#ad
18+
This site contains commercial content
Advertisement Disclosure
This independent comparison website helps consumers choose the best available gambling products matching their needs. We offer high quality advertising services by featuring only established brands of licensed operators in our reviews. We receive commission for advertising the brands listed on this page. This may influence brand ranking. Please note that although we endeavor to provide you with up-to-date information, we do not compare all operators on the market.

Alternatives to Sports Betting: The Best Options

As you know, sports is not the only thing you can bet on. There are numerous different options for you to choose from. What are they? Carry on reading to find out!

Page topics: click to go to your favorite one!
Alternatives
Best Alternatives to Betting

Discover other Gambling Games

eSports

CS:GO and More

Casino

Slots & More

Virtual

Horse Racing

Poker

Texas Hold ’em

Bingo

Online Games

Sports Info

The Latest Updates

As you can see, there are plenty of different opportunitues to partake in. From virtuals to casino games, you are spoilt for choices. We’ll go through all the alternatives in detail in the following paragraphs.

Sports Betting Alternatives – What Else to Choose From

As we have already mentioned, you have a lot to choose from. Many of the operators on the UK betting sites list also have other gambling opportunities. These include a casino site, eSports, bingo, and poker. Check out our list below, including their offers and free bets.

Operator Bonus Alternatives Ratings Link T&C’s
BetTarget Bet £10 Get £15 In Free Bets eSports Casino Games Virtual Sports PokerBingo 5.0/5 Visit Site Full T&Cs Apply! New customers only. Max one £15 free bet. Qualifying bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater. Paid as bonus token with min 4/5 odds req. Skrill, Neteller, & PayPal not eligible.
888sport Bet £10 Get £30 In Free Bets eSports Casino Games Poker Bingo 5.0/5 Visit Site Full T&Cs Apply! Min deposit £10 • A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 • Min odds 1/2 (1.50) • Free Bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days • Free Bet stakes not included in returns • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days and expires after 14 days • To withdraw any winnings from the Casino Bonus, wager the Bonus amount 40 times within 14 days • Withdrawal restrictions, payment methods, country & Full T&Cs apply. 18+. BeGambleAware.
Bet365 Bet £10Get £50In Free Bets eSports Casino Games Virtual Sports Poker Bingo 4.5/5 Join Now Full T&Cs Apply! Open Account Offer. New Customers only. Bet £10* & Get £30* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5* and £10* to your account and bet365 will give you five times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value and they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply. Registration Required
10bet Up to£5050% Deposit Bonus eSports Casino Games Virtual Sports 4.5/5 Visit Site Full T&Cs Apply! 18+ begambleaware.org; New bettors get 50% of deposit up to £50; Once per household; Min deposit £15 (no Skrill/Neteller); Wager a total of 8 times deposit + bonus, with max qualifying bet stake equal to your initial bonus amount; Bonus expires after 60 days; Min odds of 4/5 on singles, or 2/5 per leg for acca; Some bet types excluded.
William Hill Bet £10 Get £30 In Free Bets eSports Casino Games 4.0/5 Visit Site Full T&Cs Apply! New online customers only, min £10/€10 stake, win only, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 3 X £10/€10, 30 day expiry, free bet/payment method/player/country restrictions apply.
Luke Andrews: Editor-in-Chief at BestBettingSites.com
Written by: Luke Andrews
Updated on: 09.02.2024

As you can see, there are some big names and new betting sites in this list and all have varied offerings. Some sites will offer a combination of different gambling alternatives, so depending on what you want to play, you have to choose wisely. We’ll break down the different sections next.

eSports – The Best Bookmakers

In the betting world eSports is starting to grow. It will get even bigger now with the world on hold. Check our eSports page for more info. Games like CS:GO, Rocket League, Dota 2 and others have long been at the forefront. See the best site below.

eSports and bet365 logo
  • Lots of Games to Choose From
  • Fantastic Odds on Offer
  • Wide Range of Markets
Get £50 In Free Bets
Full T&Cs Apply! Open Account Offer. New Customers only. Bet £10* & Get £30* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5* and £10* to your account and bet365 will give you five times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value and they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply. Registration Required

The site listed above is truly one of the best at offering eSports betting. They have everything you could ever need. With a wealth of betting markets, you will not be left wanting. It is a great alternative to what you will normally have a punt on.

Casino Gambling: Slots, Roulette, Baccarat, Blackjack

One part of the gambling industry that is thriving is casino sites. All of the best casino sites in the UK have numerous games that only require an internet connection. The most popular games are slots, roulette, Baccarat and Blackjack. See the best rated site below.

Casino roulette game and Grand Ivy logo
  • Wonderful Atmosphere
  • Top Games Package
  • Tiered VIP Package
Bonus up to £1,500
Full T&Cs Apply! 18+. New players only. Min. deposit £20. Max. bonus bet is £5. Bonus spins on selected games only and must be used within 72 hours. Winnings from Bonus spins credited as bonus funds and capped at £100. Bonus funds expire in 30 days, unused bonus funds will be removed. Welcome Offer is 100% match up to £300 + 25 bonus spins on your 1st deposit. Bonus funds are separate to Cash funds, and are subject to 35x wagering the total bonus & cash. Only bonus funds count towards wagering contribution. Affordability checks apply. Terms apply. BeGambleAware.org.

What’s great about this casino alternative is the bonus package available. They usually but together some good welcome bonuses and they offer numerous games and even a VIP package for you to enjoy. If you ever like playing at a casino then this is for you.

Virtual Sports – Top for Betting Fans

If you are an ardent sports betting fan and only want to place sports bets than this is the alternative for you. All virtual events at online sports betting sites run very regularly. Check out our list of best sites below, and you will see there are plenty to choose from.

With events every few minutes you will be covered all day. Check out the virtual horse racing betting guide or the virtual football betting guide for more detailed information. If you are a fan of sports betting then this is the one for you.

Poker – Card Playing Alternative

In some sense poker is a sport much like darts, in that you don’t need to be a supreme athlete to succeed, but you need a supreme brain and nerves of steel. If that is you, then poker could be a good alternative to play.

Poker and 888poker logo
  • Live Events
  • Multi Table
  • Daily Tournaments
Bonus up to £320
Full T&Cs Apply! • Welcome Bonus valid for 1st deposit only • Bonus equals 100% of player’s first deposit, up to £/$888 • The bonus will be granted in £/$10 chunks subject to wagering restrictions of 100 Bonus Points per chunk • Withdrawal restrictions apply • Bonus expires in 90 days • Withdrawal restrictions & T&Cs apply

The best casinos offering poker have daily tournaments and events for you to take part in. What’s more, if there are live tables you can play in real-time against opponents around the world. There should also be different types of games with low or high buy ins.

Bingo: Get a Full House in Your Own Home

One of the most popular pastimes in generations gone by was bingo. Nowadays you don’t have to go to a bingo hall to take part, you can do it from the comfort of your own sofa. Below, we have chosen the best site with the most games possible.

Bingo and 888ladies logo
  • 90 Ball Bingo
  • 80 Ball Bingo
  • 75 Ball Bingo
Bonus up to £50
Full T&Cs Apply! *New Players Only. Dep. min £10 to get £20 bingo bonus + £40 games bonus (total max bonus £60). Valid once. Bonus wins capped at £100, exc. jp wins. To withdraw wins related to bingo bonus, wager 2x the deposit + bonus funds. To withdraw games bonus & related wins, wager 50x the amount of the bonus; wagering req. vary by game. Deposits can be withdrawn at any time. Withdrawal restrictions apply.

It is important that the site has a dedicated live chat so you can talk with other players. What’s more there should be a lobby where new games start every few minutes. If this is the situation, you will always find some available bingo.

Sporting Events

Football is the most popular sport to bet on at the best betting sites in the UK. Football in Europe is certainly there most-watched throughout the world. As a result, there are plenty of different leagues you can bet on with the best online football betting sites, some of which we will detail below.

Football in Europe

A popular league is Serie A as well as the Premier League, adding La Liga and there are plenty of games to follow. One of the main markets on a bookmaker is the footie, so you will most likely find what you are looking for.

If you are really into obscure footie, there are leagues such as the A-League in Australia, that you can always find. We’d only recommend betting on these if you have knowledge of them, however.

Tennis – What Else is Being Served Up?

As with any other sport, there are major tournaments. This includes all ATP and Challenger tournaments. However, the bookie Ladbrokes gives the best markets out of all the gambling sites we have reviewed.

Basketball: NBA and EuroLeague

The NBA was one of the first major sport leagues to go global, it is by far the most popular league. This is then followed by all the major leagues in Europe. There may be some smaller leagues such as the Superleague 1st Division in Russia, yet they don’t really garner so much attention.

Horse Racing: Behind Closed Doors

Horse racing is a classic betting sport. There are numerous events to bet on, with most horse racing betting sites offering markets from the Grand National to local races. As we mentioned an alternative to horse racing could be the virtual races.

Horse Racing and Ladbrokes logo
  • Virtual Markets Available!
  • Daily Races
  • Live Streams
Bonus up to £20
Full T&Cs Apply! 18+ New UK+IRE customers. Paypal and certain deposit types and bet types excluded. Min €5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4 x €5 free bets. Free bets valid for 4 days on sports, stake not returned, restrictions apply. T&Cs apply.

All Other Sports: F1, Hockey, Boxing, Winter Sports and More

Although we have focussed on the major sports, there are still many other smaller ones that you can have a punt on. Formula 1 is a great alternative to what you could be use to. The NHL and UK Elite Hockey League are also well covered, along with all boxing events in the UK. Cycling events such as Giro d’Italia could also be an option. Squash tournaments, Gaelic sports, and the University Boat Race also provide many different events throughout the year.

Betting Shops – An Alternative

Betting shops are a stalwart of days gone by. They offer a great alternative to betting online and some people enjoy the setting. It is up to you if you go, however, we suggest that you will be able to find better alternatives online.