Europeans are famously mad about sports, and most countries are also enthusiastic when it comes to sports betting, which naturally means there are plenty of places to wager on sports. In no particular order, here are five of the best sportsbooks for new players in Europe.
Five Great EU Sportsbooks
Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes is a famous name and has a lot to offer newcomers. Note that the bonuses mentioned are correct at the time of writing and to check the detail for this site (and others) ahead of signing up in case they change. With the disclaimer out of the way, Ladbrokes has some good ones that can be accessed at no cost. These include an instant spins wheel (which every so often becomes an instant wins wheel for guaranteed prizes) that can see the player spin it for free and have a chance of winning prizes such as cash or free spins with a specific slot game. Another free promotion available on a recurring basis is 1-2-Free, which sees players try and predict a trio of football results, with a small free bet for being partially correct and €100 if all your predictions come true. Ladbrokes also regularly rewards players with odds boosts for extra profits if your bet should come off, and small free bets (note that free bets and boosted odds cannot be used at the same time).
The betting markets available at the site are extensive and cover all the usual bases (with literally hundreds of markets on every Premier League or Champions League football match from match odds to top scoring player and include the burgeoning esports betting sector. If you’re a current affairs fan then the political betting section might be up your street, with Formula 1, tennis, snooker, and plenty of other markets also catered for.
The great (and free) recurring bonuses make Ladbrokes an especially good choice for those who take a more prudent approach to betting.
Great European Casinos
Europe has quite liberal pro-betting countries and has legislation to match. This means there’s a fantastic array of betting sites, and many of the best, including Leo Vegas Casino, can be found on this top 10 list of EU casinos. These leading European betting sites offer a compelling combination of fantastic bonuses for players both new and existing, exciting games from the foremost software developers in the industry today, reliable reputations, and a convenient selection of banking methods to make depositing and withdrawing rapid and easy. If you feel like spreading your betting wings beyond the sports betting scene then give our list a look to quickly find the top EU casinos.
888 Sport
New customers at 888 Sport are welcomed with an introductory promotion that sees the player awarded €30 in free bets and €10 in a casino bonus. It’s worth noting that a €10 bet with odds of at least 1/2 has to be made to be eligible to redeem the promotion, although this is hardly onerous. This is a one-off deal and provided you were planning on betting €10 anyway amounts to something for nothing. But there are also recurring promotions that make 888 Sport a top site to join.
Up For 8 is a free-to-play prediction bonus in which the player has to try and guess eight results. Every correct pick earns a €1 free bet, but if you get them all right then you can win up to €8,000 in cash, which isn’t half bad for something that’s free to enter. Free bets can be earned in other ways too, such as when you get a 4/1 winner with any sport (which yields a €5 free bet) and through multiples betting.
In addition to those, and other, bonuses, 888 Sport has a good range of sporting markets and some very helpful navigation. The live now section makes it easy to rapidly bet in-play, and the recommendations category can be sorted by trending markets or markets in which a player has recently won
Bet365
Bet365 has a great range of sports including those popular in the Europe and North American major leagues. The betting markets are extensive, with a wide array available for the likes of Formula 1, NFL, football, and more. In-play betting has its own specific section, and players can add their top sports to the favourites category in order to rapidly find what they are after.
The site is no slouch when it comes to attracting newcomers via welcome bonuses, with €50 in free bets for new account holders (subject to making a €10 bet). Football fans might especially like the 2 Goals Ahead bonus. What this means is that for a single event bet it counts as winning if your side goes a brace ahead at any point, and if you have a multiple then the match gets marked as winning even if that isn’t the result come the whistle. Similar promos are available for basketball and baseball if the NBA and MLB are more your cup of tea.
In common with most other sites odds can be displayed as traditional fractions, using the more modern decimal system, or the American way.
Paddy Power
Paddy Power is an unusual online bookie (which also offers real world betting shops) in that it has a habit of paying out early on high-profile markets (reasoning the PR is worth more than the cost of paying out). Obviously, this can be hugely advantageous for bettors as you can sometimes win either way, as happened in 2016 when the firm paid out early on Hillary Clinton winning the presidential election (keen observers may be aware this ended up not actually happening).
Paddy Power also has a fantasy section covering golf, major league sports, and football with which you can win cash prizes. Football’s the top drawer for European players, of course, and there’s a full-blown stats section that can be handy when considering where to place bets. Players who sign up can take advantage of 100% cash back on their first €10 bet, and the 2 Up promo sees football match bets pay out if your team goes two goals ahead at any point.
Paddy Power covers all the sports one would expect, in addition to the likes of Gaelic Games, esports, and virtual sports. And there’s a dedicated in-play section for those who like the thrill of betting as a game is underway.
William Hill
Last but not least we come to William Hill, an old school bookie that has adapted to become one of the best online sportsbooks for EU players to join. Horse racing and football are the most popular picks at this site, and there are plenty more markets, from American football to the martial action of UFC. TV specials and politics are also good categories for those after something a little different.
Bonuses change often, but at the time of writing, players at William Hill can (for free) enter the Free or 4 promo which involves picking half a dozen football matches in which three or four goals will be scored. Should you be entirely correct then eight €25 free bets are yours, with smaller prizes for getting four or five picks right.
In-play betting is also supported at this sportsbook, with differing sporting categories at the top of the page (each one marked with a number indicating how many live events are currently unfolding).
And that ends our look at a quintet of the best sportsbooks for EU players to register at. Just don’t forget to keep a sharp eye on your bankroll and a tight rein on your stakes.
