Betting Sites in the UK for Football
Betting sites for football have evolved rapidly in the last couple of decades.
Football is both a game of chance and skill and with numerous outcomes and events to predict, it’s perhaps unsurprising that it’s one of the most popular sports to bet on.
The UK is home to a tremendous 40,000 association football clubs – more than any other country. As betting sites have become more sophisticated, they’ve added more games, features and events to bet on, making the UK one of the most exciting countries for football betting.
About the UK Betting Market
The UK betting market is highly regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. The Commission was established in 2005 to regulate all forms of gambling in the country, including betting sites for football. Its main objective is to ensure that gambling is fair and crime-free, especially with regard to money laundering and financial crime, and that players are protected.
The UK has a long history of betting, and today, the industry is a significant contributor to the UK economy, with the total gross gambling yield in the country estimated to be around £14.5 billion in 2020.
Sports betting profits were led by football (£1.2 billion), the most popular sport in the UK.
The Growth of Online Betting
Online betting has fuelled massive growth in the industry, with profit yields increasing by over 60% in the last 10 years. The industry employs over 120,000 and contributes around £2 to £3 billion in tax each year.
There are around 6,700 betting shops in the UK, but this figure has been slowly declining as online betting takes over a greater market share. There were around 9,000 betting shops in the UK in 2011.
Sports and Football Betting Sites
Football is by far the most popular sport for betting in the UK, consisting of around 47% of the total money spent by players.
Betting sites for football offer a huge variety of games worldwide and at almost any level ranging from non-league amateur games to the Premier League and World Cup.
New Betting Sites – Features and Advancements in Technology
Betting has become increasingly sophisticated thanks to advanced data and near-real-time streaming.
In-play betting has become much more reliable in the last decade and is now considered the industry standard. The majority of good operators offer in-play betting on a range of lines and selections.
To make in-play betting a reality, data is collected pitchside and sent to sports betting companies who stream it to players. You can now bet on everything from goals and correct scores to players’ stats, such as the number of shots, passes, etc, made by a single player. Events are recorded in real-time, and players typically receive payouts within minutes or even seconds of a winning bet.
Football betting data is displayed with interactive graphics that allow bettors to analyse stats and make informed decisions. They can also monitor the game in play to follow goals, cards, substitutions and more.
Best Betting Sites – Features and Advancements in Technology
The best betting sites offer a huge variety of ways to bet. For example, betting sites for football no longer offer your basic score and goal lines. Instead, you can bet on everything from cards and corners to player stats and same-game accumulators.
Accumulators are bets with multiple legs taking place over multiple events, e.g. you can add four football bets to the same bet slip for a 4-fold bet. Today, you can place accumulators on the same game. These are sometimes called bet builders.
Bet builders allow bettors to add multiple selections to the same bet slip. For example, you could add the first player to score, a correct score, and over 7.5 corners to the same slip.
If all three selections come in – you might stand to win big! These types of bets offer many more angles for bettors to get involved with. They also provide the opportunity to create big odds bets from the same game.
Cash Out Features
Cash-out features have become standard among the best football betting sites. When someone places a bet, they’ll typically be offered a cash-out option to either cut their losses or take a quick profit.
Cashout features are ideal for multi-leg bets, like accumulators or bet builders.
Live Football Streaming
Depending on the game, league and availability, some betting sites for football offer live streaming of games. This enables bettors to watch the game and bet from the same browser window – ideal for in-play betting.
Most sites now offer live streaming of game events, such as goals, corners, throw-ins, cards and even passes. This enables bettors to analyse in-game events for in-play betting.
Betting Sites Best Odds
Football betting odds are more generous than ever. By shopping around the best betting sites, you’ll find the best odds for your football bets and accumulator selections.
Promotions and Offers
The growth of online betting has led to a huge increase in promotions and offers. Promotions and offers provide bettors with more value, fun and excitement.
Here are some examples of promotions and offers:
- Welcome and Sign-Up Offers: Welcome offers are some of the most lucrative of all. Many sites offer free bets and other rewards to new players. Always check the terms and conditions to make sure you’re eligible and be aware that welcome offers are not typically available for all payment methods.
- Early Payouts: Some betting sites will pay your bets out early as a winner if the team goes 2 goals up. So, if your team scores 2 goals to go 2-0 up, they’ll pay you out as a winner!
- Price Boosts: Betting sites regularly boost the odds of selected events or outcomes, increasing potential profits. Keep an eye out for bet boosts – these offer bettors extra value on their bets.
- Winnings Boosts: Some betting sites boost the winnings of selected bets. This might apply to single bets, bet builders or accumulators.
- Accumulator Bonuses: You can find offers specifically for accumulators, e.g. offering money back if one leg loses.
- Free Bets: Look out for offers with.for free bets, e.g. a completely free bet on a match, money back if X happens and similar.
Football betting offers are changing all the time. Always check terms and conditions before partaking in any offers.
Withdrawal Times
Sports betting sites now offer numerous ways to deposit and play and players also benefit from rapid withdrawal times.
Some VISA cards are enabled for ‘fast withdrawals’, which, once approved, can land in your account within just minutes. Even typical withdrawals are faster than ever and are typically processed within a day or two.
If you’re looking for fast withdrawal times, always check the operator’s terms for your payment method. Withdrawal times are always subject to checks and verification.
Maximum Payouts
If you’re a big hitter or love building huge-odds bets, you might be interested in maximum payouts.
The maximum payout on a single bet for most sites is between £500,000 and £1 million on football, but some offer industry-leading max payouts of £2 million on football. Payouts do vary from sport to sport, however, so be sure to check if you plan on building large odds bets or staking large amounts.
Moreover, be aware that most large payouts will be subject to extra security checks.