What makes an online bookie top of the shop? Is it the amount of money they give you as a welcome bonus? Is it the different types of promotions they offer? Is it that the site is safe and secure and treats your personal details as they would their own? Is it that they allow you to place a bet at anytime, anywhere and on any device you want to use? Is it that when you have a problem a dedicated team of experts will answer any query you can have and will treat you as an individual?
We think all of these are important! Plus, a lot more… This is why our reviews are like an M.O.T you have for your car! We check the tyre pressure, open the bonnet to check the spark plugs, we even make sure there isn’t a dead body in the boot! All so you can have the best experience when betting on sports online.
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How to Determine a Top Online Betting Site?
When most people consider what makes a great betting site they often concentrate just on the total amount of money a bookmaker will give you to use. This can be a big mistake as almost any bonus will come with terms and conditions attached to them. This is where we shine, we spend hours reading all the small print in these offers so you don’t have to. We’ve been in the same situation as you and have been caught out with silly rules which with hindsight we could have avoided. We share our expertise with you on this site.
Safety and Security Online
The top online betting sites treat your safety and security as their first priority and invest in the very latest technology to make your betting experience as secure as it would be if you walked into a bookmaker on the High Street.
For a company to be trusted by hundreds of thousands of customers they use the latest fraud protection measures and monitor any suspicious activity on your account. One impact this may have on you as a player is when you ask to make a withdrawal, the likelihood is that the bookmaker will ask you to verify your identity. This can be a bit of a pain but it is to comply with their licensing obligations. Many companies allow you to verify documents with them in advance, the good thing is you only have to do this once.
There are also steps you can take to protect yourself;
- Beware of any scheme either online or in person that guarantees you will win at betting.
- Be vigilant and suspicious about betting schemes that offer insider secrets to you. Why would someone sell their secrets? It is also against the rules for example in horse racing for people to pass on sensitive information.
- Don’t place bets on behalf of someone else, particularly someone you don’t know. Many criminal gangs will claim they are too well known to bet either in a shop or online.
Licensing
No bookie would be in our top 5 if they weren’t licensed! As of 2014 any online bookmaker that offers services to UK players has to be licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. This change has meant that the UK is now one of the safest places in the world to place a bet. The UK Gambling Commission logo is a guarantee that the site meets strict criteria. If you don’t see the logo, you can also check the Gambling Commission’s website and search for an operator.
Wagering Requirements
One of the most contentious topics when it comes to online betting is the introduction of “wagering requirements” or “play through”. These terms describe the amount of bets you have to place until your winnings become unlocked.
If you are new to betting online, you would be forgiven for thinking that if you opened up an account with an online bookmaker and were skilful (or lucky) enough to win, you could then just withdraw those winnings right? Well the sad fact is “not always”. Many internet based gambling companies will restrict any withdrawals until you have made a certain amount of bets, this is described as a X (times) and then a number. Let me explain more;
A company called “Bozza Bets” is offering to double (100%) your first deposit. Thinking this is a great deal you deposit £100. True to their word, they match your first deposit and you have £200 to bet with.
You place a bet of £200 on the mighty Grimsby Town F.C. to beat bottom of the table Kidderminster Harriers F.C. You receive odds of 2/1. When Grimsby do win, you think you have won £600 (£400 winnings and your £200 stake returned). However, when you log in to see your account, you don’t see any withdrawable balance.
What you didn’t realise at the time was that “Bozza Bets” have a 10x wagering requirement in place on both the bonus they give you AND the amount you deposited. So before you can withdraw any of this win you have to place bets totalling £2000. Once you have done this, you can withdraw your winnings. That is a lot of online betting!
“But this is so unfair”, yes we hear you! However, there are a few things you can do!
- Choose a bookmaker with no wagering requirement – There are online betting sites that don’t have a wagering requirement (such as Betway), our reviews clearly state what the wagering requirements are.
- Choose a bookmaker with a reasonable wagering requirement – We would suggest that x4 is the highest you should choose. The top bookies don’t have extortionate play through amounts.
- Do not accept the bonus – If you are a casual punter, this may be the best option for you. If you bet with only your own money, then of course there are no restrictions on your winnings.
But don’t worry! Our reviews will clearly show you the bonus terms and conditions of each site we review.
Qualifying Bets:
As well as having a wagering requirement, some sites will also place restrictions on what markets you can use your bonus or free bet on. They may also stipulate that the event you bet on has odds above a certain amount. This would typically be something like 1/2 (1.5) although this can vary. So if you imagine a scenario where there is only one game left of the premiership and the leaders are 6 points ahead of their nearest rival, the odds are going to be very short (perhaps 1/1000), so you won’t be able to place all your bet on this dead cert. Again, as with the wagering requirements we will cover this in detail in our reviews.
Expiry Date:
So you have made sure you understand the wagering requirement, you know that the qualify bet is fine, that must be it, right? Not quite! Another fly in the ointment is that some bonuses and free bets have an expiry date. This is the amount of time that you have to use the bonus or free bet and also play through any wagering requirement. So if you are a very casual punter who is only likely to place one or two bets a month then finding an online bookie with a long duration on the offer is a must. However, if you are planning more frequent bets then you may be able to pick up a more generous offer by choosing a deal with a short expiry date. As the saying goes, “different horses for different courses”. I know you will be sick of me repeating but once again we will cover all this information in the individual online bookmakers’ reviews.
Bonus Amount:
Any person who bets regularly will tell you that an element of planning is vital if you are considering bashing the bookies. Even if you are a casual player, a bit of forward planning can ensure you are choosing the right bonus for you. As the wagering requirement can have a huge impact on the amount of bets you have to make to satisfy the wagering conditions, a smart move is to ensure you only take a bonus amount that you can play through. Now if this a bit complicated, let’s see a couple of examples.
I see bookmaker 1 is offering a 100% first deposit match up to £200. I know the wagering requirement is 5x my deposit and bonus. So here is a breakdown of what this means to the amount I have to bet;
Amount needed to satisfy wagering requirements X5.
| Amount Deposited | Matched Bonus | Total Value of Bets Needed |
|---|---|---|
| £5 | £5 | £50 |
| £10 | £10 | £100 |
| £50 | £50 | £500 |
| £100 | £100 | £1000 |
| £200 | £200 | £2000 |
So as you can see, taking the £200 bonus is only good if I intend to place £2000 worth of bets within the expiry time frame. A play-through of x5 is not unusual, let’s see the figures if the wagering requirement was set at x10.
Amount needed to satisfy wagering requirements X10.
| Amount Deposited | Matched Bonus | Total Value of Bets Needed |
|---|---|---|
| £5 | £5 | £100 |
| £10 | £10 | £200 |
| £50 | £50 | £1000 |
| £100 | £100 | £2000 |
| £200 | £200 | £4000 |
We would not recommend any site with a wagering requirement above x5. In fact, the highest play-through requirement in our chosen online bookies is a very reasonable x4 and three of our chosen sites have no wagering requirements at all!
Deposits and Withdrawals
Online betting is not the taboo subject it once was and it is so easy to fund your account. Each one of our chosen sites accepts all the major credit cards. You can also use e-wallets if you prefer to use separate money rather than your bank account/credit card company. In our reviews we list all accepted payment methods. Although the sites do not charge for depositing and withdrawing, some credit card companies may charge you as if it was a cash advance. If you are in any doubt about this then you should contact the company who issued your card, just to be on the safe side.
Different Bonus Offers
Welcome Bonus: This is the most common bonus and is available to new customers only. As this is an incentive to join the bookmaker, I have no doubt that this will be the most generous bonus you will receive with them. Many players, myself included, are bonus hunters and will have accounts with many different online bookies to take advantage of these special offers.
Remember though, many of the deals have an expiry period so I don’t recommend taking lots of these offers at the same time, as you may not be able to satisfy the wagering requirements with several companies all at once.
The amount offered on the welcome bonus will vary from one company to the next but typically range from £20 to over £200. As these are for your first deposit only, take as much as you can afford but remember about the wagering requirement (if any) and the expiry duration. All bookmakers have very strict rules about having more than one account. So while it may be tempting to open another account, using a different card, to receive another bonus, we strongly advise against this! They will find out eventually and will close your account and you may forfeit any winnings or balance in that account.
Some companies even restrict the welcome offer to one per household, email address or credit card so caution is advised if you live in a house with a few people who love a flutter, like I do!
Enhanced Odds
Some companies (such as 888sport) don’t offer a welcome bonus at all, instead they offer enhanced odds on your first bet. At 888sport it is a huge x3! This means if you wish to bet on an event that is 7/1, you will receive odds of 21/1 with them. This can really boost your bankroll if you predict correctly.
Another form of enhanced odds is when bookies are doing “special offers” on certain events, for example in the Manchester derby you may see Manchester City player Aguero’s odds lengthened from 4/1 to 7/1 to encourage you to bet on that. These promotions are getting more and more common at all the top online bookmakers sites and serve as another reason to shop around for the best prices.
Bet Refunds & Free Bets
One of my favourite promotions is when a betting site offers to refund losing bets if a certain thing happens. This offer is used extensively in football, for example, the bookmaker may refund all losing first goal scorer bets if Jamie Vardy scores first in the Leicester V Liverpool game. So imagine you have £20 on Sturridge to score first but Jamie Vardy does, I would receive a free bet for £20.
Another twist on this is that certain betting sites will give you a second chance. So using our previous example, if Jamie Vardy fails to score the first goal but bags the second then you will receive a refund on your bet.
We all love a freebie don’t we? Free bets are often offered on events and changes from site to site but they all tend to work the same. You have to place a couple of qualifying bets, the bookmaker will then credit you a free bet. This has on several occasions enticed me to play a market I wouldn’t normally bet on and can make a refreshing change.
Promotions
All the top sites run promotions throughout the sporting calendar and some of the ingenious promotions include;
Acca insurance – If you are let down by one leg of an accumulator bet, you will receive a refund in the form of a free bet.
VIP Schemes – Imagine a Tesco’s club card but for betting! Many of the online bookies offer a VIP scheme in which bets equal points. There are different levels of rewards and some offer experiences that money can’t buy.
Best odds / guaranteed – There is nothing worse than backing a horse or a team and you take a certain price and then you see the price drifting. With the BOG offer, if the starting price is better than what you took, they will give you the starting price. So no excuse not to get those bets in early.
Live Betting
One of the reasons I first became a fan of horse racing back in the 80’s was the thrill of going into the High Street bookie, placing a bet then standing in front of the many screens watching the race. Part of the challenge was “beating the bell” or getting my bets on the race before the “off”.
Nowadays, it’s a less stressful experience as the start of an event is no longer the cut off time for placing a bet. You can watch a football match at home on TV and continue betting until the last minute.
What makes an immersive experience is the fact that the odds are constantly changing. If a team that is highly fancied goes a goal down, this can be the perfect opportunity to back them to make a comeback. If you are watching the Merseyside derby and the 20 goal-a-season striker is looking jaded, time to switch bets! All great fun.
Mobile Betting
No online bookmaker worth his salt is ever going to ignore the fact that most of us are using our phones and mobile devices almost constantly. That’s why the best betting sites have great mobile apps that let you place a bet in a matter of seconds.
So there really is no excuse to ever miss out on that hot tip from Dave in the Nag’s Head! Grab your mobile, a few taps on the screen and many online bookies allow you to stream certain events direct to your mobile, now that’s what I call progress.
Conclusion – The Best of the Best Bookmakers
Our top 5 sites are, in our eyes the crème de la crème of the online sports betting world. We feel we have a choice that will suit all players and bankrolls. The wagering requirements range from no requirement to a very reasonable x4, so which ever one you choose, you know it will fair and you can play with confidence.
The minimum deposit for our chosen 5 sites start at a pocket friendly £5, so you don’t need to break the bank just to try them out.
If you still cannot decide which one to choose then please take a look at our in-depth reviews, all the criteria we have discussed is used to evaluate every site. Whichever one (or more) you choose, we know you will be delighted. Good luck and we wish you lots of fun betting online.
FAQ’s
- There must be hundreds if not thousands of sites where I can bet on sports! Why do you only have 5 listed?We agree, there are indeed a huge range of sites which cater for online gambling but there are not many that we wholeheartedly recommend. We have used sites in the past in which technical issues have caused our bets to be voided, we have used sites in which the customer service has been dealt with by someone in the Cayman Islands who had very little understanding of what we needed and as we mentioned before, we have been stung by unfair terms and conditions, which effectively meant we had no chance of getting our winnings (they limited our stakes to £1 which made reaching the wagering requirement impossible). So we prefer to concentrate and rotate our top 5.
- I’m from the USA, can I use these sites?We are sorry but we only concentrate on the UK market, as we live in the UK and are aware of all the great promotions there. We would rather just concentrate on the UK market rather than talk about something we are unsure of. Sorry once again!
- Is there anything stopping me signing up to more than one offer?Not at all, we would encourage you to shop around with the sites we recommend, the only caution we would advise is to ensure you are aware of wagering requirements and the expiry date of the welcome offers.