Betting on sports games and events is one of the most popular forms of gambling in the United Kingdom. There are dozens of bookies available across the UK, all of which allow you to place bets on your favourite games. However, there’s actually an easier way to play; through betting apps on mobile devices. These dedicated mobile apps allow you to place bets on different sports games and events, just like you would at retail betting shops. The main difference here is they’re much easier to use and provide numerous other benefits too. Our guide about mobile betting apps will explain everything you need to know.
In short, mobile betting apps are applications that you can download directly to your smartphone or tablet device, allowing you to play while on the go, similarly to casino apps. These betting apps essentially work like portable online sports betting websites through which you can place wagers on various sports games and events and claim sports-based promotions. Betting apps are now one of the most popular ways of wagering on sports, but the ins and outs of it can be a little confusing. Keep on reading if you’d like to discover more about how online betting apps work.
Like ordinary sports betting websites, mobile betting apps on smartphone devices allow you to wager on various sports games. What is available will largely depend on the individual sportsbook but you’ll usually find football, rugby, tennis, golfing, horse and greyhound racing, and plenty more too.
When selecting a sport to wager on, you’ll be offered a variety of betting options. The most common type is the outright winner, where you’ll be required to bet on which athlete or team will win a game or event. There are plenty of other betting opportunities available depending on the sport, including the ability to wager on various outcomes of a game, and sportsbooks usually feature odd multiples which require you to correctly predict several outcomes. Again, this will vary depending on the sportsbook you decide to use, so it’s always a good idea to shop around before registering.
In addition to providing you with the ability to wager on sports games and events, many mobile betting apps – not all of them – allow you to wager on special events. This can include bets on reality television shows, politics, awards, and plenty more. Unfortunately, since most of these events aren’t as regular as sports games, they will vary depending on the time of the year, and some sportsbooks may not even offer you bets on this.
If all of the above isn’t enough, some sportsbooks offer alternative ways of enjoying sports betting through virtual and live betting. While these are generally similar to regular sports betting, there are some slight differences in how they work, and you can find out more details by reading below.
Virtual betting is an alternative way of betting. Rather than wagering on real-life sports, you’re betting on virtual games that don’t actually exist and are completely fictional. Virtual betting is still relatively new to the gambling industry and so there are only a few virtual games you can bet on, with the most popular being football, greyhound and horse racing, and tennis.
Virtual betting games are all computer simulated with fictional players and animals. However, the developers of these virtual games have put a lot of effort into making them lifelike, such as incorporating sound effects like cheering crowds, referee whistles, and more. Virtual betting games also include various camera shots and recaps to make them feel livelier.
The biggest difference between real games and those that are virtual is that virtual games are incredibly short, running for less than a minute each. Their short runtime allows operators to hold virtual games all day with two to four-minute intervals between each game. This has helped make virtual betting popular among many gamblers, and online bookmakers have now begun recognising their popularity, leading more of them to add the service to their websites.
When most people make a sports bet, they usually do so before the game or event has begun. However, live betting allows you to place bets while a game is underway, meaning you can watch the game and place bets as it plays out. With live bets, the sportsbook offering the service will continuously change the odds for its bets as the game continues, adding excitement and uncertainty to the game as you play.
Live bets allow you to win or lose real money before the game ends, but it requires you to keep an eye on the game. Thankfully, most sportsbooks usually have a live stream through which you can watch the game. Unfortunately, like virtual betting, live betting is relatively new to the gambling industry and so only a few online sportsbooks offer the service.
Most sports betting websites offer you a selection of casino games like slots or scratchcards from a slew of game developers and providers. While this is guaranteed for sports betting websites, you shouldn’t expect them when it comes to mobile betting apps for Apple and Android devices.
A majority of gambling operators will provide you with multiple apps for their sports and casino content, and you’ll usually have to download all of them for the complete gambling experience. Signing up with one section of the brand like sports betting will usually also give you access to the mobile casino.
Unfortunately, this can be a problem if you’re short on storage since downloading the best gambling apps to your device takes up space. This can quickly become frustrating since you’ll be required to jump between apps whenever you want to play games and place bets. Thankfully, there’s an easy way around this, by playing in-browser, but more on that later.
Like with casinos, you can claim a variety of promotions at betting websites, including welcome bonuses, which are introductory promotions given to new customers once they register and make a deposit. Mobile casinos tend to have other promotions, including wager-free spins, no deposit free spins, no deposit bonuses of £5 or £10, cashback promotions, and more.
For sports betting, you’re usually offered cashback bonuses and boosted odds, depending on the operator. All of these promotions can be claimed directly from mobile betting apps, but as with everything else, exactly what you can claim from a mobile betting site will vary depending on the sportsbook. We suggest you visit an online sportsbook website or its app and check the bonuses before deciding to register with the brand.
Finally, it’s also important to note that all of these promotions and bonuses will have terms and conditions which you will be required to follow. These terms and conditions can include expiry dates, deposit requirements, win limits, withdrawal limits, and wagering requirements – arguably the most important condition as you will need to complete wagering before withdrawing your funds. More details on wagering requirements can be found here.
The best sports betting apps offer different promotions and bonuses, but it can be difficult finding the best betting offers. Generally speaking, what one person likes another may dislike, so it’s important to work out which types of promotions and bonuses you prefer, and once you’ve figured that out, you’ll need to extensively check the terms and conditions of a bonus before claiming it to ensure you know exactly what is required of you so you can withdraw all funds and winnings without an issue.
If you’re on an Android smartphone and are looking to find the best sports betting app, we’ve gone through the Google Play Store and have compiled a list of the top downloaded sports betting apps on mobile. If you’d like to know more about the best sports apps for Android, we suggest you read our short summaries.
Ladbrokes is arguably one of the most famous retail betting shops of all time, found all over the United Kingdom. The mobile betting app offers new users a generous free bet along with the ability to wager on sports such as football, horse racing, basketball, baseball, and so much more too. In addition to that, Ladbrokes accepts most major payment methods too, allowing you to select your preferred method for making payments. In our eyes, this makes it one of the best sports apps for Android.
Betfair is also incredibly popular with Android users, thanks to its welcome bonus, its in-play betting opportunities with live streaming, and for offering you a completely different way of placing bets when compared to other mobile betting apps. If that isn’t enough, Betfair is also one of the few offering virtual bettings too, and it accepts numerous payment methods including Skrill, debit cards, and PayPal too.
Unibet is another mobile betting app, one of the best sports apps for Android devices, and one of the best sports betting apps overall. The website and app both offer a generous welcome bonus along with the ability to enjoy live betting and create your own bets with the Unibet bet builder. What’s more, Unibet also offers daily promotions to keep you entertained and give you a chance to make more wins. Finally, Unibet has partnered with various gambling charities to support the protection of players.
The Sky Bet mobile betting app is available on Android devices and is giving its newly registered users a generous free bet. Through the Sky Bet app, you can bet on a variety of games, including football, golf, basketball, tennis, cricket, eSports, and more. If that isn’t enough, the website runs plenty of fantastic promotions and is known for its great customer support. We believe Sky Bet is one of the best sports apps for Android phones and highly suggest you take a look at it!
Bet365 is a very popular online betting website that is available via a dedicated mobile app from the Google Play Store. Like some of the other apps on this list, the Bet365 app allows for live streaming and live betting. It also allows you to bet on football, tennis, rugby, golf, racing, and so much more too. When it comes to the payment options available, Bet365 accepts numerous methods, including Paysafecard, debit cards, Neteller, and more. There’s also the Bet365 casino, which you can read about here.
Android smartphones aren’t the only devices that offer the best gambling apps as you can download sports betting apps for iPhone devices too through the Apple App Store. These apps work similarly to the apps available on Android devices, allowing you to place bets on various sports games. If you’re on iPhone and want to find out what some of the top mobile betting apps are, just take a look below.
Paddy Power is one of the biggest retail sports betting shops in the UK and offers a sports betting app for iPhone devices. Through the app, you can wager on various sports including football, cricket, tennis, and so much more. In addition, you can place bets using Paddy Power’s Bet Builder and the app also runs plenty of promotions too, including weekly free bets as part of Paddy’s Rewards Club. All of this makes it one of the best sports betting apps around. What more could you want?
William Hill is another big-name retail betting shop that offers a mobile sports betting app for iPhone devices. Like other apps, you can bet on sports such as horses, football, virtual sports, and so much more, and the William Hill app also offers live streaming of games, scratchcard games too, as well as plenty more for you to enjoy.
Betfred is a big-name betting brand that offers a mobile sports betting app for iPhones. The app is giving all new users a free bet bonus and provides you with plenty of sports games and events to wager on, including football, tennis, cricket, ice hockey, snooker, and more. The app also allows you to watch games live, meaning live betting is possible!
Coral is another betting shop available across the United Kingdom which runs a betting site and sports betting app for iPhones. The app gives new users a free bet as well as the chance to win further bonuses by answering four questions on sports correctly, and the app also boosts some of your bets, giving you better chances at making wins.
888 Sport is an online sportsbook owned by renowned gambling operator 888 Holdings. The 888 sports betting app offers new users a free bet as well as the ability to watch games live, and promotions like bet multipliers, and boosts too. There are also daily promotions on offer and the ability to build your own bet too. If you like 888 Sport, it’s worth checking out its sister site 888 Casino – our review can be found here.
All of the Apple and Android online betting apps we’ve suggested above are licensed by the Gambling Commission, which means they’re safe to play at. If you’re like to know more about casinos licensed by the Commission, check our guides to the best iPhone casinos and mobile casinos for Android.
Like all other mobile apps, mobile betting apps for Android and iPhone smartphones can only be downloaded from their respective app stores; the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. These apps can be downloaded for free and do not require any purchases to download, but you will be required to deposit money into your account before you can place any bets.
Once the betting apps have been downloaded, you’ll need to either log in to your account or create an account by providing your full name, address, and contact details. You’ll also need to create a username and password for future login purposes. After logging in for the first time, you’ll be required to verify your identity through the KYC and Source Of Funds checks, and once that has been done, you’ll be able to make a deposit and start placing bets.
Please note that you should only register with a mobile betting app or site if it is licensed by the Gambling Commission, the body responsible for the regulation of all gambling in the UK. All of the brands we’ve suggested above are licensed by the Commission, but if they do not appear to you, you can check our expanded list of casino reviews, many of which now offer sports betting.
Now you have an understanding of what the best sports betting apps are, you may have noticed that the majority of them are all similar in what they offer, although some do better than other apps on certain factors. So what are the best football betting apps on mobile? Well, that’s subjective.
Since a majority of sports betting apps on mobile devices offer football games to bet on, all are good apps, particularly those that offer football-focused promotions, but some are going to be better than others. Before you register, you’re going to need to anlayse the website or mobile betting app by looking at the following criteria:
Alongside the above, you should also take a look at what payment methods are accepted, what other promotions are provided, whether there are any promotions for long-term users, what other betting content and games are available, and more. Once you find a website that meets all of your needs, that’s when you’ve found the best football betting app.
If you’re stuck, we highly suggest you look through our recommendations of the best sports betting apps, all of which are licensed for the UK, are completely safe to play at, and offer football betting.
If you’ve checked all of the mobile betting apps we’ve mentioned above but none of them interest you, it may be worth trying to find your own. This can be a time-consuming and difficult task, which is why we recommend you stick to our suggestions, but if you’re certain you want to find your own, you’re going to need to check several factors:
Rather than discussing our expectations of the above qualities, we suggest you check out our various pages explaining payment methods, bonuses and their T&Cs, and more. With these guides, you can easily make up your own opinion on what you’re looking for from a mobile betting app and make your decision on the best apps that way.
When it comes to online gambling, sports betting apps aren’t the only way you can place bets on sports games and other events. If you don’t like the idea of sports betting app taking up storage on your Android or iPhone smartphone, you can play in your smartphone’s browser – a method referred to as playing in-browser.
When you play in-browser, you’re simply loading up the online sportsbook website in your smartphone’s browser, whether that’s Safari, Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera or anything else. Playing in-browser is identical to playing on your computer in an internet browser, the main difference being that since you are on mobile, you’ll be able to play anywhere and at any time providing you have an internet connection.
While sportsbook apps and in-browser websites generally operate in the same way, there are some slight differences between them. For example, playing in-browser does not take up storage space on your phone since the sportsbook is running over the internet. Another major difference is that while both methods will allow you to wager on sports games, in-browser sportsbooks will also allow you to directly access other activities of the brand’s websites, such as casino games and more, giving you plenty more content to enjoy.
Gamblers enjoy debating over whether playing in apps or in-browser websites is better. However, there’s no definite answer as it generally comes down to your personal preferences. Many people enjoy having dedicated betting apps on mobile to play which offer content within a few easy taps, and aren’t bothered by the apps taking up storage.
Other people, however, prefer playing in-browser since more content is widely available at first glance and this method doesn’t take up storage. Since you can easily create shortcuts to your favourite websites on Android and iPhone devices, you can have instant and easy access to your favourite sports betting websites.
When it comes to safety, both methods are fine as long as you’re playing at a UK-licensed betting site. You can find out if a betting site is licensed for the UK by scrolling to its footer and looking for the UK Gambling Commission logo. If it’s there, you have nothing to worry about!
Sports betting apps on mobile devices are a great way of placing bets on your favourite games and events. Although using an app on your mobile device may not be as fun as visiting a brick-and-mortar betting shop, it’s certainly a great alternative. Sports betting apps provide you with easy access to online sportsbooks on your smartphone device, allowing you to make bets at any time and anywhere.
Although there are some disadvantages to playing with sports betting apps, they’re incredibly easy to use and you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a sportsbook app for your favourite brands since most sports betting websites and shops now offer mobile apps through Google Play and Apple’s App Stores.
So, if you’re a fan of sports betting or are looking into trying it, we suggest you try downloading some of the best sports betting apps on mobile devices we’ve suggested on this page and try them. You’ll love just how easy everything is!
The best sports betting app will vary between users depending on the betting opportunities available, the promotions offered, the level of customer support, and the accepted payment methods. We suggest you read through reviews to discover all of this information and find sports betting app that works for you.
There are two ways you can bet using your phone, either by loading up online sports betting websites in your smartphone’s internet browser or by downloading sports betting apps directly to your smartphone device. Both methods allow you to place bets on your phone, but we suggest you read through our guide to figure out which method is better for you.
The best sports betting apps can be downloaded from either Google Play or Apple’s App Stores. Generally speaking, the two app stores will usually offer the same types of apps, but there may be some brands that only offer their apps on one store over the other, so keep your eyes out!
Yes. Sports betting apps are safe to play as long as they hold a license from the UK Gambling Commission. All UK licensed sports betting apps use the latest technology and services to ensure that you and your personal information are all kept safe, so there’s nothing to worry about at all!
Some sports betting apps may offer a small selection of casino games, but if you’re looking to enjoy a vast selection of casino content, you’ll need to download an additional gambling app such as a casino app. More details on this can be found in our guide on sports betting apps for mobile devices.
