Are you heading to Cheltenham for the races, catching a Premier League match during a city break in Manchester, or just watching the cricket from a seaside pub in Cornwall? A little flutter adds a dash of spice to the entertainment.
But the days of queuing at a high-street bookie are long gone. In 2026, the best odds are in your pocket. We’ve scoured the App Store and Google Play to find the slickest, friendliest, and most generous betting apps for UK travellers.
Here is our list of the best UK betting apps to download, the unique features that make them popular, the bonuses and exactly how to claim their welcome offers.
Editor’s Note: How We Ranked These Apps
To create this guide for 2026, LocalsInsider.com surveyed 2,100 of our UK-based visitors to understand real betting habits. The results were clear: 68% of respondents over the age of 18 place an online sports bet at least once a week, with the overwhelming majority preferring smartphones over desktop computers. The list below reflects the top mobile apps these actual users trust for football, horse racing, tennis, and even political betting, ranked by their popularity and feedback.
UK Sports Betting Apps (+ Mobile Offers) in 2026
bet365
Best For: Live streaming the match on hotel Wi-Fi. Rating: 4.7 ★
The gold standard for travelers, bet365 has everythin you need: stability and a massive ‘Bet Builder+’ feature that lets you combine more than 10 sporting markets from different games into one wager. The Deal: Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets (Code: 365GMBLR).
Sign up and deposit £10, then bet it on Liverpool to win (min odds 1.20). Win or lose, once the whistle blows, you get £30 in “Bet Credits” to play with on the next match.
You keep the winnings from these credits, but not the stake itself, and you must claim within 30 days.
Betfred
Best For: Football accumulators and daily fun. Rating: 4.4 ★
Feeling like a proper local bookie in your pocket, Betfred is king for football bonuses and ‘Pick Your Punt,’ where you can tweet them requests for bizarre custom bets.
The New User Offer: Bet £10 & Get £50 in Bonuses.
Deposit £10 using a Debit Card (no PayPal!) and bet on a horse at Evens (2.0) or higher. Within 10 hours of the race finishing, you’ll get £30 for sports bets and £20 specifically for Accumulators.
These bonuses expire quickly—you have just 7 days to use them before they vanish.
SBK
Best For: Getting better odds than the high street. Rating: 4.6 ★
An app-only betting experience that strips away the casino clutter to focus on giving you ‘Price+’ odds that often beat the big names. It works like a social network, letting you follow top tipsters or friends to copy their winning bets instantly.
The Deal: Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets.
Bet £10 on the tennis (min odds 2.0), and you’ll receive £40 in tokens drip-fed over 48 hours—perfect for keeping a weekend of betting going. New customers only, and e-wallets like PayPal are excluded, so stick to a bank transfer or card for that first deposit.
Smarkets
Best For: The savvy traveler wanting ‘true’ market value. Rating: 4.8 ★
This ‘Exchange’ app lets you trade against other people rather than a bookie, meaning you can ‘Lay’ a bet (bet against a team winning) if you think a favourite will flop.
The Deal: 0% Commission for 60 Days (Code: COMMFREE). Click to learn more about Smarkets.
Instead of paying the usual 2% fee on your winnings, you keep 100% of your profit for your first two months of trading. You must deposit at least £10 via Debit Card or Instant Banking to activate this—virtual cards and e-wallets won’t trigger the offer.
SpreadEx
Best For: High-octane excitement. Rating: 4.7 ★
SpreadEx combines traditional fixed-odds betting with spread betting, where your winnings depend on how right you are (e.g., buying ‘Total Goals’ at 3 and winning more for every extra goal scored).
The New User Offer: Bet £10 Get £60 in Bonuses.
Place a standard £10 fixed-odds bet at odds of 1/2, and you’ll get a massive bundle including £30 in fixed free bets and £30 in spread bets to try out the new markets risk-free. While the free bets are generous, remember that spread betting losses can exceed your deposit if you aren’t careful!
Fitzdares
Best For: Luxury service and horse racing purists. Rating: 4.3 ★
If you want the VIP treatment, Fitzdares offers a polished, exclusive experience with live chat support that actually knows its sport. They excel in horse racing, offering top-tier odds and a classy interface.
The Promo Today: Place a £40 Bet, Get £20 in Free Bets.
The entry barrier is higher (£40 minimum stake), so it’s suited for those comfortable with larger wagers. This is for the bigger hitters; stake £40 on any sport at Evens (2.0+), and you’ll get a simple £20 freebie back to use within 7 days.
User Favourite Sports Betting Sites: New App & up to £50 in Bonus Bets
- Ladbrokes: Bet £5 Get £30. A brilliant low-risk option; just bet a fiver at odds of 1/2 to grab six separate £5 tokens.
- Coral: Bet £10 Get £50. Good value—place your £10 qualifying bet and get five £10 free bet tokens in return.
- Matchbook: Bet £20 Get £30. Use promotional code NEW30, place two specific £10 bets (one exchange, one multiple), and get three £10 freebies back.
- 10bet: Bet £10 Get £50. Great total value, but be aware there is a 10x wagering requirement on the bonus funds before you can withdraw cash.
- 247bet: 100% Match up to £50. New UK sports betting app with a match bonus to new customers (put in £50, get £50). Note the 5x wagering requirement on the bonus + deposit.
Here is the top 10 list for 2026, ranked by the total bonus value you receive
We’ve highlighted the SpreadEx and Betfred offers as the current market leaders for raw value (£50+), while Ladbrokes gets a special mention for requiring the smallest initial stake (just £5).
Top UK Sports Betting Bonuses (Ranked) Today
| UK Ranked | Betting Site | Welcome Offer | Important Terms |
| #1 | SpreadEx | Bet £10, Get £60 | Best Value: Place a £10 fixed-odds bet (min odds 1/2). Get a mix of free fixed-odds bets and spread bets. 28-day expiry. |
| #2 | Betfred | Bet £10, Get £50 | Top Pick: Dep with Card. Bet £10 @ Evens (2.0). Get £30 in Sports Free Bets + £20 in Acca Bets within 10 hours. 7-day expiry. |
| #3 | Coral | Bet £10, Get £50 | Deposit & Bet £10 @ 1/2 odds. Receive 5 separate £10 free bet tokens. Must be used within 7 days. |
| #4 | 10bet | Bet £10, Get £50 | Bet £10 @ Evens. Get 3 x £10 Sports Bets + 2 x £10 Acca Bets. Note: Debit Card only (no Skrill/Neteller). |
| #5 | 247bet | 100% Match up to £50 | A classic deposit match. Min deposit £20. Watch out: Wagering is 5x (Deposit + Bonus) before withdrawal. |
| #6 | SBK | Bet £10, Get £40 | Bet £10 @ Evens. Free bets arrive in batches (Bet Builders & Multiples) over 48 hours. App-only. |
| #7 | Betway | Bet £10, Get £40 | Bet £10 @ Evens (2.0). You get 4 x £10 tokens on settlement. Debit Card deposits only. |
| #8 | Ladbrokes | Bet £5, Get £30 | Low Entry: You only need to bet £5 (odds 1/2) to trigger this. You get 6 x £5 free bets. |
| #9 | Unibet | Bet £10, Get £30 | Bet £10 @ Evens. Bonus is split: £20 for Bet Builders + £10 for Accas. 7-day expiry. |
| #10 | bet365 | Bet £10, Get £30 | Code: 365GMBLR. Bet £10 @ 1/5 (1.20). Paid as “Bet Credits” which you can keep in your wallet indefinitely (unless inactive for 90 days). |
Note on Ranking: While SpreadEx offers the highest cash value (£60), Ladbrokes (#8) is arguably the “safest” for casual travelers since it only requires a £5 risk. bet365 (#10) remains the crowd favourite despite the lower amount because their “Bet Credits” are the most flexible to use.
Why Ladbrokes (Bet £5, Get £30) App Offers The Best Bonus Bet Value?
Why it is best for an 18-year-old:
- Lowest Risk: You only need to deposit and bet £5. Most other bookies require £10 or more. For someone just starting out, keeping the initial cost low is the most responsible way to learn.
- High Return: You are getting 600% value. You put in a fiver, and you get £30 worth of free bets back.
- More Chances to Practice: The bonus is paid out as six separate £5 free bets. This is perfect for a beginner because it lets you try placing bets on six different events (e.g., one on football, one on tennis, one on a horse) to learn how the app works, rather than risking it all on one big bet.
The Runner-Up: Betfred (Bet £10, Get £50)
If you are comfortable spending a little more (£10), Betfred offers the highest cash value. You get £50 in bonuses for a £10 stake. However, for a pure beginner, Ladbrokes wins simply because the entry cost is lower.
Do you prefer casino games? Here is our list of the best gaming sites in the UK right now.
