Welcome bonuses for sports and the casino
The
best UK bookmakers
tend to offer welcome bonuses, designed to attract new bettors to their site. The Pools UK is no different.
The Sportsbook bonus
Their current welcome bonus is a ‘Bet £10, Get £10’ free bet offer. This offer works when a new customer first opens their account and they place their first-ever wager - a £10 single bet or single accumulator bet at odds of evens or higher - they will receive £10 back in the form of free bets.
It is not that simple, however, and it does have some terms that you need to know. The £10 in free bets is credited as two £5 free bets, which can be used on all sports. The free bets must be used within seven days and are not included in any returns.
The following bets do not qualify for the welcome offer - cash out, void or draw no bet wagers.
The Football bonus
For avid football fans, the new offer includes a £10 Weekly Acca Free Bet. This offer allows customers to claim a free £10 bet to be used on any football acca.
To qualify for this offer, you will need to place 2x £10 accas on football from Monday to Sunday. Once you have done that, you will receive your bonus that can be used on a football acca with three or more selections with odds greater than 1/2.
Football Pools
There is also a Football Pools Promotion on the site with three special promos available for football fans. The first one is the Classic Pools - punters can get £10 in free bets when they subscribe to the promotion by debit card.
The second one is Pools Plus, this allows customers to stake £30 on Pools games and get a Pools bonus worth £5. The final promotion is Pools Plus Extra. For this one, punters can stake £30 on Pools and £30 on Casino slots to receive 25 free spins.
The Racing bonus
The Pools is offering a daily prospect of extra places in selected races with minimum odds and selections that apply per offer. Cashed out bets and bets on non-runners do not qualify for this running promotion. Keep note that all promotions are only for UK customers 18+. It is also worth considering that free bets are credited at bet settlement and will expire seven days after being credited.
The casino bonus
Access the new welcome promotion accessible for Casino players today! The Pools' welcome offer sees new customers get 100 free spins. To qualify, a minimum deposit and stake of £10 on casino slots is required. Upon qualifying for the promotion, players will be entitled to receive 100 free spins on the Big Catch Fishing game.
The process is simple, upon meeting the promotions requirements the free spins will be automatically credited to the players account. Each spin awarded as part of this promotion holds a value of £0.10 per spin - this ensures clarity on the value and returns from the free spins.
Euro 2024 Top Assists offer
Stake £5+ on the Euro 2024 Top Assists market and get a £1 free bet for every assist that your choice makes in the tournament. This only applies to first bet placed on this market, and is valid once per customer. Every free bets will be credited the day after the tournament has ended, and it expires 7 days after being awarded.
Terms & Conditions
- 18+, UK residents only
- Bet £5 or more on the Euro 2024 tournament Top Assists market and receive a £1 free bet for each assist they make during the competition.
- Cashed out or Void wagers do not qualify
- Qualifying players will have their Free Bet credited to their account by 12pm on the 15/07/2024, the day after the Euro 2024 final has been played
- Free bets can be used on any market, min odds. 1.5 (1/2) and max odds 101 (100/1)
- Free Bets will expire 7 days after they are awarded
- Free Bet value not included in returns and must be wagered in full on redemption
- Free Bet will be awarded in a whole amount e.g. 4 goals = 1 x £4 Free Bet
- Promotion only applies to your first £5 bet placed on the outright Top Assists market .
Our The Pools Review On usability, look and feel - A simple and clean website
As a whole, The Pools Casino UK website is solid without being spectacular. The light colour scheme is clean with blue, green and black accents fitting into their branding.
The website has a simple approach to its design. With a plain and simple user interface, the website is easy to read, is clear to navigate and has its odds very clearly listed.
The betting slip is pinned to the side of the page, with your bets always clearly displayed with your stake and potential returns.
The Pools UK website functions well on both desktop and mobile devices with their app sharing a similar appearance. However, there is very little that makes The Pools’ website stand out when compared to others, with no special touches like stats visuals or logos incorporated into their list of markets.
Finding bonuses and customer service options are easy with clear links, and the website gives you the option to customise how odds are displayed, which increases The Pools ratings. For comparison, you can also check out our
top UK bookmaker reviews to see how they compare to our The Pools reviews.
Payments - Quick, easy and free
Making deposits into your Pools UK account is easy with clear instructions available and an unmissable green button.
When The Pools was first launched the only payment methods they accepted were debit cards. More specifically, they only accepted MasterCard and VISA.
They have evolved since then and they now accept PayPal as a payment method. They are still behind a number of top UK bookmakers who use the likes of Apple Pay, Google Pay, Skrill and Neteller, but it is a start.
There is a minimum deposit of £5 when you deposit with MasterCard or VISA and there is no maximum either. The Pools do offer deposit limits to allow for more responsible gambling if needed.
Withdrawals are more complex than deposits but it is still a standard process compared to other bookies. Withdrawals are limited to the payment method linked to your account.
This method must have also been used to deposit at least £5. Once you have deposited the £5, your card will be validated. The withdrawal will then take two to five working days to process from the date of request. The minimum withdrawal limit is higher than deposits with a £10 minimum withdrawal.
Customer Service - Various Ways To Get In Touch
There are four ways to get in touch with The Pools’ customer service team. The site offers a live chat function, an email address, a phone number and a postal address.
All of their customer support options are available Monday-Saturday between 8:30 and 10:00 pm as well as between 12:00 pm and 10:00 pm on Sunday. While these are the times listed on their website, it’s worth noting when we tried to access their line at 1:30 pm on a Saturday, their live chat was showing as not online, instead asking us to leave a message.
If the live chat function is not for you, you can email The Pools at support@thepools.com. Customers who have any queries are warned not to include any confidential information such as your login details, passwords or bank details.
If you prefer to pick up the phone and speak to a person, then you can call 0800 500 00 and speak to an operator. The final way of gaining communication is to send an actual letter. You can post your questions to The Pools, Walton House, 55 Charnock Road, Liverpool, L67 1AA.
Aside from those four forms of communication, it is advisable to check out the Help section first before trying to contact anyone. Your query might be very popular and therefore it has been asked before. Read the section and it might save you a lot of time.
Licence & Security - Is the Football Pools secure?
Knowing if your data is safe and secure is a key concern which is why we asked ourselves is The Pools reliable?
During our The Pools review, we noticed they hold a valid encryption certificate which therefore protects your data and payment information. The Pools is also a fully licenced and regulated sportsbook falling under the governance of the UK Gambling Commission.
The UKGC is regarded as one of the toughest and best licencing authorities and being regulated with this commission is a sure fire way to prove you are a legitimate company with the customers needs always put first.
The Pools also takes a hard-line approach to underage gambling with new accounts needing to undertake several checks. These include address checks and they may also request further details if necessary.
The Pools also includes tough penalties for anyone trying to get around their age restrictions including forfeiting prizes and the possibility of civil proceedings and criminal prosecutions.
In our experience, an operator that has taken their responsibilities seriously and commits to offering sports betting done the right way only adds to The Pools rating.
The Pools have their own commitment when it comes to safer gambling. They believe gambling should be for fun and enjoyment, but they are aware that problems can occur when it comes to it becoming a habit. The Pools feel it is their responsibility that help is on hand for customers experiencing any troubles.
Customers are encouraged to use the 'Contact Us' page if they feel they need extra help and support. They are also urged to look at the 'Safer Gambling' section of the site for more help and details.
Rewards & Loyalty Program - Subscription Service
The Pools UK opts not to provide a loyalty club or VIP programme. Instead, they have a subscription benefit and a special promo that sees the customer rewarded the longer their winning streak continues.
Customers are encouraged to join a subscription package with The Pools. The package includes Classic Pools, Lucky Clover Lotto and Goal Rush. Benefits are awarded to subscribers in relation to which product you select.
Here is a brief rundown of what to expect as a subscriber:
- 1 line on Classic Pools costs £10 per month - 10 games per month x £1 per game
- 1 line on Lucky Clover Lotto costs either £8-10 or £12-£15 per month which is 8-10 draws per month at either £1 or £1.50 per draw, depending on which game you want to play
- 1 line on Goal Rush costs £16 - £20 per month - 8-10 games per month x £2 per game
When you become a subscriber on any of the available products, punters will receive a conformation email with details of the games you will be entered for as well as a payment schedule.
The Classic Pools Streaks section has the possibility of each line a customer plays going 'on a streak'. You could end up with multiple streaks live at the same time. The longer the streak goes, the more you actually win.
