Spring has sprung, and that means that the sporting year is in full swing.
The football season might be building to its dramatic conclusion but rugby and cricket are both heading into the exciting international series phase of the year.
Horse racing season is on, and after an exciting Cheltenham Festival, everyone is gearing up for the QIPCO Guineas Festival at Newmarket, and the Royal Ascot.
Along with watching and enjoying sports in the UK comes betting on sports.
This national pastime is now easier than ever with the amazing selection of sportsbooks available to UK residents, in person and online.
Online sportsbooks have come a long way since the early digital days and are now the preferred way to bet – probably because of added features such as built-in bet builders, live streaming and in-game betting.
If you’re new to betting or just interested in trying out a different sportsbook for a change, the selection can be too much to process.
To help, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best betting sites UK sports fans should consider trying out.
In this article, we’ll run through the factors to consider when choosing a sportsbook and then give some important information about each of these sportsbooks.
Factors to consider
Sports and bet types
Leading sportsbooks will offer odds on a number of different sports, domestic and international, at multiple levels.
Make sure that the sports, leagues and events you care about are included before creating an account.
Bettors should also have the ability to place a selection of different bets, not just single event bets.
Safety and security
Security is important online, especially when financial information is being entered.
Sportsbooks should use SSL encryption. Safety also includes responsible gambling safeguards.
The best sportsbooks will have multiple safeguards in place to protect bettors from developing problematic gambling habits.
What payment methods does it accept?
When choosing a sportsbook, make sure it accepts your preferred payment method.
Most sportsbooks accept more deposit methods than withdrawal methods, so double-check that your preferred method is available for both.
Is there a good welcome bonus and/or loyalty program?
A welcome bonus can get your betting season off to a fantastic start – just make sure that the bonus includes bets and features that you’ll actually use.
For example, if you never bet on the horses, a free race bet won’t be any good for you. If you’re the kind of person who is loyal to a brand, make sure your loyalty can be rewarded through a VIP program or regular promotions.
Planet Sport Bet
Planet Sport Bet was launched in 2021 and is one of the smaller sportsbooks to make our list. Despite its size, it’s rapidly becoming a favourite among sports bettors due to the range of markets covered and how competitive its odds are. It offers odds on 27 sports, with a particular focus on horse racing. It also does a great job of highlighting trending sports, particularly major tournaments.
Surprisingly for such a small company, customer support is very difficult to get in contact with. They can only be reached by email and do not respond as quickly as expected. The welcome offer of a £10 free bet with your first £10 bet is good but nothing exciting.
CopyBet
In a world in which everyone provides roughly the same service, CopyBet has found a way to stand out from the crowd. Alongside the traditional bet options, CopyBet gives its customers the option to place the same bets as famous tipsters and professional sports bettors. This is a fun alternative that makes placing smart bets even easier.
The welcome offer at CopyBet is £40 in free bets when bettors wager their first £10.
With its focus on this unique feature, CopyBet doesn’t put as much effort or attention into some other aspects of the site.
There is no associated online casino, for example, and the website is fairly simple.
Spreadex
As the name suggests, Spreadex is the best destination for spread betting.
That doesn’t mean that’s all it offers, however. Spreadex is one of Britain’s favourite online sportsbooks because it offers so many great betting options with equally good odds.
It covers 25 sports and also has its own online casino, for those bettors who like to mix up their gambling activities.
The welcome offer from Spreadex includes £40 in free bets once you’ve bet £10.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t have any sort of loyalty program to encourage bettors to keep coming back.
It would also be nice to see more promotions and special offers throughout the various sports seasons.
BoyleSports
BoyleSports used to be Ireland’s favourite retail sportsbook.
Now that it has made the jump to the online world, it’s also hugely popular in the UK. It offers odds on an impressive 42 sports.
Customer support is responsive and can be contacted by live chat or through email.
When the biggest negative about a sportsbook is that its website feels very dated, that’s a very good sign about the brand.
Hopefully BoyleSports will realise that in order to remain competitive, it needs to improve the user interface.
