
The MLB regular season is in full swing and we’ve already had some cracking matches between teams like the White Sox and Rays. While watching the games, I often like to make use of MLB betting sites.
These operators allow you to make a range of bets on the MLB games and have the chance to get real money payouts.
If this is something you think you would enjoy, I’ve used my knowledge and experience to create a comprehensive MLB betting site guide below for UK customers including what features to look for and 5 fantastic recommendations.
Some of the top online UK bookmakers are better than others for MLB betting and there are some key features I look for when selecting the best MLB betting sites as a UK customer. These include licensing, support, payments, the MLB coverage, and welcome bonus.
My number one rule is to only register at licensed MLB betting sites! To get a gambling license a bookies has to be audited and comply with regulations and standards set by the license issuer. It’s essentially a type of protection and will help prevent you from unethical practices such as rigged games or ultra low odds. Licensing info is usually found in the website footer, and for UK sites, I expect them to be licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.
Hopefully the operators I recommend will never give you any problems, but it’s still prudent to check the customer support methods. You can then easily get help if you need it. I primarily look for a live chat as this is usually the quickest way to actually speak to a human support rep. It’s a great idea to look for other support methods though including email, telephone, and a general help centre with FAQs.
Bookmaker payment methods usually aren’t an issue at UK bookies but I always look at what options are available. I prefer to use VISA debit cards for my deposits and withdrawals so I always make sure this option is available. Essentially, you should make sure the MLB betting site supports your main payment method. I also look for things like minimum and maximum withdrawal and deposit limits, and withdrawal processing times. I think there is no reason why a sportsbook shouldn’t process withdrawals within 24 hours max.
Of course the main reason you are registering with a sportsbook is to make MLB bets! With this in mind you should look at the MLB coverage they provide. The best sites have EVERY match available including the Spring Training preseason games, world events like MLB Tokyo, plus all the regular season and playoffs games. I also go further than this though and look at the types of bets you can make. Some people just like making outright match predictions, or making accas, but you may want to look at the bet builder options and props bets the sportsbook offers. I also always look at the live betting options and see if they have any live-streaming of MLB games or at least the match highlights.
Around 99% of UK sportsbooks will have an exclusive welcome bonus for new customers. Typically this is something like a free bet or a risk-free first bet. I check to see what you can get if you sign up with a new MLB betting site and compare the values of the different promos. I’ll make sure that I read the terms and conditions carefully too, so that I understand how the bonus works and what you need to do to claim it.
As you know, baseball is not one of the most popular sports in the UK. This means that there are differences with online bookmakers compared to North American sites, for example. This is reflected in the below pros and cons:
I’ve been making MLB bets and following the sport for some time now and during that period I’ve picked up some simple tips and strategies to manage my bankroll more effectively and stay in control.
I’ve been using the 80/20 approach for ages now and I find it’s a great way to manage your risk when betting on MLB games. The premise is simple - use 80% of your allotted bankroll on low-risk bets, and use the other 20% on higher-risk bets. The 80% of low-risk bets you use a larger bet value, and the 20% high-risk bets you use a smaller bet value. I find this gives you a nice balance between risk and reward. The idea is that hopefully your low-risk bets all payout and give you a solid return that at least covers the bet amount for your high-risk bets. The best case scenario is then that your high-risk bet also comes in!
This is another thing I’ve done in the past and I often found it just left me feeling disappointed. For example, I might have £10 in my account and then make an all-in £10 bet on the Yankees and Rays to win. If that bet loses, then I’ve got nothing left and ultimately have to make another deposit if I want to continue gaming. Now, I always leave at least 25% of my bankroll at any time to give myself a buffer.
I’ve made plenty of MLB bets in the past based on feelings and the teams that I support and I’ve found that ultimately this leads to poor decision-making. I now make my bets based on the odds, statistical analysis, and a deep dive into things like performance and H2H histories. The more you know about the MLB teams, their schedule, and current player performance, the more educated your bets will be. There’s always the chance for upsets, but still, by using stats and logic, I believe you will use your money more effectively.
UK MLB betting sites always have a fantastic selection of responsible gambling tools and I think these are incredibly important to help people stay in control. The first thing I do when I’ve registered with a bookies is head to this section and set a weekly deposit limit. This is the number 1 thing you can do to keep your spending under control and prioritize fun. I also make sure I understand how the other responsible gambling tools work such as timeouts, reality checks, and self-exclusion periods, so that I know the ways I can get help if needed.
Now that we’ve delved into how MLB betting sites work, we can get to my recommendations! I’ve got plenty of experience using these sites and I’ve done my research using the criteria I spoke about earlier to bring you 5 awesome UK MLB bookmakers that I think you will love. You can see their welcome offers in the table below, and I have then created a mini review for each one.
Major League Baseball Betting Site | Welcome Bonus |
---|---|
BetMGM | Bet £10 and get £40 in free bets |
Bwin | Get up to a £20 risk-free first bet |
Betano | Bet £10 and get £10 in free bets |
Bet365 | Bet £10 get £30 in free bets |
Betfred | Get £50 in free bets when you wager £10 |
I was originally a BetMGM Casino fan, but I’ve used the sportsbook for a while now, and not only is it one of the best NHL betting sites, but you’ve got superb MLB coverage too. For each match in the MLB regular season you can make some interesting player props such as batter home runs, pitcher strikeouts, and bases scored. There’s also various team total bets, plus the classic moneyline, and over/under options. BetMGM is also a great option for the NBA, NHL, MLS, and NHL leagues.
For the welcome bonus, BetMGM keeps it simple - when you sign up, deposit £10 and wager it on any sports market except e-sports, you get £40 in free bets! I like that this is split as 4x £10 free bets which gives you a little more flexibility. I got the casino bonus when I started, but if I would have got the sports offer, I would have made 4x £10 acca bets on MLB matches!
Bwin competes with new betting sites by giving you a £20 risk-free bet for your first bet as your welcome offer. Essentially, you sign up, deposit at least £10, and then make a minimum £10 bet - if your bet loses, you get the original stake back up to £20 as bonus bets! I like this type of offer as it gives you more betting freedom and means you can make a fun MLB acca bet for your first pick.
The global baseball coverage at Bwin is amazing and you can bet on leagues from the USA, South Korea, Japan, and even global tournaments like the World Baseball Classic. There are also limited college baseball markets. In terms of the MLB, you’ve got all the Spring Training games, global events like MLB Tokyo, plus all regular season and postseason matches. For individual matches, I like that you’ve got detailed bets on innings, game props, plus bet builder options where you can add multiple prop selections to one bet.
Betano covers the MLB, plus Cuban, Japanese, South Korean, and Taiwanese baseball leagues and it offers both pre-match and outright markets for all the games. I enjoy using the in-play betting feature here as it offers a simple 2D game render so you can see the action, and gives you a range of stats to look at so you can make more precise bets. I think from the MLB moneyline betting sites, Betano has some of the best props options too, as you can bet on player performance and stats by individual innings.
For promos, Betano has several welcome offers, but baseball fans will want to use the general sports offer which gives you a £10 free bet when you deposit and wager £10 on any sports market. Aside from MLB betting, this bookies has great coverage for other North American leagues, plus popular sports like tennis, golf, footy, and rugby.
I’m a huge fan of the Bet365 mobile app which is available for both Android and iOS devices. If you want to make some cheeky MLB bets on your phone while watching the games live on TV, I think you’ll find the app easy to use. It just gives an incredibly smooth gaming experience and the in-play betting on the app is second to none too.
As one of the best MLB betting sites, bet365 offers coverage for the regular season, playoffs, and even Spring Training. You can also place bets on leagues from Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Out of all the MLB betting sites, I think this bookies has the best range of special futures bets too. For example, you can bet on who you think will win the league, who will win each division, and even who will finish in the different playoff seeds. The bet builder tool for this site is fantastic too as you can add as many picks as you want to your bet builder for each game.
Out of all the cash out betting sites, Betfred remains one of my favorite picks and I’ve been a customer here for some time. I originally started here for NBA and European football betting, but I’ve recently been hammering the MLB markets. If you sign up here, deposit £10, and make a £10 wager, you’ll get £50 in free bets for your welcome bonus. These are split as 3x £10 Betfred sports bets, and 2x £10 accas which can be used on MLB matches! There’s always other free bet promos available and things like the free bet club where you can get a weekly sports free bet if you wager a minimum amount.
This bookies has brilliant support for the MLB but I also like that you can bet on the Chinese Professional Baseball League, the Japan NPB, and the Korea Baseball Championship. There are in-play markets for each of these tournaments and a great selection of bet markets. For MLB matches, you’ve got the standard outright winner selection, but other options too. For example, for a Cincinnati Reds vs. Texas Rangers match I found markets for the correct score prediction, over/under runs, and a range of handicap bets.
I think as a UK customer you have access to some of the best MLB betting sites in the world. Operators like BetMGM, Betano, Bwin, bet365, and Betfred all have an amazing range of MLB markets and cover all the available games. Whether you enjoy the Spring Training, regular season, or gritty action of the playoffs, you’ll be able to find something here. The range of individual props bets are also brilliant and you can go as detailed or basic as you want.
If you want to get started at an MLB betting site, make sure you check out the links and banners on this page for regional offers, and remember to think about the core features that make a good operator. Only ever sign up to licensed sportsbooks, and make sure you check for things like support, payment methods, and the welcome bonus the bookies give.
I rate BetMGM as the top MLB betting site as I feel it offers slightly more in terms of betting variety and in-play betting for MLB regular season and playoff matches. Betano, Bwin, bet365, and Betfred are all excellent choices too.
Yes. Whenever you make a real money baseball bet at one of our recommended MLB betting sites, you have a chance to get a real money payout if your bet wins. Your winnings are your initial stake multiplied by the odds of your bet selection.
This varies depending on the site. Usually you can make outright bets on the game winner, plus a range of props bets. These can include things like batter home runs, pitcher strikeouts, innings scores, and batter base scores.
Yes. Sports betting is legal in the UK. You should only ever register with bookmakers that have a valid gambling license though - preferably from the UK Gambling Commission.
Users must be 18+. If you are having trouble with gambling then help and advice can be found at begambleaware.org. Please Play Responsibly.
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