We all know how difficult it can be to choose a betting site when the options seem endless. It would be a lot easier if you could choose from a list put together by experts. And it would be even better if those experts were honest and unbiased, making it easier to trust them.
That’s exactly what we do here at SportsBetting24. Take your pick from one of 11 best betting websites listed below. All betting sites featured have been put through our rigorous betting site review process!
11 Best Betting Sites Online
Quick Navigation
3 Best Betting Websites Up Close
We understand that narrowing it down to the top 11 betting sites might still be too broad a list for some of our readers. Luckily for them, though, we’re going to take a closer look at the three betting sites that managed to work their ways to the top of the list.
Each of these sports betting sites have gone through our rigorous and detailed bookmaker review process. From safety, reliability, to the value that they offer punters, it’s clear to see why each of them ended up at the top of our best sports betting sites list.
bet365
Having been around since the late 90s, bet365 have had plenty of time to build up a top-notch array of features. Taking a look at things like their live-streaming service, their industry-changing commitment to user safety and security, and even their excellent selection of promotions, it’s clear to see that they haven’t been resting on their laurels. It is a safe pick among any selection of betting sites.
As you can see in our bet365 sportsbook review, this particular bookie flew through our review testing and passed with flying colours. It’s not often that we recommend a single sports betting website to all of our readers, but in the case of bet365, we believe the vast majority will be more than pleased.
888sport
While 888Sport may not be as long in the tooth as some other bookies, this betting site has all the right ingredients to make up a recipe for success. For one, 888Sport have one of the best and most comprehensive FAQ and Help sections we’ve ever seen, as well as lightning-fast customer support contact options.
888Sport benefits from being part of the larger, encompassing 888 Holdings group of companies. This is why 888Sport has such a huge amount of payment method options, as well as user security and safety features. Their sportsbook interface was overhauled not so long ago. Continuous improvement is a key factor for any bookmaker that wants to stay relevant on the betting market.
Unibet
If you’re leaking for ease-of-use and a wonderful UI, look no further than Unibet. This bookie makes it extremely easy to build your betting slip in no time. What’s even better, though, is Unibet’s phenomenal event coverage and betting market options.
Whether you’re going for live betting or pre-match fixtures, you’re likely to not only have a massive amount of variety, but also some of the best value odds in the industry right there at your fingertips. Unibet, however, has been very popular among casual bettors. This is why over time we have labelled it as one of the most user-friendly online betting sites.
What We Cover in Our Betting Site Reviews
When it comes to our betting site reviews, there are three words that sum up our basic principles: “Honest”, “Unbiased”, and “Detailed”. Every single one of our bookmaker reviews is written with these three qualities in mind, making sure that we cover all the information a punter might need to know about.
Unlike some other bookmaker review sites out there, we won’t write a positive review just to make some money. If something is good, we’ll say so. If something isn’t very good, we’ll say that too. Our main goal is to help punters find the best betting websites for their own, individual needs.
Each of our betting site reviews covers 10 main areas. This is so that no matter what you’re looking for, or what your own, personal needs are, we make sure to cover that angle when reviewing bookmaker sites. You can find more information about each section of our bookmaker reviews below:
🆕 Sign-Up Offers
While these aren’t the be-all and end-all of betting sites, welcome bonuses are certainly an important piece of the pie. With so much variety out there, and such long lists of terms and conditions, it can be confusing for some to evaluate their options and figure out which sign up bonus is best for them. We put each betting site’s welcome offer under the microscope and break down all the key terms and conditions so that even a complete novice should have no problems with understanding what the sign-up offer entails. As you will see, we pay a lot of attention in our betting site reviews.
💎 Promotions for Existing Users
A sign of a good betting site is one that gives punters a reason to keep coming back for more. Once the sign-up offer has been redeemed, are there any more promotions, deals, or offers to continue adding value for punters? This is the part of the sportsbook review where we take a look at the ongoing and seasonal promotions, if any, and give bettors a good idea of what to expect once they’re registered and settled in.
💡 TIP! Learn the basics of betting sites bonus & promotions in our quick explainer below! We even provide the pros and cons for each type of bonus! |
🔒 Security & Safety
While this is something that a lot of reviews overlook or brush over, we think security & safety are extremely important. Bettors need to know that they can sit back, watch a match, and place their bets without having to worry about who has their personal information or banking details. This is where we get into details like where the betting site is licensed, their responsible gambling tools, their affiliations with reputable organisations and more. Definitely a section to pay attention to. This is the first thing we check and evaluate when we’re doing a bookmaker review.
💸 Payment Methods & Policies
This is the part of each betting site review where we evaluate their list of available payment methods, as well as take a look at the payment policies. We specifically look out for things such as whether there are any withdrawal fees, how long withdrawals take, and any other payment-related information that is important for bettors. If you can’t access your winnings quickly and easily, then that could ruin the entire betting experience.
⚽ The Sports Betting Experience
The actual betting experience is something that, somehow, a lot of other betting site reviews out there tend to skim over or skip entirely. Here at SportsBetting24 we take a look at the supported sports, the event coverage, pre-match betting market variety, the user interface, and more. This is also the section where you’ll find our odds comparisons, where we hold the sportsbook up against its competitors to see how it measures up in terms of value offered to bettors.
📱 Mobile Betting
It’s 2024 and none of us are chained to desktop computers or laptops anymore. People are actually more likely to place bets on their phone or tablet than on a device running a desktop OS. This section of our sportsbook reviews deals with how well a betting site works on mobile, whether or not they have native iOS or Android apps, and the quality of those apps. If you’re someone who like to place bets while out and about, this is a section you can’t afford to skip. The best betting sites featured here offer mobile-friendly products.
💡 TIP! Read more about how we assess the mobile betting experience below! |
⚡ The Live Betting Suite
In-play betting is the only kind of betting that some punters care about, and while there are lots of betting sites that offer a great live betting experience, there are others that barely provide one at all. We put the betting site’s live betting suite under the microscope to see if it fits the bill for our in-play enthusiast readers. What are the live betting markets like? Does the bookmaker offer live streaming? We find out for you.
👑 VIP & Loyalty Programmes
A lot of people think that betting site VIP programs are just for the high rollers out there. While a lot of them are, you don’t necessarily need to make it rain to benefit from a VIP or loyalty program. This is the part of the betting site review where we drill down into whether bookies reward their loyal punters, and if so, how they do that. Some betting companies have VIP programmes that do not apply to their sportsbooks. In other words, they are simply trying to redirect their customers to other products.
💬 Customer Service
Some bookmakers out there roll out the red carpet when it comes to customer support, while others aren’t quite as clued in. Our betting site reviews break down what options bettors have to contact the bookmaker, as well as give our readers a look into our own customer service experiences with the bookie.
🌍 Major Markets Serviced
This last section gives our readers some insight into which markets the betting site focuses on. This is something that definitely bears consideration. If you’re based in the UK, for example, it’s important to know whether the UK market is a top priority for the bookie in question. Several of the best betting sites showcased focus on one or two markets, but the majority of them define themselves as international sportsbooks with a global presence.
Most betting sites aren’t truly global, and even when they are, the features they offer could differ between countries. This is why we recommend clicking on your country, or your country’s nearest neighbour, in the table below to find out which betting sites our experts think are the best options:
Our Star Ratings Explained
You’ll see that each of the betting site reviews here on SportsBetting24 includes a star rating ranging from ⭐ to ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐. Obviously, the more stars on the review, the higher the rating is. However, what do our star ratings actually mean?
- ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐: A 5-star rating means that the bookie managed to shine in all 10 different areas of the betting site review process. It’s rare that we give betting sites this rating, because it’s very difficult to tick ALL of our boxes. If a bookie does have a 5-star rating on SportsBetting24, you don’t even need to think twice before signing up yourself.
- ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐: A 4-star rating is a lot more common than a 5-star rating here at SportsBetting24. This means that when measured against our detailed, comprehensive betting site review procedure, the bookie managed to impress in almost all areas, with perhaps a compromise or two thrown in. Betting sites rated at 4-stars don’t have any glaring issues, but some users may find that a feature or two could be a little better, such as not including a cashout feature for bets, for example, or they might not have 24-hour live chat.
- ⭐ ⭐ ⭐: A 3-Star rated bookie definitely isn’t one to avoid. When we give this rating to a betting site, it just means that it’s best suited for certain punters, though not necessarily everyone. For example, we might give a 3-star rating to a betting site that has a limited live-betting suite. Punters who stick to pre-match bets, however, might still be more than well-served by the bookie’s other features, though. Another 3-star betting site, for example, might not work very well on mobile, though punters who do the majority of betting from a laptop or desktop might not have anything to worry about.
- ⭐ ⭐ or ⭐: These are the bookies we generally recommend avoiding. In fact, when bookies get rated this low, they most likely also get rated “Not Recommended”. 1-and-2-star ratings are perhaps the rarest ratings on our site, as we generally avoid featuring them at all.
What Sports Can I Bet On?
When it comes to online betting sites, there’s very little that can’t be bet on. Whether you’re a football betting fan or crazy about cricket betting, we can help you find the best betting site for you, or at least narrow down a bigger selection of betting sites to a few.
Below you can find links to some of our most popular sports pages, where you can read more about specific events, take a look at which bookies our experts listed as the best betting sites for those sports, and even grab some betting advice while you’re at it!
When it comes to racing sports, like greyhounds, horseracing, and motor sports, punters can even place bets on virtual races! This is a great option for racing fans who get caught with nothing to bet on in the off-season. These virtual races run on RNG (random number generation) software, so punters get a fresh race every time.
Don’t forget that it isn’t just sports that people place bets on. Most betting sites also run “special bets”, which means punters can place bets on things like election results, Oscar winners, and even who’s going to win this season of Britain’s Got Talent!
Betting Site Bonuses & Promotions 101
Anyone who’s been anywhere near a betting site in the last few years knows one thing: bonuses and promotions are important! Not only do they help sweeten the deal for new users in the terms of sign-up bonuses or welcome offers, but plenty of bookies run regular promotions and offers to keep punters coming back for more.
While we won’t go into too much detail about that on this page, we’ve collected the most common types of bonuses and promotions that punters are likely to encounter. Each have their pros and cons, but this should give you a decent overview of what’s out there.
Pros | Cons |
Deposit Bonus | |
✅ Gives punters bonus funds ✅ Usually part of a sign-up bonus ✅ Punters can control how much of the offer they take advantage of |
❌ Wagering requirements require punters to spend several times their bonus ❌ Some punters sign up for bonuses much larger than they can redeem |
Free Bet | |
✅ Punters can place bets/ a bet without needing to wager real money ✅ Found both in welcome offers and in promotions for existing users |
❌ Odds restrictions may mean that punters have to place bets they normally wouldn’t ❌ Free bet winnings usually need to be wagered several times over to be redeemed |
Bet Insurance | |
✅ Punters get all or part of their stake back if their qualifying bet loses ✅ Users can make bets they normally might find too risky ✅ Found both in welcome offers and in promotions for existing users |
❌ If your qualifying bet wins, you don’t get any sort of bonus ❌ Odds restrictions usually apply, as can sports restrictions, or even match restrictions |
Enhanced Odds | |
✅ Betting sites give punters higher value odds for specific events, matches, or bets ✅ Wins are more profitable |
❌ Some punters make the mistake of assuming that a boosted odds best is a guaranteed win |
You’ll see this repeated a lot on SportsBetting24, but the most valuable lesson you can learn about betting bonuses and promotions is to always read the terms & conditions in full. Make sure you understand exactly what the betting site requires you to do in order to get that bonus before committing to it. For betting sites, this is a business, and they can sometimes be very sneaky with their bonus terms.
Recognising the Best Sports Betting Sites
Most betting sites are easy to understand, as long as you know what you’re looking for. Sure, the site looks nice, but there are a few things that you MUST know about before getting started. Otherwise, you put your overall betting satisfaction at risk.
On an ideal betting site, nobody can get hurt, aside from your wallet and your pride. This is why we’re never going to recommend any unlicensed online sports betting site, and we’re never going to suggest joining a bookmaker with predatory terms of service. Here are a few things you should ask yourself before you sign up to any betting site:
- Is the betting site licensed? If so, where? You can’t go wrong with bookies licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. Punters outside the UK should also keep an eye out for betting sites who have Malta Gaming Authority licences.
- Are there bonus deals?
- Are the terms and wagering requirements of the said bonus offers fair and achievable?
- Is there a variety of betting markets?
- Are there enough sports and races covered?
- How accessible is customer support? Is there phone support and live chat access?
- Banking terms, withdrawal Limits, Withdrawal times – Do they fit your criteria? Do they support payment methods you already use?
- Responsible Gambling Practices – Are they promoted? Does the betting site provide tools for self-exclusion and self-limiting?
At the end of the day, no bookie can be the best in all areas. As the sportsbook grows, so does the number of customers, and it becomes increasingly difficult to provide the service all punters expect. And by all means, make sure you stay away from any of the bookies rated as not recommended, like we mentioned above in the guide to our star ratings.
Established Online Bookmakers VS. New Betting Sites
For some, age is just a number, but when it comes to deciding who to trust with your money, experience and track record definitely play a factor. Some of our readers may feel wary about joining betting sites that haven’t been around for that long, while others jump at the chance to discover the hottest new bookie.
As with anything, there are pros and cons to joining a new betting site. However, as long as you ask yourself the questions we mentioned in our section on recognising good bookmakers above, you should be fine. As a general rule, any site featured here on SportsBetting24 should be safe to use. If you’re interested in trying one out, check out our list of the hottest new bookies!
Mobile Betting Websites & Apps
The chances are that you’re currently reading this on a smartphone or tablet. Most web traffic today happens on mobile devices and not on laptops or desktops, and the online betting industry hasn’t been immune to that shift.
With mobile internet being as fractured as it is, though, there are some questions to ask when taking a look at bookies’ mobile betting offerings:
- Does the bookie have native smartphone apps?
- If so, are there apps for both Android and iOS devices?
- How well does the betting site work on mobile browsers?
- Is there anything that can be done on desktop but isn’t available on mobile? Or vice-versa?
💡 TIP! Instead of spending hours doing all your own research, head to our page on the best betting apps to take a look at our top picks! |
Advice for Betting with Online Bookmakers
If you happen to be new at online sports betting, or are coming back to it after a long break, you may feel like sports betting sites can be a little confusing. There’s no reason to worry, though, as long as you keep a few basic things in mind:
- Shop around before committing to a betting site There are literally dozens of online betting sites out there for you to choose from, of varying levels of quality. Make sure to read our unbiased, in-depth betting site reviews before signing up. Read more about what we examine in our betting site reviews above.
- Remember that this is just for fun When it comes to sports betting, it’s all about the thrill and the experience of it. If you’re not enjoying yourself, then there’s no point in doing it. Always remember to let yourself have fun when you’re building your betslip.
- Always read terms and conditions IN FULL before activating bonuses Like we mentioned above in our section on common betting site bonuses, it’s extremely important to read the terms and conditions before activating any bonuses. You don’t want to end up activating a bonus that you can’t realistically redeem.
- Bet on sports that you follow and know about The easiest way to both have fun and make well-informed wagers is to bet on sports that you’re already a fan of. You can bet on pretty much every sport in the world, so don’t worry if you happen to be a fan of a more obscure sport. Take a look at our section on choosing a sport to bet on above to get a better idea of what’s out there.
- Don’t bet more than you can afford to lose This ties in pretty closely with our point about having fun. Just like any other form of entertainment, make sure you’re spending money that you won’t miss later. Don’t get us wrong, it’s great to place a winning bet and enjoy a payout, but don’t go chasing your losses! If you find yourself regularly spending more than you can afford to, consider contacting an organization like GamStop to receive help.
Betting Sites FAQS
Which is the best betting website?
We’re quite partial to the industry-leading bet365 for their excellent live betting suite, competitive odds, and regular promotional offers. However, we can say similar things about all the bookies in our top 11 betting sites list. We recommend picking whichever looks like the best fit for you!
Are online sportsbooks legal?
Yes, in most countries, like the UK, online betting sites are legal as long as they possess the relevant licence for their region. If you’re ever in doubt, though, take a look at our guide to picking the best betting sites to learn how to evaluate bookmakers for yourself.
Which bookie gives the top odds?
We’ve always found that bet365 gives punters excellent odds, though this will obviously depend on the particular bet you’re looking at. As a general rule, all of our 5-star rated betting sites have excellent odds. Read our guide to our betting site review star ratings above to find out more about what 5-star betting sites have to offer!
What are the best betting sites for new customers and beginners?
When it comes to online betting sites, new customers and beginners are best taking a look at which are the best betting sites for the particular sports they want to bet on. Once you’ve chosen a bookie to sign up to, we recommend taking a look at our expert’s advice for betting on bookmaker sites for some tips and tricks!
How do I sign up to a betting site?
Signing up to a betting site is pretty similar to signing up to any sort of website. As betting sites are bound by certain laws and regulations, though, you’ll likely need to provide more personal information than you would to a site like an online shop. Don’t forget to take a look at what sign up offers are available before taking the plunge and signing up, though.
Are all the top bookies legal in the UK?
Yes, the vast majority of all betting sites listed here are legal in the UK. Any which aren’t simply aren’t available to access in the UK. With that in mind, though, there are still plenty of other factors to consider before choosing the best betting site for you. We recommend reading our in-depth betting site reviews for more information.