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The UK market is flooded with betting sites trying to stand out from the crowd. It's hard to miss the television adverts, the brands emblazoned on football shirts or fans in the stadium loading up their favourite betting app to place an In-Play wager.

While it's great to have so many choices available, it can also be confusing when it comes to finding the right betting site. After all, they all claim to be the best in show. Whether it's having fantastic odds, acca money back, or best odds guaranteed, each bookie is striving to have a unique selling point.

In this article, we cut through the marketing messages and spell out exactly what a customer should be demanding from betting sites. Although it's easy to be attracted to shiny new customer bonuses or an exciting promotion, it can actually pay to choose a solid all-rounder that can provide a first-class service on a regular basis.

Check the Small Print Before You Claim a Free Bet

It's always recommended that you take advantage of a free bet when you sign up with a UK betting site. These offers are designed to be generous. After all, they're effectively the shop window aimed at enticing customers to a site and register an account. However, each offer has an accompanying set of terms and conditions.

It's a legal requirement that t's and c's are in place for a promotion. However, it's always worth scrolling through the key elements to understand how an offer works. Sometimes the biggest free bets aren't always the most generous. That's because you may be required to bet any winnings a number of times before a withdrawal can be made.

Look out for a term called 'wagering requirement'. That stipulates how much you need to bet your original deposit and the free bets that you receive. The ideal scenario is that a bookmaker will allow you to keep any winnings that are made from a bonus bet. However, it's important to look for minimum odds that might be stipulated with either a qualifying wager or a free bet.

Can You Make Instant Deposits and Withdrawals?

We now live in an age where instant withdrawals exist at UK betting sites. However, not every bookmaker has necessarily moved with the times. Customers should always choose a bookie that offers a wide range of payment options. This instils confidence that they're working with government-regulated payment providers and are therefore reputable.

It's no longer the case that a UK bank card is the only available option to make a deposit or withdrawal. While this is still on the table, there are now e-wallet methods such as PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller, which are appealing to many. For starters, it doesn't involve entering any financial information when you go to make a deposit.

Mobile customers are also fond of going down the Apple Pay or Google Pay route. This means a secure way of transferring funds. It's also highly convenient and once again doesn't involve the admin having to enter card information.

However, the real coup is when a bookie facilitates an instant withdrawal. Customers shouldn't need to wait three working days for funds to appear in their bank accounts. When you've won on a bet, it should be fair and square that you get the cash straight away. Thankfully, there are lots of bookmakers who ensure that the funds are in your pocket rather than a delay where you feel as though they just want you to keep betting.

Does Your Bookmaker Have a Brilliant Betting App?

Let's face it, we're glued to our mobile phones daily. We call people, message our friends, check the football scores, look at the weather forecast, and also place sports bets!

Gone are the days where someone would go to the local betting shop to place bets on The Grand National or other big sporting events. After all, a mobile betting app offers a hugely convenient alternative. It's now the case that more bets are placed on a horse race or a football match through a betting app than the website equivalent.

Therefore, you want to consider betting sites that have a highly rated mobile app. Whether you have an iOS or Android device, this should be downloadable in seconds. There should be plenty of positive customer reviews featured in the App Store or Play Store. It should then provide you with a superior experience compared to betting through a mobile site.

Choose a betting app that facilitates Face ID login, which is a quick way of getting a bet placed. We also like to receive offer notifications from a bookie. It's great to hear about the latest offers. Sometimes you can be notified when your bet has won and there's money to collect!

Whether you're sitting in the lounge, watching a live event, or sitting in a taxi, a betting app will provide you with the convenience to bet on the big match. It's especially good for In-Play betting and generally offers a better user experience than any other platform. Sometimes you can even watch live-streamed events through it.

In-Play Betting Absolutely Essential For Customers

Yes, every bookmaker offers In-Play betting across a range of sports. But some definitely do it better than others. We're not just looking for token coverage when it comes to the big sporting events. We want to see in-depth markets and competitive odds when it comes to live wagering.

A bookmaker must understand what a customer wants from their In-Play experience. Many of the Irish betting sites hit the target with their coverage, with the odds updating in real time according to what's happening on the field of play. You might even find that horse racing is covered In-Play and that's especially good for a longer distance race where you can judge how each horse is travelling.

Live betting should always provide customers with the chance to Cash Out. That means being able to settle a bet early, either by taking a profit, a loss, or breaking even. Having this option is ideal for customers who feel that the return on the table represents better value than waiting any longer to see how the bet unfolds.

Look for Accumulator and Bet Builder Value

Many of us enjoy placing multiple bets. It might be an acca focusing on different football matches. It might be a Bet Builder, which is a same-game accumulator. We recommend using a bet calculator to see how the odds can combine to your advantage.

The beauty of these bets is that you can often put together lots of short-priced selections in order to land bigger odds. It therefore means that you can bet a small stake to potentially land a decent return. We're especially keen to showcase bookmakers who add extra bonuses on top of winnings. This bonus percentage is usually in line with the number of selections you make.

Overall, it's always important to bet within your means. Should you feel as though you need to reach out, then there is extra support made available. We highly recommend contacting GamCare should you feel as though your gambling has become an issue.