Sports betting has changed dramatically over the last decade or so, with the rise of smartphones and live data, which has revolutionised the sports gambling industry.
Before the rise of online bookmakers, you had to go to a betting shop and make your prediction, before the match or race had begun, and usually well in advance of the event itself.
Nowadays, many punters prefer to look at live betting sites, and bet in-play, as you can get a read on the event in the early stages of a match or race, before committing to the bet. The popularity of live sports betting sites has risen with the increase of live streaming too.
Best live betting sites by sport
There are many popular betting sites used by millions of people in the United Kingdom. One of the key aspects of any betting website is how suited it is to the particular sport they have chosen to bet on.
We have ranked and reviewed the best live betting sites by sport, so customers can find the online bookmaker that best meets their specific needs.
Let’s take a closer look at what UK betting companies have to offer whether your favourite sport is football, horse racing, golf, tennis or boxing.
Best live betting site for football: LiveScore Bet
Having made their name as one of the best data-fed live scoreboard companies around, it’s not a major surprise LiveScore Bet rank so highly as a live betting site since moving into the world of online gambling.
Livescore provides real-time score updates for a whole variety of sports, including football, basketball, tennis, cricket and hockey through its app and website and has 50 million users worldwide.
In 2020, they launched LiveScore Bet, using all the experience they had gained from it’s live scoreboard system to enhance their live betting site.
They’ve quickly become one of the best new betting sites and are particularly popular as football live betting sites go.
Because of LiveScore’s original business model of providing updates and stats, they were already trusted by a large number of football bettors and they’ve enhanced their reputation by offering users a £5 free acca every week and price boosts on a variety of competitions.
They also have a straightforward sign-up offer where betting £10 on any sports market will earn you £20 of free bets – in two £10 increments.
Along with their up-to-the-minute stats and speedy odds updates, LiveScore Bet also offer live streaming on more leagues and compeitions than most football betting sites.
Best live horse racing betting site: Bet365
Bet365 have long marketed themselves as the home of live streaming, and as live horse racing betting sites go, the amount of global coverage they stream makes them the perfect choice if you want to watch the race and closely follow your horse.
Bet365 stream every racing meet in the UK and Ireland, including every race from major events such as the Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot, even once the TV broadcasters have gone off air.
They also have selected international meets available to watch. Most races are free to watch, provided Bet365 accounts are funded or a bet has been placed in the previous 24 hours.
Bet365’s entire horse racing offer is impressive, with competitive odds, a clean site that is easy to navigate and a highly-rated app, while they get you started with up to £30 in free bets with their welcome offer.
Best live golf betting site: BoyleSports
Golf is the third most popular sport to bet on in the UK behind football and horse racing, and BoyleSports is well-placed to meet the needs of those wanting to bet on the sport.
They will regularly offer 12 places on DP World Tour events, all four majors and the PGA Tour, and have even introduced an early payout scheme for selected tournaments.
You will struggle to find a more diverse range of in-play markets on other live golf betting sites than on BoyleSports, who cover everything from the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, the majors and the Olympics live.
BoyleSports will also produce a range of price boosts for selected tournaments each week and their live golf odds are consistently the top prices or are at the very least competitive.
Best in-play tennis betting site: Betway
Betway have one of the most comprehensive in-play tennis packages, boasting a good selection of markets on all matches, up-the-minute live stats and live streaming of a large number of ATP and WTA events.
Betway offer cash out on several in-play tennis markets too, and everything is available both on the desktop site as well as one of the highest-rated betting apps available to UK bettors.
Tennis bettors can also benefit from Betway’s Free Bet Club, where you can earn a £10 free bet from wagering £25 or more on accumulators or bet builders comprising three legs or more.
Best live boxing betting site: William Hill
A lot of casual boxing fans like to bet on a big bout, and you will be best served going to William Hill to place your punt. The company has been sponsoring major fights for many years and have built a top betting product to support it.
William Hill has a vast range of boxing markets and offers great value odds. They have a good history of pricing fights well in advance too.
But its fight-night specials are what sets it apart from other boxing betting sites and they will regularly enhance the odds on several bets, and offer a wider range of live boxing odds than other leading bookmakers.
Punters can also use their £30 free bets from William Hill’s sign-up offer to bet on boxing pre-fight or in-play should they wish to do so.
How we choose the best live sports betting sites
We take the rating and recommendations of the best live sports betting sites very seriously and have stringent criteria for companies to even be considered for our list. Here are some of the factors that went into our thinking.
Regulation: Every site we recommend has to be regulated by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) for us to even consider rating them, so you can be confident every site on the list above is safe to engage with. Before we recommend any live betting sites, this is a non-negotiable.
Reputation: Our recommended best in-play betting sites list is based on household names, but also has a couple that might be slightly less well-known to customers. This is why we have chosen well-known sites such as Bet365, William Hill and Betway, while also considering the newcomers to live betting like LiveScore Bet.
Responsible gambling: Similarly to regulation, we take into account how committed a bookmaker is to responsible gambling, and this played a role in our recommendations. We looked at the companies’ approach to implementing safer gambling practices and the tools they offer to help bettors stay in control, such as deposit limits, loss limits, reality checks and self-exclusion.
Customer experience: We considered how good an experience the site provides for its customers when choosing the best live betting sites, looking at their desktop website, betting app and mobile site. If the site is straightforward to use, easy to navigate and has a good design then it improves the customer’s experience with that particular company. Another factor is how easy it would be to solve any potential issues that might arise, and how the site facilitates interaction with customer support teams.
Promotions: A betting company, like any other, can be judged on its promotions and offers. Are these live betting sites offering unique deals, streaming or other user experience we haven’t seen anywhere else? If you feel like you’re getting better odds and offers from another bookmaker, then you’re more like to go with that site.
How to place an in-play bet
For those new to live betting, placing a bet in-play follows largely the same path as a pre-match wager, only with a few minor differences.
An in-play bet reflects the action that is currently happening, so the odds are likely to change constantly to reflect the ongoing action.
Those used to spending time contemplating a bet might have to act fast before the odds change. There are also times when you can’t place a live bet because something significant is happening and certain markets will be paused, such as a penalty being awarded in a football game.
Many apps and sites will have a separate section dedicated to in-play betting.
Sports you can place in-play bets on
We have only listed the best live betting sites for the most popular sports, but there is a long list of sports where in-play odds are available at the same bookmakers. Here’s a collection of sports you can expect to be able to bet on live.
- Football
- Horse racing
- Golf
- Tennis
- Boxing
- Cricket
- Rugby Union
- Rugby League
- Basketball
- American Football
- Mixed Martial Arts (MMA/UFC)
- Snooker
- Darts
- Ice Hockey
- Baseball
- Formula 1
- Cycling
- eSports
- Athletics
- Volleyball
- Table tennis
Responsible gambling on live betting sites
The most important thing to remember is to always gamble responsibly. Despite the enticing offers, betting should be considered a form of entertainment and never a guaranteed way to make money.
When betting, only bet what you can afford to lose. Sports betting can also be addictive so please take steps to remain in control of your budget. Make sure to use the responsible gambling tools offered by live betting sites, including those on the list above, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs. A bookmaker should only be chosen if it meets your requirements.
All sites mentioned above are legitimate and licensed by UKGC. There are several charities and healthcare providers should you wish to seek help for gambling-related issues. The providers below offer support and information:
Best live betting sites summary
We’ve picked some of our favourite live betting sites, but ultimately everyone is looking for something different from their bookmaker.
A lot of in-play sports betting sites can seem the same on the surface but can differ significantly in terms of sports covered, markets, live stats and live streams. Whatever you’re after, hopefully this information can help you make the right decision for you.
Importantly, all our recommended live betting sites are fully licensed and regulated by UKGC, so they are safe to engage with and will ensure that your personal and financial data is secure.
We regularly update the list if you would like to keep tabs on the best new live betting sites.
