Ready to knock out some boxing wagers? Check out this comprehensive guide and claim a free bet from one of the best boxing betting sites available in Ireland.
For generations, bettors have enjoyed the sport of boxing. Going back a few years, the only way to bet on the sweet science was to visit a bookie in person and jot down your selections manually on a piece of paper.
Thankfully, boxing betting has now transitioned into the 21st century as seamlessly as a Tyson Fury pivot. New betting sites have made it possible to bet on a mobile device or desktop wherever you are, allowing you to join in the fun even if you're halfway across the world.
Because gamblers now have a wealth of online bookmakers to select from, our boxing betting experts have reviewed online bookies in detail, to distinguish the best from the rest.
On this page, you'll find our recommended licensed boxing betting sites, featuring the best boxing odds, features and promotions available online.
When signing up to a boxing betting site, you should know exactly what lies in store. With that in mind, let's dive a bit deeper into some of the top boxing betting sites online and see what each of them has to offer.
888sport has become one of the most recognisable names in online gambling and is home to a solid boxing betting offering.
The boxing betting odds are up there with the best around and regular price boosts can be secured when big bouts come along, to further enhance those odds.
The betting app is possibly the best in the business and the sign-up offer at this bookie is always packed with free bets, which are featured as part of ongoing promotions as well.
You also have boxing news, opinion and tips featured on the 888sport blog, which is a nice extra resource for bettors.
While you're unlikely to run into any issues when betting here, we would ideally like to see customer support responding a little quicker as this site continues to grow. We'd also like to see the desktop version become as user-friendly as its mobile companion.
BetVictor is a well-established bookmaker that dates right back to 1946, when it was founded by William Chandler. The site has a huge array of sports available and boxing is one of the most popular to bet on.
The BetVictor welcome offer is one that attracts lots of punters, because you only need to place a small qualifying bet to get a large amount of free bets in return. Weekly free bets are also a staple for customers that have already signed up.
The in-play betting section stands out against competitors as there is never a delay when trying to place your bet, so you can quickly tap and take advantage of the odds at an opportune time during a boxing fight.
No site is perfect, however, and we would like to see instant cash withdrawals added to the BetVictor service, to complement an impressive array of available payment methods.
More boxing-specific promotions could be added in future as well, although we're glad to report that BV's current free bet promotions are applicable to boxing.
William Hill is another well-known brand that ranks among the very best boxing betting sites worldwide.
All of the latest boxing betting odds are accessible from both the website and the mobile app - with the bigger bouts having a plethora of markets to choose from, most of which feature a cash out option.
Additionally, bettors can access the popular 'Future #YourOdds' section, which has a long list of special boxing bets requested by bettors, covering WBA, WBO, WBC and IBF world title bouts.
Jumping over to promotions, William Hill has some good ones that apply to boxing betting. Customers have the choice of different accumulator promos, either boosting the odds or insuring their acca against one losing leg. The fact you can essentially customise your own promo is pretty unique.
One thing to note if you're signing up for boxing betting, is that the William Hill sign-up offer can't be claimed from a PayPal deposit, so you're best off using a debit card or another e-wallet to fund your account.
bet365 is the world's most popular online bookmaker for a reason and doesn't disappoint when it comes to online boxing betting.
It's a sure sign that a site takes combat sports seriously when there's a dedicated boxing/MMA news section that keeps punters up to speed with all the latest info - and that's something bet365 delivers.
This bookie was one of the pioneers of live in-play betting and is known for a live streaming service covering an array of sports. Football, tennis and horse racing probably have the most streams, but you will also find live boxing streams from time-to-time, so you can watch fights unfold while betting.
Punters should pay attention to the little 'Accumulator Bonus' banner, as when it's showing, it means a boxing market is available for the multi-sport accumulator bonus. This promotion can add a 5-70% bonus on top of boxing accumulators, depending on the number of legs involved in the acca.
It's hard to pick flaws with bet365's boxing offering, but we would like to see acca insurance added, to complement the other accumulator promos that are available.
Ladbrokes is one of the sports betting industry's oldest brands, having been around since 1886. The company has grown from a small racetrack betting shop to a multibillion-pound enterprise that offers gambling on a variety of platforms.
Ladbrokes free bets are available as part of the welcome bonus and are also featured as part of many ongoing promotions.
And just like bet365, Ladbrokes also has a dedicated column for boxing within its news section. The only downside is that it's not updated as regularly.
Over to the betting, Ladbrokes' boxing betting page is divided into three main sections, namely in-play, fights, and competitions. The prices you'll find here are among the best in the industry, with consistency being key to Ladbrokes' survival for so many years at the top of the game.
Another nice feature is #GetAPrice, where bettors can request prices for custom bets on a variety of sports, including boxing.
As with all the bookies featured in our boxing betting sites list, cash out is available with Ladbrokes. However, we'd like to see cash out values improved slightly going forward, for those of us who like to take the money early when watching a fight play out.
Finding the right bookie is an integral part of a positive and fun betting experience. So, when ranking and reviewing betting sites, we use the below criteria - which we encourage bettors to be aware of to make more informed choices.
All the best boxing betting sites will offer punters numerous ways to score a free boxing bet.
When signing up for a new account, a sportsbook will usually grant free bets once you have made a deposit and placed a qualifying bet. Sometimes the deposit alone is enough to trigger the free bet bonus, which usually comes as either a 100 per cent or 50 per cent match of the deposit.
On rare occasions, boxing bookies can sometimes give new customers a no-deposit bonus, meaning free bets will be credited to your account before you have even had to deposit. However, these are fairly infrequent in the online sports betting realm.
The second way to claim a free boxing bet is through promotions for existing customers. Top bookmakers will often top bettors up with free bets to reward loyalty, or even just as a random surprise from time-to-time.
Another way to land a boxing free bet is through insurance of some sort. This often comes in the form of acca insurance, where if one of your selections fails to deliver, you will get your stake refunded as a free bet. Another way can be through certain markets, like match betting (2-way), where if the bout ends in a draw, your stake is returned.
Lastly, free boxing bets can be made available for specific big fights - like major world title clashes. So, keep an eye on what different boxing betting sites are releasing to avail of the best deals.
When rating betting apps for boxing, the first thing we look for is user-friendliness - across both iPhone and Android devices.
The 888Sport mobile app is probably the standard-bearer when it comes to boxing betting apps. Its interface is simple to use and bets can be placed quickly and easily.
A major bonus of using an app like bet365, however, is the presence of mobile-optimised live streams.
Having an option to personalise your profile, choose preferred betting categories, and switch off unneeded features is also something to look for with betting apps. App-specific promotions are another cool feature.
Ultimately, choosing the right betting app for you depends on your preferences, but the below options are a good place to start.
Once you've selected your bookmaker and are ready to start betting on boxing online, the process is divided into a few simple steps.
Getting started with a new online account is a quick and easy procedure. As soon as you click on 'join', 'sign up', or an equivalent button, a window will pop up, kicking off the process.
At this stage, you'll be prompted to write down personal details, such as your full name, date of birth, home address, and mobile phone number.
You'll also have to come up with a unique username and password - your safe passage into the account going forward.
Lastly, check if there are any promotions you wish to avail of, agree to the Ts&Cs, select your marketing preferences and decide if you'd like to set a deposit limit.
All licensed and reputable bookmakers will ask their customers to go through a verification process. We recommend getting this out of the way first thing after registration.
This usually involves sending in a scan or a photo of a number of documents, such as a national ID card, passport, driving licence, or bank statement.
For any queries, feel free to get in touch with customer service, as more often than not, top boxing bookies will have a dedicated team to help customers with verification.
In order to claim a sign-up offer, you sometimes need to enter a bonus code when signing up and will be prompted to do this if applicable.
Sometimes it's a case of visiting the the promotions section after you sign up and getting accustomed to the available offers.
Once you know which promotion you'd like to go for, head over to the payments area to make your first deposit. Choose from the available payment methods and follow the instructions to fund your account.
Now comes the exciting part. Find the dedicated boxing section and browse through the available bouts and markets. In order to make a selection, click on the relevant price, and just like that, it'll be added to your interactive betting slip.
Whenever you’re ready, select your stake and place the bet. From there on, sit back and enjoy the thrill of the action.
Read More: How to Fill in a Betting Slip
A vital way to determine the best online betting sites for boxing is the range of markets available for every fight.
Some of the most popular markets are match odds, round betting, method of victory, and over/under rounds, among others.
This is one of the most straightforward markets to comprehend since you are just betting on which boxer you believe will win the fight, or if you reckon the bout will result in a draw.
Certain bookies divide this into two markets, the match betting (3-way) and match betting (2-way) markets.
To understand, let's imagine an Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk match. Placing a wager on a 2-way market means that there is only the possibility of either Joshua or Usyk winning the bout. The 3-way market brings the draw into play - and you can usually get long odds if you bet on the bout to end as a stalemate.
You can think of round betting markets as similar to the previously explained fight result or match betting odds.
Here, bettors searching for higher odds can wager on one of the fighters winning the fight in a particular round. If you fancy a particular boxer to finish an opponent off early or to come out on top in the later rounds of a slugfest, this might be the market for you.
Alternatively, you can sometimes bet on the winner of a particular round, according to the judges' scorecards.
The method of victory betting market allows bettors to wager on who will win the fight and how they will win it. Some of the options include knockout (KO), technical knockout (TKO), disqualification and decision.
KO and TKO will usually be grouped together, so the bet will land if the fighter you've backed wins by either of these similar methods, (the only difference being that straight KO comes from a 10-second count by the referee).
In this market, you don't have to predict who will win the fight. Instead, you're betting on whether the fight will go past a certain number of rounds.
Taking 7.5 rounds as an example, this period will be concluded at the 1:30 point of the eighth round. You win if you bet on the over and the fight lasts longer than 1:30 into the eighth round.
If you bet on the under, the fight must end before the 1:30 marker of the eighth round for you to cash in.
Accumulator betting may not be the first thing that comes to mind when betting on boxing, but this is a good method to combine all of the picks you like into one larger bet.
This is especially the case if you're sitting down to watch undercard fights before a main event. With an acca, you can ramp up the excitement and give yourself an interest throughout the evening.
It can also be easier to find an edge over the bookie with the odds on less-publicised fights featuring smaller names.
Thanks to the emergence of in-play betting sites, live boxing betting has become extremely popular in recent years.
Live boxing betting markets are available as soon as the first bell rings and the bout starts. Bookmakers will generally have a board showcasing the elapsed time, as well as other relevant statistics, such as the current round of the fight, while some, such as bet365, can have live streams.
The odds update in real-time according to the progress of the fight. Unlike pre-match betting, in-play boxing bets tend to have a delay of a few seconds before they are confirmed and placed, although they go through quicker if placed in between rounds.
Bookmakers such as Betiton, 888sport and Bet365 devote a lot of attention to having a top-class live boxing betting product.
Formulating a boxing betting strategy is fundamental for successful gambling. Below are some of our top tips for putting together a general strategy that can be applied across multiple fights.
The mentality of a fighter is essential for a punter to understand, since it has a big impact on their approach in the build-up to a boxing match. You can't expect them to be devoted to tough training and conditioning if they're simply there for a big paycheck - win or lose.
On the other hand, if the fighter is a, hungry upcoming star wanting to advance to the next stage of their career, you can expect him/her to train and prepare properly.
Doing the research on the different types of personalities you're dealing with will pay off when the fighters take to the squared circle.
The finer details are important to understand, especially when fighters have similar skill levels and experience.
One pro tip we have to mention is to look out for reach advantage. Having a longer reach is a huge asset in a boxing match, as in most cases, if a fighter uses it properly they can keep their opponent at a distance, land more punches and concede less.
Always keep in mind that every fighter, no matter how good or bad, has strengths and weaknesses. Study fighters in-depth and, when searching for value, look for instances where an underdog has an advantage over a favourite in an area they could potentially exploit.
Finally, if there is nothing obvious separating two fighters in your head, back the southpaw!
According to a study from researchers at the University of Manchester, southpaw fighters win more bouts than orthodox ones. As many as 17.3 per cent of male boxers are left-handed, which is higher than you would expect, seeing as just 12.6 per cent of of the general male population is left-handed. Food for thought!
Professional boxing fights are often significantly longer than amateur fights, with title fights for male boxers usually lasting 12 rounds and female title fights lasting up to 10 rounds in recent times.
Professional bouts do not allow headgear, and boxers are normally allowed to endure a lot more damage before a bout is called off. The referee has the authority to interrupt the fight at any point if he deems one of the participants unable to protect themselves due to an injury.
In that situation, the opposite player receives a technical knockout (TKO) victory. If a fighter hits a strike that causes a cut on the opponent, and the opponent is ruled unfit to continue by a doctor due to the cut, a TKO is also awarded. Professional male boxers, unlike amateur boxers, compete bare-chested.
In professional boxing, there are 17 weight classes and four main recognised belts for each division: the WBA (World Boxing Association), IBF (International Boxing Federation), WBO (World Boxing Organisation) and WBC (World Boxing Council) belts.
Amateur boxing includes the Olympic Games, Asian Games, European Championships, Commonwealth Games and a variety of other national and international competitions.
These battles use a points system that counts the number of clean hits landed. A point is earned for each strike that lands cleanly and with considerable power on the head or upper body.
In male amateur boxing fights, bouts usually comprise three rounds of three minutes each, with a one-minute rest between rounds. Women's amateur fights are made up of four rounds of two minutes each.
Unlike professional boxing, amateur fighters wear shielding headgear and full vests, usually red or blue.
If a boxer is critically hurt, if one fighter is greatly overpowering the other, or if the count is excessively lopsided, the bout will be stopped by the referees. Amateur fights that conclude in this manner are referred to as 'RSC' (referee stopped contest).
It's pointless to construct the finest online bookie in the world if customers can only deposit money via inconvenient methods. The most popular payment methods include:
We cover a wide range of sports here at Gambling.com, including the latest betting news, strategy tips and best bookmakers for each sport. Some sports lend themselves to betting better than others - and boxing is definitely one of the best sports to gamble on.
Betting on boxing is thrilling and if you've ever had a stake in a fight, you'll know exactly what we mean. Fights can change in a split-second and underdogs can pull off shocks with one big punch, so there is value to be found in boxing odds.
Because the online sports betting landscape has become so competitive, the best boxing betting sites have to offer bonuses, promotions and innovative features in order to stand out from the crowd.
We've made sure to list only the very best here, so if you're new to boxing betting, or if you just want to try out a different site, head over to one of our recommended sites to claim a welcome bonus with free bets.
It's simple to place a bet on boxing. Once you've decided on a betting site, go to the boxing section and browse markets and odds. When you click on the odds for your bet, a betting slip will emerge. To confirm your bet, select the amount of money you want to bet and click 'confirm' or 'place bet'.
888sport, William Hill and bet365 are consistently among the most popular boxing betting apps for bettors. It's often a matter of personal preference, but our review team has identified these major players due to their user-friendliness, bonus offers and live betting features.
The best boxing betting site is subjective, but you can't go wrong with BetVictor, Ladbrokes, 888sport or bet365. All of these online bookies are established, reputable names in the world of sports betting, with licensing from gambling authorities and lots of perks like free bets.
Round betting refers to a market where the bettor picks (a) who will win a fight and (b) the round in which the fight will be won. For example, you might pick 'Gennady Golovkin to beat Canelo Alverez in Round 4', meaning Golovkin would have to stop Alvarez in the fourth round for your bet to be successful.
You will find there's little to choose between boxing odds at the top betting sites, but William Hill will rarely be beaten for prices on any of the big fights. It's worth keeping an eye on new betting sites as they often have enhanced prices and odds boosts.
Punters can claim a free boxing bet in three main ways. (1) As part of a sign-up offer, where depositing and placing a bet will trigger free bets. (2) As part of ongoing loyalty promotions for existing customers. (3) As part of special offers bookies put on for big title fights.
Yes - live boxing betting is now possible online, thanks to the presence of in-play betting sites. Some sites like bet365 even go a step further, giving customers access to live streams of boxing while they place in-play wagers.
"A passionate sports betting expert and journalist with over 15 years spent in the gambling industry."
Reviewer since June 2016