UK Gambling Sites – Online Betting and Sportsbooks
You can place bets on all sorts of things at UK gambling sites — the most high-profile competitions in the world like Wimbledon and the World Cup, motorsports like Formula 1 and MotoGP, niche sports like handball and Gaelic hurling, and even non-sporting events like elections.
If you’re new to online betting, the magnitude of choice can be a little overwhelming, so we’ve run through some of the best sports you’ll find at gambling websites below.
The Best Sports to Bet On at UK Gambling Sites
Football
There’s no doubt football is the biggest game in the world, with an estimated 4 billion fans spread across the globe. In the UK alone, roughly 40% of the country watched live coverage of the Premier League in 2021, so it comes as no surprise the sport has a strong presence at UK gambling sites — in fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a bookie that doesn’t offer bets on football.
Naturally, nearly every gambling site covers the major events and leagues including:
- FA Cup
- UEFA Champions League
- UEFA Europa League
- Premier League
- La Liga
- Bundesliga
- FIFA World Cup
Many UK gambling sites also offer markets on less high-profile matches around the world, and if it’s kicking off, there’s a strong chance you can place a bet on it. Supporting your home team in one of the regional contests like National League North or South? Want to wager on something further afield like the Japan J-League, the India Delhi A Division, or the Cambodia Cup? There are hundreds of matches available to punters at UK gambling sites.
You’ll also find plenty of diversity in terms of the bets you can make. Of course, you can keep things simple with a wager on the outcome of the match — but if you’re looking for something more adventurous, there are some weird and wonderful markets. You can bet on in-match events like own goals or red cards; over/unders like number of corners, goals, or free kicks; or even drill down to specific actions a particular player will take during the match. Combine several of these in an accumulator and the ways you can bet on football are virtually limitless.
Golf
Another huge sport at gambling sites is golf. As the linksmen do their best to make it round the course in as few shots as possible, you’ll be able to place bets on a variety of events and situations. There are plenty of occasions throughout the year, offering punters a wealth of opportunities to wager on golf.
There are four Majors: the Masters, the US Open, the British Open, and the USPGA Championship — and these four high-profile tournaments are a great time to watch out for bonuses and free bets at gambling websites. There’s plenty more in the golfing calendar, including the Ryder Cup, the BMW PGA Championship, the World Golf Championship, not to mention the booming LPGA golf scene.
The simplest option is a straight-up bet on a particular golfer to win the tournament, but you can also place an each-way bet if you’re less certain they’ll take the number one spot. There are plenty of other options focused on specific players, like:
- First round leader
- Top 10 and top 20 finishes
- To make the cut
- Dual forecast – two players to come first and second in any order
- To get a hole in one
- Nationality of winner
Match-ups or straight forecasts can be another highly exciting bet, where you’ll pit two players against each other — the bet comes good if your chosen golfer beats the other at the end of the tournament. Similar permutations exist, including 3-ball bets and 2, 3, 4, or 5 vs the field. In any case, there’s never a shortage of options when you bet on golf.
Tennis
Tennis is a wildly popular betting market for punters across the world, especially Brits — two weeks of the year give way to the prestigious Wimbledon tournament every summer, played on grass courts at the All England Club.
With legendary players like Nadal and Federer close to retirement, tennis is certainly an exciting market to keep an eye on. Rising star Emma Raducanu caused a stir in 2021, claiming victory at the US Open without losing a single set throughout the tournament. Alongside Wimbledon and the US Open, there are two other Grand Slams: the Australian Open and the French Open. Throw in contests like the ATP and WTA World Tours, the Challenger Tour, and the Davis Cup, and there’s a plethora of tennis betting opportunities at gambling sites.
The markets on offer are somewhat simpler than other sports, with straight bets and over/under bets making up the majority. Punters can place bets on who will win the match, the total number of games, who will break their opponent’s serve first, and more. Those looking for longer odds might be interested in the score prediction markets — you can place a bet on the final results, the score of specific sets, or even the score of a player’s first service game.
Rugby
While it’s certainly not on the scale of football, rugby has a passionate fan base and many UK punters tune in for the top tournaments — like the Six Nations and the Rugby World Cup — aided by live streaming coverage at top gambling sites.
Many bookmakers will distinguish between rugby league and rugby union on their sites, and there are a few key differences between the two:
|
Rugby League |
Rugby Union |
Players per side |
13 |
15 |
Substitutions allowed |
10 |
8 |
Try |
4 points |
5 points |
Conversion |
2 points |
2 points |
Penalty |
2 points |
3 points |
Drop goal |
1 point |
3 points |
There are other rules too:
- Union has rucks when players are tackled, whereas league involves the ‘chicken scratch’.
- Union uses lineouts when the ball is kicked off the pitch, while league restarts play with a scrum involving eight players.
- Teams in rugby league must give up ball possession after being tackled six times; there’s no such limit in rugby union.
Union is more popular across the globe, with international competitions like Six Nations and the World Cup are played in this format. There’s also the Premiership, pitting English teams like Harlequins, Wasps, and London Irish against each other. League maintains a strong following in the UK, as well as Australia and New Zealand, with tournaments such as the National Rugby League and State of Origin.
As for betting options, there’s a wide array: match winner bets are the most popular, but you can also wager on things like winning margin, half time/full time score, handicaps, and over/under bets.
Horse Racing
Horse racing is another sport with fervent support from UK punters. A mainstay at pretty much every gambling site, there’s a rich history to horse racing — as evidenced by prestigious events such as Royal Ascot, with the Queen and Royal Family often in attendance. Five days of racing make up Royal Ascot, including numerous Grade I courses like the Commonwealth Cup and the Coronation Stakes.
Aside from Ascot, there’s plenty more to bet on, both at home and internationally. The Grand National is one of the most popular races to bet on for horse racing fans and non-fans alike, taking place at Aintree Racecourse every year. There’s also Cheltenham Festival, a National Hunt festival which takes place over four days, and the Epsom Derby. Further afield, you’ve got betting opportunities in the Kentucky Derby across the pond, the Melbourne Cup down under, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in France, and much more.
In terms of bets, many punters stick to simply backing a horse, either to win, to place, or an each-way bet where half your stake is allocated to both outcomes. Other bets often involve backing multiple horses: forecasts and tricasts let you predict two or three horses, specifying place order or not (a reverse forecast or tricast); doubles, trebles, and accumulators let you combine bets across multiple races, with the possibility of huge payouts if all of them come good.
As for promotions, best odds guaranteed is probably the most common — that’s where you’re paid out at the best odds on the horse if it wins, no matter when you placed the bet. Acca insurance is another popular promotion, refunding your bet if just one leg of your accumulator fails.
American Football
It’s no secret the Super Bowl is one of the biggest events in America’s sporting calendar, but as each year passes, American football’s rising popularity in the UK continues to accelerate. Perhaps it’s the grandeur and pomp of the half-time show that first draws punters in, and they’re hooked once the action begins. There’s a large social aspect to the Super Bowl too, with many bars and pubs broadcasting the match — so it’s often a great time to pick up a mobile betting bonus.
The Super Bowl is the play-off match to determine the winner of the National Football League (NFL), preceded by a three-week preseason and 18-week regular season. The title is contested by 32 teams, split between the AFC and NFC — the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers currently have the most Super Bowl wins with six each. You might also be able to place bets on college football at the best gambling sites, including the NCAA.
There’s a wealth of betting options to keep things interesting too, including:
- Match winner
- Outright
- Spread bets and handicaps
- Under/over markets
- Player props like passing/receiving yards, tackles, and assists
- To go to overtime
- Player to be crowned MVP
Greyhounds
Greyhound racing isn’t dissimilar to horse racing — punters bet on which dog will make it round the track first. It evolved from a type of hunting called coursing, where dogs would chase hares. While the sport maintains a lower profile than many others found at gambling sites, it remains popular in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and the US, with these countries providing most of the betting opportunities to punters.
The biggest UK greyhound racing events you can place bets on are the Scottish, English, and Irish Greyhound Derbies. These run over six rounds and around 180 dogs race in each. There are also Category One, Two, and Three races, run over 1–4 rounds and with less prize money.
Australia has a wealth of events — the Melbourne Cup, Australian Cup, and Perth Cup prize pools run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Meanwhile in the US, only two racing tracks will remain active once Arkansas’s track closes at the end of the 2022 season.
Greyhound racing bets also have much crossover with horse racing: wins, places, and each-ways are all available, as are forecasts and tricasts, accas, and more. You’ll often find similar promotions too, including best odds guaranteed and acca insurance.