Sports Betting In The U.K. - Sep 2025

With sports betting in the U.K. you are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a bookmaker, looking to bet on a certain sport or a particular market. In truth, betting and sports in this country go hand in hand, whether it’s a wager on your favourite football team or a flutter on the Grand National, U.K. sports betting is part of our make up. 

Below we will run you through all the different sports you can bet on in the United Kingdom, including some of the classic bets you can place, which sports betting sites lead the way and which could be the best fit for you. 

U.K Sports Betting Sites

Above you can see FootballCritic’s selection of the top sports betting sites in the U.K. Our team of betting experts undertake thorough reviews of each operator and our rankings reflect our honest thoughts on each. 

Betting Sites To Meet Your Requirements

Whilst the above list gives the best all round offering, we appreciate that some sports betting sites are stronger in certain areas than others and may be a better fit for you depending on what you are looking for. 

For example some online bookmakers will offer markets on a larger range of sports compared to others, whereas some will purely focus on the major sports. So if you’re looking to bet on something perhaps a little more niche like esports or even table tennis, you might need to dig a bit deeper to find a sports betting site which offers markets on your favourite sports. 

Some online sports betting sites in the U.K. may appeal more to fans of certain sports with a wider range of markets and things you can bet on. For football punters you might be keen on looking for a sports betting company that offers bet builders for example, or in horse racing one that offers best odds guaranteed. 

All of these considerations are worth thinking about before you decide which sports betting site to join.

Below we have broken down the top sports betting sites for the following categories:

• Best range of sports
• Biggest range of markets
• Best betting site for football
• Best betting site for horse racing
• Best in-play betting site

U.K. Sports Betting Sites With The Biggest Range of Sports

Bet365 - With comfortably over 40 sports to choose from and a great product to boot, Bet365 should be one of your first stops if looking for a wide range of sports. Honourable mentions go to Ladbrokes and Coral who also offer a large selection. 

Biggest Range of Markets Sports Betting Site

Bet365 & William Hill - Again, if you’re looking for a sports betting site that has the best range of markets then Bet365 comes out on top. With over 14,000 markets and an extensive range of football betting options, you can be sure Bet365 is one of your best bets! William Hill is closely matched and offers a huge range of markets on horse racing and football in particular.

Best Betting Sites for Football

Paddy Power, William Hill & Bet365 - Whilst most UK sports betting websites will offer a large range of markets on football, the three brands mentioned above still come up trumps for the biggest range of football betting options. But that’s not the only reason why we’ve included them in our best football betting sites selection; they all offer some neat added features such as if your wagered team goes 2 goals ahead your bet gets paid out as a winner and super sub; whereby if you place a wager on a player for example to score a goal or to be carded, either as a single or in a betbuilder, if they are subbed off for whatever reason, your bet will stay alive and move on to the player coming on in place. 

Best Betting Sites for Horse Racing

Paddy Power - First and foremost when you’re looking for a horse racing betting site, it is in your best interest to look for one that offers best odds guaranteed, meaning if you place a bet on a horse and the horse’s odds are higher at the start of the race you will be paid out the higher starting price odds. Several UK bookmakers offer this so be sure to shop around. In terms of an overall package though, Paddy Power are high on the list with best odds guaranteed from 8am, a wide range of markets, frequent free bets on big race meetings and they also regularly offer money back as a free bet up to a certain amount if your horse comes 2nd, 3rd or 4th which can be placed on any UK racing that day with 8 or more runners. Giving you a shot at consolation should your horse fail to win. 

Best In-Play Betting Site

Bet365 & BetMGM - When you’re looking for a sports betting site which offers a top live betting product what you should look for is range of in-play markets, availability of live data and statistics and in-play boosts. With Bet365 and BetMGM they are two pioneers of in-play sports betting and meet all the above criteria.

Are There Any Bookmakers That I Should Steer Clear Of?

Although clearly some bookmakers are stronger than others, here at FootballCritic.com we only list and review safe and legal betting sites that are regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. So any that you see on this website are fair game. But there are plenty of unregulated offshore betting companies out there that you should avoid to ensure your funds are protected. 

How Easy Is It To Bet On Sports Online In The U.K.?

As long as you are aged 18+ and are prepared to share some basic information about yourself, then betting on sports in this country really is straightforward.

Firstly if you’re new to the sports betting scene in the U.K. then you’re in luck because our country is blessed with legacy sports betting brands that have been trading for a number of years and your first port of call is simply finding which one is best for you but we can help with that with our sports betting reviews. 

We’ve put together an easy step-by-step guide to help you get started:

1. 1

   Research and Review Sites!

   Take a look at our rankings and read our bookmaker reviews to find out which is the best fit for you.

2. 2

   Navigate to Your Chosen Sports Betting Site

   Click through to the sports betting site via our ‘Get Bonus’ buttons in the reviews.

3. 3

   Follow the Registration Process

   Click on ‘Register’ or ‘Join Now’ and follow the instructions - inputting the required details as you proceed.

4. 4

   Verify Account (If Required)

   Occasionally a sports betting company may ask for a photo ID but often this can be added after the sign-up process or is not a requirement at all. 

5. 5

   Make Your Deposit

   Once your account is fully verified, deposit some funds into your account, ensuring it meets the minimum deposit to activate any available sign-up bonuses. 

6. 6

   Choose the sport and event you’d like to bet on and away you go!

   Now all that is left is to see how your bet gets on.

Sports Betting Strategies To Consider

Whilst ultimately betting on sports is unpredictable and should be seen as fun and not as a guaranteed moneymaking activity. When you're wagering with real money, you want to give yourself the best shot at placing a strong bet so following some basic strategy will go a long way.

1. Research the sport you are betting on - This may come naturally to you, if you’re an avid follower of football for example you will likely know which teams and players are in form but it is still advisable to dig a little deeper and look into the event you are betting on. Sometimes form book goes out of the window as well - take a derby match for example where frequently the on-paper underdog will raise their level of performance against a stronger rival and could grind out a result or often a team may have stronger home form than their away form etc
2. Check for injuries and suspensions - Whilst a quick look at a league table or the form book could make for promising reading. It’s always worthwhile checking to see if a team has any significant injuries or suspensions that could drastically affect their performance. 
3. Weather conditions - If you’re looking to place a bet on a horse race then it’s advisable to check on the recent & upcoming weather at the course. This is because the ground can change and can impact a horse's performance. For example some horses thrive on soft ground, whereas others hate it! 
4. Find the best odds - Whilst we implore you to enjoy sports betting in moderation, there is value in comparing the odds of different sports betting sites for the chosen event you’d like to wager on to maximise potential returns of your bet.
5. Stay in control - If you’ve followed the above and you’ve made your informed bets then stick to just that and never chase losses when you’re losing or get carried away when you’re winning. 
6. Set a budget and stick to it - Make sure you set yourself a betting bank which you are comfortable with and doesn’t include any money required for everyday living. Use your betting bank wisely and never go beyond it. 

Which Are The Most Popular Sports To Bet On In The U.K.?

We’re a sports loving nation and with that in mind there are a whole host of sports we love to bet on across the year. 

Football fans for example get the opportunity to place wagers on domestic football largely on a weekly basis during the football season, whereas somebody who perhaps enjoys a bet on the major golf tournaments may just place a few bets across the year when those tournaments take place. There are ample betting opportunities in the sporting calendar and here are the main sports the U.K. public like to bet on the most: 

• Football
• Horse Racing
• Cricket
• Darts
• Golf
• Rugby Union
• Rugby League
• American Football
• Basketball

Betting on Football

Football betting is the most popular gambling sport in the United Kingdom. The English Premier League is a leader with numerous games televised on a weekly basis, but football fans also love to bet on the Championship and the Football League at the weekend - enabling fans to compile football accumulator bets (a type of multi bet) across the different leagues. But that's not all footy fans enjoy wagering on, as the European Competitions such as the Champions League and the Europa League also make up a large number of the bets placed in the U.K.  

If you’re a fan of overseas football then you won’t miss out either as almost all sports betting sites will offer wagers on the major European and international leagues. 

In terms of bets you place on football, you are spoilt for choice. Popular football bets include match outcome bets, outright bets, bet builders, accumulators, correct score betting, player bets and much more!

Which Other Sports Can I Bet On?

Betting sites offer a wealth of choices when it comes to sports, and outside of the popular ones outlined above you will also typically find markets on the following:

• MMA
• Boxing 
• Snooker
• Motorsports
• Table Tennis
• Gaelic Football
• Cycling
• Baseball
• Esports

What Types Of Sports Bets Can I Place?

Since sports betting has moved online, bookmakers are constantly adding new markets to their platforms. That said here are the most popular bet types in the U.K:

Win Bet

This is also known as a moneyline bet in America but a single win bet is simply predicting the outcome of an event. In football this could be predicting the outcome of a football match (also known as a 1x2 bet) whether you think team A or team B will win or the match will result in a draw. In horse racing for example a win bet would be picking the winner of a race. This bet can be placed on most sports.

Place Bet

This is a bet type where the punter is making a prediction that their selection will either win or finish in the top places of a competition. For example if you made a place bet on Justin Rose in the Masters golf, if he was to finish 2nd your place would return a winner, the bet would also return a winner should Justin Rose win the tournament. This applies to football teams in a cup or competition or a horse race. Place terms vary from competition, so be sure to check out how many places qualify for a place bet. 

Handicap Bet

A handicap bet also sometimes known as a spread gives a deficit to one team and a positive advantage to the other. This is to level out the playing field where there is a deemed favourite and underdog in the contest. This is a common match bet type and in football you might see an example like this: 

Chelsea (+1)

Arsenal (-1)

In this example should you choose to bet on Chelsea, they are essentially starting the match with a hypothetical 1-0 lead. Meaning if the game ends in a draw, or Chelsea win the match, your handicap bet would return a winner. On the other side of the handicap, if you were to place a bet on Arsenal they are starting the contest 1 goal down and you need Arsenal to win by a margin of at least 2 goals for your handicap bet to return a winner. 

Other examples of handicaps will include draw handicaps and there are also Asian handicaps available to wager on. 

Correct Score Betting

Correct score betting as you might have guessed is predicting the final score of a contest. This is a very popular bet for football but you will find this market on many other sports including darts, boxing, snooker and rugby.

Multis

A multi bet is compiling two or more individual selections together to form one bet. Punters enjoy placing multi bets because often the returns can be far greater than placing a single bet. In football betting accumulators are extremely popular. The downside is that if only one of your selections loses then your acca bet will lose. 

Bet Builders

Bet builders are one of the newest crazes to sports betting in the U.K. This is essentially a multi bet within a specific game or contest. So for example in football you might predict Team A to win, a certain player to score a goal and x number of corners in the game. Like multis, should all of those things happen, then your bet will return a winner - often rewarding punters handsomely but if just one of those lets you down, then your bet builder would return a loser. 

In-Play Betting

This is one of the features of online betting, and in particular since sports betting apps have launched. An In-play bet or a live bet, is a wager on an event or contest taking place right at that moment. In-play betting is becoming bigger and there are many markets you can place live. Bettors like making in-play bets because they are reacting to what they are seeing when watching a live sports game or following the stats. 

Conclusion

Sports betting in the U.K. is a billion pound industry and fans love to place a bet on their favourite team or to have added interest when watching or following sports. The sports betting products offered by bookmakers now are so vast that you can bet on most things within an event. 

With the industry forever evolving and betting companies offering perks and competing for your custom, now is a great time to try out sports betting in the UK.