Football Betting Sites – All you need to know

Best sites for football betting by category

The History of Football

The game we recognise today originated in UK public schools in the 19th Century. The original “Football Association” was formed in 1863 with a set of rules agreed upon by all. The first competitive national league began in England in 1888. It was added to the Olympics in 1900 and in 1904 the “Fédération Internationale de Football Association” was formed, which today is known by its acronym FIFA. Today every four years the FIFA World Cup becomes the highlight of any sporting calendar, with the 2022 final being watched live by an estimated 1.5 Billion people.

How we Evaluate and Rank Football Betting Sites?

When looking at what makes a good site, a great site, and the very best sites, we take a number of factors into account. Everyone is different and will have different priorities when it comes to what they are looking for, but to some degree everyone will be prioritising sites that perform well in the following areas:

• Generous Welcome Bonus
• Existing User Offers
• Great Quality Odds
• A large range of betting markets
• In-Play betting
• A Dedicated mobile app
• Numerous payment methods
• Excellent customer support

Our top football betting sites

#1. 22Bet Bookmaker

The company was formed in 2016 by a team that was passionate about betting. They developed the product and in 2018 the 22bet brand finally launched. It has become a firm fan favourite when it comes to betting on football. They operate under a Curacao license so you can be sure of a safe, secure, and quality gambling experience. They have a huge range of payment methods all offering flexible and fast transactions so you will have no problem there. The range of football markets available to bet on is huge, and they have a great range of generous bonuses that can be used in conjunction with football bets. Last but not least, in fact probably most importantly, the odds are second to none, you are always going to get good value odds betting here.

#2. Megapari Bookmaker

Since 2019 Megapari have been making a name for themselves offering an all round 5* gambling experience. They have over 40 sports available to bet on but football is where they excel. They offer odds on matches from literally all over the world, with a depth of leagues and tournaments that means if there is a match being played, you will be able to bet on it here. You will be impressed with the amount of betting markets, and the odds are always above average too. There is a range of bonuses and promotions that you can take part in, and they offer a mobile app that is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.

#3. 20Bet Bookmaker

20Bet are one of the market leaders when it comes to promotions, and you will find generous offers not only when you first deposit but also every week they have various reload bonuses. They have both a Curacao and a Kahnawake gambling license which shows they take customer security seriously. They have a great range of football bets from leagues all around the league, and we liked the customisation options allowing you to pin certain leagues to the menu, allowing you to get your bets on quickly. When it comes to betting options for a match it is remarkable, at the time of writing Premier league games had over 4000 bets to choose from.

#4. 1xBet Bookmaker

Another of the best online sportsbooks for football is 1xbet. They have been around since 2007 and so with almost 20 years of experience it is hardly surprising that they know what people want and they know how to give it to them. At the time of writing they have a Curaçao eGaming License meaning they can accept bets from international customers.  They have a huge number of payment options, well over 100, so you will have no problem there. When it comes to football bets they have a great in-play product for live betting which always has  above average odds. The Welcome bonus is generous and there are other reload and cashback offers running all the time.

#5. Rabona Bookmaker

Founded in 2019 Rabona is owned by Rabidi N.V, and the company is registered under Curacao Gambling Laws. They have a lot of promotions and bonuses all suitable for use with football bets, be it deposit bonuses, risk-free bets, acca boosts, bore draw refunds, and more. Football odds are mostly good, especially on the major leagues, and you can bet on the move with their dedicated mobile app that can be downloaded from the homepage. Football is Rabonas signature sport and it is not uncommon to see up to 1000 matches available to bet on at any one time. Customer support is 24/7 and there is a wide range of payment methods to choose from.

Is Football betting legal?

Popular Football Betting Markets

There are a huge number of possible bets that can be placed on a football match, with the majority of major games having several hundred at least. The most popular betting markets that everyone should be familiar with are:

• Match Odds - This is simply a bet on what the result of the match will be, it can also be called the “to win” market or the “1x2” market. This market is settled on the final result at the end of regulation time (90 minutes plus injury time) but does not include any extra time or penalties.
• Correct Score - This is a bet on what the exact score line will be at the end of the regulation time. It is common for all scores up to 4 goals each to be given odds, then other outcomes are grouped as “any other home win”, or “any other draw”, etc.
• Over/Under 2.5 - Here you are betting on whether the toal number of goals in the game will be more than or less than 2.5. Because you can not have half a goal your bet will either win or lose. If there is 0,1, or 2 goals in the game then under 2.5 will win, if there are 3,4,5, or more goals then over 2.5 will win.
• First Goalscorer - As the name suggests this is a bet on who will be the player credited with scoring the first goal of the game. It is common for own goals not to count in this bet and it is the first goal scored by an opposition player which counts.
• HT/FT - This is a bet similar to the match odds market but with a twist, as well as predicting the final result, the “FT” (Full time) you are also betting on what the result will be at HT (Half time). This bet is commonly used when there is a heavy favourite and betting on them to be winning at half time as well as at the end of the game can get higher odds.
• Asian Handicaps - A handicap bet is where one team is given a certain amount of goals head start so that at the end of the game, although a team may have lost they lost by less than the handicap, and so a bet on them will win. The most common form of handicap bet is the +0.5 goals market, betting on a team +0.5 goals means that your bet will win if they win or even if it is a draw because now the team has 0.5 goals more than the opposition. Asian Handicap bets usually have odds that are around the evens mark (Decimal 2).
• Shots on target - Shots on target is a bet on how many shots will be made by a team, even if they are saved and do not result in a goal being scored. It is possible to bet on the total shots on target of an individual player but also the total shots by all of one team or both the teams combined.
• Corners total - You can bet on how many corners there will be in a match, either both teams combined or each team individually.
• Bookings - You can bet on how many yellow cards a match will have, will there be a red card in the game, and also on individual players whether they will commit a certain number of fouls or receive a card themselves.

What are the most popular types of Football bets?

The most common types of bet are either singles or accumulator bets, and each has its own merits. We will look at them in turn.

• A single bet - This is where you are betting on one result, and one result only. It is the simplest type of bet and if anyone is placing a large bet, it is usually done as a single. The odds are generally not that high though, so a large reward requires a large stake amount.
• An Accumulator - Also known as an Acca or Multiples bet, this is where you have made one single bet on multiple different outcomes occurring. For example, it might be Manchester United to win, Liverpool to Draw, and the Chelsea game to have under 2.5 goals. The odds on each selection get multiplied, so these bets are popular because a relatively small stake can have very high returns. It is also common to have various Acca boost, or Acca insurance, bonuses when placing Acca bets.

Football Bonuses and Promotions

When you are playing at any online bookmaker there are an abundance of bonuses and promotions for you to take advantage of, the most publicised being the initial Welcome bonus, but there are many more available beyond that for existing users to take part in too.

What are the best Football Welcome Offers?

There are a huge number of different Welcome bonuses available, and when comparing them it is not always the ones that are the largest that are the best. There are Terms and Conditions attached to each and these will usually stipulate how many times you must wager the bonus, at what odds, and on what types of bet, sometimes there is also a maximum amount that can be won. Reading and understanding these restrictions is essential for evaluating which bonuses are the best.

There are many different types of Welcome bonuses that you may find and the main ones we will describe below:

• Deposit Bonus - This is a bonus amount that is credited to your account after you have deposited a certain amount. The % of the deposit match can vary, as can when you are able to use the funds. The best deposit bonuses are available to use straight away, but can only be withdrawn after the relevant wagering has been met. Not quite as good are bonuses which are visible in your account but can only be used once you have wagered the required amount using your own funds first.
• No Deposit Bonus - As the name suggests this is a bonus amount that you can wager with after you have opened an account but before you have had to deposit any money. Often you must send in forms of ID to verify the account before you are awarded the bonus, and then you must wager it a set amount before it can be withdrawn. These bonuses are good because despite being of low value they do allow you to try out the bookmaker for real without risking your own money.
• Profit Boost - This type of Welcome bonus will usually apply to your first bet, and it means that if your first bet wins, you get a greater payout than would usually be the case. Sometimes these extra winnings are simply cash that can be withdrawn but sometimes it become bonus money and will need to be wagered again before turning it into cash.
• Free Bets - These are awarded to players who have deposited and bet and then get credits to use to bet again, this time with no risk. These Free bets do not take any money from your balance when they are placed, and if they lose it is as if nothing happened. If they win though, then the winnings from the bet are added to your cash balance.
• Refund if lose - This is a bonus where your first bet should it lose, is refunded to you so that you can try again. Sometimes it is refunded as cash and sometimes as a Free bet credit to the same value, so check the terms and conditions of the specific offer you are taking part in.

What are the best Football existing user bonuses?

If you are already a customer there are still a whole load of bonuses and offers that you will be eligible for when you are betting on football. The main ones are going to be:

• Reload Bonuses - These are usually Emailed to and will be an offer to put some money into your currently empty account, and if you do then they will match it with either some bonus credit or a Free bet.
• Free bets (Bet and Get) - This is a type of Free bet offer that is usually advertised on the website and will have certain terms stipulating you must bet a certain amount within a certain time frame, sometimes on a specific match. If you do this then usually once the bet has been settled you will be credited with a Free bet to match your initial bet amount.
• Free bets (If) - This type of offer is usually relevant to certain matches only and you are not guaranteed to be awarded the Free bet, it is only triggered “if” certain things happen in the game. For example it might be that a certain player scores, or that a penalty is awarded, or that the game ends 0-0, in the relevant scenario “if” it happens then you get the Free bet.
• Acca Boosts - It is quite common for bookmakers to incentivise their customers to place accumulator bets, and the more legs that are added, the greater the % boost to the winnings they will add. The exact % boost will vary from bookmaker to bookmaker but it is not uncommon for accumulators with 15 legs or more to have 100% boosted odds.
• Acca Insure - This type of offer also applies to accumulator bets and is applicable when one leg lets you down. In this instance you will get your stake refunded, usually as a Free bet. The exact number of legs your acca must have and the relevant odds to be eligible will vary from bookmaker to bookmaker.
• Price Boosts - These are specific bets that are chosen by the bookmaker, and they offer increased odds to encourage people to bet on that game. The maximum stake amount is usually limited.

Are there any Football betting Apps?

The majority of betting sites will offer a betting app that can downloaded to your smartphone and allow you to access your account on a mobile optimised interface. You will find that this is the quickest and easiest way to access your chosen betting site and place bets while you are out and about. You’ll find football is always well represented on all the apps and you can usually bet both on pre-match and in-play games. A big advantage is being able to quickly cash out or place an in-play bet virtually anywhere and at any time. You should be able to do all the things your account can do from a desktop device including managing payments, viewing your bet history, and contacting customer support.

What are the major Football events or tournaments for betting on?

The FIFA World Cup

The UEFA Champions League

The UK Premier League

Womens Football betting

The majority of bookmakers have some coverage of women's football but nothing like as much as the men's game. You will find both the Women’s World Cup and Women’s Euros will be the best place to gamble on Women’s football with all games covered and there being a depth of markets to bet on. Over time as the game becomes more professional it will see some growth in the domestic leagues too, but at the moment this is hard to find.