Football ranks among the top sports for UK punters, alongside horse racing, prompting the nation’s leading bookmakers to provide a wide range of markets and offers for the national game.
Many bookies promote themselves as offering the pinnacle of football betting experiences. Through our in-depth analysis, we’ve scrutinised the football markets and site accessibility of each platform. From this assessment, we have curated a list of the finest football betting sites currently available.
Top 13 football betting sites - 2024
Here are the top 13 best football betting sites in the UK for 2024.
- Sky Bet
- Betfred
- bet365
- Betfair
- Ladbrokes
- Coral
- BoyleSports
- Virgin Bet
- Paddy Power
- Unibet
- BetVictor
- 888sport
- 10Bet
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The UK Bookmaker Awards
To curate a comprehensive list of the top football betting sites, we did not solely rely on our own extensively researched and impartial expert viewpoints.
We also considered the outcomes of the UK Bookmaker Awards (UKBA). This annual event recognises exceptional performance in various categories, including betting experience, customer service and football odds.
The UKBA outcomes are based on monthly surveys of regular bettors, which data specialists thoroughly analyse by assigning weights to the results. If applicable, we have included a table displaying the top five award-winning sites from the UKBA in the categories relevant to our list.
How we chose the best football betting sites: The categories to look out for
We expect the best football betting sites all to have some of the features that can help customers get to grips with football betting as soon as they enter.
We have listed those below.
Football odds
To get football punters to sign up and register with the betting sites in the first place, bookmakers need to ensure that they have enticing prices and offers.
A major consideration when customers are choosing between bookmakers is getting better odds for specific markets on one site compared with another.
In the table below, you can find the winners of the football odds award at the 2023 UKBA.
You can find out more about betting odds here
Betting experience
The absence of a dedicated category for football betting sites in the UKBA does not mean that the betting experience section for each site should be disregarded. In fact, the rankings of this award are an excellent starting point for those searching for the top football betting site.
Best football betting sites: bookie-by-bookie breakdown
Sky Bet football
It’s easy to understand why Sky Bet is a popular bookmaker with football fans, as it provides an extensive assortment of sports and a vast array of markets even for the most obscure leagues. Sky Bet also offers a diverse range of enhanced odds covering fixtures and major events worldwide. Furthermore, the bookmaker presents exclusive specials for most of the fixtures and features highly sought-after request-a-bet picks, which offer a plethora of bets for punters to choose from.
Betfred football
Betfred is one of the most popular bookmakers for football betting and offers punters numerous options. There are markets on all the top leagues and competitions, including the Premier League, and there are also more niche tournaments and leagues from across the globe. One of Betfred’s strongest features is the In-play betting option that is easy to use and every punter should consider the site when betting on football. Betfred also offers an enticing £40 in bonuses to new customers – one of the best sign-up offers of any bookmaker.
bet365 football
bet365 is among the world’s foremost bookmakers and is considered one of the best football betting sites in the UK, if not the outright best. The bookmaker sets itself apart from other competitors by providing an array of markets covering everything from common to niche events and bets.
Football punters can also find great value in bet365’s unique options, such as betting on the number of throw-ins, free-kicks or goal-kicks a team will have in a game. bet365 also offers player prop bets for some Premier League fixtures, allowing punters to bet on a specific player’s pass or shot lines.
It is also worth noting that bet365 ranked highly in our list of the best cash-out betting sites thanks to its partial cash-out feature, a rare option in the industry that allows punters to cash out a portion of their stake while still betting.
The bet builder feature on bet365 is one of the best in the industry and allows you to combine a variety of markets on just one football match.
Betfair football
Betfair, like bet365, is popular globally for all sports but especially when it comes to placing bets on football. Their diverse markets allow customers to place bets on leagues from all over the world.
Some markets such as player cards and team/player shots are constantly growing in popularity but are not offered by all bookmakers, however if this is what you are looking for, Betfair’s selections are brilliant. Betfair is also one of the bookmakers that allows punters to stream some of the top football leagues on its online betting site.
Ladbrokes football
Ladbrokes is a very popular bookmaker in the UK, with lots of football betting options on its website. As well as Coral (they are both part of the Ladbrokes Coral Group), Ladbrokes offers a number of prop markets that can be combined within a game.
For example, you could bet on a player from either team in the same match to make a certain number of passes during the fixture and combine the two bets, something you cannot do with other bookies. This makes Ladbrokes an industry leader in these markets. The site offers promotions on football, such as regular and daily price boosts, and is easily accessible when looking to place accumulators.
Coral football
Coral is one of the very best bookmakers in the UK and has shown some fantastic growth in recent years through its ever-improving website. It offers customers some brilliant bonuses, very low deposits and a good sign-up offer that is easy to enjoy.
Coral and Ladbrokes offer combined football prop markets, which are becoming widely popular, especially among punters who use statistics. Along with that, Coral offers all the most popular football betting markets so you will not be missing out.
BoyleSports football
Irish bookmaker BoyleSports is a relatively new site on the scene but has quickly established itself as one of the best in the business. Throughout its online betting site, BoyleSports offers statistics and prop market bets on a wide variety of football matches.
The site is consistently competing with the best in the industry, especially in terms of navigation, and it also has some great markets to explore. The only negative is the relatively small number of games to bet on in the in-play section, which can mean it’s difficult to find the games you want.
Virgin Bet football
Virgin Bet is another new site that is growing online and has established itself as one of the best in the UK in recent years. The markets offered are some of the best around and allow statistical betting on football as well as all the other popular markets.
It also has a wide range of games to bet on in the in-play section as well as a big variety to choose from across the world of football.
Paddy Power football
Paddy Power is a very well-known bookmaker in the UK and Ireland thanks to its eye-catching creative marketing and promotional offers that are second to none.
Its unique “What odds Paddy?” section allows punters to ask the bookmaker to price up different bets they can make. In terms of value, Paddy Power has some brilliant odds on the majority of the popular footballing tournaments and is one of the best bookmakers for the sport in the UK and Ireland. Paddy Power also now has a fantastic selection of different prop markets, so the bookmaker is able to excel regularly on large match days for many different fixtures with their shot prices and markets some of the best around.
Unibet football
Unibet has one of the best betting sites for navigation and for allowing different payment methods to deposit and withdraw funds.
It has a wide choice of football markets available, including a number from South America. These include player markets in some of the biggest games in that continent. This gives the site a variety and identity that is distinct from rivals.
BetVictor football
BetVictor is one of the most accessible bookmakers on the market and offers an easy-to-use bet-builder feature known as Build Your Odds.
It covers a great range of leagues from across the world, including the more niche competitions that run throughout the summer.
The BetVictor platform’s other big positives are the range of special odds, such as managerial positions, and the variety of deposit and withdrawal options. All this makes it one of the best football betting sites.
10Bet football
10Bet’s website is one of the most easily accessible for punters and offers markets from almost every country in the world, from the Premier League to lesser-known competitions such as the Zambia Super League. It offers punters a number of enticing special offers ahead of the big games as well as a vast number of in-play markets.
Customers can also gain the edge through its dedicated stats page that offers the most up-to-date data to help your next selection. 10Bet offers markets on Premier League matches well in advance, so the site is a great option for football bettors looking to open a new account.
Why do people bet on football?
Football is the world’s most popular sport and one of the most exciting – so whether it is through your interest in the game or because you have a knowledge of football and betting, it is an easy sport for customers to bet on and very popular for many punters who hold an account at a bookmaker.
The availability of live streaming for some leagues on betting apps has fuelled the interest in watching and betting at the same time for punters, and competition among bookmakers has driven innovation and the number of markets available.
What sort of markets do punters want when betting on football?
For football punters, a diverse range of markets is a crucial factor to consider when choosing a bookmaker. While traditional markets such as final results, over/under goals, goalscorers, correct scores, and double chances are commonly offered by all bookies, a growing number of bookmakers are branching out to attract customers with innovative markets that require creativity.
Prop markets, for example, have become more popular. They enable punters to bet on the number of passes, tackles and shots of individual players, or the quantity of free kicks and throw-ins in a game.
Outright markets for the Premier League and other leagues are also available, allowing punters to place bets on teams to win titles, finish in Champions League or promotion spots and be relegated.
Additionally, there are many ‘specials’ markets, including those for managers and transfers, where customers can bet on bosses leaving their jobs or getting sacked, or players joining other clubs.
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Why is the individual site important for football betting?
A lot of customers choose a bookmaker according to their personal preferences, such as the range of payment methods or different markets that are on offer. It is important for bookmakers to take these into account and make their sites user-friendly for accessibility, markets and payment methods.
Can you watch football on betting sites?
This isn’t always something that punters will look for straight away when joining a site, however it is a way for operators to attract new customers and tempt them to stay on the site for longer.
For football, there is a great variety of bookmakers in the UK with whom punters can bet on and watch matches from popular leagues such as La Liga and Serie A, which are regularly streamed by sites, such as bet365 and Betfair.
What are the popular football competitions to bet on?
Premier League
Founded in 1992-93, the English top flight has become the world’s most popular domestic league, which is reflected by the significant number of punters who bet on it weekly.
La Liga
Traditionally dominated by Real Madrid and Barcelona, Spain’s top division is the pinnacle for skill and provides a test of punting prowess for UK bettors.
Serie A
The world’s best league until the 1980s, Italy’s top competition is still a favourite among purists and gamblers alike.
Bundesliga
The fast-paced football in Germany’s top flight draws the highest average crowds of any league and attracts plenty of UK-based bettors.
Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League
The three major European club competitions have provided plenty of success for English clubs and UK punters.
International tournaments
The World Cup, European Championship, Africa Cup of Nations, Copa America and more provide global interest and plenty of options for football bettors.
Frequently asked questions about the best football betting sites
Which are the best football betting sites?
We have listed all the best football betting sites in this article. This is based on our own research as well as data from the UK Bookmaker Awards.
What site has the best football odds in the UK?
The UK Bookmaker Awards ranked Unibet as offering among the best football odds in the UK. It is certainly a strong football betting site to sign up to.
What is the most trusted football betting site?
All the best football betting sites in the UK listed in this article are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. We have tried and tested all of them to ensure they can be trusted.