Football Betting Sites

Football betting sites are places where punters place wagers on the beautiful game. Whether you’re a fan of the fluid football of Spain’s La Liga, or the physical showdowns of the English Football League, football betting sites offer a chance to get in on the action. Read on to find out more.

How We Review Football Betting Sites

At Gambling Deals, we’re passionate about picking out only the best football betting sites. Here are some of the elements we focus on when assessing whether a site is worthy of recommendation.

Range of Football Betting Markets

As the world’s most popular sport, football has top-class leagues all over, from the English Premier League to the Brazilian Série A. We don’t think punters should be limited when it comes to what they can bet on, which is why we think the best football betting sites in the UK should cover a wide spread of markets from all over the globe.

Market and Odds

No matter if you’re picking Arsenal to thrash Spurs or for Real Madrid to win the Champions League, getting the best odds is key to getting the highest payouts. We will always look for sites that give the most competitive odds, as well as those that can provide plenty of betting markets on their sportsboooks.

Payment Options

These days, the top football betting websites offer a medley of different banking options, ranging from e-Wallets like PayPal to bank transfers and debit cards. This is important because every punter will have their own favourite payment method; the more options on offer, the better.

Offers and Promotions

Both well-established and new football betting sites come with some great deals for would-be bettors. These often include matched deposit bonuses, where bookmakers offers give punters an amount in bonus credits proportional to how much has been deposited into their betting account. You may also see an influx of football promotions when big tournaments swing around, like odds boosts on the Champions League or early payout offers if your team scores early in the Euros.

Live In-Play Betting

The best football betting sites also run in-play betting sections ‒ a market that allows bets to be placed after the game has already kicked off. In-play odds reflect the real-time action, and punters can place wagers on anything from the next goal scorer to whether Erik Lamela will be sent off.

Mobile and Desktop Experience

Betting at home on your desktop is one thing, but what if you want to bet on Bale scoring from outside the box while you’re waiting for the bus? Good mobile functionality is key to this, and we pay careful attention to the user experience across the bookmaker’s platforms.

Unique Features

Great UK sportsbooks, from new football betting sites to ones that have been around for a while, have handy perks like bet editing tools, live streaming of matches, and the ability to cash out while play is underway. Our reviewers also keep an eye out for unique features that make certain sites stand out from the crowd.

Best Football Betting Sites

How to Sign Up at a Football Betting Site

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can wager on everything from the German Bundesliga to the Bulgarian Third division.

1. Compare Football Betting Sites
   Use our handpicked list of the best football betting sites to get a feel for what’s out there. You can immediately compare welcome bonuses, or delve deeper by looking at our individual reviews.
2. Click Through to the Betting Site
   Once you’ve settled on your preferred site, follow our link that will take you straight over to the registration page.
3. Enter Your Details
   You won’t be able to put your football betting strategy into action unless you’ve got an account with a football betting site. Becoming a member is a straightforward process – just enter your personal details as prompted, and create your username and password.
4. Verify Your Account
   You’ll need to first verify your identity before you can place a bet, which will include providing your date of birth and address, and submit an official document like a passport driver’s licence. This is entirely standard as part of the UK Gambling Commission’s licensing requirements.

How to Place a Bet at a Football Betting Site

Once you’re all signed up and have access to your betting account, it’s time to place your first wager. Here’s how to go about that.

1. Deposit Money
   Unless you’re using a no deposit bonus, you’ll need to deposit money into your betting account. Just click over to your account area, select the payment method that suits you, enter the required details, and that’s it. Most deposit methods are instant once verification checks have been completed.
2. Select a Market
   You probably have some idea of what you’d like to bet on, but even if you don’t that’s not an issue. The football markets section of a site should provide plenty of inspiration; since football is such a popular sport, you’ll usually find all the available markets close to the top of the navigation menu. Click over and you’ll be greeted with lists of leagues and competitions, all of which are open to wagers. You can then select from those on offer or choose more specific bets from individual matches ‒ on anything from the number of corners to the number of cards.
3. Build Your Bet Slip
   Football betting sites in the UK work by showing a bet slip. It’s basically a part of your screen that keeps a tab on what you’ve chosen to bet on, so you can review your selections before confirming the wager. If you’re betting on just a single outcome, there’ll only be one line in your bet slip; if you’re placing an accumulator, each component will be listed one after the other.
4. Enter Your Stake and Bet
   With every bet you click or tap on, you simply enter your stake in the box provided. This amount will need to be equal to or less than the amount you have in your account, plus any bonus bets you might have accrued. Then, simply press confirm.

How to Withdraw Your Winnings From a Football Betting Site

The top football betting websites make it easy to withdraw your winnings. Here’s how it’s done.

1. Head to the Cashier Page
   The cashier or banking page on a betting site doesn’t just deal with deposits ‒ it’s also the place to go when you want to cash out your funds. Head over there to request a withdrawal.
2. Select a Withdrawal Method
   Choosing a withdrawal method is important if you’re concerned about when you’ll actually get your hands on the money. Some banking options take longer than others, with e-Wallets tending to support the fastest withdrawal times. But timings do differ between football betting sites, so check the help section or FAQs if in doubt.
3. Cash Out Your Money
   At this stage, you just need to type in the amount you want to withdraw. Remember, there may be a minimum withdrawal amount, so you might want to double check that before cashing out. You’ll then have to wait for the processing of the payment to complete, which could take anything from a few minutes to a few days depending on the withdrawal method.

Football Betting Advice

Having a solid football betting strategy is dependent on a decent knowledge of the game and the teams and players involved. Don’t worry if you’ve not been keeping up with the latest developments, as there are lots of places online where you can source in-depth information and football betting tips. Remember though, that your own first-hand research is always the best preparation. Here are some general factors to keep in mind when betting.

Form Guide

If you’ve not managed to catch much of a particular league in the last few weeks but fancy backing a team, it’s very helpful to check the form guide. This will give you an indication of the form of those involved, but bear in mind that form guides are no guarantee of future results.

Home and Away

They call it the ‘12th player’ – the sense that there’s an extra teammate on the pitch generated by the noise of the home fans. Playing at home usually provides a morale boost that can spur players to perform better in the heat of the moment, and can even influence decisions made by the referee. Obviously it’s no guarantee of a win, but it’s a factor that’s definitely worth keeping in mind before placing a wager.

Fixture Congestion

The fixture schedule plays an important part in a team’s season, especially for the better teams that qualify for multiple tournaments and leagues. For example, when things are in full flow in the UK around March, the best teams might be competing in the league, the Champions League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup at the same time. Key players will be rested for some matches, while others might be playing at limited capacity ‒ these factors are likely to have an impact in the short-term.

Injuries and Suspensions to Key Players

Another way that teams can get depleted is through injuries and suspensions. Think about whether that bet on your forward scoring a hat-trick is as likely to come off if they’ve been struggling with a hamstring problem. Bear in mind as well that the loss of certain players due to suspensions can have a major effect on the big games.

Which Football Competitions Can You Bet On?

Here’s a look at some of the most popular football competitions among bettors.

Premier League

The Premier League is the highest football league in England. It was formed back in 1992 as the successor to the former First Division. Also known as the Prem and the EPL, it comprises 20 teams, some of which are household names around the globe: Manchester United and Liverpool, for example, are two of the best supported teams in the world. Every year, three teams are relegated from the EPL and three teams are promoted from the Championship below. The top four finishers qualify for the pan-European Champions League. The Prem currently attracts some big-name talents, with the likes of Paul Pogba, Kevin De Bruyne, and Mohamed Salah all plying their trade here.

La Liga

Also comprising 20 teams, La Liga is the premier football division in Spain and can trace its history all the way back to the 1920s. You’re sure to recognise some of the clubs associated with La Liga, which include the superstar rosters of Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid, with top players including Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema and Luka Modrić. Real Madrid are the current record holders of the league, having been crowned champions a whopping 34 times in all. The four top places of the league also qualify for the Champions League, while the bottom three places get relegated to Spain’s Segunda División.

Serie A

Twenty teams also compete in Serie A, the top league in Italy. They include some of the great veterans of European football – Juventus, Internazionale, AC Milan, and Roma. One of the highest rated football leagues in the world, Serie A has been running since 1929 and has provided European Cup winners on multiple occasions. Today, four teams at the top of Serie A get qualification to the Champions League, while the bottom three teams are sent back into Serie B. Faces you’ll recognise while watching this league include the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo and Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku.

Bundesliga

The pinnacle of the German football hierarchy is the Bundesliga. Made up of 18 teams, it’s been going for almost six decades, having been first founded back in the early 1960s. The Bundesliga is again allocated four qualifying spots for the Champions League, with two of these sports usually going to Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund ‒ these are the biggest clubs in Germany, with players like Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland currently in their ranks. Finish in the bottom two spots of the Bundesliga and the team gets put back into Germany’s second tier.

Ligue 1

Ligue 1 is the premier football league in France. There are 20 teams involved, three of which will qualify for the UEFA Champions League by finishing in the top trio of positions. The league was known as National since its inception in 1930 but changed its name in 2002. In recent years, Ligue 1 has been dominated by Paris Saint-Germain, who now field the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Neymar. The three bottom-finishing teams are relegated down to, you guessed it, Ligue 2.

Get Started with a Top Football Betting Site Today

Ready to place your wagers on Neymar scoring a double or Kane smashing a header in? Compare the very best football betting sites right here, weigh up the welcome bonuses, and follow our links on how to sign up.