The best betting apps in the UK let you get away from your computer and bet ‘on the go’ using your smartphone or tablet. In this guide, we throw the spotlight on the apps that we find to be the most impressive and explain why. If you’re looking for a betting app that is as fully featured as it’s a joy to use, you’re sure to find one on this page that fits the bill nicely.

Top 10 Betting Apps in the UK

We’ll start by providing you with a list of the top 10 best betting apps currently available to sports betting fans in the UK. If you’re in a rush to start betting on your mobile, you won’t go wrong with any of the apps below.

  1. Spreadex – A superb betting app for spread and fixed odds betting.
  2. Bet365 – The number one betting app for football in the UK.
  3. Betfred – One of the best horse racing betting apps by a furlong.
  4. BetUK – Get a weekly £5 football free bet via the bet app.
  5. 10bet – Enjoy free live bets on multiple sports with this app.
  6. Tote – The only betting app for pool betting on horse racing.
  7. BoyleSports – An excellent app for live-streaming popular sports.
  8. QuinnBet – Bet with this app for enhanced odds deals on racing.
  9. Betway – The app with the best football bet builder?
  10. Fitzdares – Weekly cashback up to £50 via the app.

Best Sports Betting Apps in Detail

Now that you’ve seen our concise list of the best gambling apps UK punters can use to place bets, let’s drill down a little deeper by taking a look at our top five betting apps in a lot more detail.

1. Spreadex – A Superb Betting App for Spread and Fixed Odds Betting

Spreadex is the best site by far for sports spread betting. We also feel that it provides the very best app for sports betting in general, and that’s because it allows you to place fixed odds bets, too! All you have to do to toggle between the two modes is tap the ‘fixed odds’ button on the app. Of course, you can toggle back again just as easily when you’ve had your fill of fixed odds betting.

Spreadex Betting App

This site has dozens of markets covering all the most popular sports, from American football to virtual sports. The app is highly responsive. In fact, it’s the fastest-updating app we have seen. Spreadex also provides a large number of streams that you can enjoy directly from the app, plus a staggering array of in-play betting options.

To download the apps, you can either visit the Spreadex site on the mobile device you want to use (the links are at the bottom of the home page) or search for them at the App Store or Google Play.

Bet Here Because:

  • Spreadex is the best site for spread betting
  • Fixed odds betting is available at the click of a button
  • Plenty of live streams can be viewed via the app

But Bear in Mind:

  • The app always defaults to spread betting

2. Bet365 – The Number One Betting App for Football

If you’ve visited our pages before, then you will know how often we wax lyrical about bet365. It shouldn’t surprise you, then, that we have placed bet365 high on our top 10 UK betting apps list. It really is tops for football. Everything about football is brilliant with the site and app, including bet365’s long-standing policy of paying out bets as wins as soon as the side that has been backed takes a two-goal lead.

bet365 Betting App

For whatever reason, bet365 does not advertise the existence of its betting apps, so you will have to go hunting around the Apple App Store and Google Play to find them. You can then install the apps in the normal way. Once installed on your device, just pop them open to get betting. You can easily fund your account via the bet365 app and watch all the live streams that are available there. You can also play ‘Goals Giveaway’ via the betting app and win up to £50 in bet credits every week.

Bet Here Because:

  • The best football betting app you can get
  • Watch sports as you bet with mobile live streaming
  • Win up to £50 in bet credits with ‘Goals Giveaway’

But Bear in Mind:

  • It might make your other betting apps redundant!

3. Betfred – One of the Best Horse Racing Betting Apps by a Furlong

Betfred is one of the most well-known names in the UK for bookies and remains synonymous with horse racing and ‘pub’ sports such as snooker and darts. We happen to think it’s one of the best betting sites for horse racing, and its app is definitely the best betting app UK for horse racing. Whenever you open the Betfred app (once you have downloaded it, of course), you’ll see that horse racing is one of the first buttons on the main menu, which speaks volumes about how seriously it takes the sport.

The Best Betting Apps in the UK in [cur_year]

This mobile betting app will give you access to all the horse racing promotions that Betfred offers on a daily basis. These include ‘Fred’s Daily Double’, which is a daily enhanced odds deal on a selected double on that day’s race card. There’s also ‘Pick Your Punt’ where you can choose from up to a dozen combined bets. The offers stretch in range, in terms of betting, from odds close to Evens to much longer odds if you fancy your chances. The Betfred app is not entirely about horse racing though, and all popular sports are naturally covered.

Bet Here Because:

  • This is the best app for horse racing betting
  • Plenty of coverage for other sports you want to bet on
  • Daily specials such as ‘Pick Your Punt’

But Bear in Mind:

  • The app could be a little more user-friendly

4. BetUK – Get a Weekly £5 Football Free Bet Via the Bet App

So far, we’ve looked at the best all-round app for betting and the best app for football betting and horse racing betting. Now it’s time to take a look at another all-rounder, the excellent BetUK betting app. The app is available for Apple devices and for Android ones too. You can find the links for the apps at the bottom of the BetUK home page, although you are free to visit the app stores for Apple and Google and download them from there, too. The apps are kept up-to-date as BetUK continually seeks to improve them.

BetUK Betting App

You may notice a few negative reviews on Google Play and the App Store about the slowness of this betting app. We would like to point out that such reviews are well over a year old, and the BetUK app has improved significantly since then. The current app combines both sports betting and casino play, but if you’ve no interest in the BetUK casino, that’s fine, as it does not get in the way of sports betting one bit. The app streams all UK and Irish horse races daily and includes BetUK’s super BetBuilder which allows you to build bets exactly how you wish.

Bet Here Because:

  • Another top-performing all-round app
  • Get access to BetUK’s fabulous online casino
  • The app has one of the best bet builders going

But Bear in Mind:

  • Some people might prefer separate betting and casino apps

5. 10bet – Enjoy Free Live Bets on Multiple Sports

The final spot on our top five UK betting apps list is taken by 10bet. This is another site where the availability of a mobile betting app is not publicised for some reason, so it’s another treasure hunt that needs to be undertaken at the Apple App Store or Google Play. It’s worth the (brief) hunt, though, as this is another top-notch app that deserves a place on your mobile device. Like all betting apps, it has a few negative reviews, but most are either very old (some are from as far back as 2018!) or from disgruntled slots players moaning they didn’t win a million after a single 1op spin on Starburst.

Best Betting Apps

The 10bet betting app does emphasise football but it gives second top billing to many other sports, including tennis, cricket, football and volleyball. For once, horse racing takes a bit of a back seat. That said, there is still full coverage of horse racing via the 10bet app.

The site and app also provide live streaming of horse racing, but other than eSports, that’s the only live streaming 10bet provides. The 10bet app is especially hot for live betting as it offers free live bets on multiple sports as long as you’ve reached a betting threshold on that sport during the previous week.

Bet Here Because:

  • You can get multiple free live bets, week-in, week-out
  • Access dozens of sports betting markets via the app
  • Live streaming of horse racing and eSports

But Bear in Mind:

  • The app isn’t advertised on the website for some reason

Best Betting Apps in the UK Compared

Let’s now take a quick look at the most pertinent aspects concerning betting apps in the UK to see how each app fares compared to the others on our best betting apps UK list.

App iOS App Android App
Size (MB) iOS Version User Rating Size (MB) Android Version User Rating
Spreadex 15.4 11.0+ 4.7 4.7 5.1+ 4.2
Bet365 71.4 12.0+ 4.7 51.0 7.0+ 4.5
Betfred 26 15.0+ 4.6 9.96 7.0+ 4.3
BetUK 64.3 13.0+ 4.6 18.82 5.0+ 4.3
10bet 104.9 14.0+ 3.3 26.76 6.0+ 2.7
Tote 184.9 16.0+ 4.6 12.35 7.0+ 4.6
BoyleSports 37.2 13.0+ 3.3 10.39 8.1+ 3.9
QuinnBet 106.6 13.0+ 2.2 1.41 5.1+ 2.3
Betway 23.5 15.0+ 4.8 4.97 5.1+ 4.6
Fitzdares 134.5 13.0+ 3.6 1.32 5.1+ 2.6

Best Betting App UK Offers

If you’re wondering what kind of offers you can claim via betting apps in the UK, the short answer is any kind of betting promotion that’s on offer! Betting offers via betting apps should be available no matter how you acquire them, from a desktop site or a betting app. Here are a few offers that you are likely to be able to acquire when using any of the top 10 betting apps UK punters can download to their mobile devices.

Mobile-Exclusive Betting Offers

Sadly, the time of the mobile-exclusive betting offer seems to have been and gone. These were once mobile-only offers that incentivised bettors to download and install apps to their devices as opposed to (or in addition to) their desktop PCs or laptops. Site operators used to feel that bettors would be more likely to place bets or play slots on a computer than on a phone. These days, most of us use phones much more often than we use computers. That being the case, betting sites feel less need to reward us for downloading their apps.

If you find a mobile-exclusive betting offer these days, it is more likely to be a slight ‘trick’ hidden within T&Cs so that people mess up and try to claim bonuses when signing up on a desktop, rendering them ineligible to receive a bonus.

Welcome Offers

If you are brand new to a betting site and you download their app before registering, you will be eligible for a welcome bonus. Note that if you are already registered at a site and then you download their app, you probably won’t be eligible for a bonus.

Most welcome offers are in the form of ‘Bet X Get X’. Here, if you place a bet using your own money, you will get the same amount in bonus money once that bet has settled. With some deals, you only get the bonus money if your qualifying bet loses. With others, if you make a deposit, you will get a matching sum of bonus money, subject to certain minimum and maximum limits. Once you have wagered your deposit, your bonus money is released.

Bonus money can only be used for betting purposes and can never be withdrawn. If you use it as the stake for a bet, for example, and that bet wins, you will only get your winnings, not your stake, returned as a normal bet.

Odds Boosts and Acca Boosts

The odds of any outcome in any betting market dictate how much you get back from your bet if it wins. With some bookmakers, you can also get boosted odds, which are more generous than they normally would be. Most odds boosts can only be used on a specific outcome in a specific event. Some sites offer odds boosts that you can choose how to use. With most deals, money that is won over and above what you would have won with the normal betting odds is paid as bonus cash, which can never be cashed out.

Acca boosts are designed to boost your winnings should you be fortunate enough to secure a winning accumulator bet. Normally, they start with a small boost for four selections. The more selections you have in your winning bet, the bigger the boost will be, up to a maximum limit. Most acca boosts are paid as cash, but you might find an acca boost deal where the boosted money is paid as bonus money.

Acca Insurance

Accas are tough bets to win, but they can be well worth the effort. That’s because, if you do secure a winning acca, you will probably win a tidy sum in comparison to a small stake. There is nothing worse, though, than having an acca that loses by a single selection… oh, so close!

Acca insurance, as available via numerous betting apps, can ease the pain of coming so close to a winning acca, but it’s only really sticking a band-aid on a broken leg. You will get your acca stake back as a free bet.

Bet Builder Offers

A bet builder is a popular betting tool that allows you to build a bet based – usually – on the same football match. Say you are betting on the Arsenal-Tottenham derby (in which Arsenal has statistically had more success). You could combine Bukayo Saka to provide at least one assist, Ben White to get booked, and Tottenham to win at least three corners. If these all happen in the match, then you get a nice combination winning bet.

Some betting apps offer better odds on pre-defined bet builders. Those are bet builders that the bookies have designed themselves. If you take up the offer, you’ll get the better odds. Boosted bet builder winnings are usually paid as cash, but with a few deals, money won over the normal odds will be paid as bonus money.

Best UK Betting Apps by Feature

What you want from a betting app will probably be different from what the next person wants from a betting app. Below, we have taken five reasons why you might be interested in downloading and using a betting app and selected the best apps out there that you will probably find the most useful for your specific needs.

Best Betting Apps for Markets

The Best Betting Apps in the UK in [cur_year]The most popular markets at betting sites in the UK are football and horse racing, and by some distance too. However, that doesn’t mean they are the only markets that betting apps should have available. It’s vitally important that betting apps provide access to as many markets as possible so that the needs of as many betting punters are covered, too. In terms of the best betting apps for markets, we recommend bet365, BetMGM and 10bet.

Best Betting Apps for Speed

The Best Betting Apps in the UK in [cur_year]Speed is a double-edged sword when it comes to even the top betting apps, as no matter how fast a betting app functions, the speed of the responses largely depends upon the speed of your internet connection. This is crucial when you are betting ‘on the go’ as you may not be able to connect to a wifi network and instead have to rely on 4G or even less. We recommend that you only bet when you’re connected to a secure network, and for speed, we recommend the betting apps provided by Spreadex, bet365 and Betway.

Best Betting Apps for Betting In-Play

The Best Betting Apps in the UK in [cur_year]Mobile betting is ideal for in-play betting. In-play betting is most associated with events you can watch, so you will not want to stop watching to head to your PC or hunt for your laptop when you want to place a bet, especially when your phone is probably right by your side. In-play betting is now available at all UK betting sites, but the in-play betting options at some sites are better than others, such as the market coverage, updating speed and the ability to cash out bets you’ve already placed. For an in-play betting app, we advise you to hunt out the apps provided by BetUK, BoyleSports and QuinnBet.

Best Betting Apps for Live Streaming

The Best Betting Apps in the UK in [cur_year]Live streaming almost runs in tandem with betting in-play. You may be watching an event on your TV you want to bet on, but not all events are available to view or stream on ‘traditional’ video platforms. Many events are streamed solely via betting sites, although you won’t be able to view top-class events such as the EPL, UCL, or EFL in football, or major tennis or golf tournaments. Horse racing, though, is tops for betting apps streaming as many betting sites stream all UK and Irish races, and some sites stream foreign races, too. With this in mind, we think QuinnBet, bet365 and Betfred are the best apps for live streaming.

Best Betting Apps for User-Friendliness

The Best Betting Apps in the UK in [cur_year]The design of any app is crucial, as we have already mentioned. Betting sites have to cram in tens of thousands of potential bets every day, and arranging that in a way that’s presentable on a small phone screen is a tough ask. Many of the best bet apps manage it, though, because it’s so important for them to have presentable apps that are easy to use. Badly designed apps can leave you frustrated, hunting around for the bets you want to place with betting offers and graphics for the attached online casino getting in the way. If you want to use an app that excels when it comes to user-friendliness, we suggest you download the apps provided by BetUK, Fitzdares and 10bet.

What Makes a Best Betting App?

Our content providers are all experts in the UK betting sector and have downloaded and installed more betting apps than they’ve had winning accas. Below is a summary of what we look for when judging the best sports betting apps for UK punters.

FunctionalitySafety and SecurityUser-FriendlinessSpeedBonusesCustomer ServiceAesthetics

Functionality

Apps are sports betting websites that have to operate on a much smaller screen than is available on a desktop PC or laptop, so functionality is key. In addition, betting sites have to carry a huge amount of information (thousands of markets and tens of thousands of potential betting outcomes), so how that information is presented is also crucial. A poorly designed betting app has you stabbing in the dark, spinning around in circles, trying to find the bet you want before you eventually give up and throw your phone across the room. In our opinion, it should take no more than four stabs of a finger to place any bet via a betting app, no matter what it is.

The same goes for other functions – making deposits, requesting withdrawals and seeking customer support. It should all be easy to do.

Safety and Security

If you are betting via a desktop PC or laptop, you are probably connected to your home network. If you are betting via an app, you could be anywhere and connected to any kind of network – a coffee shop, a random access point or the cellular network (3G/4G). That is why safety and security are crucial when it comes to betting apps. You don’t want to experience the disaster of having your data intercepted, especially financial data such as debit card information or bank account details. When we check out an app, we always check to see the security protocols, such as data encryption, that have been put in place.

User-Friendliness

This mirrors much of what we talked about in ‘functionality’, but in some aspects, it is different. If you download a betting app, you might get casino, bingo and poker options attached. That’s fine, but what if you only want to place bets? Are your efforts to do so constantly thwarted by offers of ‘ten free spins on Big Bass Splash’? Apps that do this become annoying as they prevent you from doing what you want to do!

Interactive apps are great, though. These apps learn from what you want from them and push you in the right direction every time. Many apps can monitor your betting habits and respond accordingly, making them much more useful to you personally.

Speed

The responsiveness of an app really depends on the resilience of your internet connection. If you are connected via Wi-Fi or 4G/5G, then the responsiveness of the app should be instantaneous. If you can only manage a 3G connection or even cellular, then you can perhaps forgive even the best betting apps for slowing down.

Information passed to and from the app is directed straight to the servers of the company that provided the app. The amount of traffic that these servers can cope with is called ‘bandwidth’ and is something companies can control. Servers with low bandwidth mean that your app could function slowly. Especially at times with high traffic levels (such as Saturdays during the football season). For that reason, you should use apps from betting companies with high bandwidth if you need to get your bets on quickly.

Bonuses

As app-specific bonuses rarely exist any more, this section is more about general bonuses offered by betting sites. When you download and install a betting app, it is always worthwhile checking to see if the bonuses offered by a betting site’s desktop version are available via the site’s app, too. Some sites will throttle bonuses offered via betting apps so that they don’t have to offer them to every single client.

You need to check the quality, frequency, and variety of the bonuses, too. We’ve already discussed the scope of bonuses typically available via betting apps, but they should include the welcome bonus, reload bonuses, enhanced odds deals, acca boosts, and insurance.

Customer Service

Since 2023, both betting sites and betting apps have seen the rise of customer service bots. This is a grave disservice, as they are seldom useful (one site – we won’t mention which – has a customer service bot that doesn’t understand a single thing you ask it). Even the best bots push you towards site FAQs before eventually giving up and handing you over to a real, living person.

This is why useful customer service via betting apps is so important. You may never find a need to use customer services, but when you do, the responses should be quick and helpful. When we check a betting app, we always contact customer services just to see how satisfactory (or frustrating) the experience is. We also give brownie points to any app that provides a phone number you can call to actually talk to someone!

Aesthetics

Betting apps should be functional, secure, user-friendly, and responsive, but they also need to look nice. If you are a frequent punter, you are more likely to want to use a handsome app rather than one you’re embarrassed to be seen using in public. Nice-looking apps enhance the user experience, such as using icons rather than text to indicate markets and sliders to select your bet size as opposed to having to stab at the numbers on your keypad.

It is important, though, that aesthetics don’t interfere with functionality. If you have to scroll through a list of huge icons to get to the markets where you want to place bets, then obviously, that is going to be more than a little off-putting.

Why Use Betting Apps?

There’s no reason to use a betting app, as all betting sites are available on desktop PCs and laptops. So why use one? Well, there are actually several good reasons why you might want to use a betting app over a desktop site. Here are some of the main ones:

Accessibility

The sale of home computers holds steady (ish), but mainly because a lot of Gen Xers use a PC for gaming and there’s the rise of remote working. But – you’re on your PC because of work, and who wants to boot up their computer to place a few bets, especially in the evenings or at the weekends? You’re probably never more than a few feet away from your mobile, so why not download the apps for your favourite betting sites and have them to hand so you place bets with a few stabs of your finger?

Convenience

Another issue with using your home computer or laptop for betting is that you would usually have to be at home to use it. Okay, you can use a laptop anywhere. But do you normally carry your laptop around with you all day, every day? We’re betting you take your phone with you when you go out, instead. That means you’ll always have a betting app or apps on hand so you can place your bets wherever you may be. All you need is a decent and trustworthy connection to the internet.

Security

Security is always an issue when it comes to connecting to the internet. Fortunately, problems with security when using a phone or tablet are exceedingly rare. Mobile devices are built to be secure. And internet connections are doubly secure because you will be able to connect to roaming networks. You don’t have to worry about internet traffic when using an app either due to the high levels of data encryption.

One recommendation here is to secure access to your phone. And don’t allow apps to auto-fill usernames and passwords unless they are also secured. This will prevent people from accessing your betting apps and accounts should your phone be lost or stolen.

How to Start Using the Best Betting Apps

Using betting apps is very similar to using any other app on your phone or tablet, but if you think there are grey areas, here is a complete walkthrough of how to get online betting apps on your phone.

  1. Select an app from the entries on our best sports betting app UK list
  2. Head to the Apple AppStore (iOS) or the Google Play Store (Android). Then, enter the name of the betting company into the search field. The app will then be available to download.
  3. Download and install the app in the normal way. Note, for Android users, you may also be able to download and install an apk file from the betting site providing an app. You may find apk files for betting apps in other places, but we do not recommend installing them.
  4. Once downloaded, tap to open the app. If you are registered with the betting site, then log in; otherwise, complete the registration process and log in.
  5. If your account balance is currently zero, head to the cashier and fund your account. Should this be your first deposit, make sure it is in line with the welcome bonus requirements if you want to claim it.
  6. Hunt around the app for the bet you want to place. Again, if you are placing a bet to claim a welcome bonus, make sure this qualifying bet meets the requirements.
  7. Tap the odds of the outcome you want to bet on. This will transfer that outcome to your betting slip. Transfer other outcomes to your slip if you want to make a multiple or system bet or build an acca.
  8. Set your stake.
  9. If everything looks hunky-dory, then hit the ‘Place Bet’ button to place your bet.

Conclusion

By now, you should have a good idea of why betting apps are so popular. The usefulness of the best betting apps can’t be overstated. Nor can the convenience they bring to the whole sports betting experience. If you haven’t yet discovered mobile betting, why not download a couple of apps from our best mobile betting apps UK selection and put them through their paces? We think you’ll be glad you did!

FAQs

Which is the best betting app to use?

On this page, we have provided a list of the top 10 UK betting apps. Our top five are the creme de la creme. Use one of those, and you won’t go wrong.

What is the most reliable betting app?

Which betting app is legal in the UK?

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Peter Addison
Content Provider

Peter has been writing for the gambling industry since 2013, and joined the SportsCasting team in July 2024. Outside of work Peter is a runner, gig rower, guitarist and musician (releasing two albums under the name 'ShiroToKuro'). Peter is also a lover of manga, anime and Japanese cinema and can even read and speak Japanese at the conversational level.

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Author photo
Peter Addison Content Provider

Peter has been writing for the gambling industry since 2013, and joined the SportsCasting team in July 2024. Outside of work Peter is a runner, gig rower, guitarist and musician (releasing two albums under the name 'ShiroToKuro'). Peter is also a lover of manga, anime and Japanese cinema and can even read and speak Japanese at the conversational level.

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