How to Choose a Betting Site
How to choose a betting site in the UK: check the licence, compare the odds, payments and features, and make sure the safer-gambling tools are easy to find.
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About this video: How to Choose a Betting Site
How to Choose a Betting Site walks through the checks that matter before you open a new bookmaker account.
First, the video starts with the licence. Only use sites licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. You can find the company name in the site footer and check it on the Commission’s public register.
Next, it explains why the odds matter more than the welcome offer. You’ll bet at a site’s prices long after the free bet has gone. For example, a £10 winner at 5/2 pays £35, whereas the same bet at 9/4 pays £32.50. It also suggests checking withdrawal speed, the app, and features like cash out, bet builders and live streaming.
In addition, the video compares the three broad types of site: big high-street brands, newer online-only bookmakers, and betting exchanges, which often have the best prices but charge commission. Finally, it shows why safer-gambling tools should be easy to find, including deposit limits, time-outs and GAMSTOP.
However, rules and offers change. For that reason, we check every video against the Gambling Commission and other official sources. In fact, we last checked this one on 13 October 2026.
Read the transcript
Here's how to choose the right UK betting site for you.
Start with the licence. Only use sites licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. Find the company name in the site footer, and check it on the Commission's public register. If it isn't listed, don't sign up.
Odds matter more than the welcome offer, because you'll bet at their prices long after the free bet has gone. A ten pound winner at five to two pays back thirty-five pounds, against thirty-two fifty at nine to four.
Then check payments and withdrawal speed. Some pay within hours, others take days. Look for a good app, and the features you use, like cash out, bet builders and live streaming.
There are three broad types: big high-street brands, newer online-only sites, and betting exchanges, which often have the best prices but take commission. None is automatically best.
Finally, make sure safer-gambling tools are easy to find: deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion. Every UK licensed site must take part in GAMSTOP.
Read the full guide for more. Eighteen plus. Please gamble responsibly.
More video guides
In addition, each of these short guides explains a related idea in plain English. So, once you have watched this one, pick the next topic you need. For example, the calculator walkthroughs show each tool step by step. Similarly, the explainers cover the key ideas behind each offer. Finally, every video has chapters, so you can jump straight to the part you want.
18+ only. Gambling can be addictive; please play responsibly. Free, confidential help: BeGambleAware.org or the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.