Independent Bookmakers

An independent bookmaker is one that is not owned by one of the big betting groups. Three listed companies own most of the best-known names in British betting, so the firms outside them are a small club. This page lists the independent online bookmakers that hold a UK Gambling Commission licence. For each one we set out who is behind it, what we found when we used its website, how it pays out and who it suits.

Disclosure: Tablet Betting is operated by Winners Media Limited and may receive compensation from listed brands. Read full disclosure.

We did the work ourselves. In October 2026 we looked up every bookmaker below on the Gambling Commission’s public register and, where the licence holder is a UK company, on Companies House. Then we went through each website: the sportsbook, the sign-up form, the help pages, the betting rules and the terms. On the afternoon of 6 October 2026 we also wrote down the prices each one offered on the same football matches and the same horse race, so you can see how far independent prices really differ.

Casino list updated: October 2026

Matchbook

7.3/10
iOS App Android App
20% Rebate on Losses Up To £1000
Bonus Code
REBATE20
18+.

New Welcome offer 20% Rebate on losses up to £1,000. Sign up using ode REBATE20. Qualified Users will receive a 20% rebate on Overall Qualifying Losses recorded 30 calendar days from Registration. These losses are exclusive to Matchbook Exchange markets only. Losses on Multiples, Bet Builders, Casino or other products do not count and are excluded. Losses are determined by Matchbook events as a whole not individual markets. Maximum qualifying loss is £1,000 per event. Losses over £1,000 in an event can not be transferred to overall losses in the 30 day period. Loss figure figure is established pre commission charge. T’s and C’s Apply. Be Gamble Aware. 18+

| T&Cs Apply | GambleAware.org

QuinnBet Sports

7.2/10
iOS App Android App
18+.

Sports welcome offer ACCA Bonus Free Bet up to £50 every day based on 10% of your ACCA winnings. Applies to winning ACCAs with 3+ legs at min odds 3/10 (1:30) per selection. Bets must be placed & settled the same day. Max free bet is £50/day & is valid for 7 days. 18+ T&C’s apply.

| T&Cs Apply | GambleAware.org

easyBet

7.1/10
iOS App Android App
Deposit £20 and get £20 Free Bet
Bonus Code
EB20
18+.

NEW WELCOME OFFER Bet £20 Get £20 in Free Bets. New customers only. Code EB20 required. To qualify for free bets, the new user must place and settle £20 on easyBet markets. The user must bet on at least 2 different events to qualify. The user must place and settle bets at odds of 2.0 or more. An event is classed as two different sporting events. Bets can be placed on singles, multiples and Bet Builders. The user must place and settle bets before the closing date of the promotion to qualify. Users making their first deposit by Skrill, Neteller or PaySafe card will not qualify for this promotion. T’s and C’s Apply. Be Gamble Aware. 18+

| T&Cs Apply | GambleAware.org

Star Sports

7.1/10
Deposit £40 and get £20 Free Bet
Bonus Code
BET40GET20.
18+.

Exclusive Welcome offer Bet £40 Get £20 in Free Bets. Offer available to new customers only signing up with Promo Code BET40GET20. Qualifying first bet must be placed at odds of Evens (2.0) or greater. £20 in Free Bets will be paid as 2 x £10 Free Bets. 1 x £10 Free Bet will be paid automatically if all terms are met. 1 x £10 Free Bet will be paid 24 hours after payment of the initial £10 Free Bet. £10 Free Bets will be available to use on singles and upwards. Free Bets need to be placed at minimum odds of 4/1 (5.0) or greater. Free Bets expire after 24 hours. Free Bets cannot be split into smaller bets. Void bets and Cashed out bets do not qualify. Full terms apply.

| T&Cs Apply | GambleAware.org

Boyle Sports

7/10
iOS App Android App
Deposit £10 and get £20 Free Bet
18+.

Welcome offer Bet £10 and get £20 in Free Bets + ACCA Rewards. New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Mobile exclusive. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Payment method restrictions. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. T&C’s Apply **18+. Choose either Boost or Insurance. Available for in-play/pre-match bets on selected sports. You cannot use specials, boosts, any free bet or any other promotion. A minimum of 5 selections and minimum odds of 1/5 per selection/leg to receive Acca Rewards. Minimum stake of £/€0.05. Max free bet refund of £/€20 per Acca for Insurance. Maximum bonus payout is €/£1,000 per Acca for boost. Free bets, cashed out or voided bets will not qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply

| T&Cs Apply | GambleAware.org

Midnite Sports

7/10
iOS App Android App
Deposit £10 and get £30 Free Bet
Bonus Code
BETGET30
18+.

NEW Welcome offer Bet £10 Get £30. 18+ New customers only. Register using code BETGET30. Place a £10 sportsbook bet at minimum odds 1/1 (2.0), within 14 days of sign-up and get £30 in Free Bets, valid for 7 days on selected bets and games only. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org

| T&Cs Apply | GambleAware.org

LiveScoreBet

6.9/10
iOS App Android App
Bet £10 Get £30 In Free Bets PLUS Money Back As A Free Bet If Your Bet Builder Loses
18+.

Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets. New members only. £10+ bet on sports (ex. virtuals) at 1.5 min odds, settled within 14 days. Free Bets: 3 x £10, accepted in 7 days, valid 7 days, use on sportsbook. Stake not returned. T&Cs + deposit exclusions apply. Bet Responsibly. Gamcare.org.uk 18+

| T&Cs Apply | GambleAware.org

Swifty Sports

6.9/10
iOS App Android App
Bet £10 Get £10 Freebet If Your 1st Bet Loses
18+.

Welcome offer Bet £10 Get £10 Freebet if your 1st bet loses. 18+. New Customers only. Min Deposit £10. Min Stake £10. Min Odds 1/1. The qualifying bet must be a single selection only. Free bet added on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. Free bet is a matched free bet of £10. Free bet expiry is 24 hours. 1 Free bet offer per customer. Cashed out bets won’t apply. T&C’s apply.

| T&Cs Apply | GambleAware.org

London.Bet

6.7/10
Check Out The Weekly Rewards Section
18+.

There is currently no welcome offer but check out the Weekly Rewards Section

| T&Cs Apply | GambleAware.org

Priced Up

6.3/10
Deposit £20 and get £20 Free Bet
Bonus Code
BET20
18+.

Welcome offer Bet £20 Get £20 in Free Bets. 18+. New customers only. Promo code BET20. Opt in required. Minimum bet of £20 on any selections. Min odds of evens (2.00). Pre-game only. Free bet awarded upon settlement. Free bet split into 4 x £5 Free Bets. Free bet expiry 24 hours. Other free bet terms apply. Maximum pay-outs apply. GamCare.org.uk | UK only. Full T&Cs apply. #ad

| T&Cs Apply | GambleAware.org

BetWright

6.1/10
Deposit £10 and get £10 Free Bet
Bonus Code
ACCA10
18+.

NEW WELCOME OFFER Bet £10, Get £10 as a Free Accumulator Bet. New BetWright customers only until 31st December 2026 23:59 GMT. Code ACCA10 required on registration to claim. Deposit £10 and place a bet of £10 or more with odds of evens (2.00) or greater. Free bet credits must be wagered on a minimum 5 fold accumalator bet with total odds of evens (2.00) or greater. Only cash wagers will qualify for this promotion. Use of bonus funds, free bets and any other promotional funds will not count towards the wagering requirements. Free bets will be credited within 24 hours after your qualifying bet settles. The maximum amount in free bet credits you can receive from this offer is £10. A bet will not be considered a qualifying bet if it: 1. for any reason becomes void; 2. is an ante post bet; 3. is fully or partially “cashed out” prior to it being settled. Free bet credits will expire 1 week after they’re added to your account. You can’t withdraw the value of free bet credits as cash and any free bet credits used will not be returned with any winnings. Full terms apply.

| T&Cs Apply | GambleAware.org

Planet Sport Bet

5.6/10
iOS App Android App
Deposit £20 and get £10 Free Bet
Bonus Code
bet20get10
18+.

NEW WELCOME OFFER Bet £20 Get £10. New customers only. Sign up using the promo code bet20get10. Place a min £20 bet at odds of evens (2.0) or greater and receive a £10 Free Bet. Offer valid until further notice. Free bet credited at noon following the date of bet settlement. Valid for 7 days. 18+. UK/IE residents only. Full T&Cs apply.

| T&Cs Apply | GambleAware.org

DragonBet

5.6/10
iOS App Android App
50% Back Up To £25 Freebet On 1st Day Losses For Welsh Customers
Bonus Code
Moneyback25
18+.

Welsh Customers only – 50% back up to £25 as a Freebet on your 1st day losses. New customers only. 18+. Promo code Moneyback25. If your account has net losses at the end of your first day’s sportsbook betting, you’ll receive 50% back as a free bet, up to £25. Only bets settled by 23:59 on your first day betting will count towards the offer. 3 bets must be placed with a minimum stake of £5 and with minimum odds of 1.5 in order to qualify. Welsh residents only. Plus optional opt in to Sports and Casino email & SMS during registration to receive an extra £1 Free Bet on first bet placement. One per customer. GambleAware. T&Cs apply. Full terms apply.

| T&Cs Apply | GambleAware.org

BestOdds

5.5/10
Deposit £20 and get £10 Free Bet
Bonus Code
bop20x10fb
18+.

Welcome offer Bet £20, Get a £10 Free Bet. New customers only. Participants must be aged 18 or over and reside in the UK. Register using the promo code ‘bop20x10fb’ and make a minimum deposit of £20. Place a £20+ bet with minimum 3 legs at odds of 3.00 or greater and receive a £10 Free Bet once your bet settles. Free Bet must be used in full and cannot be split into smaller wagers. Free Bet is valid for 7 days from the time of issue. Any unused Free Bets will expire. Winnings from the Free Bet are credited as cash only (stake not returned). The Free Bet has no cash value and cannot be withdrawn, exchanged, or transferred. Full terms apply.

| T&Cs Apply | GambleAware.org

Betfred Sports

5.5/10
iOS App Android App
500% Bonus Up To £50
18+.

£50 in Free Bets when you bet £10. New customers only. Register, deposit with a Debit Card, and place a first bet of £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports, to be settled within 7 days, to get £30 in Sports Free Bets and £20 in Bet Builder Free Bets within 24 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply.

| T&Cs Apply | GambleAware.org

Independent bookmakers at a glance

The table shows who holds each licence and who controls that company. Every entry comes from the Gambling Commission register and Companies House as they stood in October 2026.

Bookmaker Licence holder UKGC account Online betting licence since Who is behind it
Betfred Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited 39544 November 2014 Privately owned, with betting shops across Britain
Boyle Sports Boylesports Enterprise 39469 November 2014 Privately owned Irish bookmaker based in Dundalk
LiveScore Bet LiveScore Betting and Gaming (Gibraltar) Limited 56859 June 2020 The group behind the LiveScore results app
Midnite Dribble Media Limited 42647 December 2018 London technology company with no single controlling owner
Matchbook Triplebet Limited 39504 November 2014 Alderney betting exchange operator
easyBet Triplebet Limited 39504 December 2023 Same licence as Matchbook, under the easy family of brands
QuinnBet QuinnBet (Gibraltar) Limited 61011 September 2022 Irish-founded bookmaker with its own Gibraltar company
Swifty Sports Swifty Global (UK) Ltd 58957 March 2022 One individual holds more than 75%
BestOdds Razorbill Links Limited 66479 August 2025 Isle of Man company, one of the newest licences on the register
Star Sports Star Racing Limited 9177 July 2010 Benjamin Keith holds more than 75%
Priced Up Off Course Bookmakers Limited 1776 September 2022 Same owner and same Hove office as Star Sports
Planet Sport Bet Planet Bet Ltd 65109 March 2025 Star Racing Limited holds more than 50%
DragonBet DragonBet Ltd 64908 July 2024 Lovells Group Limited holds more than 75%
London.Bet Thistle Bet Limited 66162 March 2025 Two companies, each holding between 25% and 50%
BetWright Onyx Gaming Limited 64666 November 2024 One holding company owns more than 75%

Two kinds of independent bookmaker

The word covers two different types of business, and the difference matters when you choose.

Large private bookmakers. These are household names with shops, sponsorships and big marketing budgets. They are independent because they are privately owned, not because they are small. You get the product depth of a major firm without the corporate parent.

Small owner-run bookmakers. These are firms where one person or one family holds the controlling stake, often with roots on the racecourse or in a handful of high street shops. They tend to be the ones a serious racing punter means when they say independent.

Between the two sits a third group: newer, technology-led firms that built their own betting product from scratch. They are independent in ownership but have little in common with a family bookmaker. We cover all three groups below, one bookmaker at a time.

The owner-run bookmakers

Star Sports

Star Sports is the best known of the traditional independents. The licence is held by Star Racing Limited at Star House in Hove, and Companies House shows one person, Benjamin Keith, holding more than three quarters of the company. Star tells its own story on its About page: it launched as Star Racing in 1999, bought the independent bookmakers Vickers, Waldron and Turner and Kendrick, outgrew its on-course roots and took its present name in 2009. It has held its online betting licence since July 2010.

What sets Star apart is the telephone. The footer of the site carries two numbers, one for enquiries and one for betting, and the terms have a full section on telephone betting. Star offers both debit and credit telephone accounts, says every call is answered by an experienced trader, and runs a hedging service for other bookmakers who want to lay off a bet. It describes itself as the delicatessen of bookmakers, and the phone desk is the reason.

The website is a full modern sportsbook with in-play betting, virtuals, a casino and a live casino. Star Boosts sit at the top of the sports menu. The published limits are the highest of the owner-run group: a customer can win up to £200,000 in a day on UK and Irish racing multiples and £100,000 on singles, with £100,000 on match odds in the top football leagues. Deposits are by Mastercard, Visa and Maestro debit cards, bank transfer or cheque, and a debit card withdrawal takes two to five working days.

Best for: racing punters who want to speak to a trader and bet in size.

Priced Up

Priced Up is the newer online brand from the same stable. Its licence holder, Off Course Bookmakers Limited, was incorporated in 1986 and is registered at the same Hove address as Star Sports, with the same controlling owner. The company held a shop licence for years, added online betting in September 2022 and its casino in April 2024.

Priced Up is built for the customer who bets online and on the app, and its terms say so: bets by telephone, post or email are not accepted. The sports menu leads with Price Boosts and a Main Events shortcut, and there is a blog and a promotions hub. Live chat is called Trader Chat, which tells you who the brand wants you to think is on the other end.

The headline number is the payout limit. The terms let one customer win up to £500,000 in a day across all sports, and the site says the limit is shown again on the bet slip when you place a bet. Racing singles and multiples are covered to £100,000. Payment methods match Star: debit cards, bank transfer and cheque, with card withdrawals inside five working days and usually much sooner.

Best for: online-first punters who like boosted prices and a high payout ceiling.

DragonBet

DragonBet is the Welsh independent. The licence is held by DragonBet Ltd in Cardiff, and more than three quarters of that company belongs to Lovells Group Limited, the company of the Lovell family of on-course bookmakers. DragonBet calls itself a family business born from the betting ring and says it still stands at betting rings around the UK. Its About page ends with one word: Diolch.

The Welsh focus is real. When we visited, Welsh Events had its own place in the main menu next to football and racing. The homepage led with ante-post prices for the Welsh Racing Festival and gave a featured slot to Newport County in the EFL Trophy. Gaelic football, hurling, politics and TV specials are all in the A to Z list. DragonBet says it aims to be top price on Welsh teams and players, and invites you to tell it when it is not.

For racing, the site promises best odds guaranteed on all UK and Irish horse racing and covers the daytime greyhound meetings and the main evening cards with forecast, tricast and trap challenge markets. DragonBoosts add enhanced prices through the week. The payments team works round the clock, and DragonBet says a withdrawal typically reaches you within a couple of hours, although a bank can take longer. One customer can win up to £100,000 in a day.

Best for: Welsh sport, rugby and everyday racing with best odds guaranteed.

BetWright

BetWright is licensed through Onyx Gaming Limited, which is owned by a single holding company. The sportsbook launched in 2024, and BetWright describes its founders as industry veterans with close to a decade of experience in online casinos. The same licence covers several casino websites, so the business is wider than one sportsbook.

The site uses the same sportsbook layout as DragonBet and Star Sports, so anyone who has used one will find their way around at once. Support runs through a chat window in the corner of the screen, and BetWright says a person joins the conversation during office hours. The terms allow one customer to win up to £100,000 in a day, with £75,000 on UK and Irish racing.

Best for: punters who want a sportsbook and a large casino under the same login.

London.Bet

London.Bet is one of the newest names here. Its licence holder, Thistle Bet Limited, was incorporated in December 2024 and licensed in March 2025. It calls itself a premium sports betting site with a distinctly British flair.

The feature that stands out is the rewards programme. Rewards has its own tab in the main menu, and the help centre has a full library of promotion terms. The scheme is called Capital Gains, and it pays rebates as free bets to customers who opt in: there were daily and weekly Royal Rebates, a Ruck Rebate for rugby, a Cricket Cashback and a Bullseye Bounceback for darts when we looked. Accounts sit in tiers named Sapphire, Ruby and Diamond. The homepage also gave more space to American sport than any other site on this page, with NHL, baseball and a full NFL coupon.

Deposits are by Mastercard, Visa and Maestro debit cards. One customer can win up to £100,000 in a day, with £75,000 on UK and Irish racing and £50,000 on top-level football.

Best for: regular punters who want something back each week, and fans of American sport.

Planet Sport Bet

Planet Sport Bet is licensed through Planet Bet Ltd in Harrogate. Companies House names two companies with significant control. Star Racing Limited, the company behind Star Sports, holds more than half of the shares.

Racing is the centre of the site. A banner on our visit advertised live streaming of all UK, Irish and American racing and of greyhound meetings, and the racecards carry runner comments. Football and Horses each have their own tab at the top. The terms match Priced Up at the top end: one customer can win up to £500,000 in a day, with £100,000 on UK and Irish racing. Payments are by debit card, bank transfer or cheque.

Best for: racing punters who want to watch the race where they place the bet.

The technology-led independents

Midnite

Midnite is licensed through Dribble Media Limited in London. Its Companies House record states that no single person or company holds a controlling stake, so ownership is spread across its backers. The company has held a gambling software licence since 2015, which tells you it writes its own product, and it added sports betting in December 2018.

The site feels like an app first and a website second. The sports menu is long and includes futsal, badminton, beach volleyball and table tennis, and the rules section covers esports from Counter-Strike to League of Legends. There is an Acca Builder, a Rewards area and a run of Super Boosts across the top of the page, each showing the old price and the new one. 2UP early payout is switched on by default for football: back a team in the full-time result market and the bet is settled as a winner if they go two goals ahead.

Midnite publishes its numbers clearly. The minimum deposit is £5. Payment methods are Visa and Mastercard debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Pay by Bank. Most withdrawals are processed within minutes, and the stated limit is 72 hours for the wallet methods. The payout limit is the highest we found among the newer firms: £250,000 on top-tier racing and on the major football leagues and tournaments.

Best for: football and accumulator punters who bet on a phone and want fast withdrawals.

Matchbook

Matchbook is a betting exchange, licensed through Triplebet Limited in Alderney. On an exchange you bet against other customers, not against the bookmaker. You can back a selection to win or lay it to lose, and the operator earns a commission on winnings instead of building a margin into the price. Matchbook also offers multiples and a bet builder on its exchange, and it connects to the specialist trading tools that exchange users rely on.

Best for: punters who want exchange prices and the choice to lay as well as back.

easyBet

easyBet shares a licence with Matchbook and carries the name of the easy family of brands. It is not a copy of its sister site. The main product is Predictions: every market is a question with a Yes and a No, and the price is shown as a percentage, not as odds. On our visit the homepage asked whether Liverpool will finish in the top four, whether Harry Kane would score twice against Czechia and who wins Fury against Joshua, each with a live percentage on both sides.

The percentages are simple to use. easyBet's own example is a £10 stake at 60%, which returns £16.67 if you are right. Every bet is matched with another customer on the other side, so you never bet against the house. A second tab opens the easyBet Exchange for back and lay betting, with multiples and a bet builder. Customer funds are held in an independent customer trust, which easyBet states gives the highest level of protection. Live chat is open from 9am to 2am every day.

Best for: anyone who finds fractional odds confusing, and punters who like to take a side on news and specials.

QuinnBet

QuinnBet is an Irish-founded bookmaker licensed through its own Gibraltar company since September 2022, with a second licence from the Irish regulator. The offers page is organised by habit: welcome, horse racing, daily, football, weekly and casino.

Its help centre gives straight answers. Best odds guaranteed applies to UK and Irish racing bets placed from 10am each day, on singles, multiples and system bets. Withdrawals are processed within 24 hours, and a withdrawal sent by Visa Direct reaches your account within four hours of that. Deposits are by debit card, Apple Pay or open banking, and Revolut cards are accepted. Cash out and a bet builder are both in place.

Best for: racing punters who want best odds guaranteed and quick card withdrawals.

Swifty Sports

Swifty Sports is licensed through Swifty Global (UK) Ltd. Companies House shows one individual holding more than three quarters of that company, and it holds a gambling software licence alongside its betting licence, so the sportsbook is its own. A sister company runs the same product in Ireland.

The homepage is built around racing. When we visited it showed horse racing boosts for two of the day's meetings, the next UK and Irish greyhound races and a strip of international racing from Rome to the American evening cards. Each race header shows the each-way terms before you open the card, which saves a click on every bet. Swifty pays first past the post as well as the official result on UK and Irish racing, and its promotions list includes extra places, 2UP and an acca boost. The minimum deposit is £5 by debit card, open banking or bank transfer.

Best for: racing and greyhound punters who want each-way terms in plain view.

BestOdds

BestOdds joined the register in August 2025 through Razorbill Links Limited in the Isle of Man, which makes it one of the newest independents in the market. The pitch is in the name: low margins, clear bonuses and quick verification. Best Boosts sit at the top of the sports menu, each showing the old price beside the new one.

The published terms are easy to follow. The minimum deposit and the minimum withdrawal are both £5, there are no withdrawal fees, and you can pay by Visa or Mastercard debit, Apple Pay or an instant bank deposit through Yaspa. Best odds guaranteed runs on specified races from 10:30am on the day. Complaints that cannot be settled go to eCOGRA for an independent ruling. One customer can win up to £100,000 in a day.

Best for: small-stakes punters who want a low minimum deposit and a low minimum withdrawal.

The large private bookmakers

Betfred

Betfred is the biggest independent in Britain. Its online business is licensed through Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited, and the same licence covers a second betting brand. It is privately owned and pairs its website with a large estate of betting shops, so it suits anyone who wants one bookmaker for the high street and the phone. The product is as wide as any listed rival: sports, casino, bingo, lotto and pool betting all sit on one licence.

Best for: punters who want a household name with shops and the full range of products.

Boyle Sports

Boyle Sports is Ireland's largest independent bookmaker. Its online licence is held by Boylesports Enterprise, registered in Dundalk, and a separate UK company holds the licence for its British shops. One licence covers its sportsbook, casino, bingo, poker and lotto sites. Irish sport gets proper attention, with Gaelic football and hurling priced alongside the main racing and football markets.

Best for: Irish racing and Gaelic games, backed by a big-firm product.

LiveScore Bet

LiveScore Bet belongs to the group behind the LiveScore results app. It is licensed through a Gibraltar company and has held its British licence since June 2020. It is a media business that added a bookmaker, which is a different route from every other firm on this page. Football leads the product, with 2UP early payout and a VAR Payout offer on Premier League goalscorer bets. Withdrawals are processed within 24 hours, and Apple Pay and PayPal withdrawals arrive almost at once after that.

Best for: football punters who already follow scores on the LiveScore app.

How the prices compared on the same day

An independent bookmaker sets its own prices, so we tested how much that matters. On the afternoon of 6 October 2026 we wrote down each site's price on two Nations League matches and on the favourite for the 5:01 at Leicester. These are the prices as each site showed them when we looked.

Bookmaker England v Czechia (home, draw, away) Scotland v Slovenia (home, draw, away) Magic Music, Leicester 5:01
DragonBet 1/8, 15/2, 20/1 5/6, 21/10, 4/1 6/4
Star Sports 1/8, 15/2, 20/1 5/6, 21/10, 4/1 11/8
London.Bet 1/8, 15/2, 20/1 5/6, 21/10, 4/1 6/4
Planet Sport Bet 1/8, 7/1, 22/1 17/20, 11/5, 15/4 Race already off
BestOdds 1/8, 7/1, 22/1 5/6, 11/5, 15/4 Race already off
Swifty Sports 1/9, 8/1, 18/1 17/20, 11/5, 15/4 13/8
QuinnBet 1/9, 8/1, 18/1 20/23, 11/5, 18/5 Race already off
Midnite 1/10, 15/2, 16/1 4/5, 11/5, 10/3 13/8

Three things stand out. First, the differences are real: the draw in the England match was 7/1 with one firm and 8/1 with another, and Czechia ranged from 16/1 to 22/1. Second, racing prices moved apart even between bookmakers that showed the same football prices, because racing is priced race by race. Third, no single bookmaker was best on everything. That is the practical case for holding accounts with two or three independents and checking before you bet. Our betting odds calculator shows what any of these prices returns for your stake, and our guide to how betting odds work explains the fractions.

Payout limits and withdrawal times

Every bookmaker caps what one customer can win in a day, and publishes how long a withdrawal should take. Most punters never read either. We did, and the table below gives the figures from each site's own terms and help pages in October 2026.

Bookmaker Most one customer can win in a day UK and Irish racing Top-level football
Priced Up £500,000 across all sports £100,000 £100,000
Planet Sport Bet £500,000 across all sports £100,000 £100,000
Midnite £250,000 on top-tier racing and football £250,000 £250,000
Star Sports £200,000 on racing multiples £100,000 on singles £100,000 on match odds
DragonBet £100,000 across all sports £100,000 £100,000
BestOdds £100,000 across all sports £100,000 £100,000
London.Bet £100,000 across all sports £75,000 £50,000
BetWright £100,000 across all sports £75,000 £50,000

Withdrawal times and payment methods, as each bookmaker publishes them:

Bookmaker Published withdrawal time How you can pay
Midnite Most within minutes, 72 hours stated Debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Pay by Bank
DragonBet Typically a couple of hours Debit card
QuinnBet Processed within 24 hours, then within 4 hours by Visa Direct Debit card, Apple Pay, open banking
LiveScore Bet Processed within 24 hours, then almost instant by Apple Pay or PayPal Debit card, Apple Pay, PayPal, Pay by Bank
easyBet Processed within 12 hours Debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Skrill, Neteller
Swifty Sports 1 to 5 working days Debit card, open banking, bank transfer
Star Sports 2 to 5 working days Debit card, bank transfer, cheque
Planet Sport Bet 2 to 5 working days Debit card, bank transfer, cheque
Priced Up Up to 5 working days, usually sooner Debit card, bank transfer, cheque
BestOdds 3 to 5 business days, often sooner Debit card, Apple Pay, Yaspa
London.Bet Set by your bank Debit card

Two rules apply almost everywhere. A multiple that mixes sports or races takes the lowest limit of its legs. And a withdrawal goes back to the card or account you paid in with, so if you have used two cards, expect the money to be split between them.

Independent does not mean unconnected

This is the part most lists leave out. Several of the bookmakers above are independent of the big groups but are tied to each other, and the public records show how.

The Hove connection. Star Sports and Priced Up share an owner and an office. Planet Sport Bet is part of the same picture: Companies House shows Star Racing Limited holding more than half of Planet Bet Ltd, with a second firm holding a stake alongside it. The Star Racing licence also lists further betting websites beyond the Star Sports name. One controlling interest, several brands.

The Cardiff connection. London.Bet is licensed through Thistle Bet Limited, registered at the same Cardiff address as DragonBet. Its two shareholders each hold between a quarter and a half. One is registered at that Cardiff address. The other is registered at the Colchester address used by the company that owns BetWright. So London.Bet sits between two other independents on this page.

Shared platforms. Many of the smaller independents do not build their own website. They rent the sportsbook from a specialist supplier and run their own prices, limits and customer service on top. We saw this for ourselves: DragonBet, Star Sports, Priced Up, London.Bet and BetWright open with the same sign-up form and the same page layout. Their football prices matched on the day we checked, and their racing prices and payout limits did not. They are separate businesses with separate owners, and a restriction at one does not follow you to another. You can see which bookmakers share technology on our Playbook Gaming and proprietary software pages.

None of this makes a bookmaker less independent. It does mean that opening accounts with three brands from one cluster gives you less variety than it appears. For real variety, pick one from each group: an owner-run racing firm, a technology-led firm and one of the large private names.

Which independent bookmaker is right for you

  • You bet on horses most days. Start with DragonBet or QuinnBet for best odds guaranteed, and add Star Sports if you want a trader on the phone. Our horse racing betting page and racing calendar go with them.
  • You bet in size. Look at the payout table first. Priced Up, Planet Sport Bet, Midnite and Star Sports publish the highest limits.
  • You bet football accumulators. Midnite and LiveScore Bet both pay out early at two goals up. Read our guide to accumulators before you build one.
  • You want your money back fast. Midnite, DragonBet, QuinnBet and LiveScore Bet publish the shortest withdrawal times.
  • You want to lay as well as back. Matchbook and easyBet are the two exchange products on this page.
  • You follow Welsh or Irish sport. DragonBet for Wales. Boyle Sports, QuinnBet and Swifty Sports for Gaelic games.
  • You like rewards for regular play. London.Bet has the most developed rebate scheme of the group.
  • You want something new. BestOdds and London.Bet are the newest licences. Our new betting sites page tracks the rest.

Why bet with an independent bookmaker

A second opinion on price. Brands inside one betting group often work from the same trading team, so their prices move together. An independent sets its own. The price table above shows the result on a single afternoon.

A fresh account. A restriction placed on you by one brand in a large group can follow you to its sister brands. An independent has no sister brands to share it with, apart from the clusters described above.

Racing knowledge. Several of the owner-run firms come from the racecourse and still price racing by hand. They also keep the traditional concessions alive: best odds guaranteed, first past the post and extra places. If a withdrawn horse changes your return, our Rule 4 guide explains the deduction.

A person to talk to. A small firm is more likely to put a trader on the chat or the phone. Star Sports answers its betting line with traders, and Priced Up names its chat after them.

The trade-off is breadth. A small bookmaker will usually have fewer markets on minor sports, a simpler app and shorter support hours than a firm with thousands of staff. The large private bookmakers close that gap, which is why this page covers both.

What to check before you join

These are the points we read on every site. They take five minutes and they are the ones that matter after you win.

  1. The maximum payout. Find it in the terms and compare it with the return on the bets you place. It matters most for accumulators at long odds.
  2. The withdrawal route. Check which methods the bookmaker pays out to and whether there is a minimum withdrawal. Most pay back to the method you deposited with.
  3. Verification. Every licensed bookmaker must confirm your identity before it pays you. Most check your age when you first deposit and may then ask for a passport or driving licence. Send the document when you join, not when you win.
  4. Racing concessions. Best odds guaranteed often starts at a set time on the morning of the race and has a cap per race. Check both if you bet early prices.
  5. Inactive accounts. Read the term on dormant accounts if you plan to leave a balance for a long time.
  6. The complaints route. Each bookmaker names an independent body that rules on betting disputes free of charge. For most of the firms here that is IBAS.

Names you may expect to see here

Two bookmakers that often appear on lists of independents are not in our table, because of what the register showed when we checked in October 2026.

Gentleman Jim, a Welsh firm in the same family as DragonBet, has surrendered its remote betting licences and now holds a licence for non-remote betting only. Ken Howells, a long-established Welsh bookmaker, still holds its shop licence, but its remote licences are shown as suspended. We list a bookmaker only while it holds an active licence to take bets online.

How to check who owns a bookmaker

You can repeat our checks in a few minutes, and it is worth doing before you deposit anywhere.

  1. Scroll to the bottom of the bookmaker's website and find the company name and the Gambling Commission account number.
  2. Search that number on the Gambling Commission's public register. The record shows the licence holder, its address, the date each licence started, whether it is active, and every website the licence covers.
  3. If the licence holder is a UK company, search its name on Companies House and open the section on people with significant control. It names anyone who holds more than a quarter of the company.
  4. Compare the addresses. Two bookmakers registered at the same office are usually connected, whatever their branding says.

If a betting site shows no account number at all, it is not licensed in Great Britain. Every bookmaker on this page holds a licence from the UK Gambling Commission.

What is an independent bookmaker?

An independent bookmaker is one that is not owned by one of the large listed betting groups. Some are big private companies with shops and sponsorships. Others are small firms where one person or one family holds the controlling stake.

Are independent bookmakers safe?

An independent bookmaker with a Gambling Commission licence has to meet the same rules as the largest firms, including identity checks, safer gambling tools and a complaints route. Check the account number at the bottom of the website against the public register before you deposit.

Which independent bookmakers offer best odds guaranteed?

DragonBet offers best odds guaranteed on all UK and Irish horse racing. QuinnBet applies it to UK and Irish racing bets placed from 10am, including multiples and system bets. BestOdds applies it to specified races from 10:30am on the day. Check the terms on each site for the cap per race.

Which independent bookmaker has the highest payout limit?

Of the terms we read, Priced Up and Planet Sport Bet allow one customer to win up to 500,000 pounds in a day across all sports. Midnite covers top-tier racing and football to 250,000 pounds, and Star Sports covers racing multiples to 200,000 pounds.

Which independent bookmakers take bets by telephone?

Star Sports runs a telephone betting service with debit and credit accounts, and says its calls are answered by experienced traders. Most other independents on this page take bets online and in their apps only.

Do independent bookmakers share the same website platform?

Many smaller independents rent their sportsbook from a specialist supplier instead of building their own. Two bookmakers on one platform can look alike, but they are separate businesses that set their own prices and limits.

Are all independent bookmakers unconnected to each other?

No. Public records show that some independents share an owner or an office with another independent. They are still outside the big betting groups, but accounts with brands from one cluster give you less variety than it appears.

How do I check who owns a bookmaker?

Find the company name and account number at the bottom of the site, search the number on the Gambling Commission public register, then look up the company on Companies House and read the section on people with significant control.

Written & Reviewed by Matt K
Sports Betting Analyst at Winners Media

I have been covering the UK betting industry since 2007, testing sportsbooks across mobile and desktop. At TabletBetting, I review betting sites, compare odds and payment methods, and track new bookmaker launches. My focus is on the mobile experience - how apps perform under real conditions, not just what the marketing says.
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