All bookmakers worth their salt offer football betting, but not all of them do it in quite the same way. In this guide to the best football betting sites in the UK, with the UEFA Euro 2024 kicking off, we take a close look at what each one offers. We cover everything from the range of betting markets and promotional offers available to the quality of live streaming and customer service.
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Let’s kick off by presenting our league table of the best football bookies as judged by the expert team here at Safe Betting Sites:
The fight to be top for football bets is as fierce as any local derby you’ll ever get to see. That’s good news for football fans as it means the top football bookies battle to offer the best football odds, features and football betting offers. Here we’ll take a closer look at each of our 10 best football betting sites in the UK and highlight their various strengths.
When assessing betting sites of any kind we largely adopt the approach outlined on our How We Rate Bookmakers page. That said, the main things that we looked for when assessing and ranking the best bookies for football were as follows:
Any site that wants to offer football punters the best experience must offer a range of markets across a wide variety of leagues. When selecting our top football betting sites UK, we’ve chosen those that have 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 and 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 give us a fair chance of coming out on top. Acca insurance deals are a good one, too.
The price being offered about an outcome is often a decisive factor when placing a bet, so it is important to find bookmakers who consistently offer the best odds. Our top football bookmakers offer the best odds guaranteed on a wide variety of football matches. Even better are sites that offer enhanced odds deals which give you a bigger payout if you bet on a team winning a specific event.
The ability to cash out should be a staple offering 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 doing well, 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. However, 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 out profitable bets from all global leagues.
If you want to power up your profits then combining bets is 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 could 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 winning big.
Asian handicaps are an increasingly popular type of market that football experts can use to 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 eliminating the possibility of a draw.
Obviously, we make sure that any site we point you towards is in the possession of the proper UKGC licence. We also check reviews and independent testimonials to make sure that 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 betting 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, we like sites that offer as many convenient payment methods as possible. Credit card payments are not available at betting sites in the UK by law, but there are plenty of other alternatives, including eWallets, GooglePay, ApplePay and more. 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. We also look at typical withdrawal times and favour those sites that allow us to get hold of our winnings most efficiently.
Last, but not least, we look at what kind of customer support is in place for anyone who needs help or assistance. The best football gambling sites will provide around-the-clock support via Live Chat, and the team members will be friendly and efficient. If we’re also given the option to obtain support via email and/or telephone, that’s even better.
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 bigger payouts for your successful football betting predictions. If you want to make money betting on football though, successful football betting systems are the way forward.
Here are our top tips to use at the best football betting sites in the UK:
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 to be more successful with handicap betting. Handicap betting is a way of predicting the margin of victory between two teams, and 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.
Live betting on football means wagering while the match is being played. This can often give you better odds than you might get before the match. For example, if the odds of a goal being scored in the first half were 1.30 prior to the match starting, they might be 1.80 after thirty minutes of play.
Genuine football experts (and in particular, followers of a particular team) can often end up well in profit because of live football betting.
Football betting in the UK is big business, and bookmakers are always keen to dream up new markets to entertain the masses. It can often be worth exploring the full range of markets on offer to make sure that you’re betting on those that are best suited to your forecasting skills and temperament. Also make a habit of checking out any new markets that are being offered by your favourite bookmakers because they just might enable you to take a similarly new approach to landing winning bets.
This tip is similar to the previous one, but here we’re advising you to check out all of the bookmakers that you have access to. You might be a big fan of Betfred football betting, but if you always bet with that particular bookie you could be missing out on opportunities that are available elsewhere. Don’t be afraid of signing up with several alternative betting sites and exploring what they have to offer. You could find that one is the best site for football accumulators and that another has superior football enhanced odds. In this case, you could use both sites as your needs determine.
Virtual football is software-based soccer where games only last 90 seconds or so. That’s because you only see the virtual video highlights, not the full game. Just as good is the fact that 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, BTTS and more.
One advantage of betting on virtual football is that it lets you learn how some of the main markets work in a matter of minutes. It’s also very entertaining. Just bear in mind that these are games of chance, not skill, so using serious stakes isn’t recommended. You’re more likely to make money betting on football by betting on actual matches, not virtual ones.
Spread betting is a more complicated approach to football betting. We recommend you use Spreadex for football spread betting, and to read the football betting guide that they have made available to their customers.
With spread betting, the more right or wrong you are about a particular prediction, the more you will win or lose. You can limit potential losses, but doing so will also limit your potential wins. Read our in-depth guide to spread betting and give it a try when you’re succeeding so often in regular markets that it’s beginning to bore you.
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 ‘1X2’ market, where ‘1’ signifies a home win, ‘2’ an away win, and ‘X’ represents a draw. Despite the myriad betting choices for each game, the ‘1X2’ 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.
This is the most basic bet possible. Let’s imagine that Real Madrid are playing Barcelona at the Bernabeu. Your choices here would be ‘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 sportsbooks 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 sportsbook is concerned, those minutes won’t count! 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 both teams to have scored at least one goal 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 exact 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. You’ll be offered a price for under 2.5 goals (0, 1 or 2 goals in total) or over 2.5 goals (3 goals or more). It doesn’t matter which teams score 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 ‘1X2’ 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 on Team B to win. You cannot bet on a draw. If the game you bet on does end in a draw, then you get your stake back.
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 into extra time, then all such bets lose. One more thing to bear in mind is that own goals don’t usually count.
This is similar to the first goalscorer market, but here 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 pay on an ‘anytime goalscorer’ bet if your backed player scores a goal that is awarded by the match referee but 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 penalty shootouts.
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 will be available, with prices attached to each. 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.
This is a bet that’s popular in North American markets, and it’s now becoming more common here in the UK. It involves betting that there will be over or under a certain number of goals.
For example, if the Goal Line value is 3.0, you can bet on there 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.
A range of Goal Line values will usually be available, from 0.5 all the way up to 5.0.
In today’s ever-accessible world of online betting, punters can bet on leagues from all around the globe. Here are some of the most popular football leagues and competitions you can bet on at UK betting sites.
The Premier League is England’s highest professional football league, so it’s no surprise that EPL football betting is most popular with punters. The season runs from August to May, and 20 football clubs are involved, including Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.
Professional football teams that haven’t reached the heady heights of the Premier League play in the EFL Championship, League One and League Two. Some key competitions in the English football scene include the FA Cup, the Football League Cup, and the EFL Trophy.
This is Italy’s equivalent to the Premier League, and it is similarly contested by 20 teams including Juventus, Lazio, Inter and Milan. Teams that are relegated from this league go down to Serie B, which is also covered by most football betting sites. Betting is also available for the Coppa Italia, which is an annual knockout cup competition similar to our own FA Cup.
The top domestic football league in Spain, La Liga (aka Primera Liga) is the home of teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Valencia. The second division is La Liga Segunda. You can bet on both leagues with ease at UK bookmakers, as well as on the Copa del Ray tournament.
The Bundesliga – in case you haven’t already guessed – is the top professional football league in Germany. It’s contested by 18 teams, including Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Beyer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart. You’ll see it listed as Bundesliga I at many betting sites, with Bundesliga II being the second division. The cup competition in Germany is the DFB-Pokal or German Cup.
Ligue 1 is the highest professional league in France. Like the Bundesliga in Germany, it sees 18 teams compete for supremacy. Teams include Paris Saint-Germain, Lyon, Monaco and Marseille. Ligue 2 is the second division, and if you want to bet on the domestic cup competition, you need to look for the Coupe de France, also known as the French Cup or the France Cup.
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual competition between the top professional football teams in Europe. This is where teams like Manchester City, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich play each other to determine which of them is the best of the best. The final match of the tournament is normally held at the end of May or in early June.
We haven’t mentioned Scotland yet, but you can also bet on the Scotland Premiership, as well as the Championship, League One and League Two. Scotland also has its own FA Cup and a Scottish League Cup.
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, and Super Lig in Turkey, as well as the each of the top divisions in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. According to Bitcoin Magazine’s article titled “Casino’s zonder Cruks“, football betting is one of the most popular gambling formats in the Netherlands as well.
The UEFA European Championship, UEFA Nations League, UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Europa Conference League are other European football competitions that provide plenty of betting opportunities. You can bet on everything from the outright winner to the stage at which a particular team will be eliminated. Of course, match-by-match betting is also available.
All football-playing countries in the world have a national football team, and there is a range of international team tournaments that football bettors can enjoy watching and placing wagers upon. The most famous is the FIFA World Cup, which takes place every four 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 claim the difference.
The following sites all adhere to the ‘Best Odds Guaranteed’ mantra:
The bookies are not always right (we’ll never forget that they offered odds of 5,000/1 about Leicester City winning the 2015/16 EPL) but they are right more often than not. It’s also worth noting that you might get better odds at sports betting exchanges rather than sportsbooks, as such sites make money from commissions and not from losing bets.
Check out our guide to find out more about how betting odds are calculated.
All online football betting sites are in fierce competition with each other to attract and retain customers. A key way in which they do that is by making various offers available to anyone who bets with them. Here is a quick rundown of the most popular football betting promotions you’ll encounter.
One offer you’ll find at all betting sites is some kind of welcome offer for new customers. This acts as an incentive to get people to sign up with the football betting site and start wagering. The welcome offer bonus might match your first deposit with the same amount of bonus cash. For example, if you make a first deposit of £30, the football bookie might hand you £30 in bonus cash too. There are always minimums and maximums for this kind of offer. Usually, bonus cash cannot be withdrawn but only used for wagering purposes. You may have to meet wagering requirements too, and if a bet made with bonus cash wins, you will only collect the profit. The stake itself won’t be returned. Check the terms and conditions of any offer you are considering so that you’re aware of what you need to do and how to max out your options.Welcome Bonus
Free sports bets are also very common. Here you will usually be given free bets when you make a first qualifying wager with your own money. For example, you might be given £30 in free bets when you deposit and wager £10 at odds of 1/1 or bigger. Free football bets can be awarded for a single wager, or you might be given a bundle of several smaller bets that you can use separately. There may also be rules about the minimum odds you can use your free bets on. As before, be sure to check the terms and conditions. Some sites simply offer a risk-free bet. In this case, you’ll have to make a deposit and bet with your own money. But if your first bet loses, your stake will be refunded either as bonus cash or as free bets.Free Bets
This offer is designed to give you a partial safety net when you first start betting at a site. It typically works by promising to refund a percentage of any losses you’re nursing at the end of your first day of betting, up to a stated maximum. For example, you might be offered 50% of your first-day losses back, up to a maximum of £25. Such cashback refunds are normally awarded as free bets. As always, terms and conditions will apply, so be sure to check those out beforehand.Cashback on Losses
Another offer that you might come across, although it’s less common than the others we’ve highlighted, is Double the Odds. With this promotion, your first qualifying bet at a site offering this deal will be settled at double the normal odds if it wins. However, you won’t receive double the payout in cash when you win football bets with this deal. Instead, the extra returns you get from this bet will be paid as free bets.Double the Odds
Don’t forget to check out the best football betting offers available to the UK punters
To summarise, there is no shortage of UK football betting sites, but you can’t assume that all sites are equal. The ten that we’ve highlighted above stand out in terms of the betting on football that they offer. They’re also the best betting sites for football when it comes to safety and security, which is always important. BetMGM is our current favourite for best football bookie thanks to its great range of markets, attractive welcome offer, best odds for football and Golden Goals promotion.
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You are of course free to completely ignore all our recommendations and strike out alone when it comes to finding the best betting sites for football in the UK. We do have one recommendation though – stick to sites that are properly licenced. If you use a site in the UK which does not have a license from the UK Gambling Commission, you’re asking for trouble.
Finally, remember to stay safe by betting in a responsible manner. If you find that your gambling is getting out of hand, don’t be slow in reaching out for help from any of the organisations listed below: