Oddspedia understands the importance of making informed decisions when it comes to sports betting. That’s why we’ve spent two decades developing a comprehensive bookmaker rating system, based on data and input from industry experts, to rate and review betting sites objectively.
How We Rate and Review Bookmakers at Oddspedia
20+Sports betting experts
10+Bonus experts
200+Bookmakers reviewed
5,000+Bonuses claimed
200+User reviews
600+User comments
Our in-depth reviews give you all the information you need to analyse the sports betting options available to you, and help you choose the best betting sites for your needs.
We combine two separate ratings to give you a clear understanding of how our experts rate a bookmaker and what other real-life customers think.
Expert rating
Rated on a five-star scale based on 10 main categories: reliability, odds value, sports and market coverage, security, bonuses, payment methods, app design and performance, user reviews, customer support, and additional features.
Each category has strict evaluation criteria that are based on what sports bettors want. We award a certain number of points within each criterion that contributes to the overall rating for a betting site.
We apply this system to all bookmakers we review to ensure transparency. We continuously review the ratings and rating system, based on feedback from our experts and community, to ensure it covers everything you need to know.
User rating
While our experts are well-versed in the industry, it is beneficial to gather as many perspectives as possible when seeking to create a well-rounded and honest view of a betting site. That’s why we let our community of over 5,000 sports bettors share their opinions and review the bookmakers they regularly place wagers with.
These user reviews are compiled and averaged out to provide an overall user rating for different betting sites.
Oddspedia’s scoring system: built on trust, data and experience
Oddspedia utilizes a data-driven five-star scoring system to ensure the ratings are unbiased and fair to all betting sites. Our experts spend hours analysing each bookmaker and applying the rigorous rating system to provide a comprehensive assessment.
We know what matters most
To ensure we analyse exactly what sports bettors want, we continuously work with our community to understand what factors matter the most when choosing a betting site. We have continually refined our scoring system over the years to reflect the evolving interests and expectations of bettors.
One area that stands out above all to sports bettors at the moment is bonuses and promotions. That’s why we’ve gone into extra detail within our bonus and promos scoring criteria, providing the most comprehensive assessment you will find anywhere online.
The criteria we use to rate sportsbooks
App and website reliability
It is essential that you can trust a bookmaker with your money and personal data.
- Unknown bookmaker with a poor reputation, bad customer reviews, and lower than 2.0 user rating on Oddspedia. The bookmaker does not use any encryption technology.
- A bookmaker with millions of customers, resoundingly positive customer feedback, and higher than 4.5 user rating on Oddspedia. The bookmaker has TSL implemented in all necessary areas.
Odds value
If you consistently bet with better odds, you will make more profit when you win. The closer a bookmaker’s “Odds Fairness” is to 100%, the better.
- Fewer than 20 sports available for betting, with odds only posted on the day of the event and removed before the official start times. Betting limits lower than £10 per bet on main markets.
- Over 40 sports are consistently offered, with odds regularly available and listed at least 24 hours before events start. Betting limits above £50 per bet on main markets for all sports.
Sports and market coverage
Our research suggests that bettors seek a balance between quality and quantity. A bookmaker should offer odds and markets for niche sports as well as the most popular options.
- Fewer than 20 sports available for betting, with odds only posted on the day of the event and removed before the official start times. Betting limits lower than £10 per bet on main markets.
- Over 40 sports are consistently offered, with odds regularly available and listed at least 24 hours before events start. Betting limits above £50 per bet on main markets for all sports.
Licensing, regulation and security
Licences, privacy policies, and security information are a great way to assess the security of a bookmaker. This demonstrates that the bookmaker is committed to meeting regulations designed to protect customers.
- A history of licence issues and/or fines for lack of compliance with UKGC regulations. Failures to follow KYC procedure, and known instances of data breaches.
- The bookmaker holds a UKGC licence as well as additional global licences. KYC procedures followed completely and no history of data breaches.
Payment methods
Customers want a choice of banking options, quick processing times, and no fees.
- Two or less payment methods. A £10 minimum deposit and a maximum of less than £500. Transaction fees are applied. Deposits and withdrawals take longer than 24 hours to process.
- More than seven payment methods (including debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, eWallets and bank transfer. A £5 minimum deposit and a maximum deposit of at least £5,000. No transaction fees. Deposits and withdrawals are processed instantly or in minutes.
Betting features
A bookmaker isn’t just about odds. You should have bet builders, good cash out functionality, livestreaming, and other innovative features.
- No additional features are available beyond the main odds and markets.
- More than five additional features are available, including live betting, live streaming, cash out, bet builder, stats and insights, and odds requests.
Bonuses and promotions
Lucrative welcome bonuses, cashback offers, VIP benefits, and existing customer promotions are a key part of a bookmaker’s offering. So much so that we apply sub categories within our bonus rating to ensure you find the best sports betting bonuses available.
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Simplicity
Too many steps to claim or overcomplicated terms and conditions can stop you getting your bonus funds, or being able to turn them into a withdrawal to your bank.
- It takes longer than 24 hours to get your bonus funds from sign up. You need to bet at odds greater than 2/1, and/or there is a 10x or more rollover requirement to withdraw you bonus.
- The bonus can be claimed in less than five minutes. You can withdraw your bonus after betting at odds of 1/5 with only a 1x rollover requirement.
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Value
You need to have information beyond the headline amount for a free bets or betting offers. It’s not just how much you can earn, but how much you have to spend to get that as well.
- The maximum amount you can claim from betting sign up offers is £5, and this requires a deposit of £20 or more (maximum 25% deposit to bonus value).
- You can claim £50 or more from the betting sign up offers, and this requires a deposit if £10 or less (minimum 400% deposit to bonus value).
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Ongoing offers
Betting sign up offers only make up a small portion of a betting site’s bonus rating. There should be regular existing customer offers like loyalty rewards, odds boosts, money back specials, bet and get deals, and early payouts.
- No additional offers beyond the new customer betting offers.
- Ten or more consistently active bonus offers available to existing customers.
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Other promotions
In addition to a list of regular options, we expect betting sites to provide additional promotions around marquee events like big football matches and tournaments, top horse racing meetings, tennis and golf majors, and other special occasions.
- No event specific promotions available to new or existing customers.
- Three or more promotions available on for 30+ sporting events throughout the year.
Mobile app design and usability
Customers should be able to bet with a bookmaker from their mobile device on a fast and reliable app that replicates the full desktop experience.
- No app is available for the bookmaker.
- An app that is accessible to all users with instant speeds and zero performance issues. The app should also reflect the full product offering available on the desktop site.
Customer service
Customers should be able to choose from various methods to contact customer support and receive prompt responses from polite and knowledgeable agents.
- A basic contact form or difficulty in finding out how to contact the bookmaker.
- The bookmaker offers live chat, email, and telephone support. The response rate is under five minutes, and the customer service agents are polite and knowledgeable.
User experience
A bookmaker should deliver on the promises it makes and provide a hassle-free experience from its design and usability to its betting product.
- It is a consistent challenge to find what you’re looking for, and the product's design makes it difficult to use. The bookmaker consistently fails to deliver against expectations.
- Intuitively designed betting product that is accessible to all. Navigation through all areas of the bookmaker’s offering is completely seamless, and all areas of the experience are delivered to an exceptional standard.
How is the user rating calculated?
The user ratings on Oddspedia give our community the chance to share their experience of betting with a bookmaker, and gives others the opportunity to find out what real customers think before signing up.
We have worked to simplify this system as much as possible. We ask users to rate the bookmaker on the following scale.
- 1.0 - 2.0Terrible
Bookmaker that should be avoided at all costs.
- 2.0 - 2.5Bad
Bookmaker is not something we’d recommend.
- 2.5 - 3.0Mediocre
Bookmaker has multiple outstanding issues.
- 3.0 - 3.5Good
Bookmaker shows some issues but also redeeming qualities.
- 4.0 - 4.5Great
Bookmaker has very few flaws.
- 4.5 - 5.0Excellent
Bookmaker is near perfect and hard to fault
In order to ensure the review is based on real experiences, we require a title and some additional comments to explain the score. The title and comments are reviewed by our internal team to guarantee the ratings are legitimate.
We then simply take the weighted average from the ratings to provide an overall user rating that is published in real time on Oddspedia.
Who rates the bookmakers at Oddspedia?
The Oddspedia bookmaker review team consists of experts with extensive experience in the betting industry. This team also has specialised skills as Sports Betting Experts who look at the overall betting experience, and Bonus Experts who look specifically at the full bonus offering.
Our team objectively evaluate products through personal experience and provide valuable information. Through the review process, our team ensures that all our evaluations are comprehensive, honest, reliable and trustworthy. You can learn more about our team here:
Yordan has 10+ years in sports betting, from pro bettor to fraud analyst. Now Oddspedia’s lead expert, he combines real betting experience with industry insight to fact-check and guide players.
Ben is your man if you're looking for an all-round sports fan with plenty of tips. Having lived in the UK and New Zealand, he is well-used to syncing his body clock to wherever the action is taking place.
Vivek's journey in the sports betting industry began as a passionate fan. As an experienced bettor himself, he has developed a strong understanding of how betting products work and what bettors truly value.
Stuart is a sports betting whiz with a passion for football and horse racing. His extensive knowledge of the UK betting scene has made him an invaluable member of the Oddspedia team.
Oluwaseun is an expert in sports betting and bookmaker bonuses who has written over 1,000 articles and guides. Delivering terrific results to bettors around the world, he specialises in betting trend analysis.
Petar turned chasing betting bonuses into a career. With 8+ years at Oddspedia, he’s claimed hundreds of bonuses, fact-checked 2,000+ guides, and helps bettors get the most from every offer.
Who fact-checks and verifies Oddspedia’s ratings?
A crucial part of managing the wealth of information shared on Oddspedia is ensuring that everything is factually correct and aligns with what our audience is looking for. This is why we have a separate internal team that meticulously reviews all content that is published on Oddspedia.
Ben has over 10 years experience in the online sports betting industry. He has been immersed in the world of gambling from a very young age, forging a career that has combined his love of sports, his passion for writing, and his fascination with math and probability.
With a background in sports journalism and 13+ years of experience across the media and marketing sectors, Carson has developed content and social media strategies for several national and international brands.
Jan is an absolute sports fanatic and loves watching sporting events from all over the world. His great sympathy for sports coincides with his passion for sports betting.
Michael is a commercial editor with Oddspedia, helping bettors find the best sportsbooks and sports betting bonuses in their jurisdiction. He brings well over a decade of gambling experience to the role.
Why trust Oddspedia’s review process?
When it comes to choosing a bookmaker, safety is paramount. Oddspedia provides independent, transparent, reliable, and trustworthy information. Oddspedia has a unique edge over other bookmaker ratings, as we leverage our large community of real sports bettors to share their experiences and write reviews.
Expertise and experience
Our team of experts comprises specialists with extensive knowledge in sports betting. Their professionalism enables them to conduct a thorough evaluation and provide valuable insights into each bookmaker’s offerings, drawing on personal experience.
Comprehensive review process
We have developed a standardised process to ensure we evaluate the key factors that affect the overall user experience. This comprehensive approach allows us to provide a complete review of each bookmaker’s strengths and weaknesses.
User feedback and ratings
We value customer feedback and consider user ratings in our reviews. Through the experiences and opinions of real users, we can form a more accurate picture of each bookmaker’s performance and identify which type of customer is likely to enjoy them.
Regular updates
We understand that the gambling industry is dynamic and subject to change. To ensure that our reviews are accurate and up-to-date, we verify them regularly and make edits to reflect any changes in bookmaker offers, policies, or user experiences.
Transparency and integrity
We are committed to transparency and adhering to the highest standards of integrity in our reviews. Our goal is to provide truthful and accurate information, allowing users to make informed decisions based on facts.
User-oriented approach
Oddspedia’s ultimate goal is to help you find the best bookmaker for you. We prioritise user experience and strive to provide information that is relevant, useful, and tailored to your preferences and requirements.
How we rate bookmakers FAQ
Why should bettors trust Oddspedia’s sportsbook reviews?
At Oddspedia, we have developed a comprehensive review process that includes standardised criteria. Our team of experts take a systematic approach to evaluating each product. This includes signing up, logging in, and playing themselves. Then, we ask our experts to investigate the key criteria and score them accordingly. We take user reviews into account, and frequently update our pages since sportsbooks change their offerings often.
How does Oddspedia’s scoring system for reviews work?
We assign a rating to each aspect of a bookmaker based on performance and quality. Our team of experts carefully evaluate each criterion listed in the review process and compare bookmakers on factors such as reliability, fairness of odds, sports coverage, bonuses, customer support, and more. These evaluations are then combined to determine an overall bookmaker rating.
How does Oddspedia determine which bookmakers to feature and recommend?
User ratings play an important role in our review process. They provide valuable insight into the actual experiences of consumers who have had an experience with the bookmaker and have formed their own impression of it. We take these reviews into account along with our expert’s opinions in order to present a complete picture of the bookmaker’s quality.
How often do you update your reviews?
Bookmakers make changes to their products and services over time. To ensure that our reviews are up to date and accurate, we verify them often. The exact time period varies from page-to-page. We’ll be transparent as to when our reviews were last updated. Near the top of each page, you will be able to find this information.
Can I trust the recommendations provided in your reviews?
Yes, you can trust the recommendations presented in our reviews. Our priority is to provide unbiased and trustworthy information to help you make an informed decision. We adhere to strict review guidelines and maintain high standards of integrity. However, it is important to note that individual preferences may vary, and we encourage you to consider your personal needs and preferences when making your final decision.
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