The Best Bookmakers for 2022

If you have found our website, you are most likely looking to find a betting site where you can place bets on your favourite sports and events. Depending on where you are from, there are, however, some obstacles that need to be overcome and factors to consider.

• Choose a betting site with a license
• Payment methods
• Customer support
• User experience and mobile betting

Choose a Betting Site with a License that Works for you

Are you from Europe? Then a Malta license might be enough and finding a betting site won’t be a tough task as you have a lot of great choices. Are you from Africa? Then it might be more difficult.

There are two main things to consider here. First, we highly recommend that the betting site you choose has got a license, no matter where from. This is a stamp of approval, and imperative. If you see any of the Malta Gaming Authority, Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association or the UK Gambling Commission logos, you should be able to trust the betting site.

Second, even though betting sites have got many licenses, they might not still accept players from all countries. Hence the “license that works for you”-wording. The betting sites on this page are the most universal ones, but that does not mean that they accept all players.

Safe Payment Methods that Work in your Country

There are features on betting websites that only some players use, such as live betting or statistics. But then there are universal things that all players must use. Payment methods is one, as you need to deposit money in order to place bets.

Therefore, it is very important to find an online bookmaker with which you can make safe transactions. If you live in a western country, this is normally not an issue, but as online sports betting is something relatively new in many parts of the world, it might be an issue in other cases.

Kenyans prefer to deposit with Airtel or M-Pesa, while Germans prefer PayPal. Some international betting sites such as Betway are very good when it comes to deposit and withdrawal options for many geographical markets, but make sure to look for your preferred payment method before you sign up.

Great Customer Support

Every serious betting site has got a helpful customer support via telephone, email or live chat. In our opinion, the top betting sites in the world all have a good customer service, and whenever we have had issues, help has been given.

As a brand gets bigger, keeping a good reputation becomes more important. We are aware that not all have got great experiences from the customer service at online betting sites. However, we have found that this generally is an issue with less reputable brands, as a brand gets bigger, keeping a good reputation becomes more important.

User Experience & Mobile Betting

The user experience on the mobile device is becoming more important with every passing day. Today, the amount of players using betting services on the mobile heavily outweighs the desktop users.

This is a revolution in user behaviour and betting sites need to adapt. It is possible to produce a good user experience for the mobile, both via the browser and in an application, and while some might prefer one over the other, the usability is what matters, not the way of presenting it.

Betting site offers for existing customers are also key, as you want to be getting bang for your buck in the long run. Keep on reading for a full breakdown of betting site deals in the current sportsbook market, and look out for our casino bonuses too if that’s your thing.

Types of Betting Offers

Every bookmaker will offer punters some sort of incentive to sign up with them. The bigger and better betting sites will also run regular promotions for existing customers, ensuring that they are rewarded for their loyalty and continue to play.

Bet365, for example, has an early payout offer on football and the NFL, while 888sport promos include double winnings on Champions League and Europa League bet builders. New customer offers are generally bigger and more punchy. While there are a wide range of ways in which betting sites can present welcome offers.

Free Bets

Free Bets do exactly what they say on the tin. You join a bookmaker, in some instances with a betting site bonus code used upon registration, and usually have to deposit and/or wager a certain amount in order to qualify for the free bet or bets.

Depending on the conditions of the welcome offer, you could be offered one free bet or a series of multiple free bets.
The qualifying bet may have a minimum odds requirement, and the same may apply for the free bets. Winnings from the free bets will not include the stake, but wagering requirements for the winnings are in most cases low if there are any at all.

It is crucial that you read and understand the terms and conditions of all free bets offers, and make sure you don’t let the offer expire!

First Deposit Bonus

Many bookmakers offer new players a bonus upon their first deposit after creating an account. This can be a 100% matched deposit, or a higher or lower percentage such as 200% or 50%.

Betting sites will limit the value of the bonus you can claim. Let’s say it’s a 100% matched deposit up to £100 – this means you can deposit anything up to £100 into your new account and the bookmaker will double it.

It is more common for these types of betting site offers to have tougher wagering requirements attached to them. If the terms and conditions state that the bonus must be turned over 6x before it becomes withdrawable, you would need to place £600 worth of bets if you received an initial £100 bonus.

No Deposit Bonus

A rare type of betting site deal but lots of people’s favourite – for this sign up offer there is no deposit needed. You simply receive money to bet with as soon as you register.

While the no deposit bonus may sound the sexiest of all the betting site offers on this page, the value of this welcome offer is often much lower than the other types, and wagering requirements are an obstacle. Still, there is nothing to lose with a no deposit bonus, and if you do manage to win your bets and comply with the requirements, it is essentially free money.

Risk-Free Bet

Some bookmakers sign up offer comes in the form of a risk-free bet, which requires the new customer to place a bet with their own money but provides them with insurance. When punters take advantage of one of these betting site offers, they are instructed to place an initial bet, which can sometimes have restrictions such as the amount staked, minimum odds, or single bets only.

If it is successful, they win the bet and carry on as normal. If the bet loses, the stake is refunded – sometimes as cash, sometimes as free bets with wagering requirements.

As with all other betting site deals, we advise that you read through all important terms and conditions before proceeding with a risk-free bet offer.

While the value of each sign up offer is the main selling point and the thing which catches your eye, the difference between good betting site deals and great ones is often in the small print.

A 300% bonus up to £300 would be great, but what if you don’t have a realistic chance of actually turning the bonus into cash? On the other hand, a £10 free bet might not seem like anything to write home about, but if the conditions are easy to meet and you can quickly withdraw the winnings as cash, this may well be more enticing than a comparatively farfetched welcome offer.

Wagering Requirements

Sadly, bookmakers aren’t just going to give you heaps of cash and let you take it and run. You need to actually play through the bonus funds you receive a number of times.

Matched deposit bonuses will likely always have wagering requirements attached. The required turnover will often be somewhere around 5-15 times the amount of the bonus. Free bets don’t always have wagering requirements, or if they do they are generally smaller (roughly 2-4 times the bonus amount).

Minimum Odds

Qualifying bets for betting site offers often have a minimum odds requirement. This is to avoid players placing wagers with almost no risk just so that they can receive a bonus.

The betting bonus funds may also have to be used on markets within a certain odds range. Minimum odds are usually somewhere between 1/2 and 1/1.

Bonus Betting Amount

An obvious consideration, but the amount of bonus money you will receive for joining a new bookmaker and depositing funds should always be important.

The bigger the betting site offer, the tougher the terms and conditions can be, but if you are going to go through the effort of signing up with a sportsbook based on their welcome bonus, it needs to be worth your time.

Bonus Expiry Date

Lots of betting site deals must be claimed within a certain time frame. These deadlines can apply to various stages in the process, such as:

• Time from signing up to making the first deposit.
• First deposit to wagering the qualifying bet.
• Using free bet credits.
• Completing wagering requirements attached to a betting site offer.

Eligible Markets

When looking through the terms and conditions of each sign up offer, look out for any restrictions regarding what markets your qualifying bet can be placed on.

Some betting site deals are for single bets only, while some seasonal specials might only be eligible for certain sports or events, such as Euro 2021 or Wimbledon. There may also be certain markets or bet types that you have to wager your bonus money with. Be sure to know exactly where you stand with this.