Best Betting Sites UK – Top Bookmakers for January 2025
Best Betting Sites UK – Top Bookmakers for January 2025
Join HorseRacing.net as we make our picks for the best betting sites in the UK ahead of an exciting weekend of sports. Races are being abandoned up and down the country due to the frosty conditions, but there is still plenty of action to get stuck into this weekend with the nation’s best bookies. On this page you’ll find some reviews of our top-ranked betting sites, as well as some advice on what to bet on over the next week.
- Payout Speed
- Payment Options
- Bet Builder
- Free Bet Club
- Streaming
Sporting Events to Bet On This Weekend
With all turf races likely to be abandoned this weekend, HorseRacing.net looks at what else punters can bet on, such as AW races, FA Cup fixtures, and the Australian Open.
All Weather Horse Racing: Newcastle and Cheltenham
Never fear, when the frost sets in there’s always All Weather racing to turn your attention to. There are races across Friday and Saturday at Newcastle, and you can head over to our Newcastle tips page to find our picks for all races taking place this weekend.
Alternatively, Cheltenham City All Weather races will be going ahead on Saturday. Visit our Cheltenham racecourse page for the latest odds and tips on those races. You can live stream every meet at both of these racecourses with top bookmakers like bet365.
Third Round of the FA Cup
There are no Premier League fixtures this weekend. Instead, we get to enjoy the 3rd round of the FA Cup, with 32 games taking place across Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The FA Cup is famous for its upsets, which makes it one of the UK’s most popular events for sports betting. The round’s first fixtures will kick off on Friday night, with Aston Villa taking on West Ham in Graham Potter’s first game in charge of the Hammers.
We recommend you take a look at all the FA Cup games happening on Saturday, looking out for potential upsets. All eyes are likely to be on the Etihad, where League 2 side Salford City will be taking on Pep Guardiola’s struggling Manchester City side. Can they? BetMGM are offering 45/1 on an away win, which is the best odds you’ll get at the moment. New customers at Paddy Power are also entitled to 50/1 odds on both teams scoring in the Arsenal vs. Manchester United game: the biggest tie of the round.
Australian Open
The first tennis Grand Slam of the year starts this weekend in Melbourne. The first round of the Men’s and Women's Singles will be starting on Sunday, with some of the game's greatest players taking to the court. Much like the FA Cup, Grand Slams are notorious for producing big upsets in the first round, so we suggest reading up on recent form going into these games.
Novak Djokovic, for example, who was previously disqualified from this tournament for not complying with vaccination regulations, is only the 7th seed going into the Open and has a tough first-round matchup against a 19-year-old American who has been making waves on the Tour. BetMGM has him at 20/1 to knock out the GOAT.
Closer Look at Our Top 5 Betting Sites This Weekend
Now that we’ve got an idea of what’s available to bet on this weekend, let’s take a more detailed look at our favourite UK betting sites to help you decide where to place your bets. If you’re yet to sign up to any of these betting sites, we recommend considering the following sites and free bet offers.
1. BetMGM: Bet £10, Get £40 in Free Bets
BetMGM is still a relative newcomer on the UK betting scene, but it already feels like they have been around for years. As touched on previously, BetMGM routinely offers highly competitive odds, with some very decent prices on offer for the FA Cup and Australian Open this weekend.
What’s more, new customers can claim £40 in free bets when you sign up and place a £10 bet. This is one of the best free bet offers on offer at the moment, and your free bets will be eligible across all sports, including horse racing, football and tennis.
#AD 18+ New customers only. 7 days to place qualifying bet of £10 at 1/1 (2.0) to receive 4 x £10 Free Bets: 1 x £10 football, 1 x £10 horse racing & 2 x £10 Bet Builders. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. T&Cs apply
2. Paddy Power: Arsenal vs Man Utd – Both Teams To Score @ 50/1
Paddy Power is offering new customers an exclusive price boost this weekend, with 50/1 odds up for grabs on both teams scoring in the FA Cup tie between Arsenal and Manchester United. The last time these two sides met in the FA Cup was at the Emirates back in 2019, when United beat the Gunners 3-1. There is a maximum £1 bet attached to this offer, but if successful you will be paid £50 in withdrawable cash.
If you’re not particularly interested in betting on that match, you can still claim Paddy’s usual ‘Bet £5, Get £30 in Free Bets’ offer, which remains one of the best currently on offer.
3. Sky Bet: Bet 5p Get £40 in Free Bets
No list of the best betting sites would be complete without Sky Bet, whose offer of £40 in free bets for the price of a measly 5p remains the best in the UK. Simply put, no other betting site comes close to the value offered on this sign up offer. Sky Bet also routinely offers huge Superboosts on big sporting events, the latest being 1/1 odds on Morgan Rogers having a shot against West Ham in Friday's FA Cup tie.
This is just one of the promotions on offer this weekend, with Best Odds Guaranteed and Extra Place race offers available. For bonuses and promotions, betting sites simply do not come much better than Sky Bet.
#AD 18+. New customers only. First single & e/w bet only. Odds of 1/1 or greater. 4 x £10 bet tokens. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free bets are non-withdrawable. Free bets expire after 30 days. Eligibility restrictions and further t&cs apply. 18+. Gambleaware.org
4. Bet365: Bet £10 Get £50 in Free Bets
Bet365 has been a leading figure in the UK betting industry for the last twenty years, and their platform seems to keep going from strength to strength. Bet365’s latest improvement is in their sign up offer, which now offers new sign ups £50 in free bets as opposed to £30. These free bets can be spread across Bet365’s staggering selection of sports and markets, which remains the best in terms of size and variety.
There will be plenty of odds boosts happening across FA Cup fixtures this weekend, and top live streaming coverage of all races taking place on All Weather tracks.
#AD 18+ New Customers Only Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.
5. BoyleSports: Bet £10 Get £40 In Free Bets + 2nd To SP Fav
BoyleSports is a bookie that has often been primarily associated with horse racing, in large part down to their sponsorship of major events on the horse racing calendar. Whilst they are still experts when it comes to horse racing – as demonstrated by their money back offer on selected 2nd place finishes to the SP favourite – they cover and offer bonuses on a truly impressive range of sports.
We are particularly fond of their weekly accumulator price boosts on the football, which will be especially enticing for the FA Cup action this weekend. Sign up now to claim £30 in free bets, as well as a £10 casino bonus when you place your first £10 bet at odds of 1/1.
#AD 18+. New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. £40 in FREE Bets (FB) as £30 in sports bets & a £10 casino bonus (CB). Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. FB applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. FB 7-day expiry. 1 FB offer per customer, household & IP address only. Account & Payment restrictions. 14 days to accept £10 CB, then active for 3 days. CB 5x wagering & max redeemable £100. Game restrictions apply. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. 30 days to qualify. T&Cs Apply