Sports Betting Apps

Luckily for you, we're here to help you by telling you all you need to know about the top sports betting apps out there. 

How do they perform when it comes to their design? How easy they are to use, and how good they are when it comes to live betting? And finally, how they compare to the competition when it comes to something that's becoming increasingly important to the average sports betting customer: the frequency, range and quality of their live streaming product?

The vast majority of sports betting sites have cottoned onto the importance of top sports betting apps as something that can allow them to stand out from the crowd in a business where many sites offer similar products, a similar number of sports and markets, and at times, almost indistinguishable odds to each other. 

Read on, and you'll soon find out which of the best betting sites have done the best job when it comes to online sports betting apps. 

How AskGamblers Chooses Top Sports Betting Apps to Feature on Our List

There are two stages to first listing and later ranking which are the best sports gambling apps on the market. 

The first is to decide which betting companies are even worthy of being on our list. And the first consideration within that is that they hold a valid betting licence. If it's the UK Gambling Commission or Malta Gaming Authority, so much the better. Other licenses, such as that of Curacao or Gibraltar are also acceptable, but preference goes for the first two we mentioned. 

The other seven remaining factors we consider are: reputation, site security, betting bonuses and promotions, the number of sports offered (and markets within those sports), the variety and quality of their payment options, the generosity of their betting odds, the availability and quality of their Customer Support (CS) Team. 

By that, we mean that their CS agents are available 24/7 or almost, that they can be reached via different methods such as e-mail, phone or Live Chat and that once you get through to them, the agents are helpful, polite, knowledgeable and actually solve your problem. 

Only once we've decided the betting site has scored sufficiently well across these eight criteria do we put that Sportsbook on our list of recommended sites. 

Which brings us to the second stage. 

Here, the only consideration we take into account is the strength and quality of the site's sports betting app. 

To decide exactly just how well each one performs, we look at several different criteria within the apps, with those different criteria listed and explained in the section below. Once we've given each one a rating across those different categories, we then rank them based on their average score to decide which are the best apps for betting on sports. 

Things to Consider When Choosing the Best Online Betting App

Everyone will have their views as to what's really important when looking for good sports betting apps. There may be a couple of considerations that may matter to some sports bettors that aren't included in our list of criteria. And that's fair enough. 

But we don't feel the need to look at every last detail of a betting app nor do we think you want to be reading never-ending reviews before producing our ultimate ranked list of sports betting apps. So, these are the considerations we analyse as the ones we consider the most important and which allow for a like-for-like comparison. 

User Experience and Design

User experience includes such things as: does the app work quickly without any glitches and without crashing? Does it still work properly in areas where the network reception isn't great? Is the overall experience as good or even better as it is on the web or mobile browser versions? Or significantly weaker? 

As for design: how easy is it for your average customer to navigate their way around the app? Are the most widely used and most important features of it ordered in a logical way and easy to find?  

Another important element is how easy it is on the eye. Does the app look like something mustered together by design students straight out of university that belongs in the year 2008? Or seasoned pros who make it look attractive and clean? 

Live Streaming

Again, there are several elements to this. 

The first one is obviously whether it offers live-streamed events at all. Some sites may not offer them across any platform, whereas others may only have them available via the web version of the site. If the app does offer it, that's the first box ticked. 

The second is the quantity and variety of the events it streams. Very simply put, it's a case of the more, the better. Some sports betting apps real money will only stream the biggest events across the most popular sports, such as football, tennis or horseracing, and that's a good start. 

But the very best sports betting apps will go beyond that and also offer live streaming for plenty of other popular sports, such as greyhound racing, darts, snooker, basketball and rugby. Even better, they could offer live streaming of the rapidly growing sport eSports, which, let's face it, isn't much fun to bet on unless customers can watch the action unfold. 

Then, there are the number of leagues or competitions in that sport. Take football. Does the site's betting app offer streaming of four or five leagues? Or is it more like 20-25? 

And what about the quality of the streaming itself? Are the pictures clear with little or no time delays to what you're seeing in comparison to the action on the field, court or pitch? Is there a live commentary to add some colour to it? Or no commentary at all? So much the better if there is. 

And finally, can you watch the streaming for free or do you have to have had a bet on it before you can watch it? The preference obviously goes for being able to watch it for free although we accept that it's reasonable if you can only watch it if you have funds in your account. Or if you've placed a bet at the site over the past 48 hours or so. 

In-Play Betting

In the days when in-play betting sees more action at many sites than pre-match betting, this is imperative. 

It wouldn't be much of a sports betting app if it didn't offer in-play betting on all the events you can bet on live via the web version, but that's not the only consideration.

How generous the in-play odds are on the betting app compared to other sportsbooks is another big factor. 

We also look at how many different in-play markets there are within each event and how often the betting site suspends their markets: the less often, the better. 

The final factor is how long the betting company's markets stay suspended and how quickly they re-open their markets with updated odds. The quicker the new prices are available, the better the score we give them.    

Cash Out 

One of the most game-changing and popular innovations at betting sites over the past few years has been the introduction of the cash-out feature. If you're new to it, it means that rather than just letting a bet ride and hoping for the best, you can choose to take a profit on bets that are going well and where the odds on the bet going on to win have shortened in relation to when you placed the bet. 

For example, if you placed a £100 bet on a football team at 2.0 and the team you bet on is 1-0 up after 70 minutes, you might decide to take a £70 profit rather than risk not taking a profit at all. Or worse still, losing your £100 stake in the process, as well.  

In other cases, it allows you to cut your losses on bets that are unlikely to go on to win. Using the same example, if it's 0-0 after 70 minutes, you may decide to get £40 of your £100 stake back rather than nothing at all, especially if the side you backed doesn't look like scoring. 

In addition to the sports betting app having the cash out feature to begin with, there are other things to look out for. 

One is how generous the cash-out offer is. The sportsbook is unlikely to offer you a cash out at the true odds, but the offer also shouldn't be too stingy. 

The better betting sites may also offer you a partial cash out. That means that you can bank some of your money and let the rest of it ride, which for many punters, is the best of both worlds. 

Finally, a good cash-out product is one that is available in all or almost all sports betting markets. In addition to that, one that is available for you to process a cash out most of the time rather than being suspended/unavailable more often than not.  

Bonuses and promos 

Betting sites give customers bonuses and run other promos as a way of keeping players engaged, giving something back for their loyalty and encouraging players to bet on certain sports or events in return for incentives. 

The best sports betting apps with promos will have offers that are frequent, varied and imaginative and offer real value to their customers. These include sports betting apps with free bets, risk-free bets, odds boosts and reload bonuses.   

There's no reason why all such promos shouldn't be available on the betting app as well as on the web version of the site.

How Sports Betting Apps Work?

They work in the same way as any other mobile app works, such as a banking app or even a taxi-booking service such as Uber or Bolt. 

You'll need to start by downloading the sports betting app onto your phone, which may take a couple of minutes. The exact length of time depends on the betting site in question and the type of phone you have. 

Once you've done that, you'll need to log onto your betting account via the app by entering your usual details, including your account number and password. 

Once you're logged in, you'll be able to have access to all the features of the app that we've been discussing in this article.  

Payment Methods Available on Sports Gambling Apps

One of the most important features of a betting app is to be able to process deposits and withdrawals on it the same way as you would on the web version of the site. This is particularly important for customers who like to bet "on the go" and may need to make a deposit when they're out and about, or customers who need to make an urgent withdrawal from their betting account for whatever reason. Here are some of the most popular payment methods. 

• VISA/Mastercard: Most people will already be in possession of a VISA or Mastercard debit or credit card that they use for daily payments. Both VISA and Mastercard are known for high levels of security and for being pretty quick when it comes to making deposits and withdrawals at betting sites. Remember that in the UK, customers can no longer use credit cards as a payment option, so you'll need to use VISA/Mastercard debit cards rather than credit cards. 
• Neteller: First launched back in 1999, it was one of the very first digital wallets. It ticks the boxes of having cutting-edge encryption which equals high levels of security, ensures privacy and allows for quick payments, all reasons why it's one of the most popular digital wallets out there. 
• PayPal: Another e-wallet and a rival to Neteller, PayPal was launched in 2003 and is one that is accepted by almost all betting sites worldwide. Like Neteller, it's a secure financial gateway for online betting. And like Neteller, it allows for transactions to be done almost in real-time. 
• Bank Transfers: If you'd rather keep things more "old school", then the traditional method of making a bank transfer may be the method for you. The greatest advantage of doing things this way is that almost everyone will use online banking, so you won't need to go out and purchase a debit card or e-wallet just to make deposits and withdrawals on online sports betting apps. The downside is that they're probably the slowest method of all, bar sending a cheque in the post. A bank transfer will generally take between five and seven working days to go through, which can be a little inconvenient. 
• Bitcoin: If a bank transfer is one of the oldest payment options you can use on sports betting apps, then Bitcoin is one of the newest. Advantages include higher levels of anonymity than most other payment methods and being one of the fastest methods when it comes to moving money around, seeing as Bitcoin transfers are almost instant. The disadvantages include the fact that getting your head around how to purchase Bitcoin is far harder than for any other payment option on this list. And that not many UK online sports betting apps accept Bitcoin. 

Benefits of Sports Betting via Apps

The great thing about most Sportsbooks having a web, mobile browser and sports betting app version is that customers get to choose which of the three they find most convenient, though they can of course also use all three at one time or another depending on the situation. But there are plenty of reasons why top sports betting apps are the best of the three. Here are some of them. 

• On-the-go betting: Gone are the days when you had to be in front of a laptop or make a somewhat lengthy phone call to a broker in order to place a bet. As long as your mobile is to hand, you can place bets on all your favourite sports wherever you are. This is especially true of live betting.
• Mobile is king: To take the argument a step further, there are some people who don't even own a laptop anymore and prefer to do everything on their mobiles, including banking, calling a ride or ordering food. Why would doing their sports betting be any different? 
• Better product: Betting sites have wisened up to the preference of many customers towards using betting apps rather than the website of sportsbooks. The result is that the overall product is often better on the app. 
• Stay notified: Customers can choose to turn notifications on so that they're immediately aware when a new promotion is available at the best sports gambling apps or when a big game is about to kick off. This is more convenient than checking e-mails about promos or navigating to the promo section of a website to see what's on offer. 
• Time is of the essence: Sometimes, a few seconds make all the difference when it comes to a good bet, and this is particularly true of live betting. Opening up the best apps for betting on sports and placing a bet is far quicker than opening up a laptop and waiting for the site to load before striking the wager. 
• Live streaming: Sticking with the theme that mobiles are often far more convenient to use than laptops for all things sports betting-related and we can add live streaming to that, as well. It's surely far easier to follow a tennis or football match on a crowded train or bus on your mobile than it is on a laptop, for example. The one downside is the size of the screen, but the quality of the pictures themselves is excellent via the top sports betting apps. 
• More bonuses: Some sportsbooks offer separate bonuses for players using the web version and the sports betting app version. An example is sports betting apps with a sign-up sports betting bonus alongside web versions with sign-up bonuses. If you can claim both, you might as well. But many carry on offering separate bonuses for well beyond the welcome offer.    

Responsible Gambling Tools on Betting Apps

Throughout this article, we've talked about many of the features you'll find on a sports betting app, what sets some apps apart from others, and some of the advantages of using an app rather than the web version. But we'll round things off by stressing the importance of responsible gambling at all times so that you and your betting remains fun and safe. 

Thankfully, all of the best sports betting apps have tools that assist you along the way. Here are some of them. 

• Account activity: Via the app, you'll be able to monitor how much money you deposited over a time period, how often and what your overall P and L for the period was. You'll also be able to look at how many bets you placed, for how much and which were winners, and which were losers. These patterns will help you have a greater understanding of your overall betting activity and any changes you need to implement for yourself going forward. 
• Time trackers: In the process of betting on sports, it's easy to lose track of time as you move from betting on one horse race to another, especially on Saturdays when there are so many racing meetings going on. Some sports betting apps will automatically tell you how long you've been signed on for. Others allow you to set your own reality checks so that you're alerted every 30 minutes or 60 minutes that you're still playing. 
• Deposit limits: Via the app, customers can also set certain deposit limits per day, week, month or year. For example, if you only wish to deposit a maximum of £20 per month, you can set a limit so that once you've deposited that amount, you won't be able to deposit any more. 
• Self-exclusion and getting help: Some customers may decide that they're no longer in control of their gambling and wish to stop gambling altogether. The easiest way to do so is to self-exclude from the sportsbook for a pre-determined period or permanently. The betting app will also have links to the likes of Gambler's Anonymous, BeGambleAware, GamStop, and other charities that help with responsible gambling, which you can contact if you feel you need to.