Ladbrokes – The UK’s Longest Running Bookmaker Reviewed

The £20 Welcome Bonus Explained

In terms of value for money, this Ladbrokes welcome offer is one of the best there is. All you have to do is bet £5 and you will receive £20 in free bets.

These free bets will be given to you as 4 x £5 free bets. This is something that gives you flexibility when it comes to using them and means you have more choice.

Due to the minimum wager being so low, many beginner punters could be enticed to play it. The package represents a 400% bonus and is really incredible if you think about it in those terms.

It’s easy to redeem, and the qualifying bet odds are low at 1.50+ (1/2). The only downside to this bet, is that once you’ve be credited the bonus you only have 4 days to use it, so you really need to be quick to utilise it to its fullest.

This straightforward offer is designed to enhance your weekly betting experience, giving you more ways to win on football and racing.

How to Get the Welcome Bonus

Getting the Ladbrokes welcome bonus is a simple prospect. All you need to do is add the correct code during your account registration periods and place an initial qualifying bet to receive the free bets.

It’s very easy, even so we have created a simple guide below for you to follow. If you do each of these steps, you will be sure to have done everything accurately.

Ongoing Ladbrokes Promotions

A great aspect of this bookie is their other promotion on offer. They offer a daily odds boost on certain markets, for your first £50 in bets. It’s great little offer and can really make the difference to your potential profits, which you can work out on our betting calculator.

Of course, you can’t use this on every market so you have to be sure beforehand that your bet will be eligible. Even so, we really like it when a bookie offers such value, and it is truly something you can take advantage of to win bigger than you already would!

The Ladbrokes Sports Catalogue

When it comes to betting options, Ladbrokes offer a whole host of well-known, and some of the more particular sports markets. In addition to all the major sporting competitions from the UK and the rest of world, the operator also carries an extensive selection of eSports markets, professional poker markets, TV specials, and politics and awards options.

Pros and Cons of Ladbrokes

Explore the strengths and weaknesses of Ladbrokes with our concise pros and cons table, providing a clear overview to help you decide if it’s the right choice for your betting needs.

Pros

• Wide range of sports and markets
• Live streaming of sports events
• Generous promotions and bonuses

Cons

• Withdrawal times can be lengthy
• Customer service response could improve

Sports & Betting Markets

With this betting operator, players have the ability to bet on a vast selection of domestic and international leagues and competitions across a wide range of different sports markets.

In addition to common favourites such as football, cricket, tennis and darts, there’s also feature a fair selection of outside sports markets in speedway, futsal, floorball and Aussie Rules football. American sports are also well covered with popular leagues such as the NBA, NFL and MLB all featuring.

For the most popular UK sports, (namely football, horse racing and tennis) punters can expect to find up to 66 different international leagues during the peak season.

For domestic football, the markets range from the Premier League right down to the English regional leagues and the FA Cup – punters also have the option to bet on all four Scottish divisions as well as on the Scottish cup competition.

In-play Betting & Live Streams

After making some significant improvements to the live streaming service in recent years, Ladbrokes customers can now enjoy a number of top quality, high level sports streams across a good range of different sports.

In addition to live streams of almost every major horse and greyhound racing event in the UK, the service also includes action from the Spanish La Liga, ATP World Tour tennis, NBA basketball and NHL ice hockey.

Adding to this, there’s a quality in-play betting platform that during peak season, provides over 800 in-play fixtures every day via mobile, desktop and tablet.

The bookie is well-known for providing a top selection of creative in-play markets for the big sports fixtures, which can of course prove to be extremely helpful in securing those quick-fire profits, and providing a thrilling live betting experience.

The Ladbrokes Betting App

Ladbrokes has tailored its mobile app to match the desktop sportsbook’s design, ensuring seamless on-the-go betting. Among iPhone betting apps, it stands out for its ease of use and familiar layout.

However, the app offers a limited selection of sports markets, featuring only the most popular ones like golf, football, greyhounds, cricket, and horse racing.

While some may appreciate the streamlined approach for mobile, it’s noticeable that certain markets, including cycling, MMA, ice hockey, and some special bets, are missing. This suggests Ladbrokes may have overly condensed its sports offerings for the app.

Despite this, the mobile version maintains comprehensive coverage, including lesser-known leagues and competitions on the desktop. Features like the “My Accas” tool and results centre enhance the mobile experience.

Multiples Betting Types

For punters who enjoy the excitement of placing multiples and combination bets, Ladbrokes offer a solid selection of different bet types. They’re also one of the best operators out there when it comes to managing your bet slip, and keeping track of the potential earnings from your singles as well as your multiples bets.

First of all, players are permitted to have a maximum of 20 different selections on their online bet slip at once. These selections can be split into numerous bet types that include the Canadian, the Lucky 31, the Heinz, Super Heinz and the Goliath.

The multiples bet options will appear at the bottom of the bet slip so that you can clearly differentiate your multiples from your singles. Ladbrokes also allow you to include every selection you have on your bet slip into an accumulator bet, meaning that you can have giant accumulators of up to 20 folds.

This is significantly higher than some of the other bookmakers we’ve reviewed that only permit accumulators of up to 14 or 15 folds.

Every selection on your bet slip has its own individual potential earnings box, so no matter how many singles and multiples combinations you may have, you’ll always be able to see exactly how much each bet is set to pay out.

You can also make use of the “Include in Multiples” tick box, which allows you to manage your bet slip by including and/or excluding certain singles selections from your multiples bet type. For a complete tally of your potential earnings, simply scroll down to the bottom of your bet slip and check the “Total Potential Returns”.

Bet & Win Limits

This bookmaker’s minimum stake is 10p, a reasonable limit that suits both experienced bettors for placing multiple small bets and newcomers testing the waters before increasing their stakes. While some operators accept lower bets, 10p is a fair starting point.

The daily maximum win limit is £1,000,000 for top sports like football and horse racing, with up to £10,000 for certain non-sporting and special bets. This cap is competitive, as few bookmakers exceed a £1,000,000 daily payout. Yet, for non-sports bets, a higher maximum payout could be anticipated.

Good In-play Odds8

While Ladbrokes offers some of the best odds for certain sports, placing them in the top five for select events, their average pre-match odds don’t always lead the market. With other operators providing higher odds levels, Ladbrokes doesn’t consistently offer the best prices for the most popular sports.

Ladbrokes’ pre-match odds peak at just under 95% for football, with horse racing and tennis at 87.58% and 95.88%, respectively. Their live odds are also competitive, reaching 93.8% for football and 93.58% for basketball, which are among the highest rates compared to market leaders.

Overall, the operator can’t claim the top spot for having the highest odds levels across the board. Generally speaking however, punters can rest assured that Ladbrokes will always deliver very competitive odds prices in a number of different categories.

Accepted Payment Methods at Ladbrokes

Although there aren’t a great number of supported payments with Ladbrokes, all the most common debit cards have been well looked after as well as one or two pre-paid cards and e-Wallets.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any special bonuses for depositing using any of the listed payment options above, and deposits made via Skrill, Neteller and paysafecard do not qualify as part of the welcome promotion.

*Limits may apply from the payment processor themselves.

The average processing time for withdrawals made via is pretty much standard at 3-5 business days. The wait time when using Western Union or a direct bank transfer can be slightly longer, (up to 5 business days). All transactions are course completely free of charge at the bookmaker’s end.

The User-Friendly Platform 8

The desktop platform is by far one of the best on the market in our opinion, when it comes to ease of navigation and user-friendliness.

You’ll often find that bookmakers sometimes make the mistake of either having a data-heavy platform, which makes the information on the page appear cramped and hard to differentiate, or that sometimes the information on the page hasn’t been properly arranged, which leaves large blank spaces at the bottom and the side of the screen.

The platform we see here is a perfect compromise between the two; all the information has been carefully tailored to fit the screen so that all the space on the page is filled with useful content. The tabs at the top of the page allow for quick and easy-one-click access to the in-play betting platform and the most popular sports markets.

On the right hand side of the page, players can make use of the quick link windows that show the current odds prices for some of the most popular, upcoming sports fixtures for the weeks ahead, as well as information regarding the different long term promotions and daily price boosts.

With the A-Z sports tab at the top left hand corner of the page, punters can scroll down and see the full range of different sports and specials markets on offer.

Clicking on the different drop down arrows allows you to minimize and maximise the different sports markets on the page so you can make more space for your favourite sports and sporting competitions.

The drop down tools also allow you to toggle between in-play and pre-match betting so that you’re never more than a few clicks away from the action.

How to Place a Bet

When it comes to the most important part of the sportsbook, (that is actually placing your bets) Ladbrokes have implemented a quick and straightforward process. To make your selection, you need only click on the displayed odds price of a given betting market; this will add the selection to your betting slip at the top right hand corner of the screen.

After adding your selection to the bet slip, enter your stake in the “Stake” box to view the potential return. For multiple bets, click on the odds of your choices; each will be added to the bet slip, displaying all possible combinations for multiples.

You’ll also receive a notification on your bet slip should be there be any price fluctuations before you actually get round to confirming your selections. Once you’re happy with your chosen selection, simply use the “Place Bet” button to finalise your bet.

• [1] Choose Your BetSelect your desired bet by clicking on the odds button next to a given betting market. To add more bets, simply repeat the process.
• [2] Lay Your StakeCheck to make sure your bet selection is correct, and then key the amount you wish to wager into the empty box.
• [3] Confirm On Your Bet SlipCheck the bet once more to make sure the selection is correct on your bet slip, then click the “Place Bet” key to confirm your wager.

Unlike some of the other bookmakers that display their cash out icon next to the given odds price, customers at this betting operator must refer to the “My Bets” tab on the bet slip to see whether or not a given betting market has the cash out option available.

One minor downside is that bettors can’t see if the cash-out option is available before adding a bet to the slip, leaving us unsure of our options beforehand. To utilise cash out, you must check the “Open Bets” tab on the bet slip for the available cash-out price. Even so, Ladrbokes are a reliable cash out betting site.

The Fine Details of the Business

When making an informed decision about the quality of an online bookmaker, there are a number of extremely important points that punters should always bear in mind.

It’s crucial to verify the operator’s customer support reliability, adherence to licensing, testing, and security standards, and commitment to responsible gambling policies. These are essential aspects that ensure a safe and trustworthy betting experience and should never be overlooked.

All About the Business

Ladbrokes holds the record for being the UK’s longest running betting operator. Even more impressive is that bookie has managed to maintain such a considerable retail presence, and the fact that they continually strive to improve both the online and offline services.

At present, the company has over one million unique online registered players spread across four different continents, and a dedicated staff force of over 14,000 employees.

After years of speculation and prolonged debate, the decision was made for Ladbrokes International PLC to merge with their old rivals, Coral Gala Group, in a business move that has been reported to be worth over £2 billion.

The UK Competition and Markets Authority approved the merger after both parties agreed to the sale of some 320 betting shops to rival companies Betfred and Stan James to ensure that punters in the UK have a choice of different bookmakers in local areas.

After years of rivalry, two historic companies with a common goal of creating responsible gambling products for the digital era are merging. They aim to enhance their online presence and plan to jointly list their shares on the London Stock Exchange, marking a significant step in their combined journey.

Customer Service 8

As you would expect from a bookmaker that has long prided itself on top quality customer service, Ladbrokes provide a multitude of different avenues through which their customers can speak with the support team, and get help resolving a whole range of different issues and queries.

For all the not-so-urgent problems, players are free to contact customer support via email or telephone. In most cases you can expect an email response from a customer agent within 24 hours of reporting your issue, and telephone assistance is available from round the clock, 7 days a week.

For urgent issues requiring immediate answers, the live chat service is the top choice. Based on multiple interactions, we found that the live chat team is consistently friendly, responsive, and highly effective, even when handling complex queries.

Even when the site is experiencing a high volume of calls, the live chat window is quick to load, so you normally won’t have to wait more than a few minutes until you’re connected with a customer agent.

Licensing & Security9

When playing with Ladbrokes, punters can rest assured that all the correct measures and procedures have been put in place as to ensure that all players can enjoy a safe and fair gambling experience.

All information sent to and from the website is automatically encrypted using the advanced Secure Sockets Layer technology. The company employ this same technology on both desktop and tablet devices, so regardless of how it is you choose to gamble, you can do so with full assurance that your private details will never fall into the wrong hands.

With regard to licensing and fairness testing, the bookie is fully licensed and regulated by a number of reputable, well trusted organisations. The company has a dual license with the UK Gambling Commission and the Government of Gibraltar as to ensure that all their operations are carried out in full accordance with the law.

In addition, Ladbrokes are a fully registered member of the ESSA. This means that punters who choose to gamble with this betting operator can do so with full knowledge that stringent rules and controls have been put in place to combat any signs of corruption, and to uphold the integrity of sports betting.

In the event of a serious dispute between the operator and a customer leading to a deadlock, the partnership with the IBAS organisation offers players a chance to escalate their complaints to a third-party adjudication service.

As with all the other leading bookmakers in the UK, Ladbrokes are obliged to follow strict rulings as to adhere to the governmental guidelines in regard to promoting responsible gambling.

At the footer of the webpage, users can find a number of different agencies that work tirelessly to install measures that first, help to prevent gambling addictions from developing, and also ensure that those who already suffer from an addiction to gambling can receive proper help and care.

The operator partners with GamCare and the Responsible Gambling Trust for addiction support. Users can set gambling controls like deposit limits and time-outs in the “My Account” section to manage their betting responsibly.

The Live Streaming Saves Some Bonus Points6

Despite being a common favourite operator for a considerable number of UK punters, the operator only managed to claim five points out of ten in our extra bonus points section.

After making some improvements to the live streaming service some years ago, Ladbrokes customers can now enjoy a selection of high level sports streams, as well as streams of almost every major greyhound and horse racing event. For this, we felt as though the operator deserved two out of a possible three points here.

• Live Streams.2/3
• Sponsorship.1/3
• Awards.0/2
• Extra Markets.1/1
• Bonuses.1/1
• Bonus Points.6

Rather surprisingly, the company haven’t received any notable accolades in recent years at any of the prestigious awards ceremonies; this unfortunately meant that we weren’t able to award any extra point in this category.

However, after having recently signed a long term deal with the FA (Football Association) to become the official betting partner for the next three years, we felt as though they deserved an two points here.

A solid selection of specials markets and a good free bet welcome offer meant the company managed to rake-up another well needed, two points and ultimately finish with a satisfactory five points out of ten score in our special bonus round.

Conclusion – A Solid Performance

After putting Ladbrokes through our rigorous testing procedures and analysing all the good points along with the bad, we still think it’s safe to say that the company fully deserves its reputation as being one of the best betting operators in the UK market.

It would not surprise you they also rank amongst the best casino sites too. They do fall short in a few key areas; for a leading bookmaker it must be said that the company is somewhat lacking in sports sponsorship department, and the odds levels for some of the most popular sports could indeed be higher.

Other than this, the bookie fulfills all the other criteria that you would expect to find in a top quality betting operation.

The user friendly, aesthetic platform makes navigating around the site a simple, stress free experience, and there are thousands of pre-match and in-play betting markets to go alongside a top selection of different sports markets and competitions from all around the world.

When you also consider the many benefits available on The Grid customer loyalty scheme, the sleek, high performance mobile app and the vast range of daily price boosts, it becomes clear to see why Ladbrokes have been able to hold onto their status as one of the UK’s leading bookmakers for so long.

Q&A/FAQ

Here we have analysed the main discussion points of the Ladbrokes sportsbook, if you have any further questions, please refer to our Ladbrokes sub-pages or send us an email at info@bestbettingsites.com.

What's the current Ladbrokes sports betting bonus for new UK customers?

New Ladbrokes clients are offer up to £20 in free bets when signing up. New customers need to read the terms and conditions carefully to ensure they qualify for this reasonable sign-up offer. The Ladbrokes bonus comes in the form of 4x£5 free bets.