Gambling.com makes finding the best legal betting sites easy by connecting you with secure, licensed platforms that seasoned industry experts thoroughly review. Backed by decades of experience, our team applies a strict, transparent grading system so you can confidently choose the right site for you.
Finding legal online sites in your area can be overwhelming, particularly with the numerous options available. That’s where Gambling.com comes in. We help you cut through the noise by connecting you to secure, licensed, and expertly reviewed sports betting sites you can trust.
At Gambling.com, we aim to deliver accurate, transparent, and unbiased legal betting reviews so you can bet confidently. Our team of trusted, seasoned industry professionals backs every recommendation we make with decades of combined experience in sports and sports betting.
We apply a strict methodology to evaluating betting sites worldwide. Learn more about our betting review grading system and find the right site.
Gambling.com is part of Gambling.com Group, a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker GAMB.
Since 2006, we’ve tested and reviewed over 3,000 online betting sites for our readers worldwide, only recommending the best licensed options. Our global workforce of over 600 professionals comprises avid bettors and experienced experts in the gambling industry.
Gambling.com has been recognized by several international betting organizations, including:
Gambling.com has also hosted the American Gambling Awards since 2019, honoring the best companies, organizations, and individuals in the regulated U.S. market.
Our work has been featured in The New York Times, ESPN, The Telegraph, BBC, Fox Sports, ABC News, Sky Sports, and numerous other respected media outlets.
We consider user feedback essential to comparing and ranking betting sites, ensuring that real insights shape our recommendations.
We do not recommend offshore or blacklisted betting sites, as no governing body has licensed them or ensured the safeguards necessary to protect bettors.
At Gambling.com, we pride ourselves on our impartial reviews of sportsbooks, free from outside influence.
We are committed to transparency and accuracy, so we will not give a site a positive review unless it meets our high standards for recommendation.
Most importantly, we only review fully licensed and regulated betting sites that we’ve tested for reliability, so you can be sure of a safe betting experience. You can be 100% confident in our betting sites, which our experts have reviewed and recommended.
Licensed betting sites are required to keep personal details safe. They also provide responsible gambling assistance.
Some of the links on our website are affiliate links. This means that if you sign up, we may receive a commission payment at no extra cost to you. Rest assured, however, that our team conducts all reviews independently, free from external influence.
Our independent testing system is designed to ensure all reviews and ratings at Gambling.com are accurate and up-to-date.
We sign up for betting sites and test their features extensively using the process outlined below.
The process takes two months on average when testing a new site for the first time.
We then revisit the site at least once monthly to assess any new features that may have been added or removed.
A complete re-evaluation is done at least once every six months using our 10-step procedure.
We first check for a valid gambling licence.
If proper regulators don’t license a bookmaker, we won't go any further with the testing process.
This quick check usually takes just a matter of minutes.
A member of our team signs up and evaluates the registration process.
While signing up should be quick and simple, we also want bookmakers to carry out the necessary legal checks to ensure customers are over 18 and can legally place bets.
The time this takes varies depending on the site, but we're usually fully signed up, with ID verified, within a few hours.
The next step is depositing real money into a betting account. At this point, we want to see a wide range of payment methods.
We also look for flexible deposit limits and expect funds to be accessible as soon as they're deposited.
It usually takes a couple of hours to test all deposit methods and check limits.
We read the terms and conditions of welcome betting offers (where applicable) so you don't have to.
Then we claim the bookmaker's sign-up offer to ensure it accurately reflects the information outlined in the terms and conditions. We place bets with these credits, typically over a seven-day period, to ensure the site adheres to the terms of the offer.
Step 5 is crucial: checking which betting markets are available and how valuable the odds are. To evaluate betting odds, we research prices for individual betting markets and compare them with odds from leading bookmakers.
This is one of the lengthier parts of the testing process. We aim to compare odds for 100 markets across at least 15 sports, which can take a few weeks.
Along with welcome offers, sites should have a range of promotions that can be claimed regularly after signing up.
We test offers such as odds boosts, early payouts, money-back specials, and loyalty promotions, to ensure a site rewards existing customers. We spread these tests over the course of a month to ensure we can form opinions on the majority of promos offered.
We place bets on a range of pre-event, outright and in-play markets to determine if this process runs smoothly. After at least 30 bets have been placed, we have a good feel for the process.
We examine the betting slip after placing a bet to check the odds and markets selected. If the bet wins, we verify that the bookmaker pays the correct amount promptly.
To assess a site's level of customer service, we contact support agents using all available contact methods.
If a site offers 24/7 live chat, we test this function to check whether support agents deal with queries promptly and professionally.
We also put email and phone support functions to the test during this step of the process.
We test each bookmaker on a range of platforms, including desktop, smartphone, and tablet, devoting the most time to smartphone testing as this is now the most popular way to bet.
If a bookmaker has an Android or iOS app available, we download the apps and spend two weeks using all of their key features.
The best bookmakers should cater to all users, no matter what type of device you're betting with.
The final step in our testing process involves withdrawing funds. Again, we want various options, including debit cards and digital wallets like PayPal.
We test each withdrawal method to check how long the process takes, as withdrawal times can vary depending on the method used.
Licensing ensures a site operates under regulatory oversight, providing users a safe, legal environment.
Without it, there is a risk of being exposed to unfair practices and potential financial losses.
SSL encryption protects sensitive user data like payment details and personal information.
Sites lacking this safeguard put bettors at risk of data breaches and cyber-attacks.
Unfair bonus terms like unrealistic wagering requirements are a major red flag.
They undermine user trust and make it difficult for bettors to benefit from promotional offers.
Transparent terms and conditions are critical for informed decision-making when placing bets.
If a site has restrictive clauses in the small print, it should be avoided.
Excessive limitations on winnings prevent bettors from fully cashing in on successful bets.
Sites that impose low limits on winnings aren't worth your time.
Once we have thoroughly tested a site, our review team will evaluate it in detail and assign an overall rating out of 10.
When we have collated all the findings from our testing, we consider these 10 key categories to rate a site, assigning a score out of 10 in each category.
The final rating is calculated by adding the scores from all categories and dividing that figure by 10.
A diverse range of sports and betting markets is crucial to cater to all types of bettors. Sites that offer depth and variety ensure users can bet on their favorite sports with a wide range of options.
A betting site must offer a wide range of sports and plenty of betting options for each sport to score high in this category.
For example, popular leagues like the Premier League, Champions League, NFL, and NHL should offer 200 or more individual markets per game. Political markets and novelty markets should also be available (where permitted).
Strong promotional offerings, including generous sign-up bonuses and regular customer rewards, add value and enhance the betting experience. Promotions should be fair, transparent, and accessible.
Several factors go into calculating the score out of 10 in this category. This rating is based on the amount of promotions available, the value of each offer, and the fairness/transparency of promotional terms.
Some jurisdictions, including Australia and Canada, restrict the types of promotions a new user can receive. Instead, we grade operators in those areas based on betting features and tools. This rating is based on tools that enhance your betting experience, such as parlay builders that simplify the creation of an SGP. We like seeing innovative betting features at a site, such as betting blogs or social media request-a-bet services.
Choices of payment methods and fast, reliable payouts ensure convenience and security. Trusted sites prioritize seamless transactions for deposits and withdrawals.
A site with a 10/10 rating in this category must support all the most popular payment methods for depositing and withdrawing funds. High marks are awarded to sites that allow instant withdrawals. If a withdrawal takes over three days, a low score will be assigned in this category.
Efficient and accessible customer service is vital for resolving issues quickly. The best sites have a 24/7 live chat option and agents that respond to customer queries within minutes.
A site must earn high marks for customer support by responding to queries promptly and having genuinely helpful and courteous support agents.
We also assess a site’s commitment to responsible gambling by offering tools and resources to promote safe play.
We survey Gambling.com users to determine whether most bettors have had a positive experience with a bookmaker. This has a significant impact on the score we assign in this category.
We consider industry recognition, awards, and reviews from actual users. Our rating system relies on verified reviews from real iOS and Android app users, as well as reviews on Reddit, TrustPilot, and TripAdvisor.
We also conduct thorough research to ensure the bookmaker's parent company has a strong reputation within the gambling industry.
We gather authentic user feedback from real users of betting sites.
A smooth, intuitive, visually appealing user experience ensures bettors can easily navigate and place bets without frustration. We evaluate the user interface, ease of navigation, and overall quality of customer support at online sportsbooks to ensure a satisfying betting experience.
If navigating the site and placing bets is challenging, the UX will not score high. A clunky site or app that is prone to crashing can be highly frustrating to use. Instead, it should run smoothly and be visually appealing.
The mobile app is one of the most essential things we review since most players bet on the go with their phones. Our latest Gambling.com user research shows that 87% of bettors now use smartphones to place bets, so the mobile experience is significant.
A responsive, feature-rich mobile platform or app is essential for a modern betting experience. The app should be easy to navigate, load quickly, and be available on both major app stores.
When rating mobile features, we look for perks like betting apps that send handy notifications. For example, an app might notify us when a horse we've won money on before is set to run again.
This attention to detail is only found in betting sites with the best mobile products.
Responsible gambling assistance should be easily accessible to help bettors stay in control.
We value sites that provide robust tools to support responsible play, including deposit limits, loss limits, timeouts, self-exclusion lists, and access to support networks.
To earn a high score for in-play betting, a site should offer extensive live markets, real-time statistics, and live streams of popular sports like football and horse racing.
We should be offered a fair value if we want to cash out a bet early. Sites with low cash-out offers won't get a 10/10 score here.
In jurisdictions where in-play or live betting is restricted, we only consider live streaming as an option. To earn a high score for live streaming, a betting site needs to allow its customers to watch a range of sports.
You shouldn't have to jump through too many hoops to qualify for live streaming. If you have a bet on a game and there's a stream available, you should be able to watch it. Streams should function smoothly on both mobile and desktop platforms, with minimal buffering issues.
Competitive odds translate to better returns for bettors. Sites offering consistently strong odds across various markets provide excellent value.
We collect odds data from dozens of betting sites, allowing us to easily compare prices and separate the sites with the best value.
To receive a score of 10/10 in this category, a bookmaker must consistently beat the odds from its competitors across various markets and bet types.
| Category | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Markets | 7/10 | Exceptional market depth for popular sports, but niche sports not given as much attention |
| Promotions | 8/10 | The welcome offer is strong but existing customer promotions are lacking |
| Payments | 10/10 | All popular payment methods are accepted and instant withdrawals are facilitated |
| Customer Support | 5/10 | There's no live chat option available and emails can take two days to get a response |
| Reputation & User Feedback | 8/10 | The site comes from a reputable company and user feedback is largely positive |
| User Experience | 5/10 | The site runs smoothly but the layout makes some markets difficult to locate |
| Mobile Features | 6/10 | The browser version of the site works well but there are no apps available to download |
| Responsible Gambling | 9/10 | The responsible gambling section provides useful links and there are seven RG tools provided |
| Live In-Play Betting | 10/10 | 12 sports come with HD live streams, in-play markets are comprehensive, and cash out values are fair |
| Value of Odds | 8/10 | Prices are better than the majority of competitors but a handful of sites still have better odds |
Overall Rating: 7.6/10
Our Verdict: Although the site has some standout features, there is still considerable room for improvement.
Meet the professionals who test and review online sites for Gambling.com, including their roles in our testing and rating procedure.