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One of the best things about online sports betting in the UK is the sheer amount of choice that's available. All these options mean that the right betting site for you will be out there, whether you're looking for a jack of all trade's household name, or something a little bit more niche.
However, there is a flipside to such a thriving betting community, which is that often it can be hard to know where to start looking for that perfect betting site.
That's where we come in; we take a look at all the essential things which make online sports betting in the UK great and tell you exactly how each stacked up in every vital regard.
Of course, the right betting site for you might not be the right betting site for someone else, because we're all individuals and we have different tastes and preferences.
This means some things are subjective and are down to you to decide whether you prefer one option or another. You may be interested in different sports, aesthetics or promotions, for instance.
However, other things are either objectively good or bad; for instance, we're pretty sure that everyone wants a trustworthy betting site.
So, when it comes to choosing the best betting site in the UK for you, it's a mixture of the objective and the subjective. We cover the objective, and you need to decide on the subjective yourself. It's a joint effort between us both to find you the perfect betting site.
Here, we're going to go through all the things we cover, and what we look for, as well as what you should be looking out for too, so you can see exactly how we, and you, can comprehensively find the best of the best for you and your betting needs.
This is a perfect example of the kind of thing we were talking about. Design is a mixture of things that can be confirmed either to be good or bad and some other things that come down to opinion.
First up, there's the technical side of things, in other words, whether everything works as it should. This includes everything from the page loading correctly to video streaming.
We also look at how well the site is structured, so whether everything is easy to find and logically laid out. This includes things like the registration form, so whether signing up is easy, and whether the banking options and all their details are easy to find and understand.
There's also the mobile design to take into account, which is held to the same standards. When all these things come together, you get a truly seamless online experience.
As mentioned, the design is also a matter of opinion because there's also the aesthetic side of things to take into account.
We can't tell you whether a particular colour scheme looks good, for instance, that's down to you.
And you owe it to yourself to be as picky as you want in this regard because the look and feel of a site being right to you is such a massive part of the online experience.
This one comes down to both options and execution.
The first line of customer service is always the help/FAQ sections, which should provide explanations for the majority of issues. However, even when this is at its absolute best, contact is sometimes necessary. In terms of contact options, typical examples include e-mail, telephone, social media and, what is for most the pinnacle of these options, a 24/7 live chat option.
The next thing we look at is the experience with these different methods; in other words, how quickly customer service responds and how helpful they are when they do.
An ideal customer service experience would be one which provides a comprehensive help section and then several contact options, including round the clock live chat coverage with fast and helpful responses.
Not having all these things does not necessarily make a site terrible, some simply don't have the ability for constant coverage, and there may be positives in other areas which still make them the right choice for you.
However, at the bare minimum, you should be able to get in contact within a reasonable space of time and get quality advice as a result.
Having your preferred payment option is, of course, vital to a site providing a good experience, especially now that credit cards are no longer an option in the UK.
Of course, we don't know how you like to deposit and withdraw funds, so we base our assessment of the quality of payment options on their variety, reliability and ease of use, alongside how things like fees and transaction times stand up against the competition.
We judge payment options at an extremely high standard as this is one of any betting sites most sensitive and vital areas.
We thought it was only fitting to follow up our thoughts on payment options with a discussion surrounding security.
This is one area where there is no space for subjective opinion. It either is secure, or it is not. And if it is not then no amount of quality elsewhere will make up it. When you are dealing with a site which includes your sensitive financial information, we won't accept anything but the highest possible standards.
Those standards include full licensing by the UK Gambling Commission; information in this regard should be easy to find on the homepage and is usually found at the bottom of that page.
It also includes full encryption; this essentially means that all the information that you put into the site is entirely secure from anyone who would want to use it for nefarious means.
Also vital is a privacy policy, this is strictly regulated in the United Kingdom so as long as you are using a legitimate site, it should not be an issue. However, we always check to ensure your information is being used responsibly.
Lastly, there's the commitment to responsible gaming. Any good betting site in the modern era needs to have measures in place to help users ensure they are betting responsibly, including things like deposit limits, time-outs and “reality check” time reminders to give a few examples.
They must also provide information about responsible gaming and links to outside sources, such as GAMCARE and BeGambleAware who can help those who feel they may have an issue.
Some people care more about promotions than others, and in fact, some people have little interest in them. However, most of our readers will want their betting site to be strong in this regard. Also, we'd suggest to those who pass up on promotions to maybe read our reviews for an analysis of whether they could improve your betting experience because it's very likely you're missing out.
It's also true that there are promotions aimed at different people, they could be into different sports and different levels of usage, for instance.
However, what good promotions all have in common and where we really focus on is quality and fair terms and conditions.
This is what separates good from bad promotions, because if the terms mean that your free bet, for instance, requires you to spend a fortune to see your winnings, then it doesn't matter how generous the initial offer seems.
We also look at variety, because the more that's available, the more chance there will be a promotion that is right for our reader.
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Our sentiments about the promotional range are also reflected here, as although you may only be interested in specific betting options, more can only be considered better because it means they are likely to appeal to more people.
We would also say that even if you are only interested in betting on specific sports or in particular ways, that this can still only be seen as a positive. You may discover new things you want to bet on and new ways to bet, like e-sports, virtual sports, politics, entertainment, Asian handicaps and much more.
And, if you're absolutely sure that you want to stick with what you know, all those extras will have no adverse effect on your experience. When it comes to more betting variety, it is simply a win-win.
We look at everything from the number of sports to the live offer, which we'll discuss in more detail in a moment, as well as the number of betting markets available, alongside options like cash out and bet builder for a comprehensive view of everything that is available from the bookmaker.
Of course, you can have all the betting options in the world, but if each of them is saddled with unfair odds, then it really doesn't matter all that much.
Quality odds are one of the most vital elements of any online sports betting in the UK, so we check the overround, which is the bookmaker's profit margin, on a random game on each of the bookmakers we look at to see how their odds stack up. If they don't provide good value, then they are not getting a recommendation from us.
We mentioned this during the variety section; however, it is not just the amount of live betting options that make a live sports betting experience a great one. It's also about how the site follows the game and how quickly the site updates to allow you to both follow the game and bet accordingly.
A slow response may see you miss opportunities, not to mention the enjoyment of the sport. Of course, the best option in this regard is live streaming, and that is always going to be the pinnacle, at least until some bookmaker figures out how to VR zap us into the crowd.
With that said, we do understand that the licensing and financial implications of live streaming many games makes it impossible for a lot of bookmakers. Not having this option does not necessarily make a bad bookmaker, so we also give points for those who make other efforts whether it via graphics of commentary to follow the game in real-time.
Finally, we also look at whether the live betting on mobile also lives up to these standards.
Lastly, there are other products. We are of course a sports-focused site, however, we're well aware that a lot of sports bookmakers also offer other betting options.
These can include things like a casino, live casino, bingo, keno, poker and more. We also understand that a lot of people will also be interested in this side of their product so we'll discuss these factors as well so you can understand precisely what is available to you.
However, we don't count these in our official scores because our focus is to analyse the sportsbook side of things.
While we, as mentioned, want as much sports variety as possible from our sportsbooks, there's little doubt that some are simply more popular than others.
Because of that, you should be able to expect these on virtually any UK sportsbook, and you may be surprised by the amount of variety you can find in terms of betting options on your favourites. We're sure for instance, that you know you can bet on which team wins, but what about the number of corners taken, or the winning distance at Cheltenham?
Here we'll take a look at five of the most popular sports in the UK and why they are so interesting to bet on.
Of course, the most popular sport in the UK is football.
As such, it's also, alongside possibly horse racing, the most comprehensively covered. You'll be able to find games from all kinds of different leagues all across the world on most sportsbooks, from the La Liga to the FIFA Club World Cup.
On top of that, it's also where you can often find live streams, and generally, a massive amount of betting markets are available. If you want to get an idea of how much content a sportsbook has, there are few better tests than a look at the number of betting markets on an upcoming football game.
The national sport of the United Kingdom might not match football in terms of general viewership. Still, there's arguably nothing like it when it comes to getting invested in an in-depth, complicated, tactics driven game.
Because of this depth, it also lends itself well to more experienced bettors, meaning that if you're someone who likes to analyse a game to find the smartest bet possible, then there's arguably no better options for you than Cricket.
We're counting Union and League here as each are brilliant to bet on for similar reasons.
It offers a wide variety of bets from the straightforward to the complicated meaning that regardless of whether you're a casual or an expert bettor, there's an excellent chance you'll find a wager to suit you. On top of that, the high scoring nature of Rugby creates a wealth of betting possibilities.
The love affair between the UK and Horse Racing dates back to Roman times and is still going strong to this day. There are racecourses all over the UK and live streaming in commonly available across many of them.
It remains a fascinating one to bet on because there are so many different competitors, meaning that you have to think about horse racing betting a little differently than something like Football or Tennis. A key benefit, for instance, is you can keep things simple by backing a horse to win without having to take low odds.
There are several things which make Tennis such an interesting sport to bet on.
Few sports have as many twists and turns both in the matches themselves and especially across significant tournaments.
Any sport where surprises are common makes an excellent betting market. On top of that, there's the natural excitement that comes from the games themselves, which remain among the most engaging and thrilling of any sport.
We have, of course, already talked about promotions at length; however, free bets are the source of such interest and often confusion that we felt it essential to clear some things up here.
Essentially, the issue with free bets is there are several different types. However, what they all have in common is that they should allow you an additional bet without any additional risk. In other words, you receive an amount of money you can bet with, which does not require any additional funds.
Common types include free bets which match your deposit. So, if you deposit, say, £10, you will receive a free bet of the same amount. These can also come with varying percentages, so you could get a 50% free bet, which means that in that instance, you would receive a £5 free bet, or in the case of a 200% free bet, you would receive £20.
There are some which require no deposit whatsoever, although very often these are for small amounts, such as £5. It's also worth pointing out that you would almost certainly have to deposit some amount of money to receive your winnings.
Another very common type of bet is a risk-free bet, which provides you with a refund if your bet loses. Often this is offered to your first bet, but other alternatives do exist, for example, some bookmakers will provide you with a refunded stake if you lose by a small amount. Another standard version of this bet if a refund if your accumulator loses by a single pick.
All these options have the possibility of offering exceptional value. However, this is not always the case.
As is always the case with promotions, the quality of a free bet entirely depends on the terms and conditions. This will explain the criteria you need to meet to use the free bet correctly. For example, they may be restricted to certain games, and you may need to bet within a specific timeframe. In some cases, deposits made by particular payment methods will not count, to give a few examples.
Even more important than this is the criteria to receive your winnings should you receive any. One obvious rule is that the stake is not included in the winnings, for instance. However, what is often most vital is whether there are rollover requirements and if so, what is the time period to meet those requirements.
While a free bet must always be free to put on, in the sense that there's no additional cost after the deposit minimum, it is not necessarily always free to receive your winnings. Often you will need to play or deposit a certain amount to receive those winnings, and whether or not that amount is reasonable is a huge factor in whether these promotions are worth your while.
Often though, they are.
Remember with these and all other types of promotions that bookmakers have every reason to be generous because of the incredible amount of competition online sports betting in the UK has.
Put simply, you are worth more to them than the amount of the free bet, so losing customers via poor terms and conditions is simply not a very smart business move.
That means that if you're with a good bookmaker, the chances are that the terms and conditions will be reasonable. However, it is not always the case, which is why we always go through the details of the terms of free bets and every other promotion we look at.
The fact is that the world of sports is far too complicated for a single piece of advice to be comprehensive enough for all the variables that are out there.
Things are not just different when you compare various sports, but also for multiple tournaments as well. They have their own structure and dynamics, and also the teams going into those tournaments change every year, meaning that they have to be looked at individually.
That's why we not only provide guides on different sports, but we also look at individual tournaments as well like the World Cup, the Euros, the Rugby Union Six Nations and even of the biggest boxing matches of the year.
We also provide guides on general tips for things like editing bets and even on various specials like the winner of Love Island. We understand that the world of betting is complicated and it's varied, so you need advice which appreciates the nuances between different events.
You also need advice which is willing to go to great lengths to really provide the best analysis possible.
That is why we take statistics so seriously. If we are looking at two teams, fighters or even several horses, we do our homework to make sure we are looking at everything from each angle we possibly can. This includes everything from recent fixtures to the history between opponents and even how different circumstances, like a big tournament, may have an effect on their performance.
And that's just the beginning. We haven't even talked about other variables like injuries or changes in managers. It's a complicated process, and it's hard work, but it's what we do to ensure that when you are reading our betting guides, whatever the subject, you know that not only are you getting expert advice, but you're getting advice which has been researched deeply and at length.
One of our favourite things is checking out all the new betting sites the UK has to offer.
Online sports betting in the UK has been blessed by so many innovations over the years that it's easy to take them for granted, and new sites are often where you can see the cutting edge of the betting world.
There are, of course, additional concerns when it comes to new betting sites. For instance, they are unlikely to have the same level of name recognition and trust as an established brand, but because the UK is so well regulated it is straightforward to check whether a new betting site is secure and legitimate.
One of those ways is, of course, to check our reviews as we check everything from licenses to encryption to ensure the site is trustworthy.
Another issue may be that a newer site is likely to be smaller in terms of budget so may lack something like live streaming. So, there are reasons why people still prefer more established names, and that's absolutely fine.
But there are still plenty of new sites out there that are worthy of your attention whether or not you end up going for a new betting site, or just a site that's new to you.
One of the key reasons to check out as many sites as possible, both new and old, is you never know where innovation is going to come from.
Often, we don't realise just how advanced the betting world is because the innovations that become mainstream do so quickly and overwhelmingly, meaning they become something we take for granted.
However, we're going to take a look at some betting site innovations to show you just how far the industry has come, and why you should be excited about the potential of the future.
Yes, we're going to start with an obvious one, and that is betting going online in the first place.
For centuries betting was something you need to go into a physical brick and mortar bookmaker or casino to experience, and for many people that was simply impractical.
What online betting, before we go into specific innovations did, was open up the world of bookmakers to people who wouldn't otherwise have been able to take part.
It created a global betting world we all enjoy, all from the comfort of your home. Not only that but many bookmakers like Ladbrokes, Coral and William Hill to give just a few examples, also manage to combine the online with brick and mortar locations, provided a truly comprehensive betting experience.
We understand that many people still prefer their local bookmakers, and that is a matter of preference. But as we always say, more variety can only be a good thing because it helps those that need it and is of no detriment to those that don't.
Going online, in the first place, is the ultimate expansion of the market and the ultimate innovation.
One advantage betting online has over the physical bookmaker is live betting. While you can, of course, watch sports at a brick and mortar location you cannot update your bets with a mere click of a button.
This is especially important across the diverse and complicated betting markets that you can find online.
Taking this a step further is live streaming, and even when that is not available, we see more and more innovation regarding graphics and alternate means of following a game.
Bookmakers are always coming up with new ideas to make the betting process more versatile. We are often amazed by the innovations we see every day from both new and old betting sites.
However, we thought that singling out both cash-out and bet builder was worthwhile because we believe more than any other example, they have changed the way that people bet, especially when combined with live betting.
Invented by Betfair, the cash-out feature changed online sports betting in the UK from a pre-determined decision to something much more fluid, meaning that you can change your mind at any given point and take a smaller amount of winnings to guarantee your return.
Bet Builder does exactly what it says on the tin. Most often used on football matches, Bet Builder allows you to craft your very own custom bets, meaning that the amount of betting markets now available is almost limitless.
It's hard to imagine the betting world without these features, and we can't wait to see what innovations join them.
One of the most vital advancements in modern times, both in and out of the gaming world is the rise of cryptocurrencies.
Bitcoin has only been with us for a few short years. Still, it feels like a lifetime. Not only are betting sites now allowing various cryptocurrencies as currency, affording users whole new levels of security and privacy, but there are even some sites that are solely based on Bitcoin and/or other cryptocurrencies.
This is a change which is clearly only just getting started.
Some traditional sports fans may still snub the e-gaming world, but their voices have become quieter and quieter as E-sports like League Of Legends, Dota, CS: GO, Overwatch and more become more popular.
There are, just like with cryptocurrencies, even sites solely dedicated to them. However, if you like E-sports alongside other options, you'll be pleased to know that there is a vast selection of UK betting sites with them available.
These are just a few examples.
What we want you to take from this is that you don't need to stick with what you know if you're not completely happy with your current bookmakers.
There's creativity everywhere, and you can see just how much the betting world has advanced and is advancing. You deserve to find the right betting site for you. And, from quality to innovation, we're here to navigate you to the right destination.
The reason we decided not to include mobile betting in our list of significant innovations is certainly not because we don't think it belongs up there. It's because we consider it the most significant change to the online gaming world since it opened up to us back in 1994.
The first mobile online bet was made in 2003, but it wasn't really until 2007 with the launch of the iPhone that technology finally caught up with the concept and allowed the dream of being able to bet from anywhere become a reality.
Today things have gone even further than that, as you can't just bet from anywhere, but you can do so while enjoying an online sports betting sites uk experience every bit as good as their desktop equivalents.
We take the mobile element of a betting site very seriously in our reviews because we know it is so many people's preferred method of betting, and it becomes more and more critical with each passing year.
On top of that, we even provide detailed guides specifically on mobile apps so that you can keep on top with arguably the fastest developing element of UK online sports betting.
For those of you who need a quick recap, here's a look at some of the essential points on this page as well as some of the things people most commonly wonder about ThePuntersPage.
What things do you consider when reviewing a betting site?
When we review a bookmaker, we consider everything that we view as important in assessing its merit.
This includes the quality of the site itself in terms of design from a technical point of view, in other words, whether everything on the website works.
We'll also look at the structure of the site because everything being laid out logically is something that severely impacts the quality of the experience.
On top of that, we will also discuss the design from an aesthetic point of view. Finally, we'll analyse the design in relation to both banking and registration, and how easy that entire process is made.
Speaking of banking, we'll also look at the quality and variety of banking options, alongside things like fees and transaction times.
Another vital point is, of course, your security, so we'll be ensuring that every site we recommend is both licensed and encrypted and taking their responsibilities seriously when it comes to responsible gaming.
There's also the mobile product to consider, whether they have an app or an optimised site, and how well it stacks up against the desktop version. We also look at whether it includes features live streaming, which is something we take into account as well alongside all other efforts to follow the game live.
Live betting is, of course, vital too, as is the variety of the sports available generally and the betting markets for each of those sports. However, all the options in the world can't make up for bad odds, which is why we personally analyse the odds at random for every site we review.
There's also customer service to consider, what options are available and the quality of the service.
Last but not least there's promotions, where we'll look at what's available and deep dive into the terms and conditions.
Of course, every site is different, and this is only meant as an overview of the types of things covered, as we will also discuss anything and everything else we view as relevant to its quality.
What can I expect from your betting guides?
Well, in terms of what we cover as long as we think will be useful to our readers, it could be anything. We've covered everything from credit card alternatives to the Oscars, various tournament and betting markets alongside more general strategic advice.
So, there's no limit to what we can cover so long as it is relevant.
In terms of what you can expect more broadly, you can expect us to provide a comprehensive look into whatever subject we discuss as we can possibly manage from an expert team.
Are you focused solely on the UK market?
In the sense of only covering things that are relevant to UK bookmakers and UK users, then yes, we are. But just to be clear that does not mean we are only focused on UK sports, far from it, just like any good bookmaker we're interested in sports from all across the world.
Do you cover anything other than sports?
To be clear, our focus is on sportsbooks. However, they do themselves occasionally stray away from the sporting world themselves, with specials, for instance. If we think it's of interest to the reader, then we may cover it.
Beyond that, we also discuss other products offered by bookmakers, including things like a casino, poker, bingo and more. However, because our reviews are focused on the sportsbook side of things, we don't consider these when coming up with our final scores.
Why should I sign up to a betting site?
There's a lot of different reasons to sign up to a betting site but what it comes down to is that you either aren't completely satisfied by what is being offered by your current bookmaker, or you're not signed up to any and are interested in new online sports betting in the UK.
In other words, you should sign up to a betting site because you want to.
In terms of why you should sign up to one particular betting site over all the others, well, that's precisely what our reviews and recommendations are all about helping you figure out.
We provide advice and direction for people looking to improve their experience betting online.
Our motivation, whether you’re looking for a new bookmaker or strategies on a specific tournament, comes from a love of sports and a dedication to research and providing quality advice.
We always make clear that there is no such thing as a secret formula to betting online. However, there are bookmakers that are better suited to you, and being better informed does mean you can make smarter bets.
What we do is take out the legwork to provide you a single place to guide you towards better bets and better bookmakers. This might be ThePuntersPage Final Say, but we hope it’s just the beginning of your journey with us.
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