betfred welcome offer is a thing of beauty and one of the best free bets offers around at the minute. Bet £10 Get £50 in free bets is a phenomenal welcome offer and a 500% bonus, making it one of the best betting sites with free bets. Betfred is another one of the top-tier online betting sites with everything on offer.

They boast all the features you’re looking for with a comprehensive sportsbook, live streaming, in-play betting, and ongoing promotions. Football is probably their strongest sport with Double Delight & Hat-trick Heaven and Acca Insurance promotions, making it one of the best football betting sites around.

Betfair: Go-to for boosts

Betfair is one of the best betting sites with free bets and the only bookmaker on this list that can compete with Betfred’s welcome offer, matching their Bet £10 Get £50 in free bets.

It is simply great value for new customers making it one of the best free bets offers out there. Betfair also has a wide selection of sports and betting markets, particularly for football and horse racing, with a loyalty program being offered for the latter. There isn’t much in the way of promotions but be sure to check for daily odds boosts.

Unibet: In play-betting & live-streaming

Unibet has an underwhelming welcome offer, giving punters a money-back option instead of guaranteed free bets like the majority of bookmakers on this list. They offer money back up to £40 if your first bet loses and throw in a £10 casino bonus.

However, they provide a great sports selection, in-play betting and live streaming, and a terrific user-friendly app. Unibet also offers a £150 refer-a-friend bonus and daily Uniboosts for selected events.

Ladbrokes: Value-driven free bets

The Ladbrokes sign-up offer provides new customers a 500% welcome bonus with a lower first deposit than rival offers, making it one of the best free bets.

A £5 deposit and qualifying bet will net you £25 in free bets which is fantastic value. Ladbrokes has a fabulous sports offering and is one of the best horse racing betting sites, providing the best odds guaranteed on horse racing events.

BetVictor: Best football offerings

BetVictor provides a standard Bet £10 Get £30 in free bets welcome offer for new customers. BetVictor is one of the best sites in terms of visuals and how it is put together for a seamless user experience. The ongoing promotions offered are great, too, with Price Promise, Acca Insurance, Daily bet boosts, and a free bet club to join.

Like most bookmakers on this list, BetVictor has a particularly strong football offering.

Spreadex: Diverse betting markets

Spreadex has one of the highest welcome offers in terms of an initial deposit and qualifying bet of Bet £25 Get £50 in bonuses. Spreadex offers fixed odds and spreads, as well as a refer-a-friend promotion.

You can also receive boosted acca winnings and bet in-play and a vast array of sports.

Coral sports – Horse racing & football promotions

Coral Sports has a great welcome offer of Bet £10 Get £40 in free bets, which is a 400% bonus, making it one of the best free bets offers out there.

Coral offers the best odds guaranteed and a racing club for customers, making it one of the best online betting sites for horse racing. Look out for other promotions including their super smart boosts, daily rewards shaker, rewards grabber, and free-to-play game series for football and horse racing.

Check out the Coral sign up offer for sports & casino.

Star sports bet – Elite horse racing odds

Star Sports' welcome offer is another underwhelming one, only giving 50% back as a free bet if your first bet loses up to £25.

Despite this shortcoming, Star Sports provides the best-guaranteed odds for UK horse racing and daily sports betting boosts to take advantage of.

Top 10 UK betting sites for free bets: comprehensive comparison

In this section, we will comprehensively compare the best betting sites in the UK and everything they offer, from sports coverage and betting markets to odds competitiveness and customer service.

Best betting sites for free bets UK: Betfred

Betfred has the best free bet offers from all the bookmakers listed above, as you can bet £10 and get £50 in free bets. The initial deposit and qualifying bet of £10 is a standard amount for this industry but it is the £50 in free bets that is what takes it beyond other bookmakers.

The 500% bonus is a fabulous offer, which Ladbrokes offers but only to the value of £25. As Betfred gives £50 in free bets, this is the best value. A special shoutout to Betfair who also provide the same offer and must be regarded as one of the best betting sites with free bets.

Best betting sites UK with the best % welcome bonus: Betfair

Betfair could have won the previous section but takes this one with a 500% welcome bonus on offer. Betfred also offers a 500% welcome bonus and both could have been named as the winner for either section.

Ladbrokes also offers a 500% welcome bonus but to the value of £25. As Betfair offers £50 in free bets, they provide greater value and take the crown of best online betting sites with the best % welcome bonus.

Best betting sites UK sports betting market depth: Bet365

Bet365 has a phenomenal sports betting market. They are the best bookmaker for football which is the UK’s most popular sport and they provide everything customers need for this market.

They have a myriad of ongoing promotions and bet boosts for various sports each day and incredible depth for each sport they provide markets for, it isn’t limited to match betting. For the sheer variety of sports available to bet on, Bet365 is the best betting site for sports betting market depth.

Football selection at Betfred: A league of its own

Betfred is in a league of its own in terms of football betting. They provide the typical competitions and markets you would expect a top UK bookmaker to provide. Still, they also go one step further with their competitive odds, daily boosts, and ongoing football promotions. You can bet on popular leagues and competitions such as the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Champions League, and Euro 2024.

Betfred also throws in regular daily price boosts and provides #PickYourPunt, their bet builder feature where you can build your perfect bet with a variety of selections available on your chosen fixture.

Betfred takes the crown for this section due to its football coupon offering and ongoing promotions. Betfred has something for you, no matter your budget or your betting style. The Double Delight & Hat-trick Heaven promotion boosts odds on your chosen selection; you can also bet in-play and pre-match.

Football Goal Fever also gives a 25% bonus if your team wins by three or more goals and the Acca Flex feature gives up to a 50% bonus on settlements on all pre-match football accumulators of 5 selections or more. You should visit Betfred and find out for yourself just how good their football offering is and the service they provide.

Horse racing betting at Coral Sports reigns supreme

Coral Sports provides a comprehensive horse racing betting experience and is one of the best betting sites for horse racing in the UK. Coral offers guaranteed best odds for horse racing in the UK, with enhanced early prices and regular daily boosts. There are a variety of racing events which Coral covers including major events at Kempton, Cheltenham and Aintree.

There are also various types of bets available including win or e/w, forecast, exacta, trifecta, and placepot.

Coral also provides a feature called ‘Racing Super Series’, which is completely free to play and offers a chance to win up to £25,000 by predicting the winner of the 7 selected races.

Coral’s unique selling point is their racing club which you can join and receive several benefits including yard visits and free race day tickets. You will be sure to receive the best guaranteed horse racing odds with Coral and you can also live stream events on the website and app to keep up with all the action with one of the best betting sites for horse racing in the UK.

Best betting sites for best odds in the UK: Bet365

It is another triumph for Bet365 and it is clear they are one of the best betting sites around. Bet365 offers the most competitive odds in the UK market with competitive pricing across several popular sports including football, golf, tennis, and horse racing.

They provide daily enhanced price boosts for a multitude of different sports as well as boosted returns for bettors when utilising specific features.

For example, look at Bet365’s Acca Boost for football – providing up to a 70% boost on accumulators just for using their site. When you combine this with their already competitive odds, the returns you can receive are staggering which is the main thing bettors are looking for, and that’s value. Bet365 certainly provides this and remains one of the best online betting sites for the odds they offer.

Best betting sites user experience and website functionality: BetVictor

BetVictor has a seamless website and app design for enhanced ease of navigation. It is exceptionally responsive, with tremendous loading speeds, a great layout, and useful features such as search bars.

By providing this top-of-the-range service, BetVictor will ensure that bettors have an enjoyable experience, which is what it is all about. BetVictor certainly leads the way regarding the best online betting sites for usability and functionality.

The best mobile app: Bet365

Bet365 takes yet another crown to cement its position as one of the best online betting sites currently. Everything you see on their website transports beautifully to their premium app, which can be downloaded for Android and iOS devices via the Google Play Store and Apple Store.

The user interface is extremely easy to use, everything is marked and highlighted for easy navigation and it performs well with little to no lag or crashing. The main benefit is that everything on the app works.

All the features you associate with Bet365, including promotions, 24/7 live support, cash-out features, in-play betting, and live streaming, work through the application, which is exactly what it is designed to do.

Best 10 Betting Sites in the UK: Winners Across Key Categories

Category	Winner
Best Sports Bonus	Betfred
Best Free Bets Bonus	Betfred
Best % Welcome Bonus	Betfair
Sports betting market	Bet365
Football betting	Bet365
Horse racing betting	Coral Sports
Niche sports market betting	Bet365
Best odds	Bet365
Live streaming & betting	William Hill
Virtuals, iGaming, & esports	BetVictor
Customer service	Bet365, William Hill
User experience	BetVictor
Best mobile app	Bet365
Gambling awareness	All bookmakers mentioned provide gambling awareness and support systems for those who need it.

Which bookmaker is ideal for you?

To answer this question, you first need to ask yourself another: What am I looking for from a bookmaker? There are several answers to this question, including the best odds, the best welcome offer, the best customer support options, various payment methods, varied sportsbooks, premium app offerings, and many more.

You need to decide why you are betting, your reasons, and what you enjoy from a bookmaker. If you are struggling to decide, it is a good idea to make a strengths and weaknesses list for each bookmaker you are considering so you have a visual guide on what is available.

Also, do some digging and extra research into what certain bookmakers provide, as you may unearth something that changes your mind or cements your decision. For me, Bet365 has absolutely everything I need as I enjoy football, and they provide a wonderful service for this need. Think about what you want; there certainly isn’t a shortage of bookmakers to choose from!

Author’s pick; My favourite bookmaker and why?

What are the best betting sites I hear you ask. All things considered, and as aforementioned, Bet365 provides everything I need from an online bookmaker.

They offer a varied sportsbook and a great football offering with daily boosts and many markets to utilise, which is everything I need. William Hill also gets a special shoutout for their daily football-enhanced odds, but Bet365 is among the best betting sites.

Qualities that define an Industry-leading Bookmaker

What exactly makes an industry-leading online bookmaker? What do they need to have? Firstly, and most importantly, you need to be able to trust the bookmaker you are using. You will be depositing your own money into these sites and hopefully withdrawing too, but can you trust them to look after your money, or payout when requested? You should be looking for a fully regulated and licensed betting site. That’s the biggest thing you need to find.

Secondly, is there a varied selection of sports and betting markets available? There’s nothing worse than going through the rigmarole of signing up to a betting site just to find out that the sport you love isn’t available or you can’t bet on a certain market. This just takes a little research to find out exactly what a bookmaker offers before signing up.

Another quality an industry-leading bookmaker should have is regular promotions. It doesn’t really matter what this looks like, as long as they are offering daily enhanced boosts, special offers for major events, or competitive odds, you know they are serious and have you at the forefront of their operation. It is all about engagement and feeling a part of something, and something as simple as boosting the odds of a selection can engage bettors.

Furthermore, a responsive customer support system is another must-have quality. If you need immediate help or a quick response and there is nothing there to give you this required help, chances are you will be annoyed and won’t want to use their services again. It also shows customers that you care about them, which is important.

Lastly, an important feature is a variety of payment options. This is key as the more payment methods that are available, the more people can use the site. It is all about access. Also, various payment options usually indicate a bookmaker's safety.

These factors all contribute to making the best betting sites what they are and why they are industry leaders as they all have these features at the very least.

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