Updated: 25.08.2025
Recent years have seen exciting developments in the world of sports betting, and one of the most prominent is live betting. In the pre-internet era, punters could only bet in advance and not on the actual event as it was happening. But with the advancement of online technology, it has become possible to not only place a bet on some of the more common aspects of an event before it begins, but to do so while watching the event itself and watching the action unfold.
This fast catching modern form of betting has captured the attention of UK bettors. It is also one of the fastest growing forms of betting in the country. We have delved deep into the in-play betting sphere to help you, the reader, extract the essence of what live in-play sports betting with real money is all about. We have sifted through the best live betting operators to see which offer the most exciting prop bets and side bets to make the in-play betting experience even more exciting.
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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 | |||||
The rapid expansion has exploded from one sector of the betting landscape to a significant portion of the UK betting arena, with all respectable bookmakers vying for a slice of the live betting user base. A meticulous study of the UK industry has been undertaken and a compilation of the leading in-play betting sites has been produced. Exciting patterns are rapidly emerging. Users now have access to more options.
The betting exchange model developed by Betfair has largely brought live betting to the UK and to countries far and wide. At Betfair, markets not only open before an event, but go live as soon as the event begins. When it comes to in-play markets for football and horse racing, Betfair is the company you want to use. They are the giants in the space when it comes to the two biggest in-play sports.
Pros
Cons
When betting live on the Betfair exchange, if you are placing live in-play bets on the site, you may find it difficult to actually get those live in-play bets placed for you, especially in some of the more obscure markets that have less action and attract fewer bettors.
A name synonymous with British betting, William Hill has put all of its decades of betting experience into building a live betting platform that is among the best you will find. Not only that, but they also offer one of the best live streaming services of any bookmaker in the industry.
Pros
Cons
Ladbrokes began as a brand primarily associated with horse racing, but has since become one of the UK's most popular sports betting platforms. Their live betting service is extremely thorough and they offer an astonishing number and variety of in-play betting markets, especially for football events. Their live cricket and tennis coverage is also excellent and they offer punters a cornucopia of specialist in-play tennis markets such as Next Game Winner and Number of Aces.
Pros
Cons
Ladbrokes has become one of the leading sports betting platforms in the UK, although they were once best known for horse racing. Their betting options in cricket, tennis and especially football are extensive, ranging from pre-match to live markets. In-play betting has taken off worldwide and seems to be gaining even more momentum in the UK, so it is definitely a good time for Ladbrokes to offer this increasingly popular form of betting.
Pros
Cons
One of the best known and longest running promotions has established Bet 365 as one of the top in-play betting operators in the UK. This reputation is well deserved, as the site offers a wealth of features for the in-play betting fan. However, where Bet365 really shines is in providing an excellent overall experience - combining an excellent live streaming service with an unrivalled selection of betting markets - for the in-play football fan.
Pros
Cons
The largest bookmaker in Ireland has made a name for itself by offering a friendly and entertaining betting platform, often offering betting markets that other bookmakers won't touch. While they've taken their live betting quite seriously and offer an intuitive in-play product, they remain a bookmaker that is now easy to like (even for newcomers to the world of online betting). Famous for being associated with horse racing (for good reason), they are also very popular with football betting fans.
Pros
Cons
Betting during a live event used to be limited to whether the main match or race would be won and by whom. But now, if you want to bet while a game is in progress, the array of options from which to choose is almost overwhelming. In addition to the basic win/loss options, you can choose from a dizzying array of "handicap bets", where the bookmaker specifies how many points/targets you must win by or how few you must lose by for your bet to pay off. There are also "Player Performance" markets, where you can bet on how a particular player will perform during the event, and various "Over/Under" systems, where you can bet on whether the total for a particular category will be above or below a specified number.
Betting on football is big business. The betting industry has seen its greatest expansion in in-play markets thanks to soccer. And high-profile football matches offer around 100 different live betting opportunities, most of which are legal. The most common bets focus on the outcome of the game (1x2 and scorelines), but there are so many different things you can bet on regarding a game and its players, before, during, or even after the game, that we won't even try to list them all. So here are 10 different ways to bet on a football match.
The sport that first offered live betting to British punters is horse racing, and it remains a popular destination for in-play betting enthusiasts. The main in-play market in horse racing is the race winner, but the best live betting bookmakers will offer a range of other options, including place markets and markets that cover winning distances, combinations of finishing order and whether there will be a photo finish. Live betting fans using betting exchanges can also bet against a horse that is running by using the lay option.
In many ways, golf is the ideal game for anyone new to live betting. There is always plenty of betting action on the PGA and European Tours, but a golf tournament unfolds over four days, giving live bettors endless opportunities to hone their tactics. Tournament Winner is the most popular in-play golf bet. However, you can also bet on Number of Birdies, Group markets (where a selection of players are grouped together) and Final Score markets.
One of the most exciting ways to enjoy sports betting is during a live event, and for those with the right skills and due diligence, it can be a rewarding experience. But live betting can also be an extremely risky proposition. What follows is a compilation of advice - from our live betting experts as well as our other industry contacts - aimed at reducing your risk and increasing your upside. The advice is presented in the form of a typical betting tutorial.
We have researched the top UK betting sites and created a hierarchy of the best places to bet in real time in 2025. This is based on our assessment of several key factors: how fast the odds change, how good the live streaming is, how many different types of in-play bets you can make, and how well you can use the site on a mobile device.
| Bookmaker | Key Features | Live Streaming | Mobile App |
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| Betfair | Betting exchange model, best odds on football & horse racing | Video + audio | User rating: 9/10 |
| William Hill | Huge range of events, strong in-game stats | Yes (football, tennis) | User rating: 8.5/10 |
| Bet365 | Largest selection of live betting markets | Yes (high quality) | User rating: 9.5/10 |
Live betting is now one of the fastest growing facets of online betting, with dozens of markets available for almost every game. The most popular categories include
Modern bookmakers offer imaginative in-play markets such as - Next Goal Scorer - Which Player Will Be Booked Next - Will It Be A Photo Finish?
Our experts recommend these strategies to improve your live betting odds:
By following these principles, players can reduce their risk and maximize their long-term success with in-play betting.
The UK betting scene has been transformed by live betting. Millions of fans now take part in live betting markets. Whether you're betting on football or horse racing, tennis or golf, live betting brings a new thrill to the betting experience because prices are so volatile. The best bookmakers in the UK offer live betting. They offer an in-play service that is compelling for punters to engage with. If they don't, it's not really live betting, is it? So the top UK books and their competing services need to be named and engaged with in any review. Better get involved now, because even more volatility is expected in the betting scene after 2020.
