The Guide to Britain’s Best Sports Betting Websites
Looking for ways to increase your cash flow? Thinking of having a little flutter on the dogs or horses? Maybe a bet on your favourite footie team to beat their old rivals this Saturday? Well look no further, this is the ultimate guide to Britain’s Best Betting Sites. We have it all here for you, all in one place, no more worries. What we’re providing is sound, solid advice which will allow you to make a well-informed and knowledgeable decision when placing your daily or weekly bet. I’d say this all you need to enable you to receive what you deserve.
What makes a betting bonus the best?
A betting bonus can be defined by how measures up or not against the competition but basically, it boils down to what it offers and its restrictions. Back in the day, high street betting was an extremely competitive market to be in but now that online betting has taken a firm grip of the industry, the market has gone to whole new level, making it even more competitive than ever before. With this in mind, rival betting companies are going out of their way to offer a variety of welcome bonus offers to persuade its potential customers to join them.
Wagering Requirements of your Sports Bet
The restrictions on your bonus come in all different shapes and sizes with one of them being the requirements on what you bet. An example of this could be stated as either a multiple of the bonus (eg: 20x Bonus) or the bonus + the deposit (eg: 20x Bonus + Deposit). So for example, if you decided to deposit £100 and received a £100 bonus that had a 20x Bonus betting requirement, you would have to place bets to the value of £2,000 (eg: £100 x 20).
Depending on the casino, not all games count towards the betting requirements. Another could be, the lower the requirements, the more restrictive the bonus will be. Sometimes a casino will allow all games to be played with the bonus, but will make games with a lower house edge, such as Blackjack, countless towards the requirements.
Each casino is different, as is their requirements, so make yourself fully aware of them both and if you have any questions, drop us a line on our contact page and we’ll more than happy to help. If you require any further help, you can also contact the casinos customer support, who will also be more than happy to provide you with any details you require.
How do you know if your Sports Bet is eligible for a Free Bet?
Another of these restrictions, is what qualifies as an eligible wager or bet? Well, taking advantage of a bookies free bet or bonus can seem risky at first. But it doesn’t have to be, you just need to remember that with some operators, an eligible bet has to be placed with your own money before you might receive your free bet. For example, once you’ve added your selections to your betting slip, an icon may appear entitling you to decide whether you use your own money or your free bet. A couple of things to bear in mind firstly, minimum stakes may apply. Secondly, each bookie will have different promotions on offer, so make sure you check out their full terms and conditions before signing up and making your initial first bet.
Expiration of your Free Sports Bet
The expiration of your free sports bet will vary depending on the bookie, so once again, make sure you check out their full terms and conditions. This will help you to determine which bookie you choose to play with. The validity period of your free bet can vary from a matter of hours (such as in your horse falling) or days to a whole month, so make completely sure you’re fully aware of its limitations. You should also make sure to wager the entire free bet bonus no matter how many times the particular bookie requires, for you to be able to withdraw it before the period is up, otherwise it will expire.
Your Free Sports Bet Amount
These days, many of the UK bookies are always on the lookout for new customers with almost every operator offering a substantial array of welcome offers to entice you to join them. These welcome offers can be a great way of increasing your account balance to enable you to have more chances of winning big. Which is why it’s always great when all you have to do is place a £5 bet and the bookie quadruples it to £20, spectacularly awesome, I’d say. But you should make sure you know what you can use the £20 on, otherwise you’ll lose it all and what a waste that would be.
So how do I pay for this exactly?
This is one question that is asked quite a lot these days, particularly among people that aren’t that internet-savvy. Remember when you used to pop down the road to the local to place your daily or weekly bet? All you simply had to do were hand over your cash to the bookie and “Bob were your Uncle”, “Jobs a good’un”, as they used to say back then. But how does it work online? Well it’s a good job that we’re here, as we’re going to let you know all the required info regarding the various Payment Options that allow you to make a deposit or withdrawal:
- Credit/Debit Cards
Well this is the 21st century and many people have that magic piece of plastic in their wallet, Visa or a MasterCard, they’re excepted mostly everywhere. I’m sure you have one, if not, you’d best get one as they’re extremely convenient allowing you to buy anything you want these days without having to fumble through your pockets or wallet for that loose change. Another plus is that most UK bookies except them. All you have to do is input all the details displayed on the front and rear of the card which should include your name, the 16-digit card number and the security (CVV) code found on the back and you’re good to go.
- E-Wallets
eBay, you’ve heard of it, right? Well if you have and you’ve ever bought or sold anything on it then you’ve more than likely got a PayPal account which means you’re all setup and good to go! In case you don’t know what PayPal is, well it’s similar to Neteller and Skrill, which serve as electronic wallets(E-Wallets), allowing you to send and receive money online in a safe and secure environment. They’re simple, convenient and well worth using even if you already have a debit or credit card.
- Prepaid cards
These are another convenient way to pay for what you need. They’re like a credit/debit card in the sense that you can use them wherever credit/debit cards are accepted. You need to deposit money onto them in order to use them which gives you piece of mind that you won’t overspend. The vast majority of the best online bookies accept this kind of payment, so you can be rest assured that you have this kind of option the next time you go online to place a bet.
Available Bonuses and Free Bets
Most online bookies provide a number of Free Bets and Bonuses which are available in a variety of attractive, tempting offers that will have punters heads spinning with excitement. This variety includes welcome and money back offers, mobile & loyalty bonuses as well as various other free bets for you to take advantage of. They do all this so they can attract and acquire new customers, along with making an inviting proposition to non-active customers to get back into betting action. Smart punters, who wish to capitalise on these tempting offers, will do with less risk, therefore having more productive and higher chances of winning!
Enhanced Odds in Detail
Enhanced odds are usually available when a bookie alters the odds of a certain event to attract new customers. An example of this would be if one of the bookies were offering 14/1 odds on England to beat Germany this Saturday, the 26th of March 2016 when the normal odds would have been more around the 9/2 mark. This means you have a chance of winning 3 times more just for signing up with this particular bookie. This is a massive increase in the standard odds and can only be accessed by new customers. They’re a great way to make an easy amount of money from a single bet. So, using the example above, if you were to place a £10 bet on England to win and it came in then you would receive £150.00 back including your stake, not bad considering you only placed a small amount of money on it.
Availability of Free Bets & Bet Refunds
These days, there are numerous online bookies offering a wide range of Free Bets to encourage punters to bet online with them instead of using traditional methods, like your local high-street bookie or a rival competitor. Many also offer Bet Refunds meaning if you place a bet with them on a certain horse to win at the Grand National and it doesn’t finish, they’ll refund your complete bet, albeit as a free token or voucher.
Some bookies also offer Free Matched Bets where, for example, you’re required to place a pre-determined bet on a certain dog to win at Belle Vue or Andy Murray to beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon. All you need to do is signup with the bookie, make your first deposit and place a real money bet on that dog at the stated conditions and it’ll be matched up to the specified amount.
One thing you should always bear in mind before placing any bet is that you read through the terms & conditions to make sure everything is above board.
Sporting Bet Promotions
The best UK bookies out there, are constantly looking for new ways to attract your custom to them. They do this by thinking up new and regular promotional offers based on major sporting events like the Football World Cup or European Championships and to some extent, the less thought of sports like darts, golf and tennis. So if you decide to have a bet on any one of these events and it doesn’t go according to plan, you needn’t worry because these offers will have you covered which is great news, I’d say.
Accumulator Insurance for your Sports Bet
Accumulator insurance, what is it and how best to use it? Well basically, if your accumulator misses by one result, the bookie will refund your whole stake up to a certain amount. Personally, I absolutely love Acca insurance, as it has saved me a lot of money since I started placing Accumulators last summer, it’s taken away the annoyance of losing my money when I’ve been so close to a win. One thing to bear in mind is to make sure you pick the right bookie to bet with so you make sure all your bets are covered, all the way!
The Best VIP Schemes for your Sports Bet
As previously mentioned, there are a variety of welcome offers from the numerous bookies to entice potential new customers to join them which are very well advertised. But what you might not know is if you regularly place bets on your favourite football team, the horses or the dogs, then you should seriously take a look at your bookies VIP Scheme or Loyalty Program. Welcome and sign-up offers are all well and good but once they’re used, they’re gone and can’t be used again. This is where the VIP Schemes or Loyalty Programs come into play as they’re all about providing you with an on-going value which is usually focussed upon those punters that make frequent deposits and place high-stake bets. Sometimes, even the casual bettor can some benefit from them, as long as the minimum criteria required to claim them is fulfilled.
Best Odds Guaranteed for your Bet
The Best Odds Guaranteed for your Bet has become a significant feature amongst a number of online bookies which means that you’re assured of the best odds around. It is mostly concentrated around horse and dog racing which means that you can place your bet at any time and if the starting price(SP) is higher than the odds you received then you will automatically be given the higher price. This gives you far more control and security over your bets which makes sense to place your bets with the bookie that provide this service giving you that added value to your bet.
No Deposit Sports Bet Bonus
If you’re new to online sports betting and you fancy a free no deposit bet, you’ll find that they’re generally few and far between, which is why you should snap it up when you spot one. Once excepted, make sure you use it wisely, maybe on the Weekend’s top Football action. One other thing to remember, be well aware of the wagering requirements and follow them to the letter or you’ll end up losing out as nothing is better than betting with someone else’s than your own.
Safe and Secure Gambling
Some of us may be reluctant to gamble online with many preferring to pop down the local to place their bet but it doesn’t have to be that way. Yea, I know that online safety and security are high on the list of concerns for many people these days but we’re in the middle of a world-wide revolution where the most powerful form of entertainment is the internet. This internet is constantly evolving, meaning we’re now able to place bets, manage our accounts, watch live sport and bet-in-play all from the comfort of our own homes or whilst on the move, from our mobile phones.
That said, it is still more important than ever that we all take extreme care and the appropriate precautions when gambling online as there are many fake betting operators who are maliciously trying to scam people out of their hard-earned cash. They do this by offering welcome offers & cash giveaways that seem too good to be true. However, you needn’t worry too much, as many bookies are 100% legitimate, trustworthy & widely accredited which enables them to provide a service that is honest & fair. They’re also subjected to more rigorous checks & regulations than the high-street bookie, meaning you can be rest assured that they’re more than adequately responsible & above board.
Licensing of an Online Bookmaker
As with the majority of the United Kingdom’s major industries, which are all under the watchful eye of their industries watchdog. The same can be said for every Online Bookie in the United Kingdom, they need to be licensed by the UK Gambling Commission with each having their own unique certificate and serial number. This is vitally important for you as you’ll instantly know that the online bookie in question is legal and above board. Any bookmaker that isn’t registered with the commission even if they claim they’re legitimate, shouldn’t be trusted.
If you’re unsure about any online bookie, you can easily check by clicking the UKGC logo which is normally found in the footer of most online bookies websites. You will be taken directly to the Commissions website, where you’ll be able to check whether they’re legit or not.
One thing to remember is that not all online bookies have the UKGC logo displayed within their footer – with some, it may be displayed in their “About Us” section, while others will omit it altogether, instead opting to mention it somewhere within the text, either that, or they may display the logo without a link to the commission which means you’ll have to do a little digging to see the licence for yourself. If that’s the case, then all you need to do is head over to the UKGC’s website and use their license search tool to look up the bookies details in order to check if they’re legit or not. If you don’t see their details then stay away, you’ve been warned.
Live Sports Betting
A very attractive feature from many bookmakers these days, is the option to bet in-play on a variety of sports from football and basketball to tennis, ice hockey and volleyball, they’re all available, plus much more. Betting in-play basically means that you’re allowed to place bets after the game has started, during the game, match or event, you decide whilst it’s taking place, your choice. On many of the top sports betting sites, you will find a separate page dedicated to in-play betting. Once you’ve entered this dedicated page, simply make a good choice from one of the many events in progress and make an in-play bet. You should always bear in mind that the odds change rapidly as the game, match or event progresses so make sure you have a winning formula as your fortunes can change in the blink of an eye.
Another even more attractive feature, from many of the online bookies, is the option to watch many live sports directly from their website. To enable them to do this, they have gone out of their way to sign licensing agreements with many of the sporting associations around the world allowing them to stream live sports directly from their website. This attractive feature means that you can keep a close eye on all the action as it unfolds permitting you to make well-calculated and accurate bets.
Unfortunately, some bookies have restrictions in place by only allowing you to watch live sports if you’re logged in & have a positive account balance. Some even require you to have placed a minimum bet on the choice of event that you wish to view but with the majority of bookies, you shouldn’t have any bother, as long as your account is active.
With the continuous development of mobile devices, these days many online bookies are now allowing live sports to be viewed directly upon from your choice of mobile device. All that is needed is a strong 3G or Wi-Fi connection along with the mobile app from your favourite bookie and with a little luck, you should receive the same high-quality viewing experience that you normally receive via your laptop or desktop computer.
The Future is Now with Mobile Sports Betting
Betting on sports from your phone during the last decade were once considered science fiction but I’m very happy that the future of mobile sports betting is now. Considerable advances have been made in the development of smartphone technology and the applications installed upon them that we’re going to places we’ve only ever dreamt of. A mobile betting revolution is taking place in the way we bet on football and other sports forever, which is why I highly recommend it for when you’re on the go! Many bookies are offering mobile-friendly versions of their site which are being specifically designed for touch screens so that you can simply access them by typing in their web address from your phone!
A few bookies have gone even further by creating downloadable apps with much more being created specifically for iPhone & iPad devices. The teacher’s pets of mobile apps have even gone out of their way to create apps for the Windows Phone and when a bookmaker does this, you know they’re really committed to the cause! So you can browse mobile sports betting sites or place bets via an iPhone, iPad, Android smartphone & tablets as well as Windows Phones anytime, anywhere as long as you can receive a data or Wi-Fi signal, “Jobs a good’un” I’d say.
But hang on a minute, “Why should I place bets via a mobile app at all? I have my PC, right?” Well, in one way, you’re right but you don’t have your PC with you all the time, and even if you’re a laptop enthusiast, it’s not always wise to use it in order to satisfy your gambling desires. This is where placing a bet via your mobile device can be a great benefit, it can be placed within seconds no matter where you are!
Conclusion
Well, there you have it, an opening to ukbookies.org.uk – The Guide to Britain’s Best Betting Sites. Please take this opportunity to read through our reviews on what we consider being the UK’s Best Online Bookies. Within each review, we’ll take a good look at the operator detailing their pros and cons along with some inside info on how the company operates.
Even with all the information mentioned above and within each review, we still suggest you try out a few others as there is still some that you may find highly enjoyable and offer a safe online gambling experience compared to others. You should also experience them for yourself in order to see which one caters more to your needs. Which one allows you to bet on your preferred sport, your favourite betting market and provides a user-friendly interface that you’re happy with.