Model v1.4.0 · updated 24 September 2026 · scores last assessed 23 September 2026
How we rank bookmakers
Every rating is computed from the model below — not a hand-typed number that can drift. Two of the six criteria are calculated straight from data. The other four are assessed against the published rubricsfurther down — a defined set of variables, each score carrying dated evidence — so “why 3.5?” always has a documented answer. It's the same file our code reads to score each bookmaker, so what we publish here is exactly what runs.
1. The operator rating
A bookmaker's overall score out of 5 is a weighted average of six criteria. Offer value is deliberately notone of them — a deal getting juicier doesn't make the operator better run.
Racing product
35% of the scoreWhat the book actually offers a racing punter — Best Odds Guaranteed, live racing streams, early prices, full-card coverage, extra places, boosts and cash out. Computed from the verified feature grid; the point value of each feature is published below.
Computed from the feature gridTrust & track record
25% of the scoreTwo lenses, weighed separately then combined: how the operator treats CUSTOMERS (payouts, withdrawals, winner restrictions, independent reviews) and its REGULATORY record (enforcement scale, recency and repetition). A book that pays punters promptly but has process fines is not the same as one that restricts winners - the rubric distinguishes them. Enforcement DECAYS: actions more than five years old are disregarded, so a book that cleans up its act has a real path back to the top band. Scored 0-5 against documented, cited evidence.
Assessed against a published rubricOdds & racing value
12% of the scorePrice competitiveness and value concessions (BOG, money-back specials, extra places) relative to the market, assessed against the operator's live product.
Assessed against a published rubricPayments & withdrawals
10% of the scoreDeposit/withdrawal method breadth, minimum deposit, and documented withdrawal speed.
Assessed against a published rubricPlatform & app
10% of the scoreApp-store ratings where published, plus site/app usability from our own testing.
Assessed against a published rubricCustomer support
8% of the scoreBreadth of support channels (live chat, phone, email, social), computed from the verified support list.
Computed from support channels2. The two computed criteria
Two of the six are calculated straight from a bookmaker's verified feature grid and support channels — no judgement call.
Racing product: feature points
Each verified feature adds the points shown, so a book with every feature scores 5. Best Odds Guaranteed counts for the most.
- Best Odds Guaranteed+2
- Early prices+1.25
- Live UK & Irish racing streaming+0.5
- Full-card coverage (prices every GB & IRE race)+0.5
- Extra each-way places+0.25
- Price boosts+0.25
- Cash out+0.25
Customer support: channels
The breadth of contact routes (live chat, phone, email, social), mapped to a 0–5 score.
- 1 support channel2 / 5
- 2 support channels3 / 5
- 3 support channels4 / 5
- 4 support channels5 / 5
What changed in v1.4.0, 24 September 2026
Live streaming now counts for 0.5 of the 5 racing-product points, down from 1.5. Watching the race is nice to have, but it does not change what you are paid. The point it gave up is shared between the two concessions that do, on any racing day: Best Odds Guaranteed goes from 1.5 to 2 and early prices from 0.75 to 1.25. A book with every feature still scores 5, and the change applies to every operator we rate.
Every earlier version is listed under changes to the model.
3. The four assessed criteria
The other four aren't computed from a formula — but they aren't a vibe either. Each is assessed against a published rubric: a defined set of variables and what each 0–5 band means. Every score records the evidence and the date it was assessed, and the prebuild refuses to ship a score whose evidence is missing.
Trust & track record
25% of the scoreHow safely the operator holds your money and treats your account - customer treatment first, regulatory record second. 5 means best in class today with no material flaws, not theoretical perfection.
What we look at
- Customer treatment - payout record, withdrawal speed, winner restrictionsjudged
- Regulator enforcement in the LAST FIVE YEARS - scale, recency, repetition (older actions disregarded; cited)re-measured
- Independent review score (e.g. Trustpilot)re-measured
- Years trading and scalefrom data
- UKGC licence (and any dual FCA regulation)from data
What the score means
- 5Best-in-class customer treatment AND no material enforcement in the last five years.
- 4Strong customer treatment; a single, minor or ageing regulatory blemish.
- 3Good customer treatment but meaningful recent enforcement - or a record too thin to judge.
- 2Documented customer-treatment problems, or serious/repeated recent enforcement.
- 1Poor independent reviews plus restriction-after-winning or withdrawal complaints, regardless of licence.
Odds & racing value
12% of the scorePrice competitiveness and the value concessions a racing punter actually gets.
What we look at
- Best Odds Guaranteed (scope, caps, exclusions)from data
- Money-back / loss-back concessionsre-measured
- Ante-post market depthjudged
- Headline-price competitivenessjudged
What the score means
- 5Market-leading value: BOG on UK and Irish racing, money-back specials and prices/depth competitive with the best available. Best in class today, not theoretical perfection.
- 4BOG plus a genuinely strong concession set, with one gap (e.g. mid-pack headline prices).
- 3BOG or a solid concession set, but gaps in scope or depth.
- 1No BOG and few or no value concessions.
Payments & withdrawals
10% of the scoreHow easily you can get money in and out.
What we look at
- Deposit/withdrawal methods (including e-wallets)from data
- Minimum depositfrom data
- Cash withdrawal at shopsre-measured
- Documented withdrawal speedre-measured
What the score means
- 5Best in class: broad methods including e-wallets, low minimum, fast or cash withdrawals, no material gaps.
- 3Card plus a couple of methods; standard speeds.
- 1Debit-card only, or slow/unverified withdrawals.
Platform & app
10% of the scoreThe quality of the app and site for betting on racing.
What we look at
- iOS / Android app-store ratingsre-measured
- Native app (vs mobile web only)from data
- In-app live racing streamingfrom data
- Feature richness (cash-out variants, Bet Builder)from data
What the score means
- 5Best app in class: high store ratings, native app, in-app racing streaming, rich features.
- 3Competent app and features, with some gaps (e.g. no streaming).
- 1No native app, or low/unrated store presence.
We re-check these against the rubrics as operators change their product and terms; the current scores were last assessed on 23 September 2026. Every review shows its own assessment date.
4. The offer score
An offer's value gets its own separate 0–5 score — purely mechanical. A base from how much bonus you get per pound of qualifying outlay, then published deductions for every restrictive condition. Operator quality is not mixed in.
Base — value ratio
Bonus ÷ qualifying outlay.
- 5× or more backbase 5
- 3× or more backbase 4
- 1.5× or more backbase 3
- 0.75× or more backbase 2
- Anything lessbase 1
Deductions
Each restrictive term the offer carries costs points.
- Wagering requirement — the bonus must be re-staked (e.g. 10x) before it becomes withdrawable cash−1.5
- Free bets restricted to accumulators / multi-leg bets−1
- Part of the bonus is spread bets, where losses can exceed the stake−1
- Free bets expire within 24 hours of credit−1
- Free bets expire within 7 days of credit−0.25
- Qualifying bet requires odds longer than Evens (2.0)−0.5
- Free-bet stake is not returned with winnings−0.25
- E-wallet deposits (PayPal / Skrill / Neteller) excluded from qualifying−0.25
Only the single harshest expiry penalty applies — an offer that expires within 24 hours is charged the −1, not every expiry row added together.
Commission never moves a score
Some bookmakers pay us commission and some pay more than others. That commercial relationship is recorded in a separate field (partnerPriority) which is never an input to the operator rating or the offer score — the computation reads only the criteria and conditions published on this page. Where a surface is ordered commercially rather than by score, its heading says so.
A worked example: Betfred
Here's the model applied to our top-rated operator — the exact numbers behind its 4.2 / 5, computed on this page the same way it is on the review.
| Criterion | Score | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Racing product | 5.0 | 35% | 1.75 |
| Trust & track record | 3.5 | 25% | 0.88 |
| Odds & racing value | 3.5 | 12% | 0.42 |
| Payments & withdrawals | 3.5 | 10% | 0.35 |
| Platform & app | 4.0 | 10% | 0.40 |
| Customer support | 5.0 | 8% | 0.40 |
| Overall | 4.2 | 100% | 4.2 |
7. Changes to the model
When we change a weight or a rule, the change applies to every bookmaker at once and is recorded here with its date.
v1.4.0 · 24 September 2026
Live streaming now counts for 0.5 of the 5 racing-product points, down from 1.5. Watching the race is nice to have, but it does not change what you are paid. The point it gave up is shared between the two concessions that do, on any racing day: Best Odds Guaranteed goes from 1.5 to 2 and early prices from 0.75 to 1.25. A book with every feature still scores 5, and the change applies to every operator we rate.
v1.3.0 · 17 July 2026
Live streaming rose from 1.25 to 1.5 racing-product points, and full-card coverage (a price on every GB and Irish race) joined at 0.5, treating watching and betting the whole card as the basics. Extra places, price boosts and cash out dropped from 0.5 to 0.25 each. Best Odds Guaranteed stayed heaviest at 1.5.
v1.2.0 · 6 July 2026
The top band of every assessed criterion now means best in class today with no material flaws, rather than theoretical perfection, so a 5 can be earned. Regulator enforcement older than five years is disregarded.
v1.1.0 · 6 July 2026
Trust and track record split into two lenses, customer treatment and regulatory record, each with published bands, and every operator was re-scored under the same rules.
v1.0.0 · 4 July 2026
First published model: six weighted criteria and a separate mechanical offer score.
Every operator we rate is UKGC-licensed — verify any of them on the Gambling Commission public register.
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