Sportsbook experience tested: Ladbrokes review 2024

Established in 1886, the age old sportsbook has been serving the British public for over 100 years granting it the prestigious title of being the UK’s oldest bookie. In any business, time breeds experience and it is this experience that has certainly propelled the operator to become one of the most widely recognised sports bookmakers in the world. For this comprehensive Ladbrokes review, we will dive deep into all of the nitty-gritty details that our readers find most important. These include all of the sports betting favourites such as the quality of in-play betting, live streaming and an overview of the odds and prices. We will also cover all of the operator’s current bonuses and promotions before finally testing the nuts and bolts including accepted payment methods, customer support and the mobile app experience. So, without further ado, let’s get stuck in!

Bet in-play with Ladbrokes

As the famous Ray Winstone advert goes: “It’s all about the in-play.” Ladbrokes in-play has been available for some time now and the product continues to grow in popularity. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of in-play, allow us to explain. Online, where everything is faster and more flexible than in a shop, in-play betting has become the norm. What that means is, you can place bets on sporting events whilst they are ongoing. This practice has become hugely popular with the rise of mobile technology. Go to any pub showing the football on a Sunday afternoon and you’ll find groups of punters watching the game whilst simultaneously placing in-play bets.

The odds are updated on the fly, as are potential cash-out options. The site, whether accessed via mobile or desktop, displays real-time score updates and minute to minute match information to aid your in-play betting choices.

Let’s take an example. At the end of the 2015/16 Premiership, Spurs were desperately trying to catch Leicester. They needed to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to keep their hopes alive. Tottenham were 8/5 to win, despite not having won away from home against Chelsea since 1990. A draw was sitting at 5/2, and a Chelsea win at 9/5. During the first half, Spurs seemed destined to push Leicester all the way to the final match. Son Heung-min and talisman Harry Kane both scored, with Tottenham looking pretty dominant. By this point, the odds had completely changed. This is where in-play really comes into its own. Because sport is an every-changing thing. No-one was prepared for the drama of the second half. Anyone who placed money on a draw before the match would have been loving life as Cahill and Hazard both slotted home goals.

The comeback meant that Leicester were crowned Kings. But, if you had bet a tenner on a draw before the match you’d have got a fairly measly return for your money, despite the unlikeliness of it. But during the match, the in-play odds on a draw soared as Spurs stretched out a lead and looked in control.

This Ladbrokes test proved if you have the guts to strike in the heat of the moment, then in-play is for you. Or if you have money on a team that is getting absolutely thrashed by half-time, you can stick on an in-play bet against them and salvage some of your cash that way. But betting on the outcome is not the only in-play option. You can choose from specials, such as next scorer, or the time of the next corner to be taken. Check out our comments on the Ladbrokes Innovative Betting Options to get an idea of what you can make. Because the pace of in-play is faster, the possibility of getting hooked is much greater, and there is less opportunity to really consider bets before they are placed. So with in-play you really need to make sure that you are betting responsibly.

If you have any concerns, you can head over to the Ladbrokes responsible gambling pages for more information on its approach to player safety.

Live streaming details

Ladbrokes in-play betting has been around for a while, but perhaps the best feature for it is the live streaming offered by the operator. It has been available for more than nine years now, but the coverage has grown massively over the years, given you more opportunity to enjoy the game as well as the excitement of the flutter. The concept is essentially the same as with in-play betting, but rather than getting a visual representation of the game with event updates and stats, customers can watch a live stream of the sports right on the Ladbrokes site. The screen size is limited but the service is free to customers.

This is a big step up from the old days where all you had access to were the old-fashioned live scores. For Premier League games, that is a great deal. In addition, Live streaming gives you access to almost 30 different football leagues, so there’s plenty to watch throughout the season. Live streaming is also available for other popular sports such as tennis, basketball and cricket; it’s not just for the footie fans. To access the streams, you just need to have a positive balance in your account. This is far more generous than most other operators, who require you to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours.

The odds at Ladbrokes test

We all know that the odds are always going to be paramount when it comes to sports betting. What is the point of a smooth and slick experience, if a competitor constantly has better returns for your money? No operator is going to give you the best odds on every single possibility, or even on everything available. You should also be aware of the limits and cash out options available. The smallest possible is 10p, which—although not the smallest offered by any bookmaker—is perfectly adequate. 10p is small enough to allow you to experiment with different markets, or just have fun betting without laying out a large sum of money.

The maximum win limit per day for the large, popular sports markets is set at £1,000,000. Again, this is a decent limit, and you’d be hard pressed to find a bookie that has a daily limit much higher than that. In terms of cash-out, there is good and bad about Ladbrokes. Cash-out options are widely available, across a decent range of sports and bet-types. You have to work a little harder to find out whether cash out is available for a bet than you do at other bookies. Instead of displaying the cash out icon next to the odds, you will have to click on the “Open Bets” tab to view the available cash out price. This slows things down, which for in-play betting is far from ideal.

You can tell how good a bookie’s odds are by looking at the percentage return across the result possibilities for a match. Across the major markets, they are always in the top few bookies out there. The football odds percentage (calculated from the odds for each event) comes out between 91.70% and 94.93%. It is far from being in danger of relegation, but it’s not going to win any trophies either.

If football is your thing, then it might be best to consider BetVictor, which tends to be at the top of the table for Premier League odds. However, if you are looking to bet on draws, your best option is often Betway. Ladbrokes fares better when it comes to in-play betting. As long as you don’t mind the couple of extra clicks to see the cash out prices, then Ladbrokes in play betting is a great option, and you can grab some great odds, as well as a slice of that extra drama that comes with minute-by-minute fluctuating odds.

Horse racing can pretty much be split into two sections: flat races and national jumps. Although the odds levels for these two distinct race types do vary, we’ve got to say that you could place a sheet over all of the major bookmakers. Odds are between 85.87% and 89.93% for flat races, and between 83.61% and 88.22% for jumps. This is very competitive, and they actually offer the highest odds among the big boys for flat races. However, William Hill does edge a nose in front for jumps. You can get an excellent deal though, which guarantees to payout the starting price if it is higher than your original odds. For example, if you lay against a horse that is running at 3/1 but the starting price goes up to 4/1, they will pay you 4/1 on your original bet if your horse comes in.

With tennis,they again offers very competitive odds. For Grand Slams, its odds come back at a decent 94.26%. William Hill once again is slightly stronger, but only marginally. The basic result to take away is that Ladbrokes (as with all of the major operators) consistently offers excellent odds, and there really is very little between them. But we cannot guarantee that Ladbrokes will always be the best on this front.

The Ladbrokes bonus offer + promotions

It goes without saying that a great bonus plays an integral part in the decision-making process of choosing your favourite bookie. That being said, it’s important you don’t fall into the trap of being caught by gaudy numbers or eye-catching phrases containing the word ‘FREE’! There’s a hell of a lot more that goes into evaluating whether an operator’s bonus options are good or not. Luckily for you, we’ve broken down all of Ladbrokes’ promotions into bite-size, digestible chunks so you don’t have to waste time wading through heaps of T&Cs. There is, of course, a bonus offer for new customers, as well as numerous ongoing and constantly changing offers. These include odds boosters, acca insurance, and guaranteed best odds. During Wimbledon, there was even an offer of 10% cash back on losses made on tennis matches. It’s always best to keep an eye on the promotions, because you might grab yourself a great deal.

Welcome offer T&Cs

The Ladbrokes new customer offer certainly whets the appetite upon first view, but what lies beneath this enchanting bonus? First things first, are you eligible? This bonus offer is only available for players from the UK and Ireland – aged 18 and over – who open a new online, mobile or telephone account with the operator for the first time. Funds can be deposited in both Pounds Sterling and Euros, however, new accounts that use depositing methods Moneybookers, paysafecard, PayPal, Neteller or Skrill will not be eligible to receive the offer. Upon registering, enter in your promo code (F50) and make your first deposit. The first bet on your account must be a qualifying bet, meaning it must meet the bonus wagering requirements, otherwise the Ladbrokes free bet will not be applied to your account.

In order to ‘qualify’, it must be at least a £/€5 win or £/€5 each-way, at fractional odds totalling 1/2 (decimal odds 1.5) or greater. If you want to play a single line accumulator, just make sure each individual selection has odds of 1/2 or more. No wagering on Totes or Pools is allowed and the qualifying stake must take place within 14 days of signing up. Once you have placed your first, it will be matched up to a maximum of £/€50 as a free bet and should arrive in your account pretty quickly. Just make sure you use the offer within four days, otherwise it will expire, and let’s be honest, there is nothing more frustrating than missing an opportunity of free money!

The offer can be used on Win or Each-Way Bets but only for single, double, treble, 4-fold and upwards accumulator, forecast and combination betting. However, the ‘Cash Out’ feature, which is a favourite with punters, won’t be available when you are using the bonus funds. This does actually seem reasonable when you think about it, as otherwise you could take long odds on a draw and then take any offer at all, provided there wasn’t a new world record for fastest goal. Your winnings won’t include the original, but you will be free to take them out and buy something with them. What you spend the money on is up to you, we are bookie reviewers, not personal shoppers.

Promo codes

When it comes to online sports betting, a really simple way of getting ahead and scoring more than your average punter is by utilising Promo Codes if and when they become available. Within the realm of betting, Promo Codes are essentially secret passwords that allow you to access exclusive bonus offers and promotions that may or may not be open to the wider public. The best way to find them is by scouring the operator’s websites and social media streams as well as other relevant betting forums. At the time of writing this Ladbrokes online review, there was only one active Promo Code (‘F50’) available which is reserved for new players as part of the Ladbrokes sign up offer .

Promotions

Whether you’re an avid football fan, a hound for the dog races or prefer a good hurdle with the horses, Ladbrokes should have you covered. With any bookie, we want to see some diversity. We want to see enhanced accas’, odds guarantees’, cashbacks, enhanced odds, insurance – you name it. If it exists, we want to see it. We’re happy to report that Ladbrokes is one of the best in the business when it comes to promos that players actually care about. At the time of writing, there are 15 different promotions on its website, covering an array of different sports, including football, golf, tennis, horse racing, greyhounds and virtual sports. Deals included odds boosters, acca insurance, and cashbacks. You can see a few examples of the operator’s best promos in the images below. To give you a better idea though, let’s take a look at our favourite of the current deals.

For one week, they had cash back on losses made on tennis matches, with the headline ‘we’re serving up an ace’. At any time during the week you could join the offer, make a bet on tennis and know that, if your player turned foul, then you’d get some of your hard earned moolah back on the following Monday. The deal was 10% of your bet, and was limited to £100, but overall it is a great offer. A bit of insurance is nice when placing a bet, knowing that you will have some cash to take away, whatever happens.

Another thing that we demand of bookies now is frequently changed promotion. Gone are the days when month to month promotional changes were good enough. Ladbrokes updates its deals every week, highlighting the top Ladbrokes offers of the day on the right-hand side sidebar. Obviously, this means that you have to keep going back to the site and checking up on the latest. I don’t know about you, but we reckon that the marketing team are on to something here.

The grid – the Ladbrokes customer loyalty scheme

The importance of picking an online bookmaker that takes care of its own should not be underestimated. Loyalty schemes and VIP programmes are often overlooked, however, if you find yourself a quality one, you can bag quite a lot of juicy extras. Ladbrokes boasts one of the top customer loyalty schemes in the country with its barnstorming – The Grid. Benefits include the ability to make a deposit and pick up all your online winnings in your local shop as soon as your bet is settled. In addition to this, you will be given unrivalled access to exclusive loyalty offers every single week such as price boosts, money back offers and free bets. Grid members can even get discounts on sports merch, cinema tickets, as well as enter prize, draws with the chance to win incredible rewards such as package holidays and tickets to the biggest sporting events in the world. If you want to get on board, all you have to do is visit your local UK retail branch and request to join The Grid. You will be asked to ‘Opt-In’ and you will start receiving regular email and SMS promotions right away.

The Ladbrokes payment methods

With the growing demand for a variety of payment options showing no signs of curtailing, it’s absolutely essential that all bookies offer players as wide a selection as possible. Gone are the days where punters want to enter in their 16-digit card numbers every time they place a bet. These days, it’s all about e-wallets and cryptocurrencies. These payment methods offer security and speed to players, something which every man and his dog cares about. Ladbrokes offers a decent selection of deposit and withdrawal options including all your standards; debit and credit, bank transfers and the fast emerging Neteller and Skrill e-wallets which have become an industry norm now. In addition to these payment methods, they also accepts PayPal, one of the most popular and most trusted e-wallets in the business. The operator also accepts other less widely used e-wallets such as EntroPay, Giropay and Trustly among others. For the complete breakdown of Ladbrokes payment methods, you can check out our table below.

As you can see, the average processing time for withdrawals complies with the industry standard at around 3-5 business days. If you’re not a fan of withdrawal wait times, you may want to check out the customer loyalty scheme, The Grid, where you can pick up your winnings immediately in your nearest store. Transfers made directly to your bank account may take a bit longer. There are no additional charges enforced by Ladbrokes for any transactions. Please note, that deposits made by some of these methods will make you ineligible for the welcome offer. Just like all other reputable bookies, they have a number of measures put in place to help you control your betting if you find it difficult to resist. You can put deposit limits on your account yourself when you sign up. That way, you can make the sensible decision that your future self will be grateful for.

Betting limits & maximum payouts

To cater to the needs of people of all shapes and wallet sizes, it’s important that bookies offer a diverse range of betting limits. Some punters just want to stick on a cheeky low value bet with high odds, whilst others prefer to stake large amounts in the hopes of bringing in greater returns. With Ladbrokes, the minimum accepted bet is 10p. Whilst not the lowest we’ve ever seen, it is still a pretty fair limit to have. We can’t imagine too many people sticking down 1p. The lower limits allow inexperienced new players to experiment before moving on to bigger and better things. Speaking of, as the odds on everything can be different, there is of course, no official max betting limit. However, the operator does set a maximum winning limit. For football the major football leagues, and for UK and Irish horse racing, the maximum win limit is set at £1,000,000 per day. For the smaller events, and for other sports, the limits can be significantly lower. For example, on badminton or cycling have a maximum win limit of £100,000.

If you want to work out what the max limit is for a particular wager, you can use the Ladbrokes Bet Calculator and see if your wager exceeds the max winning limit or not. For a complete overview of the winning limits, you can review the above images. Should you find yourself with a wager that exceeds the betting limit requirements. You can also contact customer support who will work together with you individually to make your bet work.

Ladbrokes customer support

As part of this Ladbrokes online review, we contacted the bookmaker several times using its various advertised communication channels, in order to test its customer support systems. All in all, we’re happy to report the experience was overwhelmingly positive. As a general rule, we would always urge to our readers to utilise an operator’s live chat services. They are fast and convenient and allow you to get to the crux of the issue without any fuss. We contacted a Ladbrokes customer service representative via the live chat option, in order to gain access to more privileged information for this in-depth review. The care agent was extremely polite, quick to respond and very helpful in the end. If live chat isn’t your thing, you can also email the team at care@ladbrokes.com or give them a call. The team will typically respond to emails with 24 hours and the telephone services are available between 8am and 10pm.

Contact ladbrokes

As an additional service, if you don’t wish to use any of the Ladbrokes contact methods, we can also contact the bookmaker on your behalf and request any information you might need. Simply complete our contact form below and we will reach out to Ladbrokes as soon as possible. All of your data will be kept private in accordance with our data privacy policies.

Customer betting tools provided by Ladbrokes

The site has a number of features that can help you decide what the best bets might be. The Ladbrokes touch line provides all the important stats for domestic and continental football from around the world. You can check up on goals scored and conceded, current form, as well as search by team or by player, making it easy to get informed quickly. For the scoop on horse racing, you can click on the results tab which will launch the racing application. In this you can check past results, as well as the full lists of runners, and tips based on current form. If you really want to swot-up, then you can also read full stats for jockeys, trainers, partnerships, and first-time outs.

Overview of betting markets

When it comes to online betting, the depth and variety is crucial. Fortunately for you, the Ladbrokes markets cover an immense range of both domestic and international leagues across a wide range of different sports. Of course, all of your favourites are here; the football, rugby, cricket, darts and tennis. However, what really sets the operator apart is its ability to cover other unique sports such as the American sports leagues like the NFL, NHL and the NBA. In addition to this, you can also bet on Futsal, Australian rules and a whole host of others. In the UK, the two most widely covered sports are football and horse racing with over 60 different football, including all major European leagues.

They are constantly updating special football markets as well, which offer topical bets (such as Gareth Southgate to be knighted). From Ascot to the Kentucky Derby, you won’t be disappointed. All UK and Irish races are there, but if you are really intent on having the most races available at your fingertips, it might be worth checking out PaddyPower, which has 81 horseracing markets. Ladbrokes does also boast excellent coverage of golf tournaments, and an impressive 11 rugby, so the range really is an excellent one.

Virtual sports betting is hailed as being ‘as good as the real thing (virtually)’ on the Ladbrokes website. Whether this caveated statement is made as a joke or not, there’s no doubt that virtual sports are gaining traction with UK punters. The games are no longer reminiscent of penny arcade races, and you can place bets around the clock. You can bet on horse racing, greyhounds, football, motor racing, and speedway. While the real-life personalities are taken out of it, we can really see lots of reasons why people are choosing this form of entertainment. It brings something of the casino into sports betting, as the outcomes are calculated using algorithms, not a mixture of skill, sweat, and luck. There is also the fact that if a horse were to take a tumble in one of the races, no shotgun is required.

E-Sports – rising in popularity

Probably the quickest growing market for betting in the UK is e-sports. ESPN reported that by 2019 there will be 427 million viewers worldwide. The UK bookies are not ignoring this trend either, and Ladbrokes has a section dedicated to it. The most popular game to bet on is undoubtedly Counter-Strike, and there are numerous professional leagues for the game. The gaming industry, and specifically professional gaming is booming in the UK as in the rest of the world, and long gone are the days when it was just teenagers playing in their bedrooms.

The setup is extremely professional as well as being intensely competitive. Whether you are the first to buy your ticket for the next CS:GO Major Championship, or if you are lost at the very concept of watching someone else play an online game, you can find the latest odds on the main Ladbrokes online betting site. Because this market is still new, the page doesn’t offer anywhere near as much as info around the bets as in more traditional markets. There are no previous stats, or current form tips to be seen. We’re sure that this will change over time, as e-sports become more and more popular. But for now, at least, it seems that you will have to do quite a bit of research yourself to see who might be best to back.

Events, politics and other

Sports are not the only events that you can bet on at Ladbrokes. The X-Factor, Big Brother, and Celebrity Big Brother have often kept the bookie busy while on air, as punters try to make their dreams a reality by scooping a big win. You can also bet on (potentially) more serious markets, staking your cash against the likelihood of a general election within the year, the next UK Prime Minister, or whether Oprah Winfrey will replace Donald Trump as President of the United States. For your information, she is currently quoted at 20/1 to take up residency in the White House. All of these markets can be seen, bizarrely, under ‘more sports’. Alongside the politics and TV, you will find odds for novelty bets such as the colour of the Queen’s outfit for the next big royal event, or the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest. You certainly can’t accuse Ladbrokes of not covering the bases. Or the entire field for that matter.

Innovative betting options

These days, punters aren’t satisfied with just the traditional sports stakes. Most of the big bookies now offer numerous specials. At Ladbrokes, most of these apply to football, as might be expected. In addition to the normal win/loss/draw type bets and accumulators, you can stake your money on possibilities such as the number of corners, ‘Goal Crazy’ (both teams to score during a match), the number of cards, players to score or be substituted, Man of the Match, or the timing of corners of penalty kicks. The list is pretty long. If you are interested in finding out all about what’s possible on football matches, you can check out the full Ladbrokes football betting rules. This gives details of all the bets you can make on specific matches, as well as the more long-term bets such as tournaments, or bets on the next manager to be appointed at a club.

Ladbrokes mobile app experience

Along with the full online site, you can access your account, place bets, and make deposits and withdrawals in the Ladbrokes mobile. It is available for Apple, Android, and Windows users. Almost all of the normal markets are available here, and you can even stream live on your phone, which is a big bonus that is not always offered. The Ladbrokes mobile experience offers eight different functions including dedicated Casino, Poker, Bingo and The Grid. The mobile Ladbrokes experience is refined and optimised for the user in mind highlighting only the most important aspects of punters betting needs.

A big selling point (though it is free, of course!) is the ‘quick bet’ function. Just select your sport, choose your desired wager amount and you are ready to place your bet. It really couldn’t be easier, without the risk of accidents. The app even has buttons for the most popular wager amounts, saving you time cursing at the size of your screen or at the fatness of your fingers. This, in addition to the easy navigation, in general, makes it great overall.

Download details for different operating systems

As previously mentioned, the downloadable Ladbrokes app is available for both Apple, Android and Windows users. Apple users can download via the iTunes store or the Ladbrokes website, whilst Android and Windows users will have to download directly from the main website. If you don’t want to download, then you can still bet on your mobile or tablet. The full web-version of the site is optimized for mobile devices as well. So, if you haven’t got the right tech, or if you just don’t want to litter your screen with yet another app, you can access the full site from Android, Apple, Blackberry, and Windows devices with no download.

Ladbrokes software information

The web page itself is all about being bold. Decked out in the Ladbrokes signature red, from head to toe, it gets just about everything right when it comes to visuals. Treading the thin line between information overload and a lack of actual content, we had no problems finding out everything we wanted to know. The A-Z list of sports on the left is especially helpful, as it means that your favourite sports market is always just a click away. Placing a bet is super easy, as is maintaining your account, which is laid out nice and clearly. But does the website work properly, rather than just look good?

Or was it the case that Ladbrokes tested our patience with lots of buffering and loading times? The answer is a resounding ‘no’. The sports betting site is powered by OpenBet, which claims to be the ‘most powerful and flexible sportsbook on the market’, ensuring top quality and speed throughout. Gone are the days when people had to manually calculate every odd that was offered. The software available to bookies these days allows for more odds to be available to players, and a quicker, smoother Ladbrokes experience for all. We really can’t think of any major faults here, unless of course, you hate the colour red for some reason.

Just as important as having a smooth Ladbrokes experience online is knowing that your money and details are safe at all times. We have no complaints here, as Ladbrokes uses the latest encryption technology from Comodo and is frequently audited by an independent organisation to ensure best practices. In terms of responsible gambling, the operator is pro-active, with numerous partner organisations that promote safe gambling, support and protect at-risk users.

How to sign up

Creating an account is quick and easy. Head to the main page, click ‘join now’ in the top right-hand corner of the screen, and a registration form will pop up. It only takes a few short minutes to put in your details and get betting. If you are a PayPal user, you can even link your account from the beginning, saving you a little time.

How to close an account

If you wish to close your account, you can do so relatively easily. Log in to your account and go to the help centre to see the full details of how to close your account, and what conditions you are subject to. Basically, though, you have to contact customer support. This is definitely not an ideal situation, and we would prefer a simple form. But the staff respond quickly, and we don’t think you should have many problems. Just expect to be asked why you are leaving, and if there is anything that they could do for you that would change your mind. This is nothing unusual though… companies always tend to be a little clingy when customers say they are leaving them.

Additional Ladbrokes products

This Ladbrokes test revealed they are much more than just a sportsbook. There are several other gambling products available from the operator that might also take your fancy. We’ve broken each option down below.

Online casino

The online casino business is booming in the UK at the moment. Ladbrokes is right at the forefront of this market with an extensive offering. Online slots are the cornerstone of this part of the gambling scene, but players can also enjoy blackjack, roulette and poker variants as well. Software for Ladbrokes’ casino comes courtesy of industry giants, Playtech. You are in safe hands with these guys. There are also branded games in the form of Gladiator and Monty Python’s Spamalot. For jackpot chasers, the Mega Jackpots game as well as Cleopatra by IGT, remain popular.

Live dealer casinos are also available, where human dealers handle real playing cards and roulette wheels for virtual bets from around Europe. The lives games are also delivered by Playtech with variants of blackjack, roulette and baccarat available. There are also live dealer tables that are exclusive to Ladbrokes to be discovered here.

Online poker

The online poker Ladbrokes test was a revolution. It may be some way off its mid-00s peak, but the player versus player game is still alive and well in the UK today. The key difference between this and casino poker is the fact that you play against another human rather than against the house and, more importantly, the house edge. Texas Hold’em is the most popular variant at the moment, which features a total of five community cards that all players can use to build the best possible hand. A wide range of tournaments and cash games create diverse gameplay options for players. Your online poker bankroll is conveniently kept separate from your sportsbook balance.

Lottery

Ladbrokes also provides lotto options for fans of simple gambling methods. This is separate from the regular UK National Lottery, on which third-party betting is now illegal. The Ladbrokes-run lottery draws work in much the same way as you may be used to though, with various draws and tickets available. The draws take place at different times throughout the week. A handy countdown feature means choosing to buy a ticket for the next upcoming draw is simple and easy.

Ladbrokes shops

The Ladbrokes Coral Group is now owned by gambling powerhouse GVC Holdings and has been the subject of many mergers and acquisitions throughout the years. Between 1867 and 1973 Ladbrokes grew its land-based business to around 50 shops. It acquired a further 981 locations when it bought Coral in 2016, although it had to sell somewhere between 350 and 400 shops in order to complete the merger whilst keeping the Competitions and Markets Authority satisfied. In total, the gambling giant can boast a presence of close to 4,000 stores across the UK and Ireland. You can find your local shop by using our handy store locator below.

The land-based experience is somewhat limited compared to the online business. Fewer markets are available and, of course, in-play is a no go. The big advantage of a betting shop is the option to place bespoke bets. You can gamble money on almost anything today. Simply pop in and speak to a member of staff if you have an unusual bet you’d like to place, and they will work out some odds for you.

Security & data privacy

Security in this industry is tight, there are no two ways about it. The gambling sector is licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) also takes a keen interest in protecting players and those vulnerable to gambling addiction. Between them, these two organisations catch most of the dodgy operators in the act. They are such a well-established operator that you can rest assured it does its best to play by the rules. You cannot build a brand and become as big as Ladbrokes in this market unless you are legit, it’s a simple as that. Having said that, even the major operators fall foul of the regulations every now and then.

Which is when the UKGC is key. In November 2017, Ladbrokes Coral was fined £2.3m for allowing addicted gamblers to continue betting using stolen money. They accepted the sanction, apologising for any misconduct, and donating £200,000 to research into the causes of problem gambling on top of the imposed penalty. This does not, of course, absolve them of any wrong doing, but it is reassuring to know that the operator takes such occurrences very seriously. In terms of protecting your personal information and banking data from potential data thieves, Ladbrokes uses encryption to make sure anything that gets lost is worthless.

Fully regulated and up to date gambling licenses

A UKGC licence is like a stamp of approval in this business, but that’s not to say you shouldn’t be wary of licensed operators. Plenty of legit online gambling firms break the rules and are suitably punished with fines running into the millions. However, you should definitely be suspicious of any brand that doesn’t carry the UKGC logo on its site. Ladbrokes has been in this game too long to be in the habit of jeopardising its gambling licence. You may also notice information for secondary licenses in Malta and Gibraltar. This is so that gambling companies can base their operations in tax havens whilst still offering their services to UK players.

Ladbrokes Terms & Conditions – what you need to know

When it comes to the terms and conditions section of any website or online service, our first thoughts usually involve scrolling down as quickly as possible and hitting ‘next’ or ‘accept’ buttons. That said, hidden discreetly within every T&Cs document are vital bits of information you do not want to miss out on. For this Ladbrokes review, we have delved deep into the bookmaker’s terms and conditions document to provide you with all the necessary information we feel you should know before playing at this operator. First of all, the most important aspect that every punter needs to know when registering at an online bookie is that the operator must successfully verify your age before you can ever hope to withdraw your funds. If you fail to provide this information, your account can and probably will be locked and your access to certain parts of the website restricted. If you are serious about gambling online with this operator, make sure you follow our complete guide to setting up an account with Ladbrokes.

One common misconception when it comes to online betting is the fallout that can occur from a technical fault or IT failure. Let’s say you placed a bet on your favourite team winning a game and the result you wanted came through, however, you later found that there was a technical issue that resulted in your stake not being counted. Most people would assume you could just contact Ladbrokes customer support and resolve the issue. However, the bookmaker stipulates that it will not be held responsible for bets becoming void through disconnections or IT failures and that no refunds will be issued in these cases.

One of the most frustrating aspects of the online gambling industry is the use of inactivity fees. Should you fail to carry out any bets or activity on your Ladbrokes account for 12 consecutive months, your private account will be considered an ‘Inactive Account’ and you will be charged an inactivity fee of £2 or 5% off the balance of the account. If you no longer wish to bet with an operator, always make sure you close your account properly. If you would like more information, please feel free to check out the full and most updated Ladbrokes terms and conditions on the bookie’s website.

Background & history of Ladbrokes

Tracing its roots back over 100 years, the firm also hold the record as Britain’s oldest betting operator. The bookie was founded at Ladbroke hall in Warwickshire in 1886 and then later relocated to London in 1902. Since its early humble beginnings, the company has grown and developed into one of the most recognisable betting organisations on the planet. In the UK they benefit from having one of the highest numbers of sportsbook retail stores. The bookie went live online in 2000, instantly becoming the UK’s most active betting site. Since then, it has slowly begun to focus its efforts on internet gambling.

In November 2016, they officially merged with the Coral Group making it the largest British bookmaker with over 4,000 shops and the organisation was officially renamed as Ladbrokes Coral PLC. The company employs over 16,000 people and under the stewardship of Chief Executive Officer Jim Mullen, has started to focus heavily on the online market where the vast majority of sports bets now take place. With over one million unique registered players online across four different continents, Ladbrokes has well and truly established itself as one of the industry’s top organisations.

The future of Ladbrokes

With changes to the US gambling laws, Ladbrokes is one of a number of large operators keen to take advantage of a large market that is now available. In May 2018, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Congress’s ban on sports gambling was unconstitutional. It will now be down to each state to rule on sports betting, opening up exciting new markets for established bookmakers. Ladborkes has already struck a deal with MGM resorts in a $200m joint venture.

Ladbrokes experience – the final verdict

When it comes to writing a quality sportsbook review, it’s very important to provide a dedicated section that compares the operator’s positives and negatives with the other players in the industry. After all, when we decide to choose one bookie, that means there are hundreds of others we are not picking. As you might expect from such a trusted and respected sportsbook, it has scored very well in this Ladbrokes bookie review. The in-play betting options are diverse and well presented, with good odds across a vast number of special bets. The current welcome offer is a real draw for the operator with new players getting access to a Free Bet worth up to £/€50.

There is really nothing bad to say about the bonuses and promotions from this bookie, it breathes quality, diversity and is well suited for an experienced punter who enjoys a cheeky deal. Although they are excellent, the live streaming capabilities still have some catching up to do the beat the king of live stream betting – bet365. Also, if you are looking for a sportsbook with a true welcome bonus (with decent terms and conditions) as opposed to a free bet, we would recommend you check out 10bet. These two complaints are not really drawbacks for most UK punters. As one of the leading bookies in the country for a reason: it is excellent on every front, and industry-leading when it comes to in-play betting options. You really can’t go far wrong with this operator.

For a full breakdown of our Ladbrokes test rating scores and how they add up compared to other operators, you can check out the below table.

We hope you found this Ladbrokes review both helpful and informative. For more information on current UK sportsbooks, you can check out guides to the best UK bookmakers in the market today.

Ladbrokes – in the news

The operator remains heavily in the spotlight as it continues to make its presence known in the UK betting industry through its marketing strategies and charitable works. For the past year, Ladbrokes has enjoyed a very fruitful relationship with Premier League Football’s Burnley FC, becoming the side’s official UK betting partner at the beginning of last season. The three-year partnership will give the bookie a prominent presence on all the football club’s promotional channels as well as significant involvement in the fans’ match day experience. English football has clearly become a prime stomping ground for the bookie as it also acts as the in-stadium betting partner for Sheffield Wednesday F.C..

More recently, the company was announced as the official betting partner of ‘Monumental May’ – the play-offs component of the Vanarama National League. The CEO of the National League Michael Tattersall spoke of his delight at the recent announcement of the partnership. “We are proud to have them on board for what is set to be a significant time in the history of The National League. This partnership will provide fantastic exposure for our competition, and we look forward to working with Ladbrokes during this time.” As more news pours in, we will aim to keep this section of the review as up to date as possible.

Comment section

We try our best to create the most in-depth operator reviews you will find anywhere on the web. However, it’s inevitable we won’t quite cover every topic in the detail you, as the reader, would find the most interesting and helpful. To help further your knowledge of the Ladbrokes experience, please feel free to share your questions in the comments section below and we will do our best to respond in good time. If you have been testing Ladbrokes yourself recently, please also feel free to share thoughts on the operator below so that others may benefit from your experiences as well.