Bet365 are one of the biggest bookmakers in the UK. They're a private, family-run company based in Stoke-on-Trent and continue to grow at a rate of knots. They claim to have close to two million customers worldwide
The company began in 1974 as a series of betting shops dotted around the Midlands and North-West. During the late 1990s, a telephone betting division was set up and an online operation followed shortly afterwards. In 2005, bet365 decided to sell their several hundred shops to Coral and instead focus more on their fast-expanding online business.
Bet365 in 2006 started streaming live sports online for free and were one of the first to embrace live streaming online. Today, they stream an incredible number of live events for free.
To watch live streaming sport at bet365 you simply need to Go to Bet365, click on Sports and Live Streaming and you'll be watching live tennis, live football, live darts and more for free within minutes.
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Hits
- Quick, easy-to-use website taking you to wide range of markets
- Strong In-Play betting service, covering virtually every live event.
- Very reputable brand, fair-minded and efficient customer service.
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Ladbrokes are arguably the biggest bookmaker in the world and one of the most reputable brands in the betting industry. In the UK, Ladbrokes have over 2,000 betting shops and are listed on the FTSE 100 Index. They have been established since the 1950’s and their online service has been available since 2000.
Ladbrokes' Live Streaming Sports service is currently limited but we expect this to expand dramatically in the next few months. Read full review »
Hits
- They are a massive betting company and, as such, they’re pretty much the safest ones to bet with.
- Strong customer service, always seems to be well-manned.
- Huge range of languages available and plenty of European focus on sports and markets
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When it comes to bookmakers with experience, they don’t come any bigger than William Hill. The Leeds-based company were founded in 1934 and, like main competitors Ladbrokes, operate over 2,000 licensed betting offices in the UK. In addition to shops and online, Hills have a huge telephone betting operation and claim to now have nearly 300,000 customers.
You can watch live streaming TV at William Hill online when you sign-up to William Hill Read full review »
Hits
- Very simple and easy-to-use website interface
- A strong reputation for being safe, secure and well-established
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Paddy Power have been established since 1988 and are currently Ireland’s largest bookmaker. Although widely respected, they have something of a controversial opinion within the betting industry due to a number of close-to-the-bone marketing campaigns and their tendency to pay out on outcomes before an event has even been settled. Read full review »
Hits
- They have some excellent traders who provide tight odds and a vast range of markets
- Ridiculously early pay-outs – sometimes on matches which haven’t yet taken place! Superb range of special bets
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Betfair is the trading name of Betfair Limited, which was founded in August 1999 by Andrew "Bert" Black and Edward Wray.
Unlike fixed odds bookmakers such as William Hill, Ladbrokes and Coral, betfair is a betting exchange, allowing customers to choose whether to back a selection or instead effectively act as the bookmaker themself and lay a selection instead.
The first ever sporting market traded on betfair was the 2000 Oaks and, in the space of nine years, betfair has become the world's biggest betting exchange and effectively revolutionised the betting industry in the process.
Betfair have a live streaming service Betfair Live TV which is accessible through the Sports Betting menu Read full review »
Hits
- Amazing interface
- Better odds on the more popular markets
- Betfair Starting Price product
- Ability to lay as well as back
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Bwin, formerly known as betandwin, was founded in 1997 and has been listed on the Stock Exchange since 2000. Based in Gibraltar, they are not particularly big in the UK but have huge presence across Europe, especially in countries such as Spain and Germany to the extent where they now claim to have over a million customers worldwide Read full review »
Hits
- Brilliant football coverage - name a league and they''ll have odds
- Comprehensive In-Play product – possibly the most dynamic and complete in the industry
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Stan James is a privately run bookmaker that originally began with a small group of betting shops in Berkshire. Founded by bookie Steve Fisher in 1973, Stan James is still family run and Steve's son Peter is the MD.
Stan James has only a small number of shops in the UK and a larger internet and telephone betting operation in Gibraltar which handles millions of pounds of bets per day. Read full review »
Hits
- Excellent In-Play service, providing tight margins in real time.
- Website interface is attractive and easy-to-navigate
- Generally provide extra value to customers with enhanced odds and special markets
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Blue Square was launched in May 1999 and has grown into one of the biggest online UK betting companies. In January 2003, the company was acquired by Rank, a leading UK entertainment and leisure company. They now claim to have over 750,000 customers and have certainly come a long way since they were established.
Read full review »
Hits
- Strong range of markets
- Plenty of additional content, such as bluesq TV, i-Bar and Radio Centre
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Boylesports has been established since 1989 and they have quickly grown into Ireland's largest independent bookmaker. Although this is partly due to the flotation of Paddy Power, there's no denying that they have ballooned as a company since going online in 2001, especially in 2006 and 2007. Like their main Irish rival, managing director John Boyle is keen to nurture a sense of customer loyalty through competitive products and a top class level of service.
Get your Boylesports £20 free bet now - use code MAXIMUMBONUS on sign-up Read full review »
Hits
- Excellent customer service, including live chat
- Give other bookies a run for their money on the big football matches
- Strong trading department for UK & Irish racing
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Sportingbet was founded in 1998 and the sportsbook website was launched in October that year. They have been listed as a plc on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange since 2001. The company have acquired several smaller betting companies along the way, the most notable being SportingOdds.com in June 2002, which was recently integrated into the SportingBet brand. Read full review »
Hits
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Great odds on a range of sports
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Excellent global coverage – a good bookie to have an account with, no matter what your language or favourite sports are.
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Strong free bet offering of up to £150 in Free Bets
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PartyGaming are best known for PartyPoker, which is just about the biggest online poker room in the world. PartyCasino, PartyBingo and PartyGammon make up their portfolio, and they are licensed and regulated by the Government of Gibraltar.
The company were founded in 1997 and were one of the first gaming operators to produce a significant online offering. They continue to lead the way with their propietary software and are renowned for cutting-edge graphics and functionality. Read full review »
Hits
- Stand-out odds regularly available, especially on the big football matches
- Speedy website and bet placement with a minimum of fuss
- You're betting with one of the biggest and best brands in the gaming industry
- Knowledgeable and polite customer services on a 24/7 basis
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BetCRIS Online Sportsbook was founded in 1985. The sportsbook provides safe, legal, and secure betting on sporting events from practically any location in the world, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Read full review »
Hits
- Very competitive odds – regularly setting the line far in advance
- Excellent range of propositions on US sports
- Customer service is perhaps the best out of any sportsbook we have come across
- There are no limits as to how much you can bet with these guys
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Centrebet went online in 1996 and were the first out of any sportsbook in the southern hemisphere to accept bets over the net. Read full review »
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Expekt.com (as they're keen to call themselves) were founded in 1999 and now claim to have over 1.5 million customers worldwide. Read full review »
Hits
- Range of markets probably leads the way, on selected sports
- One of the industry leaders when it comes to Asian Handicap betting
- Very efficient and polite customer service
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BET24 was founded in 2001 by Holger Kristiansen, the man behind the Danish Odds game “Oddset-spil” which was the most successful game in Denmark during the mid-90s. Today the company servers users in more than 70 countries around the world. BET24 holds a UK and Maltese gaming license. Read full review »
Hits
- Bet slip functionality is neater than most
- Occasionally have standout odds on certain sporting events (you just have to find them!)
- Decent free bet offering
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Bet Direct have been online since 1998 and were acquired by 32 Red in 2006. 32Red subsequenly sold them to Stan James in 2007. Beforehand, they were owned by the Littlewoods group, most famous for the football pools side of the business.
They were one of the first UK companies to set up a telephone betting operation but it is only recently that they have revamped their website to ensure it's of a similar standard to competitors. Read full review »
Hits
- Good all-round bookmaker, offering competitive odds on a range of sports
- Innovative promotions such as free bets on selected races and football cashback offers
- Good greyhound betting and racing service
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Betfred, formerly known as Dones, was established in 1967 by Peter and Fred Done. Now run by Fred, this is a bookmaker to be taken seriously, especially when you consider they are the world’s biggest independent bookmaker with a combined turnover of £1.5billion.
Read full review »
Hits
- Great free bet offering – up to £100. Plus lots of extra free bets and promotions available for existing customers which is good to see
- Competitive odds on UK racing and football, betting to particularly tight margins on Premier League and Champions League
- If you’re a fan of placing multiple bets, you’ll regularly find that Betfred offer to add extra to your coupon winnings, eg check out their 7th Heaven Bonus Coupon where you get enhanced odds providing you place a minimum treble.
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The ‘VC’ in VC Bet stands for Victor Chandler, the person responsible for setting up the company as we know it back in 1946. The operation is now run by his son, another Victor Chandler, and the firm has developed a reputation for honesty, integrity and a willingness to accommodate high-stakes customers. Based in Gibraltar, VC Bet has been online since 1994 and were the first UK bookmaker to offer customers tax-free betting. All new users get an introductory bonus of £100. Read full review »
Hits
- You won't find your account restricted if you hit a winning run
- Impressive range of Asian Handicap markets (where margins are traditionally tighter than normal odds)
- A bookie who look after their customers in terms of cashback offers and good customer service
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Canbet are starting to make waves in the UK market. The sportsbook was established in 1995 and have something of a reputation for accepting huge bets and rarely limiting customers stakes, even if they're winning a whole heap of cash. Read full review »
Hits
- It's very rare that your maximum bet size will be reduced on any sporting event
- There are more handicap and Asian Handicap opportunities than you can shake a stick at
- When you win, the money flies back into your bank account
- Fantastic opening bonuses
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Sporting Index have been around since 1992 and have been the world leaders for sports spread betting for many years. Although this type of wagering is still a fairly niche concept, it appeals greatly to customers looking for extra volatility when it comes to betting on sport.
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Hits
- They are the biggest sports spread betting company in the world; being well-established and FSA-regulated is very important for customers
- An excellent website in terms of colour scheme, lay-out, navigation and bet placement
- Strong range of markets for a range of sports; they have expert traders that cater for every type of customer
- Quality customer service - there's very rarely any hanging around in a call queue
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The tote were originally founded in 1928 after Parliament allowed a company to be created to offer Pools betting on horse racing. In return, Tote promised to return a percentage of profits back into the horse racing industry which they’ve done ever since. ‘The tote’ can still be found at all UK & Irish racecourses and they now have over 450 high street shops. Their online operation was launched under the guise of Tote BetXpress in 2002, with the Totesport brand being officially launched in 2004.
Read full review »
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Hits
- Attractive website, with lovely clean lay-out
- Fantastic reputation and brand within the gaming industry - one that can be trusted
- Bright range of sporting markets with good reliable odds
- Obvious potential for growth and improvement
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Coral (along with William Hill and Ladbrokes) are traditionally one of the ‘Big Three’ bookmakers in the UK. Coral claim to be the fastest growing bookmaker in Britain and now have roughly 1500 betting shops in addition to their telephone and online operation. Read full review »
Hits
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One of the most familiar and respected names in the British bookmaking industry with over 75 years experience.
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First-class racing service, incorporating competitive odds and enhanced place-terms.
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Pinnacle Sports was founded in 1998. The sportsbook is licensed in the Netherlands Antilles and accepts bets from customers all over the world. After their inception, Pinnacle quickly identified an opportunity to provide tighter margins than the vast majority of competitors and, once the customer base had grown, they start to raise their wagering limits to some of the highest in the industry.
Read full review »
Hits
- Extremely good odds on North American sports and Asian Handicaps on football.
- Fantastic $500 bonus – providing you are prepared to deposit $5000!
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BodogLife was founded in 1994 and has its head office based in Antigua. In addition to betting and gaming, Bodog provides a range of entertainment services. Their sportsbook is licensed in the UK, so you can be sure that you’re dealing with an experienced bookmaker within a highly-regulated environment. Read full review »
Hits
- Very easy-to-navigate website for new and existing customers alike.
- Superb North American betting service in terms of odds and range of markets.
- Well-versed and polite customer service.
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Skybet are part of the BSkyB Group Plc and have been online since 1998. They were known as Surrey Bet until 2003 when the acquisition took place. Skybet.com is licensed in the United Kingdom and has a registered address in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. As one of the 20 largest companies in the UK, BSkyB provide a strong degree of credibility, not to mention financial clout to their betting arm. Due to the provision of satellite television, Skybet''s service has also become synonymous with ''pressing the red button'' and betting interactively using the remote control.
Read full review »
Hits
- Competitive odds on English and Scottish football
- Often provide unique propositions on above matches
- Comprehensive racing service for horses and greyhounds
- Smooth registration and bet-placing process
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Betsson are a fast-growing Swedish betting and gaming company, established in 2000. As you can see from their website, they offer a range of products, including sportsbook, exchange, poker, casino and games. There is also a trader facility and a scratchcard feature.
They are licensed within the EU and listed on the Nordic Stock Exchange. They claim to employ over 800 personnel and are especially popular in Scandinavian countries such as Sweden and Denmark
Read full review »
Hits
- Wide range of football leagues covered across Europe.
- Dynamic In-Play product for wide range of sports
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Jennings launched their online operation in Summer 2008 adding to the 70 licensed betting offices and the telephone betting service in place. Read full review »
Hits
- Nice, clean and welcoming website. Includes aesthetically pleasing colour scheme and simple navigation
- Some great odds on horse racing
- Generous new customer bonus, which is better than most competitors
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