NEWSWhat Are the Most Trusted Bookmakers in the UK?
Aug. 21 2024, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
Online sports betting has largely overtaken betting shops, at least in the UK. In the past couple of decades, it’s an industry on the rise, posting higher and higher profits year by year. Which isn’t a surprise considering how many great options they have to offer.
There are more betting markets at online bookies than betting shops ever offered. Live betting is particularly popular, but you can also bet on numerous team and individual events for possibly amazing returns. On top of that, the market is flooded with great betting sites. Not that you should pick the first one you see, of course. If you’re looking to join a new bookie, we suggest taking a look at the following trusted sites.
Betfred
Betfred is one of the oldest bookmakers in the UK. Like many others, it opened its first betting shop in the UK in Ordsall (Salford) in 1967. The company was founded by Fred Done whose legacy lives on in the name. Year by year and decade by decade, Betfred’s influence grew. In 2024, it’s one of the largest online bookmakers on the market.
Betfred’s revenue grew over £10 billion in 2019, making it one of the most successful betting sites on the UK market. It offers betting on just about any sport and market you can think of, with a particular focus on the Premier League. The PL is represented by thousands of markets and market-specific bonuses and offers. Licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, it’s a bookmaker you can trust, with some of the most competitive odds on the market.
Coral
Coral is a chain of betting shops that has grown into an online betting juggernaut in the United Kingdom. Owned by Entain, it originally started its betting shop operations in 1926. It still holds around 2,000 betting shops across the country, but has grown even more popular after it went online.
The Coral betting app is the go-to for PL betting for thousands of UK bettors. It allows you to bet on all the most popular football markets, including the PL, the Champions League, and all the major European leagues. It’s not just football, of course. You can also put your money on basketball, tennis, cricket, Esports, and even politics. Coral has it all, and these markets all come with competitive or even higher odds than the rest of bookies on this list.
With stellar reputation, Coral is one of the most trusted bookmakers on the UK market. If you’re looking for a reputable option to start with, we can’t recommend it more.
William Hill
If we had to pick one UK betting site with a huge global influence, it would be William Hill. It’s not that Betfred, Coral, or any of the other betting sites aren’t popular. But, William Hill is a household name in both the UK and around the world.
The William Hill brand was founded by William Hill, a factory worker in 1934. Hill collected illegal bets from local people on his motorcycle as a young man. His ventures grew over the years to the point of him opening an illegal gambling den in London in 1934. Those were the originals of William Hill, a brand whose name will grow in the coming decades.
The bookie is currently considered as a leading trusted betting site with a proper UKGC license. Focused on football, William Hill has some of the best odds on the Premier League and Champions League. Those are boosted by all kinds of special offers that offer the ultimate gambling experience. It’s a premier betting brand you can trust, available on your desktop or mobile devices.
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Betway
Betway is a much younger gambling company than most of the bookies on this list. It was founded in 2006, offering sports betting, casino gambling, and bingo games online. Even though it’s less than two decades old, it has found its way to the heart of sports betting fans.
Betway has a legit UKGC license and is accredited by eCOGRA. It offers sports betting on all the markets you can think of, with competitive odds on football. UK tennis and cricket fans will find plenty of reasons to enjoy the bookmaker, with great odds on the largest events in these sports.
It’s a trusted betting site with everything you might expect from such a large operator. If you’re looking for a bookie truly focused on its online betting operations, Betway is a great choice.
Paddy Power
Paddy Power is a bookmaker founded in 1988. While it originally started as an Irish bookie, it grew into a UK phenomenon later. While it owns hundreds of betting shops across the UK, Paddy Power’s online betting influence is massive.
The app offers betting on major markets, including football, tennis, basketball, cricket, and horse betting events. The latter are among the most popular ones on the platform. Paddy Power covers all the major horse races with competitive odds and matching bonuses and promotions.
Football is not far behind in terms of popularity at the platform. Paddy Power covers the Premier League in full along with a variety of major and minor tournaments and competitions, making it one of the best there is on the UK market.
Betfair
Betfair is another trusted gambling company coming out of the UK. Founded in 2000, it’s behind the world’s largest online betting exchange. For those unaware, betting exchanges have much higher odds and margins than betting sites, and Betfair is the leader in that field.
In 2016, Betfair merged with Paddy Power to create Flutter Entertainment. It’s now one of the most valued online gambling companies. Betfair continues to offer services under its own name, with betting on football, cricket, horse racing, and all other sports popular in the UK.
Its odds are competitive and the deals often better than the competition. It’s a great pick for anyone who wants to see how a good betting exchange looks like and punters who want to try something entirely different.
