A close-up view of a Chicago Bears helmet is shown on Nov 10, 2019, at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, capturing the team’s iconic navy shell and orange “C” logo before game action. The detailed shot highlights the franchise’s classic look as players prepared for kickoff in a traditional NFC North setting. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports.
Each week, we track our version of the “Nopedy Nopes” in the Minnesota Vikings’ orbit — the takes that miss, get weird, drift away from reality, or just plain fell flat compared to expectations.
Three fresh Vikings misses hit trade talk, quarterback chatter, and draft noise.
This round focuses on draft chatter, roster battles, and one wild podcast opinion as the regular season sits about five months out.
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This Week’s Nopedy Nopes Hit Chicago, Quarterback Talk, and Draft Buzz
The Vikings Nopedy Nopes with the draft 11 days out.
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson stands on the field before kickoff on Aug 17, 2025, at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, ahead of a preseason matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Johnson observed warmups and interacted with staff as Chicago prepared for early-season action in front of a home crowd. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images.
The Nopedy Nope: The Vikings will do trade business with the Bears in Round 1 of the draft.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recommended one trade for each NFL franchise that should consider during the draft, and here’s his proposal for the Vikings:
Minnesota Gets: Pick No. 25 (R1) Pick No. 60 (R2)
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Chicago Gets: Pick No. 18 (R1) Pick No. 163 (R5)
Barnwell explained, “Ryan Poles has already addressed some of his team’s weaknesses this offseason, but the Bears should still hope to add something meaningful on the edge. Montez Sweat is a very solid starter on one side of the line, but Dayo Odeyingbo is coming off a torn Achilles and didn’t look good in his debut season as a Bears player before the injury.”
“Odeyingbo has no guaranteed money due in 2027, so this trade would be for a rookie who can rotate with him in 2026 before taking over as the starter next year. The Bears have an extra second-round pick after trading DJ Moore to the Bills, which would make this deal easier to stomach in Chicago.”
The trade deal is quite intriguing, all things considered.
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“Brzezinski’s Vikings were the league’s third-oldest team on a snap-weighted basis last season, and that was with McCarthy and Max Brosmer taking the majority of the snaps at quarterback. Adofo-Mensah was wildly successful in free agency but struggled badly with his drafts, so the Vikings need to add more young talent to their core,” Barnwell continued.
“Picking up an extra second-round pick would make sense, especially after they made just one top-100 pick a year ago.”
The problem? The Vikings and Bears hardly ever do trade business.
The Verdict: Nopedy nope on the likelihood of a Vikings-Bears trade. Interdivisional trading is taboo.
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The Nopedy Nope: Kyler Murray will face a real quarterback competition at training camp.
NBC Sports’ Mike Florio opined on the Vikings’ QB setup this week, claiming, “The Vikings currently have four quarterbacks on the roster. There is no starter, for now. Coach Kevin O’Connell explained during a recent visit with PFT Live that, eventually, there will be a clear delineation of positions on the depth chart.”
“It will come down, undoubtedly, to Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy. O’Connell explained that he has no concern about McCarthy becoming disenchanted if he doesn’t win the job.”
Training camp will get underway in about 3.5 months.
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Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray appears courtside on Jan 28, 2020, at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, during a game between the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns. Murray watched second-quarter action while taking in the NBA matchup, drawing attention as a high-profile NFL presence at the arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images.
Florio added, “The best news for the Vikings is that, however it plays out, they’ll have a solid No. 2 and (if Carson Wentz makes the final 53) a third-stringer who can win games if need be.”
“Last year, Wentz showed up less than two weeks before Week 1, and he played better than anyone could have expected. This year, he’ll be involved throughout the offseason program and training camp.”
Minnesota will claim there’s a quarterback battle in spirit, but it’s window dressing.
The Verdict: Nopedy nope on a real Vikings quarterback battle; Murray will win it handily.
The Nopedy Nope: Cam Skattebo says CTE is fake, so that settles that.
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In March, Skattebo said CTE was an “excuse” and that all one needs to do to combat asthma is to “breathe.” He later walked back the comments, but Cris Carter opined on the topic this week.
Carter stopped by the Fully Loaded podcast and told the show’s host, “So as far as CTE, the thing that I know is ever since I’ve been in the Hall of Fame, it has hit closer, and it’s hit very, very different because I can see annually guys deteriorate.”
“I can see the greatest athletes in the world psychologically, mentally, and physically succumb to age, dementia, CTE, and some of them have died, and the studies came back immediately with them. I’m going out of my way so that I can be the healthiest version of myself, but I’m terrified. I don’t live life terrified, but I’m terrified of the potential.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Cris Carter (81) reacts after a touchdown on Feb 5, 1995, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii, during the Pro Bowl. Carter’s 51-yard scoring reception highlighted his playmaking ability as he celebrated in an all-star setting alongside the league’s top talent. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports.
About 10 years ago, Carter said on the same topic, “I’ve had teammates who killed themselves: Andre Waters, teammate of mine in Philadelphia. I’ve had good friends of mine: Junior Seau, Dave Duerson. Great men, guys that have done tremendous things in their community. All of a sudden they became violent and took their own lives. So I worry. I worry what my future is. I wonder what’s going to happen to our generation?”
It’s a serious matter for Carter, and rightfully so. To claim otherwise is immature, reckless, and dumb.
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The Verdict: Nopedy nope on Skattebo turning CTE into a debateable issue. It’s not.
There are many questions around Slot’s transfer dealings, although owners Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes must also take responsibility.
Liverpool‘s key pair of power brokers were showered with bouquets in the summer. Now they must take the brickbats.
Liverpool appeared so committed to the Isak deal, the player so exiled at Newcastle after his one-man strike to get a move, that it felt like they could not turn away, even after signing Ekitike.
Did they really need Isak? The more you watched Liverpool before he broke a leg while scoring a goal in a victory at Tottenham Hotspur in December, the more he resembled the most expensive vanity purchase in Liverpool history.
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Isak arrived unfit then got a groin injury. When he did play, at the expense of the one signing who was playing well at that point, Ekitike, he looked listless and off the pace, poor value for money at such an exorbitant fee.
The broken leg was another serious disruption for a player meant to provide Liverpool with a lethal spearhead. Even his return was interrupted by “minor” fitness issues.
Wirtz, whose deployment behind the strikers disrupted Liverpool‘s midfield bedrock to leave them horribly vulnerable all season, has been shifted around from his central role to the flanks as Slot has sought answers. He has shown glimpses of real class but, like Liverpool, nowhere near enough.
And having collected new signings at such a rate, did it mean Slot and Liverpool pushed a key capture down their list of priorities then failed to get it done?
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Crystal Palace captain and England defender Guehi was a top target, not merely as partner to Virgil van Dijk but as cover to Ibrahima Konate, whose contract is coming to an end.
Cue the perfect storm.
Palace refused to sell. Konate’s form went into sharp decline. Van Dijk suddenly looked fallible. A solution was lost as Quansah had been sold.
When January came, Manchester City needed defensive reinforcements and paid a bargain £20m for Guehi, £15m less than Liverpool belatedly agreed.
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It was intriguing to hear Slot describe Guehi as a “great signing” after he was outstanding in Manchester City‘s win at Anfield.
And through it all, Slot lost the golden touch that was so assured in his first season.
He changed formations and personnel without success. The substitutions that worked so well last season now whiffed off desperation – such as defender Konate for striker Ekitike after 55 minutes of the 3-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest – accompanied by some delusional post-match verdicts and talk of “positives” when there were none.
The season started with Liverpool looking gung-ho and wide open. Wins were secured through the high-wire act of last-gasp winners, but once Crystal Palace turned the tables with an injury time goal at Selhurst Park in September to inflict their first defeat, it all fell apart.
It’s the pinnacle of football. Kick off at the Champions League final in Budapest is just a few hours away. Arsenal are trying to win it for the first time, while Paris Saint-Germain wants to become only the second team to win it twice in a row. The atmosphere in Budapest is festive to say the least, details from the ground with FRANCE 24 journalist Selina Sykes and freelance sports journalist Karim Baldé.
While claiming the WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles, Benavidez still holds the WBC strap at 175lbs, affording him the option to collide with unified champion Dmitry Bivol.
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It would now seem, however, that the 29-year-old is targeting WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian, who was reportedly finalising a deal to face Jai Opetaia.
The 35-year-old has not fought since his rematch with Badou Jack last December, when he exacted his revenge with a unanimous decision victory to claim the WBC belt.
Mikaelian was subsequently granted the opportunity to make a voluntary title defence, but has now missed his six-month window in which to do so.
As a result, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has responded by ordering a unification match between the Armenian and Benavidez via an official statement.
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“Benavidez visited Mexico and has his mind only on winning the WBC cruiserweight championship.
“The WBC has received a letter from his promoter with the petition to mandate WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian to make his first mandatory defence against WBC light-heavyweight champion David Benavidez.
“The WBC Board has voted in favour to order cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian to fight David Benavidez.”
If Mikaelian chooses to pursue a clash with Opetaia, the Zuffa Boxing champion at 200lbs, then he will be stripped of his WBC title.
Becky Lynch seems to be enjoying her time in Italy with her husband and WWE Superstar, Seth Rollins. Lynch credited RAW General Manager Adam Pearce for her vacation.
Lynch will face Sol Ruca in a rematch from Saturday Night’s Main Event XLIV. Their first meeting was a non-title match, but this time around, The Man will put her WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship on the line. Ruca is aiming to win her first title on the main roster after being called up to RAW and signing with the red brand post-WrestleMania 42.
Thanks for the submission!
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On social media, Lynch shared photos, one of which included Rollins, and credited Pearce for the Italian vacation.
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“THANK YOU ADAM PEARCE!! THANK YOU WWE!!! I AM LOVING MY ITALIAN VACATION!!” wrote Becky Lynch.
Check out Lynch’s post on X:
Jim Cornette on Sol Ruca’s latest outing against Becky Lynch
Jim Cornette commented on Sol Ruca’s match against Becky Lynch from WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event XLIV. He reviewed the match and briefly spoke on Ruca’s botch.
Speaking on Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru, Cornette also mentioned that the match barely got time.
“Oh, she was definitely supposed to hit the referee by mistake. But the referee f*cking disqualified her for it. That’s the thing. She just kind of landed on her. The announcers even said it was an attempted Sol Snatcher. And then the referee called disqualification. It was in three and a half minutes. We have to endure these 20-minute IYO SKY classics. When I’m trying to watch this girl, she botches her dish, and they go three and a half minutes and she botches her one deal.”
Becky Lynch is in her third reign as the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion. She regained the title from AJ Lee at WrestleMania 42 after previously losing the title at the Elimination Chamber 2026 Premium Live Event.
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Meanwhile, Ruca, who is a former Women’s Speed Champion and a former one-time NXT Women’s North American Champion, will look to dethrone Lynch in Italy.
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Reigning national champion and No. 2 Texas kept its season alive Friday night, defeating Mississippi State, 4-0, in an elimination game at the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City. Teagan Kavan tossed her fourth career WCWS shutout as the Longhorns responded after suffering a surprising opening-round loss to No. 7 Tennessee on Thursday. The victory keeps Texas in contention for a fourth trip to the national championship series in the last five seasons, though the Longhorns still face a difficult path. Only four of the previous 42 Women’s College World Series champions recovered after losing their opening game in Oklahoma City.
For Mississippi State, the loss brought an end to a breakthrough postseason run. The Bulldogs reached the WCWS for the first time in program history after knocking off Oklahoma in the Super Regionals.
No. 8 UCLA joined Texas in surviving elimination Friday night, routing No. 5 Arkansas, 11-0, in five innings. The Bruins erupted for nine runs in the second inning and hit four home runs, including Megan Grant’s record-setting 91st career homer, the most in UCLA history. The Razorbacks’ season came to an end in the program’s WCWS debut.
Saturday’s winners-bracket slate opens with No. 1 overall seed Alabama against No. 4 Nebraska after both teams started the tournament with comeback victories Thursday. The Crimson Tide erased an early deficit against UCLA, while the Cornhuskers needed 10 innings to get past Arkansas behind a complete-game effort from Jordy Frahm. In the other winners-bracket matchup, No. 7 Tennessee faces No. 11 Texas Tech.
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For the complete schedule and results for every matchup at Devon Park, follow along right here at CBS Sports.
All times ET
Thursday, May 28
Game 1: No. 11 Texas Tech 8, Mississippi State 0 (F/5) Game 2: No. 7 Tennessee 6, No. 2 Texas 3 Game 3: No. 1 Alabama 6, No. 8 UCLA 3 Game 4: No. 4 Nebraska 5, No. 5 Arkansas 3 (F/10)
Friday, May 29
Game 5: No. 2 Texas 4, Mississippi State 0 Game 6: No. 8 UCLA 11, No. 5 Arkansas 0 (F/5)
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Saturday, May 30
Game 7: No. 11 Texas Tech vs. No. 7 Tennessee (3 p.m. ABC) Game 8: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Nebraska (7 p.m. ESPN)
Sunday, May 31
Game 9: No. 2 Texas vs. Loser of Game 8 (3 p.m. ABC) Game 10: No. 8 UCLA vs. Loser of Game 7 (7 p.m. ESPN2)
Monday, June 1
Game 11: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 9 Game 12 (if necessary): Rematch of Game 11 Game 13: Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 10 Game 14 (if necessary): Rematch of Game 13
Championship Series
Game 1: Wednesday, June 3 (8 p.m. ESPN) Game 2: Thursday, June 4 (8 p.m. ESPN) Game 3 (if necessary): Friday, June 5 (8 p.m. ESPN)
Kanyinsola Ajayi becomes Second-Fastest Man in NCAA History
Kanyinsola Ajayi has announced himself as one of the fastest men in the world after running 9.84 seconds in the 100m at the NCAA East Regionals.
The Auburn University star not only won his heat and qualified for the NCAA Championships, but also set a new Nigerian national record and moved to the top of the world rankings for 2026.
Ajayi’s time makes him the second-fastest man in NCAA history. The 9.84s run came with a legal wind reading of +0.7 m/s, meaning the performance will officially count for records and rankings.
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Ajayi represents the Auburn Tigers and continues to establish himself as one of Nigeria’s brightest track and field talents.
Diego Leon arrived at Man Utd last summer, but the defender did not make his debut in his first season at the club.
Before Diego Leon travelled to Manchester last summer, he spoke to local journalists at an airport in Paraguay, saying: “I’m going to kill it in the pre-season, and within one or two games, I’ll already be playing with them (the first team).”
You can’t succeed in any profession without backing yourself, but Leon’s bullish prediction did not come true at Manchester United this season.
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Leon was unveiled alongside Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko last summer, but he played exclusively in academy fixtures, and most supporters will have forgotten he was signed.
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Leon’s first few months in Manchester were promising. He made a strong impression at Carrington and was handed a first-team squad number before the opening pre-season friendly against Leeds in Stockholm.
Ruben Amorim started Leon in that friendly, and he made substitute appearances against West Ham and Bournemouth in the United States. Then Leon was introduced to the Old Trafford crowd alongside United’s other summer recruits before the final pre-season game against Fiorentina.
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The indicators pointed to Leon soon being handed his debut, but he was included in a senior squad for the first time against Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup, which was United’s third match of the season.
Leon was included in squads against Manchester City, Brentford and Sunderland between September and October, however, he then did not make the bench for a first-team game for the remainder of the campaign.
Despite predicting he would “kill it”, Leon has slipped into the background, and the reason is simple: he has lots to learn and improve, which is why United kept him in academy matches.
Leon ended the campaign by starting for the Under-21s against Brighton at the Amex Stadium in the Premier League 2 play-off final.
A week later, United’s first team played Brighton at the same venue in the Premier League, and fellow left-back Tyrell Malacia was given minutes from the bench ahead of his departure from the club.
Michael Carrick gave Malacia a final appearance in recognition of his professionalism, but Leon may have got on the pitch ahead of the Dutchman if he’d made stronger progress in academy fixtures.
United agreed a £3.3million fee, rising to £7m with add-ons, with Paraguayan club Cerro Porteno to sign Leon because they saw first-team potential, but he must continue to work hard if he wants to make his debut.
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The 19-year-old is still young, but he has reached the age at which higher standards are expected at United, which is why it feels like next season will ultimately make or break his time in Manchester.
Leon could excel during pre-season and earn a squad role for next season, but that feels unlikely after following him closely over the last 12 months. There have been glimmers from Leon during matches, but he is still raw and does not look ready for the first team.
There was one particular afternoon in September when Leon struggled, which was noted by staff. The defender was targeted by Liverpool’s U21s at Melwood, which led to him being hooked at the interval.
Leon’s introduction to English football following his move from South America has been challenging. He is 6,300 miles from home and has tried his best to adapt. It’s not easy for any player to make such a move.
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Travis Binnion is now a permanent member of Michael Carrick’s backroom staff, but he managed the U21s before being promoted to the first team following the reshuffle after Amorim’s sacking.
Binnion spoke about Leon to the Manchester Evening News in November, saying: “It is evident for all to see he has some real qualities and some strong foundations to his game that he has to build on.
“He is aware, we are all aware, he has stuff to work on but, to be fair to the kid, he has not played a full 90 minutes yet. We will be looking to tick that off pretty soon and that will be really good for him.
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“If he can get a run of 90 minutes, then it is fair to look at his game and see where he is at. At this moment in time, he has shown real glimpses of promise and has fitted in with the group really well.”
There was some noise around Leon potentially leaving on loan in the January window, but his agent, Renato Bittar, said he was “evolving” and that it would “not be ideal” to interrupt his season with a move.
Leon has been challenged by U21 fixtures this season, so leaving on loan in January was never realistic. However, he might have to take the plunge and leave on loan next season, if the right club can be found.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
There have still been some nice milestone moments for Leon to look back on. When he scored his first goal for the club against Tottenham’s U21s, a brilliant solo effort, he was mobbed by his teammates.
Leon’s teammates were delighted that he’d got off the mark, and the celebrations demonstrated his popularity. He also received his first senior call-up to represent Paraguay’s national team.
The youngster’s transfer to United made headlines in his homeland, and Paraguayans are following his journey closely. “For Paraguay, to have a player playing here at United is huge,” Leon told club media.
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“I think for Paraguayans, they’re very proud to have someone from there playing in a club as big as Manchester United. It is an amazing, unique feeling to represent your country for all the people of Paraguay. I don’t know, it has no explanation – for my family it is an immense sense of pride to see me play with my national team.”
Leon was asked to describe Paraguay to those unfamiliar with the country. “The people of Paraguay will surprise you. They’re so kind, even if they don’t have much, they will always help you,” he said.
United are trying to help Leon reach his full potential. There have been bumps in the road this season, including a small injury in April, but it’s hoped he can kick on after getting a first year in a new country under his belt.
The 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge continues on Saturday with the third round at Colonial Country Club in Texas. You can find full Charles Schwab Challenge tee times for Saturday’s third round at the bottom of this post.
Featured tee time for Round 3
It’s a crowded leaderboard at the halfway point in Texas, where Jordan Smith leads the charge at 10 under par through 36 holes, but 23 other players are within four shots of him, including major winners Brian Harman and Hideki Matsuyama (-9), J.J. Spaun (-8), and Gary Woodland and Keegan Bradley, both of whom are six under par.
A win on Sunday would be the first of Smith’s PGA Tour career. The 33-year-old Englishman has one other top 10 on his resume this season — a solo third-place finish at the Valspar Championship in March.
Smith will play in Saturday afternoon’s final grouping alongside Michael Thorbjornsen and Ryan Gerard at 1:15 p.m. ET.
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You can watch Saturday’s third round of the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge from 1:30-3:30 p.m. ET on Golf Channel, followed by the CBS broadcast from 3:30-6:30 p.m. ET. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide exclusive early streaming coverage starting at 8:30 a.m. ET Saturday, in addition to featured group and featured hole coverage.
Check out the complete Round 3 tee times and groupings for the Charles Schwab Challenge below.
With an ESPN+ subscription, you gain access to PGA Tour Live, where you can stream the best PGA Tour events live from wherever you want.
2026 Charles Schwab Challenge tee times for Saturday: Round 3 (ET)
Tee No. 1
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8:36 a.m. – Lanto Griffin, Pierceson Coody, Jackson Suber 8:47 a.m. – Sam Stevens, Patrick Rodgers, Johnny Keefer 8:58 a.m. – Lucas Glover, Brandt Snedeker, Patrick Fishburn 9:09 a.m. – Austin Eckroat, Takumi Kanaya, Seamus Power 9:20 a.m. – Davis Riley, Steven Fisk, Adam Schenk 9:31 a.m. – Max Homa, Max McGreevy, Nico Echavarria 9:42 a.m. – Zach Bauchou, Jeffrey Kang, Nick Dunlap 9:58 a.m. – Sahith Theegala, Taylor Moore, Michael Kim 10:09 a.m. – Rico Hoey, Kevin Streelman, Mark Hubbard 10:20 a.m. – Emiliano Grillo, Kevin Roy, Erik van Rooyen 10:31 a.m. – Robert MacIntyre, Justin Thomas, J.T. Poston 10:42 a.m. – Chandler Blanchet, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Thorbjørn Olesen 10:53 a.m. – Billy Horschel, Davis Thompson, Adrien Saddier 11:09 a.m. – Austin Smotherman, Tom Kim, Ben Griffin 11:20 a.m. – Kevin Yu, Keita Nakajima, Luke Clanton 11:31 a.m. – Matt Kuchar, Matt McCarty, Lee Hodges 11:42 a.m. – Eric Cole, Joel Dahmen, Tom Hoge 11:53 a.m. – Keegan Bradley, Garrick Higgo, Andrew Putnam 12:04 p.m. – Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Ricky Castillo, Andrew Novak 12:20 p.m. – Doug Ghim, Gary Woodland, Ludvig Aberg 12:31 p.m. – Mackenzie Hughes, Mac Meissner, Ryo Hisatsune 12:42 p.m. – Brice Garnett, Michael Brennan, A.J. Ewart 12:53 p.m. – Akshay Bhatia, Alex Smalley, Russell Henley 1:04 p.m. – Brian Harman, Hideki Matsuyama, J.J. Spaun 1:15 p.m. – Jordan Smith, Michael Thorbjornsen, Ryan Gerard
May 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the third inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Justin Wrobleski gave up one run on one hit over seven innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers increased their winning streak to six games with a 4-2 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Friday.
Wrobleski (7-2) recorded a career-high nine strikeouts with no walks on 88 pitches as he rebounded from a pair of losses in his past three starts.
Freddie Freeman hit a first-inning home run and Max Muncy, Shohei Ohtani and Will Smith also went deep as the Dodgers won for the 13th time in their past 15 games.
Kyle Schwarber homered, but Zack Wheeler gave up four home runs as the Phillies saw their three-game winning streak come to an end. Wheeler (4-1) permitted four runs on five hits over six innings while absorbing his first loss in seven starts this year. He fanned four and walked one.
The Dodgers were in complete control from the outset.
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Freeman made it 1-0 in the opening inning on his eighth home run of the season and his fourth in the past nine games.
Muncy hit his 13th of the season in the second inning for a 2-0 lead.
Ohtani continued his power resurgence with a home run in the third, just his 10th of the season but his third in the past eight games.
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Smith made it 4-0 in the fifth inning with his sixth of the season, giving Los Angeles 12 home runs over the past three games.
Wrobleski carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Schwarber hit a two-out home run, his major-league-leading 22nd.
The Philadelphia offense came to life in the eighth inning against Edgardo Henriquez. Brandon Marsh doubled with one out and Steward Berroa delivered a two-out RBI single in his Phillies debut, cutting the deficit to 4-2.
Schwarber came to the plate as the tying run but struck out against Alex Vesia.
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Los Angeles’ Tanner Scott pitched a perfect ninth inning for his fifth save and first since May 14, finishing off a 2-hour, 3-minute game.
There are no shortage of betting sites in the UK, but deciding which is the best online bookmaker can be tricky, given the turnover in operators and regular changes to betting offers.
The Independent has made it easier to find a betting site by evaluating over 50 licensed and regulated bookmakers, including established brands and new bookies.
We’ve now come up with a list of the top 20 bookmakers in the UK for 2026, with each betting site tested personally and our rankings updated regularly.
We closely monitor UK betting sites and update our rankings accordingly. Below, we’ve also provided detailed reviews of each of our picks, with our ratings re-evaluated regularly.
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Online bookmaker
Welcome offer
Our rating
iOS app rating
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Android app rating
Standout feature
Betfred
Bet £10, get £50 in free bets
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5/5
4.5
4.3
Range of betting promotions
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SpreadEx
Bet £10, get up to £100 in free bets
5/5
4.7
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4.4
Spread betting
Bet365
Bet £10, get £30 in free bets
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5/5
4.8
4.6
Live streaming
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Betway
Bet £10, get £60 in free bets
4.8/5
4.8
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4.6
World Cup offers
Paddy Power
Bet £5, get £40 in free bets
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4.8/5
4.7
4.4
Welcome offer
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BOYLE Sports
Bet £10, get £40 in free bets
4.7/5
2.8
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4.0
Accumulator offers
William Hill
Bet £10, get £30 in free bets
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4.7/5
4.7
4.4
Odds boosts
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Kwiff
Bet £10, get £40 in free bets
4.5/5
4.5
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4.3
Supercharged odds
Coral
Bet £5, get £30 in free bets
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4.5/5
4.7
4.4
Daily rewards game
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Ladbrokes
Bet £5, get £30 in free bets
4.5/5
3.1
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4.1
Unique prize giveaways
Tote
Bet £10, get £30 in free bets
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4.5/5
4.6
4.6
Free racing bets
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Virgin Bet
Bet £10, get £30 in free bets
4.5/5
4.7
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4.3
Free football bets
NetBet
Bet £10, get £20 in free bets
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4.4/5
2.3
N/A Android
Bet and get football offers
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talkSPORT BET
Up to £40 in free football bets
4.2/5
4.8
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2.8
Weekly football free bets
BetMGM
Bet £10, get £40 in free bets
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4.1/5
4.6
4.4
Profit boosts
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BetUK
Bet £10, get £40 in free bets
4/5
4.6
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4.6
Free bet club
Betfair
Bet £10, get £50 in free bets
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4/5
4.7
4.2
Competitive odds
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Midnite
Bet £10, get £30 in free bets
3.9/5
4.7
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N/A Android
Esports betting
Betano
Bet £10, get £50 in free bets
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3.9/5
4.8
2.7
Lucky dip boosts
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QuinnBet
50% cashback up to £25
3.9/5
4.3
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3.3
Daily racing offers
1. Betfred
Betfred is among the best UK betting sites for free bets, with the generous Betfred welcome offer and a range of ongoing promotions providing free bet bonuses for both new and existing customers.
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New users can claim £50 in free bets when they deposit and stake £10 and place a wager at evens or above, with tokens credited shortly after the qualifying stake settles.
Beyond the welcome offer, Betfred runs regular promos including money back specials, in-play free bets, accumulator offers and free to play games featuring a range of prizes.
Other plus points for Betfred include the app, which is one of the highest-rated betting apps in the UK, and a fast-responding customer service that answered our queries quickly.
It was disappointing to see Betfred reduce the payment options available, dropping services like PayPal and Skrill, although they do offer fast withdrawals on the banking platforms that remain.
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Betfred have loads of ongoing free bet promos for existing customers (iStock/The Independent)
Pros
✓ £50 free bets for new customers is a valuable welcome offer
✓ Raft of ongoing free bet offers for existing users
✓ Strong acca and racing-specific rewards
✓ Speedy customer service
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Cons
✗ Limited choice of payment options
✗ The website could be more intuitive and easier to navigate
✗ Free bets expire within seven days
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2. SpreadEx
Spread betting is a gambling niche that rewards bettors for how accurate their wagers are, rather than a simple win-or-loss scenario. SpreadEx are the UK’s top spread betting site, packaging that with a financial spread betting service and a fixed-odds sportsbook.
Spread betting carries a greater risk and reward element compared to a standard bet, with punters able to secure large profits from small stakes, or greater losses, depending on the outcome.
SpreadEx educates those interested in spread betting on a platform that performs brilliantly on both desktop and mobile. And for those not interested in spread betting, the fixed-odds sportsbook is excellent.
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The SpreadEx sign-up offer is unmatched among UK betting sites, offering up to £100 in free bets as part of a special welcome bonus for the World Cup. Most of the free bets are for fixed-odds bets, but some are for spread betting, giving curious bettors a chance to try that type of wagering with minimal risk.
There’s a good selection of offers on SpreadEx, including odds boosts, enhanced payouts on accumulators, early payouts, referral schemes and money back offers for racing.
The SpreadEx site can be a little overwhelming for novice bettors at first, but we found it straightforward to navigate after some practice.
SpreadEx does an excellent job of providing punters with a spread betting platform, but it’s more than that and ranks as one of the best all-round betting sites on the market.
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(The Independent)
Pros
✓ Large welcome bonus
✓ Sport and financial spread betting options with tutorials
✓ Good selection of sports betting offers
✓ Excellent app
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Cons
✗ Spread betting comes with greater risks
✗ SpreadEx platform could be more novice-friendly
✗ No free-to-play games
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3. Bet365
Bet365 has long been towards the top of the list of best UK betting sites and doesn’t look like going anywhere anytime soon, as they continue to provide an excellent service to bettors.
They have some of the sharpest odds on nearly every major league, as well as some of the best in-play tools available, with the biggest selection of live streams of any online bookmaker, taking their live betting service to the next level.
Football-specific promotions such as early payout, price boosts and accumulator offers keep regular players catered for, although it would be nice to see a greater range of offers for other sports.
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A new bet365 welcome offer wouldn’t go amiss either, but overall, it’s hard to find fault with such a quality operator as bet365, which offers some of the fastest payouts among UK bookmakers and have one of the best-rated apps.
Bet365 provides excellent live streams of a wide range of sports (iStock/The Independent)
Pros
✓ Strong odds across nearly every sport
✓ Excellent in-play tools and live streaming options
✓ Reliable and user-friendly app
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✓ Fast withdrawals available on several payment options
Cons
✗ Fewer free bet promos than rivals
✗ Bigger sign-up offers available elsewhere
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4. Betway
The World Cup is fast approaching and Betway have hit the front early as one of the best World Cup bookmakers by releasing two eye-catching offers, both of which are available on a mobile-friendly platform.
The Betway sign up offer has been boosted for the World Cup, offering new customers £60 in free bets when they register. It’s the biggest welcome bonus among UK betting sites and can be unlocked from as little as £10.
The other World Cup offer from Betway is a free bet bank builder that involves the firm’s free bets club. Traditionally, Betway’s free bets club with two £5 free bet tokens when they wager £25 or more on trebles.
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With their Road to ‘26 promotion, punters will get an extra £10 in free bets when they join the free bets club and complete the wagering requirements. The extra free bets are held by Betway and released to bettors during the World Cup, giving users the chance to build a sizeable free bet warchest.
To go alongside their World Cup offers, Betway regularly boost the odds on a range of sports, while they have two free-to-play games for racing and football fans: 4 to Win and Fixture Frenzy.
We discovered most of what Betway has to offer via mobile device with the site designed to be viewed on a smaller screen, while the Betway app is one of the highest rated among online bookmakers.
Betway have a new £60 free bet sign up offer ahead of the World Cup (The Independent)
Pros
✓ Great selection of World Cup offers
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✓ Two free-to-play games with great prizes
✓ Highly-rated betting app
✓ Deep selection of player prop markets on various sports
Cons
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✗ Lack of live streaming
✗ Offers could be easier to find
✗ Customer service options could be improved
5. Paddy Power
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Paddy Power is arguably the UK’s most famous bookmaker these days, thanks to a series of clever advertising promotions and a continuous stream of social media content that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
However, there’s plenty of substance under all the style with Paddy Power now the home of the best value sign up offer. The operator recently improved their welcome bonus, making it a bet £5, get £40 in free bets promotion.
Unlike so many other welcome offers from betting sites, there are no restrictions on how the free bets can be used, while Paddy Power give users 30 days to wager their bonus.
That’s the first of many offers punters can benefit from with a Paddy Power account and the bookie has to be one of the best football betting sites when it comes to promotions, with regular free bets and price boosts.
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The same goes for horse racing, while all bettors can benefit from being a member of Paddy’s Rewards Club, which dishes out free bets each week.
There’s also a great selection of free-to-play games on Paddy Power, offering cash prizes, free spins and bet boost tokens, while the mobile app scores well on all devices.
The main drawback to Paddy Power are the lack of competitive odds on certain events. Bettors have reported consistently finding better prices elsewhere, although there’s the potential to make up for that lost value via all the offers.
PP customers will find regular promotions for football and horse racing (The Independent)
Pros
✓ The best value welcome offer in the UK
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✓ Regular promotions for football and horse racing
✓ Great selection of free-to-play games
Cons
✗ Odds could be more competitive
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✗ Faster withdrawals to e-wallets are required
6. BOYLE Sports
Independent rating: 4.7/5
Welcome offer: Bet £10, get £40 in free bets.
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Areas for improvement: A more reliable betting app and faster withdrawals
Verdict: BOYLE Sports are the top betting site for accumulators, able to choose between enhanced winnings or insurance, while regular acca bettors can secure a free bet acca for every five they place. Boyles need to improve their mobile app, but that’s a minor drawback for an operator that offers a welcome bonus with very few restrictions and is punter-friendly, while Boyles offer early payouts on a larger range of sports than most bookmakers.
7. William Hill
Independent rating: 4.7/5
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Welcome offer: Bet £10, get £30 in free bets
Areas for improvement: The desktop site is dated.
Verdict: William Hill stands out for football and horse racing bettors, offering some of the top odds on both sports. There’s a great range of in-play and live betting tools available at one of the UK’s best-established bookies.
8. Kwiff
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Independent rating: 4.5/5
Welcome offer: Bet £10, get £40 in free bets
Areas for improvement: More markets and streaming options.
Verdict: Kwiff is more of a novelty betting site, but it sets itself apart from competitors with unique features and a wide range of promos and boosts. The chance to get your bet ‘Kwiffed’ at any moment, meaning the odds are enhanced significantly, makes this a fun site to use.
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9. Coral
Independent rating: 4.5/5
Welcome offer: Bet £5, get £30 in free bets
Areas for improvement: More competitive odds on certain sports.
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Verdict: Coral is one of the best-known betting sites in the UK, and its online offering delivers a great sports betting experience. We like the value bettors get from using Coral when it comes to free-to-play games and unique features, such as the Coral Racing Club.
10. Ladbrokes
Independent rating: 4.5/5
Welcome offer: Bet £5, get £30 in free bets
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Areas for improvement: Mobile app could be faster and more reliable on iOS
Verdict: Ladbrokes is tough to separate from its sister site Coral and excels in several categories, such as daily promos and odds boosts, range of sports covered, depth of markets and general ease of use. It’s arguably better for football bettors than Coral and is one of the top World Cup betting sites for this summer.
11. Tote
Independent rating: 4.5/5
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Welcome offer: Bet £10, get £30 in free bets
Areas for improvement: More betting tools
Verdict: Tote is one of the most well-known horse racing betting sites, thanks to a unique pool betting system, but they have branched out from that in recent times, offering more traditional racing offers, while introducing sports betting. It’s now a one-stop shop for all bettors, backed up by an excellent customer service record.
12. Virgin Bet
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Independent rating: 4.5/5
Welcome offer: Bet £10, get £30 in free bets
Areas for improvement: More betting features, such as partial cash out, and faster withdrawals.
Verdict: Virgin Bet has an excellent selection of markets for all the big sports, with its football free bet offerings and racing promotions making it a great choice for punters who want to bet on the country’s most popular betting events.
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13. NetBet
Independent rating: 4.4/5
Welcome offer: Bet £10, get £20 in free bets
Areas for improvement: The welcome bonus could be more generous, and there could be more racing offers.
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Verdict: NetBet offers a solid app and desktop experience and we particularly like the range of football offers they have available, with regular bet and get promotions. They also have a link with UFC, making this one of the premier MMA betting sites.
14. talkSPORT BET
Independent rating: 4.2/5
Welcome offer: Up to £40 in football free bets
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Areas for improvement: Could expand markets and offers for less popular sports.
Verdict: TalkSPORT BET is a great option for football bettors due to their free bets club, regular odds boosts and free-to-play games that are largely tied to the sport, though horse racing also receives a good amount of attention. Another big selling point of talkSPORT BET is the much-loved betting app, which scores highly among users on both iOS and Android.
15. BetMGM
Independent rating: 4.7/5
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Welcome offer: Bet £5 at evens on any sport, get £40 in free bets.
Areas for improvement: More payment options and faster withdrawals
Verdict: BetMGM have quickly settled in as one of the UK’s top betting sites with a good selection of offers for existing customers. The BetMGM app is one of the best in its class, the sign up bonus is above average and they are planning a strong collection of World Cup free bet offers.
16. BetUK
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Independent rating: 4/5
Welcome offer: Bet £10, get £40 in free bets
Areas for improvement: More offers for existing customers
Verdict: BetUK offers pretty much everything you’d expect from a top betting site, including accumulator boosts and a free bets club. They are constantly looking to improve what they provide to punters, recently upgrading the welcome offer.
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17. Betfair
Independent rating: 4/5
Welcome offer: Bet £10, get £50 in free bets
Areas for improvement: Could make the welcome offer more flexible and add more promotions for existing customers.
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Verdict: Betfair has carved a reputation as one of the best betting sites in the UK, and its wide range of sports markets and competitive odds will keep users coming back again and again, while the exchange is another interesting feature, often offering market-beating odds on big events.
18. Midnite
Independent rating: 3.9/5
Welcome offer: Bet £10, get £30 in free bets
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Areas for improvement: More established betting features, such as early payouts
Verdict: Midnite markets itself as a modern betting site and started out as a specialist Esports betting site, but has since evolved to cater to a wider range of bettors and now has some good features, such as weekly feature bet offers.
19. Betano
Independent rating: 3.9/5
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Welcome offer: Bet £10, get £50 on free bets
Areas for improvement: Sharper odds on non-football events and improvements to the Android app
Verdict: Betano will appeal to football bettors, who can claim £50 in free bets when joining and are treated to regular price boosts, early payouts and free-to-play football prediction games. Betano could do more in other areas, but there’s a free bets club, an excellent app if you are on iOS and the Lucky Dip features, which offers enhanced odds on most sports.
20. QuinnBet
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Independent rating: 3.9/5
Welcome offer: 50% cashback up to £25
Areas for improvement: The welcome offer value could be more competitive.
Verdict: QuinnBet stands out for its daily offers, accumulator bonuses and the fact that it is one of the only UK betting sites that accepts Revolut as a payment option. Simple additions such as more live streaming, extra promotions and a better welcome offer could elevate it to the next level.
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Our betting experts have come up with some advice on how to select a betting site, laying out the main factors to consider when evaluating whether a site might be right for you.
What do you want to bet on?
Consider which sports you want to bet on before joining a bookmaker, and assess their coverage of your preferred sports.
Most bookmakers will cover football and horse racing – the two most bet on sports in the UK – but there’s a difference in how each bookie will cover those sports, and other popular events like tennis, golf and boxing.
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Overall, the odds, number of markets, in-play options, offers and niche betting services like specials markets differ from one betting site to another, so it can pay to look around before signing up to a site.
Look beyond the welcome offer
While the welcome offer is valuable and a big consideration, it’s worth seeing what other promotions a betting site might run.
Check on what offers a betting site has run recently via its social feeds and consider the regularity of any offers. Also, remember to check what the offers are for. For example, do they only run one-off promos for huge betting events like Cheltenham, or do they run regular promotions for Saturday racing or Premier League football?
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Check banking options and withdrawal speeds
Check to see if the betting site carries your preferred banking method, as they all have different options.
In addition, it is advisable to find out the withdrawal speed for transactions and whether some methods are faster than others. Speaking to a customer advisor can be useful if the help section doesn’t carry withdrawal speeds.
Download and test the app
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Bettors who like to bet on a mobile device should check what mobile service any potential bookmaker provides. Not all bookies have apps, while some only provide apps for Apple devices.
If they do have an app, download it and check the functionality, looking at loading speeds, ease of navigation and the in-play service. While bettors can get a good overview of a betting app from the reviews on the app store, nothing beats an in-person evaluation.
Check Trustpilot reviews
It can be helpful to check reviews of betting sites on Trustpilot, though context is key when looking at Trustpilot scores. For example, reviews from punters complaining about poor slot payouts or account restrictions aren’t helpful when looking for the best betting site for accumulators.
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Look at the volume of reviews, filter them by most recent and read a sample size to see what bettors are unhappy with. If in doubt over a bookmaker, remember that first hand experience is invaluable to get a more complete picture.
Rank
New Bookie
Why
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Our Rating
1
247Bet
Over 30 sports to bet on, good selection of football promos, bet builder tool enabled on 6 sports
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4.5/5
2
HighBet
Weekly free bets, easy to use website, solid racing offers, regular enhanced odds and accumulator offers
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4.5/5
3
Pub Sports
Excellent in-play betting experience, price boosts on football multis, global horse racing odds
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4.3/5
4
Bet Crown
Beginner-level welcome offer, excellent customer support, loads of banking options with fast payouts
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4.2/5
5
7bet
Regular free bet offers for football and golf, better prices than fixed odds bookmakers on the betting exchange, great bet builder tool, selection of live streams
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4/5
As part of our evaluation of the best betting sites in the UK, we also monitor new betting sites that are becoming popular and starting to challenge the established names.
We have tested all the recently launched online bookmakers, and we re-evaluate our ratings each and every month based on the criteria detailed above.
Below are our new betting sites UK rankings:
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1. 247 Bet
247Bet went live in 2025 and has been working around the clock to stand out from the crowd, with up to £50 in free bets available as part of a new sign-up offer.
They have recently expanded their sportsbook and now offer odds on over 30 sports, with a wealth of pre-match and in-play markets available for most events.
For football bettors, there are some good offers, including early payouts, accumulator boosts and cash back on selected bets if a game finishes 0-0. Tennis punters can also get 10 per cent cashback on in-play losses each week.
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The bet builder tool on 247Bet is available on six different sports and there’s a good selection of betting options to use, while odds are competitive too.
The next steps we’d like to see from 247Bet are improvements made to its app, which hasn’t been well reviewed so far, and the addition of a few more live streams to enhance its in-play betting service.
247Bet have recently bulked up their sports betting package (The Independent)
Pros
✓ Over 30 sports to bet on
✓ Good selection of football promos
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✓ Bet builder tool enabled on 6 sports
Cons
✗ 5x Wagering requirements on sign up offer
✗ App is poorly rated by real world users
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2. HighBet
HighBet launched in 2021 but underwent a major facelift in 2025, returning with a new look and new offers, including a weekly sports rewards club offering £15 in free bets and £100 cashback.
The free bets are unlocked by wagering set amounts on certain bet types, such as bet builders and accumulators, while the cashback kicks in after wagering a minimum of £20 on the sportsbook, with bettors receiving 10 per cent back on total losses.
Racing bettors will be pleased to see a first past the post guarantee, while HighBet have gone non-runner money back on all UK and Irish races, a safeguard most bookies only offer during the major meetings.
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There are also early payouts, acca boosts and enhanced odds available across HighBet, who have built a user-friendly site with clear instructions on all its offers.
The welcome offer is a bet £10, get £30 promotion, which is about standard for a sign up bonus, but is let down slightly by restrictions on which sports and bet types the free bets can be used on.
(The Independent)
HighBet Pros
✓ Weekly free bets
✓ Strong focus on UK racing
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✓ Non-runner no bet on every UK & Irish race
HighBet Cons
✗ No Best Odds Guarantee
✗ Restrictions on free bets with sign up offer
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3. Pub Sports
Pub Casino are widely regarded as one of the top new online casinos in the UK and they have now ventured into sports betting with an equally good product.
Given the nature of their pub theme, they’ve gone particularly big on live betting, with their in-play offering being up there with the top new UK bookmakers.
On testing, we noted how good their tennis in-play experience was, with a stats feature to rival any major bookmaker including point-by-point updates, head-to-head stats and a timeline of events.
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Beyond in-play betting, you’ll find acca boosts on all football multis of four or more selections up to 50%, while horse racing fans will get a comprehensive list of obscure races from both north and south America.
The in-play experience is what we found most impressive on Pub Sports (The Independent)
Pros
✓ Excellent in-play betting experience
✓ Price boosts on football multis
✓ Global horse racing odds
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Cons
✗ Lack of ongoing sports promos compared to casino
✗ No matched deposit on sign up
4. BetCrown
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BetCrown is a brand new UK betting site and they’ve launched with a conservative yet simple bet £10 get £10 offer for new customers.
It may not be the most valuable sign up offer among the new bookmakers we recommend, but they make up for it in other areas, such as premium customer support, fast payouts and secure payments.
Indeed, one of the most appealing aspects of BetCrown’s product is their array of banking options.
You’ll get the traditional debit card and bank transfer methods, but there’s also a slew of modern banking alternatives such as Skrill, PayPal, Neteller, Neosurf, plus Google Pay and Apple Pay.
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The sportsbook itself is packed with competitive odds prices across all the sports you would expect and more, while their betting promotions section is better than some of their more established counterparts.
It’s clear they want to compete with the best football betting sites as their promos include two goals up early payouts, bore draw refunds when your game finishes 0-0, acca boosts up to 75%, plus standard features like cash out and bet builders.
BetCrown is an ideal starting place for beginners (The Independent)
Pros
✓ Beginner level welcome offer
✓ Excellent customer support
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✓ Loads of banking options with fast payouts
Cons
✗ Below par sign up offer value
✗ Promos are football heavy
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5. 7Bet
Launched in the summer of 2024, 7Bet already provides a strong betting service. They mainly cater to football punters with their promotions, such as money back on losing bets if a match finishes goalless, although their early payout offer does cover tennis, basketball, baseball, American football and ice hockey.
What stands out on the offer page are the regular deposit bonuses. 7Bet ran a deposit bonus offer during the Grand National, while each week of the football season, they give punters a free bet when they deposit and wager a minimum of £50 on football.
We noticed plenty of little touches you won’t find with some new sportsbooks, such as a dedicated horse racing section with several streaming options and a good in-play service. What also caught the eye are the payment options.
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7Bet pledges to process withdrawals, regardless of payment option, the same day the request is made. Any withdrawal from 7Bet will take no longer than three days, although in our experience, they were able to transfer my funds in a matter of hours.
7Bet has a great selection of football betting offers (The Independent)
Pros
✓ Fast payment service
✓ Regular deposit bonuses
✓ Great selection of football betting offers
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✓ Live streams for selected race meetings
Cons
✗ Poor mobile betting service
✗ The website could be easier to navigate
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✗ Sign up offer could be more generous
How we rank and review betting sites
My rankings are based on a bookmaker meeting a wide range of criteria, with first-hand testing and strict editorial standards in place to reach our conclusions.
Below are some of the key considerations when reviewing bookmakers and compiling our rankings for the best online betting sites:
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License and regulation
All our recommended online bookmakers are licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. The UKGC maintains high standards of fairness and accountability, ensuring bookies meet legal requirements for fair play, data security, customer protection, and responsible gambling protocols.
They have the ability to hand out huge fines and suspend licences, such as fining NetBet £650,000 for breaching money laundering and social responsibility guidelines.
Bettors are advised to only ever use UK-licensed betting sites, as offshore or unlicensed bookies don’t carry the same level of protection or guarantees.
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Usability
Time during the review process of an online bookmaker is split 50/50 between the desktop and mobile sites or app. App reviews on both iOS and Android are taken into consideration.
We look at the performance of each online bookmaker for a range of factors, including ease of navigation, loading times, user-friendly design, responsiveness, page load speed, app usability and more.
Competitive odds
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Using our own odds comparison tool allows us to check which bookmakers boast the most competitive prices, noting which bookies consistently appear at the top of our rankings.
We check the competitiveness of odds across the top sports and major events in the UK and abroad. If bettors aren’t consistently getting good value from a bookmaker, they won’t be recommended.
Betting features
Betting sites provide a huge array of bet types and tools to punters, with cash out and bet builders expected as standard. But the best online bookmakers build on those standards, providing partial or automatic cash out options, while giving bettors the chance to put together a bet builder on multiple sports, not just football.
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We also check to see whether bookmakers provide comprehensive stat packs and live tracking options, helping bettors make smarter, more informed decisions.
Offers and promotions
Each welcome offer is evaluated on its genuine value, taking into account minimum deposit requirements, winnings caps and ease of use. That said, a competitive sign-up bonus is only the first step. The bookmakers featured here also provide ongoing promotions, with the best bookies offering daily incentives
These offers come in various forms, such as free bets, money back schemes, odds boosts, extra place races, profit boosts, and more.
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Customer support
The best betting sites provide a range of customer support options, with live chat or a telephone service preferred for instant resolution of any issues.
Response times should be high and all queries should be dealt with efficiently. If a site does not deal with enquiries and problems in an acceptable timeframe, then we will not recommend it.
Safer gambling
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Promotion and implementation of responsible gambling regulations is of paramount importance, and the way in which a bookmaker approaches player welfare is a key factor in our rankings.
Bettors should know how to access any safer gambling tools they wish to use, while bookmakers should be on hand to recognise and support any bettor potentially dealing with a gambling addiction.
Exchange betting sites have been around since the start of the century, but they remain a niche area of gambling due to the perceived complexity of betting on an exchange.
For those unaware, when betting on an exchange, punters are betting against one another, rather than betting with a bookmaker. Bettors have the option to back a bet, as they would with a traditional bookmaker, or lay a bet, which means they are wagering on that selection to lose.
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Other bettors set the prices, so the odds are usually higher than most fixed-odds betting sites, and punters can trade between back and lay bets to lock in a profit. Operators make their money by taking a percentage of any winnings.
There are only a handful of exchange betting sites in the UK. Here are our top three:
1. Matchbook
Matchbook were one of the original exchange betting sites, but it’s only recently that they’ve started to challenge the dominance of Betfair.
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The big advantage Betfair had over Matchbook was liquidity, which is how much money there was in a market and, therefore,e, how easy it was to place a bet. Matchbook have closed the gap in this regard, while their odds have been recognised as some of the best in the UK.
Matchbook also charge just 2 per cent commission to UK and Irish customers, while they run a sign up offer featuring 110 days of zero per cent commission.
There are other perks to using Matchbook, such as rebates on losing bet builder and accumulator bets, and money back on golf offers.
Matchbook also has an excellent mobile app, and in our opinion, has now moved ahead of Betfair.
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(The Independent)
Pros
✓ 2 per cent commission
✓ Money back offers
✓ Excellent mobile service
Cons
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✗ Less liquidity in some markets
✗ Fewer markets
2. Betfair
It’s not like Betfair has become a bad choice for exchange punters, particularly as there’s still more liquidity in their markets and they boast better odds on major sports, like football.
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Those are two big plus points, as is the fact that Betfair’s trading system is slick and easy to use once you understand how to work an exchange. Betfair also have more markets than Matchbook, giving bettors a greater choice.
Betfair charges a 5 per cent fee on all net winnings, while the exchange welcome offer is a bet £10, get £10 deal. Punters are advised to go with the Betfair sportsbook welcome offer of bet £10, get £50 as they only need one login with Betfair to access the sportsbook, exchange and online casino.
The other big issue with Betfair is the lack of offers for existing customers. Betfair exchange users won’t find too many free bets waiting for them.
(The Independent)
Pros
✓ Large liquidity in most markets
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✓ Great choice of betting markets
✓ Tried and tested platform
Cons
✗ Small welcome offer
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✗ Lack of ongoing promotions
3. Easybet
EasyBet is a betting exchange that delivers a strong experience across several areas, but particularly excels with bet builders.
Their bet builder tool is simple to use and covers eight sports, including football, MMA, cricket, rugby and major US leagues. Users can combine up to 12 markets from a single event, which will be enough for most casual and more regular bettors.
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The platform also runs consistent bet builder incentives – including two £5 free bet builder bets each week on Premier League fixtures when staking £20 or more – and EasyBet’s offers are clear and accessible.
The biggest knock against EasyBet is the lack of a betting app, but the desktop site adapts well to the small screen, and bettors will find they consistently get better value for money on an exchange than with a fixed-odds bookmaker.
EasyBet customers can expect regular free bet builder promotions each week (The Independent/Easybet)
Pros
✓ Bet builder available across a wide range of sports
✓ Regular free bet builder promotions each week
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✓ Strong selection of ongoing offers
Cons
✗ Fewer sports covered than rivals
✗ No betting app
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Why you can trust The Independent
Chris Wilson is a sports reporter at The Independent who has expertise in betting and gaming. Chris is tasked with reviewing all the online bookmakers and new casino sites that hit the market, as well as maintaining the current rankings.
He has tested dozens of UK bookmakers to compile this list of the best betting sites, with reviews updated regularly.
As alluded to above, Chris uses a range of strict criteria when evaluating online bookmakers, considering promotions and offers, the variety of games and payment methods, efficient customer service and the overall experience.
Each betting site recommended by Chris on behalf of The Independent is fully licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.
The Flutter brand are offering an enormous 60/1 just for Arsenal to be awarded a corner in the final against PSG on Saturday.
There’s a maximum bet limit of £1 but new customers only need to deposit £5 and place a bet on the ‘Arsenal over 0.5 corners’ market to qualify.
Should Arsenal get a corner within the 90 minutes, qualified bettors will be rewarded with 6 x £10 free bets for Sky Bet’s bet builder tool.
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Better yet, the free bets are valid for 30 days so there’ll be plenty of time to place some World Cup bet builders.
In this section, we’ve taken a look at the most common payment methods used on UK betting sites. Some methods are more widely accepted than others, but the following are the most commonly found:
Debit card
Withdrawal timeframe: 4 hours – 3 days
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The most widely accepted payment method on online betting sites and often required to qualify for sign up bonuses. Traditionally, debit card withdrawals have taken days to process, but the introduction of Fast Funds means some UK betting sites can process debit card withdrawals in as little as four hours.
Bank transfer
Withdrawal timeframe: Instant – 5 days
As is the case with debit cards, many betting sites will accept deposits and withdrawals made by bank transfer. This was previously one of the slowest payment methods; however, Pay By Bank has transformed this option, with funds arriving in a matter of minutes at sites that cater to the newer method.
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E-wallets (PayPal, Skrill, Neteller)
Withdrawal timeframe: Instant – 24 hours
There is a large selection of e-wallets now available, all offering instant deposits, but Skrill, Neteller and PayPal are the three biggest providers, with the latter most likely to be found on betting sites. Withdrawals using this option tend to be processed in a matter of hours, although a growing number of UK betting sites have stopped using e-wallets due to the fees involved for them, with Betfred recently dropping PayPal and Skrill.
Apple/Google Pay
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Withdrawal timeframe: Instant – 24 hours
Many gambling sites have embraced Apple Pay, and, to a lesser extent, Google Pay. These methods make deposits extremely simple as they don’t require punters to enter any bank details, and withdrawals can be made with just a few taps on your mobile. In particular, Apple Pay betting sites are becoming more common as bookmakers start accepting the payment method, even for welcome offers.
Paysafecard
Withdrawal timeframe: 1 hour – 3 days
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This method works in a similar way to e-wallets, though as is the case with Skrill and Neteller, it is less widely accepted and rarely qualifies for welcome offers. The pre-paid card makes it easy to keep a limit on spending, but very few bookmakers offer withdrawals using Paysafe.
Trustly
Withdrawal timeframe: 10 minutes – 24 hours
Instant transfers are available with Trustly, with no bank details needed and limits between £10 and £10,000. It’s one of the most secure methods to complete a transfer and is becoming increasingly popular with online bookmakers.
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Pay by mobile
Withdrawal timeframe: N/A
Users can normally deposit via pay by mobile, with deposits sometimes processed nearly instantly, but pay by mobile is not a valid method for withdrawals on UK betting sites.
Research released by the UK Gambling Commission in 2025 highlighted that some gambling activities are more strongly associated with future harm than others. Sports betting was among the highest-scoring categories on the Commission’s Problem Gambling Severity Index.
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Gambling should be viewed strictly as discretionary leisure spending. Set clear limits, only use money you can afford to lose, and resist the urge to chase losses in an attempt to recover previous bets. UK-regulated operators are required to offer a range of safer gambling measures. These can include deposit and loss limits, cooling-off periods, reality checks, affordability checks, and self-exclusion schemes designed to help customers manage their activity.
If your gambling starts to feel out of control at any stage, free and confidential help is available, and you should consider contacting one of the support organisations listed below.
What is a betting site?
Betting sites are websites on which users can place wagers on sporting events. Also known as sports betting sites, online bookmakers or sportsbooks, these sites allow users to gamble on a range of sporting events from weekly Premier League games to the Super Bowl or Wimbledon. In the UK, users must be aged 18+ and based in the UK to use such sites.
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Which are the UK’s best online bookmakers?
The question of the ‘best’ betting site ultimately comes down to individual preferences. We’ve recommended several betting sites in our list of the best online bookmakers, but bettors are encouraged to test out each oddsmaker before going through the registration process. It’s also not unusual for punters to have accounts with more than one betting site in order to keep their options open when it comes to the best odds and promotions.
Which betting sites are not on GamStop?
All of our recommended betting sites are part of the GamStop initiative, as all sites that are licensed and regulated by the UKGC must be part of GamStop. Do not use any site that is not part of the initiative, as it is likely unlicensed, unregulated or offshore, meaning bettors are taking a huge risk.
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Which of the best betting sites UK accept credit cards?
Research by the Gambling Commission suggested many problem gamblers used credit cards, so this payment method has been blocked on UK betting sites since 2020. Any betting site that claims to accept credit card deposits from UK bettors will not be licensed, so should be avoided.
Which betting sites accept Revolut?
Only a handful of online bookmakers in the UK currently accept Revolut as a payment method, but the recent decision to grant the fintech firm a full banking licence may see more online bookmakers add Revolut to their list of banking options. Our top-rated site, BOYLE Sports, is the best option for Revolut betting.
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Do UK betting sites offer free bets?
Many of the best betting sites will offer free bets to customers in various forms. These are regularly offered to new users as part of welcome offers, though existing users can also land free bets as part of promotions, rewards clubs and similar offers.
How do I check if a new betting site is legit?
Look for a UKGC licence, check for SSL encryption, read terms carefully and read our bookmaker reviews for expert evaluations on new betting sites.
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What is the best Champions League betting site?
We have ranked Bet365 as the top UCL betting site in our Champions League betting guide, thanks to their early payouts, sub to play on promo, bet boosts and many other football promos.
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
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