Punters can bet from anywhere. Almost every bookie out there offers mobile betting apps today.
But we all know that some bookies are better than others. So how can punters pick a betting app that’s right for them?
This page has everything you need to know about betting apps, from our list of the best bookmaker apps in the UK, as well as best betting apps by category, and even tips on how to tell the difference between them.
Top 7 Betting Apps in the UK
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Quick Navigation
- back to our list of the 7 best betting apps
- betting apps for Android phones
- betting apps for iPhones
- betting apps vs mobile betting sites
- head to our betting app FAQs
Finding the Best Betting App for You
With so many different types of betting apps out there, there’s clearly no one, single best sportsbook app. This is why we’ve narrowed it down to a top 7 list, though we’d also like to empower our readers by giving them the tools to make their own decisions, regardless of how new or experienced they are to betting apps.
| 💡 TIP! We have a whole page dedicated to India’s top apps for online betting. The features and bookmaker options are different than in the UK, and our experts prepared a complete guide similar to this. |
When it comes to evaluating betting apps, we look at a number of different aspects to make sure that all of our recommendations are unbiased and based on the factors that actually affect users. This is why we came up with our list of best betting apps by category below.
Here’s what to look out for before making a final decision on a betting app:
5 Features to Look Out for
- Great User Interface The best betting apps are fast and are easy to use. Punters should be able to find all the features, bets, and information they need without difficulty.
- Variety of Betting Markets More betting markets means more freedom for punters and more betting opportunities. The top betting apps give punters the ability to customise their bet slips to their hearts’ content.
- Regular Bonuses & Promotions Mobile-exclusive promotions might be rare nowadays, but a good betting app allows punters to use all the same promotions and bonuses available on the desktop site. With so many bookies offering weekly, and even daily promotions, there’s no reason to settle for less.
- Features of our Top 3 Betting AppsLive Streaming While this used to be rare, all of the bookmaker apps in our top list allow punters to watch live streams of events. The vast majority of in-play betting enthusiasts would choose a betting app that has live streams over one that doesn’t in a heartbeat.
- Cash Outs All experienced punters know that Cash Out is perhaps one of the most important features of a betting site, and the same goes for betting apps. Features like full Cash Out, Partial Cash Out, and even Auto Cash Out can be the difference between losing your shirt and winning enough to buy a new phone to install your apps on.
| bet365 | William Hill | 888Sport | |
| User Interface | 🥈 | 🥇 | 🥉 |
| Variety of Markets | 🥇 | 🥉 | 🥈 |
| Regular Offers | 🥉 | 🥈 | 🥇 |
| Live Streaming | 🥇 | 🥈 | 🥉 |
| Cash Outs | 🥇 | 🥉 | 🥈 |
Betting Apps for Android
If you own a smartphone that was bought from 2013 onwards that isn’t an iPhone, then it’s almost definitely an Android phone. These are phones made by companies like Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus, and a variety of manufacturers. Even just a few years ago, Android betting apps were hard to find and install, things are so much easier now.
While the Android-iPhone split is roughly even in the UK, Android remains far more popular globally. As you can see in the image below, Android devices make up almost triple the number of iPhones in the last 10 years. It’s no surprise that so many bookies make Android a priority of theirs.
Where to Find Android Betting Apps
Getting betting apps onto your Android phone or tablet in the UK is a lot easier today than it used to be. Google now allows betting and casino apps in the Google Play Store (the official app store for Android).
This means that finding betting apps is simpler than ever before. There are plenty of top-notch betting apps listed in the Google Play store. You just need to tap “Install” and the Play Store will do all the work for you.
After spending years needing to direct their users to download installer files and install apps manually, though, many bookies continue to do this. If you search for a betting app on the Google Play Store and don’t find it, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the bookie doesn’t have an app. You might just need to download it directly from their website and install it yourself.
How to Install Apps on Android
For those who have never sideloaded an app before or don’t feel all that comfortable with consumer technology, sideloading betting apps can seem overwhelming. However, it’s actually quite a simple process. All you need to do is follow our step-by-step guide below and you’ll have your betting app up and running in no time!
| 💡 Note! If you’re in the UK, where betting apps are allowed in the Play Store, you do NOT always need to sideload betting apps. Always check to see whether the sportsbook app in question is available in the Play Store before attempting to sideload the app. |
- Download the betting app from the betting site. This will be in the form of a .apk
- If you downloaded the betting app apk on a device other than the mobile device you want to install it on, transfer it to your mobile or tablet via USB, Bluetooth, or through cloud storage
- On your Android device, go to Settings > Security
- Tap on “Install Apps from Unknown Sources“
- Using your device’s file explorer, go to the downloaded betting app apk (this will likely be in your “Downloads” folder)
- Tap on the betting app apk, accept the app permissions, and tap “install“
- The app has now been installed! Feel free to open it and sign in!
Best Betting App for Android
We’re big believers in different punters having different needs, with no single bookie being the “best” option for absolutely everyone. That being said, there are still three bookies who are contenders for the best betting app for Android.
| Best Betting App for Android |
| bet365 |
| William Hill |
| Paddy Power |
Bet365 Betting App for Android
For many punters out there, it doesn’t get better than the bet365 Android app.
No matter how obscure the sport, tournament, or even betting market is, bet365 likely has you covered. If there was ever a contender for a “one-stop-shop” betting app, then bet365 would blow most other betting apps out of the water.
William Hill Betting App for Android
William Hill have been in the betting game for a while, and their Android app puts all of the excellent services they offer together in a portable, neat application.
From their live streaming, to their award-winning William Hill radio service, the William Hill betting app for Android has it all.
| 💡 TIP! Don’t forget that you can suggest your own bets and niche accumulators by tweeting @William Hill with the hashtag #YOURODDS for them to create for you! |
Paddy Power Betting App for Android
One of the main reasons Paddy Power made it to this top spot is that their betting app features some great mobile betting promotions!
Plus, the Paddy Power app is available in the Google Play Store, and has a gorgeous user interface. Our review testing revealed that it was even easier to place bets on the Paddy Power betting app than on their desktop site!
Betting Apps for iOS
As we mentioned in our section on Android betting apps above, iPhones having a market share of close to 50% in the UK. This is why many UK betting sites have put a lot of effort into making truly top-notch iPhone apps. And with such a limited number of devices running on iOS, it’s even easier for bookies to come up with fantastic iPhone betting apps than it is for Android devices.
While iPhone users used to have to put up with apps that were mainly just buttons to access the mobile version of betting sites, Apple cracked down on this in 2019. As a result, the iPhone betting app landscape is much more rich and diverse today.
Where to Find iPhone Apps
Where iPhone and iPad users suffer, however, is that the only way to install an app on an iOS device is through Apple’s official App Store. Luckily for punters in the UK, the Apple allows betting and gambling apps to be listed in the App Store there.
The easiest way to find an iPhone betting app in the UK is to open the App Store and either search for “betting” or for the name of a specific bookie.
Once you’ve found a betting app you want to install, just tap “Install” on the app page, and the App Store will take care of the rest. Once the app is installed, you’ll find it on your homescreen, where you can then log in to your betting account and enjoy some mobile betting.
Best Betting App for iPhone
888 Betting App for iPhone
888Sport are definitely a feature-heavy bookie. Their promotions, live betting suite, streaming, and more are all available on their native iOS app.
We definitely recommend using the 888sport iPhone app over their mobile betting site, as all of these features can lead to slow loading times on mobile web. However, the 888 betting app is quick and responsive.
Unibet Betting App for iPhone
Unibet are one of the few bookies that have separate apps for their betting, online casino, and poker products. This might not sound very special, but it’s a great thing for punters. This means that the Unibet betting app is focused solely on betting, and that their developers focus solely on making the Unibet sports betting app as excellent as it can be.
Because of this, the app is extremely zippy and intuitive. Punters betting on their iOS devices also have access to all the same features that they do on the desktop site, like Unibet’s bet builder, live streaming, and daily promotions. They even have a dedicated iPad app that takes full advantage of the increased screen real estate on Apple’s line of tablets.
Betfair Betting App for iPhone
While Betfair’s app may not have a user interface that’s quite as slick as some other betting apps, there’s a reason it has an average 4.9 out of 5 stars rating on the App Store.
The Betfair betting app is jam-packed with all the amazing features on the desktop site, like their innovative betting exchange and first-in-class live betting suite. Live betting enthusiasts, in particular, will be happy to know that they even have a dedicated Cash Out button in the app’s bottom menu. This gives punters real-time information on the values of their bets, making it a lot easier to guarantee profits or cut losses when surprises pop up in live matches.
Best Betting Apps by Category
| Category | Betting App |
| Best Football Betting App | bet365 |
| Best Cricket Betting App | William Hill |
| Best Horse Betting App | 888Sport |
| Best Live Betting App | bet365 |
| Best Greyhounds Betting App | William Hill |
| Best Cash Out App | Betfair |
| Best Betting Exchange App | Betfair |
| Best Betting App for Live Streaming | Unibet |
| Easiest Betting App to Use | William Hill |
Best Football Betting App
When it comes to betting on football in the UK, bet365 clearly have it in the bag. Whether you’re looking for the biggest events like Premier League or Bundesliga, or a semi-professional league in Latvia, bet365 likely runs bets on it.
The huge variety in betting markets for football is another of the bet365 betting app’s major strengths. Punters have so many options it almost feels limitless, making it possible to truly customize your betting slip. In addition to all this, bet365 are usually the bookie with the rights to stream the best football matches for punters in the UK, such as the Bundesliga.
United Kingdom
Best Cricket Betting App
The William Hill betting app puts cricket front and centre, right there in the app’s top menu. Much like bet365 with football, William Hill are many punters’ go-to bookie for all things cricket.
The William Hill betting app runs bets on tons of different cricket events, even smaller ones that don’t tend to draw huge crowds. In addition to that, the William Hill app gives punters tons of different options when it comes to cricket betting markets.
Costa Rica
Japan
Spain
Sweden
Mexico
Chile
Peru
Argentina
Bolivia
Colombia
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Dominican Republic
Uruguay
Venezuela
Best Horse Racing Betting App
The 888Sport betting app is essential for fans for horse racing betting. Our resident horse racing betting experts were able to find every race they looked for on the 888sport app, which is no small feat.
The most interesting part of 888’s offering as a horse racing app is their “Racing iCard.” This is a great tool that helps punters by providing statistics as well as seeing how well a particular horse and jockey combination might do against others based on that data. And the final cherry on top: 888sport live streams plenty of horse races, and this is available on the 888sport betting app too!
Best Live Betting App
The huge array of options that bet365 offers extends to more than just football. The live betting suite in the bet365 app is almost impossible to beat. Punters can stake bets on thousands of different live events, and a phenomenal selection of live betting markets.
The bet365 app also allows punters to live stream matches while out and about, as well as including some great Cash Out options. When it comes to in-play betting, this is definitely the app you want to have on your phone.
United Kingdom
Best Greyhounds Betting App
When it cokes to greyhounds betting, there’s one bookmaker who clearly rises above the rest. William Hill is your best choice if you’re in the UK and looking to bet on greyhound racing. Stream greyhound races live from Britain, Ireland, Australia and the USA for free on WHTV, all available on their app!
This iconic, British bookmaker does more than just let you watch the races, though. Punters who use William Hill’s fantastic betting app can expect regular promotions and special offers for greyhound bettors.
Costa Rica
Japan
Spain
Sweden
Mexico
Chile
Peru
Argentina
Bolivia
Colombia
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Dominican Republic
Uruguay
Venezuela
Best Cash Out App
Like we mentioned above in our section on the best iPhone betting apps, Betfair are second to none where Cash Out is concerned. Despite the Betfair app regularly taking criticism for their user interface, the addition of a Cash Out button at the bottom of the screen at all times was pure genius.
The Betfair betting app makes it phenomenally easy to cash out your bets, and to find just the right time to pounce. Bet values are updated in real-time, meaning that punters don’t need to deal with the usual minute-long-delay that some betting apps have. Of course, Betfair’s app also includes an Auto Cash Out feature, as well as Partial Cash Out.
United Kingdom
Best Betting Exchange App
And once again, we have to take off our hats to the Betfair betting app. Betfair are perhaps the biggest and most well-known betting exchange out there, which is actually what makes it so good.
Punters can enjoy Betfair’s phenomenal betting exchange odds from anywhere with their betting app. Punters even have access to the great Cash Out features from the main sportsbook that we mentioned above, as well as being able to stream certain events live.
United Kingdom
Best Betting App for Live Streaming App
The Unibet betting app lets punters access Unibet’s best feature from almost anywhere in the UK: Unibet TV. As we mention on our guide to live streaming on betting sites, over 40,000 events a year are live streamed through Unibet’s app.
As Unibet is such an international brand, they have a leg up on other bookies. Punters can live stream tons of events that only Unibet offers in the UK. This is great news for punters who like a bit of international betting, as Unibet have secured broadcasting rights to events that the UK normally wouldn’t have access to. And all this from the comfort of your mobile phone!
Japan
Germany
Sweden
Chile
Peru
Argentina
Bolivia
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Paraguay
Dominican Republic
Uruguay
Nicaragua
Easiest Betting App to Use
William Hill didn’t just successfully transition from a brick-and-mortar bet shop to a phenomenal online bookie, they made it easy for long-time loyal punters to follow them. Even if you’re not very comfortable with technology or apps, the William Hill app is one of the most straight-forward and intuitive apps out there.
All the great features that William Hill are known for are included in the app, but the user interface is designed to make using the app as easy and simple as physically possible. If you’re not a big fan of technology and thought that mobile betting was too modern for you, we recommend giving the William Hill betting app a go.
Costa Rica
Japan
Spain
Sweden
Mexico
Chile
Peru
Argentina
Bolivia
Colombia
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Dominican Republic
Uruguay
Venezuela
Betting App vs Mobile Betting Site
While everyone’s main focus is betting apps, almost every betting site out there can be accessed through your mobile phone’s or tablet’s browser. In most cases, you’ll find that a bookmaker’s mobile site will have almost all the same functionality of the desktop site and will look almost identical to the bookie’s apps (if they’ve released any).
There is one major difference between a sportsbook’s app and their mobile site: apps are installed on your device, meaning layout, logos, and more are stored on your device, which can drastically reduce load times and lead to a smoother and more fluid experience.
However, even “slow” mobile betting sites are still pretty quick. You’re unlikely to be left waiting more than a second or two for a mobile betting site to load. Sure, betting apps might be a split second faster, but that doesn’t usually make too much of a difference.
Plenty of punters say they prefer betting apps to mobile betting sites because of the ability to have the app sitting on your home screen, just a single tap away. What a lot of people don’t know, though, is that they can do this with mobile betting sites too. This means that if your favourite bookmaker doesn’t have a betting app, you can still have their mobile betting site hanging out on your home screen, just a tap away.
How to Add a Website to Homescreen on iPhone
- Open the betting site in Safari on your iPhone or iPad
- Tap the Share arrow
- Tap the Add to Homescreen button
- You’ll be given the option to edit the name of the bookmark, but you can leave it set to the default if you like
- Tap Add and it will be on your homescreen
How to Add a Website to Homescreen on Android
- Open the betting site in the Google Chrome browser
- Tap the Menu button (found in the top right corner)
- Tap Add to Homescreen and the bookmark will be waiting for you the next time you head to your home screen!
Best Mobile Betting Sites Without an App
Just because some bookies haven’t released an app, that doesn’t mean you still can’t enjoy mobile betting with them. While we’re big fans of betting apps ourselves, it doesn’t actually matter whether you’re using an app or your device’s browser as long as everything works. Here are our top picks for the best mobile betting sites without apps.
Betting on Tablets and iPads
When it comes to using tablet devices, depending on your sportsbook of choice, you might be better off with the website than an app. On Android, in particular, apps don’t always scale very well when moving from phone to tablet, while websites are, by design, far more adaptable to different screen sizes and aspect ratios.
We recommend you stick to your browser on Android tablets when betting. If you’re using an iPad, though, then that will depend on your bookie of choice.
Some bookies not only release apps for Android phones and iPhones, but also betting apps for iPads too, like we mentioned in our section on iPhone betting apps above. Unibet, for example, have a phenomenal iPad app, as do Betfair.
Best iPad Betting Apps
| Top 5 iPad Betting Apps |
| bet365 |
| Unibet |
| Betfair |
| LeoVegas |
| Paddy Power |
Mobile Betting Safety
When your betting account can live in your pocket, security suddenly becomes even more important. Most people have far more sensitive information saved on their phones than they do their laptops or desktop PCs.
Funds and Deposits
The vast majority of betting apps will allow you to use the same selection of payment methods as the desktop site. Some of these, eWallets in particular, have their own apps that include additional security features.
For example, if you’re making a betting app deposit with PayPal, the PayPal app will open and will ask you to provide biometric confirmation (if your device supports that) to confirm the payment. This means that PayPal betting deposits are even safer on mobile devices than they are on desktop.
Additionally, both Apple and Android have a feature built into them that stores your card details. This means that if you make a deposit using a VISA debit card, for example, your device can auto-complete your card information into the betting app, and will ask for confirmation (biometric or password) before doing so. This can speed up deposits and avoid you from having to fiddle around with your debit cards while out in public.
Privacy and Security
Your phone is much more likely to get lost or stolen than your desktop PC is, and you don’t want your betting account falling into the wrong hands. It’s extremely important that you secure your device if you’re going to be using betting apps. A simple password is already enough to keep people out of your data, but if your phone supports biometric security measures, like a fingerprint scanner or face unlock, then you’re golden. Of course, if your device gets stolen or lost, we recommend locking your device using the features built into either iOS or Android.
We also feel that it’s important to mention that the same security questions we ask when looking at sportsbooks in general. Make sure that your betting app of choice comes from a sportsbook that’s fully licensed by an organization like the UK Gambling Commission and follows what we consider to be normal security measures in the iGaming industry. Again, if you’re not sure what the standards are, just read our review of the sportsbook in question, where we’ve already assessed their security features.
How Far Mobile Betting has Come
While it seems like online betting is still relatively new, it’s actually been around for almost 3 decades now. It took mobile betting a little longer to catch up, though. The UK’s first mobile website showed up in 2003, though back then mobile internet usage was incredibly uncommon and costly. The biggest change in the role that mobile devices play in our lives came in 2007, with the launch of the first iPhone.
By 2010, the word “smartphone” was a common word thrown around here in the UK, even if smartphones were still finding their ways into people’s pockets back then. Mobile gambling revenue in the UK was already as high as £41 million, though. As early as 2011, though, people could already see the signs and started predicting that betting apps would be the future.
The next decade saw incredible growth for both the online betting industry as well as the smartphone and telecommunications industries. By 2020, 87% of the UK had become smartphone users, and the total, global, online gambling revenue for that year was expected to hit just under £23 billion.
Today, mobile betting is perhaps even more easily accessible to punters than using a desktop is. As can be seen in this report by the UKGC, plenty of bettors are quoted as saying that they vastly prefer using their smartphones.
Betting Apps in Other Countries
While this page focuses squarely on the betting apps available in the UK, it also applies to most other countries in Europe. For those readers in Asia and Africa, however, we recommend looking at the following pages:
Betting Apps FAQs
What’s the best betting app? 
We’re big fans of the bet365 betting app, mainly because of their excellent selection of betting markets and their live streaming feature. But we recommend looking at our list of the UK’s 7 best betting apps to find the best betting app for you.
How many betting apps should I have?
This will depend entirely on your needs. Different betting apps have different strengths and weaknesses. We recommend taking a look at our list of best betting apps by category and downloading the apps that are best at what you need them for.
What’s the best football betting app?
As you can see in our best football betting app section above, our team here at Sportsbetting24 voted and the best betting app for football is bet365. The huge selection of international football tournaments and betting markets is unparalleled.
Do I need to have an iPhone to use betting apps?
No. As you can see in our section on Android betting apps above, you don’t need to have an iPhone to use betting apps. The vast majority of top-tier bookmakers offer apps for both Android and iPhone, so you can continue using whichever device you prefer.
What’s the easiest betting app to use?
As we mentioned in our section on the best simple betting app above, William Hill have the easiest to use betting app to use. Their user interface is designed to make even the least technologically inclined users comfortable, as everything is laid out in the easiest way to understand possible.
What’s the best betting app for horse racing?
Our team of experts voted, and 888Sport app is the best horse racing betting app. As we mentioned above in our section on the best horse racing app, 888 offer punters excellent race coverage, as well as a wide variety of races available for live streaming.
How does mobile betting work?
Mobile betting works exactly the same way as any other kind of online betting. Bookies present punters with odds, and punters choose their bets and wagers. However, not all mobile betting apps are made equal. This is why we recommend reading our section on the features of the best betting apps to help you choose which app is best for you.