Welcome to our review of the latest and greatest new betting sites and apps. Sports bettors, both experienced and newbies, will understand the online gambling sector is amongst the most competitive in world business, on par with the likes of mobile phone contracts.
For that reason, we see a number of regular changes to the way major bookmakers set-up their service. Here you’ll find an expert review of the new names, with the emphasis placed on promotions, trends, pros and cons of each. This will help our readers to make a balanced, well-informed decision.
Best New Betting Sites in the UK – May 2020
BRAND
BONUS
REVIEW
BET NOW
18+. UK+IRE only. T&Cs apply.
18+. New customers only. United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Finland and Canada only. Min odds 2.00 (1/1). First deposit of £10 or more. Full T&Cs apply.
18+. New UK Customers only who registered on and after 20/3/2019. Min odds of at least 1.65. Match max 50 free bet. Full T&C’s apply..
New customers in the UK and Ireland only. The minimum deposit is £10 which activates a bonus of £5. The maximum bonus amount is £50 which means £100 must be deposited to receive the maximum amount. The deposit and bonus must be staked six times before the bonus and any winnings can be withdrawn. T&Cs apply.
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Bet £10+ at odds 1.50+, get 2 x £15 free bets, 7 day expiry, credited after first bet settles. Opt in, 1 x customer. Bet type, Free Bet restrictions and T&C’s apply.
BETBULL
The interesting thing about BetBull is that they are a mobile only bookmaker who run everything off their app. For that reason, you won’t find a web page or traditional desktop website. All that is available to users of a home computer is a landing page telling you everything you need to know about the site and how to download the app to ios or android devices.
As you can imagine, the BetBull mobile app can be downloaded to your phone or tablet in a matter of minutes. It’s fast, modern, efficient and stylish, allowing you to bet easily on a long list of sports. It has been predicted there will be a time in the very near future when more bets will be placed on mobile apps than on desktops and in store combined. BetBull have jumped the queue and are ready for the brave new dawn.
Customers, both new and existing, receive a list of benefits, including a welcome bonus that promises customers up to £100 in free bets. Deposit £20 or more and BetBull will match you with a free bet, allowing you plenty of cash to get a feel for how the app works.
22BET
22bet may not be an instantly recognisable brand in the online gambling sphere but they are determined to remedy that and make up for lost time. They want to narrow the gap between themselves and the big boys and they want to do it now. The marketing team understand the easiest way to achieve this is by offering customers attractive odds and exciting promotions.
22bet have a casino and sportsbook section to their site, allowing customers to effortlessly move between the two, taking their cash with them. They offer new players signing up for an account at 22bet a stunning 100% welcome bonus up to the value of £50. That means, if you register, deposit and bet £50, the 22bet team will drop another £50 worth of free bets into your account. More than enough to get off to a winning start. They also give casino users a 100% free bet up to £250 and that’s better than much of the competition.
MR PLAY
This is a brand who seem determined to do things differently and ruffle a few feathers in the process. They want to shake things up and show customers there’s a new way to bet and it’s twice as exciting as before. The growth in popularity of online betting has made for a cut-throat business but it’s bookies like Mr Play who are thriving because they are bold and innovative.
Mr Play pride themselves on their modern pulse betting promotion and this offer alone shows us exactly what they are all about. The website needs a bit of work as it’s often a step behind compared to the free-flowing apps of the competition, but Pulse betting is worth waiting for. Mr Play has a Malta head office and a background specialising in casino betting, so approaches the sportsbook from a fresh angle that allows them the chance to do things differently.
SBK
If you are a user of social media, particularly facebook and twitter, you would have noticed the advertising campaigns of SBK. They target a young audience daily on social media and that approach has led to a rapid growth in popularity. They are another firm who are mobile only, focusing everything on allowing customers to gamble on the go.
The mobile app is a joy to behold and it allows you to enjoy the thrill of a bet when you want, where you want and on what you want. Get your cash down on football betting, horse racing, greyhounds, boxing, tennis and more, all at the click of a button. You are in complete charge of how you spend your stake money and that has been a long time coming. The SBK advertising campaign offers customers the chance to be one of the first to experience the boldest prices and newest features in betting.
WHY CHOOSE NEW BETTING SITES
There are many pros and cons to choosing a new betting site over an established name. Gone are the days when major bookmakers needed only to open a betting office near a pub or sports venue to be successful. Online gambling changed all that and it also opened the door for hundreds of start up betting businesses without any premises of note to join the fight for your stake. It has led to a fiercely competitive industry with online bookies literally going to war to catch your eye. It really is a buyer’s market at the minute and that’s great news for punters.
When making the move from betting in store to betting online you will likely notice many unfamiliar names and that can be confusing. Who should you trust? Where can you get the best odds? Which firms are capable of living up to their bold promises? Knowing the answers to these questions could be the difference between making a regular profit from your love of sports betting and losing out.
It is important to say at this stage of our review that it would be criminal to bet with a bookmaker simply because you always have done in the past, especially in shops. If you always visited your local William Hill that doesn’t mean you are tied to them when choosing an online bookie. If this sounds like you, we’d say break that bad habit as soon as possible. It’s like gambling with one hand tied behind your back and, of course, that will never do.
Do your research. Look through the many firms to check which are offering best odds, the most generous promotions and run with a modern mobile app and website. To stand any chance of making a reliable profit in sports betting you need to ensure your cash is working as hard as possible on your behalf. Get the best deal around and grab it with both hands. You can even sign up to a few different betting sites and take advantage of the welcome bonuses and free bets before deciding on which you like best. There’s certainly no rule against that.
Here are a few pros and cons to betting with a new betting site over an established name…
- They are desperate to close the gap between themselves and the big boys so will often offer better welcome bonuses in an attempt to get you onto their site and betting.
- They are often much more modern, and the mobile only bookies are a sign of things to come. This is the future, so it pays to get in with a company who are breaking new ground.
- There could be more ways to handle your cash, depositing funds to bet with and withdrawing winnings. Online wallets have sped things up and start up betting firms are at the heart of all recent changes.
- New betting business sometimes have much less of a budget to work with compared to the established names and that often hits their advertising budget hardest.
- Less experience in the field means new faces may have less markets on your favourite sports when compared to the famous bookies.
- Many new betting sites don’t offer a live streaming service as they don’t yet have the budget or online capabilities to add it to their website and mobile app. If you enjoy watching sports on TV that’s no big deal but many punters enjoy watching and betting in-play through their app and mobile device. It’s the modern way to gamble.
CAN I TRUST A NEW BOOKMAKER?
One of the main concerns with opening an account and betting with a new online bookmaker or a firm you may not have heard of before is the issue of trust. Can you trust this faceless, start-up bookie with your stake money, personal details and your bank account? It’s an important point and one that every online backer should give serious consideration to. It’s so important, in fact, it often puts players off changing accounts, even although they know they could get a better deal elsewhere. That has to stop, so you’ll be glad to know we’ve done the hard work and research to ensure every firm mentioned in this review and 100% trustworthy and reliable.
There are also a few things you can do yourself to set your mind at ease and put online betting firms to the test. The first one is check they are licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. These guys are no pushovers, they only grant a license to those who are active and serious about both security and transparency. There should be a UK Gambling Commission badge proudly displayed on the homepage – usually near the bottom – of every website that falls into this category and if you have to go digging around and looking for it, it’s probably not there. If there is no UK Gambling Commission license, don’t even bother.
Another way to check the security of an online gambling site is to find out if they have invested in the latest and most up to date measure to protect your details. A state of the art encryption service is what you’re after here. This is a programme operated by a third party that mixes up and codes all your bank details and important numbers. That means your info is never seen by another human, including the staff employed by a bookmaker. All the top betting brand have this, the UK Gambling Commission actively encourage it and it’s something you should demand. It’s easy to check as there should be a page of the site dedicated to security and all details will be found there.
Ask yourself how easy it was to set up an account and register as a new customer. We’re not talking jumping through hoops here but if there’s no regard giving to proving your age or even your ID then you can bet the company aren’t working as hard as they should be to protect both themselves and their customers from online attacks.
ONLINE BETTING TRENDS IN 2020
There have been a few recent trends in online betting that you should be aware of and should also look for when opening a betting account with a new bookmaker. First was mobile betting and we would advise checking both the bookmaker’s website and their mobile app before joining. The app should be easy to use, fast, responsive and with no loading times.
In-play betting is another fashion that refuses to die out and it has changed the way we gamble forever. You can now place your bets on sport before the start or wait and gamble in-play on a number of updated markets. Many of the original options remain live throughout the contest, with odds and handicap lines updated to keep pace with the scores.
CONCLUSION
There are many new betting sites that are well worth our time and can even enhance your betting experience. Don’t dismiss them simply because they are new as, on many occasions, that can work in their favour. It means they are fresh, have learned from the mistakes of others and are desperate to make a lasting impression from the first visit. They are also modern and that counts for a lot with punters this year. Not only do you want the best odds and most eye-catching promotions, you also need to have a stylish website and user-friendly mobile app. Above all else, make sure your bookie of choice is safe, secure and puts the emphasis on protecting your details.
For that reason, we see a number of regular changes to the way major bookmakers set-up their service. Here you’ll find an expert review of the new names, with the emphasis placed on promotions, trends, pros and cons of each. This will help our readers to make a balanced, well-informed decision.
