Betting Sites UK: Compare The Best & New Online Bookmakers in 2026

Compare over 60 licensed and regulated betting sites in the UK and find out which are the best online bookmakers

We’ve tried and tested dozens of top UK bookmakers (The Independent)

There are over 150 UKGC-licensed betting sites on the UK market, with bettors able to choose from a huge range of trusted brands when betting online.

And while such a breadth of choice is good for UK bettors, it is vital to contrast and compare betting sites in order to evaluate which sites and are best for you.

Differences between betting sites extend far beyond headline betting offers and promos, and our evaluations and reviews reflect this, with rankings based on site and app usability, odds pricing, features, withdrawal speeds, customer support and more.

As such, we’ve ranked and reviewed a range of established UK bookmakers and new brands in order to recommend the best betting sites in the UK in January 2026.

Top 10 UK Betting Sites in UK - January 2026

Find Your Favourite Betting Site

Best for	Betting Site	Why?	Our Rating
Football	Bet365	Market depth, odds, streaming	5/5
Horse racing	Tote	Pool betting + SP guarantee	5/5
Boxing	Betfred	Fight promos & boosts	5/5
Free bets	Virgin Bet	Fight promos & boosts	4.5/5
Bet builders	Kwiff	Insurance + random boosts	4.5/5

Best Betting Sites UK – Trusted Expert Reviews

These brands are our recommendations for the best betting sites in the UK in January 2026, and you can read our reviews for each bookie below:

Best Betting Site For Football: Bet365

In our opinion, Bet365 stands out from the wide range of football betting sites as an operator that consistently provides the strongest football odds across many leagues, offering a huge range of markets as well as industry-leading in-play tools including stats, graphics and live streaming options.

Bet365 also runs a variety of football-specific promos such as early payout, price boosts and special accas offers, and new users can use the Bet365 bonus code INDY2025 to claim a new customer offer which sees players receive £30 in free bets

Moreover, this wide range of features is all included in a site and app that are functional and reliable for anyone from casual punters to high-volume bettors.

Bet365 Pros	Bet365 Cons
✓ High-quality streaming service	✗ No Champions League streaming despite Uefa partnership
✓ One of the strongest welcome offers going	✗ Less free bet promotions than a lot of their rivals
✓ Biggest variety of Champions League odds we’ve seen

Best Betting Site For Horse Racing: Tote

Tote has been synonymous with horse racing since its launch in 1928. It is unique among UK online bookmakers as it’s a pool betting system, and it offers one of the best horse racing betting apps in the UK with deep coverage of UK and Irish racing.

Features such as cash out and live streaming helped Tote become one of the UK’s best horse racing betting sites, and the Tote price guarantee matches or beats the starting price on all win bets.

The Tote welcome offer features £40 in free bets when you sign up with the promo code B10G50, while users can also receive £10 in horse racing free bets weekly via the free-to-join Stayers Club.

Tote Pros	Tote Cons
✓ Tote guarantee on matching or bettering SP	✗ Live streaming could be improved
✓ Weekly free horse racing bets	✗ Working out potential returns can be tricky
✓ Unique racing betting options	✗ No free-to-play racing prediction game unlike rival bookies
✓ Highly-rated betting app

Best Betting Site UK for Boxing: Betfred

Betfred ranks as one of the heavyweights among boxing betting sites thanks to partnerships with some of the largest boxing promoters, including Matchroom and Boxxer.

The site provides markets on a huge number of bouts and frequent price boosts and fight-specific offers, and punters have the option to put together bet builders on major fights as well, though we would like to see Betfred offer boxing markets sooner as some only become available on fight week.

Bettors can also land £50 worth of free bets via the Betfred sign up offer when they sign up via the excellent desktop site or betting app, with free bets carrying no wagering requirements.

Betfred Pros	Betfred Cons
✓ One of the best sign-up offers on the market	✗ Only 7 days in which to use the £50 bonus funds
✓ Regular price boosts on selected boxing markets	✗ Could be quicker pricing up boxing markets
✓ No wagering requirements on free bet offers

Best Online Bookmaker for Free Bets: Virgin Bet

Virgin has found its niche and now stands out as one of the top bookmakers for free bet offers, with an accessible, beginner-friendly app on offer.

The Virgin Bet sign-up offer now features £30 in free bets, having previously been £20, but it’s the volume of recurring free bet promos that stands out.

There are regular bet and get promotions for high-profile football games and a £5 free acca bet on offer each week for punters who stake £5 or more on at least four accumulators.

Horse racing fans can get money back as a free bet on all losing bets for one race every Saturday too, and this offer goes from weekly to daily during big meetings such as Cheltenham.

Virgin Bet Pros	Virgin Bet Cons
✓ Regular free bet offers	✗ Reports of withdrawals taking several days
✓ User-friendly, accessible and well-reviewed app	✗ Smaller selection of football markets
✓ Daily extra place races

Best Online Bookmaker for Bet Builders: Kwiff

Kwiff are one of the most unique betting sites in the UK thanks to their random odds boosts. Getting ‘Kwiffed’ can happen at any time and isn’t limited to certain bet types.

Kwiff is one of the best bet builder sites, as the operator offers bet builder insurance on all football wagers, with a free bet refund up to £10 if one leg lets a punter down.

There’s similar insurance available for accumulator bets, as well as regular cash-out offers. In addition, there’s a choice of Kwiff sign-up offers – a £10 free bet on any sport or a £30 surprise bet.

Finally, the Kwiff app has been recognised by users as one of the top betting apps, although the bet builder tool doesn’t cover as many sports as some rival bookies.

Kwiff Pros	Kwiff Cons
✓ Chance to have odds boosted at random	✗ Below average in-play service
✓ Bet builder and acca insurance available	✗ Users report issues with poor customer service
✓ Kwiff app highly rated by bettors

Best New Betting Sites in the UK - January 2026

Find Your Favourite New Betting Site

We also monitor new betting sites making waves in the UK and have selected the best new bookies to have entered the market recently.

We’ve been testing the newest online bookmakers in the UK to find the best options for football, horse racing, free bets and more.

Best For	New Bookie	Why	Our Rating
Football	TalkSport Bet	Best football promos & fastest app	4.5/5
Horse racing	Puntit	Regular racing cashback & competitive BOG offer	4.5/5
Free bets	Livescore Bet	Widest range of free bet promos	4.5/5
Tips	CopyBet	Follow and copy the bets of verified betting tipsters	4/5
Cash out	BetTOM	Fast, reliable cash out	4/5

New Betting Sites - Trusted Expert Reviews

We tested several new bookmakers before arriving at the above list, which are best in class for some of the most popular ways of betting.

We’re keeping an eye out for any worthy rivals entering the UK market in 2026 and regularly review our recommendation.

Best New Betting Site for Football: TalkSport Bet

TalkSport Bet has become known as a football-first bookmaker with media-backed branding.

The weekly free bet club and enhanced odds are of enormous appeal to football bettors, while a wide range of regular football-specific promos (including early payout, price boosts, a Lucky Dip feature and acca offers) have proven popular with users.

TalkSport Bet also provides a reliable user experience on app and desktop, with the fast app performance making it a great choice for football fans who like to bet in-play.

TalkSport Bet Pros	TalkSport Bet Cons
✓ Choice of sign up offers	✗ Lack of choice for Lucky Dip markets
✓ Weekly football free bet club
✓ Free-to-play football prediction game

Best New Online Bookmaker for Horse Racing: Puntit

Puntit is the latest betting site from the BetVictor family, so bettors can expect the same price boosts and user-friendly sportsbook they may be accustomed to on other BV Gaming platforms.

Puntit’s Best Odds Guarantee covers all UK and Irish races, but best of all, bettors can get 10% cashback on all losses each and every week.

Finally, they have daily horse racing boosts on both singles and pre-built multiples, while they offer money back as a free bet if your selection loses any chance of victory at the start of a race, making it a great choice for frequent horse racing bettors.

Puntit Pros	Puntit Cons
✓ Weekly cashback on racing losses	✗ Bet builder functionlity could be improved
✓ Best odds guaranteed
✓ Daily price boosts on UK racing

Best New Online Bookmaker for Free Bets: LiveScore Bet

LiveScore Bet is an excellent choice for accumulator bettors, and the LiveScore Bet sign up offer provides £30 in free bets.

The site and app offer competitive performance and a familiar interface for football fans, while the company also runs several ongoing free bet promotions.

For example, users can get free bet payouts on certain goalscorer markets if a goal is ruled out by VAR in a Premier League game, or money back as a free bet on selected horse races if your runner finishes 2nd, 3rd or 4th.

In addition, there is a weekly free £5 acca bet up for grabs for those who opt in and place four or more acca bets, wagering a minimum of £5 on each.

LiveScore Bet Pros	LiveScoreBet Cons
✓ Regular free bet offers on football and racing	✗ Fewer markets than some other new bookies
✓ Weekly free bets via acca club
✓ Early payout and accumulator insurance on football bets

Best New Bookie for Betting Tips: CopyBet

CopyBet’s unique selling point is that it allows you to follow and copy the bets of verified sports betting tipsters.

Users are able to access the profile of each tipster to see their stats and performance history over the entirety of their time using CopyBet, giving the site appeal for beginners or punters who do not have time for research.

However, there’s a lot more to CopyBet than just being a platform to follow tips, and they have built one of the best new sportsbooks to gamble on football due to their strong coverage.

CopyBet Pros	CopyBet Cons
✓ Hundreds of tipsters to follow on a transparent platform	✗ Not great for betting on niche sports
✓ New users can claim a 15 per cent daily profit boost token
✓ Free-to-play score prediction game

Best New Bookmaker for Cash Out: BetTOM

Nearly every online bookmaker now offers cash out, but some do it better than others.

BetTOM has quickly established itself as one of the best live betting sites, thanks to its smooth in-play platform, extensive event coverage, and fast cash out options.

We found BetTOM’s in-play service to be very responsive, settling bets in seconds when cash out was selected, giving punters full control to lock in profits or cut losses instantly.

BetTOM Pros	BetTOM Cons
✓ Sharp in-play service	✗ Fewer live streams than some rival UK bookmakers
✓ Strong welcome offer
✓ Cash out offered on singles and multiples on most sports

How We Rank UK Betting Sites

We rank online bookmakers using first-hand testing, transparent evaluation criteria and strict editorial standards. Here are the key factors we considered when compiling our rankings on this page:

Gambling Licence & Regulation

All the gambling operators on our list are licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).

This is non-negotiable, and ensures the bookie meets legal requirements around fair play, data security, customer funds protection and responsible gambling protocols.

Trust and Transparency

We utilise our industry expertise to evaluate betting sites, favouring bookmakers that make their terms and conditions digestible and have a proven track record of resolving customer issues.

We also consider the experience of punters, checking verified feedback UK betting sites receive to get an alternative view from fellow bettors.

Desktop and mobile usability

Each betting site is put through its paces on both desktop and mobile devices. We consider ease of navigation, page load speed and app usability and responsiveness.

Sites that feel sluggish, cluttered, or confusing are marked down.

Quality of Offers and Promos

It’s easy to get drawn in by offers. We’ve looked beyond those headline-grabbing sign-up deals and considered the following:

• How accessible the welcome offer actually is (e.g. minimum deposit, winnings cap etc.)
• Whether ongoing promotions are available to all users
• Variety across sports (e.g. football boosts, horse racing insurance, acca clubs)
• Whether there is excessive wagering or unclear conditions

Commitment to Safer Gambling

A bookmaker's approach to player welfare is a key factor in our ranking. We only recommend operators that make it easy for users to stay in control.

That means easy access to deposit limits and time-outs, clear links to self-exclusion and support services and pro-active account monitoring.

Why Trust The Independent?

Chris Wilson is a sports reporter at The Independent who has expertise in betting and gaming. He is constantly testing and reviewing betting sites and casino sites across the UK to maintain our list of the best online bookmakers. He has used first-hand testing of dozens of bookmakers in order to inform his rankings, with reviews updated regularly. As alluded to above, Chris uses a range of strict criteria when evaluating online betting sites, considering promotions and offers, the variety of games and payment methods, efficient customer service and the overall experience of gameplay. Each betting site recommended by Chris on behalf of The Independent is fully licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission – ensuring that punters are protected while betting – and there are no paid placements influencing his rankings.

How To Choose an Online Betting Site

These are the main areas worth considering when evaluating the online bookmakers punters can choose from:

1. Check if your preferred payment choice is accepted

While you’ll often need to use a debit card to qualify for a sign-up offer, most licensed UK bookmakers support a variety of other payment methods once you’ve joined. These include Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal betting sites, while pre-paid cards and bank transfers via services like Trustly are also widely accepted.

Pay by mobile is also an option at some UK betting sites, but beware any operator that accepts payments via cryptocurrency or credit cards as licensed UK betting platforms are currently prohibited from such practices.

2. Ensure the bookie offers your favoured betting tools

Most bookies now offer some kind of bet builder tool or in-play betting, but the best ones go way beyond that, providing cash out functions on a variety of sports or letting you live stream an event.

Remember to also keep an eye out for temporary features like free-to-play games and competitions, which some UK betting sites run regularly.

3. Scrutinise the available markets on your favourite sports

It’s always worth checking if your preferred sport is covered by a bookmaker.

If your sport is listed, check the available markets to ensure there’s a wide choice and compare the odds offered elsewhere to determine whether the online bookmaker has competitive pricing.

It’s also worth checking whether you can place a bet builder on your favourite sports or if the bookmaker offers special promos around key events.

4. Do homework on performance before betting

Most in-play bets will be placed on betting apps, so if in-play is important to you check to see how an app performs in that regard before parting with any money.

Follow a game and measure the speed with which odds update in-play. The best betting sites will offer live streaming, audio commentary or live stats to help bettors follow the action.

5. Test customer support quality

Responsive customer support is absolutely essential so it can be beneficial to test the waters before committing to a new bookmaker.

Live chat is an ideal way to test their efficiency and helpfulness, but even an email should be replied to quickly and helpfully.

If there’s no support option, or you don’t get a timely or satisfactory response, it may suggest the bookmaker doesn’t put users first.

What To Bet On: Week Commencing 12 January 2026

Football

This week, the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals take place, with Newcastle hosting Manchester City on Tuesday and Arsenal travelling across the capital to face Chelsea on Wednesday.

And the Premier League returns after a week-long hiatus this weekend, starting off with a Manchester derby at Old Trafford in Saturday’s early kick-off.

Elsewhere, Chelsea host Brentford in a west London derby in the highlight of the 3pm matches, while leaders Arsenal travel to Nottingham Forest in the late kick-off and Aston Villa host Everton in the best of Sunday’s matches.

Rugby

The final matchday of the Champions Cup group stage takes place this weekend, with plenty of English sides in action.

Both Bristol and Northampton could seal a place in the next round with wins over Bordeaux and the Scarlets, while Bath look to secure top spot in Pool 2 as they face Edinburgh.

Harlequins take on La Rochelle in the highlight of the Pool 3 matches, while the weekend finishes with Saracens hoping to earn qualification with a win over Glasgow in Pool 1.

NFL

The Divisional Round of the NFL post-season happens this weekend, with Saturday seeing the Seahawks host the 49ers while the Broncos take on the Bills.

Sunday plays host to the final two matches before the Conference Championships, as the Bears play the Rams and the Patriots face the winner of the game between the Steelers and Texans.

Responsible Gambling

A 2025 study by the UK Gambling Commissionfound that certain types of gambling are more likely to lead to problem gambling in the future.

Betting on sports scored highly on the UKGC’s Problem Gambling Severity Index, and it’s crucial that bettors understand that using gambling sites comes with risks.

Gambling should be treated as a form of entertainment rather than a way to make money. Never stake more than you can afford to lose and avoid chasing losses by placing additional bets.

The same applies whether you’re using online bookmakers, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium.

Most licensed UK bookmakers provide tools to help you stay in control, including deposit limits, self-assessment checks, and session reminders to manage both time and spending.

If gambling ever starts to feel difficult to manage, support is available, and you are encouraged to seek help from the organisations listed below:

• GamCare – A national helpline, live chat and support group
• Gamblers Anonymous UK – A self-help group offering peer support meetings
• National Gambling Support Network (NGSN) – A network of local organisations providing treatment and support
• Gambling Therapy – Provides global online support and resources
• NHS Northern Gambling Service – Specialist clinics for problem gambling treatment
• GAMSTOP – free service that enables people to block themselves from all online gambling companies licensed in the UK.

Best Betting Sites UK: FAQs

What are the best betting sites?

It’s a good idea to test out different sites before deciding which is best for you. It depends what you want from your chosen site, but our recommendations are Bet365 for football, Tote for horse racing, Betfred for boxing, Virgin Bet for free bet offers and Kwiff for bet builders.

Which betting sites are not on GamStop?

Any site that is not part of the GamStop initiative is possibly unlicensed, unregulated and off-shore, meaning bettors are taking a huge risk when using their services. All our recommended UK online bookmakers are on GamStop, and we don’t recommend non-GamStop betting sites.

Which betting sites offer cash out?

Cash out has become a standard feature on sports betting sites, often used to lock in a profit or cut your losses. It is available on ante-post, single and accumulator bets on most sports. Some of the best betting sites offering cash out include Bet365, Betfred, Kwiff, BetMGM and BetTOM.

What betting sites accept PayPal?

Most UK bookmakers now accept PayPal and other e-wallets as a payment method. However, several betting sites do not allow PayPal transfers when it comes to qualifying for their sign up offer. You can find the best PayPal betting sites in our dedicated guide, but remember to check the accepted payment methods for any welcome offer before going ahead.

What betting sites offer Irish Lotto?

At least three UK betting sites offer Irish Lotto betting options. These include Tote (via pools), Lottoland and Betfred, the last of which provides lottery-style betting options for its customers.

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