The betting landscape is one of the most competitive in the online space, with consumers and bookmakers battling for each other’s services.
While punters seek to find the best value, offers and freebies, bookmakers are also working tirelessly to be the go-to for consumers.
In such a congested market, this battle is never-ending on both sides, and there is often a high turnover of customers moving between different bookmakers.
Besides the obvious incentives like bonus offers and freebies, a key way that bookmakers win over potential customers is through how extensive their coverage is.
Many people will simply take their loyalty wherever their needs are catered for, and if one bookmaker cannot achieve that, plenty of others will.
A friend visiting the United Kingdom from overseas once revealed that their local bookmaker only offered odds on select leagues and, in England, that meant only the Premier League.
So limiting was this that once they left their home country, they actively sought to identify any other bookmaker that would offer them a wider range of markets, broadening their horizons in the gambling landscape.
So, as bookmakers increasingly seek to expand their coverage, here is a look at the five who are leading coverage of the Premier League and EFL Championship in the United Kingdom.
5. BetFred
Many bookmakers could have been included in this list; honourable mentions belong to newcomer BetMGM and Ladbrokes, who narrowly missed out.
BetFred narrowly pipped strong competition to fifth place thanks to their expansive football markets, and the inclusion of select streaming of matches on their platform.
As well as providing hundreds of markets across Premier League and EFL Championship fixtures, their accumulator tools are viewed as some of the industry’s best, offering plenty of chances for punters to profit.
They also boast some of the most lucrative new customer offers, providing potential customers with a strong base to enjoy their comprehensive football coverage from.
4. William Hill
Outside of the typical ‘big three’, William Hill offer one of the most comprehensive football offerings among bookmakers in the United Kingdom.
William Hill offer more than 200 markets on top fixtures, including those in the Premier League and, at times, the EFL Championship.
As well as this, they also offer custom ‘request’ odds on-demand, courtesy of their “#YoursOdds” service, which further enhances their coverage to effectively include an unlimited number of markets.
The bookmaker, like many of their competitors, offers comprehensive streaming of racing events, but they do also offer streaming for select football matches throughout the year, adding to their coverage of the sport.
With user-friendly tools like a two-goal lead payout and accumulator boosts of up to 100 per cent, they offer an excellent selection of options and coverage for punters to choose from.
Bet with William Hill!
3. Paddy Power
If you frequent social media, you will have almost certainly encountered a Paddy Power advert, which usually comes in the form of witty comedic skits.
Their excellent marketing strategy has led to them being one of the most recognisable and liked bookmakers in the United Kingdom, with their brand synonymous around the globe, even among those who cannot gamble with Paddy Power.
But once you arrive as a prospective Paddy Power customer, their coverage lives up to the expectation created by their online image.
Paddy Power cover all of the leagues you would expect, including comprehensive markets across both the Premier League and EFL Championship.
One area that sets Paddy Power apart from their competitors, however, in keeping with their online persona, is their vast novelty markets.
From a streaming perspective, Paddy Power lacks significant football coverage, with their streaming options, like many platforms, catered towards racing markets primarily.
Alongside regular boosts and mini-games, it should come as little surprise that Paddy Power enjoy the joint-second highest share of gambling account holders in the United Kingdom, thanks to their excellent coverage.
2. Bet365
Bet365 offer one of the most comprehensive coverages of sport of any bookmaker in the United Kingdom.
Offering more than 700,000 live-streamed sporting events per year, the bookmaker is an industry leader for coverage, but this is not strictly specific to football.
But when it comes to football, specifically the Premier League and EFL Championship, Bet365 are still among the leaders in the United Kingdom, offering over 350 live markets on top matches.
Like most bookmakers based in the United Kingdom, Bet365 utilise a partnership with Opta, the industry leaders in football statistics, to settle markets across their expansive coverage.
One thing to note, however, is that the bookmaker has one of the lowest Trustpilot ratings among UK gambling sites, with their 1.3 score ranking above only William Hill, Ladbrokes and Coral falling lower than them.
While the vast majority use the company without issue, those who do encounter problems often complain of account restrictions and issues settling bets. It only occurs in a minuscule number of instances, but is worth considering nonetheless.
1. Sky Bet
Sky Bet are the title sponsor of the Championship, so it should perhaps be unsurprising that they are one of the leaders of coverage for the second tier in England.
The flagship bookmakers regularly offer hundreds of individual markets across their outright, specials and build-a-bet sections, and for high-profile Championship fixtures, this regularly reaches in the region of 500 individual markets in a single game.
With so much variety and choice, even in the second tier, it is hardly surprising that an estimated 36 per cent of people with gambling accounts in the United Kingdom hold an account with Sky Bet.
But their coverage and allure do not start and end with their expansive markets across Premier League and EFL football.
As well as offering comprehensive betting markets across their Premier League and EFL Championship coverage, among other leagues across the globe, Sky Bet utilise several additional mechanisms to broaden their coverage and give punters a reason to bet with them.
Namely, ‘Super 6’ has established itself as one of the nation’s favourite gambling-related games each weekend… and some midweeks!
The free-to-play game gives customers a chance to win a life-changing weekly or bi-weekly prize of £250,000, which is sporadically increased to an eye-watering £1 million.
Players simply have to correctly predict six correct scores, in games chosen by the bookmaker, to share the pot.
While it is rarely won, it adds another layer of fun to draw punters in and reward them, and expands the site’s coverage even further.
Sky Bet also regularly widens its coverage with frequent good-value ‘super boosts’, which enhance odds on select, popular markets, as well as user-friendly tools like ‘Acca Freeze’, which settles one winning leg from an accumulator, regardless of whether it wins by full-time or not.
Best Football Betting Sites in the UK According to BritishGambler
The best football betting sites in the UK combine competitive odds with extensive Premier League, EFL Championship, Champions League and international football coverage. Our top UK football bookmakers include established names such as bet365, Betfred, Betway, SBK and LiveScore Bet, alongside strong alternatives for Bet Builders, accumulators, in-play betting and football promotions.
When comparing UK football betting sites, consider the number of available markets, the quality of the mobile app, Cash Out options, live betting features and the terms attached to each welcome bonus. Offers can provide useful extra value, but they should not be the only reason you choose a bookmaker: prices, market depth and withdrawal reliability matter just as much.
Top 10 UK Football Bookmakers
| Football betting site | Current partner bonus | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| bet365 | Bet £10, get £30 in Bet Credits | Overall football coverage, Bet Builder+ and in-play betting |
| Betfred | Bet £10, get £50 in Free Bets | Football accumulators, Bet Builders and boosts |
| SBK | Bet £20, get £50 in Free Bets | Competitive football odds and a simple betting app |
| Betway | Bet £10, get £40 in Free Bets | Premier League betting and major football competitions |
| LiveScore Bet | Bet £10, get £30 in Free Bets | Live scores, football betting and free Bet Builders |
| Ladbrokes | Bet £5, get £30 in Free Bets | Extensive football markets and in-play betting |
| Coral | Bet £10, get £40 in Free Bets | Football odds, Bet Builders and regular promotions |
| Unibet | Bet £10, get £30 in Free Bets | Bet Builder boosts and European football coverage |
| QuinnBet | Get 50% back as a Free Bet, up to £25 | Football accumulators and straightforward promotions |
| Spreadex | Bet £10, get £60 in Free Bets | Fixed-odds football betting and spread betting |
What promos are available to new customers at the best UK betting sites? Here is a list of the best bonuses: Bet365 presently offers Bet Credits worth up to £30, Betfred advertises £50 in Free Bets after a qualifying £10 bet, and Unibet lists £30 in Free Bets after a qualifying £10 bet.
LiveScore Bet currently splits its £30 offer between general sportsbook Free Bets and football Bet Builder Free Bets, while Ladbrokes advertises £30 in Free Bets after a qualifying £5 stake.
Coral’s current official sports offer appears to be Bet £10, get £40, rather than the £50 shown in the spreadsheet, so we have used the verified £40 figure in the table.
What Makes the Best Football Betting Site?
The best football betting apps do much more than offer a welcome bonus. When reviewing UK bookmakers, we look at:
- Number of football markets available
- Premier League and Championship coverage
- Bet Builder functionality
- Live betting markets
- Cash Out availability
- Live streaming
- Odds competitiveness
- Mobile app quality
- Football promotions and free bets
- Withdrawal speed
While bet365 remains one of the strongest all-round football bookmakers thanks to its huge selection of live markets and Bet Builder+, Sky Bet excels with its extensive EFL coverage, BuildABet markets and the hugely popular Super 6 game. Betfred offers one of the strongest football welcome offers available, while SBK continues to appeal to experienced bettors looking for competitive football prices and exchange-style odds.
Best Football Betting Bonuses
If you’re opening a new betting account, these are among the strongest football promotions currently available:
| Bookmaker | Football Welcome Offer |
|---|---|
| Betfred | Bet £10, Get £50 in Free Bets |
| Spreadex | Bet £10, Get £60 in Free Bets |
| SBK | Bet £20, Get £50 in Free Bets |
| Betway | Bet £10, Get £40 in Free Bets |
| Coral | Bet £10, Get £40 in Free Bets |
| bet365 | Bet £10, Get £30 in Bet Credits |
| LiveScore Bet | Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets |
| Ladbrokes | Bet £5, Get £30 in Free Bets |
| Unibet | Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets |
For a full breakdown of wagering requirements, minimum odds and promotion terms, see our Best Football Free Bets guide by clicking the link below.
Related guides:
- Best UK Betting Sites → britishgambler.co.uk/betting/
- Best Live Betting Sites → britishgambler.co.uk/betting/in-play/
- Best Football Free Bets →britishgambler.co.uk/guides/best-football-free-bet-uk-bookmaker/
- Best Odds Boosts & Enhanced Odds → britishgambler.co.uk/betting/odds-boosts/