Sports betting has been an important part of British sporting culture for centuries. Betting on horse racing has always been a feature of the sport, and over the years, the most popular betting sports have shifted from blood sports like bear-baiting or cockfighting to ball games, including football, rugby and cricket.
The launch of online sportsbooks has opened up the sports betting world to an even wider population. People who previously might not have had easy access to a betting shop or felt uncomfortable going into their local retail betting location can now bet from the privacy of their own homes.
This doesn’t mean that betting has lost its community aspect. Instead of going to a betting shop to chat and share tips before a big race or match, bettors can chat online with fellow bettors. This opens up the community even more and further enriches the experience. Also, online betting makes it possible to bet from anywhere, at any time.
Online sports betting has also helped to expand the betting possibilities. Live betting, also known as in-game betting, has become massively popular in recent years and is only possible thanks to the existence of online sportsbooks.
As online sports betting has grown in popularity, the number of online sportsbooks available for British bettors has grown too. Some are the digital side of classic British sportsbooks, others are major international brands, and there are many that are small independent brands that have found a lucrative niche in the industry.
Choosing the right sportsbook can be difficult, and many people resort to personal rather than logical reasons. People might sign up with a sportsbook because they recognise its name from television adverts or because it sponsors their favourite football club. The better way to choose a sportsbook is to do a bit of research and consider the pros and cons of each.
In this article, we’ll go over what elements to consider when choosing a sportsbook. Then we’ll explore the pros and cons of some of the best betting sites for bettors in the UK.
What matters in a betting site
First things first – an online sportsbook should always be fully licensed to operate in the UK and take security seriously. Sportsbooks in the UK are licensed by the UK Gaming Commission, which is one of the most respected regulatory agencies in the world. Licensing ensures that a sportsbook is following all of the laws and is up to regulated standards. Sportsbooks should also take security seriously. The top sportsbooks will employ SSL encryption, which keeps bettor data and financial information safe.
With that out of the way, it’s time to look into different sportsbooks and what they have to offer. The best sportsbooks will cover a wide variety of sports, from a selection of leagues and levels. Alongside the sports available, look for sportsbooks that offer multiple bet types. Simply placing single event bets gets boring for most, so being able to choose from accumulators, spread bets, over/unders, prop bets and more will guarantee that things stay interesting.
You’ll also want a sportsbook that accepts a number of different payment methods for both deposits and withdrawals. This gives you options and the confidence of paying with a method you’re comfortable with. Lastly, look for a sportsbook that has an intuitive and easy to navigate interface. This might not seem important, but if a bad interface makes placing bets a frustrating experience, you’re less likely to enjoy it.
With those factors in mind, let’s look at the pros and cons of some of the best betting sites in the UK:
talkSPORT BET
talkSPORT has long been one of the UK’s most trusted radio stations for sports news and information and now they have launched their own online sportsbook, talkSPORT BET. It’s a new sportsbook but it has the brand’s decades of sports knowledge and experience behind it.
This shows in the array of markets that it offers odds on, from the EPL and Rugby Union to table tennis, futsal and esports. The number of live betting options is impressive and reflects the current interest in this type of betting. It also has an impressive bet builder feature that allows you to combine different bets on the same event into a single ticket.
One of the cons we’ve found with talkSPORT BET is the lack of options for payment methods. It only accepts deposits via Visa or Mastercard debit cards. Withdrawals can also be made through a bank transfer. When most online sportsbooks also accept payments from the popular payment apps, paysafecard, e-wallets and bank transfer, it’s surprising how limited talkSPORT BET’s options are.
BoyleSports
The most popular sportsbook in Ireland has made the move to the digital side and expanded its offerings to bettors in the UK. BoyleSports’ decades of industry experience show in its easy to use site, clear odds and wide variety of sports markets covered. It also understands the value of a great welcome offer and consistently offer good promotions.
BoyleSports accepts a good variety of payment methods, including a number of payment apps. These include Skrill, Neteller and PayPal, as well as Apple Pay. One missing method is any form of cryptocurrency, though this isn’t totally surprising since very few online sportsbooks have fully embraced this currency of the future.
Bettors who use BoyleSports can’t get the full experience unless they can visit a BoyleSports retail location in person. Unfortunately, this includes access to their VIP program and loyalty bonuses. This is quite disappointing for those who prefer online-only betting.
CopyBet
CopyBet offers odds on 28 sports, which is more than many of its competitors. It’s been around for nearly a decade, which puts it in the middle ground of being a lot younger than some of Britain’s stuffy traditional sportsbooks, but it’s still had long enough to prove itself to its customers and gain a good reputation.
The unique selling point of CopyBet is that customers can literally copy the bets of professional tipsters and sports bettors. It’s a cool feature that removes the guesswork for new bettors. While it has a good range of sports and odds, there are some serious limitations in what it covers. Horse racing, for example, only includes British and Irish races.
CopyBet accepts a good selection of payment methods and has a low minimum deposit and withdrawal amount. This is nice for bettors just starting out who don’t want to be tempted to place bigger bets than they can manage.
10bet
10bet is a well-established sportsbook that has been operating since 2003. It offers odds on 31 sports, including all of the most popular ones, major international events like the Olympic Games, and many smaller leagues and tournaments. It is particularly known for its special features – like the 100% boost on accumulator bet payouts.
However, it is surprising at this point to find an online sportsbook that doesn’t offer any live streaming options. Most people have come to expect at least limited live streaming options for major events or for certain sports like horse racing. This oversight by 10bet may understandably deter some bettors who want to be able to see the action while on the go.
