Our guide to the best football betting sites is designed to help you find the UK’s best bookie for you.
Safe Betting Sites boasts a team of experts, specialising in rating and reviewing gambling sites to help you compare the best football bookmakers to suit your game.
Bet £10 Get £40 In Free Bets
Bet £10 Get £40 In Free Bets
Bet £10, Get £40
Bet £10, Get £40
Bet £10 Get £40 in Bonuses
Bet £10 Get £40 in Bonuses
£35 Free Bet + 10 Free Spins
£35 Free Bet + 10 Free Spins
Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365
Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365
Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets
Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets
Bet £20 and Get it Back if it Loses
Bet £20 and Get it Back if it Loses
Bet £10, Get £20 In Free Bets
Bet £10, Get £20 In Free Bets
Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Football Bet Builders
Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Football Bet Builders
Bet £10 Get £20 in Free Bets
Bet £10 Get £20 in Free Bets
Almost all UK bookmakers offer football betting. As the nation’s most popular sport to watch and bet on, the fight to be top for football bets is fierce.
That’s good news for football fans as it means the top football bookies battle to offer the best football odds, great features such as in-play and Bet Builders, live streams and, of course, football betting offers.
Here’s our up-to-date list of the 10 best football betting sites in the UK.
There are numerous things to consider when aiming to rank the best bookies for football available to punters. Below is a breakdown of our primary criteria for our reviews:
For a site to ensure that it offers football punters the best experience, it must offer a range of markets across a wide variety of leagues. When selecting our top football betting sites UK, we’ve chosen those who’ve gone the extra mile in their range of markets, offering both old and new UK customers a plethora of choices, as opposed to limiting players to the traditional markets. In the UK of course, the majority of football sports bets will be placed on the EPL, with the three EFL leagues a close second. Sites should not just limit themselves to UK football though. The best online football betting sites should provide access to the major European leagues such as the Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A, as well as global leagues, youth matches and women’s football.
Nowadays, football betting sites that do not offer consistently strong bonuses get left behind. From sign-up betting offers, to daily bonuses, to the latest football betting competitive odds boosts, we look at what is out there and select those firms that have the most to offer. We are not fooled by the notion that ‘biggest is best’ though. We like deals that are simple, and that actually give you a definite chance of coming out on top. Acca insurance deals are a good one, too.
Price is often the decisive factor when placing a bet, so it is important to find those bookmakers who consistently offer the best prices. Our top football bookmakers offer best odds guaranteed on a wide variety of football matches. Even better are sites that offer enhanced odds deals – you get better odds if you bet on a team winning a specific event.
Cash out should be a given at any leading betting site. For the uninitiated, cash out is where you take out your winnings from an event you’ve bet on before the event has been completed – albeit at reduced odds. This is ideal if you’ve made a high-odds bet that’s currently up but you don’t think it’s going to last the distance. We review all sites’ cash-out offers including the ratio by which they reduce the odds in relation to the time remaining.
You are not going to be able to watch Premier League or EFL matches at any UK football betting site due to domestic broadcasting deals, but the leading sites will offer live streaming of the top European Leagues and matches from further afield. Successful UK-based sports bettors don’t limit their betting to EPL/EFL games only and will seek about profitable bets from all global leagues.
If you want to power-up your profits then combining bets in the way to go. True, the more single bets you chain together the more likely you are to lose, but if you find a happy balance between acca-size and risk your profits should soar, and if you do land a completed acca you could make some serious money. Bet Builders are tools where you can define and combine bets that give you the maximum chance of earning big.
Asian handicaps are an increasingly popular method of betting that true football experts can use to genuinely maximise their potential profits. Asian handicaps level the playing field between the two sides in any game by awarding the underdogs an artificial lead while also eradicating the possibility of a draw.
Obviously we make sure that any site we guide you towards is in the possession of the proper UKGC licence. We also check reviews and independent testimonials to make sure any site we promote has a decent record for keeping all customer details safe, and championing responsible gambling practices.
Let’s face it, we do the majority of what we do over the internet these days by using our mobile devices. All sports betting sites in the UK now provide mobile versions of themselves, some via bespoke apps and others via mobile-optimised versions of their sites that can be viewed in a mobile browser. No matter the method used, we review the mobile experience at all our promoted sites. We look for uncluttered sites that make the betting process via mobile simple and convenient.
While it’s a given that every single betting site in the UK offers payments via debit cards (credit card payments are not available at betting sites in the UK by law) we like sites that offer as many convenient payment methods as possible, including eWallets, GooglePay, ApplePay, general ‘pay by mobile’ options and others. Not everyone wants to connect their debit card to a sports betting site, so we like to see sites that offer their customers a number of alternatives.
Here, at a glance, are the most important features of the best football betting sites and which of the entries in our top 10 list have them.
Sportsbook | Live Betting | Live Streaming | Handicap Betting | Cashout | Bet Builder | Acca Insurance |
BetMGM | ||||||
Spreadex | ||||||
Betfred | ||||||
QuinnBet | ||||||
Bet365 | ||||||
BetUK | ||||||
PaddyPower | ||||||
LiveScore Bet | ||||||
Betfair | ||||||
Virgin Bet |
Registering on a football betting site is straightforward. If you’ve ever signed up for any online service (gambling related or not), you’ll find the process familiar. Here are the steps:
Not sure how to bet on football online? Using the leading betting websites is a good starting point, as you’re guaranteed the best football betting odds and so will get the most money back for your football betting predictions. If you want to make money betting on football though, successful football betting systems are the way forwards.
Here are five tops tips to help you get the best football betting sites UK experience:
The best way to make money with football betting is via value football betting. This is where you bet on the value of the bet as opposed to the price. Sports betting companies do not always get it right, and assessing bets that have added value is a skill that successful footballer bettors develop.
Finding value bets takes time and effort, but the more you know about football and football betting, the easier they will become to spot.
If you enjoy betting on the actual score of football matches (which is extremely hard to get right) you are probably going be more successful with handicap betting. Handicap betting is a way of prediciting the margin of victory between two teams, but usually generates better odds and therefore potentially better winnings.
You can make money with football betting with a greater chance of success if you choose handicap betting over correct score or winning margin betting, and indeed even 1×2 betting itself.
The internet has made live football betting a possibility. Live betting is a ‘catch-all’ term for betting on any aspect of a football game that has already started. You can bet on the eventual winning team of course and any typical pre-game market once the match has kicked off, but dozens of new football markets open up with live football betting options.
Potential live football betting markets offered by sportsbooks include the scorer (team or individual) of the next goal, whether the next card shown will be red or yellow (or no further cards shown), the next substitution (team making it, player coming off, player coming on), whether a specific player will be booked/dismissed/score/create an assist, and so on. Basically, if it can happen during a game and can be measured, then you can probably bet on it.
Genuine football experts (and in particular, follows of a particular team) usually end up well in profit because of live football betting.
Even though there’s a pro football game taking place every minute of every day somewhere on the planet, that’s still not enough for some people. Others enjoy the thrill of betting on football but not the length of time a football match takes. For both these types of people, there’s virtual football.
Virtual football is software-based soccer where games only last 90 seconds or so (you only see the virtual video highlights, not the full game) and then there’s only a 90 second wait until the next match. With most virtual games you can only bet on 1×2, but at some sites – such as William Hill – you can bet on the correct score, total goals scored, under/over 2.5 or 1.5 goals or BTTS yes/no.
Complex algorithms determine the result of the game based on form and team strength but shock results can happen too, just as with real football. Virtual Football betting is an excellent way of entertaining yourself while waiting for your bets to come in or if you want to practice predicting the outcome of games, but heaping large amount of money on virtual football is not a good idea. You’re more likely to make money betting on football by betting on actual matches.
Spread betting is a complicated aspect of football betting. We recommend you use Spreadex for football spread betting, and to read the football betting guide available at this excellent sportsbook.
Spread betting rewards your football knowledge with profit, with the chance you will lose more than your stake if your prediction is inaccurate. Your losses though are protected by a feature called ‘stop-loss’ which limits the amount of money you lose should you otherwise be looking at substantial losses. This limits the amount of money you can win, too. Read our in-depth guide to spread betting.
At its core, football betting is simple: you predict the outcome of a match. Every match, regardless of extra time or penalties, will culminate in one of three results: a win for Team A, a win for Team B, or a draw. This fundamental football bet type is known as the ‘1×2’ market, where ‘1’ signifies a home win, ‘2’ an away win, and ‘x’ represents a draw. Despite the myriad of betting choices for each game, the ‘1×2’ market still attracts the lion’s share of wagers.
But the world of football betting extends far beyond just predicting match outcomes. For those deeply versed in the sport, a wealth of betting opportunities awaits, allowing you to leverage your football knowledge for potential gains when placing football bets.
The most basic bet possible. Real Madrid are playing Barcelona at the Bernabeu. Your choices are ‘1’ (Real Madrid as the home team to win), ‘X’ (a draw), or ‘2’ (Barcelona as the away team to win).
You need to be careful with knockout (i.e. cup) matches. Some sports books will declare the result to be over after 90 minutes (which includes time added on by the referee for stoppages). If the game goes to extra time and even penalties, then as far as the sports book is concerned, these minutes never happened! If a game is tied at 1-1 at the end of full time then the result is a draw, even if the game goes on and a team wins it in extra time or via penalties. Check out our guide to what 1×2 means in betting.
With BTTS ‘yes’ you are betting on neither side to keep a clean sheet by the end of full time. If either side fails to score, or if the game ends goalless, then your bet is a losing one. With BTTS ‘no’ you are betting on the complete opposite – that one team will keep a clean sheet or that the game will end 0-0.
BTTS ‘yes’ is good when two high-scoring teams with leaky defences are playing each other. BTTS ‘no’ is good when two low-scoring teams with tight defences are playing each other. Read our guide for more information on both teams to score in betting.
In the Over/Under 2.5 goals market you can bet on the total number of goals that both sides playing a match will score. The most common price offered is for under 2.5 goals (so 0, 1 or 2 goals in total) or over 2.5 goals (3 goals or more). It doesn’t matter which teams scores the goals – Liverpool beating Everton 3-2 is five goals, and Leicester City beating Crystal Palace 5-0 is five goals.
Again, take care with the ’90 minute’ rule for games with the potential to go to extra time. In such games, goals scored in extra time do not contribute to the over/under total. Penalties in a penalty shoot-out certainly never do!
Why have one chance, when you can have two? The Double Chance bet is a mystery to some, but it’s a very simple bet. It’s an extension of our old friend the ‘1×2’ bet, except that you are combining two of the possible outcomes.
Say Chelsea are playing Arsenal. You can bet on Chelsea to win or draw, Arsenal to win or draw, or even Chelsea or Arsenal to win. What you are actually betting on is one of the three possible outcomes not happening (respectively, Chelsea losing, Arsenal losing or a draw).
You’re tired of hearing us explaining this, but Double Chance bets are usually settled at the end of 90 minutes. What happens in extra time or penalties may not count.
If you come from America then you will know all about how they hate draws, or ‘ties’ as they call them. Baseball games will keep going until someone wins, and the MLB record is 26 innings as opposed to the usual 9 (and even then the game ended tied as it was too dark to play, this being 1920).
You can pretend you have the American disdain for the tie by using the ‘draw no bet’ or ‘DNB’ option. Your options are to bet on Team A to win, or Team B to win. You cannot bet on a draw. If the game you bet on does end in a draw, then you get back your stake.
A simple one this – you bet on the first goalscorer in a match. If your chosen player scores the first goal of the game (not just the first goal for his side) then your bet is a winning one. As usual, only goals scored during normal play count, if a game is goalless going in extra time, then all such bets lose. One more thing to look out for – own goals don’t usually count.
Same as first goalscorer except that the player you back must score a goal at any time during the game in order for your bet to be a winner. Again, own goals do not count, neither do goals scored in extra time and definitely not during a penalty shoot-out.
One thing to note – since the introduction of VAR some online bookies will payout on ‘anytime goalscorer’ if your backed players scored a goal that is awarded by the match referee, but then subsequently ruled out by VAR.
Just like the two bets above except that you are betting on the player who will score the final goal of the game. Own goals do not count, and neither do goals scored in any played periods of extra time, or penalties.
Usually considered one of the most difficult bets to get right, the correct score bet can pay real dividends if you have a real ‘hunch’ about a game. Go to the match tab on any football game and a range of correct scores is always available, and the prices attached to them. You’ll note that the prices are usually generous, because it’s such a difficult aspect of a game to get right.
If the score you think’s going to happen isn’t available, then contact the online bookies directly. Note that for knockout matches such as those in the UCL, the ‘correct score’ is typically the score before any extra time is played, if extra time is necessary.
A bet on the ‘result’ at half time, coupled with the actual final result (not including any extra time if it’s a knockout match). There are three possible half time ‘results’ (home/draw/away) and three possible full time results (home/draw/away), making a total of nine possible outcomes.
If you are feeling adventurous you can also predict the exact score at half time and couple it with the exact full time score (not including any extra time). The returns will be high if you get it right.
A bet that’s popular in North American markets that is also becoming more popular in UK markets. The typical Goal Line value is 3.0, and you can bet on their being over 3.0 goals, or under 3.0 goals in the game. This is the total number of goals that both sides score. In this case the site will return your bet if the teams score three goals in total.
Other Goal Line values should always be available, from 0.5 all the way up to 5.0.
EPL football betting on the Premier League is by far the most popular, followed by football league betting on the EFL Championship, League One and League Two. There are the leading cup competitions too, the FA Cup, the Football League Cup (currently the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons), and the EFL (Papa John’s) Trophy. The highest tiers of non-league football in England are the National League, the National League North and the National League South.
The majority of betting on Scottish football is done via the Premiership. The other leagues in Scotland are the Championship, League One and League Two. The major non-league competitions are the Highland League and the Lowland League, and Scotland has an FA Cup and League Cup too.
France: Ligue 1, Ligue 2. Cups: Coupe de France.
Germany: Bundesliga, 2. Bundesliga. Cups: DFB-Pokal.
Spain: La Liga, La Liga Segunda Division. Cups: Copa del Rey.
Italy: Leagues: Serie A, Serie B. Cups: Coppa Italia.
Outside of the top five European countries, leagues that are also popular among football bettors in the UK are Eredivisie in Holland, MLS in the USA, Jupiler League in Belgium, Primeira Liga in Portugal, Super Lig in Turkey, as well as the each of the top divisions in Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
Since the 1950s and the decreasing expense of foreign travel, the leading clubs on each continent have been able to compete in international tournaments. These have become some of the biggest money-spinners in football, for both teams and football bettors. Below you’ll find the leading international club tournaments for most continents.
The UEFA Champions League (UCL), the UEFA Europa League, the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana.
CAF Champions League, CAF Confederation Cup.
AFC Champions League, AFC Cup.
CONCACAF Champions League, CONCACAF League.
OFC Champions League.
All football-playing countries in the world have a national football team, and there are a range of international team tournaments that football bettors can both enjoy watching and placing wagers upon. The number in parenthesis is the frequency of each tournament.
FIFA World Cup (4 years).
UEFA European Championship (4 years), UEFA Nations League (2 years).
Copa América (4 years).
Africa Cup of Nations (2 years), African Nations Championship (2 years).
AFC Asian Cup (4 years), AFC Solidarity Cup (4 years).
CONCACAF Gold Cup (2 years), CONCACAF Nations League (4 years).
OFC Nations Cup (4 years).
Many sites claim they have the ‘best odds guaranteed’ when it comes to football betting and all types of sports betting, but what does this mean? It means that if your winning bet had more competitive odds at a different site, you can contact your sports book and claiming the extra.
The following sites all adhere to the ‘Best Odds Guaranteed’ mantra:
The bookies are not always right (such as when they offered odds of 5,000/1 on Leicester City winning the 2015/16 EPL) but 99% of the time they are. You might getting better odds at a sports betting exchanges as such sites make money from commission, and not losing bets.
Check out our guide to find out more about how betting odds are calculated.
All online football betting sites are in a battle for each football bettor’s custom, and the one step they all take is offering some manner of welcome offer for new customers. This acts as an incentive to get people to complete a sign up at the football betting site.
Here is a quick run-down of the most popular football betting promotions.
The welcome offer bonus matches your first deposit with the same amount of bonus cash. For example, if you made your first deposit for £30, then the football bookie will hand you £30 in bonus cash too. There are always minimums and maximums for this kind of offer. Usually, bonus cash is cash you cannot withdraw, but you can place wagers with it. You may have to meet wagering requirements too, and if a bet made with bonus cash wins, typically you only get your winnings and not the cash. Check that T&Cs apply with any offer to make sure you’re aware of what you need to do, and how to max out your options.Welcome Bonus
Free sports bets are another common promo. 2kBet has an offer of a £30 free bet, which is awarded to you should be make a £10 min deposit, followed by a minimum £10 wager. Free football bets can be a single stake, or they may be split. There may also be rules about the minimum odds you can use your free bet cash on, so check T&Cs. You’ll find your free bet cannot be cashed out, and free bet stakes are not returned when your qualifying bet settles, whether you win or lose. Some sites offer a risk free bet – if your first bet loses then your stake is returned as bonus cash.Free Bets
This offer is less common. For example, no matter how much you wager on your first day, the site will hand you back 50 percent of your losses up to a max of £25. All losses are typically returned as free bets. As ever, this type of offer is covered by ‘T&Cs apply’, so make sure you go and check them out.Cashback on Losses
Again, a less common offer, your first qualifying bet at a site offering this deal wins double what you would have won if your first bet is a winning one. It’s not all good news though – all money paid in excess of what you would have won is paid as free bet cash.Double the Odds
Don’t forget to check out the best football betting offers available to the UK punters
Looking for the top online bookmakers for bets on the Premier League, Champions League and more? Then read on, as we give you the lowdown on most popular football leagues in the UK, our top football betting tips and football betting strategy on each league. In addition, to get you started, we highlight the best deals and promotions.
To summarise, there are no shortage of UK football betting sites, though they’re not all as good as each other. The ten listed above not only fit the bill in terms of the betting on football that they offer, but they’re also the best betting sites for football when it comes to safety and security, which as far as we’re concerned, is of critical importance. BetMGM is our current favourite for best football bookie thanks to a strong product, nice welcome offer and the Golden Goals promotion.
Bet £10 Get £40 In Free Bets
Bet £10 Get £40 In Free Bets
You are of course free to completely ignore all our recommendations and strike out alone when it comes to find the best betting sites for football in the UK. We do have one recommendation though – stick to sites with the proper UKGC licensing. If you use a site in the UK which does not have a proper UKGC licence then you are only asking for trouble.
You must always gamble responsibly too. If you find that your gambling is getting out of hand then don’t worry, as help is available from any of the organisations listed below: