The Pools Sports Betting Review – (2023)
- Competitive and consistent odds
- Myriad of sportsbook and casino promotions
- Superb esports coverage
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Welcome OfferGet £20 in FREE BetsNo Code Needed Copied!The Pools PROMO CODEExpires: No ExpiryCLAIM BONUS
New Customer Welcome Offer: Get £20 in FREE Bets when you deposit and stake £10.
18+, UK only. Deposit and place a £10 cash bet at single or accumulated odds of 1/1 or greater and we will give you £20 in free bets. Applies to first cash bet only. Free bets credited as 4 x £5 bets. Cashed out, Void or ‘Draw No Bet’ wagers do not qualify for this promotion. Free bets are credited by midday the following day. 7-day free bet expiry. Available once per customer. Full T&Cs apply. -
New BONUSSports£5 Weekly RewardNo Code Needed Copied!The Pools PROMO CODEExpires: No ExpiryCLAIM BONUS
When you stake £30 on Sports bets between Mon - Sun, you will be credited with a £5 Free Sports bet the following Monday by 12pm. Qualifying bets must be placed at Odds of 1/1 (2.00) or greater.Full T&Cs apply.
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SportsBest Odds Guaranteed on GreyhoundsNo Code Needed Copied!The Pools PROMO CODEExpires: No ExpiryCLAIM BONUS
18+, UK residents only. Applies only to UK & Irish BAGS/BEGS Greyhound meetings. If the SP is bigger than the price you have taken, your bet will be settled at the bigger price. Void, ante-post, cash out bets do not qualify for this promotion. Maximum winnings increase to any bet £500. Applies to both single & multiple bets. The place part of each way bets shall not apply. This promotion shall not apply where other promotions apply (e.g. odds surge, accumulator % return boosts, specials). Applies to the ‘Win by name’ market only. Only cash wagers qualify. Full T&Cs apply.
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SportsVirtuals: Get a £1 Free Bet for every £5No Code Needed Copied!The Pools PROMO CODEExpires: No ExpiryCLAIM BONUS
Get a £1 Free Bet when you stake £5+ on Virtuals. Maximum £5 free bet available per day.
18+, UK only. Get £1 added to your daily Free Bet Pot for every £5 staked on Virtual Sports - up to one £5 free bet to be used on virtual sports per day per customer. Cashed out or void wagers do not qualify for this promotion. Minimum qualifying odds of 1/2. Free bets awarded by 12pm the following day. Full T&Cs apply. -
FootballAcca Boost: Bet £10 & Get up to a 50% BoostNo Code Needed Copied!The Pools PROMO CODEExpires: No ExpiryCLAIM BONUS
Bet £10 on a 5-Fold Acca on any sport and get up to a 50% boost on all winnings. 18+, UK only. Place a minimum £10 pre-match 5 leg acca cash bet on Sport where each selection has minimum odds of 1/3 (1.33) or greater and get up to a 50% cash bonus boost to your winnings. Cashed Out, Asian Handicaps, Draw no Bet wagers or bets with void legs do not qualify for this promotion. Cash boost credited next day. Maximum cash boost £2k per day. Applies to first 3 cash acca bets placed per day only. Full T&Cs apply.
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New BONUSHorse RacingBet £20 get a £5 FREE betNo Code Needed Copied!The Pools PROMO CODEExpires: No ExpiryCLAIM BONUS
Get a £5 FREE bet when you bet £20 on UK or Irish Racing. Double Min Evs odds per selection.
18+, UK only. UK & Irish Horse Racing only. Place a minimum £20 cash on a double, treble, fourfold or fivefold on min. 2 Racing Selection on min. odds per selection Evens on Uk & Irish meetings and we will give you a £5 free bet. Max 1 free bet per customer per day. Cashed out bets and bets on non-runners do not qualify for this promotion. Free bets are credited at bet settlement and will expiry 7 days after being credited. Full T&Cs apply. -
Horse RacingRacing OffersNo Code Needed Copied!The Pools PROMO CODEExpires: No ExpiryCLAIM BONUS
Racing Offers on ITV Racing & selected meetings.
18+, UK only. Horse Racing singles only, UK & Irish races only. Place a minimum £5 cash bet and if the qualifying conditions for that race are met, we will give you a £5 free bet (£20 cash stake), £2 free bet (£10 cash stake) or £1 free bet (£5 cash stake). Max 1 free bet per customer per race based on the first bet placed. Cashed out bets and bets on non-runners do not qualify for this promotion. Minimum 4 runners for promotion to be offered. Free bets are credited within 30 minutes of race result and have a 7-day expiry. Full T&Cs apply. -
Horse RacingBest Odds GuaranteedNo Code Needed Copied!The Pools PROMO CODEExpires: No ExpiryCLAIM BONUS
Best Odds Guaranteed on all UK & Irish Horse Racing.
18+, UK residents only. Applies only to UK & Irish Horse Racing meetings. If the SP is bigger than the price you have taken, your bet will be settled at the bigger price. Void, ante-post, cash out bets do not qualify for this promotion. Maximum winnings increase to any bet £500. Applies to both single & multiple bets. The place part of each way bets shall not apply. This promotion shall not apply where other promotions apply (e.g. odds surge, accumulator % return boosts, specials). Applies to the ‘Race Winner’ market only. Cash wagers only qualify. Full T&Cs apply. -
GamesPools PlusNo Code Needed Copied!The Pools PROMO CODEExpires: No ExpiryCLAIM BONUS
Stake £30 on Pools games and get a £5 Pools Bonus.
When you stake £30 or more on Pools games (Mon – Sun) you will be awarded a £5 Pools Bonus the following Monday. Players who have been credit restricted will not be eligible for this promotion. 18+, UK only. Full T&Cs apply. -
GamesPools Plus ExtraNo Code Needed Copied!The Pools PROMO CODEExpires: No ExpiryCLAIM BONUS
Stake £30 on Pools games and £30 or more in Casino slot wagers before 23:59 on Sunday each week and get 25 free spins.
To qualify for the EXTRA free spins you must have qualified for Pools Plus for that week by spending £30 or more on Pools games and then simply wager £30 or more in casino slot wagers (table games excluded) before 23:59 (GMT) on Sunday each week during the promotional period. 18+, UK only. Full T&Cs apply. -
LottoMillionaire BundleNo Code Needed Copied!The Pools PROMO CODEExpires: No ExpiryCLAIM BONUS
Play Classic Pools for your chance to win the £3M jackpot prize, and get a FREE LUCKY DIP on Classic Pools to increase your chance of winning! T&Cs apply.
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LottoLucky BundleNo Code Needed Copied!The Pools PROMO CODEExpires: No ExpiryCLAIM BONUS
Play Lucky Clover Lotto for your chance to win up to £1M, and get a FREE LUCKY DIP on Classic Pools for a chance to win the £3M jackpot prize! T&Cs apply.
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CasinoDrops & WinsNo Code Needed Copied!The Pools PROMO CODEExpires: No ExpiryCLAIM BONUS
Daily cash prizes with Pragmatic Play.
Launch one of the eligible games from the ‘Participating Games List’ and opt in to the promotion. -> Spin at £0.50 or more on eligible slots for your chance to win cash prizes in the Daily Prize Drops and Weekly Tournaments. -> Weekly Tournament: Earn your place on the leaderboard by having one of the top highest value single spin wins, relative to bet size, on any single spin during the promotional period. There are 10,000 cash prizes available each week from an expected £255,000 prize pool with a top prize of £25,000. Expected daily prize pool of £35,000 across 1,500 cash prizes. -> Daily Prize Drops: Win criteria: Any real money spin in the participating games may trigger a random cash prize. T&Cs apply. -
CasinoStake £20 on casino slots & get 300 free spinsNo Code Needed Copied!The Pools PROMO CODEExpires: No ExpiryCLAIM BONUS
New Players. Deposit & Stake £20 on casino slots and receive 300 Free Spins on Casino Slots. Qualifying players will have the Free spins credited to their account the following day by 5pm. Certain payment methods excluded. Free Spins expire 7 days after award. This offer is only available to new customers. This promotion is valid from 00:01 on 01/02/2023 until further notice. 18+ UK Only. Full T&Cs apply.

The Pools Quick Facts
- Competitive and consistent odds
- Myriad of sportsbook and casino promotions
- Various other products, including football pools
- Superb esports coverage
- Only one payment option accepted
- Poor specials offering
- Loyalty program could be better
Registration Process 4/5
- Simple three-step process
- Basic information required
- Automatic verification
Creating an account with The Pools is a simple three-step process in which only basic information is required to complete your registration. You’ll have to give your email address and create a unique password as part of step one.
Once you’ve advanced via clicking the green ‘Next’ icon, you’ll then have to reveal your name and date of birth.
Finally, step three is where you’ll create your username before confirming your mobile phone number and home address.
Once you’ve confirmed all the details you’ve submitted as part of the process, click ‘Submit’ to begin your journey with this bookmaker.
On most occasions, punters will be verified automatically. If not, you’ll be required to send through documents that verify your full name, date of birth, and address to verify@thepools.com.
Deposits & Withdrawal Options 2.5/5
- Debit cards only
- Simple deposit and withdrawal processes
- No fees
As you can see from the above screenshot, funding your account with The Pools is a markedly easy process – that said, punters are restricted to just one payment option: debit card (Visa/Mastercard/Maestro). In addition, there are no cryptocurrencies available.
Method | Min | Max | Processing Time | Fee |
---|---|---|---|---|
£5 | £3,000 | Instant | None | |
£5 | £3,000 | Instant | None | |
£5 | £3,000 | Instant | None |
Method | Min | Max | Processing Time | Fee |
---|---|---|---|---|
£10 | *Not Specified | 2-5 working days | None | |
£10 | *Not Specified | 2-5 working days | None | |
£10 | *Not Specified | 2-5 working days | None |
The minimum deposit is £5, while the maximum is set at £3,000.
Withdrawals – which, once again, involves filling out basic card information – are typically processed between 2-5 working days following your request. Punters can withdraw a minimum of £10 at any one time.
No fees are involved with either process.
Depositing Funds
To fund your account, begin by clicking the distinct green ‘DEPOSIT’ icon located in the top right-hand corner of the homepage.
That will bring up the below screen. As we wanted to deposit via debit card, all we had to do was confirm our deposit amount before listing the card’s number, security code, and expiry date.
We clicked ‘Submit & Finish’ to move on.
And that was that. Our deposit receipt is shown below, with £10.00 showing up in our account.
Withdrawing Winnings
To withdraw funds from our Pools account, we once again had to click the green ‘DEPOSIT’ icon.
Unsurprisingly, the depositing page will appear below, but you should see a ‘WITHDRAW’ tab on the black horizontal slider. That’s how you begin the withdrawal process.
Once the ‘WITHDRAW’ page is brought up, all we had to do was confirm how much we wished to take out of our account and click the blue ‘WITHDRAWAL’ button.
Our withdrawal was immediately processed, and the funds arrived in our account within the following few days.
Welcome Offer 4/5
- £20 in free bets after depositing and staking £10
- 4x £5 free bets
- Must be used within 7 days
The Pools’ welcome offer offers new customers £20 in free bets after they’ve deposited and staked £10. The free bets are credited as four separate £5 bets, to use 3x on any sport and 1x on Virtuals. The first £5 free bet will arrive in your account following the settlement of your qualifying bet, which must be placed at odds greater than evens, while the other three free bets will be credited by midday the day after your first bet settles.
Customers are also obliged to use their free bets within seven days of their arrival into their account.
OPINION
There’s nothing particularly special about The Pools’ welcome offer, but it’s one that’s bound to satisfy new customers. £20 is a generous bonus, although the saturation of massive World Cup welcome offers means this promotion is unlikely to attract punters for the time being. We like that punters are encouraged to explore various products of The Pools, with the rewarding of a £5 freebie able to be used on any Virtuals market.
Sportsbook Promotions 4/5
- Horse racing punters satisfied
- Boosted accas
- Pools promotions
- Loyalty Club
The Pools boasts several exciting sportsbook promotions to intrigue their customers. Horse racing fans, in particular, have plenty to enjoy in this regard.
For example, the bookie’s ‘BIG Racing Promotion’ hands out free bets if a certain condition is met on a selected race – e.g. if the favourite wins.
Other horse racing promos include Extra Places and Best Odds Guaranteed, which are commonplace across new UK bookmakers.
Moreover, The Pools ‘ACCA Boost’ gifts up to 50% boosts on accumulators. To qualify for this promotion, punters must stake at least £10 on a five-plus fold acca. In the case of a winning five-fold, punters will receive a 5% boost, while the boost is a monster 50% for a successful 12-fold.
The bookie’s ‘Question of the Day’ offer is a simple initiative that rewards customers with small prizes for answering a particular question correctly. On the day of writing, customers will receive a £1 free bet if they correctly answer how many goals would be scored in the EFL League One fixture between Bolton Wanderers and Burton Albion.
Finally, for those old-school punters who still enjoy dabbling in the pools, the bookie’s ‘Pools Plus’ promo gifts £5 bonuses following a £30 stake on any pools game.
The Pools VIP/Loyalty Programme
The Pools run a loyalty programme called ‘Loyalty Club’. Here, customers are entitled to a £5 free bet every time they place ten bets (at odds greater than or equal to evens) of £5 or more on any event.
Customers are limited to a maximum of one free bet a day and seven per week.
Pre-Match Offer 4/5
- 28 sports make up sportsbook
- Pools betting
- Competitive and consistent odds
- Great esports coverage
28 sports make up The Pools’ sportsbook. An array of markets and sub-markets can be accessed within each sport, with the bookmaker covering events from across the globe. For example, 174 markets are available to bet on for the upcoming Premier League bout between Crystal Palace and Tottenham.
There’s plenty for football fans to take advantage of. However, their impressive coverage would be undermined if their odds were sub-par.
Thus, we measured the quality of The Pools’ margins using the odds overround calculation. This is a percentage figure which is obtained when all the probabilities of an outcome of a bet are added together. Logically, this figure should add up to 100%, however, this does not take into consideration the profit made by the bookie. For this reason, it is commonly accepted that an odds overround of less than 110% indicates good odds.
To carry out our little experiment, we picked three random football matches from the English Premier League, Italian Serie A, and EFL League One. The results came to 105.34%, 106.45%, and 105.15% respectively, indicating that The Pools’ odds are both consistent and competitive.
You can display odds as decimals or fractions. The minimum stake is set at 1p while the maximum is currently unknown.
Pools betting is naturally also available with this bookmaker, under the promotion Pools Plus. The Pools offers several different pools for players, where they can stake £30 on games during the week and receive a £5 Pools bonus the following Monday. The games currently accepted are the following:
- Goal Rush
- Classic Pools
- Lucky Clover
- Premier 12
- Premier 10
- Premier 6
- Colossus Pools
Find out more on thepools.
Placing a Bet
After funding our account, we wanted to place a bet on the 2022 World Cup. So, we checked out the tournament specials offered by the bookmaker.
There were several price boosts available to us, but we opted to place a bet on Harry Kane to have one or more shots on target in any one of England’s group stage games. The maximum stake on this bet was £5.
Above, that bet has been placed in our betslip on the right-hand side of the homepage. To place the bet, we confirmed our stake in the white box before clicking ‘BET NOW’.
Our betslip receipt is shown above. The bet was processed immediately.
Esports
As you can see on the long list above, The Pools’ esports coverage is very impressive. Counter-Strike, Dota 2, League of Legends, Rainbow 6, StarCraft and VALORANT events were covered on the day of writing. It’s a comprehensive offering, that’s for sure.
To take advantage of this bookie’s esports offering, be sure to check out our esports betting tips to enhance your chance of success in this sphere.
The Pools – Other Specials
On the other hand, The Pools’ specials offering is pretty basic. Novelty bettors can bet on the victors of both the BBC Sports Personality of the Year and Strictly Come Dancing – but that’s all.
Their political coverage is limited to just UK and US politics. However, there are various markets to enjoy here. For example, you can bet on the next Republican candidate for the 2024 US election.
Cash Out & Bet Builder
You can take full control of your bets with The Pools’ Cash Out feature. The bookmaker also boasts a bet builder in the form of ‘Create a Bet’.
This feature allows customers to create their own custom bets by selecting from various football markets, including match result, total goals, corners and double chance.
Live Offer 3.5/5
- No livestreaming
- In-play graphics
- Multitude of live markets across various sports
At the time of writing, The Pools offers a broad range of live events across several sports. The in-play experience is fairly impressive with this bookmaker. For football events, an interactive match tracker is provided, as are statistics, head-to-head records, squad lists and tables.
Unfortunately, The Pools doesn’t offer a livestreaming service of any kind for its users.
Security 4/5
- Licensed by UK Gambling Commission
- Several account limits
- Responsible gambling section
The Pools is licensed and regulated in the UK by the UK Gambling Commission.
The bookie’s responsible gambling section can be a little tricky to find, but once accessed, customers will find external links that provide further support for problem gambling, tips to prevent gambling addiction, and a brief explanation of the dangers of underage gambling.
To mitigate against potential addiction, the bookmaker has several account limits that its users can deploy. These include Deposit Limits, Reality Checks, Time Outs, and Self-Exclusions.
For those who are interested in knowing what the bookie is doing with your personal data, a comprehensive Privacy & Cookie Policy is available to view on the site.
Service & Customer Support 4/5
- Impressive FAQ section
- Multiple avenues of communication
- Not 24/7
Customers are able to access The Pools’ FAQ section once they’ve accessed the ‘Contact Us’ link that can be found in various places on the website. The bookie’s FAQs are separated into different topics of enquiry to ensure customers can find exactly what they want to be solved more easily.
These topics are account, verifications, payments, responsible gambling, casino, sportsbook, general, and promotions.
However, should you find that your query hasn’t been resolved via the FAQs, you can contact The Pools’ support team. Unfortunately, they don’t operate 24/7 and instead function between 08:30 and 22:00 (Monday to Saturday) and between 12:00 and 22:00 (Sunday). You can contact the bookie via email (support@thepools.com) or use their Live Chat service.
So, to test the efficiency of the bookie’s Live Chat function, we started a session by clicking on the icon found on the right-hand side of the Contact Us page. For security reasons, we had to confirm our name, email, and date of birth before we began.
However, this took no time at all, and we were quickly connected to an agent.
After greeting us, we asked whether the bookie accepted any other payment methods other than debit cards. In no time at all, they confirmed they didn’t.
While it was hard for them to make a favourable impression considering how brief our session was – which in itself is a good thing – the bookie’s support team didn’t go the extra mile in terms of politeness. Maybe that’s being pedantic, but we’ve seen some give us an incredibly warm welcome when using their Live Chat function.
Nevertheless, we certainly can’t complain about the efficiency at which The Pools dealt with our query.
Design & Usability 3.5/5
- Basic website aesthetic
- Efficient site overall
- No blog or statistics
The design of The Pools’ website certainly leaves plenty to be desired, but it’s sufficient. Importantly, the structure is coherent and thus, a user-friendly experience is facilitated. In short, it’s sub-par aesthetically but great ergonomically.
‘Quick Links’ and an A-Z list of the bookie’s sportsbook can be found down the left-hand side of the homepage, while the centre is consumed by an advertisements slider. Underneath the slider, a long list of events manifests. However, these are well-separated, so everything is easy to access.
A ubiquitous bet slip is located on the right-hand side, aiding the betting process, and customers can access ‘Favourite Bets’ underneath. These are the most popular bets placed by customers on upcoming events.
The bottom of the homepage is where you’ll find all the important information links. These include Contact Us, Responsible Gambling and FAQs.
No statistics were accessible, while the bookie is bereft of a blog of any sort.
OPINION
While the site functions well, we would love to see this bookmaker update their website aesthetically. We're not a fan of the design. However, everything is easy to access, and for punters who are merely looking to quickly place a bet, the site certainly facilitates a user-friendly experience.
Mobile 3/5
- Download via the App Store & Google Play
- Well structured – able to bet on the move
- Features/promotions accessible
The Pools’ mobile app is accessible for both Apple and Android users as it’s available to download via the App Store and Google Play.
Customers can enjoy the vast majority of the bookmaker’s features on the app and access their exclusive promotions. In-play betting is accessible, while the coherent structure – similar to the website – once again facilitates a user-friendly experience. It’s pretty easy to bet on the move, despite the odd technical fault.
Overall, while The Pools’ mobile app isn’t one of the most comprehensive we’ve seen, it’s certainly sufficient for on-the-move betting.
What are the Punters saying?
The Pools possess a niche that the vast majority of modern bookmakers don’t boast, and that can help them attract a different type of punter. Those that bet with The Pools enjoy the various pools games offered by the bookie, but many find that their “normal” betting coverage is up to scratch, too. The casino has garnered positive reviews, but some have complained about some technical difficulties in regard to depositing and withdrawing.
Other Products
The Pools’ Casino offering is vast, with an endless number of games available for punters to enjoy, including:
- Blackjack
- Roulette
- Scratch cards
- Slots
- Jackpots
- Live Casino
The Pools give new casino players the chance to claim 300 Free Spins on The Goonies as a Casino Welcome Offer. To get a chance to play on this fantastic slot, players must deposit and stake £10 on casino slots. Full T&Cs apply.*
Key Terms and Conditions:
*New Players. Deposit & Stake £10 on casino slots and receive 300 Free Spins on The Goonies. Qualifying players will have the Free spins credited to their account the following day by 5pm. The Casino bonus will be credited immediately on registration. Certain payment methods excluded. Free Spins expire 7 days after award. This offer is only available to new customers. This promotion is valid from 00:01 on 30/03/2022 until further notice. 18+ UK Only. Full T&Cs apply.
The bookie also offers plenty of other casino promotions such as daily drops, Free Spins Wednesday, and Megaways™ Weekend. New offers manifest daily, meaning a sense of excitement and intrigue is retained among users.
Punters can also enjoy a comprehensive virtual sports offering in which football, horse racing, jump racing, motor racing, greyhounds, and table tennis events are supplied.
ThePuntersPage Final Say 3.7/5
The Pools certainly has bright aspects, but there is room to be improved upon if it’s to be considered a premier bookmaker. The website’s design could be slicker, while the one accepted payment option – even if it is debit card – could be an issue for some. They need to diversify in this regard.
The bookie’s offered promotions are good, and there’s certainly enough to intrigue customers, but this is another area where they should be looking to improve. More variety and originality wouldn’t go amiss.
Nevertheless, as mentioned, there are bright spots. The Pools boast superb football odds and a comprehensive sportsbook. In addition, esports lovers and those who enjoy dabbling in the casino world are treated to a haven of options with this bookmaker. Old-school punters can also take advantage of the various pools offered by the bookie. To our surprise, this niche wasn’t as prominent as we thought.
Overall, though, there are aspects which bettors can enjoy, and while this may not be everyone’s cup of tea, a no-fuss-or-fluff visual with great sports offering may just very well be what some are after. We are keeping our eye on this one.