There are an increasing number of betting sites popping up online now which is generally positive for matched bettors and punters as it means there are more free bets, bonuses and promotions to take advantage of to increase your profits. Some of these betting sites offer customers better promotions than others which is why we decided to list the best betting sites of 2018 for matched betting offers.
what makes a good betting site?
There are a number of factors which make a good betting site aside from the offers they provide to customers. After all, what use is a free bet if the betting site isn't trustworthy? The top betting sites tend to have been online for a number of years and have built a positive reputation. However, there are a few newer betting sites which have impressed us and are expected to hold their own against the more established sites.
1. Reputation
The reputation of a betting site is arguably the most important factor when choosing the best betting site. The top betting sites have hundreds of thousands of customers and if those customers are not happy about the service, you're likely to hear of it. It's advisable to do some quick searches on any betting sites which you are considering joining prior to signing up and depositing. Their offers may be attractive but it's best to find out if any other customers have had trouble with them in the past.
2. Free Bets, offers & promotions
The promotions which a betting site runs are what initially attracts customers to them. Along with the odds offered, the promotions are where matched bettors will be able to generate a profit and so if a betting site offers free bets, price boosts and other promotions on a regular basis, they're going to be a lot more desirable to customers.
3. withdrawal time
This may be a more important fact to some than others but the time it takes for a withdrawal to be processed can be an important factor. If you have a relatively small bank, you don't want to be waiting weeks for your withdrawal to reach your bank account so that you can participate in another offer on a different betting site. Thankfully, a lot of the top betting sites process withdrawals within a few days whereas some of the less reputable sites take a lot longer to do so.Withdrawal times are usually listed on the bookmakers website but if you can't find them, the support team should be able to assist.
4. odds offered
Bookmakers make their profit by shaving small amounts from odds. Some bookmakers may do it more than others and will list lower odds for betting markets. In order for matched bettors to keep qualifying losses to a minimum, they need to find bookmakers which offer the highest odds for specific markets compared to the lay odds on the exchange for the same market.
If a bookmakers odds are poor, qualifying losses are going to be higher. Odds matchers show you where the best odds are so much of this task is painless but keep an eye out for betting sites which offer 'best odds guaranteed' as these can give your matched betting profits a nice boost.
Best betting sites of 2018
So which are the best betting sites of 2018? Below is a list of what we consider to be the top 3 betting sites for matched bettors based on the factors mentioned above.
1. William hill
William Hill
William Hill were established over 80 years ago in 1934 by, you've guessed it, Mr William Hill.
What started as a postal & telephone betting service transformed into a string of betting shops which first opened in 1961 when they became legal. By 1973, William Hill had almost 15,000 betting shops across the UK and launched online in 1998.
Over the past 80 years, William Hill have built a strong reputation as one of the leading UK betting sites. They're a well-known brand both online and on the high street and are considered a trustworthy and reputable company.
Focussed mainly on, but not exclusive to Horse Racing, William Hill run a number of profitable offers which makes them our best betting site for matched bettors.
Some of the profitable offers William Hill currently run for customers are:
William Hill Offers
2Clear
The William Hill 2Clear offer is one of the most popular offers for matched bettors. William Hill awards customers with a 15% profit boost as a free bet should the horse they back win the race by 2 lengths or more.
Although a profit is not guaranteed with this offer, it's valid on multiple races a day which means there are a number of opportunities to land a winner and receive a free bet.
When used in conjunction with a William Hill odds boost (see below), there is usually a chance to make this offer risk free by finding a close match or arb.
High5
The William Hill High 5 offer is similar to the 2Clear promotion but your backed horse must win by 5 lengths or more to receive the 15% profit boost as a free bet. High5 is available on selected jumps races and again is available multiple times a day.
This is another popular offer among matched bettors during jumps season and although a profit is not guaranteed on every race, you should be able to return a good profit over time by backing horses likely to win which have close back and lay odds.
4 Means More
If you back a team in selected football matches and your bet wins and there are 4 or more goals in the match, William Hill will credit your account with a 15% profit boost as a free bet.
Again, a profit is not guaranteed every time with the William Hill 4 Means More offer but if you are able to find close matches then it can prove to be excellent value and return a profit over time.
William Hills Odds Boost can be used in conjunction with this offer to minimise qualifying losses.
Daily Odds Boost
William Hill currently give customers a daily odds boost to use on any sports market. The odds boost will increase the standard odds William Hill offer which allows you to return more from your bet should it win.
The odds boost is a great way to increase back odds and minimise qualifying losses when matched betting and can be used in conjunction with other William Hill offers to some extent.
Bet365
Bet365 launched online in 2001 and is a favourite betting site for many matched bettors and general punters.
Since their launch, they have grown into one of the worlds biggest online gambling companies and are considered in the industry to be reputable and trustworthy.
Bet365 offer customers a generous welcome offer and run a number of popular promotions on a daily basis for a range of sporting events. Their Early Payout offer can be extremely profitable when matched betting and is the reason they have made it into our best betting sites top 3.
Bet365 Offers
Early Payout
The Bet365 Early Payout offer is perhaps one of the potentially biggest earning offers for matched bettors. If you back a team in selected football matches, Bet365 will pay your bet out as a winner if your team goes 2 goals up at any point in the match. By laying your selection pre-game, you are able to lock in a profit during the match when Bet365 pay out early.
Paddy Power do a similar offer which they name '2up'. However, Bet365 run this promotion on many more leagues which gives matched bettors a lot more choice in terms of what sides to back to go 2up. Bet365 generally provide much better odds than PaddyPower on football betting markets.
ITV 4/1
The ITV 4/1 Racing offer from Bet365 is another favourite amongst matched bettors as it can return a high profit with relatively little risk.
Bet365 will give you a free bet to the value of your stake (£50) when you back a winner on selected horse races which has a starting price of 4/1 or more. There are at least two eligible races per day and a lot more on weekends and during festivals when ITV broadcast multiple races throughout the day.
Given that a £50 free bet can generally be turned into around £40 cash, this is an excellent offer that can increase profits by a large amount on a daily basis.
There are a number of different strategies to you can use to extract a profit from this offer. Some of which you are able to lock in a profit no matter whether your horse wins or loses.
Skybet
Bet365 launched online in 2001 and is a favourite betting site for many matched bettors and general punters.
Since their launch, they have grown into one of the worlds biggest online gambling companies and are considered in the industry to be reputable and trustworthy.
Bet365 offer customers a generous welcome offer and run a number of popular promotions on a daily basis for a range of sporting events. Their Early Payout offer can be extremely profitable when matched betting and is the reason they have made it into our best betting sites top 3.
Skybet Offers
Price Boosts
Skybet offer prices boosts on a regular basis. The best price boosts are usually made available on weekends when there's Premier League football taking place. Price boosts are a common promotion with the top betting sites but Skybet offer enhanced odds above the norm. Matched bettors can usually lock in a profit from these boosts by simply laying the selection which makes them a quick and easy offer to do which can return a regular profit no matter what the result.
Bet Club
Free bet clubs, or loyalty schemes as they're also known, are great ways to lock in profits every week. With the Skybet Bet Club customers are rewarded with a £5 free bet when they place bets of £25 or more a week at odds of evens or greater.
Bet clubs don't return high profits but they're very quick and easy to do. They can provide a steady income of profits on a weekly basis which can fund other, more risky, offers with higher rewards.
Money back
Skybet run a number of 'Money Back If' offers on a regular basis. These are generally 'money back if your horse finishes 2nd' or 'money back if your horse finishes 2nd or 3rd'.
A profit isn't guaranteed from these offers but they can prove to be very profitable over time if you find a close match to minimise qualifying losses.
Extra Places
Extra Place offers payout on an additional place to standard places. For example, the standard each way places in a horse race may be 4 with 1/5 odds. With extra places, they may pay out if your horse finishes 5th.
Skybet run extra places on a regular basis which can be profitable for matched bettors if their horse finishes in that extra place
other top betting sites
There are many more top betting sites which are worth a mention. Most betting sites run offers which can be profitable when matched betting and so it's best to have accounts open at as many as possible to take advantage of those offers. You'll want to keep your accounts in good standing with the best betting sites so that you reduce the risk of being gubbed and having your accounts restricted. This may mean placing the occasional bet which isn't linked to an offer or promotion to seem more like a regular punter than a matched bettor.
Some other betting sites which are worth a mention are:
Coral are another popular UK betting site. They run a number of profitable offers and regularly offer 'bet & get' free bets.
Founded in 1926, Coral have over 90 years of experience in the gambling industry and were one of the first bookmakers to venture online in 1996.
Paddy Power are known for their 'quirky' advertisements online but they provide customers with some excellent offers. Paddy Power are always involved in promotions around big sporting events and you'll find some profitable on-goin promotions such as '2up', 'money back if' offers and their loyalty club which rewards customers with a £10 bet each week.
Most matched bettors will have used Betfair Exchange for their laying their bets. However, Betfair Sportsbook run some very profitable offers. In particular, their ITV 3/1 offer which is similar to Bet365s ITV 4/1 offer and rewards users with a free bet if they back a winning horse in selected races at odds of 3/1 or more.
Ladbrokes are a household name and one of the most well known bookmakers in the UK.
Founded over 115 years ago in 1902, Ladbrokes are one of the longest running gambling companies and offer customers a number of promotions on a daily basis.
conclusion
Choosing a best betting site is debatable and a lot of it comes down to personal preference. The betting sites we have listed in this article are all considered to be reputable and trustworthy which is the main factor to consider when signing up.
As matched bettors, we generally tend to look for the most profitable offers which has been another ranking factor in determining the best betting site. It's important to do all you can to keep accounts at these bookmakers open as they will prove to be very profitable over time.
If you're looking for a list of the best matched betting offers,mMatched betting services such as MatchedBets.com, OddsMonkey and Profit Accumulator list all of the best offers from top betting sites and provide full guides on how to profit from them.