Ladbrokes began in 1886 as a commission agent for horse racing, originally founded by Messrs. Over the years, they have expanded their services, becoming one of the first bookmakers to open betting shops after they were legalised in the UK in 1961. Now, Ladbrokes has become one of the most recognised and trusted names in the UK and international betting markets.
Ladbrokes provides £20 in free bets when you open an account with them, but this is just one of the features and bonuses available to you when you join this bookie. I’ll dissect key areas of the Ladbrokes site, features that determine whether or not you’ll enjoy betting with this bookmaker. But before then, let’s take a quick look at the pros and cons of betting on this top UK betting site:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit £5 | Average esports coverage |
| Comprehensive bet builder | Live chat support isn't round-the-clock |
| In-play betting | Limited withdrawal options |
| Live stream is available | No cryptocurrencies |
| Acca insurance | Odds not always competetive |
| Multiple horse racing promotions | |
| Free deposits and withdrawals |
Ladbrokes Sign Up Bonus
Once you register for a new Ladbrokes account, you can claim a £20 sign-up bonus to kick things off! Here’s the deal: when you create a new account, either through their mobile app or on the desktop site, all you need to do is stake £5 on any sports bet at odds of 1/2 or greater. Once you’ve placed this bet, you’ll be rewarded with £30 in free bets. But here’s the fun bit – this welcome bonus isn’t just one big chunk of £20; it’s given to you as four different £5 bets.
Once you’ve got the free bets in your account, you’ve only got seven days to use them for betting on any sports events. However, I must say that this offer isn’t as lucrative as some others on the market. Compared to other top UK bookies that mostly offer between £20 to £40 in free bets for new customers, Ladbrokes’ bonus sits on the lower end of the scale – a bit underwhelming, really.
Our Favourite Betting Tools and Features at Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes has a fantastic lineup of betting tools that cater to every style of sports betting. Whether you prefer to follow the action live, take time to build your perfect bet, or like to take your wins early, there’s something for you on Ladbrokes. I had a hard time narrowing down my best Ladbrokes features, but here are the ones that made the cut:
In-Play Betting
One of Ladbrokes’ standout features is its in-play betting section, which provides live markets for multiple sports, including football, tennis, cricket, baseball, and horse racing. Odds updates for Ladbrokes’ in-play markets happen in real-time, with intuitive green and red text making it easy for me to spot when odds are dropping and increasing. However, the most enjoyable part of Ladbrokes’ in-play section for me was the live stream option, available for registered users only. Most bookies now offer this feature, but, I have to say, Ladbrokes is one of the best in play betting sites available. The choice of options is huge.
Ladbrokes’ streams cover both major and minor events. I watched several challenger-level tennis matches on Ladbrokes, as well as football matches from leagues in Argentina and Israel. To use Ladbrokes’ stream feature, I was required to have placed a bet within 24 hours or have some money in my account – a sacrifice I didn’t mind having to make.
1-2 Free
Ladbrokes’ 1-2 Free is a frequent promotion that invites you to have a crack at predicting the scores of three matches for a shot at £100 in cash. It’s a nice little freebie, and even if you don’t get all three predictions right, there’s still something in it for you. Guess two right, and you bag a £5 bet builder free bet; get one correct, and you’ll still pocket a £1 free bet.
Bet Builder
Picture this: you’ve analysed a football match but can’t decide between betting on total goals or going for a handicap pick. With Ladbrokes’ bet builder, you don’t have to choose just one! The bet builder lets you create a custom bet by combining multiple predictions from the same event into one slip.
I tried out the Ladbrokes bet builder on an upcoming UEFA Champions League match and loved how easy it was to mix and match from a variety of betting options to build a same-game acca. For convenience, the bookie has a ‘B’ icon that shows you what options can be used in a bet builder at a glance.
The best part about Ladbrokes’ bet builder options is that you still have multiple choices even if you’re betting on lower leagues and lesser-known competitions.
GetAPrice
GetAPrice is Ladbroke’s answer to the request a bet feature. This quality little betting feature allows bettors to create and request personalised bets on various sports. Football is arguably the best and most popular market due to the sheer amount of matches and bet types available. Bettors can combine different markets, such as match results, goals, player stats, and more, into one bet. This feature offers flexibility and tailored betting options, making it popular for those seeking specific outcomes in a single match or event.
2UP and Win – Early Payout
How many times have you watched a football team go 2 goals up and then, blow the lead, causing you to lose a straight win bet? Well, your days of worrying about this happening are over. Ladbrokes’ 2UP and win option gives you an early payout as soon as the team you have tipped to win takes a 2-goal lead at any point during the regular 90 minutes of a football match. 2UP odds are slightly lesser than what you would get for placing a direct match-winner bet, but I don’t mind – I always go with the 2UP option whenever it’s available, as this provides insurance against comebacks.
Mobile App
Unsurprisingly for a brand as established as Ladbrokes, its mobile app is excellent. Every time we have used it, we have found no glitches, no missed promos or markets, and it makes betting remotely a pleasure. Some people may be disappointed that there are no specific bonuses targeted at mobile users, which is the case for some other bookies, but the Ladbrokes app is that good we don’t feel these bonuses are necessary.
It is easy to use, and makes betting on the go simple. It is no wonder it scores a 4.5/5 on both the App Store and the Google Play Store.
Responsible Gaming
Ladbrokes’ dedication to promoting responsible gaming was clear to me from the moment I opened an account with this bookie. After registering a Ladbrokes account, I was directed to set a daily, weekly, or monthly deposit limit. However, this is just one of the many responsible gaming tools available on the website.
This bookie also lets you set a cool-off period or go into self-exclusion if you’re finding it difficult to keep your betting urges in check. Additionally, the Ladbrokes website has links to several help organisations, like GamStop, that you can access by scrolling to the bottom of any page on the website.
Our Experience and Score of Ladbrokes
| Review Areas | Score |
|---|---|
| Welcome Bonus | 7/10 |
| Betting Markets | 9/10 |
| Banking | 8/10 |
| Support | 9/10 |
| Safety | 10/10 |
| Promotions | 9/10 |
Ladbrokes Sports Markets
When I counted, I found 36 different sports betting markets on the Ladbrokes website! This is on par with the number of sports markets on top UK bookies. Ladbrokes’ betting options cover popular sports like football, tennis, and basketball, as well as niche ones like betting on snooker and Gaelic games. If you’re into something other than sports, they’ve even got odds for politics and TV Specials. Plus, all the sports categories are listed on the left-hand side of the homepage, so everything’s within reach.
Horse racing fans are in for a treat with Ladbrokes. The bookie has an entire section dedicated to local UK and Irish races, plus international events from the US and France. I love the mobile app for horse racing, it is simply a cut above the rest when it comes to coverage, odds, ease of use and promos. No other bookie (well, maybe bet365) comes close to Ladbrokes for race coverage, There’s even an esports section featuring games like Counter-Strike: GO and League of Legends, although I did notice there weren’t too many upcoming events when I checked. That isn’t to say you can’t bet when the action’s a bit slow. Ladbrokes also has a virtual sports betting section that lets you jump into simulated betting for top events like horse racing, football, greyhound racing, and cricket.
Football, being the UK’s most popular sport, doesn’t disappoint with betting options on Ladbrokes. You can bet on all sorts, from player stats and team goals to niche markets like corners and cards. The football section is split into in-play matches, competitions, trending matches, outrights, and specials, making it easy to find what you want.
Ladbrokes Banking Methods
Ladbrokes makes banking easy with loads of options that we’re all familiar with in the UK. You’ve got your VISA, Mastercard, and Maestro debit cards, along with PayPal, Klarna, Apple Pay, Paysafecard, and instant bank payments supported by over 30 banks – so, no matter what you prefer, it’s all covered. Most of the time, you can deposit as little as £5, except for PayPal, where it’s £10. Plus, if you’ve got Ladbrokes’ special Grid card, you can pop in a minimum of £5 without any fuss.
Deposits and withdrawals on Ladbrokes are free, which is a big win. It is also easy to fund and withdraw from your betting account, with the deposit option boldly displayed at the top of the Ladbrokes homepage when you log in.
When it comes to withdrawals from Ladbrokes, you are restricted to a few methods but the payout thresholds are very high making them a great choice for bettors looking for a high stakes betting company. The good news is that you can make withdrawals via bank transfer, but you would have to wait for between 1 to 3 days for such payments to be processed. PayPal and Ladbrokes’ Grid Card are some of the other withdrawal options available on this bookie, and both offer considerably faster processing times, making them my preferred methods for requesting winnings.
Ladbrokes Support and Contacts
The FAQ section on the Ladbrokes website is comprehensive, covering topics like account access, promotions, bet settlement, and cancellations, as well as sports betting rules. Some FAQ responses even include detailed videos providing step-by-step guides for things like opening an account and making deposits or withdrawals.
On the rare occasions where I didn’t find an appropriate response in Ladbrokes’ FAQ section, the bookie’s live chat, email address, and phone line provided reliable alternatives. Curiously though, you can mostly access Ladbrokes’ live chat from the bookie’s banking section, and I only discovered this by chance when trying to make a payment. I could also only use live chat between 8 am to 11 pm daily which, all things considered, is a bit limiting if you run into trouble while betting outside those hours.
Impressively, Ladbrokes’ customer support options aren’t limited to what is available on the website and app. I sent a DM to the bookie via their official X account and got a detailed response within a few hours of asking.
Is Ladbrokes Legit?
Ladbrokes is a legit sports betting platform that is licensed and regulated by top government bodies and reputable organisations in the online gambling industry. Besides being one of the oldest bookies in the UK, Ladbrokes is licensed by the Gibraltar Betting and Gambling Association (GBGA) with licence numbers 010 and 012.
A quick search on the United Kingdom Gambling Commission’s (UKGC) website also shows that LC International Limited, which currently operates Ladbrokes, was registered in the United Kingdom in 2019, with account number 54743.
Regular Deals and Rewards at Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes keeps things fresh with several ongoing promotions that cut across all sporting events on the bookie.
Firstly, they’ve got Acca Insurance, which rewards you with a free bet when one leg of your 5+ fold accumulator lets you down. Then there’s the Ladbrokes Fanzone, where you can pick your favourite Premier League team and get exclusive odds boosts for their matches on select days. However, these odds boosts aren’t limited to football alone. Ladbrokes offers supercharged bets, with daily enhanced odds for big matches and events across major sports like basketball, tennis, and horse racing.
If you’re a horse racing fan, you’ll love the selection of race-specific promos on Ladbrokes. The best of these deals, in my opinion, is the Best Odds Guaranteed offer, which bumps up your payout if the starting price for a horse you’ve bet on is greater than the odds of your initial bet. But this isn’t all. Ladbrokes also offers extra places on certain horse racing events, offering you more ways to win.
My write-up on Ladbrokes’ promotions would be incomplete if I didn’t mention The Grid, their rewards program that links your online account to in-store betting at Ladbrokes shops. You can collect points every time you bet, either online or in-store, and exchange them for various rewards like free bets, exclusive offers, reload offers for existing customers, and even discounts on high-street shopping.
Ladbrokes Review Verdict
Ladbrokes has been one of my go-to bookies for years, and it’s easy to see why they’ve stayed strong in the UK gambling scene for over a century. Their range of features makes betting not only enjoyable but also profitable. They’ve also got plenty of betting markets, with an especially strong football section, to ensure that you won’t run out of options while betting. Although the esports section could improve with the addition of more betting markets, the customer support and ongoing promotions are quite exceptional.
