Best Bookies UK is an independent guide to the UK’s licensed online bookmakers. We review betting sites and apps from a punter’s point of view: the odds, the app, how quickly you get paid, and whether a bookmaker treats its customers fairly once the welcome offer has gone.
There are a lot of betting sites and very little honest comparison between them. Most lists are ordered by who pays the most commission. Ours are not, and this page explains how we work so you can judge that for yourself.
Who writes this site
The site is written by Danny Graham, a UK punter who has been betting on domestic sport for years and reviewing bookmakers for the last few of them. Danny opens the accounts, funds them, places the bets and requests the withdrawals. Nothing here is written from a press release.
Where a figure appears on this site, such as a minimum deposit, a withdrawal time or the terms of an offer, it comes from the bookmaker’s own published pages or from the relevant governing body. Where something cannot be verified at source, we say so on the page rather than filling the gap with a guess.
What we cover
- Bookmaker reviews: the full picture on each site, including the parts the adverts leave out.
- Sport-by-sport guides: football, horse racing, rugby and the rest, because the best bookmaker for racing is rarely the best for accumulators.
- Betting apps: how they actually perform on a phone, which is where most bets are now placed.
- Payments: deposit methods, withdrawal speeds and the differences between them, which matter more to most punters than a fraction on the odds.
- Offers and features: what a concession is really worth once you read the conditions.
What we do not do
- We do not cover unlicensed or offshore sites. Every bookmaker featured here holds a licence from the UK Gambling Commission. Offshore sites offer better-looking odds and no protection when something goes wrong.
- We do not sell tips. No betting system beats a bookmaker over time, and anyone charging you for one is taking a guaranteed profit from a guess.
- We do not take bets. We are a review site. Your account, your money and any dispute all sit with the bookmaker.
- We do not rank by commission. Our affiliate disclosure sets out how the site is funded and what that does and does not affect.
How we rate a bookmaker
The detail is in our editorial policy, but the short version is that we weigh odds and value, the quality of the app, how quickly and reliably withdrawals arrive, how fair the terms are once you read them, and the bookmaker’s licence status. A site with generous headline odds and a painful withdrawal process does not rate well here.
Gambling responsibly
You must be 18 or over to gamble in the UK. Betting should be entertainment you can afford, never a way to make money or to solve a money problem.
Every bookmaker we feature is required to offer deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion. Our responsible gambling page sets out the tools available and where to get free, confidential help.
Getting in touch
Corrections are welcome and we would rather hear about a mistake than leave it up. You can reach us through our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Are you a bookmaker?
No. We are an independent review site. We do not accept bets, hold funds or run any gambling product.
How do you make money?
Through affiliate partnerships with licensed bookmakers. If you sign up through a link on our site, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. It does not change your odds, your offer or your price.
Do you review sites that are not licensed in the UK?
No. If a site does not hold a UK Gambling Commission licence, it does not appear here, whatever it is offering.
Can you help with a problem with my betting account?
No, and we would only slow you down. Contact the bookmaker first, then the Gambling Commission or an approved dispute resolution service if it is not resolved.
Can I suggest a bookmaker for review?
Yes. Send it to us through the contact page. We cannot promise to cover everything, but reader suggestions are how we find several of the smaller sites we now review.