In-play live markets have revolutionised the way in which new customers stake funds on each sporting event and match, with the ability to bet on the sporting event once it has already begun being both exciting and potentially lucrative. Whether it be backing a Premier League football team to score a winning goal in the last 10 minutes of a sporting event or a cricket team to successfully chase down a big total, the best in-play wagering sites offer a wide range of options for sports bets on sports such as horse racing, while there are also a number of in-play betting sites looking to get in on the act. This page will take a detailed look at the wide range of live markets available to new customers, as well as outlining the best in-play wagering sites and exactly how they work for betting live.
New 18+ UK customers only. Register using the promo code WELCOME40, deposit and place first bet of £10+ on Sports (cumulative Evens+) within 7 days of registration. First bet must be on Sports. £30 in Free Bets and £10 in Free Spins (50x20p) credited within 10 hours of bet settlement. Free Bet stakes are not included in any returns. Bonuses have a 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or Proof of I.D and address may be required
Get up to £50 in FreeBets, an Odds Boost Token, 20 Free Spins and £10 Casino Bonus when you sign up to sportingbet today. Get rewarded as you complete our 4 Welcome Challenges, plus get an extra £20 FreeBet when you complete all 4.
T&Cs apply. New reg only. Claim by placing a min deposit £10 via "My Offers" page within 30 days. Skrill/Neteller deposits excl. 7 days to stake max £10 in-play. Max. extra winnings £100. 18+ BeGambleAware.org.
New customers & 18+ only. Min. deposit of £10. Qualifying real money bet of £10. Min odds greater than or equal to 1.5 required. E/W bets excluded. Offer awarded immediately but could be issued the next working day in exceptional circumstances such as technical fault. Additional T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.
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T&Cs apply. New customers, Deposit & Place a Bet within 7 days, and settle a £10 minimum bet at odds of 4/5 (1.8) or greater, to be credited with 3x £10 free bets: 1 x £10 Horse racing, 1 x £10 Free Bet Builder and 1 x £10 Football. Stake not returned. Opt-in required. 18+ BeGambleAware.org.
New customers only. Min £10 deposit and bet on odds 1/2 or greater required. Free bet and free spins issued within 24 hours of qualifying bet being settled. Free bet valid for 6 months, stake not returned. Free spins valid for 7 days, selected games only. UK only excl Northern Ireland. 18+ T&Cs apply.
18+, UK only. Deposit and place a £10 cash bet on a double or a treble or accumulated odds of 2/1 or greater and get a £20 sports bonus (no wagering requirements) to use on Accas. Applies to first cash bet only. Bonus credited to use on multiples (min. 4 selections, min odds per selection 1.5). Cashed out, Void or ‘Draw No Bet’ wagers do not qualify for this promotion. Bonus credited by midday the day after bet settlement. 7-day bonus expiry. Available once per customer. Full T&Cs apply.
18+, Welcome Bonus: New Players only, 1st Deposit, Min Deposit,: £10, max £10 free bet valid for 14 days, bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. System bets no eligible.
New UK+IRE customers only. Promo code: 20FREE. Paypal and certain deposit types and bet types excluded. Min £/€5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4 x £/€5 free bets. Free bets valid for 4 days on sports, stake not returned, restrictions apply. T&Cs apply
New bettors get 50% of deposit up to £50; Once per household; Min deposit £15 (no Skrill/Neteller); Wager a total of 8 times deposit + bonus, with max qualifying bet stake equal to your initial bonus amount; Bonus expires after 60 days; Min odds of 4/5 on singles, or 2/5 per leg for acca; Some bet types excluded; See full terms; Terms apply; 18+
18+ New customers only. Opt in, bet £10 on any football market at minimum 1/1 odds. No cash out. Get £40 in Free Bets on selected events. Free Bets expire in 7 days. Debit card / Apple Pay payments only. T&Cs apply, see below. begambleaware.org | Please gamble responsibly
Open Account Offer Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required.
18+, Welcome Bonus: New Players only, 1st Deposit, Min Deposit,: £10, max £10 free bet valid for 14 days, bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. System bets not eligible. Neteller,Skrill and Paypal not eligible. T&Cs apply
18+ | UK New Players Only | Opt-in Required | Min £20 qualifying bets, stake not returned | Free bet – one-time stake of £50, min odds 1.7, stake not returned | Bonus Code: FBSBETG | 1X wager the winnings | Wager from real balance first | Wager calculated on bonus bets only | Max conversion: £200 | Valid for 7 Days from issue | Excluded Skrill & Neteller deposits | Withdrawal requests voids all active/pending bonuses | Full Terms apply
New Players Only. Opt-in required. Minimum £20 qualifying bets, stake not returned. Free bet is a one-time stake of £40, minimum odds of 2.0, stake is not returned. 1X wagering the winnings. Wagering occurs from real balance first. Wagering requirement is calculated on bonus bets only, wagering starts from real funds. Maximum Conversion £200. Valid for 7 Days from issue. Excluded Skrill deposits. Full Terms apply.
18+. Play Safe. From 00:01 on 13.04.2022. £30 bonus. New customers only. Minimum £10 stake on odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater on sportsbook. Further terms apply.
New UK+IRE customers only. Paypal & some deposit & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 4 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions. 18+ begambleaware.com T&Cs apply
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New Players Only. Free bet - one-time stake of £10, min odds 1.5, stake not returned. 1X wager the winnings. Wager from real balance first. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Max conversion: £200. Valid for 7 Days from issue. Withdrawal requests voids all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill deposits. Full Terms apply.
18+ New customers only. Opt in & bet via mobile up to £40 (min. £20) on any football market at odds of 2.00+, in 7 days. Get up to £40 in free bets on selected markets. Bonuses expire in 7 days. Card payments only. Click for T&Cs. begambleaware.org | Please gamble responsibly.
18+ New customers only. Opt in, and bet £10 on football markets (odds 2.00+). No cash out. Get 6x£5 football free bets at specified odds for set markets, which expire after 7 days. Offer valid from 12:00 UK Time on 25/08/2023. Card payments only. T&Cs apply, see below. begambleaware.org | Please gamble responsibly
New UK, IE & Malta customers only. Min £10/€10 first deposit using Debit Card. Place a bet of £10 at min odds of 1.5. Free bets expire in 90 days. Full T&Cs apply. 18+. BeGambleAware.org.
Excellent website design that means the site looks good, loads quickly and is easy to navigate around
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Varied range of sports on which you can place back and lay bets
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Use code COMMFREE to trade with 0% for 60 days. Min. £10 first deposit only using Debit Card or Instant Banking. 18+. BeGambleAware.org. Full T&Cs apply.
T&Cs apply. New players who place a £10 bet at odds of 4/5 (1.8) or bigger will receive £20 in Free Bets. Qualifying deposit (Visa/Mastercard only) of £10 required. £20 in Free Bets will be credited as 4 x £5 Free Bets. The qualifying bet must settle within seven days.
18+. UK Customers (Excluding NI) only. Cash stakes only. Min £10 stake required for initial £5 free bet. Min odds ½. Max £25 in free bets. Subsequent free bets equal 50% average of each 3 £5 max qualifying bets. 13 settled bets required to receive full £25 free bet. Qualifying bets must be placed on sportsbook within 30 days of opening account. Cashed out bets will not qualify towards your average stake. One free bet offer per customer, household or IP address only. Free bet expires after 7 days. Payment method restrictions apply. T&Cs apply
New customer offer. Place a min £10 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of min 1/2 (1.5), get £30 in Free Bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards or Apple Pay will qualify. T&Cs apply.
Only available to new, verified customers residing in the UK. Place a first-ever Sportsbook bet – multi-bets of at least 3 legs; min. £2 stake; min. odds 3/10 (1.3) per leg (bets placed on horse racing and greyhounds excluded). Win and get back 50% of your stake – on top of your winnings – as a free sports bet up to £10. Get back 100% of your stake as a free sports bet up to £20 if you lose. Customers must place their first qualifying bet within 30 days of registration, after which the welcome offer will expire. Full T&Cs apply.
*New UK & Eire clients only. 50% cashback on cumulative net losses on qualifying spread bets placed and settled within 7 days of account opening. Fully, partially or reverse closed bets do not qualify. Max cashback £500. Full terms apply. Spread betting involves risk. Losses can exceed deposits. Always bet responsibly. 18+
Min deposit £10 • A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 • Min odds 1/2 (1.50) • Free Bets are credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days • Free Bet stakes are not included in returns • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days, wins are capped at £500 • To withdraw bonus/related wins, you must wager the bonus amount up to 40 times its value within 14 days • Casino Bonus expires after 60 days • Casino Bonus can be used on selected games in casino only • Restrictions apply to withdrawals, payment methods & countries & Full T&Cs apply. Begambleaware . 18+.
New Players Only. Min £10 qualifying bets, stake not returned. Free bet - one-time stake of £20, min odds 1.5, stake not returned. 1X wager the winnings. Wager from real balance first. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Max conversion: £200. Valid for 7 Days from receipt. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full Terms apply
New 18+ UK customers only. Register using the promo code WELCOME40, deposit and place first bet of £10+ on Sports (cumulative Evens+) within 7 days of registration. First bet must be on Sports. £30 in Free Bets and £10 in Free Spins (50x20p) credited within 10 hours of bet settlement. Free Bet stakes are not included in any returns. Bonuses have a 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or Proof of I.D and address may be required
For those who are not familiar with this form of betting and how the best in-play wagering sites operate, the following points will give you a much clearer understanding:
An in-play bet is one that is placed after the sporting event or match has started.
In-play market odds are updated regularly by online bookmakers.
In-play market options are also suspended upon a key incident occurring.
In-play betting is also commonly known as live betting, with many live betting markets available to wager on today.
New live wagering sites and existing bookmakers offer in-play betting markets surrounding most sports, with football, table tennis, horse racing and basketball being among the most popular in play betting markets.
What is In-Play Betting?
In-play betting is effectively any bet that is placed after the official start of an event or match, whether it be one minute into a football match or in the fifth and deciding set of a tennis match. In-play market odds are constantly changing, with the best in-play wagering sites adjusting prices based on what is taking place on the pitch, court or track. Both existing and in-play wagering sites cater for fans of many sports in this area, as well as new customers with niche tastes such as table tennis and horse racing, with in-play market choices now forming the basis for many betting strategies today on your preferred betting market.
New customers & 18+ only. Min. deposit of £10. Qualifying real money bet of £10. Min odds greater than or equal to 1.5 required. E/W bets excluded. Offer awarded immediately but could be issued the next working day in exceptional circumstances such as technical fault. Additional T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.
T&Cs apply. New customers, Deposit & Place a Bet within 7 days, and settle a £10 minimum bet at odds of 4/5 (1.8) or greater, to be credited with 3x £10 free bets: 1 x £10 Horse racing, 1 x £10 Free Bet Builder and 1 x £10 Football. Stake not returned. Opt-in required. 18+ BeGambleAware.org.
Place a qualifying £25 fixed odds bet at odds of 1/2 or greater. Qualifying bet cannot be placed in-play or cashed out early. T&Cs apply
How to Place In-Play Bets
All of the best online bookmakers in operation today will conveniently list the wide range of available in-play market choices for existing customers and new customers alike, with the number of available in-play market options in this area ranging from bookie to bookie, as well as between sports, such as horse racing and traditional ball games. Punters will be able to view the current scoreline, along with some useful statistics in some cases. Having taken on board all of the relevant information before placing your first bet, punters must quickly take advantage of value markets, with odds changing by the minute in some cases. The top in play wagering sites will separate markets by sport, while schedules also make it easy for punters to see what in-play markets will be available in the near future. Those placing in-play bets will generally have to wait a few seconds before it is processed, which is due to any potential price changes that may have happened in this time. The majority of live bets will be placed during periods of open play or during intervals, as this is when they are most likely to be accepted if you want to bet live, with in-play markets regularly being suspended in order to allow bookmakers time to make adjustments. As such, finding the right in-play bet can take time, meaning that it is advisable to have a number of bets lined up before you bet live.
Pre-Match vs In-Play Betting
Despite the introduction of the in-play markets available to new customers, pre-match bets are still hugely popular, with the following being the main factors to take into consideration when choosing between the two and placing your first bet:
With the majority of sporting encounters, there will be a favourite and an underdog. As such, waiting until the event or match has started is an effective way to increase the odds before you place your first bet, whether it be waiting until 20 minutes into a football match when the score remains goalless or in the event of a tennis player losing the first set against the odds.
Those placing pre-match or pre-event bets on the overwhelming favourites are unlikely to see any significant winnings, with bookmakers having priced them with short odds.
Players use in-play markets when they are looking to hedge their bets via an in play bet. For example, if you have backed Liverpool to win in the Champions League with a pre-match bet, but their opponents take an early lead, you may wish to bet on them with an in-play bet in order to cover your losses, with an in play bet coming to the rescue in this instance.
When looking to back an underdog, it is better to do so with a pre-event or match market generally speaking, with the odds on an unlikely victory only likely to decrease as the event plays out.
With bookmakers looking to entice punters to use in-play bets, promotions surrounding this form of gambling are often made available in order to make such markets all the more appealing via a promo code.
The number of pre-match and pre-event markets is also likely to differ from the amount of in-play markets on wagering sites.
How Are In-Play Odds Calculated?
Most of the top in play wagering sites and in-play wagering sites for new customers will utilise leading software when calculating live odds. Both before match odds and influencers, including goals, cautions, injuries and performance, are used, with such systems quickly coming up with prices, based on the probabilities and risks involved. As such, those with excellent knowledge in a particular area, such as calculating live odds or in-play odds, are likely to be able to find good value from time to time.
In-Play Betting Rules
No matter which bookmaker or online betting site you are registered with, there are a small number of rules surrounding in-play betting that must be taken into account, including the following:
Live bets may not be processed instantly, with a small waiting period being required. Meanwhile, in some cases, bookmakers will cancel bets before they are placed due to changes in odds or suspended markets.
In-play bets may not contribute to bonus wagering requirements, with this likely to differ from bookmaker to bookmaker.
Cashed out in-play bets are also unlikely to qualify punters for any potential enhanced odds offers, so be sure to look into this beforehand before you place your first bet.
In-Play Betting Strategies
The fact that in-play betting is now so common has meant that this form of wagering now forms the basis for many betting strategies, with the following being among the factors to consider in this area before you place a bet:
Cash Out – In-play betting and cashing out go hand in hand, with the ability to settle bets before their completion having become part of many betting strategies. For example, when punters place a bet on a football team to win, only to see the team in which they have bet on score just minutes later, the amount of cash offered by bookies to cash out will likely grant a rapid profit to reward those who place a bet. As well as this, cash out can also be used to cut losses, ensuring that funds remain for future bets.
Live Stream – Live stream options are hugely useful when it comes to in-play betting, allowing customers to watch how an event is playing out via live stream, before backing their favourite at their chosen event. For example, if a number of tough tackles have been put in by the same player, it may be worth betting on them receiving a yellow card.
Pulse Betting – A number of the top in play wagering sites offer what is known as Pulse betting, which effectively means backing a particular event occurring within a particular timeframe. The quicker the event occurs, the more winnings are received, making this another popular live betting option for those who are intrigued by live betting markets.
What Other Betting Guides & Strategies are Available?
For those who do not think that in-play betting is the best option for their first bet, and are considering live betting markets, there are a wide range of other guides and strategies on our review and betting site, perfect for those looking to find the form of wagering which will deliver the best chance of beating the bookies on a consistent basis. No risk matched betting and Asian handicaps are two popular forms of betting strategy utilised by punters today, while we also provide a detailed guide on which bookmakers is best for beginners. Meanwhile, punters are also likely to have questions surrounding the use of betting exchanges, as well as the legality of betting in the UK, and how to apply each promo code to receive their rewards, with Betting.co.uk having all of the answers!
Conclusion
In-play betting has quickly become one of the most popular forms of wagering on sporting encounters, with those who place a bet at the right time being rewarded generously on their chosen betting site. The best live in-play betting sites cater for fans of all sports, such as horse racing and football, while in-play wagering sites are delivering more and more features in this area, making this type of wager all the more enjoyable on your chosen best betting sites. So, be sure to check out the best in-play betting sites listed on this page, before backing teams and players after the opening whistle has been blown, ball has been bowled or tee shot has been hit.
New 18+ UK customers only. Register using the promo code WELCOME40, deposit and place first bet of £10+ on Sports (cumulative Evens+) within 7 days of registration. First bet must be on Sports. £30 in Free Bets and £10 in Free Spins (50x20p) credited within 10 hours of bet settlement. Free Bet stakes are not included in any returns. Bonuses have a 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or Proof of I.D and address may be required
Get up to £50 in FreeBets, an Odds Boost Token, 20 Free Spins and £10 Casino Bonus when you sign up to sportingbet today. Get rewarded as you complete our 4 Welcome Challenges, plus get an extra £20 FreeBet when you complete all 4.
New 18+ UK customers only. Register using the promo code WELCOME40, deposit and place first bet of £10+ on Sports (cumulative Evens+) within 7 days of registration. First bet must be on Sports. £30 in Free Bets and £10 in Free Spins (50x20p) credited within 10 hours of bet settlement. Free Bet stakes are not included in any returns. Bonuses have a 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or Proof of I.D and address may be required
Get up to £50 in FreeBets, an Odds Boost Token, 20 Free Spins and £10 Casino Bonus when you sign up to sportingbet today. Get rewarded as you complete our 4 Welcome Challenges, plus get an extra £20 FreeBet when you complete all 4.
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