European Sportsbooks in the UK

BoyleSports

Over 40 betting sections

Competitive odds for horse racing

Many promotions for existing customers

Bet £10 get £10

18+ Download the BoyleSports mobile app, register and make a deposit. Place a qualifying bet of at least £10 with min odds of at 1/1. You'll receive £20 in Free bets. T&Cs Apply. BeGambleAware.org

Bet £10 Get £30 In Free bets

888sport

Bet Finder for horse racing

BetFeed with other punters' bets

Free predictions game "Up for 8" with cash prizes

18+ Register with the bookmaker, make a deposit and place your first bet of £10 or more at odds of 1/2 or greater. 3 x £10 Free bets must be used within 7 days. On top of that, you'll receive another £10 for 888 Casino. Full T&Cs Apply. BeGambleAware.org

Mr. Play

Play Bot function - hints for live betting

Detailed statistics in the live betting mode

Over 30 betting sections, including Specials

Bet £10 get £10

18+ Make a deposit and place the first qualifying bet of at least £10 at minimum odds of 1/1. The free bet itself can be used for bets made at min odds of 4/5. The promotion is not valid for deposits made with PayPal, Neteller, Paysafe or Skrill. T&Cs Apply. BeGambleAware.org

50% Back as Free Bet Up to £35

Quinnbet

800 markets on top football

Streaming for most horse races

Lots of sports betting bonuses for existing players

18+ If you lose money after the first betting day, you will receive 50% of the lost amount up to £35, along with 10 free spins. If you don't lose money at the end of the first day, you will receive £5 and 10 free spins. Free bets must be used within 7 days with min odds of 1/2 and maximum odds of 100/1. T&Cs Apply. BeGambleAware.org

50% up to £50 Welcome Bonus

10bet

Detailed statistics from SportRadar

More than 35 betting sections, including politics

Cash bonuses for football and racing accumulator bets

18+ Make a deposit starting from £15. The maximum free bets credited amount is £50. You have to wager the amount of the deposit and reward 8 times. Accounts which funds are paid into by Skrill and Neteller do not qualify for the promotion. The minimum single's odds for wagering are 4/5, and each selection in the accumulator bet must be at odds of 2/5. Full T&Cs Apply. BeGambleAware.org

Parimatch

Leader in Hi-Tech Features

Bet Builder and Pre-Built Picks

2,500 markets on top Premier League matches

Several price boosts for popular football matches

Bet £10 Get £20

18+ Place your first bet of £10 or more at odds of evens (2.00) or greater. You must do this within 7 days of registering a new account. Get 4 x £5 Free bet stakes: two bonuses can be used on any sports except for horse racing (one should be used in 24 hours, once the qualifying bet is settled), one — for a football match and another one — for a football Bet Builder with 3+ legs. The bonus expires in 7 days. T&Cs Apply. BeGambleAware.org

Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets

TheOnlineCasino

Accessible live chat

Several types of Esports

A huge range of markets to bet on

18+ Make your first deposit today using deposit code BETGET, bet £10 on any event with minimum odds of 1/2 (1.50), and get a £30 Free Bet. Use the Free bet within 7 days. Wager any winnings from the Free bet 1 time before withdrawal. Maximum conversion amount of £200 for bonus funds. Bets made toward the wagering requirement cannot be cashed out. Up to 5 Free bet bonuses per month. Not available for deposits with Skrill and Neteller. Full T&Cs Apply. BeGambleAware.org

Bet £10 and get it back as cash

Paddy Power

Bet Builder and #WhatOddsPaddy

Streaming for NBA and tennis matches

More than 2,000 markets on top matches

18+ Register a new betting account with a promo code YSKAMR, deposit £10 or more and place your first qualifying bet of £10. If it loses, the betting site will return it to the main account in cash, not free bets. The transfer will be processed within 1 hour after the qualifying bet settlement as a loser. Full T&Cs Apply. BeGambleAware.org

GatoBet

Statistics section

Many markets with Cash Out

Up to 3,000 events in pre-match regularly

Bet £10 Get £30

18+ Make a minimum deposit of £10 and place a bet of a matched amount at min odds of 1/1. A free bet can be used to make bets at min odds of 1/1. You can win a maximum of £200 per promotion. T&Cs Apply. BeGambleAware.org

Betway

Around 1,600 markets on top football matches

Best range of events and markets for Overwatch

Over 100 options per map of top CS:GO and LoL

Welcome free bet £10

18+ Sign up and deposit at least £10 with your debit card within 7 days. A free bet will be available after you make a qualifying bet of £10 at min odds of 1.75 (3/4) or greater. The free bet will expire 7 days after making the deposit (not after the qualifying bet!). No wagering requirements on the free bet winnings. Full T&Cs Apply. BeGambleAware.org

Bar One Racing

Enhanced odds for racing

£50 Welcome Free bet bonus

Large coverage of racing competitions

bet £10 get £50

18+ Place a First Bet of €/£10 at Evens or greater. When your first bet is settled, receive a €/£50 free bet. The free bet must be placed on selections at odds of 1/1 or greater. T&Cs Apply. BeGambleAware.org

Bet £10 get £20 of free bets

Virgin Bet

1,500+ markets on top football

Live streaming of racing and tennis

Virgin Bet Fives free game with cash prizes

18+ To receive 2 x £10 free bets a new user must make a bet of at least £10 qualifying bet on any sport at odds of 1/2 or greater. Only the first single or accumulator bets count. T&Cs Apply. BeGambleAware.org

Bet £10 an get £20 in free bets

LiveScore Bet

Free "Squads" game with cash prizes

Large coverage of racing competitions

Wide range of markets to bet on League of Legends

18+ Make a deposit and place the first qualifying in-play bet starting from £10 at min odds of 1/2 or greater. Cashed Out, Void or Draw No Bet wagers do not qualify for this promotion. The bonus includes 2 x £10 free bets. Full T&Cs Apply. BeGambleAware.org

Top 5 European Sportsbooks

BoyleSports

This is one of the oldest active Irish betting companies (founded in 1982). BoyleSports is especially suitable for racing fans. This is one of the best European sports betting sites, whose vast selection of betting events includes dozens of competitions from the UK, Ireland, the USA, France, Japan, Australia etc., and there is a video streaming option for most races. Also, there are lots of greyhounds with live video and for some of them the Free bet if 2nd to SP favourite promotion is available.

Paddy Power

This Irish bookmaker started working in 1988. The EU sportsbook has a poor selection of Esports betting events, however, as for traditional sports, Paddy Power follows all trends. This is one of the EU betting sites that provides a Bet Builder for football and basketball; in addition, you can get £10 daily, if one event in your 4+ leg combination loses. And if 1,000 football betting markets are still not enough, punters can take advantage of the #WhatOddsPaddy option.

888Sport

This is a Gibraltarian bookmaker (since 2008), that knows the needs of UK bettors well. Their selection of top football betting markets is relatively small (about 500 markets). However, the European bookmaker provides a Bet Builder and pre-set combinations sorted by the odds size on the match page. The selection of racing betting events includes all the most popular competitions varying regionally from the UK to Brazil, in addition, there are streams for most of them. Moreover, this is one of the best European betting sites with a Betfinder option to select a horse.

GatoBet

This is one of the most well-known white labels of ProgressPlay Limited, a Cypriot company, that was licenced in the UK in 2018. GatoBet regularly offers 2,000+ events to place bets on in the pre-match mode, including Esports. This is one of the best European betting sites, where the number of top football betting markets reaches 3,000. Simultaneously, you can merge some markets into Bet Builder combinations. There are about 200-300 various markets to bet on top Esports events.

Betway

This Maltese bookmaker started working in 2006. For the Cheltenham Festival 2023, Betway has significantly upgraded its horse racing section: now, there is more information on the participants and tips from Timeform; moreover, this is one of the best European betting sites that offers odds boosts and lots of special markets as well. Separately, we also note a decent range of Esports betting events and an excellent selection of markets to bet on top matches in League of Legends, CS:GO, Dota 2 and Overwatch. Furthermore, this European bookmaker has a Free bet club, where UK players can receive weekly awards.

How We Evaluate EU Betting Sites

Match.Center experts have rated almost all legal EU bookmakers available in the country based on nine parameters. These online bookies are compared with one another to give a comprehensive and objective assessment.

The nine parameters are divided into three categories: technology & product, offers & payments, UX & support. The sports betting site which is rated as the market leader in one of these three categories unlocks an achievement.
Each parameter is marked on a scale of 0 to 10 with the average used to rate the European sites.
The Technology & Product category evaluates the quality of the betting product and betting coverage.
The Offers & Payments category evaluates how good such European betting websites are by separately reviewing the supported payment systems and bonuses for new customers and regular bettors.
The Live streaming marker is used to evaluate the quality of the live betting service offered by these European gambling sites.
When assessing European betting sites, a great mobile betting app will be less valuable if the overall product is bad, so we just add 5 points for Android and iOS mobile betting apps.

The following link provides more information about our rating procedures: How We Evaluate Betting Sites.

The Evolution of Sports Betting in Europe

Sports betting has been an integral part of European culture for centuries, with evidence of wagers being placed on sporting events dating back to the ancient Greek Olympic Games. However, it was not until the 20th century that sports betting became a regulated industry. In 1960, the United Kingdom became the first country to introduce the Betting and Gaming Act. The next year's turnover increased by 154%, and most European countries followed suit in the decades that followed.

Today, sports betting is a multibillion-dollar industry in Europe, with millions of punters placing bets on a daily basis. Match.Center welcomes regulation because it provides more protection for punters. No matter what the legal status is, sports betting takes place all over the world. As an example, Ladbrokes betting company was founded in the UK in 1884 and, therefore, operated in a grey zone for almost 80 years.

Football is by far the most popular sport and one of favourite sports for punters in Europe, with over 70% of all sports bets placed on football matches. Other popular sports include horse racing, tennis, and basketball.

Online sports betting has become increasingly popular in Europe over the past decade, especially with growing interest in live betting, which allows punters to place bets on matches and events as they are happening in real time. The convenience and accessibility of betting (in 2022, 53% of online bets have been placed on mobile devices) has led to a surge in online betting activity. According to the EGBA, European betting market revenue in 2022 reached €108.5bn gross, an 8% increase compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019 and a 23% rise compared to 2021. Online betting accounts for about 35% of it.

In terms of sports betting, the United Kingdom is the largest European market, accounting for over 50% of all online sports bets placed in the region. There is a strong correlation between the level of national economies and betting costs within the EU. Other countries with high levels of online sports betting activity include Germany, France, Spain, and Italy. The growth of online betting has also led to increased regulation and licencing of online bookmakers to ensure consumer protection and fair play.

Most Popular Sports for Betting in Europe

Billions of euros are being staked on football matches every year. The popular sport is loved for its unpredictability, with upsets and surprise results being common. Furthermore, European football has the highest level of competition, the best leagues and worldwide TV coverage. Being fierce and unpredictable is good for the sport, but not much so for betting. Nevertheless, football fans enjoy placing bets on everything from the winner of a match to the number of goals scored, and there is always a wide range of betting options available – up to 1,500 markets for top matches.

Horse racing is also hugely popular for betting in Europe, particularly in countries such as the UK and Ireland. The sport offers a wide range of very special betting options, from simple win bets to more complex and exotic accumulators you will not find in any other sport. Horse racing fans also enjoy studying the form and picking their own winners, adding an extra level of excitement. Most of the best EU betting sites have developed separate interfaces for horse racing, which include quick access to comprehensive statistics and live streams of most events.

Tennis is the most popular individual sport for betting worldwide, with major events such as Wimbledon and the French Open attracting significant betting interest. Bets can be placed on tennis at any time of the year. You can bet on a lot of statistical events during a match, such as points difference, double faults, 1st serve percentage, and other particular parameters, making live betting very appealing.

Basketball is a fast-paced and exciting sport that has grown in popularity for betting in Europe in recent years. The NBA is the most popular league for basketball betting, with fans enjoying a wide range of markets on everything from the winner of individual games to the outright winner of the championship. Although European basketball leagues are less popular than the NBA, punters find their games more predictable.

European Betting Regulation

In some European countries, betting is hit by the initiatives of legislators, who desperately want to regulate European betting sites but do not always know how to do to it productively. That is probably why the UK market does not have any originally Spanish or German betting sites that face difficulties in making money in their home countries. They just do not have enough resources to enter another highly competitive and tightly regulated market. However, the UK attracts betting sites from European offshore locations, such as Malta, Gibraltar, Cyprus.

Germany

German gambling regulations are perhaps the most frequently updated ones. In 2011, Glücksspieländerungsstaatsvertrag, a law with an intimidating name, appeared and was upgraded almost annually. The third amended version of GlüStV came into effect on January 1st, 2023. Since that date, there has been a new federal regulator, Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), which is responsible for licencing betting operators. Currently, there are less than 25 legal betting sites in Germany.

German punters pay a 5.3% tax on every winning bet. Interesting that the betting sites are not permitted to accept bets on Esports and MMA, as the list of allowed sports only includes the Olympic ones. For some reason, Formula 1 is not banned for betting. Anyway, we expect that this strange law will be amended once again.

Spain

To operate in Spain officially, European betting operators or sites need to be licenced by Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego. Spanish betting sites have no sports betting restrictions, compared to Germany. Instead, some of them can offer sports betting options that will seem exotic to UK punters, including such niche sports as padel, pelota and sailing. In total, there are 44 legal Spanish betting sites.

However, Spanish betting sites are not permitted to advertise any bonuses, and Welcome offers are completely banned. Spaniards can take part in promotions only 30 after registration.

France

The modern history of online betting in the Fifth Republic began in May 2010 with the enactment of Law No. 2010-476. In addition, it simplified the registration conditions and lowered taxes for European operators, regardless of their location. Despite the concessions, regulation remains tight and European operators do not hurry to legalise in France. In 2023, only 17 betting sites are licenced by l’Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ).

Italy

Like France, Italy was closed to foreign betting operators for a long time, but the European Union forced it to modernise its gambling laws. Since 2006, over 50 betting companies have got a sports betting licence from Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato (AAMS).

Ireland

It is not the largest European country, but it is definitely one of the strongest in terms of betting. Such brands as Paddy Power, BoyleSports, BETDAQ and Bar One Racing came from Ireland to the UK, but even more UK betting sites were legalised in Ireland. To become legal, betting sites need to obtain a remote licence from the Revenue Commissioners. Unlike Spain and Germany, Ireland has no strange restricting gambling laws, which makes the local betting market one of the most competitive and strong.

Best European Betting Apps

888Sport

This is one of few apps that supports two themes. Such helper options as BetFeed, Made for you and Bet finder (for horse racing) look especially appropriate in the app – using them, you can find an interesting betting market in a couple of clicks.

BoyleSports

Perhaps, the BoyleSports app is even better than the betting site. In the mobile betting app, there are significantly fewer annoying banners, and the betting area is used effectively without losing the betting site’s functionality.

Virgin Bet

The app of this young bookmaker has almost benchmark navigability. This is one of the betting sites in Europe that offers a decent betting experience with its variety of tools, thanks to which you can surf however you like. Separately, we note its informational push notifications.

New European Sports Betting Sites

Virgin Bet

Perhaps, this is the highest-profile newcomer in the UK betting market (started in 2019). We recommend that tennis lovers pay attention to it: the selection of betting events includes competitions of all professional levels, and almost all events are available both in the pre-match and live betting modes, and there is a streaming option for most of them.

The number of football betting markets is obviously not a record one; however, there is a Bet Builder, lots of pre-set combinations and special bets. There is also the Virgin bet FIVES free fantasy game with cash prizes. We also note the Acca Free Bet Club with weekly bonuses.

LiveScore Bet

The bookmaker has been operating since 2020. LiveScore Bet is owned by the same company as Virgin Bet, however, it is not a white label site. These two European betting sites have the same service: an excellent range of tennis betting events and markets, a decent selection of top football betting markets with a Bet Builder, as well as a pretty good horse racing section. However, the LiveScore Bet bonus programme is independent: for a better betting experience, you can take advantage of its Welcome offer and other bonuses, as well as participate in the Squads fantasy game (an analogue of Virgin Bet's FIVES).