The sports betting industry has always been a massive market and dates back hundreds of years. Back in the day, bookmakers used to operate from shanty huts at local horse racing tracks, most illegally at that. The industry progressed to offer fully licensed opportunities for these bookmakers and in turn allowed them to trade without prosecution, providing that they met the necessary rules and criteria of course.
As with pretty much any progressing industry over the last 20 years or so, the natural move for sports betting was that of online. These days it’s not uncommon to see bookmakers report that over 50% (some much, much higher) of their trade is now done online or via mobile betting. This article will be looking at just how far online betting has come and also where the industry is heading.
Best Online Bookies for 2024
Coral
Coral have roots going back to the 1920s and are one of the UK’s “Big Four” bookmakers, with a great brand and a strong presence on the high street. Now part of the giant Gala Coral Group they have masses of industry experience and financial clout behind them and use it very well to offer punters a strong and polished offering in terms of betting on sports and also casino, poker, bingo and more.
Overall Coral score very highly and have few weaknesses. Great customer support, masses of ongoing free bets and promotions, a huge range of markets and sports on which to bet and a welcome free bet that is well above average. Throw in strong odds and a slick site, online and mobile, and it’s easy to see why Coral are so popular.
BetVictor
BetVictor is a family owned bookmaker founded by the current owner’s grandfather and whilst they have had a number of different names over the years one thing has been constant: the unusual but excellent mix of old-fashioned bookmaking values with modern innovation. Victor is not afraid to take a standout position on a team or event and will take large bets in that case and this sort of attitude earned him the nickname of the “Gentleman Bookmaker”.
However, BetVictor was one of the first major UK bookies to move offshore, helping to put an end to gambling tax, and Victor has also been at the forefront when it comes to things such as live betting. They are a huge, trustworthy, UK company and although they are based in Gibraltar, where they are licensed and regulated, they remain very much a British brand.
Betfred
Betfred were founded in 1967 when brothers Fred and Peter Done opened their first betting shop in Salford. Since then they have gone from strength to strength and offer the full range of gambling options online as well as operating around 1,500 high street betting shops in the UK. Headquarters remain in the North West of England but much of the operation is now based in Gibraltar and Fred Done is still the company figurehead and driving force.
Betfred, as said, have loads of other great promotions and so, given their website is superb, as is their mobile offering, customer service is available 24/7 by live chat (and other methods) and their odds are very strong, they get a massive thumbs-up from us.
Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes can trace their roots back to the 19th century but, like many of the major UK chains, only truly came to life in the 1960s with the legalisation of betting shops in Britain. With more than 15,000 employees worldwide they are true giants and with a major high street presence are a massive British brand, although much of the business is based in Gibraltar, where they are regulated and licensed.
Ladbrokes also offer a good range of further promotions, with regular specials on horse racing and football, as well as for most major events in sports like tennis and golf. Their odds are reasonable but one of their major strengths is the depth and breadth of their markets. If you haven’t got an account then you’re missing out, so get involved!
Betfair
Betfair are the market leaders when it comes to betting exchanges but increasingly their focus has been on their sportsbook, which was brought online in 2013. Betfair are a great British institution who pioneered the betting exchange and have headquarters in England, though they have numerous offices and betting licenses around the world.
The sportsbook seeks to combine some of the best exchange elements with some of the advantages of a traditional bookmaker and so, whilst their Cash Out feature effectively allows you to lay bets off, you’ll also find the huge range of bonuses, free bets and promotions you would get at a top bookmaker.
You’ll get all the usual Betfair touches – a nicely designed site, strong customer service, a great mobile site and excellent in-play and streaming options – but you’ll also get a good dose of extra freebies too: if you haven’t checked out the Betfair Sportsbook, stop reading this and do so right now!
Bookmakers With Unique Features
Realistically speaking most decent bookies will be relatively similar in terms of coverage and odds, so you should be able to choose any of our favourites from the list above and bet safe in the knowledge that it’s one of the better sites on the web. In order to try and stand out from the crowd, some sites have come up with unique features such as a bet type not found anywhere else or new easier way to deposit and withdraw.
In this next section we take a look at some of the better features that have been introduced – so take a look and see if anything tickles your fancy.
Coral - Deposit & Withdraw in Cash on the High Street
You probably don’t need us to tell you that Coral are a high street powerhouse – with hundreds of betting shops dotted around the country – and they’ve decided to utilise this to try and give themselves an edge over their online-only counterparts by offering the ability to deposit and withdraw through their high street shops via something called ‘Coral Connect’.
To use this feature you’ll need to sign up for an online account and then register for Coral Connect on their website. You’ll receive a card and PIN which you can use to access funds from any Coral shop – effectively enabling you to deposit in cash and get your hands on your winnings instantly. Coral have also been known to run promotions which combine the online and high street products so it’s well worth having if there’s a shop nearby.
The First Online Bookmakers
Now it’s time for a short history lesson as we look at when and where the first online bookies appeared. It was actually over 20 years ago in 1994 that Antigua and Barbuda passed the Free Trade and Processing Zone Act, which in turn allowed offshore licenses for online betting operators. Throughout the first couple of years, it was casinos that were getting the first real shot at online gambling via Microgaming, who are still one of biggest software providers for online casino games even to this day.
Sports betting took a couple more years to really get going with online, and it wasn’t until 1996 that Intertops were to introduce the first online bookmaker. What was interesting about Intertops is that they weren’t a known brand in the sports betting world and they had no high street presence. Whilst they were based in the US they did accept players from the UK, but the scene was limited in all honesty, mainly due to the fact that few people knew about the company more than anything.
In just the first couple of years of making the switch to online betting, in 1996 the industry announced that over $60million has been wagered in the first two years, highlighting just how popular online betting had become in a very short space of time.
Online Betting in the UK
It wasn’t until 1998 that the UK started getting their first taste of the online betting scene with powerhouses William Hill being the first to open their doors to online punters. The company were also regarded as the first of the ‘known brands’ to enter the online marketplace, whilst many other were waiting in the pipeline to asses how the market was going to react.
The wait didn’t take too long, and after figures of online gambling revenues hitting $830million by 1998, other companies started to really make their move over the next couple of years. In the early 2000’s the likes of Ladbrokes, Betfair (who almost hysterically accepted just 36 bets on their first day of trading and now report incomes well in excess of £70million each year) and Paddy Power (2003) all opened their doors which in turn lead the way for so many others.
As the industry continues to grow, in 2003 ORC International had stated that online gambling activities were up 46% and that offline gambling activities had dropped 25%, giving huge early indications of where the industry was heading. This also highlighted just how popular online betting had become!
United States Internet Gambling Bill
2006 was the first year the juggernaut that is online betting faced their first hurdle. The US Government passed a law (UIGEA) making it illegal for banks to process financial transactions to and from online gambling sites. This was a massive decision for US punters and one that saw many online gambling sites simply pull out of the industry altogether or at least turn their focus to offshore betting.
Whilst the US fall out hit poker and casino outlets hard, the sports betting industry, especially for those that were more UK/Europe facing bookmakers, didn’t long term affect their productivity. In fact, many would say that it was the US fallout that really spurred the online betting industry on within the UK as more companies entered trying to get a piece of the action.
Modern Advancements
From 2009 the industry really started to embrace new technologies. This included live betting, celebrity endorsements, cash out betting, live streaming, social media interaction, betting promotions and so much more. The range of sports, markets and events that you could bet on were simply outrageous, highlighted by the fact that punters bet over £1.5 million on the sex, name, weight and even hair colour of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge’s baby!
Betting Goes mobile
You’ll probably notice the biggest omission from the information above is that of mobile betting. We felt that this is such an important inclusion, that it deserved it’s own sub section.
Mobile betting was first introduced in 2003 from a company called Sporting Index. They decided to produce a program that would allow punters to place a limited number of bets on via their mobile device. The design was done on WAP and JAVA, meaning that it looks very different to the flash graphics and usability you see on today’s mobile betting apps.
The development of the Sporting Index ‘app’ was as big a revelation as the development of online betting itself. These days, many bookmakers state that mobile betting is quickly, if not already, their biggest output of bets.
The Introduction of the Smartphone
As technologies developed, so did the format and layout of mobile betting. The iPhone had almost single handily revolutionised the way in which we use our smartphone in everyday life, which in turn allowed companies to develop much more sophisticated apps for use on larger screens and also touchscreen technology. The development of the App Store was, and still is, one of the biggest feats that Apple have produced to this day, but it also showed that mobile betting industry could develop apps for users to download directly to their smartphone device.
The development of Android devices was soon to rival Apple and they also had their own standalone App Store. But, both Apple and Android were very reluctant to initially allow bookmakers to offer up gambling apps in their respected stores. Whilst users of Android are still unable to download betting apps from their App Store, Apple have relaxed their views on the matter somewhat, with some of the bigger firms having the ability to promote their sports betting apps in the Apple Store.
Web Browsing with HTML5
A work around that a lot of bookmakers have used is from the development of HTML5. Now, for those of you who aren’t familiar with this, it’s basically a way in which websites can now be designed, an improvement on the capabilities of previous versions. HTML5 also means that sites can be designed much easier to be compatible with mobile devices. This has meant that companies no longer need to use dedicated, downloadable betting apps. Instead, HTML5 will detect when someone is visiting the via their mobile or even tablet and in turn re-direct them to a specially designed, dedicated mobile version of the bookmaker.
Current Status of Mobile Betting
The future of mobile betting looks set to be bright, very bright indeed! The industry has grow exponentially over the last 5 years of so. In a report from the UK Gambling Commission it was stated that in the remote gambling market (includes betting, casino and bingo) was worth £710 million, whilst in 2015 it was then worth a staggering £3.6 Billion, a monumental increase of almost 500%. We realise that this does include both bingo and casino mobile gaming, but it gives a great indication where not just mobile betting is heading, but also mobile gambling on the whole.
The table below uses information from a UK Gambling Commission survey published in 2017 into the devices used by online gamblers. Whilst it shows that the most popular methods used were still laptop and desktop PCs, it does highlight a decline in their use, with an increase in mobile phone and tablet usage between 2015 and 2016.
| Device | Usage in 2015 | Usage in 2016 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laptop | 61% | 55% | Down 6% |
| Desktop PC | 38% | 34% | Down 4% |
| Mobile Phone | 23% | 29% | Up 6% |
| Tablet | 16% | 21% | Up 5% |
Whilst this market growth for mobile betting is definitely going through a ‘boom’ period, a report from Deloitte on ‘The Future of British remote betting and gaming industry’ has stated that the growth looks set to continue, but expect to see the market consolidate somewhat over the next five years, with smaller operators falling away due to the strength of the already existing brands. We are also likely to see an increase in the quality of mobile betting apps as a result, with bookmakers making sure that they offer the best product available, due to the competition on show. All of which is great news for the punter, but possibly not for the smaller bookmakers in the industry.
Is Online Betting Legal?
The first thing we want to point out is that online gambling in the UK is very much legal. You can bet as you please on any site that is licensed. Licensed being the key word!
UK Gambling Commission
In 2001 a bill was passed changing the way in which bookmakers had to apply for a license and in turn, changed certain aspects of their business to adhere to fairer and more regulated laws. At the same time it was decided that the gambling in the UK would be overseen by the UK Gambling Commission, with all this coming to fruition in the from of the Gambling Act 2005.
The Gambling Act 2005 is essentially in place to protect the punter and safeguard amongst any wrongdoing. Without going in to too much detail about the whole process, the bookmaker will need to apply for a license and then hit certain guidelines to protect their players. The following is a sub section taken from the act giving a quick overview of the Act’s objectives:
- Preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime
- Ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way
- Protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling
Advertising Standards in the UK
Whilst the Gambling Commission will always be the authority figure for online bookmakers, the increase in exposure that bookmakers have via marketing, social media, TV advertisements and online advertisements has also triggered the eyes of the ASA (Advertising Standards Agency). Since gambling has been legal to advertise across all media since 2007, the ASA are in place to make sure that bookmakers aren’t stepping over the line when it comes to promotions, offers and services that they claim to provide.
Some of the key rules include that they must not encourage gambling that could lead to financial or social harm, be likely to appeal to under 18s, suggest gambling to be a financial solution, exploit minors to encourage them to gamble and link gambling to seduction, sexual success or enhanced attractiveness. Whilst the ASA can’t technically punish a bookmaker for breaching these rules, they work very closely with Ofcom and the UK Gambling Commission, who will both be informed and it’s up to them to impose any sanctions to the bookmaker.
Point of Consumption Tax
For many years bookmakers had been able to access a loophole in the 2005 Gambling Act, which basically stated that as long as they were licensed within a UK-approved ‘whitelisted’ sector then they would be able to offer their services to residents based in the UK. These companies would often flee to other ‘tax-friendly’ nations and pay a mere fraction of what they would in the UK.
To overcome this it was decided and signed in that all gambling companies who offer their services to UK based punters and accept wagers from them would have to pay a point of consumption tax of 15%. This wouldn’t apply to companies already based and paying taxes within the UK, but only target those based outside of the UK.
Where Are Most Online Bookmakers Based?
The stark reality is that the majority of online bookmakers are actually based out of places such as Gibraltar and Malta. The reason behind is that they are able to both conform with UK gambling legislation in these types of countries (as they are UK friendly and have been ‘whitelisted’ by the UK Gambling Commission) and also are able to pay just a fraction of the tax that they would in the UK because of how each respected government is run.
The point of consumption tax, as mentioned above, has given the UK government a way in which they can still make money from these companies by charging 15% of total net earnings from each. But, in reality, if they were to be based in the UK then these percentages would be much, much higher and overall, they are still likely to be getting a better deal by being in either Gibraltar, Malta, Isle of Man or places similar.