There are a number of ways in which you can place a bet online via the vast number of UK sports betting sites that are available.
In this article we will explain what UK sports betting is, how online betting in the UK works, and how you can place an online bet.
What is Sports Betting?
Sports betting is the act of placing a bet, or a wager, on the outcome or result of a sporting event, whereby the individual placing the bet pays the bookmaker up front. The bettor then either collects a return if their bet was successful, or loses their original stake if the bet was unsuccessful.
In some scenarios, a bookmaker will offer a “money back” promotion. This is where a bettor will receive their original stake back as either a cash refund or credit to their betting account if the bet was unsuccessful. Often there are certain circumstances or conditions that must be fulfilled in order to benefit from these promotions.
It is now possible to bet on almost any televised sporting event, as well as a large number of events that are not available as live broadcasts or streams. The most popular sporting events for betting in the UK are football, horse racing and tennis, which are covered in depth by all major UK sports betting sites.
These three sports are by far the most popular and summarise three different types of betting circumstance. These are football being a team based match event (others being rugby or cricket), tennis a player vs player scenario (others being darts, MMA) and horse racing a race to the finishing line.
How Does Online Betting Work in the UK?
Odds are published by bookmakers on their website, and bettors can then study the odds and cross reference these with form and their own intuition and experience to arrive at a decision about what to bet on, how much to bet, and which type of bet to place.
Choosing a bookmaker who has the most favourable odds and, sometimes offers, often plays a key factor in the process for a bettor. Ease of placing a bet, as well as cash out, in-play bets and other features will also influence a player’s personal preferences when it comes to choosing who to bet with.
In order to bet online in the UK a bettor must be over 18 years old, be placing bets for themselves, and must use their own money to bet. It is also a legal requirement that the bet is placed from a location where gambling is legal.
To place an online bet, you will need to have a registered account with the bookmaker with whom you want to place your bet. Setting up an account is easy and takes a few minutes, and will require you to provide your name, UK residential address and email address.
Once the process is complete, you can then credit your account via a number of methods which can include debit card, digital payment systems such as PayPal, and in many cases now even using crypto currencies. Once you have credit in your account you can immediately begin to place bets.
The major bookmakers have apps packed with easy-to-use features that make keeping track of your account balance, bets placed (active and closed) and upcoming events easy and convenient.
UK Sports Betting Sites
So who are the best online betting sites in the UK? We’ve carried out our own independent comparison reviews of the leading UK sports betting sites to provide details on all the major players in the industry.
Our review assesses which bookmakers offer the best online betting experiences based on major areas such as safety and security, deposit and withdrawal options. Overall user experience and much more is also taken into consideration. It is compiled from the results of customer ratings and reviews, and each reviewer on this site rates the UK’s best bookies using our chosen five attributes: The offers, the website, app, cash out & in play and customer service.
Sports betting online is far more varied than your standard betting shop activity with punters opting for complicated multiples and a new era of manufactured bets from the different circumstances that can arise from an event. You can now request a bet from the top betting providers normally through their website or social channels.