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Best Live In-Play Betting Sites

Live in-play betting is pretty much standard at all online bookmakers now but there’s no doubt that some bookmakers offer a way better service than others – this page is designed to compare them and show you, the punter, the best in-play betting sites.

We’re going to kick things off with a table showing who’s got what and which sites we rate the highest.

Top Live Betting Sites

Comparison: Top 5
Live Betting
Site Rating Live Scores Live Streaming Mobile Visit

Most markets & best console.

 Betradar Tick

*Geo restrictions apply, funded account needed.

 Mobile In-Play Open Account

Best odds available.

 Betradar Tick

*Horse racing ONLY.

 Mobile In-Play Open Account

Good odds, poor stats.

 Betradar Tick

*Decent selection, football & racing included.

 Mobile In-Play Open Account

New website design.

 Betradar Tick

*Multiple sports, mobile & desktop.

 Mobile In-Play Open Account

Exclusive ladbrokes TV.

 Betradar Tick

*Good odds, clunky website/app.

 Mobile In-Play Open Account

New Customer Bonuses

Why Bet In-Play?

Now that you know exactly what in-play betting is and for which sports it is commonly available, you’re probably wondering why you might choose to bet in-play rather than simply place a pre-event wager. There are a number of different circumstances where in-play betting can be really beneficial to a punter and the following are arguably the three main ones.

Odds

Improved Odds

Tennis is probably one of the most popular sports for in-play betting and can provide a really good example of how in-play betting can benefit a punter by giving them better odds. Say there is a match in the early rounds of Wimbledon where one of the top players like Roger Federer or Serena Williams is playing a qualifier.

Ahead of that match the favoured player (Federer or Williams) would be a long odds-on shot to win and a bet on them wouldn’t provide much value. If the qualifier starts the match well, however, and breaks serve or even wins the first set, betting in-play would allow you to back the favourite at a much better price. That could represent really good value as, whilst they have fallen behind, common sense would still suggest that they would go on to win the match.

Question

Apply Your Know-How

How many times have you been sitting watching a football match, turned to your mate and said ‘he’s getting sent off today’ or ‘he’s going to grab a goal soon’ and then been proven right? Chances are, if you’re a keen fan and have watched a lot of football in your time, the answer will be many, many times.

In-play betting in that situation gives you the opportunity to put your know-how and instinct to good use and to potentially profit from it. You are able, after all, to head to the in-play dashboard for the match you’re watching and put a bet on your chosen player to get a red card or to score next, amongst many other punting options.

Markets

Dynamic & Varied Markets

As well as potentially offer better odds in certain circumstances and allowing you to put your hard-earned sporting knowhow to good use, in-play betting also offers the benefit for a wider variety of more dynamic betting markets.

Whilst many bookmakers offer a good selection of pre-event markets, after all, the number of in-play betting markets often eclipses that. In the case of a tennis match, for instance, some of the best in-play betting sites let you bet on who will win each game, what score each game will reach and even which player will win an individual point.

Popular Sports for In-Play Betting

As we’ve already mentioned, the majority of online bookmakers now offer a fairly comprehensive in-play betting service. The in-play betting on offer from most cover a wide range of different sports and the following are those for which in-play markets are most commonly on offer:

  • Tennis
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Golf
  • Volleyball
  • Snooker
  • Cricket
  • Boxing
  • Badminton
  • Cycling
  • Darts
  • Handball
  • Ice Hockey
  • Rugby League
  • Rugby Union

It should be noted, too, that during special or significant events other sports will also benefit from in-play markets. During the Winter Olympics for example curling matches, skiing events, skating competitions and many other winter sports can be taken in-play by the major bookmakers.

In-Play Betting Features

Market Selection
The best in-play betting sites can offer anything up to 50 or more different in-play markets at any one time for an event. Different markets, too, will spring up as the event progresses based on how it is going.

Live Scoreboards
Within the in-play dashboard of an event, you will often find some form of live scoring. The best live scoreboards around give great detail as to how an event is progressing and update regularly and quickly.

Statistics
As well as the current score of a given event, some in-play dashboards will also provide key statistics. For a football match, for instance, the number of corners, number of cards and percentages of possession are all sometimes shown.

Live Graphics
Most commonly available for football matches but also offered for some other events, live graphics are sometimes provided which show exactly what’s happening in a game at any given time. For football things like dangerous attacks and free kicks are mentioned.

Audio Commentary
Some live betting sites offer audio commentaries of at least some of the events for which they provide in-play betting markets. Typically these are accessible either via the event’s in-play dashboard or through a separate commentary player.

Live Streaming
An increasing number of the top online bookmakers now offer a variety of live streams of different sporting events. Usually these streams are shown within an event’s in-play dashboard and are available to punters with a funded betting account.

Cash Out
As well as being able to place bets as an event is in-play, most major online bookmakers will also let you cash out your in-play bets. That means you can take an early profit if the bet’s looking good or cut your losses if it’s not.

In-Play Schedule
A feature which is surprisingly not available across the board, the best in-play betting sites do provide a schedule of the events due to be taken in-play in the upcoming days for punters to browse.

Cashing Out In-Play

Cash OutAs we mentioned in passing earlier, as well as offering punters the chance to bet in-play, most major online bookmakers also offer a cash out facility which lets them put an end to their wagers before an event has been completed. The cash out feature provided by most bookmakers will offer a punter a certain monetary amount which they can take to settle their bet early.

If the bet is in good shape and looking like being successful that amount will be higher and is often over the value of their original stake. If a bet is struggling somewhat, however, the cash out offer will be lower and will typically be below the original stake amount.

There are two main circumstances in which it can be beneficial to punters to choose to cash out. Firstly, it can provide a nice amount of profit when a bet is going well, whilst also removing all risk of the bet suddenly taking a turn for the worse (if an equalising goal is scored in a football match for example). Secondly, cash out can offer a way to cut your losses as a punter if a bet looks to be failing and you want to recoup at least some of your stake rather than lose it all.

Related: Bookmakers With Cash Out & Partial Cash Out

FAQs

What is In-Play Betting?
As the name largely suggests, in-play betting is betting on a sporting event once it has already started or is ‘in play’. The table above demonstrates that the service is now offered by pretty much every major online bookmaker and for the most part in-play betting always works in the same way.

On the website of a bookmaker who offers an in-play betting service there is usually a dedication area specifically for that type of betting. When you head to that page, you are then presented with a list of events across a number of different sports which are either already in-play or about to go in-play.

In-play interface example:

Live Betting Interface

Selecting an in-play event from the collection of those available from a bookmaker will then take you to the in-play dashboard for that event. That dashboard will typically display some kind of live scoreboard and perhaps a graphic displaying updates or statistics from the event in question. What it will always include are the selection of in-play betting markets which are currently available.

Exactly which markets are on offer will change as the event itself progresses and the odds on offer for selections within the markets update continuously in line with what’s happening in the event. Generally speaking in-play betting markets for any event include general markets for the event as a whole (match/event winner, final score etc.) and shorter term markets related to the stage the event is currently at (scorer of the next point, winner of the current set etc.).

Where Can I Bet In-Play?
The vast majority of the most popular online bookmakers now provide an in-play betting service. Typically, the in-play betting options which are available can be found within a dedicated section of a bookmaker’s website, named either ‘In-Play’ or ‘Live Betting’.
How Does In-Play Betting Differ from Regular Betting?
Aside from the obvious fact that in-play betting takes place after an event has already started, there are a couple of other notable differences. Firstly, the range and nature of markets available differs, with short term, dynamic markets typically being offered in-play along with the more standard options. Secondly, the odds available on selections within in-play betting markets change more quickly as they have to reflect the state of an event as it takes place.
Do In-Play Bets Count Towards Bonuses & Promotions?
Unfortunately, most online bookmakers stipulate in the terms and conditions of their promotions that in-play bets are not eligible for those offers. That means that generally speaking in-play bets cannot be placed to trigger free bets and do not contribute to wagering requirements for bonuses. Always check T&C’s before you take part in betting offers or promotions.
How and When Can I Cash Out In-Play Bets?
Most major online bookmakers offer a cash out facility which applies to many in-play betting markets. Where this is available, a punter’s betting account will typically include a ‘Cash Out’ area where they can head to view current cash out offers and choose to take them if they so desire.