Skybet online betting

Website: Sky Bet
Free Bet: £10 Free Bet
Promotions: Extra place terms on selected races
Customer Support: 24/7 by phone or email

Sky Bet Review

Sky Bet is the online betting service from Sky TV. Sky Bet customers have the unique option to place bets online or through their digital TV using the red button functionality. Sky Bet offers a wide range of betting markets with competitive odds.

Sky Bet Design/ Navigation

Sky Bet have recently improved the layout of their website making it even easier to place bets. Customers can choose to browse betting markets by sporting category, or use a drop down menu to drill right into the event or market they want to bet on. Once you have made your selection it’s added to your bet slip and you can choose your stake or whether you want to add any more bets. This is one of the smoothest and easiest to use bet slips of any online bookmaker.

The improved Sky Bet website navigation also makes it easier to find Sky bet’s other products: Casino, Poker and Bingo, all of which can be accessed using your Sky Bet account.

Sky Bet Betting Markets

Sky Bet offer a comprehensive range of betting markets, and are one of the first to publish prices for upcoming sporting events. I’m writing this review on a Monday morning and Sky Bet already have odds available for all the weekend’s football fixtures. Sky Bet also have a great horse racing betting service, offering early prices from 10am on all UK racing.

Sky Bet are also the leader when it comes to novelty betting events such as Big Brother, I’m a Celebrity, X Factor etc. Sky Bet take these events very seriously and have a dedicated odds compiler meaning that Sky Bet offer the biggest range of markets on these events.

Sky Bet Features

Sky Bet have a number of nice features that helps make them one of the leading online betting services. These included free horse racing stats and form, latest news headlines direct from Sky Sports, as well as a great in running betting service where customers can bet on live football games through their digital TV.

Sky Bet Promotions

Sky bet offer regular free bets to loyal customers so make sure you sign up to their e-newsletter when registering an account.

Sky Bet Free Bet

New Sky Bet customers get a free £10 bet. The free bet from Sky Bet is credited to your account once you have placed your first bet on any market at any odds. You can then choose to use your free bet on any of Sky Bet’s wide range of markets, but your stake is not returned with the winnings. This is one of the best free bet offers around at the moment.

Click here for a free £20 bet from Sky Bet

Coral betting review

Website: Coral
Free Bet:Bet £10 and get a £20 Free Bet
Promotions: Extra place terms on selected races
Customer Support: 24/7 by phone or email

Coral are one of the most popular bookmakers in the UK, with over 1000 shops nationwide, and a very successful online betting service, which includes a casino and poker room. Coral offer a secure betting website that is reliable and trusted by hundreds of thousands of punters. Coral are currently considered to be the third biggest betting organisation in the UK.

Coral Design/ Navigation

The Coral website is highly recommended by Free Bet Finder, as it has everything a punter requires for placing bets online. In late 2012 the site underwent a revamp to make it more intuitive for users, making it quicker and easier to place bets. It is easy to place your bets quickly with Coral, as they have drop down menus that link directly into the betting market of your choice, as well as a list of the biggest upcoming sports events, allowing you to place your bets in as little as 2 clicks. The Coral website is definitely as easy to use as many of the other leading gambling operators such as Bet 365 and William Hill.

Coral Betting Markets

Coral offer odds on all sporting and special events, and are usually one of the first bookmakers to publish their prices. Coral also accept large bets, so you are unlikely to get knocked back over a bet like you would with some smaller bookmakers.

When it comes to football, Coral offer a great selection of in-play markets, so you can bet on a variety of outcomes whilst the game is in progress. This is a great form of entertainment when your watching a match where you don’t support any of the teams involved.

Coral Free Bet

Coral offer all new customers a free £20 bet, simply deposit £10 into your account and place a bet on any market to qualify for this great offer. You get your free bet from Coral whether your initial bets wins or loses, and no matter how short the odds are!

Click here for your free £20 bet with Coral

Website: Tote
Free Bet: £10
Promotions: Cash back on pool bets
Customer Support: 24/7 by phone or email

Tote Sport Review

The Tote or totesport as they are now officially know as are the UK’s oldest and most trusted betting establishment offering bets as a bookmaker but also offering a range of tote pool bets such as Placepot and Scoop 6. When it comes to horse racing betting you won’t find a better service than totesport, even at larger bookmakers such as Ladbrokes and Betfair.

Tote Design/Navigation

The tote have made a number of big improvements to their website and online betting service making the site a lot easier to navigate and the procedure of placing a bet much faster. There is an easy to use left hand navigation where customers can find ant betting market by sport, or there is a drop down menu which is equally as easy to use.

Tote Betting Markets

Tote offer betting on popular markets including racing, football, tennis, golf and cricket. The number of markets offered on football is rather limited, as is the betting in running service on live sporting events.

Tote offer their range of totepool bets on their website, offering punters the chance to bet into a pool rather than against a bookmaker. The benefit of this is that tote win prices are better than starting price fixed odds bets 63% of the time, meaning it is a lot more profitable for punters to bet on tote pool. Find out more about tote betting by clicking here.

Tote Features

The tote have a number of nice tools to help you including a comprehensive horse racing stats/form centre, football stats, greyhound stats and totesport radio that provides free commentary on all UK horse racing.

Tote Promotions

Tote offer customers a number of regular betting promotions on a weekly basis including enhanced win prices on selected horse races, half the odds if your horse finishes second on selected races (instead of quarter the odds).

Tote Free Bet

Tote offer a fantastic free bet to all new customers. Simply open an account and place a qualifying bet of £10, and tote will give you a free bet to the same value! You receive your free bet when your initial stake is settled, whether it is a winner or loser, and no matter what odds your initial selection was. There are no restrictions as to what you place your free online bet with the tote on.

Click here to get a free £10 bet with the tote

Bet 365 free bet

Website: Bet 365 free bet
Free Bet: £100 Free Bet Basket
Promotions: Channel 4/1 offer
Customer Support: 24/7 by phone or email

Bet 365 Review

The Bet 365 website is arguably the easiest online betting website to use thanks to a user-friendly layout. Customers can find their betting markets by either using the left hand navigation or the quick link features on the homepage that promote the most popular upcoming events. The bet slip at Bet 365 is easy to use and offers customers a wide range of betting choice.

Bet 365 Free Bet

Bet 365 offers all new customers a £100 free bet basket. This is one of the most generous free bet offers from any online bookmaker. The Bet 365 free bet basket wards customers a free £25 matched bet after they have place their first, fifth, tenth and twentieth bet! There are no restrictions on what market or events the free bet can be used on.

Bet 365 Design/ Navigation

The Bet 365 website is designed with the user in mind, making it accessible and easy to use even for novice bettors who are new to online betting. Placing a bet is a simple process, and the bet slip makes it simple to choose which bet permutations you want to choose. Bet 365 allow players to transfer funds between their sports betting account into gaming chips for use in the poker room or casino, making Bet 365 the perfect gaming site.

Bet 365 Betting Markets

Bet 365 offer the most detailed range of UK, European, or American sports than any other bookmaker. The range of markets on offer is simply superb. All events are priced up early by Bet 365. All bet 365 markets are priced up to low margins of around 107%, making Bet 365 one of the most competitively priced bookmakers on the web. Bet 365 also have the most focused in running betting service, with a massive choice of betting opportunities on live sport. Bet 365 are particularly popular for their Asian Handicap betting markets.

Bet 365 Features

Bet 365 have a great range of betting tools and resources to help their punters. There is a comprehensive range of stats and form for football, racing and greyhounds. Bet 365 customers can watch live streaming of all UK racing, or use the free audio service to listen to the race live. There is also a livescore service so football punters can check their bets in real-time without having to leave the site. Bet 365 also allow customers to deposit and withdraw funds using Pay Pal – one of the few UK bookies to offer this service.

Bet 365 Promotions

Bet 365 offer some great promotions that really keep you coming back to bet with them. When it comes to horse racing it’s hard to beat the Channel 4/1 offer, where if you back a winner on any televised Channel 4 race Bet 365 will give you a completely free bet up to £50 on the next race. Bet 365 also repeat this offer for greyhound racing. When it comes to football, Bet 365 have some great promotions including refunds on all correct score bets if the match finishes goalless, one third the odds on first goal scorers with unlimited places – which basically means if your selection scores anytime.

Click here to claim £100 in free bets from Bet365

Website: VC Bet
Free Bet: £20
Promotions: Regular cash back offers & 1st Goalscorer incentives
Customer Support: 24/7 by phone or email

VC Bet Review

Victor Chandler is the largest independent online gambling organization in the world, offering sports betting, casino and poker. Victor Chandler has just gone through a major rebrand, and the sports betting side of the business is now known as VC Bet. VC bet is often regarded as the gentleman’s bookmaker, because of it’s honesty and integrity. VC Bet is definitely one of the best online bookmakers.

VC Bet Design/ Navigation

Following the recent re-brand, the Victor Chandler site has gone through a makeover, and is now one of the most user friendly betting websites available. It is extremely quick to place a bet, and your VC account gives you access to the poker and casino offerings as well.

VC Betting Markets

VC Bet feature all sports and specials markets in great depth. The markets for major sports are extremely thorough offering a wide range of betting opportunities. There are also a number of themed special offers from VC Bet such as cashback, incentivised odds, and refunded stakes on certain losing bets.

VC Bet free bet

VC Bet offer all 1st time customers a free bet up to £25. Simply place a qualifying bet of £5 or more and VC Bet will match this with a free bet up to the value of £25. VC Bet have also recently introduced some great new football betting promotions – click here to find out more.

*Click here for all the latest odds on upcoming football matches

The 2008/09 UEFA Cup betting is wide open, with Italian giants AC Milan the 13/2 favourites with Stan James. Part of the reason for the long odds is that it is still unknown which teams from the Champions League will enter the UEFA Cup at the last 32 stage. However, there is every likelihood some big names will enter at this stage.

UEFA Cup betting odds

Sky Bet make “any Champions League team” the 11/4 favourite to win the UEFA Cup. All thought there is no doubt some quality Champions League sides will drop into the UEFA Cup, they have all failed win the competition in the last four years, suggesting the best UEFA Cup betting value may lie elsewhere.

One obvious contender is Spurs, now managed by twice UEFA CUP winner Juande Ramos. Stan James offer the best odds of 12/1 about Spurs winning the UEFA Cup, and despite their poor start to the domestic season, there is no doubt they are definitely a good cup team after winning last season’s Carling Cup.

Other English sides in this season’s UEFA Cup all have quality squads but their lack of European experience makes them longer odds in the betting, with Aston Villa available at best odds 25/1 with Sky Bet, Everton best odds 25/1 with Betfred, Portsmouth 40/1 with Blue Square on the first European outing, and Man City the 50/1 outsiders.

*Click here for all the latest odds on upcoming football matches

Champions League 2012 betting

The Champions League is one of the most exciting betting events, thanks to the vast array of talented teams competing against each other, with live TV coverage of every game. It’s also thrown up a number of shocks over recent years, with Chelsea emerging victorious against Barcelona last season, and then beating Bayern Munich on penalties.

Champions League odds

This season, Barcelona are the red hot favourites to win the tournament, with their fierce Spanish rivals Real Madrid second favourites. You can find all the latest odds below:

Champions League Group betting

There is some easy money to be made by betting on the Group stages of the Champions League. That is why we’ve created betting previews for each groups containing the latest odds as well as some great betting tips:

Group A betting preview

Group B betting preview

Group C betting preview

Group E betting preview

Group F betting preview

Group G betting preview

*Click here for all the latest odds on upcoming football matches

With the Third Round of the Carling Cup welcoming the big guns into the competition, with only Liverpool of the top five in the betting involved in the second round, and the first few games of the League season past, betting for the cup has taken shape.

Carling Cup 11/12 betting preview

The top six in the betting will not surprise anyone. Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham will be easily the most popular pick for the competition, like they will be for the FA Cup, but there are differences between the two. Consider both the importance of the competition, the timing of fixtures (most importantly the semi-finals and final) and other involvements. Also, four Premiership teams have already been knocked out; new boys Norwich, QPR and Swansea, as well as Sunderland.

Carling Cup odds

Manchester City are favourites at this moment in time after a blistering start to the campaign. Although they are not favourites for any other competition they are in, the money has probably gone onto City because of their squad. With the amount of high quality players they have who struggle to make their first eleven, with over £80m of talent on their bench against Tottenham Hotspurs this season, it is clear there is enough in reserve to challenge on four fronts. They also have a cup win under their belts as a Mancini side, winning last year’s FA Cup. Much could depend on their progress in the League and Champions League, and this will definitely be at the bottom of their priority list. The motivation of the players Roberto Mancini will use in this competition can also be questioned, big name players stuck filling in midweek in the less respected Carling Cup are not going to be as hungry as some of their competitors. At a best price of 6.5 at William Hill the value is early, as they will be hard to stop if they sense a trophy, but are not experienced in challenging for four competitions, and do not have the squad harmony of their main competitors to keep motivation at a high.

The second favourites are Chelsea (7.00 with Victor Chandler, Blue Square, 888 Sport). Unlike last year, the numbers coming into Stamford Bridge outweigh those leaving, whilst young talent has been shown to be strong. New manager Andre Villas-Boas will be under pressure to win silverware too and an early trophy could keep Chairman and Owner Roman Abramovich happy if their other quests for glory fail. The reasons to be cheerful for Chelsea backers come in the form of the players in reserve. Daniel Sturridge seems set to stay at the club instead of embarking on another loan spell, whilst new signings Romelu Lukaku and Oriel Romeu could see this as a tournament to find their feet in English football, and both have considerable ability and potential. Add to those Josh Mceachren, Ryan Bertrand, Gael Kakuta and Patrick Van Aanholt, and it is easy to see the young basis of a strong second team for Chelsea, which will be flittered with experienced stars and first team players too. Chelsea are one to watch, as they have the ability to be peerless on the pitch and the potential to implode from within.

Manchester United are third favourites, and having won two years in a row before last season it is easy to see why they will be backed. A strong squad with depth and talented youngsters always coming through, plus the experience of being in all the competitions at the business end means Manchester United are the competition’s formidable side. They have started the season superbly, no stronger a performance than an 8-2 drubbing of Arsenal will be seen all season. And their squad depth is even better than their Manchester rivals at City, the players want to play for the club and the manager, something that can be questioned at the blue half of Manchester. They seem to have two or three players for every position, all more than capable Premiership performers, and you cannot argue with Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad management. Berbatov, Owen, Carrick, Giggs, Evans, Jones and many others are quality names that are not guaranteed first team football, and could be used in the Carling Cup. The 8.00 on offer (Coral) could be the value of the season on Fergie’s men marching to Wembley and lifting the trophy come February.

After Arsenal’s major collapse on and off the field as the season has started, Liverpool have found preference from the punters in many areas. A best priced 8.50 with Bet Fred and Paddy Power, the only team of the market leaders that does not have European football to contend with could be the best way to bet. Liverpool look a little short of Premiership glory this season, and whilst their priority will be a top four spot, Kenny Dalglish is definitely a man who respects the importance of a good cup run and the impact of a trophy. A squad bolstered by numerous quality buys this summer, they appear to have the depth to handle a Carling Cup campaign alongside other ambitions. They are also playing some fantastic football right now, and whilst others worry about long trips to European lands, Liverpool may take this competition a bit more seriously, and have the fitness to storm to Wembley. The one area they definitely have numbers is midfield, and the mix of youth and experience there, and in other areas, could see hungry players coming in and out of the side desperate to leave a mark. It is also coming to a period where Gerrard and Carragher, Liverpool heroes already, must be desperate to get some extra silverware in the locker as their careers come towards an end. Victory at the new Wembley is something neither have achieved, and King Kenny would love to mark his first full season back in charge by bringing a trophy home to the rather full cabinet.

Recommended bets:

Manchester United – 8.00 Coral
Aston Villa – 21.00 Sky Bet

*Click here for all the latest odds on upcoming football matches

FA Cup

Chelsea are 5/2 favourites to win the FA Cup with William Hill after the third round draw paired them at home to League 1 side Huddersfield.

Other ties of interest include Non-League Burton Albion at home to Manachester United, and also pitted giant-killers Tamworth, who have beaten Bournemouth and Hartlepool, against Stoke City. Middlesbrough will play Nuneaton or Histon, who face a replay this month, while holders Arsenal meet Cardiff.

The draw for the FA Cup third round:
• West Bromwich Albion v Reading
• Fulham v Leyton Orient
• Brighton v Coventry
• Wolves v Plymouth
• Port Vale or Bristol Rovers v Doncaster
• Sheffield Wednesday v Charlton
• Torquay v Birmingham
• Manchester City v Scunthorpe
• Newcastle United v Mansfield
• Luton Town v Liverpool
• Preston v Crewe
• Stoke v Tamworth
• Derby v Burnley
• Southampton v MK Dons
• Blackburn v QPR
• Arsenal v Cardiff
• Stockport v Oldham or Brentford
• Norwich v West Ham
• Ipswich v Portsmouth
• Wigan v Leeds
• Sunderland v Woking or Northwich Victoria
• Chelsea v Huddersfield
• Cheltenham Town or Oxford United v Chester City
• Leicester v Tottenham
• Watford v Bolton
• Sheffield United v Colchester United
• Nuneaton Borough or Histon v Middlesbrough
• Hull City v Aston Villa
• Barnsley or Bradford v Walsall
• Burton Albion or Burscough v Manchester United
• Crystal Palace v Stevenage Borough or Northampton Town
• Millwall v Everton

Ties to be played on the weekend of 7/8 January 2006.

The outright betting for the tournamnet is dominated by Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United, which is no surprise when looking at recent winners of the trophy over the last 10 years. The tournament has been won by these three times on 9 of the last 10 occasions.

• 2004-05 Arsenal
• 2003-04 Manchester United
• 2002-03 Arsenal
• 2001-02 Arsenal
• 2000-01 Liverpool
• 1999-2000 Chelsea
• 1998-99 Man Utd
• 1997-98 Arsenal
• 1996-97 Chelsea
• 1995-96 Manchester United

Chelsea 7/2 Betfair
Man Utd 9/2 Total Bet
Arsenal 6/1 William Hill
Liverpool 9/1 Bet 365
Spurs 14/1 Blue Square
Newcastle 25/1 VC Bet

*Click here for all the latest odds on upcoming football matches

Euro 2008

Euro 2008 presents football fans with some of the greatest betting opportunities, with over 30 competitive games in under a month! We have provided an in depth preview of each country playing in Euro 2008 to help your betting selections. Make sure that you check out our Euro 2008 free bets section before you place your bets!

Germany – Euro 2008 odds 4/1 with Stan James

Although Germany are favorites, their side doesn’t contain as many world class players as some of their Euro 2008 rivals such as Spain or Italy. Germany are short odds thanks to their solid World Cup performance (where they were the hosts). Always a well organized side, they will be difficult to beat but do they have the flair and creativity to go all the way?

Spain – Euro 2008 odds 6/1 with Blue Square

Spain are always the major under-achievers in major football tournaments, but have been subject to a number of large bets from professional  gamblers due to their fantastic squad. Spain will be fielding Premiership stars such as Torres and Fabregas, as well as Puyol from Barcelona. If Spain can finally overcome their major tournament underachievement they look a great bet.

Italy – Euro 2008 odds 7/1 with Sky Bet

Never underestimate the Italians! Despite being one of the greatest footballing nations ever, many pundits wrote them off for the World Cup and were proved wrong! The Italian Euro 2008 squad may not contain as many glamorous names as previous years, but they are still a solid outfit who will be very difficult to beat.

Portugal – Euro 2008 odds 15/2 with Bet 365

Portugal have the easier side of the draw, and arguably the world’s best player on current form in Christiano Ronaldo so will attract of lot of bets at attractive odds. Our major concern for Portugal is that they don’t have a regular out and out striker and may rely too heavily on Ronaldo for firepower.

France – Euro 2008 odds 9/1 with Bet 365

France look a decent bet to do well in Euro 2008 with a good blend of youth and experience in their squad.

Croatia – Euro 2008 odds 14/1 with Totesport

Croatia are a solid outfit who should have no problems progressing through the group stages. With Arsenal strike Eduardo out injured they may lack the firepower to go all the way. Another negative factor about the Croatian’s is their ability to travel, as a lot of their recent good form has been on home territory. Still many punters will be placing each-way bets as Croatia are considered to be dark horses.

Holland – Euro 2008 odds 14/1 with Sky Bet

Holland are great value at 14/1 with a very talented squad. Unfortunately for the Dutch they have been drawn in the group of death alongside Italy and France. There are also question marks surrounding the unity of the squad, but there is no doubt that this team has some of the most talented individuals.

Czech Republic – Euro 2008 odds 16/1 with Stan James

The Czech Republic have performed well in recent tournaments, most notably in 2004 when they were beaten semi-finalists. However, their chances this time around look a lot harder with Rosicky out injured, Nedved retired from International football, and Milan Baros out of form. It is worth noting that the Czech’s qualified ahead of Germany for this tournament.

Switzerland – Euro 2008 odds 33/1 with Totesport

The hosts of the Euros have always managed to at least qualify for the quarter finals. Although Switzerland don’t have a star filled squad, their group isn’t the hardest so they can be confident of at least reaching the quarter finals.

*Click here for all the latest odds on upcoming football matches