Updated: 2025
All major bookmakers now have an online presence. This allows sports bettors the opportunity to place their bets through a website or mobile app at the click of a button. Modern betting is all about convenience. Gone are the days when we had to get ourselves along to the local betting office in all weathers to get our cash down.If you wanted to enjoy the thrill of a football accumulator you had to be in the betting office with your paper slip and cash in hand before 2.55pm on a Saturday. It would then be a choice between staying in store and listening to the audio updates or going home and checking the live scores on teletext. Simpler times and punters were happy as they just didn’t know any better.
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MIN. deposit : 5 Free daily odds boost Highly prestigious brand |
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| 18+ New UK+IRE customers. Paypal and certain deposit types and bet types excluded. Min £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4 x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days on sports, stake not returned, restrictions apply. T&Cs apply, | |||||
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MIN. deposit : 10 Wide range of offers Price boosts each day |
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| £10 min deposit using promo code 200BONUS • The bonus will be applied once the full deposit amount has been wagered at least twice with cumulative odds of 1.50 or greater • To withdraw any winnings from your bonus, you must wager the bonus amount at least 5 times • All deposit and bonus wagering requirements must be completed within 60 days • This offer may not be combined with any other offer • Wagering limit of £50 per bet Applies • Restrictions apply to withdrawals, payment methods and countries & full T&Cs apply. | |||||
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MIN. deposit : 5 Extra places and BOG Correct4 football game |
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| 18+ Eligible UK+IRE players. Paypal & some deposit & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 4 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + T&Cs apply. | |||||
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MIN. deposit : 10 Very well-regarded bookie Fantastic range of offers |
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| For new customers only - Bet £10 & Get £50 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. | |||||
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MIN. deposit : 10 Innovative social features Free soccer betting tips |
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| New UK, IE & Malta users only. Min. £10/€10 first deposit only using Debit Card or Trustly. Free bets expire in 90 days. T&Cs apply. | |||||
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MIN. deposit : 10 Outstanding track record Fixed odds & spread betting |
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| Don’t miss our exclusive World Cup offers for new and existing customers. Terms apply. Full details available here. | |||||
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MIN. deposit : 10 Excellent track record New Bet Boost each day |
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| New customers using Promo code H30 only, Min £10/€10 stake, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 2 x £15/€15, free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 30 days after the qualifying bet is placed, payment method/player/country restrictions apply. See full terms below. | |||||
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MIN. deposit : 30 Specialise in horse racing Boost on football accas |
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| 21+, new UK + IRE members only. Min deposit £10. Singles, win part of e/w or multiples at odds of evens (2.0) or greater qualify. The Free Bet must be placed at odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater. Free bets expire in 7 days. The Free Bet stake is not included in the returns . Additional T&Cs apply. Bet responsibly. | |||||
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| 18+ New Customers opt in, bet £5 & get 2x £10 Free Bets for set events (odds 2.00+) + £10, Slots Bonus, selected games, 35x wagering to withdraw max £250. Bonuses expire in 7 days. Card Payments only. T&Cs Apply | BeGambleAware®: Gambling Help & Gambling Addiction | BeGambleAware | Please gamble responsibly | |||||
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| New customers only. Max one free £15 bet. Qualifying bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 (2.0) or greater. Paid as bonus token with min 4/5 (1.80) odds req. Skrill, Neteller & PayPal not eligible. T&Cs apply. 18+ | |||||
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MIN. deposit : 10 Deep in-play section Widespread racing streams |
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| *New members. £10 min deposit & bet on sportsbook, placed & settled at 1.5 min odds within 14 days of sign-up. Win part of E/W bets. 2 non-withdrawable £10 Free Bet Tokens: accept in 7 days, valid for 7 days from acceptance (ex. E/Ws & Multiples), stakes not returned. Click here for Rules & Exclusions. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org | |||||
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MIN. deposit : 10 Increasingly popular site Free bet refunds on racing |
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| 18+ begambleaware.org; New bettors get 50% of deposit up to £50; Once per household; Min deposit £15 (no Skrill/Neteller); Wager a total of 8 times deposit + bonus, with max qualifying bet stake equal to your initial bonus amount; Bonus expires after 60 days; Min odds of 4/5 on singles, or 2/5 per leg for acca; Some bet types excluded; See full terms; See full terms; Terms apply; 18+ | |||||
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MIN. deposit : 5 Famous Free Bet Club #BetYourWay for football |
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| New UK customers only. Min Deposit: £5. Maximum Free Bet: £30. First bet on a Football or Horse Racing multiple with 3+ selections. Overall odds: 3.00 (2/1) or higher. Free Bets available upon settlement of the qualifying bet. Debit card deposits only. This is offer is valid for 7 days from your new account being registered. 18+ BeGambleAware.org Full terms apply. | |||||
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MIN. deposit : 10 Boosted specials on football Various free bet offers |
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| Get a Free Bet up to £35 based on 50% of your first days losses plus 10 Free Spins! UK 18+ T&C's apply. | |||||
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MIN. deposit : 10 Money-Back football deal Exceptional mobile apps |
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| Terms apply | |||||
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MIN. deposit : 10 Acca protection & boosts Wide range of deals |
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| 18+, Welcome Bonus: New Players only, 1st Deposit, Min Deposit: £10, max £15 bonus, valid for 14 days, bets must be placed at a min. odds of 1/1 (2.00) or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. System bets no eligible. Full T&Cs apply | |||||
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MIN. deposit : 10 New specials bets each day Multiple acca promotions |
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| New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Mobile exclusive. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Payment method restrictions. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. T&Cs apply.**18+. Opt in. UK/IRE customers only. Max refund £/€20. Win or win part of e/w outright singles only. 5 or more runners. 1st bet on each race. Free bet expires after 7 days. Free/void/antepost bets don’t qualify. T&Cs apply | |||||
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| 18+ New Customers only. Deposit, opt in and place a £5 qualifying bet at odds of 2.00 or greater within 7 days of opening a new account; excludes cashed out bets. Receive 2x £10 Free Sports Bets, valid on set events only at odds 2.00 or greater, expires in 7 days. Plus a £10 Game Show Bonus, selected games, wager 40x to withdraw a max of £250. PayPal and Card Payments only. Geographical Restrictions and T&Cs Apply, See Below. Please Gamble Responsibly. | |||||
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| New UK customers only. Register using the promo code BETFRED60, deposit and place first bet of £10+ on Sports (cumulative Evens+) within 7 days of registration. First bet must be on Sports. £20 in Free Bets to be used on Sports, £10 in Free Bets to be used on Lotto and 50 Free Spins (20p per spin) credited within 48 hours of bet settlement. Further £20 in Free Bets credited 5 days after settlement. Bonuses have a 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or Proof of I.D and address may be required. Full T&Cs apply. Terms & Conditions Apply | |||||
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| 18+, Welcome Bonus: New Players only. Valid on 1st deposit only. Min Deposit £10. Max Free Bet £40. Min turnover of £20 must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater, and settled within 14 days of placement. System bets not eligible. PayPal, Skrill and Neteller deposits not eligible for promotion. Click to see full T&Cs | |||||
We’re glad to say the sports betting world has modernised, however, dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century. You can now place a bet when you want, where you want and on what you want. Make your football accumulators, horse racing bets, greyhounds, tennis, boxing and much more on your desktop computer at home.
Turn everyday situations into a thrilling sports betting scenario by using your mobile betting app, available on phones and tablets. With a modern app you will never again miss the opportunity to bet on a game of your choice. Modern technology even allows you to watch live sports through your app thanks to a live streaming service, available free of charge to those placing a bet.
To enjoy the convenience of betting on the go or taking advantage of gambling at home, you must register with an online bookmaker and create a betting account. This is very easy to do and takes a matter of seconds. It’s a process that needs to be completed only once but it is something that needs done before you can enjoy the thrill of online gambling.
A betting account is a registration of your name and personal details with a major online bookmaker. You must provide your name, address, date of birth, username and even a unique password. You must also supply bank details or payment details which allows cash to be taken to cover the cost of bets and also be paid out for winners. As everything is done online, rather than face-to-face, you must also provide photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport to prove you are over the legal age to gamble and a resident in the UK.
As already touched upon, opening a betting account is quick, simple and very easy to do. It shouldn’t be something that should put you off enjoying the many benefits of online gambling. It can be done at home on your desktop computer or through your mobile app when out and about.
The process will take a matter of minutes and if you have all details to hand you should be accepted for an account there and then. This allows you to sign up and start betting in an instant. No waiting times, to interview process, no threat of being denied. If you meet the few restrictions that are in place, such as being 18 years or above, you will be awarded an account and can start gambling.
The great thing about opening a betting account with a major UK bookmaker is you only have to complete the process once. After going through the steps and having your account confirmed, it is then a simple matter of logging on with your unique password and username to start betting. It’s something that is well worth doing and it’s something we would encourage you to complete sooner rather than later.
Another reason to open a betting account is all major bookmakers will award you a welcome bonus for doing so. We are still in a time when most firms are encouraging their customers to move from in store betting to online betting. Companies want to get as many people as possible out of their shops and onto websites and apps. The reason for this is betting premises cost money to rent or buy, whereas the costs involved with running an online betting site or app are minimal.
To push through the change, betting firms will give you a welcome bonus when registering your details and opening an account. We’ll cover this in a bit more detail later in the article, but welcome bonuses may come in the form of free bets, price boosts, extra places each way and money back for losers. This allows you to try out the website with minimal risk to your own funds.
As already mentioned, opening a betting account is quick and easy, so much so the process can be completed in a few simple steps. Follow our guide below to opening an account, getting signed up and bagging your unique welcome bonus is the quickest possible time…
This is all aimed at being quick and convenient for the user. You will notice the registration process has been kept as simple as possible and this is to ensure it appeals to everyone, regardless of your experience using betting sites or apps. You will be asked to prove your identification at a later date, usually when trying to withdraw winnings from your account or when attempting to make your second cash deposit. To pass this stage all you have to do is email a photo of acceptable ID to the customer services team. This is as easy as taking a snap on your mobile phone and sending.
Open a betting account at Ladbrokes, gamble £5 and you’ll get a stunning £20 free bet dropped into your account balance. This is great value and can be placed on a sport of your choice. Use your free bet wisely and you could beat the bookies with their own cash. This rates as one of the easiest promotions to achieve, costing you just £5. There are a few terms and conditions in place, such as qualifying bets must be placed on sportsbook selections with odds of 1/2 or better. The £20 worth of free bets come in the form of 4x £5 bet tokens and they will expire after four days if not used.
As well as a fantastic welcome bonus for new customers registering for a betting account, Ladbrokes also make available a list of recurring offers and promotions for existing customers. This proves you won’t be forgotten about after you register and start betting. Recurring offers for existing customers include money back for losing bets, extra places each-way, best price guaranteed and price boosts. For example, Ladbrokes may offer 3/1 about a selection that is 2/1 with most other bookies. This ensures punters keep coming back for more and revisiting the betting site. Visit Ladbrokes for one of the best online betting accounts offers.
It has been true for the last few years and remains the case today, bet365 is one of the most popular and successful online betting websites and mobile apps in the UK and Ireland. They don’t have any betting offices, like some of their main competitors, but this frees up staff, time and money to focus entirely on their online presence. As a result, the bet365 mobile app and website is as good as you’d hope to find. It’s modern, fast, responsive and offers a live streaming service, allowing you to watch horse racing and sports on your laptop or mobile.
The betting odds are often best price in the industry and there are more ways to bet on your game of choice than with most other firms. Traders at bet365 also make available, arguably, the best welcome bonus. Join now and you’ll receive up to £100 in bet credits. This is a matched stake offer, so the amount you deposit and bet on your first visit, from £10 to £100, will be matched in free bet tokens. No wonder bet365 and the bet365 sign-up offer is loved by sports bettors across the UK. Give it a try today, you won’t be disappointed by what you find. Bet365 offer one of the best accounts bonus today.
Betway have made giant strides in the online betting industry in recent years and that hasn’t been by accident or fluke. The business has invested heavily in its online presence, creating a competition beating website and mobile app that is jam packed with exclusive markets, great football coupons and value betting odds. That has resulted in thousands of customers joining up to find out what all the fuss was about and being converted to Betway fans.
They aim to continue to pull in new customers by offering the kind of welcome bonus that helps them stand out from the crowd in what has become a crowded market. There has never been a better time to register for an account at Betway. Join now, deposit and bet between £10 and £30 and you will receive a matched free bet. So, for example, if you sign up, deposit £30 of your own cash and use it to gamble on a sportsbook market with minimum odds, Betway will drop £30 worth of free bets into your account which can be used as you see fit. This means you will have £30 worth of betting credits and that’s enough to target the traders profit margin. Used wisely, you could get off to the best possible start.
Coral are a giant on the UK high street with betting offices dotted around every major city and town. They are hugely successful in the world of online gambling too and that was achieved on the back of massive investment in both their website and award-winning mobile app. You can’t fail to notice Coral’s advertising and sponsorship of major sporting events either, including Rugby League, football, snooker and the Coral Cup which is run every year at the Cheltenham Festival.
The promotions tab at Coral is crammed with exciting features and offers for both new and existing customers, covering the most popular fixtures on the UK sporting schedule. This includes a welcome bonus similar to the one offered by partners Ladbrokes. Sign up for a new player account at Coral bookmakers, deposit £5 and get £20 worth of free bets to use on your favourite sports. This offer is broken down into 4x £5 free bet tokens which must be used before they expire. There’s nothing in the rules to say you can’t use these free bet tokens to back big priced winners and rake in a major profit either. Use them wisely and you could be gambling with profits for the rest of the year.
888Sport is part of the 888 group which includes 888Casino. The sports site may be a relatively new addition to the family, but the business has many years experience working in the gambling industry and that showed when they moved into the world of sports betting. They also benefit from a sizeable marketing budget and this allowed them to hit the ground running and speed towards success in the early days. 888Sport have gone from strength to strength since and have now become a trusted name in the online sports betting world.
As well as offering great value on your favourite sports betting, they also cover more markets than the competition and on the site you will find options that just aren’t available at other bookies. This is particularly true with football. For example, you can wager your cash on a team to score a goal, regardless of the final result. 888Sport really push the boat out when it comes to their promotions, including their welcome offer. Join now and get £30 in free sports bets when you sign up, deposit and gamble just £10. For a mere £10 spend from your own bank account, ewallet service you will get £40 worth of bets.
It seems right to finish the list with a look at a promising internet online sports betting business that appears to be heading in the right direction, and fast. Betbull have some way to go to measure up with some of the bookmakers named in this list but they are an ambitious firm who have set out their stall and are determined to secure success and a share of the sports betting pie. They aim to do this by offering competition beating promotions for both new and existing customers as well as great prices and a modern mobile betting app.
Joining the party at this late stage has allowed Betbull to learn from the mistakes of the many other failed online gambling businesses that have fallen in recent years. It also means they can come in with the latest technology. Join Betbull today and you’ll benefit from a welcome bonus designed to make a noise. Betbull combine our love of social media with our passion for sports betting. Their new customer offer allows you to download the app, deposit £10 and get £30 in free bets. The bonus can be used on sportsbook markets of your choice and there’s even a function that allows you to easily share your winners on the likes of Facebook and Twitter.
It is worth checking the security measures in place at your chosen bookmaker before applying to open a betting account. Online gambling is quick, convenient and exciting but it is not without risks for both customer and company. This comes in the form of underage gambling, identity fraud and theft. There are a number of ways both you and the bookmaker can avoid these threats.
Look for an online bookie that is licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. You want to see Secure Socket Layer protection in place and the latest firewall technology. This encryption service means your personal details are never seen by another human, including staff at your chosen site. There are also steps you should take to protect your details.
Create a username that is difficult for another person to work out, regardless of how well they are known to you. Don’t opt for a username that is in place for another site, such as social media. It is also vitally important to create a password that can’t be guessed and used by another person. Again, go for something completely unique. Don’t opt for the password you use for other types of online accounts as if someone cracks the code, they will have access to all your online accounts.
Fraudulently logging into Facebook, for example, isn’t ideal but it is far better than someone gaining access to your betting account which includes details of your bank number or ewallet codes. Some bookmakers even offer a service which allows you to request a PIN to be emailed to your account every time you attempt to sign in. This is for extra piece of mind and security. The more security measures in place to protect you and your betting account the better, this is worth keeping in mind when choosing your online bookmaker.
Bookmakers may restrict or close UK betting accounts for a number of reasons and there’s not a lot, as sports bettors, we can do about it. You will read in the terms and conditions small print that the bookie reserves the right to restrict or close your account if and when they see fit. But what does that mean and how could it effect your online gambling?
There is a difference between a restricted or closed betting account. A closed account is easier to explain, so we’ll start there. If you are suspected of misusing your online betting account or are underage, even if your account lies unused for a long period of time, it could be closed. That means the file will be wiped and the account will no longer exist. When trying to log into your account you will be presented with a message advising you the account has been closed. In some instances, you may be able to contact customer services to re-activate the account.
There’s a bit more explaining in a restricted betting account. This could come into place for different reasons, either misuse or even if you are proving to be a profitable punter that is affecting the bookies bottom line too often. We know, that sounds strange, but you may have your account restricted for being too good at gambling. What is a restricted account?
It often comes in the form of your stakes being limited. Let’s say you are very good at backing horse racing winners and are raking in profits. You may want to place a £100 stake on a horse at odds of 10/1. A restricted account could limit you to £20 at 10/1 and the rest at 8/1, for example. Often, restricted accounts are placed on punters with obvious inside information or those looking to play the system by betting on selections at different bookies to ensure a profit regardless of the result.
While each bookmaker will have a different approach when it comes to opening account, the basics are likely to be very similar, with the entire process taking just a matter of minutes to complete.
Having chosen their preferred bookie, punters must visit its website and locate the “Join Now” option, or something to this effect. In the majority of cases, this will be in the top-right hand corner of the screen.
Having done so, potential customers are required to enter their relevant personal details, which typically includes full name, date of birth, home address, email address and potentially a telephone number. As well as this, punters will be assigned or be in a position to create their own unique username and password, which will grant them access once fully registered.
The next stage of the process will be to verify your account, which can be achieved by sending a proof of identity to the relevant email address, whether it be a driver’s license, passport, utility bill or bank statement. This is a hugely important step, as in most cases, no bets will be accepted before verification has been completed. Once your bookmaker has received your proof of identity, it will often be less than 24 hours until punters can deposit funds and place bets, whether it be on desktop or mobile.
Once registered with an online bookmaker, punters must deposit funds in order to be in a position to place bets on sports teams and players. Customers must log in to their account using their individual username and password, before navigating towards the banking section of their account, which is normally accessed via a link in the top-right hand corner of the page. Select the “Deposit” option, before selecting your preferred method of banking or add a new method if necessary. The majority of betting sites will offer a range of options when it comes to depositing money, including major credit/debit cards, e-wallets and bank transfers.
Having got to this stage of the depositing process, customers must now enter the amount of cash in which they wish to transfer to their betting account, taking into consideration any limits in which they or their bookmaker has put in place. After this point, punters will be free to confirm their desire to deposit money, which can be achieved by clicking on the relevant link at the bottom of the screen.
Deposits are processed free of charge in most cases, however it is worth checking this beforehand, with some available methods coming with 1-2% fees. Meanwhile, the majority of available methods also allow for instant deposits, with the minimum figure generally being set at between £5-£10.
Due to the increased emphasis when it comes to online betting, there are no virtually endless opportunities for punters in terms of the sports in which they can bet on. Traditionally popular events from the world of football and horse racing having been joined by more diverse markets surrounding tennis, golf and cricket, along with emerging disciplines including eSports, MMA and motor racing.
The total number of sports markets on offer will differ from bookmaker to bookmaker, however the leading platforms available to punters in the UK come with 30+, meaning that punters are rarely short of options. As well as this, the number is only set to grow yet further as minority sports gain in popularity, with the depth of such markets having also increased significantly.
There are now a number of devices in which punters can use to place bets today, meaning that there is never a need to miss out on a potentially lucrative punt. Bets have traditionally been placed using desktop platforms, and while this remains a widely used option, punters also have the opportunity to wager on their favourite sports teams and players using mobile devices, including telephones and tablets.
Many bookmakers have developed and released hugely efficient betting apps over recent years, which only makes the process of betting on the move even easier, while punters can take advantage of the range of services and features in which they offer, including customer services, live streaming and cashing out bets. As a result, a significant proportion of bets are now placed using mobile devices, with the convenience and ease of use meaning that this trend is only likely to strengthen.
