Many different bookmakers offer football odds as a result, but of course not all deliver as strong a service as others. That’s why I have tirelessly researched for the best football betting sites in the UK. Personally, I pick Betfair as my favourite footy bookmaker, and I’m going to explain you why.
There are many different criteria that have gone into establishing my rundown of the best football betting sites in the UK, with just some of those elements detailed in the table below:
Operators | BOG Available? | Live Streaming | App Store Rating | Google Play Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bet365 | ✅ | ✅ | 4.7 | 4.6 |
SkyBet | ✅ | ✅ | 4.5 | 4.0 |
TalkSport Bet | ✅ | ✅ | 4.7 | 3.6 |
William Hill | ✅ | ✅ | 4.7 | 4.3 |
Betfred | ✅ | ✅ | 4.6 | 4.3 |
Coral | ✅ | ✅ | 4.7 | 4.3 |
Betfair | ❌ | ✅ | 4.7 | 4.5 |
Unibet | ✅ | ✅ | 4.0 | 4.1 |
Ladbrokes | ✅ | ✅ | 4.7 | 4.4 |
BetVictor | ✅ | ✅ | 4.7 | 2.9 |
Paddy Power | ✅ | ✅ | 4.7 | 4.4 |
NetBet | ❌ | ❌ | 1.8 | 3.0 |
18+ | BeGambleAware.org | Terms and Conditions apply
After conducting hours of research and testing, I have decided upon Betfair as my pick of the best football betting sites.
The reasons are manifold, but include the generosity of their welcome bonus – place a qualifying bet of £10 and you’ll receive £50 in free multiples to use on football (or other sports if you prefer).
Betfair also offer competitive odds on the leading competitions, promotions and odds boosts tailored to football punters and, as noted in the table above, one of the best betting apps available in terms of user ratings.
To top it off, Betfair sportsbook customers also get access to their Exchange platform with the same login and bankroll. The Exchange typically has the best football odds around… albeit, multiples and accumulators can’t be placed there.
Stephen Mitchell, TrustPilot (July 2025)
To learn more about this offer, check out our Betfair Promo Code guide.
Meanwhile, here’s the other top football betting sites to consider, according to our experiences:
Established in 2000 and one of the first brands to truly embrace online betting, bet365 is regarded as one of the very best around.
With football specifically, they offer comprehensive coverage of leagues and cups around the world, with hundreds of different markets to bet on. Promotions like ‘2 Up’ also add genuine value to match winner punters.
New customers can claim a 300% bonus on their first deposit. Either bet £5 to get £15 in free bets, or wager £10 to secure £30 in free bet credits.
Screenshot taken on 15/08/25.
The jewel in bet365’s crown is their live streaming channel, which offers broadcasts of some fantastic competitions: German Bundesliga, Spanish La Liga, French Ligue 1, English FA Cup and even international games.
As long as you have a funded account, or have placed a bet in the previous 24 hours, you can watch any live stream you want to.
Mike Clare, TrustPilot (2025)
✅ Bet365 Pros | ❌ Bet365 Cons |
---|---|
Comprehensive football coverage | Odds not always competitive in main markets |
Excellent live streaming channel | |
Value adding promotions |
To learn more about this offer, check out our bet365 Bonus Code guide.
Founded in 2001, NetBet were a latecomer to the UK betting scene.
But they have established a niche for themselves, particularly in live football betting, where they offer comprehensive coverage of leagues and competitions around the world.
NetBet is one of the first bookmakers to really lean into AI, with their Bet AI feature a real help for newcomers to football betting – you can ask the tool anything. There’s also a great ‘tips’ feature, which helps to identify statistical value from leagues around the world.
New customers at NetBet can claim £20 in free bets and 25 free spins for use on the Big Bass Splash slot when registering and placing a qualifying bet of £10 (at minimum odds of Evens).
Lewis, TrustPilot (2025)
✅ NetBet Pros | ❌ NetBet Cons |
---|---|
Generous hybrid welcome bonus | No live streaming or BOG |
Huge live betting channel | |
Innovative use of AI |
To learn more about this offer, check out our Netbet Bonus Code guide.
An incredibly popular radio station for football fans, TalkSPORT branched out with their own betting site in 2022.
They’ve taken the formula that works so well for other online bookmakers and added their own value to it. There’s more daily odds boosts available here than with most other sites, as per my research, as well as the inclusion of key promotions like Best Odds Guaranteed.
New customers at TalkSPORT Bet can claim an exclusive welcome bonus, with up to £40 in free bets available when you register via mobile or app and place a qualifying bet of between £20 and £40.
Craig Mahood, TrustPilot ( June 2025)
✅ TalkSPORT BET Pros | ❌ TalkSPORT BET Cons |
---|---|
Stacks of odds boosts every day | Horse racing the only live streaming sport |
Best Odds Guaranteed and other promos | |
Super smooth Bet Builder tool |
To learn more about this offer, check out our TalkSportBet Sign Up Offer guide.
Given that they were founded back in 1934, it would be fair to describe William Hill as one of the oldest bookmakers still in operation to this day. Since then, they’ve established themselves as a major player online – in my opinion, they deserve to be in the discussion of the best betting sites in the UK.
New customers can claim £40 in free bets, which they are free to use on William Hill’s varied football markets.
For football punters, the advantages of using William Hill include great promotions, like Impact Sub and 2 Up, as well as acca and Bet Builder winnings boosts. They offer stacks of odds boosts every day, too.
Miro, TrustPilot (2025)
✅ William Hill Pros | ❌ William Hill Cons |
---|---|
Outstanding welcome bonus | Not as in-depth for live betting |
High quality promotions | |
Daily odds boosts |
To learn more about this offer, check out our William Hill Promo Code guide.
Another old stager of UK betting, Betfred opened its first high street bookmakers’ shop in 1967.
It has since expanded online, where customers can access their wide range of football competitions and bet types, as well as promotions that you won’t find anywhere else – including a very handy welcome package of £50 in free bets.
The Betfred site and app are so easy to use, with an intuitive layout that makes navigation around the different football tabs quick and simple. That also extends to the Bet Builder tool, which is nicely laid out in front of you.
Promotions include ACCA Flex, with stake refunds if one leg loses and a winnings boost on accas of five legs or more, plus Double Delight and Hat-Trick Heaven, with enhanced payouts if your anytime goalscorer notches two or more.
Robert, TrustPilot (2025)
✅ Betfred Pros | ❌ Betfred Cons |
---|---|
£50 in free bets for new customers | Live streaming coverage minimal |
Unique, exclusive promotions | |
Easy to use website and app |
To learn more about this offer, check out our Betfred Promo Code guide.
Although a relative newcomer to football betting, having been formed in 1988, Paddy Power is now one of the industry’s most recognised names – thanks in part to some headline-making marketing campaigns.
But there’s plenty else to offer football punters, including a welcome bonus that has a lower minimum spend than most – deposit and bet £5 to earn £30 in free bets.
Paddy Power also offers excellent market coverage, live streaming and a wealth of promotions, which include the Super Sub offer that they created – any player prop bets roll over to the oncoming substitute if your selection is subbed off.
Luke French, TrustPilot (July 2025)
✅ Paddy Power Pros | ❌ Paddy Power Cons |
---|---|
Only £5 qualifying bet required | Some users report slow payouts |
Super Sub promotion | |
Multi-Match Bet Builder promo |
To learn more about this offer, check out our Paddy Power Promo Code guide.
Coral will celebrate their centenary in 2026, with a score of high street betting shops and an excellent website and app to their name.
New customers that join Coral can claim £20 in free bets when they register and wager £5, which is an excellent haul to use on their football platform.
Coral offer hundreds of betting markets on the key football leagues and competitions, while the ‘Popular Picks’ tab is a great way to see what other customers are betting on.
Odds boosts and daily specials could help you to lock in extra value on your bets, too.
Lee David Leighs, TrustPilot (July 2025)
✅ Coral Pros | ❌ Coral Cons |
---|---|
Deposit from just £5 | Would like more football promotions |
Handy Popular Picks tool | |
Plenty of live streams to enjoy |
To learn about this offer, check out our Coral Bonus Code guide.
So those are my take on the best football betting sites. But if there’s a specific feature that you’re looking for from your bookmaker of choice, use the sections below as your guide.
There’s an argument that Betfred has the best free bets offers in football.
That starts with their welcome bonus, which is almost the best in the industry – bet £10, get £50 in free bets, but continues with promos like Double Delight and Acca Flex… few of their rivals offer acca insurance and winnings boosts within the same promotion.
In my opinion, when it comes to free bets the more the merrier, right?
That’s why I consider Betfredb to be the leader of the soccer betting sites when it comes to free bets.
The reason is simple: if you use your £50 free bet offer sensibly, you can make this promotion last and, hopefully, create a useful bankroll to use thereafter.
There’s no doubt about it for me: Bet365 is the pick of the best football betting sites when it comes to live streaming.
They offer access to live streams of some of the best leagues in Europe, Asia and South America, as well as international games. Bet365’s live channel is simply unrivalled.
Punters seeking the best of the soccer betting sites for Bet Builders should turn to Paddy Power.
Not only do they have the most individual bet types to choose from when compiling your Bet Builder, they also let you wager on multiple matches on a single coupon… and even on multiple different sports.
Not many of the top football betting sites offer spread bets these days, sadly.
But of those that do, Spreadex are well worth a second look. They offer a huge range of different bet types to choose from, as well as a traditional fixed odds betting platform – you can use that with a single login and bankroll.
Many of the best football betting sites now have a very similar product when it comes to their Premier League betting.
So I’ve anointed William Hill in this category for one very good reason: as per my research and confirmed by other industry experts, they offer the lowest margins – which is typically reflected as better odds – amongst UK bookmakers on Premier League games.
When it comes to betting on the key football competitions, the leading soccer betting sites won’t let you down.
The most popular league to bet on in the UK, the EPL carries more betslips each weekend than any other.
So it’s important to get the best odds as often as possible – hence my recommendation of William Hill to the ranks of the top football betting sites.
Something else to consider is your betting strategy. Personally, I enjoy placing Bet Builders, so that’s why I also have an active Paddy Power account, as they are unrivalled in this department.
The quadrennial World Cup is such an important event for bookmakers, which they use as an opportunity to attract new customers with enhanced welcome bonuses.
So in the days and weeks ahead of the World Cup, my advice is to start shopping around for new welcome offers – whether it’s the best football betting sites as described in this article, or more obscure brands that are UK licensed, approved and highly rated.
SkyBet are the official sponsor of the English Championship, so you won’t be surprised to learn that they offer the most competitive odds and value-adding promotions on the division.
But if you like to place player-based bets, Paddy Power is another good option: their Super Sub promotion now extends to the Championship, League One and League Two.
If you are new to football betting, here’s some quick pointers to get you started:
There are dozens of UK betting sites out there, but of course not all are built equally. So it makes sense to know how to identify the right bookmakers for your particular needs – especially if you’re new to football betting.
Here’s some pointers to consider:
If you claim a good welcome bonus and really make it count, it can create a bankroll that you can use for many of your bets going forward – the difference between, say, £20 in free bet credits and £50 is significant.
And don’t forget the value added by strong promotions too… particularly when tailored to your betting style. There’s offers like Acca Insurance, Bet Builder Winnings Boosts, 2 Up (early payout when the team you backed goes two goals up) etc, which could prove helpful for your next bets.
If you place one bet, in the grand scheme of things the odds you take don’t matter too much.
But if you’re placing a high volume of football bets across a period of weeks, months or years, the difference between taking the best available odds and not can be considerable.
So here’s two things I recommend: firstly, opening a myriad of betting accounts, which will afford you the chance to shop around for the best prices.
Secondly, use odds comparison sites so that you can compare prices for particular games and markets side by side – helping you to secure the best possible value.
There is a disparity between betting sites as to how many markets they offer for the standard football match.
For example, some firms will offer around 50 bet types for the average Premier League game. Others, such as bet365, will have more than 100 options.
Some of these bet types can be unique to each bookmaker, so taking the time to explore each site – finding the right markets for your betting style – is a worthwhile exercise.
Once upon a time, a betting site was an online platform to place single and accumulator bets.
Now, they offer all manner of features that can enhance your betting. Think of tools like Cash Out and Bet Builder, as well as live streaming channels. Many are now offering free-to-play games, which can yield cash prizes and free bets for punters.
Any betting site/app that you use should offer the tools that can add experiential worth to your wagering.
I’ve clubbed together several factors here under the umbrella of ‘user experience’, each of which has the potential to shape your choice of betting site/app.
The first is the layout and navigation of the site, as well as how it looks on your chosen device. You can get a feel for this without having to register for an account; just type in the URL and spend time navigating around. Does it look good to you? Can you find your favourite football leagues and bet types easily?
Another factor is payments. Does the site accept your preferred payment method for deposits and/or withdrawals? How fast are withdrawal requests processed? You can use the information on our pages to help guide you in this research.
Also consider customer support. It’s amazing how few punters take this seriously, as from time to time there may be issues with your account or open/settled bets. I personally prefer betting sites with immediate support access, be it by phone or live chat.
Choose the Best Betting Site | Pros | Cons |
---|---|---|
bet365 | Football live streaming Huge market depth Nice welcome bonus | Don’t give free bets out as often as others |
Sky Bet | Excellent welcome bonus· Daily odds boosts· Live streaming | Low rating for Android app |
William Hill | Most generous welcome bonus Low margins on Premier League (strong odds) Useful promotions | Live streaming not as comprehensive as some |
Betfred | £50 in free bets Exclusive football promotions Nice website and app | Lack of live streaming |
Coral | Deposit from just £5 Excellent football coverage Free-to-play games with free bets and cash prizes | Testing suggests withdrawals aren’t the quickest |
Ladbrokes | Deposit from £5 Many promotions One of the best-looking desktop sites | Offers few rewards for loyal customers |
BetVictor | Very useful welcome bonus Unique promotions Slick app | Bet Builder tool not as strong as other bookies |
Paddy Power | Claim a welcome bonus with just £5 deposit Bet Builder across games and even sports Super Sub promotion | Testing suggests slow payouts |
Unibet | £40 free bet welcome bonus Live streaming Best Odds Guaranteed | Lower rated app |
NetBet | Excellent live betting odds Strong English Premier League coverage Clever use of AI tools | No live streaming |
I’ve personally been betting on football for decades, as have other members of our team. I have a passion not only for football bets, but in exploring the very best betting experiences that are out there right now.
And it’s those insights that I, and we, are so keen to pass onto our readers. We want to educate you on the best betting sites in the business, as well as identifying any red flags that confirm which bookmakers should be avoided.
All of the sites are rigorously road tested by us, with hours upon hours spent using their website and/or app, claiming bonuses and placing bets. We’ll test out their customer service, request withdrawals using a number of different payment methods and essentially go through every process that you may experience with them.
And then compile our reviews, which are independent, honest and unbiased. That’s why you can trust us to deliver real-world, thoroughly tested and verified ratings of each individual bookmaker – giving you the insight to make the right decision for you, your money and your betting.
As a guide, here’s just some of the factors we consider:
Betting on football is legal in the UK and has been for many years for anyone aged 18 or over.
There are no legal concerns here, with the Gambling Act 2005 allowing all forms of sports wagering, so you can register for accounts with soccer betting sites and place bets at your leisure.
My advice is to only bet with bookmakers that have been licensed and approved by the UK Gambling Commission, the gambling industry regulator. That way, you know you’re getting the highest standards of care and service.
How do I place an each way bet?
When betting on outright markets, such as Premier League winner, you can bet each way. This will secure a return on your bet if your team finishes in the places (often top two or three). On your betslip, tick the each way box when available.
What are the best betting apps for football in the UK?
According to the App Store and Google Play Store, the best betting apps for football in the UK are bet365, Betfair, Paddy Power and Ladbrokes.
Can I watch football online?
All of the best betting sites have live streaming channels, so you can watch club and international football from around the world for the price of a bet.
What do draw no bet and double chance mean?
The Draw No Bet football betting market means that your stake is returned if the game ends in a draw. In the Double Chance market, your bet is successful if your team either wins or draws the game.
If you want to learn more about betting offers available in the UK right now, you can check out our betting guides: