UK Online Bookmakers

By Ciaran McEneaney - Wednesday 23rd April 2025 1:55 PM

The UK is home to many of the world’s most famous sports betting brands and as such, the market is hugely competitive. In fact according to the latest British gambling statistics there there are a staggering 908 online gambling companies licensed to operate in the UK.

What this means for the average British gambler is that there’s a huge variety of online bookmakers to choose from. Thankfully, with the market being heavily regulated, finding a safe, licensed online bookmaker isn’t quite as difficult as you might think.

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UK Betting Sites and Online Gambling Apps

The UK Gambling Commission has authorised numerous brands to offer legal online betting to UK Consumers.  Some of the biggest names include:

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The UK Online Gambling Regulator

Like all forms of gambling, the bookmaking/sports betting industry in the UK is regulated by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC).

Established following the enactment of the Gambling Act 2005, the UKGC is primarily responsible for the oversight of the gambling industry in the United Kingdom. This means that it has the power to issue licenses to any bookmaker that it considers a suitable candidate to run a gambling business.

The UKGC also has the power to penalize any UK bookmaker that is found to have breached the conditions of its gambling license. These penalties can be either formal warnings or financial sanctions. In extreme cases, the UKGC can suspend or revoke a license.

Any business that wants to offer sports betting either online or in a retail setting must apply to the UKGC for a license. This also includes businesses that want to run lotteries, arcades, casino gaming, and bingo.

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Online Gambling Laws in the United Kingdom

Sports betting is legal in the United Kingdom and has been for many decades. In fact, it was only briefly outlawed during and following the Second World War. However, this decision was soon reversed and since then the industry has grown from strength to strength.

Online gambling and sports betting was officially legislated for in the Gambling Act of 2005. The Act set out clear regulations for all forms of remote gambling. According to the Act, remote gambling cover any type of gambling using a device that is connected to the internet.

According to the Gambling Act 2005, there are six main forms of gambling in the UK.

Gambling businesses, both retail and online are all categorized into the following groups:

• Arcades
• Betting
• Bingo
• Casino
• Lotteries
• Gaming Machines

Any business that wants to offer any of the gambling services listed above MUST apply to the UKGC for a license to operate. This includes bookmakers and any gambling business that offers fixed-odds betting, pool betting. Betting intermediaries must also apply for licensing.

During the application, the UKGC puts each operator through a rigorous vetting process to ensure that it is a suitable and responsible company. When a license is issued, the UKGC will also put the gambling company through regular compliance checks. These are to ensure that the bookmaker is not breaching its license conditions.

Some of these conditions are as follows:

• The correct implementation of anti-money laundering (AML) protocols
• Ensuring that all sources of funds are verified as genuine
• Protecting players from the harms of problem gambling
• Promoting betting in a responsible manner

Bookmakers who have breached any of these conditions may face a financial penalty or have their license suspended or revoked.

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How to spot a licensed UK online bookmaker

There are many online bookmakers that see the UK market as ripe for the picking, but not all are licensed or regulated by the UKGC. These are, of course, illegal bookmakers so it’s important that players make sure they are betting through a licensed gambling company.

Spotting one is quite simple as the UKGC requires that all online bookmakers display their license details on their websites or in their apps. This can usually be seen in the footer (bottom section) of an online bookmaker’s website or on the home screen of its mobile app.

How We Rank & Review The Best New Betting Sites in the UK

To determine the best gambling sites online for UK bettors, we carefully review and evaluate each site based on a set of criteria. This ensures that the sites we choose provide a high-quality service.

We do not simply make a list of online bookmakers randomly; we thoroughly research and review each site to ensure that it meets our standards. As a result, the sites we recommend are among the top established and new betting sites in the UK.

Range of sports to bet on

When choosing a betting site, it’s important to consider the range of sports offered. The best sites offer a wide range of sports from around the world, including popular options like football, golf, f1, tennis, and basketball, as well as less common options like eSports, boxing, and UFC & MMA.

Variety of Betting Markets

In addition to offering a wide range of sports and events, the best betting sites also provide a variety of betting markets for each event. This means that bettors can wager on more than just the outcome of a game or match. For example, in a football game, a bettor might be able to place a wager on the number of corners, the correct score at half or full-time, or whether a particular player will score.

Competitive Odds

The betting odds offered by a site should be competitive with the general sports betting market. If the odds are not favorable, bettors will likely choose to register with a different bookmaker. Good odds can help you secure larger payouts if your bets are successful.

Comprehensive Banking Options

When engaging in online betting, it’s important for a sportsbook to offer a variety of payment methods for depositing money into your account and withdrawing funds. This allows bettors to choose the payment option that is most convenient for them, rather than being limited to just one or two options. The best betting sites offer a range of payment methods, including traditional options like card and bank transfer payments, as well as alternative options like e-wallets and prepaid cards plus Skrill, Neteller, and Trustly.

Betting Promotions

The available sports betting promotions can be a deciding factor for many gamblers when choosing a sportsbook. A good sportsbook should offer a range of promotions, including welcome offers and ongoing promotions like free bets, bonuses, cashback perks, enhanced odds, and acca insurance.

Mobile Betting

Many people prefer to engage in sports betting from their mobile devices, so it’s important for a sportsbook to offer a responsive and effective mobile app or mobile web-based platform. All of the online bookmakers recommended in this guide have mobile capabilities, allowing bettors to place wagers from any location. The best gambling sites also offer downloadable apps for Android and iOS devices, providing quick and easy access to sports markets. In some cases it’s necessary to side-load games onto your device.

Payout %

The payout percentage or betting margin is an important aspect of any sports betting site. It represents the rate at which the site pays out on winning bets. It can be calculated by comparing the odds offered by the site to the actual probability of the event occurring. We only recommend betting sites with fair betting margins, which means low margins.

Licensed, Safe & Regulated Online Bookies

Prior to 2015, the legality of online betting sites in the UK was somewhat unclear. Online bookies and UK online casinos were required to have a license, but they could be licensed by any licensing body, some of which were not very strict. In 2015, the UK government established the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) to regulate the industry. Since then, any gambling site that wants to accept players from the UK must possess a valid UKGC license in order to be deemed legal.

A “Clean Sheet”

Bookmakers that really care about their customers don’t engage in predatory behavior like emailing promotions to problem gamblers, or allowing people to deposit tens of thousands of Pounds without KYC and source-of-wealth checks.

We don’t endorse bookmakers which have received regulatory sanctions and / fines for failing to adhere to their licensing obligations.

Common Promotions offered by UK Bookmakers

Customer acquisition and retention campaigns are important for bookmakers in the UK – and to this end online bookmakers in the UK offer a plethora of promotions to new and existing customers:

Free Bets

Bookmaker free bets are offers from online sports betting companies that allow customers to place a bet without risking any of their own money. These offers are typically made to new customers as an incentive to sign up for an account with the bookmaker.

Here’s an example of how a bookmaker free bet might work:

1. A UK licensed bookmaker offers a new customer a free bet worth £10.
2. The customer creates an account with the bookmaker and receives the £10 free bet.
3. The customer places a bet using the £10 free bet. If the bet wins, the customer receives the winnings from the bet in addition to the original £10 free bet amount.
4. If the bet loses, the customer does not receive any winnings, but they do not lose any of their own money because they used the free bet.

It’s important to note that bookmaker free bets usually come with terms and conditions which may include requirements such as a minimum odds requirement for the bet, or a minimum deposit amount to be eligible for the free bet, in addition to a time limit for using the free bet.
Be sure to always read and understand these terms and conditions before accepting a UK bookmaker free bet offer.

Deposit bonuses

UK Bookmaker deposit bonuses vary widely in size and in value.

Betting site deposit bonuses are promotions offered by sports betting companies which give customers extra value in the form of a “betting bonus” when they make a deposit into their account.

These sports-betting bonuses are typically offered to new customers as an incentive to sign up for an account with the bookmaker.

Here’s an example of how a typical bookmaker deposit bonus in the UK works :

1. A bookmaker offers new customers a welcome bonus – a “100% deposit bonus up to £100”.
2. The customer creates an account with the bookmaker and makes a £100 deposit
3. The bookmaker matches the customer’s deposit, giving the customer an additional £100 in bonus funds (which are kept separate from deposited funds).
4. The customer can now use the £200 (the original deposit plus the bonus funds) to place bets on the bookmaker’s platform.

Just like with free bets, bookie deposit bonuses come with terms and conditions which usually include requirements such as a minimum deposit amount to be eligible for the bonus, a rollover or play-through requirement (meaning the customer must place a certain amount of bets before they can withdraw the bonus funds), and a time limit for using the bonus.

Always read and understand these terms and conditions before accepting a bookmaker deposit bonus, and gamble responsibly.

Odds boosts

A bookmaker odds boost is an offer made by an online sports betting company that increases the odds on a specific betting market or event. These offers are typically made to existing customers and are intended to encourage them to place a bet on the boosted market or event.

For example, a bookmaker might offer an odds boost on a match fixture between Manchester United and Liverpool FC, increasing the odds on a Manchester United win from 2.00 to 2.50. This means that if a customer placed a £10 bet on Manchester United to win at the boosted odds of 2.50 and the team won, the customer would receive a payout of £25 (their original stake of £10 multiplied by the boosted odds of 2.50).

Odds boosts are typically only available for a limited time and may come with certain terms and conditions. Always read and understand these terms and conditions before placing a bet using an odds boost.

Early payout

Early payouts at bookmakers refer to the practice of paying out winnings on a bet before the event on which the bet was placed has been completed. This means that if a customer places a bet on a team to win a football match, for example, and that team goes into a winning position early in the match, the bookmaker may choose to pay out the winnings on the bet before the match has ended.

There are a few reasons why bookmakers might choose to pay out early on a bet:

• Public Relations (PR) value: If the bookies know they are certainly going to have to pay out on a bet which ties into the news cycle, they often pay out early and make sure everyone knows about it, in order to earn PR and brand exposure in the media and via consumers.
• To encourage customer loyalty: By paying out early, a bookmaker can show its appreciation for a customer’s business and encourage them to continue betting with the company.
• To offer a unique selling point: By offering early payouts, a bookmaker can differentiate itself from its competitors and attract new customers.

Free-to-play predictors

Free-to-play bookmaker predictors are games or contests offered by online sports betting companies that allow customers to make predictions about the outcomes of sporting events or other events. These games are typically free to enter and do not require customers to place a bet in order to participate.

For example, a bookmaker might offer a free-to-play predictor game in which customers can make predictions about the results of a series of football matches. Customers who make the most accurate predictions are often rewarded with prizes such as free bets or other incentives.

Free-to-play bookmaker predictors are typically offered as a way to engage customers and encourage them to visit the bookmaker’s website or app – due to the fact that at least a portion of visitors will engage in real-money sports-betting.

Ciaran McEneaney

Ciaran has been working within the Gambling Industry as a deep analyst since 2019. His deep knowledge and understanding of all the gambling regulations, and processes makes him a true asset, and an always valuable point of view for Gambling Industry News, allowing us to cover every topics from a brand new perspective.