UK
The whole gambling industry has grown massively ever since sports betting became legal in the UK in 1960, and today, the country has a wide selection of the world's best online betting apps and sites for bettors to choose from.
🇬🇧 Legal sports betting apps in UK:
Online sports betting in the UK - One of the top markets globally
The entire gambling industry in the United Kingdom stems from centuries ago and has changed considerably. However, in-person and online sports betting, as well as iGaming and casino gambling, are perfectly legal in the country and have been for quite a long time now.
For example, in the Victorian era, punters placed bets on a "gentleman's agreement." These were straight-up wagers without odds, and one could prevent the other party from running off with the stakes. In the 1800s, things got much easier with the introduction of bookmakers, all of which were primarily illegal. For the legal ones, UK punters could only place wagers on the tightly regulated courses and tracks.
Decades later, in 1960, lawmakers passed the Betting and Gaming Act, which legalized sports gambling, allowing off-course betting all over the country. Subsequently, lawmakers amended the act when they passed the Gambling Act of 2005. This same act controls all gambling activities, including online betting, in the United Kingdom.
With the introduction of the internet, the UK betting space saw a drastic change as people no longer needed to visit land-based bookies to place wagers on their favorite sports. This turnaround happened after lawmakers passed The Gambling Act 2005 (2005 c 19) to provide a new set of sports betting laws. The same act created the UK Gambling Commission to regulate all forms of gambling, which means that all sportsbooks and retail casinos in the country must obtain their licenses from the commission.
Currently, punters can place bets online through either betting sites or apps licensed to operate within the country. The sports gambling laws only prohibit bettors from using unlicensed offshore bookies. With that said, the United Kingdom is home to several trusted betting websites and apps worldwide, and the UKGC takes all necessary precautions to ensure that all online sports betting fanatics in the country are safe.
Sports betting legislation in UK
| Is online sports betting legal in UK? | Yes |
| Is in-person sports betting legal? | Yes |
| Is daily fantasy sports legal? | Yes |
| Is horse racing betting legal? | Yes |
| Is political betting legal? | Yes |
| Is eSports betting legal? | Yes |
| How many legal sports betting apps are there in UK? | 170+ |
| Legal age for sports betting in UK? | 18+ |
| UK's tax rate for betting/gambling winnings | 0% |
| Who regulates sports betting in UK? | The Gambling Commission |
Placing bets is a pastime to many Britons, just like it is for the rest of the world, and today, bettors, given that you are above the age of 18, in the United Kingdom can place wagers on basically any sport or sporting event imaginable. However, aside from that, punters are bound by no other restrictions regarding sports gambling, which means that UK punters can wager on all kinds of sports, events, and competitions offered by licensed bookmakers in the country.
In fact, the UK sports gambling industry even came up with the first sports betting exchange in the world, Betfair. Horse race betting is also widely popular in the United Kingdom, and events such as Royal Ascot and Cheltenham Festival are among the most prestigious horse racing competitions in the whole world.
In addition to all that, Daily Fantasy Sports is legal in the country, but it's worth noting that the UK's DFS market is far smaller than North America's.
Recent updates from the UK’s sports betting scene
August 4, 2024: Paddy Power officially states it will pay out all outright bets on Celtic winning the Scottish Premiership early, right after the first game of the whole season. Celtic beat 4-0 Kilmarnock in the season opener, and as the arch-rival Rangers started the season with a 0-0 draw against Hearts, Paddy Power became convinced that Celtic would walk away with the title again.
July 31, 2024: EFL Championship side Hull City, owned by a Turkish businessman, Acun Ilıcalı, agrees to a partnership with Sportsbet.io, which becomes the club's official sports betting partner for Turkey.
July 25, 2024: Premier League side AFC Bournemouth strikes a sponsorship deal with an Asia-facing betting brand, bj88, which TGP Europe operates. This UK license-holding operator is also behind the more famous Stake.com brand.
June 25, 2024: The super-featherweight rematch between Aqib Fiaz and Kane Baker gets canceled only hours before the bout was supposed to start due to spotted irregular betting activities around it. The promoter, Eddie Hearn, and his promotional company, Matchroom Boxing, said the matter is being investigated in cooperation with the UK Gambling Commission and the British Boxing Board of Control.
June 20, 2024: One of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's bodyguards is arrested for alleged bets on the possible date of the General Elections in the country. The UK allows betting on politics and elections, but placing such wagers using insider information is considered a criminal offense.
All legal gambling options in UK
| Are online casinos legal in UK? | Yes |
| Are retail casinos legal? | Yes |
| Are social casinos legal? | Yes |
| Is online poker legal? | Yes |
| Is the lottery legal? | Yes |
With the wide variety of betting and gambling apps available, UK bettors have endless wagering options at their fingertips. In addition, retail gambling establishments allow Britons to wager on poker, casino games, horse races, bingo, and lottery. Of course, slots and live casino games are also available on online casinos that have just obtained UKGC licenses.
The UK gambling market is the biggest in Europe and is estimated to face an annual growth of 5.25% from 2022-2026. So, it is clear that the country is truly a hotspot of the global online gambling scene.
Other gambling-related news & stories from the UK
August 7, 2024: Surrey's Bridge the Gap program received a £300,000 grant from GambleAware to support women affected by gambling harm. This funding will help up to 46 women annually, providing treatment and support in collaboration with Surrey County Council’s Public Health Service and Gamcare.
August 1, 2024: UK's online gross gambling yield (GGY) increased by 12% year-on-year to £1.46bn ($1.87bn) in the second quarter (April to June) of 2024. Real event betting accumulated £625m ($793m) worth of wagers, which is 16% higher than a year before. Online slots totaled £642m ($815m) worth of bets, up 10% from last year's period.
July 26, 2024: Two Premier League clubs, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, receive warnings over active sponsorship deals with a gambling operator without a proper UK license. Both teams have shirt sponsor deals in place with Kaiyun Sports, an Asian digital sports platform.
July 24, 2024: UK's top-level soccer leagues, authorities, and associations agree on a new Code of Conduct regarding gambling-related sponsorship deals. The new code aims to encourage socially responsible partnership agreements with gambling operators.
July 19, 2024: After a joint investigation with the West Midlands Police, the FBI arrests a 17-year-old teenager from Wallsal, UK, for his alleged involvement in a hacking group behind the ransomware attack against MGM Resort, as well as other similar cyberattacks targeting several major companies.
June 13, 2024: Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wolves join many other Premier League clubs to sign shirt sponsorship deals with online gambling operators before the EPL shirt gambling sponsor ban takes effect on the 2025-26 season. Palace inks an agreement with Net88 and Wolves with DEBET.
June 3, 2024: The UK's gambling addiction prevention charity GambleAware discloses it received £49.5 million ($63 million) in voluntary donations from the gambling industry alone for the 2023-24 financial year.
UK - Some commonly asked questions (FAQ)
Are there any legal restrictions in the UK's sports betting landscape?
If you are just above 18, you can legally bet on sports and play casino games, both online and in-person, in the UK on any operator licensed by the UKGC. Even betting on politics and eSports is legal, as are daily fantasy sports.
What impact has legalized sports betting had on the UK's economy?
During the 2023 calendar year alone, the UK government collected a whopping £3.4bn ($4.3bn) in betting and gaming taxes, so it's fair to say that the UK gambling industry contributes vigorously to the country's overall economy.
How much money do people from the UK spend on sports betting?
According to the studies, bettors from the UK spend around £141 ($178.38) annually, or in turn, £2.70 per week ($3.42) on all types of gambling. Sports betting has, however, only a 4% market share among the Brits, with lottery (16%) dominating the scene.
What is the largest fine the UK Gambling Commission has ever issued?
In March 2023, the UKGC handed the largest-ever £19.2M ($23.7M) fine to the William Hill betting group for failings regarding customer protection and anti-money laundering control. This is still the record penalty in the UK gambling market's history.
