2023 Online Sports Betting Guide
Whether you’re a brand-new bettor, or an experienced punter, you likely want to have the best online sports betting experience possible.
Scroll down to find out more about what sports you can bet on, our expert betting strategy guides for every sport, and even our experts’ picks for the best online sports betting sites for each sport.
The UK’s Top 11 Online Sports Betting Sites
24+
United Kingdom
Open Account Offer
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- Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5* or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 300% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £30* in Bet Credits. Once released your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable
- To release your Bet Credits for use, you must place qualifying bets to the value of your qualifying deposit (capped at £10*) and they must settle within 30 days of claiming the offer. Only qualifying bets settled after claiming the offer will count towards this requirement.
- Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, paysafecard and all other prepaid credit and debit cards, where available, cannot be used for either your qualifying deposit or any subsequent withdrawal of returns from Bet Credits stakes unless we have successfully verified an accepted form of your Identity Documents and you have entered a Postal Verification Code (PVC), or we have successfully verified two accepted forms of your Identity Documents. See full Terms and Conditions for details.
- Bets placed must meet certain conditions to count towards the release of your Bet Credits:
– Must contain at least one selection at odds of 1/5 (1.20) or greater.
– In market/fixture combinations that only have two or three potential outcomes (for example Soccer Full Time Result), where you have placed bets on more than one potential outcome, either pre-match or In-Play, only the outcome with your highest cumulative stake will count.
– Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, only the remaining active stake will count.
– Where a bet has been edited using our Edit Bet feature, only the new stake on the new bet will count.
– Fully Cashed Out, Instant Games, Gaming, void bets or In-Play bets which are settled as a push will not count. - Your Bet Credits are non-withdrawable, and Bet Credits stakes are not included in any returns. Any returns from Bet Credits placed will be added to your Withdrawable Balance. Bet Credits cannot be used on certain products, offers/promotions and bet types. See full Terms and Conditions for details.
- Your Bet Credits will be forfeit and removed if your account is inactive for 90 consecutive days.
- The code CD365 doesn’t change the welcome offer.
*or currency equivalent
T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.
#ad
17+
Japan
Germany
Sweden
Chile
Peru
Argentina
Bolivia
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Paraguay
Dominican Republic
Uruguay
Nicaragua
- £40 Money Back as Bonus on Your First Bet + £10 Casino Bonus.
- The minimum qualifying deposit is £10.
- You must wager your bonus money 3x to make it withdrawable at odds of 2/5 (1.40) in the Sportsbook, 25x for Casino.
- Your first bet is not considered to be a qualifying bet if betting on horse racing, greyhound racing, trotting, and/or virtual sports
- Unless forfeited the sportsbook bonus must be wagered before using the casino bonus
- The bonus will expire after 7 days of opt-in.
- No deposit required for NI customers
- This offer applies to your first bet only. If you win your first bet the bonus has been used. If you place a system bet only the first settled column of £10 or higher will count towards the bonus.
- New Customers Only. 18+, Further T&Cs Apply.
14+
United Kingdom
Up to £100 Extra Winnings on your first LeoVegas SPORT bet.
- The maximum bet is £10 on odds of 2.0 (1/1) or higher.
- Only applies to first qualifying bet.
- Should you place a combination bet the total odds must be 2.0 (1/1) or higher.
- The qualifying bet must be placed with real funds.
- Skrill/Neteller deposits do not qualify.
- The qualifying bet has to be placed within 7 days from the first deposit.
- 18+, New Customers Only.
20+
Canada
100% of your first deposit up to $200 + $10 Casino Bonus!
- Minimum qualifying deposit: $10
- Maximum bonus amount: $200
- Payment method restrictions: Deposits made with PayPal, Entropay, Neteller, Paysafecard, and Skrill are not eligible for this promotion
- Sports Wagering requirement: 6x bonus amount
- Odds restrictions: 1.50 (1/2)
- Time limit: Wagering requirements must be met within 60 days
- Users must opt-in to this promotion
- Cashed out and voided bets do not contribute to the wagering requirements for this offer
- Once the bonus has been activated, users may not withdraw any funds until the wagering requirements have been completed
- This promotion is only available to users residing in Canada
- 18+, New Customers Only
27+
United Kingdom
£10 First Matched Free Bet
- Maximum Free Bet Value: £10
- Minimum Qualifying Deposit: £10
- Eligible Payment Methods: Debit Cards
- Customers must place a qualifying bet to activate their Free Bet bonus
- Qualifying Bet Minimum Odds: 1.75 (3/4) or higher
- Free bets will expire 7 days after receipt, even if not activated
- All returns from bets placed with a free bet do not include the free bet stake
- The Free Bet cannot be used to place multi-line multiple bets (e.g. Trixie’s, Patents, Yankees etc.)
- If a free bet is used on a selection that becomes voided, the free bet will be returned to your account
- A redeemed Free Bet will not count towards qualification to view streamed events
- 18+, New Customers only, residents of the UK only
- Full T&Cs apply
2+
United Kingdom
Deposit and Get 2 x $30 Free Bets
- Valid on:1st Deposit of $30 or more
- Select bonus in cashier
- Wagering Requirements: 0
- This promotion is available to customers who are making their first deposit of $30 or more. Click ‘or see available bonuses’ in the Cashier and select your bonus.
- 2x $30 Free Bets will be credited after making a qualifying deposit. A NZ$30 Free Bet is available instantly while the second one is credited once the initial Free Bet has been used (and settled).
- Free Bet winnings are paid in cash. No wagering.
- Free bets must be placed at odds below 50.0. Free bets placed above odds of 50.0 may result in bonus cancellation and winnings being voided.
- Free bet stakes are not returned with any winnings. Each-way markets are excluded. If a free bet is settled as ‘void’, free bets will not be returned. Cashout and partial cashout are unavailable when using Free Bets.
- Free bets must be used within 30 days of making your first deposit
- Your initial deposit must be wagered before a withdrawal can be requested.
- This promotion cannot be used in conjunction with, or to contribute to the eligibility for, any other promotion.
- This offer is available until stated otherwise.
- Deposits with Skrill and Neteller do not qualify for this promotion.
- Currency equivalents apply.
- 18+, New Customers only
- Full Terms and Conditions apply
40+
Costa Rica
Japan
Spain
Sweden
Mexico
Chile
Peru
Argentina
Bolivia
Colombia
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Dominican Republic
Uruguay
Venezuela
Key Terms:
- Only available to new William Hill customers in the UK or Ireland;
- Customers must sign up using Promo Code P30;
- Only one ‘new account offer’ per person, household address, email address, debit/credit card number, or IP address is allowed;
- Duplicate accounts will not qualify for this offer;
- This Promotion is not available to new accounts depositing funds with Entropay, Paypal, Neosurf, iDeal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill, ecoPayz, Kalibra/Postpay;
- Offer will run from 00:01 on 12 November 2019 until 23:59 on 31 March 2020;
- Only available for customers who deposit in GBP pounds (£) sterling or Euro (€) currencies;
- Qualifying bet must be placed with a unit stake of £10/€10 or greater;
- For bets placed as an Each Way bet, only the win part for the bet will count towards to offer;
- Qualifying bet must be placed at odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater;
- Qualifying bet must be placed on the William Hill Sportsbook site only;
- Qualifying bet must be struck using funds from your main balance;
- Qualifying bet can be pre-match or in-play;
- Cash in my bet is not available for bets placed that trigger a free bet as part of a promotion until at least one selection has been resulted or is In-Play. At this point, Cash in my bet will become available as long as all the other availability conditions are met;
- Free bets will be paid as 2 x £15/€15 denominations;
- Free bets can be used on any sportsbook product (excluding tote, pool, and lottery bets);
- Free bets will be available for 30 days;
- Free Bet is non-refundable and may not be withdrawn;
- Free Bet stake will be excluded from any winnings;
- Free Bet cannot be partially redeemed;
- Cash in my bet will be available for bets placed using a free bet (minus the value of the initial free bet);
- Player, country, currency, Market restrictions and terms apply.
13+
United Kingdom
Key Terms:
-
- New Customers Only. Must be 18+.
- Deposit and bet £10 or more to receive a £30 free bet.
- A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £/$10 placed on any sports markets
- Min odds 1/2 (1.5). Exchange bets excluded.
- Free bets credited within 24 hours after qualifying bet settlement and expire after 30 days
- Free bet stakes not included in returns
- Bets placed using free bets as the stake (in full or in part) will not qualify.
- Offer excludes customers who make their first deposit using any method other than Credit/Debit Cards or Applepay.
- Offer excludes customers who have not verified their phone number by SMS.
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- The offer excludes the following bet types: Canadian, Goliath, Heinz, Lucky 15, Lucky 31, Lucky 63, Patent, Super Heinz, Trixie & Yankee.
- Full T&C’s apply – Gamble Responsibly .
United Kingdom
Welcome Offer – Stake £10, Get £30 of Free Bets
- New players from UK only, 18+
- Minimum Deposit: £10
- Opt-in required by clicking on the “Claim” button on the player’s “My Offers” page.
- Offer must be claimed and qualifying bet must be made within 7 days of registration.
- Qualifying bet must be a bet of at least £10, with odds of 1.8 or greater.
- Once the qualifying bet settles 3 x £10 free bets will be awarded as follows: 1 x £10 Horse racing, 1 x £10 Free Bet Builder and 1 x £10 Football.
- Stake not returned
- Free bets expire seven days after they are awarded if they remain unused.
- Full terms apply, BeGambleAware.org
8+
100% Matched Free Bet Up To $100
- Max. Bonus Amount: $100
- Min. Odds for Qualifying Bet: 2.00
- Qualifying bet must be placed within 7 days of registering your account
- Restricted Payment Methods: PaySafe, Skrill, Neteller
- Cashed Out or Partially Cashed Out bets are not considered to be qualifying bets
- Void bets, Special Markets, BetBoosts, and Enhanced Accas are not considered to be qualifying bets
- Free Bet Rules
- Free bets can be used on any sports
- Your free bet can be used on a whole bet, or a number of smaller bets
- Profit Limit: Amount of stake
- Free bets will expire within 7 days
- No Wagering Requirements apply to this promotion
- 18+ New Customers only
- Residents of Canada only
- Full Terms and Conditions apply
Greyhound Racing
Quick Navigation
- the top 11 online sports betting sites
- the most popular sports to bet on
- best betting sites by sport
- our expert betting guides for each sport
- online sports betting FAQs
Different Types of Online Sports Betting
Sports betting, much like everything else, has grown and evolved over the years. There’s a lot more variety in the types of betting experiences punters can have today.
We’ve put together a basic list of the essential things to know when it comes to choosing what type of betting you want to try. These are the most popular types of betting around nowadays:
Pre-Match Betting
Just like it says on the tin, pre-match betting happens before the match starts. This is probably the oldest and most well-known type of betting out there. Though, even pre-match betting is much more than it used to be.
Punters aren’t just restricted to betting on who will win or if a match will end in a draw. Today, online sports betting sites offer tons of betting markets on things that can happen throughout a match or race.
| 💡 TIP! To learn more about betting markets, head to our individual sports betting guides in our section on the most popular sports to bet on below! |
Live Betting
Live betting is sort of the opposite of pre-match betting. This is a fast-paced type of betting that happens during a match or race. Punters need to know a lot about the sport, as well as the particular event, to be able to react to shifting probabilities on the go.
The adrenaline-fuelled nature of how quickly live betting happens is very different to the calmer and more calculated pre-match betting. Odds shift constantly, and betting markets open and close as the match progresses.
Spread Betting
The most popular type of betting is fixed odds betting, where punters place bets against the house based on provided odds. Spread betting, however, is different.
Spread betting is similar to handicap betting, as modifiers are applied to every bet. While handicap betting still uses traditional odds, though, spread betting evens the odds out.
Bookmakers do this by offering a “spread” of match or event outcomes. This evens the odds of all the possible outcomes.
Payouts can be more difficult to calculate, though, and losses can be much bigger. For example, a bookie might offer a spread on a match between Liverpool and Manchester City. You place a £10 bet on Man. City to win.
If a Man. City win is worth 25 points, a draw is worth 10 points, and a loss is worth 0 points, and you’re given a price of 12.0, then a loss can cost you a lot more than your £10 stake. A win would be (25-12) x £10, which would be £130 return on your £10 stake.
A loss would be (12-0) x £10, meaning you’d lose £120, which is much more than just your £10 stake.
| 💡 TIP! Only highly experienced bettors should try spread betting! It’s a lot more complicated than traditional betting. The vast majority of the betting sites listed on Sportsbetting24 deal solely in traditional odds betting. |
Betting Exchanges
A simpler alternative to traditional bookmaker betting is using a betting exchange. Instead of betting against the house, like with traditional betting, punters bet against each other.
Betting exchanges charge a small amount of commission on every bet, but even with this fee, punters can sometimes find odds at a much better price than with traditional bookmakers. As punters are betting against each other, a winning bet on an unlikely outcome can be a massive windfall.
Betting on a betting exchange involves backing and laying bets, as well as managing your liability. As you aren’t betting against the bookmaker, betting exchanges also give punters to opportunity to wager much higher stakes than are normally accepted with traditional betting.
The Most Popular Sports to Bet On
Plenty of new punters ask us questions like “what sports can I bet on?”. The answer is, almost all of them! When it comes to online sports betting in the UK, though, there are 5 sports, in particular, that lead the pack.
Most of the online sports betting in the UK is centered around football, horse racing, cricket, tennis, and golf. This is why betting sites focus on these so much, and there are so many promotions surrounding these sports.
| 💡 TIP! Most bookies are better with some sports than others. Head to the best betting sites by sport table to find the best option for your favourite sport! |
⚽ Football
With Britain’s love for football being world-renowned, it’s no surprise there are more football bets than any other sport each year. Fans and punters alike are certainly spoiled for choice, too, as there are plenty of huge football tournaments each year.
For example, the Premier League and the Champions League draw in thousands of punters from the UK alone every season. If you’re a footie fan that is interested in getting into betting, then not only do we have a guide to football betting in general, but also pages for the biggest football events, including where to bet on those tournaments and tips on optimising your strategy!
🏇 Horse Racing
Another British classic, horse racing has been a major betting staple for decades. Races happen every day across the globe in places like Dubai, the UK, Australia, France, and the US.
Thanks to online sports betting, punters don’t need to spend a whole day at the tracks anymore to get in on some horse racing action. When it comes to serving the UK market, a bookmaker’s horse racing offerings can be the deciding factor in whether they thrive or fail.
Some of the biggest horse racing events of the year happen right here in the UK, and we’re home to some of the world’s most prestigious racing tracks. This is why we have betting guides for the biggest and best races, like the Grand National, the Royal Ascot, and the Cheltenham festival.
🏏 Cricket
Football may get the most global media attention today, but cricket is the original international hit. Thanks to the spread of the British Empire, cricket is played across the Commonwealth, with the first international matches being held all the way back in the 1700s.
Fans of cricket betting know all too well that cricket is one of the most diverse sports to bet on. Punters can place bets on test series months in advance, while others prefer to bet live and react to things as they unfold after the coin toss.
In fact, betting on cricket is largely responsible for England’s first gambling laws, with the 1664 gaming act becoming law as a direct response to the public’s cricket wagers. The biggest cricket betting events for today’s punters to keep an eye on are:
| Event | Official Sportsbetting24 Guide |
| Indian Premier League | Top IPL bookmakers and betting advice |
| The Ashes | Where and how to bet on The Ashes explained |
| The World Cup | The best Cricket World Cup betting sites & strategies |
🎾 Tennis
Tennis is a huge draw for bettors, mainly due to the fact that there are so few players involved in a single match. This means there are fewer variables in play, making it easier for well-informed punters to make accurate predictions.
Tennis betting is seen as one of the core staples on betting sites, and we don’t know of any reputable bookies who neglect to feature the sport. If you’re new to tennis betting, we recommend starting with the larger tournaments, as it’s relatively easy to find statistics about different players and matchups. Our picks for the top Wimbledon bookies and the best French Open betting sites, in particular, are worth taking a look at to help you get a leg up over other punters.
⛳ Golf
Thanks to innovations in technology over the years, golf is much more of a spectator sport today than it used to be. While punters used to need to rely on commentators to keep track of what’s happening on the course, there are more cameras, better cameras, and GPS tracking today. Thanks to this, golf betting has exploded in popularity in recent years.
If you’re interested in getting started with golf betting, we recommend starting with the bigger tournaments, just like with tennis. There’s far more information about the golfers and the courses to be found for the huge events.
Depending on what time of year it is, starting with either the US Open (improve your US Open betting strategy here) or the Australian Open (expert tips for Australian Open betting here) would be a good idea, in our opinion.
Best Betting Sites by Sport
If you’re looking to bet on a particular sport, then you need to make sure that you choose a bookie that has a proven track record with that sport. It might sound odd, but some online sports betting sites can offer a top-notch experience for one sport, but woefully lag behind with another.
The table below contains what our experts believe are the best betting site for each sport. They looked at things like event coverage, sport-specific bonuses like the ones mentioned below, the quality of odds, the amount of betting markets available, and more.
| Sport | Best Betting Site |
| ⚽ Football | [select_bonuses object=”1″ bonus=”1403″] |
| 🏇 Horse Racing | [select_bonuses object=”27″ bonus=”278″] |
| 🏏 Cricket | [select_bonuses object=”15″ bonus=”513″] |
| 🎾 Tennis | [select_bonuses object=”17″ bonus=”1401″] |
| 🐕 Greyhound Racing | [select_bonuses object=”27″ bonus=”278″] |
| ⛳ Golf | [select_bonuses object=”46″ bonus=”1744″] |
Online Sports Betting Bonuses
Most of the online sports betting sites featured on our site offer punters bonuses of one sort or another. While we won’t go into too much detail about bookmakers’ welcome bonuses on this page, lots of bookies have sport-specific or even event-specific promotions for their existing punters.
When it comes to promotions, the sports that usually get the most attention from UK betting sites are exactly the ones you’d expect: football and horse racing. Promotions for other sports are out there too, but if you’re betting in the UK, you’re a lot more likely to find football betting promotions or horse racing offers.
What Kind of Promotions are Most Common?
Generally speaking, most promotions are free bets offers, also known as bonus bets. This is great news for punters, as most of our top bookies have pretty favourable terms and conditions when it comes to free bets offers.
It’s considered to be pretty common for bookies to run promotions for huge tournaments, like the Premier League and the FIFA World Cup. Some bookies offer longer, more complex promotions with point systems, while others just offer a steady stream of match-specific free bet offers.
| 💡 TIP! We recommend looking for online free bet bonuses to add value to your betting experience. Our expert bonus bets guide has everything you need to be able to fund, understand, and fully take advantage of these promotions! |
Betting Features
Online sports betting has changed the game. It used to be that punters would have go to their local bet shop, and were limited to those bookies who happened to be close by. Today, thanks to the internet, punters have a wider selection of bookies than ever before.
More than that, though, bookies have way more features to make betting either easier and more engaging. Here are our picks for best and most useful online sports betting features today:
Cash Out
Cashing out a bet is a great way to either minimise your losses or guarantee your profits. This feature allows punters to settle bets before they’re concluded in the event.
Punters who predict that their bet might go south at some point can ensure that they settle their bets before the outcome is concluded, and doing this can be a great way to reduce the amount of money lost on a bet. For example, instead of losing an entire £30 wager on a losing bet, cashing out early could mean getting £20 of that stake back and only suffering a loss of £10.
Eagle-eyed punters can also recognise when a bet that seemingly is going to be a winner has a chance of becoming a losing bet as matches and races unfold. A cash out at the right time can ensure that you still turn a profit on that bet, even if the outcome would have rendered it a losing bet later on in the match.
As we mention in our deep dive into the Cash Out feature, the only real downside to cashing out a bet early is that punters end up with lower winnings than they would have earned if the winning bet was settled naturally. However, plenty of punters have managed to use this feature to keep their bankrolls in the positive.
Live Streaming
We mentioned live betting in our look at different types of bets above, but the one feature that takes live online sports betting to the next level is being able to watch a live stream of the event while you bet.
As live betting is all about reacting to events as they unfold, it’s only natural that it’s easier to do so when you’re actually able to see what’s happening. This used to be a rare feature for bookies to offer their punters, but live streaming on betting sites is becoming more and more common each year. Bookmakers who offer live streaming are the best options for in-play betting aficionados.
The best part? Bookies don’t charge punters for live streams. This means that live streams on betting sites are free! Considering how expensive pay-per-view and cable TV services are, this is one feature that not only increases your chance for live betting success, but can save you money in other areas too!
Bet Builder
The bet builder feature that is quickly becoming standard across the online sports betting industry isn’t actually that new, but it’s a much more accessible than ever before. This feature allows punters to request odds for specific bets that may or may not already be listed on a betting site.
The main upside to this, other than being able to make custom bets, is that bookies tend to offer much better value on odds for requested bets. This is sometimes true even when requesting bets that are already listed on the bookie’s site, and is a great way to try and get more bang for your buck.
Betting Apps for Smartphones & Tablets
Not only did sports betting move online, but it’s also available pretty much anywhere that punters can get WIFI or mobile reception! The vast majority of the world’s internet traffic happens on smartphones today, and mostly through using installed apps. Much like everything else on the internet, online sports betting has become extremely mobile-friendly in the last few years.
Whether you have an iPhone or an Android device, the vast majority of bookies have either a native smartphone app or a fully mobile-compatible website for you to build your bet slips from wherever you happen to be. Some of our in-house experts actually do most of their betting on the train home from the office!
| 💡 TIP! Not all betting apps are made equal! Take a look at the best betting apps out there to make sure that you’re getting a top-notch mobile betting experience. |
Our Online Sports Betting Guides
Here at Sportsbetting24 we’re committed to making online sports betting more transparent and easier to understand. Because of this, we have detailed betting guides for almost every sport that can be wagered on.
If you’re interested in learning how to start betting on a specific sport, or even just looking to improve your online sports betting strategies, you can head straight to our betting guides by clicking any of the links in the table below.
What Do our Betting Guides Cover?
Our betting guides are all a bit different, as each sport is different, but they all have a few things in common. They all feature a hand-picked list of the best bookies for that particular sport, and they’re all written specifically to help both new and experienced punters get more out of their online sports betting experience.
| 💡 TIP! All of the betting sites featured here on Sportsbetting24 are licensed and regulated by authorities like the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority. This means that you don’t need to worry about safety or security when choosing a bookie from Sportsbetting24. |
Each one of our sports betting guides includes tips for improving your betting strategy for that sport by our resident experts. This is in addition to our experts’ lists of the top betting markets to target for each sport, to make sure that you’re equipped to build top-notch betting slips.
Our odds experts even hunt for the bookies that consistently offer the best-priced odds for each sport, as well as explaining what to look for when hunting for the highest value odds for yourself.
Online Sports Betting FAQs
What sports can I bet on?
Almost all of them! Most bookies today take online sports betting very seriously and allow punters to bet on a wide array of sports and events. We recommend taking a look at the most popular sports to bet on above to find out where to get started!
What’s the best online sports betting site?
Bet365 is considered to be one of the best betting sites out there, and there are plenty of reasons to agree with that sentiment. However, every punter has their own set of needs and requirements, which is why we recommend choosing from our table of the best betting site for each sport above!
How do you use a betting exchange?
At betting exchanges punters bet against each other instead of the house. As we mentioned above in our spotlight on exchange betting, punters can stand to rack up much bigger wins at betting exchanges, though they can also end up suffering much bigger losses. We definitely recommend that only experienced bettors give this one a go.
What is an online betting bonus?
A betting bonus is just one way for punters to add more value to their bankroll. There are different types of bonuses out there, like you can see in our betting bonuses and promotions highlight. It’s important to remember to always read the terms and conditions in full before opting in to any bonus or promotional offer.
Is online sports betting legal?
Yes, online sports betting is legal in the UK, as well as in many other countries around the world. However, bookmakers in the UK are only considered to be legal if they possess a licence from the UK Gaming Commission.
