Best Football Betting Sites and Bookmakers

Football is the most popular sport on the planet. It has more followers than baseball, basketball, and American Football combined. This should explain the presence of multiple soccer bookies out there.
The catch is billions of dollars flow through soccer sportsbooks each year. That means international betting sites would still make a killing if Football were the only sport to bet on.
Note that Football is played throughout the year, so football bookies never stop working. Moreover, new football bookmakers constantly set up shop, and best of all, they even offer virtual football betting.
This write-up looks at the top football betting sites in detail. Ideally, we’ll tell you the best football odds bookies, live streaming betting sites, and betting sites that cover significant events.
- 1Early Football history
- 2Modern Football and Professional Football
- 3Football rules
- 4How do I bet on Football?
- 5Top 5 unusual football betting types
- 6Football betting tips and strategies
- 7Football Betting Bonuses At Top Football Bookmakers
- 8Best Live Betting Football Sportsbooks
- 9Other Types of Football Betting
- 10Football Betting Sites that Offer the Best Odds
- 11Best football betting sites and bookmakers FAQ
Best Football Betting Sites in 27 September 2023 – Updated List
Early Football history
Modern soccer originated from England in the mid-19th century. However, there were alternative versions that existed earlier.
The first ball game involving kicking was in china in the 3rd and 2nd century BC and was called cuju. The game was played on a square field using a round ball made from stitched leather stuffed with fur or feathers. The game spread to Japan but was modified and called kemari and was practiced under ceremonial forms.
Ancient Greeks also played ball games. Their ball was designed from shreds of leather stuffed with hair. However, ball games had low status among Greeks. Similarly, in ancient Rome, ball games weren’t part of entertainment games in the big arena. However, they were used as part of military training – Harpastum.
The roman culture brought Football to the British island!
Football was developed in England in the 12th century – games resembling Football were played on roads and Meadows. However, the game involved both kicks and punches, making the game tougher and violent than the present time football.
Football could not be differentiated from Rugby. The games were played in many schools, especially Rugby and Eton. The rules included taking up the ball with the hands at Rugby school, hence the name “the running game.” By contrast, the ball was played exclusively with the feet at Eton, hence the name “the dribbling game.” The version played at Eton is considered the close predecessor to modern Football.
Modern Football and Professional Football
The first attempt to create rules was at Cambridge in 1848 and 1863 in London(formation of first Football association). The 1863 meeting prohibited carrying the ball with the hands and standardized the size and weight of the ball.
In 1885 professional Football was legalized, leading to the establishment of the Football League three years later. More teams joined the league-leading to the creation of more divisions.
Average sports attendance in England was mere 4,600 in 1888. However, by 1895, it rose 7,900 in 1895, and by the outbreak of World War I, it was 23,100. The love for Football eroded interest in other sports.
Leading football clubs began charging fees to spectators in the 1870s. Thus, they could afford to pay highly skilled working-class players, although this was illegal according to FA rules.
The first FA cup challenge was run in 1871 between England and Scotland. In 1883, the first international tournament involving four national teams, i.e., England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. For a long, Football was a British phenomenon but later spread across Europe. The first football game out of Europe was in Argentina in 1867, but it involved foreign British workers.
In 1904 FIFA – Fédération Internationale de Football Association was formed; England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales joined FIFA in 1911. In 1920, British countries resigned from FIFA but later rejoined in 1924, left in 1928, and rejoined in 1946. So, their first world cup participation was in 1950. With this history available, football is one of the hardest sport to bet on.
FIFA governs football worldwide, and its membership is open to all national football associations. All national football associations must accept the authority of FIFA, have the suitable infrastructure, and observe the laws of Football.
Towards the close of the nineteenth century, only a few national teams existed, but currently, there are over 211 national associations included FIFA. The world is divided into six confederations: Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF), Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), Union des Associations Européennes de Football (UEFA), The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), and Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (CONMEBOL).
Indeed, Football is a global sport.
Football rules
How do I bet on Football?
There are many football gambling sites out there, but you can only benefit from the betting sites for Football. Also, you need to understand the working of various football strategies and systems.
Places, where you can place your bets, include bookmaking shops, casino sportsbooks, and online sports betting sites. Football betting sites the UK offers allow punters to easily place bets so long as they have reliable internet and can make football predictions.
Choose a trusted sports betting site such as William Hill or bet365 and open an account. Ensure you verify your account by availing of the necessary information.
Deposit funds in your sportsbook account. The bookie of your choice must support a payment method available in your area. Nonetheless, online bookies work well with non-cash payment methods like PayPal, credit cards, and cryptocurrencies.
To place bets:
- Select the event – many football events may be running simultaneously, and the best bookmakers for Football will show all of them.
- Go to the betting markets, i.e., the specific element of the game or simply football games, to create a bet. You can place any football bets here – parlay insurance, Moneyline, teasers, prop, pleasers, etc. And if you are on live stream betting sites, bet on specific elements as the match unfolds, e.g., corner betting.
- Add your selection to a betting slip by clicking on the odds for the outcome. You should know how to read soccer odds to be able to calculate the returns.
- Enter the stake you wish to bet and click the bet slips button to place your bet
If you are a beginner, don’t choose complicated bet types and broad betting markets.
How to find the best football betting sites and bookmakers
Top 5 unusual football betting types
If you want to explore different ways of placing football bets, whether high school or college football, this section tells you the most popular football bets.
Full-Time Result
This is the most common bet and is a wager on the match result. It is also called a win-lose draw (WLD). ‘1×2’, i.e., the pool notation for a home win, draw and away win. Here you predict whether the result at the end of standard time will be one of three options. Under this, you can place a no-clean sheet bet.
Accumulator Bets
Accumulators are a single bet combining at least two different selections and a maximum of 15 selections. An accumulator is deemed successful if each selection is correct. You’ll lose the entire bet if one bet is wrong. If you want value football betting, accumulators carry a higher value when successful.
Total Goals (Under/Over)
This is betting on totals of goals scored in a football match. The bet offers two options – whether the totals will be more or less than the quoted goals. For instance, a bookie can set a total of under 2.5 goals or over 2.5 goals your bet can be under or over that value.
Correct Score (CS)
This is a football prediction about the correct score at the end of the game. It has a higher value because it is difficult to guess the correct final score correctly. Correct score betting is a popular bat of live betting since the game is broken into periods. Most live stream betting sites break the match into 15 minutes sections.
Half Time/Full Time (HT/FT)
You can combine two outcomes in one wager; thus, the name double result/chance bet. You predict the result at half time and full time on the same bet.
What is a clean sheet in soccer?
This is a term used to refer to a situation where a football match ends in a goalless state, i.e., team managers to prevent the opponent from scoring. So, if they don’t concede, they maintain a clean sheet.
Football betting tips and strategies
There are many football strategies and systems to use such as fixed odds football betting. However, use a system that works well for you. Carefully go over the various tutorials and strategies available to note those that might help you secure wins.
This section offers you experts tips and strategies you can use on any football betting page.
Try matched betting
Matched betting is a technique of making a guaranteed profit from promotions and free bets by a bookmaker. These offers are usually given to existing customers. So find a free bet, place a qualify and an opposite bet, and use the free bet. Besides, place another lay bet and make a guaranteed profit.
You can remove the risk by placing two opposite bets – one at the bookie and another at a betting exchange.
Arbitrage betting
This is focusing on exploiting the odds variation across the different bookies. Each bookmaker has a unique statistical approach to setting odds for events. Therefore, bookies price outcomes in a manner that promises profits regardless of the winner. This is a banker for profitable returns though minimal. But also, explore bookies for attractive returns.
Understand Football
Knowing every detail of Football makes it easier to place bets. Look at aspects such as the current form in attack and defense, injuries, and the latest results. These little details will help you spot great bets from mediocre ones.
Know your markets
Football has many betting markets and knowing all of them can help you win your bets. Ideally, this is understanding how the various makers like accumulator bets and Win/Draw/Win work. Check their terms and conditions; if you aren’t sure, consult the bookie’s support team.
Find value bets
Though there are many bet markets, always look for value bets, and they are the basis of generating steady profit. The vital thing to consider here is comparing different bookmaker odds to locate value bets.
Manage your risk
A good risk management strategy helps you minimize losses and build profit. Remember, your loss is an answer to “how do bookies make money?” if you lose money, the bookies gain it.
You can manage your money by:
- Flat Wagers – use small percentages, preferably single digit, of your total budget. This will minimize the risk of losing money.
- Dynamic Wagers – this is setting a betting amount that increases over time. You start with a small amount and improve it as you win wagers but at a constant rate.
- Progressive Wagers – here, if you lose, double your bet amount in the next bet. If you win, stick to the last amount. You should have enough betting capital.
Football Betting Bonuses At Top Football Bookmakers
If you want to get in on the football betting action, you need to find yourself a reputable bookmaker that will offer you valuable bonuses and give you the best odds on the widest selection of markets. Best bookmakers for football betting will also provide you advantageous bonuses.
These are the distinctive features of all the best soccer bookmakers. You will want to consider using LSbet, one of the best UK betting sites you can find. It is also one of our recommended new football bookmakers.
This soccer bookmaker will give you up to €150 in bonuses on your first deposit. They also offer some innovative promotions, such as their Football Bonus, which gives punters a chance to double up on their football accumulator winnings. But first, you must learn how to win football accumulators.
Other types of football bonuses include “bore draw.” Simply place a pre-match bet: Correct Score, a to win either half bet, a Halftime/Full-Time bet, or a Scorecast bet for any soccer match, and if the game finishes 0-0, they will refund your stake if the bet loses. If you like prop bets, then the Unlimited Places on First Goal Scorer Each-Way Bet is for you.
A lot of punters love the 100% welcome bonus at 18Bet as well as the 100% Champions League Cashback bonus. LSbet has a good selection of bonuses and promotions for football fans, including their €120 deposit bonus and €50 free soccer bet.
If you bet on Football, you should check out the plethora of sports betting bonuses and money back betting offers at Gamblingjudge.com.
While we are picking the best bookies for Football, the quality and fairness of the bonuses are the first things we check.
Our recommended football bookies have something beneficial to offer you: You will get a real advantage when you use these bonuses.
Best Live Streaming Football Sites
Live streaming is a wonderful feature offered by several of the world’s best football betting sites. Unlike watching the action on network television, many areas that stream matches constantly give viewers loads of helpful information such as live odds, news, statistics, and other betting tips.
This is especially valuable for those that like to place in-play wagers. Live streaming is almost a mandatory feature nowadays, and all of the best bookmakers for Football offer it.
22 Bet, Pin-Up, Bet and 1xBetare among the top-rated betting sites with live streaming.
Fortune Jack, William Hill, and ZigZag 777 Sports also offer this feature, as IVI Casino, Melbet, and Casinia Bet. By registering at these online betting sites, you can also benefit from unique welcome packages, like the Melbet sign-up offer of 100% up to €100.
We cannot pick a single best soccer betting site among them; you can pick any of these bookies.
You can use the bookmaker database at Gamblingjudge.com to find the best soccer sportsbooks that offer live streaming. We have the largest best soccer bookmakers database in the world.
Those that like to listen to informative commentary will want to tune into William Hill’s “In-Play Radio.” William Hill, one of the best bookies for Football, also offers a multitude of podcasts that are a gold mine of information and betting tips. Many websites provide similar podcasts that will keep you up to date in the world of crypto football betting.
Best Live Betting Football Sportsbooks
Bookmakers with Best Market Offer for Football Betting
One of the traits of the best football bookmakers is the ability to offer possible betting opportunities. Some bookies miss out on the action because they don’t take bets on certain leagues and smaller events. Suppose a professional match or tournament is being played anywhere. In that case, you can be certain that the best football betting websites (such as Cloud Bet, CampeonBet, and LuckyBet Sports) will be offering a whole lot of betting action.
Betfair, Intertops, and BetWinner can also be relied on to provide punters a wide selection of live wagers. The same can be said for 18 Bet, Campo Bet, Betzest, and PariMatch. These bookies know the importance of giving their customers the most choices, and they deliver. It’s no longer enough to offer sides and totals simply.
Exact score, halftime score, Asian handicap (including alternative Asian handicap betting, with lines like Asian handicap 0.25 and Asian handicap 0.75), and player props are just a few of the many types of bets that these bookies offer. As this article is being written, there is a football match being played between Brunswick and Richmond. William Hill is giving punters their choice of 107 bets. Mind-blowing!!
Other Types of Football Betting
Football accumulators are pretty popular with punters. These wagers have the potential for massive payouts. Players choose two or more bets, and all selections must be correct. The odds are multiplied together with the wager amount to give you the payout amount.
Many soccer betting sites even offer various forms of insurance on these bets. Let’s say you have a 5-fold soccer accumulator, and you hit 4 out of 5. Normally, this ticket would be used to soak up your tears and then discarded, but if you are opt-in for “Acca Insurance,” then you would still be a winner.
Enhanced odds are a great way of boosting your bankroll. A lot of bookies will offer a featured match for betting and attach much better odds on it. Asian handicap is much like betting the spread in American Football. For example, if you want to bet on Manchester United to beat Rostov, but you don’t want to lay -400 on the Moneyline, you can take them at -1.5 or -2 and get a much better payout.
Pool betting sites offer another way to get into the action, football pool betting being one of the favorites. They are relatively cheap to enter and have the potential for big winnings. Boyle Sports has an exciting soccer betting promo in which your losing Premiere League bet will be refunded if either team hits the crossbar. There are literally hundreds of ways to bet soccer. Many sites offer “bore draw,” where your losing bet is refunded if the game ends in a 0-0 tie. You can get various types of insurance that will protect you from losing your bet if your football team blows it in the dying minutes of the game.
Of course, many people are contented to leave the exotic bets to the real action junkies and stick to betting sides and totals.
Football Bookmakers with the Best Coverage of Major Events
Football Betting Sites that Offer the Best Odds
Punters need to take advantage of any edge they can get, and getting the best odds really increases the chances of making a profit over the long haul. Pinnacle claims to offer the best odds on any sport, which is pretty accurate when it comes to betting on Football.
Their soccer betting margin is advertised at 2.91%. Very impressive!! However, they have stiff competition from the likes of Genting Bet, Unibet, and Bwin. Punters can also find great odds at betting exchanges like Betfair. These soccer betting sites have some of the lowest betting margins in the industry, which translates directly into value for bettors. Lower juice means more profits on those winning bets.
You can find helpful sportsbook information such as odds value by referring to the bookmaker reviews at Gambling Judge.
Soccer Betting Sites with the Most Payment Options and Highest Betting Limits
Many recreational bettors don’t give much thought to betting limits, but those who like to play for big bucks do. Pinnacle’s claim that “No bookmaker accepts higher bets” is quite bold, but they seem to back it up. Bigger bettors will also find high limits at NordicBet, Expekt, or Sportsbettingonline.ag. All of these sites also offer a very good selection of payment methods.
PROS
- Massive range of bets
- Safe and secure
- Offer bonuses and rewards
- Live streaming football sites offer lots of exciting experiences
- Convenient to play
CONS
- Football betting is very addictive
- You can lose money if you don't understand football betting.
Best football betting sites and bookmakers FAQ
Football has had lots of players since time immemorial. However, the best players are Diego Maradona, Pele, Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, and Johann Cruyff.
There are many reasons Football is so popular, the major among them being that it is fun to watch. Besides, soccer doesn't have complicated rules, and someone who has never understood the game can easily play it.
The world of Football has many events, and each season there is a great team. Standout clubs include Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich. Besides, national teams France, Brazil, and Spain have shown stellar performance.
The highest scoreline recognized by the Guinness Book of Records is 149–0; AS Adema 149–0 SO l'Emyrne. This match was played on 31 October 2002 in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
The highest win at football betting is the famous £650,000 win from a stake of £100 on 6,542/1 odds.
Pick one of our Top Recommended Bookmakers and Start Betting Today!
Football can be an exciting sport to watch, but it is even more exciting when you have a few dollars riding on the outcome. Whether you like football accumulators, straight bets, props, or any other kind of soccer betting action, there are a lot of excellent Football betting sites out there for you to choose from.
Gambling Judge will help you find the best football bookmakers and the most valuable soccer betting bonuses and also other sports, like a basket, FIFA, rugby, and even tennis crypto betting guide.
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