How To Place A Bet Online
Wondering how to place a bet online? We’ve got you covered with our breakdown on how to place a bet on our recommended list of UK betting sites.
If you’re new to online betting, we’ll take you every step of the way from signing up to a bookie to placing that first punt, so you’ll be well versed and confident on how to place a bet in the future.
Choosing A Bookie
Before you place a bet online, the first step you’ll need to undertake is choosing a bookie from one of our recommended betting sites.
It can be an established online bookmaker or a new betting site. You can rest assured that our bookies have come through a stringent review process to bring you only the best on the market. Here are some criteria bookies must meet to get our green light.
- Licensing – Our selected bookies must be licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, ensuring they are fully regulated and operate within legal parameters.
- Markets – We only select betting sites with the best range of markets across all sports.
- Odds – Our bookies offer competitive value on all their odds and all types of bets, ensuring that you’re getting the most for your money when betting online.
- Promotions – From the welcome bonus to online bonuses, we only choose the betting sites that provide lucrative offers from the second you sign up.
- Special Features – We only consider bookies that keep up with the latest trends, offering features including live streaming, bet builders, cash outs and more.
Signing Up Online
Once you’ve chosen your bookie you need to sign up online. Our recommended betting sites all have a simple process for registering. You can do that by following these steps.
Enter the site or betting app and click sign up/join now/register.
Submit your personal details, including name, age, address and email.
Verify your account using your email address or mobile device.
Choose a payment method from the options available. Bear in mind, not all methods are eligible to unlock your welcome bonus - debit cards are usually eligible though.
Enter the amount you wish to deposit into your account. Again, you may need to meet a certain threshold to qualify for your welcome bonus.
How To Place A Bet Online
Now comes the part you’ve been waiting for, how to place a bet online. This process is straightforward across all our recommended betting sites.
You can follow our step-by-step instructions below to learn how to place your bet.
Step-by-Step Guide to Placing a Bet Online
Visit your chosen betting site or app. You may wish to choose from our top betting app recommendations below
Use the navigation tools to select which sport or category you wish to bet on
Select the market you wish to bet on and click the relevant odds
Your bet slip will appear and prompt you for a stake
Enter your stake into your bet slip
Click confirm to place your bet online
Is there live streaming of sporting events?
Is there live streaming of sporting events?
Is there live streaming of sporting events?
How To Place A Football Bet Online
Football is the most popular sport to bet online, so it’s only natural that you may use the best football betting sites to lodge your punts.
Football has the most expansive coverage of all sports listed online with hundreds of potential options per game.
It’s certainly worth taking your time to browse all the most popular markets before confirming your bet.
- Result
- Result
- Over/Unders
- Handicap
- Props
- Specials
- Outright
A bet on the outright winner of the game, or a draw. These bets are typically 90 minutes only so if your game goes to extra-time the bet will be settled as a draw.
How To Place A Bet On A Horse Race Online
Horse racing is also an extremely popular sport to bet online with hundreds of races available to punt on every day on the leading horse racing betting sites.
Horse racing too has several types of betting markets available, and these can be a bit harder to understand for beginners, but once you become acquainted with them, they’re straightforward to use. Here's the most common racing bets in a nutshell.
- Outright/Win
- Outright/Win
- Each-way
- Place
- Forecast/Tricast
- Ante-Post
A straight bet on which horse will win the race.
The principle for betting online is the same for horse racing as with other sports. Although one point to note, for each-way bets, you may be required to tick a box on your bet slip to confirm you wish to place that kind of bet.
How to Place A Bet Online – Accumulator Betting
Accumulator betting allows you to bet on multiple markets spread across different competitions, matches and races.
These bets allow you to increase the value of your bet, although it comes at a greater risk given the number of variables involved.
The process is the same as betting on a single bet, but all you have to do is click the odds of the other games or races you wish to bet on to add them to your bet slip. Once you’ve added all your selections simply enter your stake into the bet slip.
Look out for acca betting sites such as BoyleSports, who offer a wide range of offers, including acca insurance, acca bonuses and free bets for placing regular accas.
How To Place A Bet Online – Bet Builders
Bet builders are one of the newest and most exciting features to be added to established bookmakers and new betting sites in recent years.
This bet allows you to select multiple markets from within the same game to place into one bet. It can be known as a single-game acca as it follows the same principle as you’d find with an acca bet but is used for one game rather than multiple.
The best bet builder betting sites offer this feature across several sports, including football, cricket, tennis, basketball, rugby union, rugby league, NFL, MMA, boxing and others.
The method is the same as you’d use for an acca, although you’ll be directed to the bet builder menu where you’ll find all the available game markets. Simply click the odds and they will be added to your betting slip before you place your stake and confirm your bet.
Bet365 are one of the standout bet builder betting sites, offering profit boots for bet builders up to 25% on select games.
How to Place A Bet Online – Betting Promotions
Free bets are a great way to get started with betting online, while customers will also receive offers for regularly using a betting site.
You will get free bets from most bookies for signing up online and after unlocking your offer by following the terms and conditions, you can access your credits on your bet slip. You may have to tick a box and enter a stake amount to use your free bets for a punt online.
Look out for odds boosts too. These will be highlighted by bookies, especially around major events. Premier League offers and Cheltenham offers are extremely popular and are good ways to maximise your potential earnings from your bets.
Ensure you click the odds boosts on the betting site or app rather than the regular price to secure that price on your bet slip.
How to Place a Bet Online - The Final Word
If you were wondering how to place a bet online, our detailed guide has taken you through all the steps you need to do to successfully lodge your punt on all betting sites.
Remember to check our recommended list of bookies to ensure you're using a top bookmaker that is licensed and regulated by the UKGC and offers a complete online betting experience.
When betting, please remember to follow responsible gambling practices.
Recommended Betting Sites
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Established 2005#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New customers only. Register with BETFRED50 First bet ￡10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x ￡10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x ￡10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply.Daily 'Super Extra Places' on RacingOdds Boosts on Next Goalscorer BetsSponsors all 5 Flat Horse Racing ClassicsBETFRED50Bonus Code
The code required to claim this sign-up bonus (if any)Live Streaming
Is there live streaming of sporting events?YesOur Rating
Gambling.com's rating of this betting site out of 10098Bet Builder
Can you create your own personalised bets?YesCash Out
Can you cash out of bets before an event has finished?YesAcca Insurance
Refund or free bet when one selection in an accumulator lets the bet downYesKnown as the 'Bonus King', Betfred has more promos and bonuses than the majority of betting sites. This is the first bookmaker ever to sponsor all five flat racing classics and also sponsors Super League Rugby and World Matchplay Darts. - 2
Established 2023#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. Get a percentage boost on all football multibets of 4 or more selections. - Full Terms Apply - 3
Established 2022#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New customers only. Opt in & bet ￡10+ via mobile on any football market at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 6x ￡5 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. Card payments & Apple Pay only. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly - 4
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Established 2023#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New customers only. 7 days to place qualifying bet of ￡10+ at 1/1 (2.0) to receive 4 x Free Bets: x1 ￡10 Football, x1 ￡10 Acca, x 1 ￡10 BetBuilder, x1 ￡10 Horse Racing. 7 day expiry. Stake not returned. 18+. Exclusions Apply. T&Cs apply. - 6
Established 1999#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. Spread betting losses can exceed deposit. Plus Best Odds On All Premier League Matches(fixed odds Match Odds, pre-match v top 5 bookies on Oddschecker). See full details. - 7
Established 1929#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New customers online only. Eligibility restrictions apply. Only valid with code B10G40 on registration. ￡/€10 min qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater across sports or racing (if EW then min ￡10 Win + ￡/€10 Place). Receive ￡/€20 Tote Credit, ￡/€10 Free Sports Bet and 50 Extra Spins on Big Bass Bonanza within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. 7-day expiry on free bets & Tote Credit. Your first bet will be your qualifying bet. One per customer. UK & ROI customers only. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org. - 8
Established 2020#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New members only. ￡10+ bet on sportsbook (ex. virtuals) at 1.5 min odds, settled within 14 days. Free Bets: accept in 7 days, valid 7 days on sportsbook only. 2x￡5 Free Bets for Bet Builder only. Stake not returned. T&Cs + deposit exclusions apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org 18+. - 9
Established 2024#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New Players Only. Min. $/€10 deposit and bet on odds 1/1 or greater required. Extra bets and bonus spins are issued within 24 hours of the qualifying bet being settled. Extra bet valid for 14 days, stake not returned. Bonus spins are valid for 24 hours, only available on the Book of Dead game. Terms and Conditions apply. - 10
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Established 1946#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. 18+ New customers only. Opt in, deposit and bet ￡20+?on any sports market at minimum 1/1 odds within 7 days of registration. Get ￡20 in Free Bets for selected markets (No cash out) and 2x ￡10 Casino Bonus Funds for selected games (40x wagering. Max withdrawal ￡500). Bonuses expire in 7 days. Debit Card/Apple Pay Payments only. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org | Please gamble responsibly - 12
Established 2022#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New customers only. Available once per household. Max. FreeBet amount: ￡10 Minimum Deposit and wagering on sport to activate the Free Bet is: ￡10 Void/cancelled or cashed out bets do not count towards wagering to activate the free bet. Offer valid only to customers making a first deposit of ￡10 or more. Offer only applies to players who are residents of United Kingdom and Irland. - 13
Established 2006#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New customers only. This offer is valid for 7 days from your new account being registered. Min Deposit: ￡10. Free Bet awarded: ￡10. 1 x ￡10 must be wagered at odds of 1.75+ to unlock Free Bet. Debit Card deposits only (exclusions apply). Free bet will expire 7 days after the 1st deposit. 18+. GambleAware.org. Bet The Responsible Way. Full Terms apply. - 14
Established 2014#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. Min ￡10 deposit and bet on odds 1/1 or greater required. deposits via Paypal, Neteller, Pasafe, Skrill or Skrill 1-Tap will not be eligible for any free bet offer. Extra bet and bonus spins issued within 24 hours of quailfying bet being settled. Extra bet valid for 14 days, stake not returned. Bonus spins valid for 24 hours, selected games only. - 15
Established 2022#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. Welcome Bonus: New Players only, 1st Deposit, Min Deposit: ￡10, max ￡10 bonus, valid for 14 days, bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. System bets no eligible. T&Cs apply. - 16#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. 18+. New customers only. Min. ￡10 deposit. 3x bonus WR. Bonus expires in 30 days. Payment, withdrawal, player, time restrictions apply. Terms Apply. Play responsibly. BeGambleAware.org
- 17
Established 2012#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New reg only. Claim by placing a min deposit ￡10 via ‘My Offers’ page within 30 days. 7 days to stake max ￡10 in-play, min odds 1/1 (2.0). Max. extra winnings ￡100. Once claimed, 30-day expiry. Cashed out, System & EW bets do not qualify. Other Promotional Play Restrictions Apply. T&Cs apply. - 18
Established 2022#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New Customers only. Must have a minimum of 3 bets of ￡10 or more on separate events at odds of evens (2.0) or bigger on first day. First day losses equals all settled stakes less all returns. T&C's apply. - 19
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Established 2021#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New 18+ New Customers only. Deposit and bet on any sports with min odds of 2.0. Get 50% Back of your first days' losses as a Free bet up to ￡50+￡20 Casino Bonus. T&Cs apply - 22
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Established 1997#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. 18+ | New UK players only | Min deposit req. ￡10 | Certain deposit methods excluded | Place 1 sport bet (3+ selections) | Excl Horse Racing | Min stake ￡10 | Max stake ￡20 | Min Odds 2/1 (3.0) | Max FreeBet ￡20 for football only | FreeBet valid for 7 days | FreeBet stake not returned | T&Cs apply - 25
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Established 2013#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New UK+IRE Customers. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first ￡5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 1x ￡20 free bet. Free bet available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions - Full Terms Apply - 29
Established 2013#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. Cash back without wagering the day after if the player loses all the money in the account. Min deposit ￡10. Gameplay is monitored. Full T&Cs apply. - 30
Established 2017#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New Players Only. Free bet - one-time stake of ￡30, min odds 1.5, stake not returned. 1X wager the winnings. Wager from real balance first. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Max conversion: ￡200. Valid for 7 Days from issue. Withdrawal requests voids all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill deposits. Full Terms Apply - 31
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- 35
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Established 2020#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New Players only. Max. Free Bet Token amount: ￡10.Minimum Deposit: ￡15. Minimum wagering on Sport to activate the Free Bet Token: ￡15 - 40
Established 2017#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. Welcome Bonus: New Players only, 1st Deposit, Min Deposit: ￡10, max ￡15 bonus, valid for 14 days, bets must be placed at a min. odds of 1/1 (2.00) or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. System bets no eligible. T&Cs apply - 41
Established 2020#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New Players Only. Free bet - one-time stake of ￡10, min odds 1.5, stake not returned. 1X wager the winnings. Wager from real balance first. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Max conversion: ￡200. Valid for 7 Days from receipt. Limited to 1 sport & 5 casino brand/s within the network. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full Terms apply. Full Terms Apply. 18+ | BeGambleAware | #Ad. - 42
Established 2020#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. Welcome Bonus: New players only, 1st Deposit, Min Deposit: ￡15, Max ￡10 Free Bet valid for 14 days. Bets Must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. System bets no eligible. Neteller, Skrill and PayPal not eligible. T&Cs apply - 43
Established 2012#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New customers only. Min stake ￡2. Min legs 3. Max win ￡1,000. Min odds 3.0. Max ￡25 back as a Free Bet on losing bets only. 7 days to use free bet at odds 2.0+. Full T and Cs apply. Play responsibly GambleAware?: Gambling Help & Gambling Addiction ? T&Cs apply - Full Terms Apply - 44
Established 2018#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New Players Only. Min ￡ 20 qualifying bets stake not returned. Free bet - one-time stake of ￡ 40, min odds 1.5, stake not returned. 1X wager the winnings. Wager from real balance first. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Max conversion: ￡200. Valid for 7 Days from issue. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full Terms apply. - 45
Established 2017#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New Players Only. Min ￡10 qualifying bets stake not returned. Free bet - one-time stake of ￡10, min odds 1.5, stake not returned. 1X wager the winnings. Wager from real balance first. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Max conversion: ￡200. Valid for 7 Days from issue. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full Terms apply. - 46
Established 2000#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first ￡5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 5x ￡5 free bets. Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions. - Full Terms Apply - 47
Established 2019#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. 18+ New customers only. Opt in and bet ￡10 on any EPL match (odds 1/1+) within 3 days of sign up. No cash-out. Get 5x￡5 Free Bets for set markets (odds 1/1+) and a ￡5 Slots Bonus on Age of the Gods: God Of Storms, 30x wagering, max redeemable ￡125. Bonuses expire in 14 days. No cash-out. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org. Please gamble responsibly - 48
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Established 2021#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New player only, 1st deposit, min deposit ￡15, Max ￡15 Free Bet valid for 14 days, Bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. System bets not eligible. Neteller, Skrill and Payapl not eligible. T&C apply. - #ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. Place a qualifying ￡10 fixed odds bet at odds of 1/2 or greater. Qualifying bet cannot be placed in-play or cashed out early. A first free ￡10 fixed odds bet will be credited upon settlement of the qualifying bet. The second free ￡10 fixed odds bets will be added to your account on the following day. Free bets must be claimed within 28 days of opening. Free bet stake not included in any winnings. T&Cs Apply.
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