Best Football Betting Sites UK updated list for (Dec 2023)

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The best football betting sites in the UK are Ladbrokes, Coral, Betfred, Paddy Power, William Hill, and Unibet. These are some of the top betting sites that offer the best experiences to their users through various features and out of these, we would say Ladbrokes is taking the lead in all aspects.

As one of, if not the most popular sport to bet on for UK punters, we just had to put together a piece on the very best football betting sites. Quite a few new brands have entered the market in 2023, yet the core bookmakers have remained consistent and elite throughout the years. We’ve highlighted these classic bookmakers in the list below, and they really are some of the most advanced football betting sites you can use at this moment in time.

Football betting sites: Top 5

1. Ladbrokes –  (9/10)
2. Betfred –  (8.8/10)
3. Paddy Power – (8.5/10)
4. William Hill – (8.5/10)
5. Unibet – (8.3/10)

In our selection, we have given Ladbrokes a 9 out of 10 as it is one of the best football betting sites available in the UK. It has not just a wide selection of the sport but also a very seamless interface which overall enhances the user experience. Betfred and Paddy Power are equally competitive with Ladbrokes, hence are next in our line of explanation.

Ladbrokes – Best Football Betting Site

Ladbrokes first emerged as a top-tier horse racing bookie, but football is now just as good. It has multiple celebrity endorsements with the likes of Chris Kamara, and this shows the trust and prestige of the brand as a whole. It is full of price boosts for popular football games, and it also supports live streaming. Our Ladbrokes football betting article goes into more in detail on what the bookmaker has to offer for this sport.

Betfred – Bonuses galore for football

Betfred is a bookmaker that is absolutely stacked when it comes to great promotions and offers. We're talking price boosts, free bets, in-play bonuses, profit boosts, and much much more. Betfred is a sports bookmaker, that specialises in football, and it really is a one-stop shop when it comes to covering your sports betting needs. They have it all. Focusing on the football section of the site, Betfred offers markets for more than 40 global leagues. In those leagues, a regular football game can commonly carry over 100 markets to bet on.

Paddy Power – A great overall selection

Paddy Power holds a huge reputation in the betting industry when it comes to horse racing. But they are so much more, with football being the second most popular sport on the platform. Paddy Power covers all the major football leagues from across Europe. We're talking about the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, and Serie A. All the giants of the game are included. But, the bookmaker's football offers do stretch globally, from leagues with high levels of popularity to the lower leagues in the footballing pyramid. The range of markets that Paddy Power possesses is truly impressive.

William Hill – A seasoned veteran of football betting

As one of the oldest and most reputable brands in the UK, William Hill had to make this list. While horse racing is what made William Hill such a success in the early days, football betting has come on leaps and bounds in recent years. With regular free bets and some of the best odds you can find with any online sportsbook, William Hill has to go down as one of the top football betting sites UK. You can find out more about the William Hill sign up offer in this article.

Unibet – Youthful yet professional

Unibet is quite a vibrant betting site, with members engaging through the Unibet blog and even posting football predictions on the site. Besides this community vibe, the Unibet football offers are highly professional, such as their Unibet promo code. For major Premier League games, you can often find 300+ markets, and for the overall events covered each year, it is well above 50,000. This is simply remarkable when you compare it to other football betting brands, and the bonuses are fairly good too.

Key events to watch out for in football betting sites

Champions League

The Champions League is undoubtedly the most prestigious annual football competition in the world. We're talking Manchester City, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and many more. The top clubs in Europe clash throughout the season, in simply mouth-watering fixtures that keep football fans on the edge of their seats.

Look at Group F from this year's competition. Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Newcastle United, are all going head-to-head in what is an unpredictable group. Even after 4 games, who is going to qualify is anyone's guess, with all the teams separated by just 3 points. If that isn't pure football entertainment, I don't know what is.

Copa America

While the Euros are the pinnacle for international teams based in Europe, Copa America is the equivalent for South American teams. This is where football giants such as Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay all clash to fight it out for the title. The best part is that just like the Euros, it doesn’t happen all that often, so bookmakers will regularly pump out promotions for this tournament.

Premier League

If you are based in the UK, this is an event you just have to keep watch of. It is arguably the largest and most prestigious league of all, and with teams like Manchester City and Liverpool making headlines right now, it’s a great time to become familiar with the Premier League. Games are played between August and May each year.

Euro Championships

Besides maybe the World Cup, this is the biggest event in football. It takes place once every 4 years, with the next one due to take place in 2021 due to global events. Here is where the very best international teams in Europe come and battle it out for this prestigious crown.

How to search for the best football betting sites UK?

Based on our research, we can pinpoint the following points:

1. Competitiveness of odds

Every betting market has an odd assigned to it, and by finding sites that give higher odds than others, you’ll win more when you do win. It really is that simple, and different UK betting sites price events at different odds all the time. The trick is to find a site where the average odds are quite high, as this gives you plenty of value.

2. Welcome bonus

Signing up with a new site, it leaves a bit of a bad taste in the mouth if you aren’t greeted by a large bonus. This is precisely what you should be looking at before choosing to sign up with any site, as the welcome bonus is usually an indicator of whether a site gives out good bonuses overall.

3. Reload promotions

New player promotions are always nice, and usually the largest, but once you’ve progressed through them you are dependent on reload promotions. This is why this is such an important factor, as football tends to attract some of the most regular reloads out of all other sports. Therefore, there is no excuse not to pick a site with plenty of them available.

4. Live streaming availability

In this day and age, live streaming is almost expected at the very best betting sites UK. This provides a bit of a one-stop-shop solution to not only bet on your favourite sports games but watch them live too. Usually, live streaming doesn’t come completely for free, as you must have some money in your betting account to view them.

5. Accumulator insurance and Boosts

Accumulator insurance and boosts are also good factors to consider when looking for the best football betting sites. This feature rewards riskier bets with increased odds, while the insurance option usually offers you a refund if a bet of yours loses. All in all, it is a good way to strike a balance between the risks associated with accumulator bets and larger winnings.

6. Early payout

This promotion may be offered by some bookmakers, it allows you to settle your bet as a win before the event has finished, for example if the result has a substantial lead but the event is still running. You will collect your winnings before the end, reducing the risk of a late upset.

FAQs – important information on football betting sites

How can I check that a site is above board and legal?

Typically, you’ll see a betting license listed somewhere on the homepage. Given that this is a legal requirement, it allows you to easily check if a site is operating as it should. For further verification, you can check this out on the main UKGC webpage too.

Can I bet on football with my mobile device?

Of course. The top UK betting sites now have pretty advanced mobile apps that can be downloaded on almost any smartphone. Failing that, you will always have the option to make some sports bets from an optimized mobile site.

How often are football markets available?

Well, football is usually always taking place somewhere in the world. For Europe, the markets are definitely much livelier between August and May, yet there are also football events during the summer months too.

What are some common football bets to make?

Some of the most common and popular bets to make for football includes 1×2, both teams to score, accumulators, correct score, spread, and over/under.

Do I need to wait long for winnings to reach my account?

Not at all. If you are fortunate enough to bet correctly on any football market, your winnings should show up in your real cash balance within a minute or so. If for whatever reason this doesn’t happen, you can always refresh the page for it to go through.

What is the minimum deposit amount on these sites?

When making a deposit, you’ll usually need to spend at least £5 for it to be accepted. On some sites, this limit is increased to £10, but this will always be shown in the banking section before you actually make a deposit.

Is it quite easy to live stream games?

Yes, although there is usually a requirement that you have made a bet in the last 24 hours, or at least have money in your account. Providing that either of these conditions are met, you will be able to live stream games without any trouble. Simply find a game to stream, click the play button, and the stream should instantly begin.

Are there any ‘special’ football bets to make?

Yes, apart from the main football markets, you can also bet on things such as the top goalscorer, next manager to be sacked, and plenty more.