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
| Site | Rating | Live Scores | Live Streaming | Mobile | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Most markets & best console. |
 |
*Geo restrictions apply, funded account needed. |
 |
Open Account | |
Best odds available. |
|
*Horse racing ONLY. |
|
Open Account | |
Good odds, poor stats. |
|
*Decent selection, football & racing included. |
 |
Open Account | |
|
New website design. |
|
*Multiple sports, mobile & desktop. |
|
Open Account | |
|
Exclusive ladbrokes TV. |
|
*Good odds, clunky website/app. |
|
Open Account |
New Customer Bonuses
- #1
-
Up to £100 in bet credits
- Get Bonus
- #2
-
Bet £5 get £30
- Get Bonus
- #3
-
Bet £10 get £30
- Get Bonus
- #4
-
Bet £5 get £20
- Get Bonus
- #5
-
Bet £5 get £20
- Get Bonus
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.
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.
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.
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
Cashing Out In-Play
As 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
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:
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.).
