Top 20 Betting Sites UK (2023) - New Bookmakers

Top 20 Betting Sites UK 27 November 2023

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Looking to get into the world of betting? Even those who aren’t familiar with punting know that there are a huge number of bookie sites to choose from. So how do you know which ones are the best? Which ones will give you everything that you need? And how do you know what you should be looking for in a bookie site before you even begin betting?

Whether you are looking for something as a complete newbie, or you are an experienced punter looking for a new site, choosing the right one is important. Here we will be looking at the top 20 bookie sites, and why they have that title.

How We Rank the Top 20 Sites

When ranking the hundreds of bookie sites that are out there, we consider elements that are both important as well as beneficial to the player. Not only do these guarantee an excellent betting experience and the very best for your money, but they are also signs of a great and safe site to use.

Welcome promotions and offers	A bookie site with good welcome offers and promotions for existing players are ones that rank highly with punters. Not only do these offer a great start to a new site, but they keep users engaged as their playing time progresses too. These can vary from free bets to money back, depending on the site.
Payment Methods	The top sites will have a variety of different payment methods that are safe and secure, so you are reassured that you can pay how you want, safely.
Betting odds	Sites should have competitive betting odds in order to entice users, as well as betting features such as best odds guaranteed. This makes sure that the site always has the best odds, and therefore is one of the top to choose from.
Sports Variety	Of course, something that makes a site the best is its variety of sports on offer to bet on. Often, the bigger the sportsbook, the more users the site has and therefore more of a solid reputation.
Live Streaming Options	Live streaming is a great feature for betters and one that the best sites have. This, along with in-play betting are great features of a site.
Security	This one probably goes without saying, but safety and security are key aspects of any site to be looked at when ranking it. Only sites that are licensed and trustworthy are ranked highly.

The Top 20 Sites

So, having looked at how we rank the top 20 sites, let’s have a look at some of them and the features that we believe make them the very best:

Bet365

Why is it in our top 20?

Bet365 has a reputation for being one of the most popular online bookie sites in the UK, and it is especially popular as a horse racing betting site.

One big pull towards the site is its enticing welcome offer this month of bet £10 get £30 in free bets. With this, all you have to do is sign up to the site, and then when you place your first £10 bet you will receive £30 in free bets back to spend on any racing or sports betting that you want to try.

The site has a wide variety of sports to bet on, from football and horse racing to tennis and golf, something that makes it popular amongst those looking to try their hand at different sports.

Where a lot of bookmakers offer competitive odds on horse racing events, bet365 have something called ‘best odds’. This means that they will match any better price that you can find at a different big bookie site, even after you have placed a bet with them. Another large feature of the site is their offering of live streaming, perfect for those who want to watch and bet as the action happens.

Boylesports

Why is it in our top 20?

Another leading bookie site, Boylesports offers tons of good deals, features, and a variety of sports.

They make use of the ‘bet 10 get free’ promotions for new customers, and these change throughout the year.

In terms of major sporting events, you can bet on all of these with Boylesports. They are particularly popular for their horse racing betting, but their offerings extend as far as greyhound racing to tennis.

Like some of the other top bookie sites, Boylesports offers in-play betting, meaning that keen punters can place bets as the matches or races happen. This provides  a wealth of opportunity to change strategies depending on how the action is unfolding, and is increasingly popular with users.

Ladbrokes

Why is it in our top 20?

One of the biggest bookmakers and the most well-known, Ladbrokes is one of the top online bookie sites for keen betters to use. Not only do they offer generous welcome bonuses and promotions for new customers, but they also have ongoing deals for existing customers over time. Not only this, they run generous loyalty promotions, including the Ladbrokes Grid Card which allows players to collect points every time they bet. You can then use these to get prizes and rewards to enhance your betting experience.

Ladbrokes also offer a live streaming service for their users, something that allows you to watch the action and place your bets. Major racing events are available to bet on, as well as smaller ones throughout the year too. Not only this, a lot of sports icons are the face of Ladbrokes, adding to their stellar reputation.

Coral

Why is it in our top 20?

Another one of the UK’s favourite and most well-known bookie sites, Coral has a standing reputation for being a great company to bet with. Coral not only have an array of generous welcome bonuses for new customers, but they also have promotions and deals for existing customers too, adding to their reputation for being one of the best bookie sites. They cover a variety of games, from sports to poker to horse racing, which, being a traditional site, they have a speciality for. The site is easy to navigate and attractive to lots of users, especially because of the wide array of payment methods and depositing options it has, all of which contribute to an enhanced user experience.

William Hill

Why is it in our top 20? 

Another very popular bookie site and one that is well-known amongst betters and non-betters alike, William Hill is up there with the others for its solid reputation.

As a bookie that has been around for a long time, it has a variety of sports available on its books for punters to place a bet on, from the popular to the niche, as well as generous welcome offers for new customers that are similar to others being a bet 10 get free deal. A feature of William Hill is their in-play betting feature that allows you to watch and bet live. Though not as sophisticated as some of the other new and popular bookie sites, their live stream is worthwhile using. In terms of promotion variety, this bookie site definitely lacks compared to some of the others, but nevertheless there are a lot of betting options which make up for it.

Betvictor

Why is it in our top 20?

Betvictor is another bookie site that is in our top 20, and are famous for their specialism in sports and horse race betting. As with the other sites, they have generous welcome offers and promotions for existing customers too, and also offer a best odds guarantee. This feature means that if you take an early price and the odds change and the starting price is bigger, you will still get paid out on the bigger price. These kind of features and promotions are what make customers loyal to the site, and make it a good choice for new and experienced customers alike. Similar to …, they are well-known for their horse racing offerings but also have a range of sports and cover the major events, as well as daily and smaller events too.

Mr Play

Why is it in our top 20?

One of the newer betting sites but nevertheless one with a growing reputation in the world of betting, Mr Play is highly recommended amongst many professional punters. There are just a few promotions on the site, but the amount of different sports and betting markets are vast, surprisingly so for such a new site, making it appealing to a wide demographic of keen betters despite the lack of ongoing promotional deals. For worldwide players too, the site, despite its newness, accepts players from a large number of countries, making it accessible to a lot of players. Of course, an important part of choosing any online betting site is its credibility and reputation. Despite being a new site so not as long a standing reputation as older ones, it is very credible and trustworthy for players to use.

Rhinobet

Why is it in our top 20?

Another one of the newer betting sites, Rhinobet is not only an online sports betting site, but also an online casino. There are quite a large variety of sports available to bet on, but the list is definitely not as comprehensive as other online bookie sites. Despite this, it has the capability for virtual sports betting, something that is well-wanted in today’s betting world. It also shines for its in-play betting offering, of which it has lots. In addition, Rhinosports has nine virtual sports options for punters to play on, including basketball, horse racing, football and greyhound racing. These, plus its solid odds and generous welcome bonus for new customers, are what land Rhinobet in our top 20 online betting sites.

Betgoodwin

Why is it in our top 20?

BetGoodwin have a strong reputation for their offerings of football and horse racing, but offer a wide variety of other sports too. With competitive odds across all of their betting markets, they also have a lot of promotions on offer too, especially on horse racing. Whilst they have a slightly limited choice of payment method, likely down to their new establishment as an online betting site, they are trustworthy and reputable, with an excellent book of offerings available for users to explore.

Planet Sport Bet

Why is it in our top 20?

With a wide selection of sports to bet on, Planet Sport Bet are not short of options for anyone who is keen to join their site. They have best odds guaranteed on all horse races too, which is an added bonus. As a relatively newly-launched site, they do not have a live streaming service, but they do have an in-play betting feature that is not extensive, but covers some sports.

Kwiff

Why is it in our top 20?

Kwiff are a unique bookie site in that they offer boosted odds. Whilst this does mean that they often don’t have a welcome offer running for new customers, the boosted odds promotion means the odds of your bet could be increased, or what they call ‘kwiffed’. They offer quite a small range of sports, but those that they do are well-covered and include football and horse racing. Currently with no live streaming service, they do have in-play betting, where the ‘kwiffed’ odds deal also apply, adn you could land an unexpected huge payout.

Lottoland Sports

Why is it in our top 20?

Lottoland Sports offers something a bit different to just sports betting. They also have scratch cards and an online casino site, as well as a sportsbook. They have a welcome bonus that entails claiming your first bet back if it loses, for an amount of up to £5, and that is pretty much it in terms of deals and promotions. Despite this, there are lots of sports to choose from, and plenty of virtual sports too. 

Talksport Bet

Why is it in our top 20?

Talksport Bet has a solid reputation for itself, and is very similar to BetVictor in website layout and format. They have a focus on football with a number of leagues and events to bet on. The site has good odds on offer, and also generous promotions not just for new customers but for existing ones too. Compared to other bookie sites, their payment methods are more limited, but the site is safe and legitimate to use, and also features fastfunds withdrawals.

The Pools

Why is it in our top 20?

The Pools site has a variety of different sports to choose to bet on, as well as interesting other betting areas such as on politics and special markets. Sports wise, they have a focus on football and horse racing and they come with excellent promotional and bonus offers for these sports. They have a generous welcome offer of a £10 free bet and a lot of other offers available, a good reason why it has become so popular with sports betting fans especially. 

Hollywood Bets

Why is it in our top 20?

Hollywood Bets is a sportsbook and casino site with especially good coverage of football and horse racing. They have a variety of promotions and offers available to customers, and over 30 sports on their books. All the big events in football, horse racing and tennis are covered, as well as smaller events and sports too. With competitive odds and in-play betting, they are up there with other bookie sites as one of the top.

Fizdares

Why is it in our top 20?

Perhaps a lesser known but nevertheless reputable and trustworthy bookie site, Fizdares is a top sports betting site, that also has a casino. They offer live streaming services for all horse races, and enticing bonuses and offers to go with them. Politics markets are also featured on the site, as are virtuals, offering some variation away from sports betting too should the punter wish to try something different. It’s live streaming gives it solid praise from its customers, and though it doesn’t rank highly in terms of it’s live betting, it is still considered one of the top bookie sites in the UK, and in our top 20.

Fafabet

Why is it in our top 20?

Fafabet are another site that offer both an online casino and sports to bet on, as well as virtual sports. It covers all major sports that you would expect, including greyhound racing, and they also offer the best odds guaranteed promotion. It’s casino side is equally as popular as it’s sports side, and it offers an impressive selection with its own welcome offer too. It has minimal payment methods and it is not known for its impressive customer support service, however it’s live in-play, best odds guaranteed and vast array of sports to choose from put the site up with the well-known competitors, and into our top 20 betting sites.

Unibet

Why is it in our top 20?

Unibet are a huge online bookie site with a large number of enticing features and offers. They offer a fantastic live streaming service that allows users to watch games and matches unfold as they happen, and also have a verty generous welcome bonus which is currently a £40 welcome offer when you register with them, plus all new depositors get a £10 casino bonus on top. In terms of the amount of customers, they are definitely not as large as some of the other sites we have looked at here, but they have a huge range of different sports available which puts them in a great position as a favourite. From ice hockey to handball, there is something for all sports enthusiasts to bet on!

Betzone

Why is it in our top 20?

Betzone offers a lot to its users, from a wide selection of betting markets, sports varieties and promotions to a fast payout speed and an excellent website design. They cover all of the sports you would expect to find in a betting site- tennis, football, horse racing, but also some of the less common sports too, making it an appealing site no matter what sports you are into betting on. The promotions are varied and not just for new customers, but for existing ones too, so you can be sure to always find a good deal. Overall, the site is popular with punters and offers a lot!

Star Sports

Why is it in our top 20?

Starsports are a licensed and reliable bookie site, possibly not the most well-known but nevertheless one that offers a lot to prospective punters. With its simple yet effective website, it has a variety of sports on offer, a surprising amount given the newness of the site. From sports such as football and tennis to ice hockey and baseball, there is something for everyone. Just like its competitors, they offer in-play betting, live streaming and virtual sports too, making it a top choice for those who want to extend the way they bet.

How to open a betting account

Ready to take the plunge and join an online betting site? Before you can start betting, you will need to make an account with your chosen site. Make sure to read our top 20 list and reviews if you are still unsure which one is right for you to choose.

Though not a difficult process, there are some things you need to be aware of before setting up a betting account. Here we will talk you through each step:

Firstly, as aforementioned, you need to make sure that you are 100% happy with the site you have chosen, and that they are reputable and also have a good sign up promotional bonus, as this will enhance your betting experience with the site.

On the homepage of your chosen site, you will find a button or call to action somewhere that invites you to join the site and register for an account. If you click on that it will take you to the relevant registration form.

When on the form, the details you will generally need to supply are your name, address and contact details, your date of birth so that your age can be verified (under UK law you have to be over 18 years old to open a betting account). You will likely also need to set a username and password for your account security, and specify your country/currency for payments and withdrawals of money when you do eventually begin playing.

Some bookmaker sites may request that you supply card details on registration, so that they have it on their records even before you place a bet/win any money. The registration form will also have a link to the terms and conditions of the site, and you must always make sure that these are read and agreed upon before completing your registration with the site.

Once you have registered, you will then be able to deposit money into your account ready for placing bets. This will also be where the site’s specific promotional offer for new customers comes into play and you may have to deposit a minimum amount of money in order to qualify for a free bet, or whatever they are offering in exchange for signing up.

 

You are then free to begin betting and start navigating your chosen site!

 

Features every good betting site should have

 

There are a number of things that we believe a good and trusted betting site should have on offer, some of which are for the mere enjoyment and benefit of the users, but some that are for the safety and security of the players too, and therefore are incredibly important.

 

 

Safe, secure and varied payment options	Secure financial transactions are a huge part, and often sometimes a worry, of online betting sites. You want to be reassured that your chosen site is trustworthy and that you can enjoy betting without losing out or falling to a scam.
Transparency	All good betting sites will have not only a variety of different payment methods, but also be secure when transactions take place. The best sites will also have the option to switch between the currency used and the language that information is displayed in, which reassures users that everything is transparent when it comes to the exchange of money during a bet.
Easy website navigation	One thing that makes the best bookie websites stand out from the poorer ones is their website design and usability. Players are looking for sites that are easy to use, navigate and where everything they need they can find. Customer support and technical issues, should they arise, should also be dealt with in a timely manner, and many of the best sites offer this 24/7 to its users.
Minimal risk factor	This is especially important if you are not an experienced gambler, or if you are but are trying your hand at something new. All the best online sites have promotional offers and bonuses that reduce your risk factor when placing initial bets with the sites, and often offer excellent rewards too in return.
Variation of sports and markets available to bet on	A slightly more light-hearted feature that all the best bookie websites should include- a wide variety of sports on offer to bet on, and markets too. When you sign up to a new site, even if you know what sport you will be betting on the most, it is great when there are a vast variety of options to choose from as well. More variety also means more users, which can only boost the reputation and usage of an online site.
Bonuses and promotions	We’ve talked about these a lot in this article, but they are so important and good ones are the sign of a good site. Welcome bonuses are enticing for new customers, but the best sites will offer promotions throughout your time as a user, not just at the beginning. Promotions on big events such as Wimbledon or the Cheltenham Festival for instance give you the opportunity to win big as well, and all of this boosts a site’s reputation.
Good and innovative features	All of the best bookie sites these days offer live, or in-play betting, and very often mobile betting too via the use of an app. Live bets and live streaming of matches and games is what makes betting online in this day and age even more exciting, and gives more opportunity to win. Many sites also offer live scores, so you will always be in the know about how the action is unfolding.

Betting offers found at the top 20 betting sites  

A bookie site wouldn’t be in the top 20 without having some of the best betting offers. Typically, though every site is different, these are the offers you can expect to find on the top 20 sites.

Bet Money to get Free Bets in Return

The bet money get free bets deal is the most common offer, especially for new customers, on the top 20 sites. With this, the user deposits a certain sum of money (side dependent), and receives free bets in return up to a sum of money, generally £10, £20 or £30 but some even higher.

An example of this is at Unibet, with their up to £40 back in free bets, with an additional £10 casino bonus. This means that if your first bet happens to lose, you get money back up to £40 in bonus form, and get the casino bonus too. This is also for new customers only, and is great for those who are first starting out in the betting world as you don’t feel like you are losing out straight off the bat.

Casino Bonuses

Some of these other sites may also offer a casino bonus on top of another offer, again often to the value of £10 but completely site dependent. These are also often for new customers but some of the sites in the top 20 will offer these for existing customers too.

Bet Money Get Free Bets Variations

In a slight variation from the typical ‘bet something get something’ promotional offers, Kwiff are currently offering a bet £10 get £30 surprise bet betting offer. The offer is awarded to the user immediately, and is designed as a welcome bonus for new customers.

Others of our top 20 sites offer variations of the free bet offers too, such as Betzone who offer 50% back as free bets, up to the value of £60. This is redeemable with use of a promotional code, and certain bet types are excluded so you should make sure you read through the terms and conditions, as there are conditions to the promotional offer.

Though each site will have its own variation of these offers, free bets, casino bonuses and money back are the most common ones you will find on the top 20 sites.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Top 20 Sites

Question	Answer
How many betting sites are there actually available to UK users?	There are probably too many to count! But the ones listed in this article are the ones that have the best reputations.
How do I know if a betting site is legitimate?	There are a number of things you can look at to tell you, but the main one is whether it is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. You can also look at reviews and experiences of other players to help you make an informed decision.
If I want to make an account with one of the top 20 betting sites, how long will that take me?	It shouldn’t take any longer than 10 minutes to sign up and register for a betting account with any of the leading sites.
How are the top 20 sites reviewed and chosen?	Our top 20 sites have been picked for their customer service, user experience, features such as live streams and odds, variety of sports on their books, payment methods and safety and security.
Which one of the top 20 is the best betting site?	This is a question that is down to each individual punter to decide. Each person has different things they want out of a betting site, and therefore different sites work better for different players. Nevertheless, each site in the top 20 has a good reputation and user experience, and therefore can be trusted.
Do all betting sites have a welcome offer for new customers?	The welcome offers are pretty standard across all bookie sites, used to entice new customers into joining and betting with them. Whilst each site will have its own individual welcome bonus, you can generally expect to see them on any site you choose.

Betting Sites – the Lingo You Should Know

If you’re a newbie to the world of betting, there may be some terms and phrases that you do not understand. Some of them are incredibly important to know and be aware of, especially if you are thinking of registering with a new site, and could save you from losing any vast amounts of money, and generally make your betting experience better.

Here are just a few of the important terms to be aware of when looking at and registering with betting sites:

• Minimum bet

This is the lowest amount of money that you can bet in accordance with the bookie sites rules.

• Maximum bet

The highest amount of money that can be withdrawn from a betting site at once. You will find that every site has a maximum one in place but the amount will be different across different sites.

• Best odds guaranteed

This means that even if the odds change for the better on a bet you place, you will still get the best price from the time you place it, to the time the race or match actually takes place. Put simply- you are always guaranteed the best odds!

• Betting market

When a website talks about their betting market, they are referring to all the types of bets you can place as a user. It can mean individual bets but also categories of betting too.

• Deposit methods

The deposit method you choose when registering to bet on a new bookie website is the way that you add funds to your account. For instance a common way to add funds to your betting account that you then intend to place bets with, is by bank transfer.

• Enhanced odds

This is where the bookmaker site improves the odds, which means you get a larger amount of return. This is generally only done on selected markets.

• Free bet

This refers to any bet that you can palace without needing to spend your own money to do it. They are often included in promotional offers for new customers, such as bet £5 get £10 in free bets, that will see you wager a £5 and get up to £10’s worth of bets in reward for that.

• Live betting
  

This is where the punter places a bet on a sports match or race whilst it is playing live. In these types of betting situations the odds often change based on how the action is unfolding, meaning it is an exciting way to bet.

• Live streaming

Most of the top bookie websites offer this feature. Live streaming is where you can watch the event that you have betted on whilst it is happening.

• Odds

Odds are the likelihood or probability that something will happen. In betting it refers to the ration between the amount staked by the bookie site, and then by the better. Essentially odds are put together by bookmakers as to what they believe is the likelihood of something happening, such as a team winning, or a final score.

• Payout

The payout is how much money you receive if your bet is a success, inclusive of the stake and the winnings.

• Punter

A punter is a slang word for the person placing the bet on the website.

• UK Gambling Commission

The UK Gambling Commission is the main regulatory body for all bookie sites and casinos. When choosing a gambling site, make sure you choose one that is licensed by this body to ensure that the site is legitimate.

• Wagering requirement

This is a term that is seen a lot with promotional offers and deals on betting sites. It is the amount that the bonus, whatever amount it is, needs to be played in order for a winning from a free bet to be paid out to you.

• Welcome offer

A welcome offer is any kind of deal or promotion put on a bookie website in order to entice new customers to set up an account and start betting with them. They take a variety of different forms but common ones are the ‘bet something get something’ deals.

• Withdrawals

This is the method you use to take your winning money out of your account on a betting website. Often on bookmaker sites, this is the same as the deposit method you choose when you register with the site, but they will all have their individual terms and conditions regarding this.

Final Thoughts

Whilst there are hundreds of different bookie sites to choose from, there are several elements to consider before using one. Our list of the top 20 sites have been chosen because they incorporate everything that is important to punters, from promotional offers and deals to a wide array of things to bet on and, of course, safety and financial security. No matter what you want to bet on, or how experienced you are, these sites offer the very best in the world of betting!