Compare the best new sports betting sites to launch in the UK, and our exclusive new customer sign up offers below.
There are at least 57 betting sites licensed for the UK markets, accounting for about £3.1 billion gross gambling yield (GGY) alongside bingo and the casino sector. Some remote bookies such as Boylesports and BetVictor started almost a century ago as betting shops. They were the pioneers of online gambling during the internet boom. Others, however, only launched less than a decade ago. Yet, they are just as good as the big fish, proving more innovative in select areas.
In this review, we look at the newest betting sites that are carving out a great reputation within the punter community in the UK. We also let you know the factors we consider in our ranking, whether signing up on a new betting site is worth it, and the gambling websites providers you want to steer off.
We have to use criteria for picking the best new bet sites, or this review wouldn't make any sense. The few points below are the factors that matter the most to a punter, so you may use them when selecting your favourite bookie.
Nothing would make it into this list that we didn't think was legit. A legitimate new bookie, in our case, has to be licensed for the UK market by a trusted authority such as the UK Gambling Commission or the Malta Gambling Authority.
Regulation by trusted authorities also shows that the new betting site is secure. They had to meet specific safety criteria in adherence to fair play, data privacy, timely payouts, and customer support before getting the licence.
Complimenting the legality of the bookmakers is their reputation. You don't want to go with a betting site that has only recently had outages. Some new betting sites such as 666Bet, or MoPlay have even gone bust, yet they were perceived as high profile. An unreliable site could go six feet under along with your money at any time.
Moreover, this reputation should extend to the ability to keep things running smoothly during busy seasons with the help of redundancy technology.
With dozens of new betting sites to pick from, you are spoilt for choices and should, therefore, not have to settle for anything less.
Bookmakers that pride themselves as competent should keep exciting betting offers and promotions coming your way all week, including a welcome offer when signing up, Acca Insurance, Best Odds Guaranteed, and Odds Boosts, among others.
We are talking about the ease and flexibility of use here. Everything should be straightforward, from signing up and depositing to finding markets, betting, and withdrawing funds. The overall interface should not be too cluttered, and the site should be mobile optimised.
A good bookie should have mobile betting apps, too, and it has to match or beat the desktop site's user experience (UX). After all, the majority of online bettors use their mobile phones.
This is arguably the baseline for determining if a bookie is your perfect fit because you can't get anywhere with a site that doesn't have the sports you like or the types of bets you prefer.
What's more, a wide selection of sports and markets means you have more room for exploring to keep the thrill going even when your favourite sport is not in season.
All online sports bookmakers calculate probabilities and odds differently, using expert knowledge and algorithms. They also add what is known as a “betting margin” which is the percentage difference between the odds they lay and the actual probability of the event happening.
The lower the betting margin, the better, as it means you’ll get more money back when you win. In general, look for sites with a betting margin of less than 8%, as a minimum guide.
For added fun and entertainment, you should look for UK online sports betting sites that have extra features such as betting tips, expert opinions, statistical analysis, forums, and live streaming of sporting events.
We are used to having various payment options, especially when using online platforms. Plenty of payment options makes it easier and faster to deposit and withdraw money. It also means you are more likely to find a channel that you are already familiar with instead of creating accounts from scratch. E-wallets such as Netteller, Skrill, and Paypal are must haves.
You might come into challenges at any point during your interaction with a betting site, which is why you need customer support that is responsible, helpful, fast, and easy to reach. Today, the ability to communicate over the phone, email, live chat, and social media accounts is the standard. You should also be able to access this customer support 24/7.
It would help if your betting site had Live Streaming for your favourite sport because premium TV channel subscriptions can be overwhelming. Additionally, Live Streaming allows you to make timely, prudent decisions when placing in-play bets or using the cashout feature.
The ultimate goal when betting is to win big, which is why the best UK betting companies provide the highest rewards on betting outcomes. Betting margins matter, too. Sites with very high betting margins mean that you may end up losing more in the long term.
Old-timers such as BetVictor, Bet365, Paddy Power, Ladbrokes, Betfair, and William Hill, for instance, have established a reputation for providing the best value odds. The new UK betting sites that also cut close are Quinnbet, Vbet, and Virgin Bet.
Our list of the top ten new sports betting sites (above) is the best place to start when looking for a new place to wager money on sports. We take into account all of the important points noted above, saving you the effort of putting in hours of research.
There are more and more new online sports bettings sites being launched all the time in the UK. To help you keep up to date with all the new and exciting online sports betting providers, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide.
Sports betting is one of the most popular ways to gamble in the UK with almost £14 billion spent on it per year. Increasingly, people are choosing to place their sports bets online rather than through a high street or corner betting shop.
All the ten betting sites mentioned on this page have done well in several key areas to qualify for the best new bookies in the UK. Here is a summary of those who performed best in specific areas:
Launched in 2018, BetUK is one of the latest betting sites to enter the UK market, focusing on sports alongside casino games. It is the best place to go for Acca boost deals. Moreover, eSports lovers will be glad to know that the site is also our top pick for the niche. There are 30 different sports to bet on, making the site's sportsbook almost as comprehensive as the established betting sites such as Bet365.
All the major sports are included on BetUK, including football, horse racing, rugby, tennis, MMA, boxing, cricket, and more. There are also several niche sports such as futsal, volleyball, and trotting. What's more, you will typically find as many as 300 betting markets for popular sports such as football. However, at 7.25%, the betting margins are slightly higher than the industry average.
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Virgin bet is another of the newer bookies that have made great strides in a short time, having entered the betting scene in June 2019. It is among several gambling sites that can be traced back to the reputable UK-based Gamesys Group Plc.
It stacks well against the more recognised names in the betting industry. Its most outstanding features are:
Virgin bet also has comprehensive offerings on at least 30 sports and alternative betting markets.
Newcomers on Virgin Bet will also be glad to know that the site has a relatively low minimum deposit of £5, making it easier to get started.
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The SBK mobile-only platform was launched in August 2019, thanks to Smarkets, one of the largest betting exchange operators in the world. One outstanding thing about the platform is that it lets punters post tips. There is even a leaderboard so that you can follow the biggest winners, losers, and other mates.
Another of the platform's distinguishing features are the top rates that users enjoy, including best price guarantees and great value odds in general. Moreover, a loyalty program rewards you £10 for referring a friend.
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Another one for the spread betting lovers, QuinnBet, is a family-run Irish bookie launched in 2017. It is an all-in-one brand that provides a sportsbook, casino, and lottery platform. Among their unique selling points are generous promo offers, excellent support, value bets and virtual sports.
Punters on QuinnBet also enjoy many horse racing promotions, a cash-out feature, a low minimum stake of £0.10, and select types of betting insurance.
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21.co.uk is the best new kid on the block when it comes to online sports betting in the UK. As well as an excellent sportsbook, they also offer casino and slots games with top quality graphics and software.
One of the main attractions of 21.co.uk is the range of sports available in its sportsbook, from small, obscure sporting events to major tournaments.
The site caters to both beginner and seasoned sports bettors with lots of handy guides to explain betting processes and some of the more complicated sports bets, as well as a team of experts who provide betting tips and advice on upcoming events.
21.co.uk is fully licensed by the UKGC which means your account money is protected and you’re guaranteed to get a fair betting experience. The minimum deposit amount is £10, with the same withdrawal minimum.
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Parimatch is the number one place online to bet on UFC and MMA fights, as well as cricket. They have built a good reputation by offering the most favourable odds on mixed martial arts events and tournaments. Parimatch is an old, well-established bookmaker, launched in Eastern Europe in 1996 with an online presence launched in 2000, but have only recently been licensed to operate in the UK.
Parimatch has also released a convenient mobile app, so you can place your sports bets wherever you may be.
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Kwiff is an exciting new online sports betting as they focus on offering a fun, action-packed experience with plenty of innovative features and juicy promotions.
The main selling point of Kwiff is the quality of the promotions. When you place your bet, there is a chance that you will be randomly “Kwiffed”, which means you get a supercharged boost to the laid odds. You can also get “Kwiffed” when you cash out funds, with extra money added to your withdrawal amount.
Also, the site runs regular sports-specific promotions such as Goal Frenzy and Money Back, which means you get a free football bet if your side loses after holding a winning score at half-time.
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Starting as a South African bookmaker, Hollywoodbets has now launched in the UK and they offer a great online sports betting experience for UK punters.
With more than 300 betting markets and an outstanding bet builder feature, Hollywoodbets is a sportsbook that will continue to grow in popularity.
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Betiton had its UK launch in 2020 and has already become the go-to online sports betting site for many British punters. They offer a wide range of sports, more than 20, with hundreds of betting markets available.
Betiton also offers some of the most favourable odds online with a betting margin of less than 5%.
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Casumo Sports ventured into the world of online sports betting in the UK in 2019 and has gained an impressive reputation for offering good player satisfaction and excellent customer support.
Casumo Sports is notable for the sheer number of betting options available. For instance, each Premier League football match has more than 100 betting market options available. There are also a lot of American sports available for sports betting on both the site and the mobile app.
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If you’re keen to place sports bets online, then you have quite a wide range of online sports betting sites and online bookmakers to choose from. But even with so much choice, it’s common for people to find an online sportsbook that they like then stick with that one over the long term. This can be a big mistake.
There are numerous reasons why you should consider looking for new online sports betting sites to play on, changing regularly or periodically.
With so many online betting sites out there, online sports betting providers are falling over themselves to offer high-value deals, promotions, and welcome bonuses. To try and make a big impact and build their reputation quickly when launching into the betting market, many new sites offer very generous bonuses and innovative promotions these days.
The kinds of deals that new online sports betting sites offer include no-deposit welcome bonuses, large deposit-match bonuses, free bets, cash-back offers, and generous loyalty or reward programs.
Let’s face it, any new online sports betting site in the UK needs to do something special to stand out from the crowd. One way for a new online bookmaker to make a good name for themselves is to go all-in on delivering an excellent user experience and add fun features to their sportsbooks.
Traditionally, sports betting has been a bit dry and straightforward compared to casino betting. These days, many of the new sites are offering features and promotions that ramp up the fun factor.
Some sites now offer things like Random Odds Boosts, where you get a chance of receiving better odds than quoted when you place your bet.
Again, in an attempt to stand out in the marketplace and lure people away from more established online bookmakers, new sites often deliver highly competitive odds with low betting margins and wider ranges of betting markets.
It’s not uncommon for new sites to have dozens of sports on offer, with hundreds of betting market options for each sport.
Another reason to sign up for new online sports betting sites is the fact that newer sites and mobile apps will have more cutting-edge technology. For instance, most new sports betting sites offer live-streaming of sporting events embedded in their app, as well as numerous virtual sports and eSports to bet on.
The reliability of new betting sites is also higher as they are built using modern software frameworks, with faster processing and better mobile responsiveness.
The newer online sports betting websites tend to be more up-to-date with the latest payment methods for deposits and withdrawals. For instance, many new sites offer direct bank transfers using open-banking processors such as Trustly, whereas the older sites may not.
Also, many new online sports gambling sites give you the option of depositing or withdrawing funds using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum.
New online sports betting providers will usually have a wider range of customer support options, such as 24/7 live chat, social media, email, and phone support. They also focus on providing short response and resolution times.
Online sports betting is the act of placing a real money wager on the outcomes of a future sporting event or series of events. You can bet on a wide variety of sports online including horse racing, football, tennis, cricket, golf, motorsports, darts, snooker - you name the sport and there’s probably a site that offers bets on it, including more obscure sports like arm wrestling or water polo.
The bet could be as simple as picking the winner of a horse race to more complex bets such as a football accumulator which involves correctly picking the winners of several games or correctly guessing the number of corners or fouls that will occur during a football match.
If you correctly predict the outcome of the future event you win the amount which is predetermined by the odds. For example, if you bet £10 on a 3-to-1 shot, you’ll get £30 if you win and nothing if you lose.
In just a moment we’re going to give you our top ten rankings of new online sports betting sites, along with a short description of the benefits of playing at those sites.
But first, we’re going to briefly explain how we compare the different sites and pick the best ones.
Firstly, we place a big focus on the safety and security of online sports betting sites. At the end of the day, we don’t want you falling foul of dodgy sites that will rip you off and take your money with no chance of winning. That’s why we only list sites that are licensed to offer gambling services in the UK by the Gambling Commission (UKGC).
To obtain a UKGC license, companies must prove that they run a fair service, keep customers’ funds safe and secure and that they comply with all the UK regulations. The UK is one of the safest and best places in the world to gamble online.
Then we compare the features that the online sports betting site offers, the range of sports available, the variety of betting options, the speed of identity verification, the speed of deposits and withdrawals, and the level of customer service.
There is no doubt that old, reputable betting companies such as Ladbrokes and Coral offer more assurance as far as security, betting odds, and range of sports and markets goes. They've got to be doing something right to last all those years and amass hundreds of thousands of users.
However, this also means that they are more rigid to change. After all, whatever they have been doing works just fine! Yet, you get a lot of energy, innovation, and novel ideas with new betting sites. New bookmakers often have to provide exciting services, offers, value odds, and bets, among other things that the old dogs have not dominated already.
For instance, thepools came with footie5, a proprietary pools betting game. Spreadex borrows from forex to offer spread betting. SBK has an amazing mobile app experience, while VBet is great with virtual sports.
White label solutions enable bookies to launch fast and easily because they only focus on marketing. In the meantime, the solutions provider deals with the licensing, website, and sportsbook. FSB Technology, SB Tech, Betconstruct, Oddsatrics, and TG Lab are reputable providers.
There is a caveat when dealing with bookies from white label solutions: they often result in websites and services that resemble each other. This is especially disastrous when the same problem keeps recurring among bookies, as with betting sites from Progress Play Limited.
Betting sites that partner with Progress Play - like 2Kbet, Betwin, BetStorm, and BetDukes - have consistently garnered negative reviews. One of the issues that keep coming up, for example, is that they charge customers for deposits and withdrawals. You might want to avoid Progress Play's sportsbooks to be on the safe side.
Steven is responsible for all content on BettingGuide UK. He is an experienced iGaming content writer that has been working in the industry since 2018. If you have any questions regarding online gambling in the UK, don't hesitate to contact him.