Best Football Betting Sites For 2023 – Get Best Betting Offers
Football betting is one of the most popular betting markets in the UK, offered by countless betting sites that operate within the UK. If you are interested in betting as a whole, then there is a good chance that you are looking into it specifically for football betting – but finding the right betting site is not always easy.
While the quirks and terms behind betting properly can take a while to learn, you also need to spend some time picking out the best betting sites for your needs. Each football betting site will offer its own betting options and promotional bonuses, which can dramatically change the entire experience.
But how do you find good football betting sites, UK-based or otherwise? We review a range of football betting sites and other online betting site categories to provide in-depth reviews on each one, making it much easier to compare them at your leisure.
Top Football Betting Sites
Rating
Rating
English Premier League
When you think of the English Premier League the first thing that pops in your head is that this is the most competitive and entertaining league in the world.
Stepped in history with teams like Manchester Utd, Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Chelsea, but to name a few.
The unpredictable nature of the English Premier League is there for all to see, from Leicester Citys 5000/1 shock Premier League title win back in 2015/2016, to Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero’s last-minute goal in the final game of the season back in 2011 to rip the title out of Manchester United’s hands. The Premier League never failed to deliver and either does the betting opportunities.
Each season we try to predict who will come out on top season with the usual top 7 powerhouses in Liverpool, Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspurs, Leicester City & Arsenal.
Over the past few seasons, we have had the dues of the north with Man City and Liverpool best equipped to challenge for the title with the rest fighting it out for the convicted UFEA Champions League spots.
Now, not to forget about the ever-fascinating ‘battle to bet the drop’ into the EFL Championship. Each year you will get teams that you never expect to be battling out to stay afloat in the Premier League, and with that, comes very tempting betting odds for you to take on a team that you think might struggle this season.
So, to wrap it up, the English Premier League has it all, from any betting market you can think of, to the week in week out drama that comes with betting on the English Premier League.
MLS (Major League Soccer)
Major League Soccer, better known as the MLS has come so far in the past decade. From being dubbed the retirement league where world football stars would go to see out their career to a league that has attracted some of the world’s most famous football players like David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahiomach, Frank Lampard, Stephen Gerrard, Andra Pirlo, and the list goes on.
The transformation has been huge and only recently, David Beckham has introduced to his new MLS franchise, Inter Miami.
With all this growth comes a huge spike in MLS betting. Not only do you have the USA and Canadian bettor betting on the MLS, but now that the MLS is renowned as one of the top leagues in the world that has brought a whole new betting audience to the fore.
The MLS has a slightly different format to most of the world’s top football leagues and with that, you get some fascinating betting markets to play from, which we will preview below in our Betting Markets section.
La Liga
Who doesn’t love top football bets on La Liga? The passion, the skill, the flair, almost all make up for the amateur dramatics. Much like in England, the battle for the top of Spain is not as clear-cut as it has been in the past.
Barcelona continues to excel with Messi & Co., while Real Madrid seems slightly less invincible now without the services of Cristiano Ronaldo. But, who can rule out the Athletico side of Madrid, with Sevilla, also throwing a cat amongst the pigeons?
Not forgetting the always exciting transfer market with the likes of Griezmann, Isco, Pogba, Neymar, and Mbappe already fuelling the rumor mill with their links in and out of Liga. It’s a division that’s never without some big movers and shakers, ideal for those of you who fancy getting in on the action. Again in the betting stakes, you’re spoiled for choice.
Can anyone stop the Argentinian wizard from topping the goal-scoring stats? Does it all rest on Luis Suarez to romp home to victory, or can Griezmann mount a challenge? Or is the best bet on the battle for top 4? Sergio Ramos and Pepe have been quiet so far, but are you one to bet on most yellow/red cards in a season? We’ve trawled the world’s betting sites for some of the top bets on La Liga this season.
Serie A
Do you still own one of those classic AC Milan, Inter Milan, or Juventus jerseys from the early ’00s? Or are you just a Ronaldo fan who just happens to be suddenly stuck to soccer in fair old Italy? Both? Me too.
Serie A has always been one of the top leagues in Europe not just for quality, but for you betting fans also. And now with the Portuguese superstar breathing new life into the league, excitement levels in Italian soccer fandom have got a well-deserved renaissance. (That’s French, I know.)
Juventus are almost certainly the front runners for Italian domination once again, with the memory of near administration almost cleared from the memories of the Old Lady’s faithful following. But with Napoli, and both Milan clubs both hot on the heels of the top spot, it’s definitely not over yet, by any means. Can Roma too, get back to contention after their successes in the past couple of seasons? Or will the surprise success story of Atalanta give us a Leicester-like miracle in Lombardy?
Ronaldo of course, isn’t the only superstar in Serie A, so why not take a chance on the league’s top scorer? Immobile, Icardi or Insigne tickle your fancy? Or could Genoa’s Piatek continue to stun the statisticians? And that’s even before we pay heed to the rumors of Fabregas or fan-favorite Ballotelli making the trip to Italian shores.
UEFA Champions League
The Champions League, the most prestigious tournament in club football, culminating in the most-watched annual sporting event worldwide. Why you might ask? Well, you can call upon some of the most dramatic nights in world football just from the Champions League alone. That night Barcelona back in 1999 when Manchester United came back from a goal down to beat Byearn Munich 2-1 with United’s two goals coming in the last two minutes of injury time from Teddy Sherringham and Man Utds current boss, Ole Gunner Solskjar, to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
You cant talk about Champion League comebacks and not mention that faithful night in Istanbul when Liverpool looked out for the count as they went in at half time 3-0 down against the Italian giants, A.C Milan, only for Liverpool to make a dramatic come back with3 goals in the second half to take the game into extra time. They couldn’t be separated after extra time so what better way to decide where the Champions League trophy ends up than a penalty shoot-out, and as you know Liverpool pulled off the unlikeliest of comebacks by winning the shootout.
This is only two examples why betting on the Champions League is so popular, and if anything is growing every year.
What better way to spend a winter Tuesday and Wednesday night than to put together a football accumulator in the hope that your selected teams get the win that you crave and in doing so ageing yourself a nice betting profit.
There are many other markets that have become synonymous with the Champions League with the likes of Both Teams To Score (BTTS), Over & Under and Anytime Goalscorer just to name a few.
So, who will come out on top of this season UEFA Champions League? Can Pep finally get Man City to Champions League glory? Can Ronaldo drag Juventus to the final or will Liverpool win back to back titles?
Our football betting expert will point you in the right direction.
UEFA Euro 2020
What should have been the UEFA Euro 2020 championships has now been pushed back to 2021 along with numerous other sporting events sure to the COVID 19.
But, for all that, we still have a fascinating championship to look forward to in 2021.
Back in 2016, Portugal fought off the challenge of France in the final, somewhat surprising winners despite the presence of one of the world’s best players leading them to victory. While Wales and Iceland impressed, Croatia, England, and Spain were sent home earlier than expected.
By the time Euro 2020 kicks off, these teams and more will be hoping to impress in a competition that can be wide open, each and every time it comes around.
Will England take a shot at redemption and bring it home? Will France do the double? Or will it be one of the other many teams arguably in contention, who take the trophy home? Ireland is 200/1 to send the country into utter euphoria, by the way.
2022 FIFA World Cup
Although it’s still a long time away, interest is in the well-publicised 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup is already building.
Dubbed the Winter World Cup, there’s much speculation about how things may play out, both on and off the pitch. Whatever the conditions, we just hope the football is as impressive as the “cooling technology” Qatar has patented. So who are the early front runners for the world’s biggest sporting competition?
With just over 2 years left to wait, it is more than likely that some of the world-leading young hopes like Englands Marcus Rashford, Brazils Gabrial Jesus, Frances Killian Mbappe, and Germanys Timo Werner will have big say on where the World Cup will spending its time in the 4 years that proceed the 2020 World Cup Final.
Let’s not forget we are more than likely to see arguably the two greatest footballers of all time in Leon Messi and Christiano Ronaldo contest their last ever major tournaments for their countries, so make no mistake this will be one of the most viewed and bet on the sporting event of 2022.
Pros & Cons of Football Betting Sites in the UK
While most football bet sites are going to offer something unique to set themselves apart from other options, it is still important to know the general pros and cons of playing at these sites compared to in-person betting. As a whole, football bet sites are usually easier and simpler overall, but that does not make them perfect.
If you are looking to find some of the best football betting sites in the UK, then you need to go into your search with the right expectations. Football betting sites can allow you to do things that betting shops absolutely cannot, but you also need to understand how they operate.
Whether you are new to football betting markets as a whole or just have not used football betting platforms before, it is important to start with a good baseline. Our reviews are meant to make comparing football betting sites easier, but knowing the expected fundamentals of a football betting site can help put each review into a clearer context.
Pros
In general, choosing to use football betting sites provides you with the following:
- Instant access to football betting from the comfort of your own home.
- The ability to watch football matches through live-streamed betting.
- A wider range of betting markets for different football matches and events.
- A simpler online betting system that does not require any in-person actions.
- Fully live betting options for in-play betting.
- Bonuses for new players and existing customers, such as free bet credits.
- Mobile app and browser functionality for on-the-go betting.
- No need to visit football bookies in person.
- Greater security since you can use online payment platforms to hide your bank or card details.
Cons
Of course, as an online player, you can also run into some limitations, such as:
- Not all popular football betting markets are available on every site.
- Live betting not being available for every game.
- The requirement to download a mobile app for using certain sites on your mobile device.
Top 10 Sportsbooks for Football Betting
There is a huge range of different sports betting sites to consider if you are interested in betting on football. Thankfully, the best football betting sites often stand quite a few steps taller than the rest, offering something that makes them unique or sets them apart from other betting sites in the UK.
As a review site, it is our job to go through the UK’s many different football betting sites, finding the best football betting sites in specific niches and helping users understand what they can offer. Of course, like anything, there is not a single best option for every player.
Below are ten of the best betting sites players can enjoy, in no particular order. Some of them offer unique free bets bonuses, while others simply make in-play betting easy – but these are some of the best football betting sites online players can find.
Remember: this list of betting sites is not a hard rule. While these are ten of the best football betting sites in the UK, different players need different things, and you might end up finding another option that is more suited to your preferred betting style.
Betfair
BetFair is a very well-known name among betting exchanges in the UK and operates the largest betting exchange in the entire world. The UK branch provides sports betting, bingo, online casino and even online poker, all within the same site system. Even if you focus exclusively on football bets, the site offers plenty of betting markets to enjoy.
BetFair is famous for a reason, providing a huge amount of options for new and veteran players alike. The football section has a long list of different football betting markets, including football bets on major events, such as Champions League and Premier League games.
If you want more than just football league betting, then you can also enjoy a range of other bet markets, from greyhound racing and horse events to tennis, golf and rugby. Everything can be accessed all from the same site, letting you switch between football markets and other betting options with only a few clicks.
Promotions include things like the £30 in free bets bonus and the 50 free spins bonus, both for new players, as well as various cash refund and extra betting funds bonuses that can be activated in various ways. Alongside that is the Bet Builder, a tool that allows players to quickly create a custom bet by combining different bets across specific markets.
Betfair is a very well-known name in the British football betting site niche for a good reason, and it is easily one of the best sites for football betting overall. This also makes it a great betting site as a whole, letting you enjoy a range of markets and games without having to worry about being stuck with only a single sport to bet on.
Matchbook
Matchbook is a well-known betting site and exchange with a heavy focus on football betting. As one of the UK’s more important football betting site options, it gets a lot of praise for its various different markets and bonuses, as well as being a fully-featured betting exchange site.
Known for being trustworthy and offering quite a wide range of different popular football betting markets, Matchbook is a great choice for both new and long-time football punters. Matchbook also has optional casino and live casino games, meaning that players are free to enjoy slots and other games at their leisure.
The current welcome bonus at Matchbook provides players with a £20 money-back offer if their first bet loses, as well as 20 free spins on the Starburst slots game. This comes alongside multiple stake bonuses for specific events, as well as a promotional code for 90 days of 0% commission.
All of this makes Matchbook one of the best online football betting sites for players who want a good mixture of different options or who want a good experience betting on football while still being able to branch out to other sports betting markets.
MostBet
MostBet was founded back in 2009 and is an Indian-based sports betting site that has become quite commonly used all across the world. Designed to be easy to use, the site is meant to be simple for new football punters to understand, allowing them to start betting almost immediately.
Available on both mobile and desktop devices, the site offers a great range of different sports betting market options, as well as regular and live casino games. Due to it being freely accessible in a range of different countries, players can enjoy betting on a wider variety of games than most other betting exchanges.
The welcome bonus at MostBet gives players a 150% first deposit match bonus and 100 free spins on selected slots, alongside a sizable amount of bonus funds. Other bonus options include cashback offers, bet buyback, and a range of time-limited or code-activated promotional offers.
If you are interested in a real money bet site with some good bonuses on offer, then MostBet can be a great option for both long-time and brand-new players. The varied sports betting markets alone make it a good place to explore different events and enjoy interesting new football markets that you might have ignored otherwise.
SpreadEx
A popular site among UK players, SpreadEx is one of the best football betting sites on the market, and for a good reason. Initially founded in 1999, the SpreadEx company has constantly improved its betting options, with the betting site receiving a lot of care ever since.
SpreadEx balances its focus between sports betting, casino gaming and financial trading, meaning that it has a varied range of services. If you are looking for good UK football betting sites, the sports betting site they offer is an incredibly good choice for a range of different reasons.
Not only does SpreadEx cover a wide range of different betting markets, but new players get a fairly solid welcome bonus. New accounts get up to £50 in bonus funds and specialised spread betting offers, as well as money-back bonuses to compensate for the first losses in specific markets.
All of this makes SpreadEx a very safe choice that offers plenty of football betting markets, interesting bonus features, and an easy-to-use site structure. If you want a reliable online football betting site, then SpreadEx is perfect for that role.
Smarkets
Smarkets offers a good range of different sports betting options, from football betting to tennis bets, alongside some surprisingly unique betting markets. This includes things like esports, news and political events, or even betting on current affairs in pop culture.
If you are specifically looking for a new football betting site, then Smarkets does its job very well. The site’s layout makes football bets easy, and the range of football betting markets ensures that UK punters can always choose the kind of bet they want.
Whether you are focused on in-play football betting or something far more niche, Smarkets offers a good range of promotions. These include a welcome bonus of 0% commission for 60 days, as well as refunds on your first £10 in losses as a new player.
Football fans with an interest in betting will enjoy getting used to the site, and long-standing betting fans can enjoy the range of options offered at Smarkets. With multiple promotional offers available depending on your betting markets, you might even get rewarded for exploring more games and events outside of your normal sphere.
BetVictor
Another fairly common and well-known name in the UK betting world is BetVictor, a betting site with a strong history behind it. The site offers a massive range of different betting markets, including a variety of football markets, and it is designed to make betting easy for people who are new to football bookmakers.
Beyond this, BetVictor offers a full suite of casino games to keep players interested outside of regular betting. For UK punters who only care about football betting, there is a range of football-bettors-specific offers that can grant you boosted odds and greater winnings.
Current promotions at BetVictor include a welcome offer that provides a £30 bonus on selected games, as well as 100 free spins for various slots games. Beyond this is a variety of other bonuses, all targeted at different parts of the site to ensure that players can get a bonus regardless of their preferences.
BetVictor is a major name among UK betting circles, and the site is definitely worth considering as a place to bet on your favourite upcoming football games. The addition of so many other sporting events and a range of casino games prevents the site from getting stale in the long term too.
Coral
Coral is another quite famous name in the UK betting industry, offering a range of slots and games alongside live betting options to ensure that players can enjoy whatever experience they want. The Coral site itself is cleanly designed and clearly made to be accessible, even for a brand-new first-time player.
Coral’s variety of games covers casino, slots, bingo and poker games, but people who are looking for the best football betting sites will not be disappointed. The live sports betting options at Coral are surprisingly in-depth and varied, enabling users to either stick to their niche or branch out without losing anything.
The bonus offers at Coral are a big selling point, too. There is a welcome bonus for each game type, as well as a variety of specific bonus features that can be earned while playing to keep the ball rolling. On top of that, Coral offers players personalised bonuses that are specific to their accounts.
While Coral might not be the most well-known gaming and betting site compared to some industry titans, it is easily one of the best football bookmakers in the UK. If you want more than just football, the range of sporting events betting options and casino slot and bingo games give you a lot to enjoy.
888 Sport
888 Sport is the sports betting part of the 888 brand, as you might expect. This site focuses entirely on betting, providing a huge range of different markets and betting options to let players choose the exact football match, football odds and bonus features that they want for a particular bet.
Outside of football betting offers are things like horse racing, tennis, and virtual sports. All of these are equally easy to bet on, meaning that players can choose the sports they enjoy most and bet on them without feeling like they are having a worse experience than another player.
The promotions at 888 Sport are quite generous, such as the new customer offer that gives you £30 in free bets and a £10 casino bonus for only a £10 initial bet. This gives you some extra money to explore the site with, alongside major bonuses like the daily wish spin wheel and some other huge, specialised bonus systems.
Overall, 888 Sport handles its betting incredibly well, offering more than just a diverse list of football markets. The bonuses are very varied and can keep things fresh, with even existing customers getting some generous offers that can completely shake things up.
Bet365
Bet365 is another famous name in the UK, offering a huge list of different markets for betting on all kinds of different sporting events. In terms of football betting, punters can place bets on a lot of individual niche games and odds, letting you choose the precise bet that you want instead of being strong-armed into a specific option.
The site’s varied sports bet options also come alongside casino, poker and bingo games, as well as the ability to bet on fantasy sports if you want something a little less “real”. This means that you are not just limited to the same football match odds over and over again, so the experience will not get stale unless you let it.
In terms of promotions, new customers can get £30 in free bets after their first qualifying bet and can earn boosted odds and other betting bonus features just by playing. There are specialist bonuses for some of the individual sports and others that apply to a range of games, so you have choices in how you handle your betting.
Bet365 is a worthwhile option for anybody who does not just want to limit themselves to football betting, especially if they have already started to burn out on betting the same way every time. While the site makes excellent football bookies, it can also offer a lot of other great betting options.
William Hill
William Hill is another name that you have probably heard before since it is generally considered the world’s biggest bookmaker. This means that the William Hill football betting site naturally comes with a massive range of sports betting options, as well as interesting markets and ways to handle your bets.
Not only that, but William Hill has expanded to cover a lot of different games and betting options, meaning that you are not just getting the same thing as typical UK football betting sites. Horse racing and rugby sit alongside bingo, poker, live casino games and a range of Vegas slots.
The promotional offers at William Hill are always changing. From specialised login rewards to instant win prizes and bet-specific bonus features, there are countless different advantages that you could earn just by playing in the right way or inputting a promotional code at the right time.
William Hill is a notable site for a reason, and it is a great choice for any kind of betting – from simple football betting to in-depth live betting strategies involving major events such as Premier League matches. The only downside is that the site contains so much that it can take a while to learn your way around it, but that is hardly a bad thing.
How to Choose the Best Football Betting Site for You
Football betting can be a huge overarching category that covers a lot of different betting styles, types, situations and events. Of course, none of that matters if you can’t find a good football betting site that you can feel comfortable at, especially if you are a brand-new player who has not even been involved in betting before.
While it might sound easy to track down a football betting site worth betting at, the real problem is that there are so many factors to compare. Trying to pick a single site out from a list of hundreds can become a daunting task that takes hours even to start, and you are not guaranteed to find an answer.
“Good” betting exchanges are almost always a subjective thing. While there is not a single “best” betting site that everybody flocks to, there are some sites that stick out from the crowd. Beyond that, there are obviously going to be sites that you discover on your own that seem to fit your needs.
The important part is not to try and follow a trend or use a site just because you keep seeing it advertised in various places. Instead, you need to think about the actual requirements that you have for betting sites, and that means looking at a range of important criteria to find the sites that suit your needs and preferences best.
We use a lot of specific criteria in our reviews, but not all of this will apply to the same site in every way. Still, having at least a decent overview of the site can make a huge difference. Some of the most important factors for choosing a betting site include:
Football Markets
This page has all been about football betting, so most people reading this are going to be interested in betting on football games. This means that football markets are an essential part of finding a new betting site – not just because they give you more options but because they keep the football betting experience varied.
A site with more options is always good. For example, there might be specialised markets for local games, international games, major events like the Premier League, in-play betting markets for major games, or even options for things like Women’s Football leagues.
Markets also cover different bet types, something that can really matter in football betting. While it is easy to bet that one team will win against another, you might want to take a different kind of bet, either for fun or as part of an in-depth strategy to minimize your losses. The more markets a site can offer, the easier this becomes.
Remember that markets are also directly responsible for your betting odds. Having more variety can let you choose the betting odds that suit your mood and expected betting chances with each bet since you can bet on football in more ways.
For new players, having more market options can also be a nice way to get used to betting as a whole. This gives you a greater level of understanding of the different options that these sites offer but does not force you to choose betting markets and styles that you are not comfortable with yet.
Welcome Bonuses
There is no denying that bonuses and promotions are a huge part of most betting sites. Welcome bonuses are a huge attention-getter that can completely change how likely a person is to use a certain site, and the other bonuses beyond that are also very important if you plan to play at a site long-term.
For example, a site that gives you a £10 free bet on a premier league game is a lot more generous than one that offers no free bets at all. While you should not look at these free bets in a vacuum, the offer of free bets can definitely push one site above another that does not offer the same free bets bonus.
Of course, not all bonuses are perfect. A free bets bonus might give you £10 free bet funds but require a qualifying bet of £20 to earn or force you to put the £10 free bet on specific min odds that are not fairly competitive odds. This makes those free bets a lot more limited, so the free bets themselves are less desirable.
Always check the finer details behind bonuses like this. If you earn free bets, you want to use those free bets properly. Some welcome bonus free bets might come with enhanced odds, while others force you to use the free bet bonus on in-play betting at minor football leagues that you do not care about.
Football Betting Bonuses
Outside of welcome bonuses, general football betting promotions are also important. These could be anything from boosted odds to £30 in free bets on major sporting events, and all have their own terms and conditions that directly impact the bonuses themselves on various levels.
While having the best football odds is obviously important, a bonus can make a massive difference to a specific bet. For example, one bonus could be enough to give you boosted odds that earn you a huge amount of winnings or give you free bet credits to compensate for an early loss when you first join the site.
In the long term, bonuses can also come through loyalty systems that reward consistent players or in the form of a seasonal promotional offer that changes every so often. These are a great way for long-term punters to get an unexpected advantage or a convenient boost to their potential winnings.
Finding good bonuses does not necessarily make a site better than another overall, but you should always look for great bonus features if you can. Loyalty systems and other long-term bonus options are even better for players who like to stick to a single betting site or betting exchange in the long term.
Free Bets Bonuses
While technically just another bonus feature, free bets bonuses can be a major part of many sites. Free bets as a whole are important, allowing you to make a free bet on specific events (such as games from certain football leagues) but rarely on whatever betting option you choose.
However, finding a good free bets bonus is not easy. Many free bets features would require you to earn them through a qualifying bet at specific min odds, meaning that you would need to bet a certain amount at specified football odds. This kind of qualifying bet restriction can make it hard to earn the free bets reliably.
For example, a free bet credits stake with terms like “qualifying bet of £10, min odds 1.45, qualifying real money bet only”, which means that you need to make a real money qualifying bet of £10 or more, bet at min odds of 1.45 or more, and then wait until bet settlement to earn the bonus.
Min Odds
Min odds are a good example of how this can be difficult. Min odds specify the min odds that you need to bet at to earn the free bets, and those min odds may be tied to in-play betting, horse racing, or some other game type. This means that your qualifying bets have to be at those min odds and in the right places on the right events.
Qualifying Bets
Beyond the min odds limitations, you may have to make high qualifying bets. £30 in free bets could have a qualifying bet of £20 or more, meaning that your qualifying bets almost outweigh your bonus free bets. This is not a problem, but it makes the £30 in free bets less of a bonus since you have already spent £20 or higher to get £30 in free bets on specific games.
Remember that free bets expire, too. If you do not make the qualifying bet in time, your free bet bonus will expire. You can also lose your free bet offer if it expires before bet settlement, and even once you get the free bet bonus, you may have limited time to use each free bet before you lose them.
Withdrawal Terms
After this, there can be extra terms for withdrawing your free bet winnings. Upon bet settlement, you may only be able to withdraw so much of the free bet winnings or have to make qualifying bets to unlock them. If your free bets expire, the free bet winnings may go too.
Support for Multiple Devices
Most up-to-date betting sites will support both desktop/tablet and mobile devices. While desktop devices are almost always a given option, not all mobile sites are handled in the same way – usually, a site accepts mobile users through either a responsive mobile site, a mobile app, or both.
A mobile app can be a more stable experience than using your browser on your mobile device, but it also needs to be installed and may not be compatible with older devices. In some cases, these mobile apps may have special bonuses associated with them or even unique promotions that can only be activated by app users.
Browser mobile sites are less stable in certain situations but require no download and usually scale to the device’s screen size. This can lead to occasional faults if the site is not kept up to date, but it can also make it much easier to jump in and start placing bets almost straight away.
On desktop devices, you are usually going to be using the browser. Only a very small amount of sites use any kind of desktop app, and these are often for exchanges that might have their own specialised software rather than being a betting tool.
Quality
While it might sound like common sense, site quality is extremely important. A poorly-designed site can become incredibly uncomfortable to use, both because it is hard to navigate (and/or does not work correctly) and because it might feel like it is not a legitimate betting site.
There is also the fact that a poor-quality site is more likely to have issues with information not displaying correctly and certain features breaking on some devices, which could directly impact how you use it. You do not want to bet on the best football odds you can find only to realise that those enhanced odds are not real and were the result of a glitch in the site’s code.
Low quality can also indicate that a site is new, unsafe, or both. While a new site is not a bad thing, you do not usually want to play on a site that still has not fixed all of its major issues, especially when real-money betting is involved.
If you find a new site and it does not seem like much care has been put into it, then you might be better off looking elsewhere. There is nothing wrong with giving an underrated site a chance, but you still want to protect your information and make sure that you are not walking straight into a scam site or using an unsecured registration system.
Special Features
Some sites offer unique special features and tools that can change the way that users interact with the site itself, either due to actual bonus options or something a lot more straightforward. For example, live streaming of ongoing sporting events is technically a special feature since not every site will offer it.
However, some are much more niche than others. A bet builder tool can be great for serious sports bettors that want to play around with interesting strategies or who have a specific way that they like to bet that involves placing multiple bets at the same time.
As mentioned above, there are also things like loyalty systems to provide rewards for long-term players, which can be a direct bonus offer option if you spend a lot of time on the site. Alongside that are things like responsible betting features, which are meant to help you limit your spending if you worry about betting too much money.
Some exchanges may even offer features specifically meant for new players, such as pages that offer football betting tips as a form of guidance. This can be useful if new players are worried about wasting their free bets or do not even really understand how betting works yet.
Of course, a lot of these features are not going to appear on every site. This means that they are an important comparison point if you are looking at multiple similar sites – they might not be a major requirement, but having some extra features could be useful in the long term if you are planning to expand your betting focus over time.
Payment Options
More payment options are never a bad thing, and having access to more ways to deposit and withdraw can actually make a big difference. Certain payment methods are generally safer than others, and you never want to sign up for a new site only to realise that none of your preferred payment options is accepted there.
Fortunately, a lot of betting sites now offer many ways to deposit and withdraw, with some offering options on the most popular payment systems that you are probably used to. There are even plenty of sports betting sites that accept deposits and withdrawals via cryptocurrency, a payment option that has only existed for a short time.
Of course, there can also be cases where a site may change its mind about a payment method. For example, when UK regulations on cryptocurrency changed, a lot of UK betting exchanges stopped accepting it, which meant that users had to switch to entirely new payment options.
It is important to choose a site that has payment options you can use, so be sure to compare the accepted payment options. Common choices like PayPal betting or your bank cards are almost always going to be accepted, but that is not a guaranteed fact.
Odds
Different sites have different football betting odds. However, this does not mean that some sites may have enhanced odds over others or that some sites will let you bet on football and receive a higher amount of winnings – odds are flexible, and there are a lot of ways that they can differ between sites.
Football betting odds are important since they impact the winnings you can earn from your cash or bet credits stake. While we will not break down every single detail about odds here, it can be important to find competitive odds that reward your betting with a good amount of winnings.
If you play betting games like this online, you should reasonably expect to get a decent amount of winnings out of a lucky bet. Good odds can make this a lot more likely, whereas consistently poor odds can mean that a site will not pay that much, leading to lower wins and much less excitement overall.
Promotional Offers available at the Best Football Betting Sites UK
While some bonuses have been covered above, there are still a few promotional offers that are worth mentioning in more depth.
If you are brand new to the world of betting and are still struggling to understand terms like “accumulator bets”, then knowing more about typical bonuses can really help you get an edge over other new players.
Free Bet Stakes
Free bet stakes bonuses are all about giving players a free bet offer. This could be free bet funds for a specific event or more general free bet options for various sports such as football and horse racing, but they are rarely freeform.
Earning free bets often requires something else, usually an initial deposit or a bet at a certain min odds level. There can also be restrictions on how much you can win, which can limit the potential of these bet bonuses in certain situations.
Refund Bonuses
In some cases, you may be able to get refund or cashback bonuses that give you back some money for a lost bet. These can be great for new players that worry about losing a lot of their money in a single bet but are also great for long-time players who want some added security.
These are not as common as free bets but also do not tend to have as many restrictions. However, you may still need to hit a certain level of odds and bet value before the feature activates, and you will usually only get a refund of your money up to a certain threshold.
Multi-Game Bonuses
Some bonuses will apply to more than just betting, such as a bonus giving you free bet funds and some free spins on a slot game. The value of these depends on whether or not you enjoy all of the game types that the bonuses are meant for, but they can still be worth getting, even if you do not use half of the bonus itself.
New players can often benefit from these since it allows them to try out multiple games and/or parts of the site without putting any real money into the platform.
Bet Builder Features
While a bet builder is not a bonus in itself, these bet builder features can still technically allow players to create bets that they normally would not have immediate access to. A good bet builder system can help a more experienced player choose a bet option that suits them, even if it goes beyond the pre-prepared betting market options.
Bet builder tools allow you to build a bet for a number of sports, customising your choices within an event and usually getting boosted odds for each leg that you bet on. This means that it can technically be used to get bonus odds boosts if you were going to make two bets in the same event anyway.
Popular Football Betting Markets
Over/Under
Placing a bet on the total number of goals scored in the match. Similar to an NFL game for points scored.
Against the Spread (ATS)
Using our previous example of Man Utd vs. Man City, Man Utd could be -1.5 and MAn City +1.5. A wager on Seattle would mean they’d have to win by two or more for the bet to cash while Man City could lose by one for the bet to cash.
Totals
Similar to over/under, but you can bet on the total goals scored by one particular team. Sportsbooks will advertise Seattle TT (Team Total) 2.5 -110. An Over bet on this would mean Seattle would need three goals at least to cash.
Parlays
Combining multiple outcomes onto one betting slip. For example, Juventus money line parlayed with Over 2.5. For this bet to cash, Juventus would need to win and for the game to have three or more goals. As you can imagine the potential payout increases, but the difficulty does as well.
Props
Props are fun! Examples are “Will Seattle keep a clean sheet?” (commonly referred to as a shutout in other sports), “Will Justin Dhillon (Sounders FC player) score a goal?”, and the total number of corner kicks at 7.5 are common prop bets in MLS. Why stop there? You can bet on yellow and red cards, penalty kicks, fouls, and more! Did I mention prop bets are fun?!
Live Betting
A popular live bet is will there be a goal scored between the 30th and 40th minute. These bets are created and offered to the public once the game starts.
What is spread betting on football?
Football is the biggest sport for betting in the UK and Europe. It’s no surprise then it is the most popular sport for spread betting in the UK too.
Compared to regular fixed odds betting, spread betting is much more exciting due to how variable it is. It isn’t just about being right or wrong. Your profit or losses are about how right or wrong you are.
You can bet on a huge range of markets including goals, total goal minutes, corners, bookings, and more. There are even player performance markets so you can place bets on the performance of individual players. You can do all this through online spread betting too.
Rating
Sports spread betting on football examples:
Let us take a quick look at sports to spread betting market to see how it works. We have used Total Goals in the example to illustrate the mechanics of spread betting. Total Goals is simply a bet on the number of goals scored in a football match.
A look at buying and selling
Before the game Spreadex will put out a spread, for example, 2.8 – 3 representing how many goals the firm thinks will be scored in a game.
This simply means if you think the final result will fall below 2.8 goals you would sell, if you think it would be higher than 3 you would buy.
Do football sports spread betting stake
When placing regular fixed odds bets your stake is your maximum exposure.
However, it works differently with spread betting. Your stake acts as a multiplier of how right or wrong you are.
You can win and lose many times more than your stake depending on the volatility of each market.
To help you stake appropriately, think about the typical result and consider the chance of the worst-case scenario happening. For example, 2-3 goals are scored on average in a Premier League game. If you buy Total Goals, it would only ever settle at 0 in the worst-case scenario.
In general, the wider the spread (the difference between the buy and the selling price) the more volatile the market will be.
A worked example of a sports spread bet on football
Using the example above – Spreadex has put a spread out of 2.8 – 3 on Total Goals on the next game.
If I thought the game was going to be low scoring I would sell at 2.8. If the game ended 1 -1 the market would settle at 2. If I sold at £10 a point I would win £8 ((2.8 – 2) * £10.
If I thought more than 3 goals would be scored I would buy at 3. If I staked £10 per point movement and it ended 1-1 I would lose £10 ((2 – 3) x £10).
Summary
Football betting can be a very fun and profitable experience if you are both careful and lucky, but finding a good site is a massive part of making the experience even better for yourself. There are so many different factors that go into even one simple betting site, and comparing them can be a daunting idea at first.
While there are far too many sites out there to cover them in a single article, our reviews of each should make it easy to compare and contrast some of the best options – while also being able to avoid the worst.
If you are interested in finding a good betting site that you know you can rely on, then do not be afraid to explore the rest of our reviews and articles about football bet sites. The football betting market is huge, and choosing the right site can make all the difference.
FAQs
How can I win on football accumulators?
First off, keep it simple. Don’t try a so-called ‘HERO’ bet where you try to get the 1st goalscorer of one game and try to predict the score of a septate game. People get unstick when it comes to accumulators when greed comes into play i.e go for an accumulator at huge of with very little chance of coming in. The way to play this is quite easy.
If you play this smart the likelihood of you win every weekend is quite high. This takes a small bit of time with knowing the leagues and form of teams, but the reward is great. Instead of putting in 10 teams to win with a stake of $5, if you half your selections and double your stake you have doubled the likelihood of your selections coming in with more profit than you thought.
How do you analyse a football match and turn it into a win?
This is not easy as you know most football matches are unpredictable at the best of times. But, if you manage to pick a league/matches that you think will be low scoring then this might be the best way to make a quick betting profit. If you focus on quality games rath than taking in lots of games then the quality games are usually low-scoring games with will make this mire of a betting proposition in terms of the win or draw, BTTS, and Build-a -Bet systems.
Can the odds offered by a bookmaker vary?
Online gambling on football has become so popular that bookmakers’ odds will vary from provider to provider. Always be sure to shop around for the best odds and terms when placing a football bet
How does the bookmaker pay me or receive payment when I win or lose a bet?
The bookmaker simply credits or debits the account that you opened with them, normally within an hour following the results. You can then arrange to transfer your winnings from your betting account to your bank account.
Football Latest News
