How We Rate the Best Cricket Betting Sites
If cricket betting is your thing, then you are not alone. Although it doesn’t have the betting appeal of sports such as football, horse racing and tennis in the UK, it still has an excellent following.
According to The Cricketer, internationally, the sport is second only to football, with its biggest followings in the UK, Europe and India, where it is their biggest sport.
So, if you’re one of the many that enjoy a bet on the Ashes, or a flutter on the 20Twenty matches, then we have filtered out the best betting sites for you to do so, which includes market leaders like bet365, William Hill and 888Sport.
To do this, we weigh up all their pros and cons – including betting offers and free bets, odds, markets and features.
However, we also look at more practical areas of the site – such as accounts, customer service and, most importantly, safety and security.
You can rest assured that any bookmaker we recommend – in any area of the site, will be licensed and regulated by the UKGC, which is there to make sure “gambling is conducted fairly and openly”.
So, with cricket being a prevalent sport to bet on, especially in summer months when football betting has gone a little quieter, you’ll find the top sites competing to get your attention.
They will all try and offer great odds and eye-watering offers – something that makes them stand out. So, we look behind the gloss and dazzle of the big numbers and alluring deals to see which sites really offer value.
- Safety, Security and Reputation. The first thing that we look at is the safety and security of the site. No matter how good the odds and promotions are, the site needs to be safe and protect you. It also needs to be fair – no hidden small print and no tricks to catch you out. The main thing we look for here is the official UKGC stamp, which means the industry’s strictest regulatory body licenses it. Other trust logos we look for include ESSA – which ensures that the tech is fair, and IBAS, which helps resolve disputes fairly. They should also be linked to responsible gaming sites, including BeGambleAware, GamCare and more. The more, the merrier.
- Promotions, Bonuses and Quality of Welcome Offers. All of the best bookmakers offer good promotions and bonuses. However, they are also good on different levels. The bonus size is one thing, but we also like to delve deeper and look behind the numbers. It’s a case of quality over quantity… if they offer both even better! We want a nice looking bonus – but we also want it to have depth with fair and reasonable terms and conditions.
- Top Features. Betting has come a long way since it began…. with wagers being put on, who will win and lose. Now, the best betting sites offer so much more… more than just simple single bets. All decent bookies offer multiples and in-play betting – and pretty much all offer features like cash out. In fact, most offer partial cash out as well, but new features are being created all the time, and the best are out at the forefront of developments. We like to see added extras such as bet builder, edit bet and live streaming.
Other ratings that might interest you, but are covered more in-depth in other articles and lists are following:
- Which are the best betting sites in the UK?
- Which are the best exchange betting sites?
- Which betting sites accept PayPal?
- Which betting sites accept Boku?
What to Expect from the Best Cricket Betting Sites
When it comes to good cricket betting sites, we have high standards, and we like them to be all-rounders – we’d rather them be good at most things than excellent at one or two and not be good at the rest.
Most sites will offer cricket odds – but how many actually offer value cricket odds? And how many offer more than that? They need to give us more.
We want a nice attractive and simple site that is easy to navigate and functional. We insist on good customer service and a company that makes the whole cricket betting experience fun and easy.
A Variety of Cricket Betting Markets
Obviously, most cricket sites will allow you to bet on winners of big tournaments and leagues.
They’ll allow you to bet on the winners of matches – and most will offer to bet on over/under runs.
However, the best cricket betting sites will offer even more markets and specials, such as highest scoring batsman, betting on overs etc. Also, they will offer bets on all sorts of matches around the world.
Live / In-Play Betting
Live and In-Play betting options have never been more popular – and it’s starting to overtake ante-post betting in terms of popularity. Betting whilst the cricket match is in action makes the match more exciting.
You can bet on things such as next wicket, next six etc., and you can do so when you can see what is happening and who is performing well… and, conversely, who is struggling.
You can see all the stats for the match, which will help make you the best decision available to you.
Live Streaming
Live betting is one thing – but we love it if the site offers cricket live streaming as well, as it goes perfectly with live betting.
This means that you can watch the match that you are betting on and then make even more bets as it happens, taking the excitement to the next level.
A Range of Betting Features
As we said before, betting is fun, even if it is just a win bet. However, being able to tailor-make your own bet takes it to the next level.
You can build up bets with Bet Builder… so you can make it as risky as you like – taking more than one separate bet and adding them together to up the ante and the winning potential.
Edit bet works great alongside cash out, giving you more control over your wager right until the last knockings.
Good Odds
Odds – these are the bread and butter of any betting site – because the odds represent the value you get for your money – and the winnings you will get.
It makes no sense to bet on an outcome and get less money than you could. Why bet somewhere that gives you a £50 profit when you could get a £55 profit.
Often there isn’t a great deal of difference, but when you keep getting that extra money for wins, it makes a difference in the long run.
If you can find enhanced odds offers or best odds guaranteed, it’s even better!
Promotions
Generally, when you look at welcome offers and promotions, they are very generic. You can use them on any bet, which is great because that means that if you’re a fan of cricket betting, you can use the majority on any upcoming matches.
Also, the best cricket betting sites will offer special odds and promotions specifically for cricket tournaments – so when the Ashes or World Cup are on, we expect to see plenty of promos.
Payment Options
Because there are now more ways of paying for things online than ever before, the best cricket bookmakers will reflect this.
They need to offer flexible ways to deposit and withdraw your money – ensuring that the banking is as safe and secure as possible.
Because of regulations, no betting site can offer payment via credit cards. However, pretty much all accept debit card payments.
On top of this, we like to see a variety of methods, including eWallets like PayPal, Skrill and Neteller, and other options such as Trustly, Boku, Paysafecard and if it offers methods such as Google Pay, Apple Pay and even Bitcoin.
User Experience on Desktop and Mobile
Not everyone is adept at betting – and not everyone is a technical whizz. According to Statistica, the key audience for cricket and cricket betting is the over 55s.
They generally don’t want to spend too much time finding their way around complicated betting sites.
No matter who you are, you should enjoy the experience and find it nice and simple. It would be best not to get frustrated with lag or confused because you don’t know where to find what you’re looking for.
You should access all the games you want, find the features you want, deposit and withdraw easily and chat to customer service whenever. The simpler it is to use on both desktop and mobile, the better.
The Best Cricket Betting Sites for Odds
As stated, good odds is simply a must. There’s no point heading over to a site that doesn’t offer value for money, and that is what we look for in odds.
If your bet comes in, you want your winnings to be as good as they can be. You don’t want to wish you’d put your bet down elsewhere for a better win.
However, it’s not just about the quality and value of the odds. We like to see a wide variety of odds for all different markets, such as the Indian Premier League and even Big Bash in Australia.
We also like the odds to be good value for all markets. Not excellent for some and poor for others. We want to see odds for all different matches all around the world – in play as well as pre-match available early for extra value.
Sites such as bet365, Betfred, 10bet and TonyBet are always good to look at if you’re looking for a great variety of value odds.
The Best for Live and In-Play Betting Features
In-Play has grown in popularity in a concise space of time – and that’s because it adds an extra dimension to a game that is already thrilling.
If you are watching a cricket match and think you can see where it’s heading, you can check into the betting site and quickly put a bet on it.
Live betting means that the odds change second by second, so you need to get in quickly to get the best odds.
So, if you think a player is heading for a century, or you can see the batsman getting caught out soon, then you can place the bet in a minute or so. You can change or add your bet as the mood of the match changes.
Some of the best for in-play cricket betting at the moment include bet365, Ladbrokes, Coral, 888 and Infernobet.
Live Streaming
Many sites offer live streaming as offer live betting as this is quite an expensive tech for betting companies to add.
However, many betting sites do offer cricket live streaming, which gives them an advantage here.
Generally, you will find that it is the bigger and more well-established betting sites that offer live streaming, such as 888sport, Coral, Unibet, Ladbrokes and bet365.
This gives them a big advantage because it means you can watch any cricket match that they have available for the cost of a small bet – and the added excitement if it wins.
Cricket Sites that Offer the Best Features
Cash Out Betting
This is a prevalent and widespread feature, and you will find that most betting companies will offer customers the cash-out option on selected bets.
So if you are winning and want to take your money before the final over, you can (read more about cash-out betting here).
This is perfect if you are betting on a cricket match that is seemingly going your way, then the top batsman gets bowled out much earlier than you predicted, and it looks as though it may turn.
You can then accept the cash-out offer (which all depends on what the betting site thinks the likelihood of your win still is) and walk away quids in.
One of the most generous for cricket cash-out offers currently is Ladbrokes.
How You Cash Out:
- Open your non-settled bet(s)
- Click on the cash out button
- Choose between taking full or partial cash out
Partial Cash Out
This is great if you are undecided on your bet and aren’t sure whether you should cash out or stick to your guns.
It means that you can cash out some of your bet and keep the rest on if you still think you have the chance for a win. So, it’s great if you are the indecisive type.
If you aren’t sure whether to cut and run or keep holding on, then many of the top cricket betting sites, such as Bet365, allow you to cash out partially. This gives you the best of both worlds.
Bet Builder / Build-a-Bet
Build a bet or Bet Builder is offered by Bet365, William Hill, and many others. This means you can add as much to your bet as you want – or as little as you like.
So, you could bet on England to beat India in an ODI at 3/2. This means that if you bet £20, you could win £30. However, you want to build up your bet…
- Joe Root to hit a century – 5/1
- England to win by more than 30 runs – 3/1
- Jofra Archer to score the first six – 3/1
That means your £20 could earn you £4,780 in profit – rather than the £30 profit of just a win.
Obviously, that would be a very risky bet and is an extreme example, but you can take as far – or make it as safe as you like.
The best betting sites for Bet Builder features are Bet365, William Hill and Unibet.
Edit Bet
Edit bet is a pretty new feature that is still catching on. However, it’s currently doing very well with bet365 and will likely catch on with even more betting sites in the future.
The edit bet function allows you to make changes to your bet right up to the very last minute. So, if you want to change your last Acca leg before it finishes, you can – you can add selections, take away selections etc. – as long as the bet hasn’t been settled.
This game-changing feature works alongside cash out and will generally offer you your cash out value with a few exceptions…
- When you use edit bet to add an extra selection to increase your stake before the match starts and the odds have remained constant.
- When you change the type of your bet, and there is no way to split cashout equally across every part of your amended bet.
Currently, Bet365 is known for having the Edit Bet feature.
Having the Best Free Bets and Bonuses
Bonuses and promotions are like a storefront window display. These tempt the customers in and get them through the door, so they need to be good. But they also need to leave a good taste in the mouth as well.
You don’t want to see a dream window display. Go in and see that what you want to buy isn’t actually what’s there, but a terrible version – that costs way more than you thought and isn’t anywhere near as appealing as you thought.
You’d walk straight out and likely never return. We need for the offer to be as good as it actually looks. Only sites with the best free bets and offers will make our list.
So, we want top cricket offers and promotions that are completely fair and transparent.
This means no absurdly high wagering requirements, no ridiculous minimum odds requirements and not just valid to one type of bet only.
Sites that are well known for great free bets and bonuses include 888sport and Ladbrokes
Cricket Betting Sites with the Best Customer Service
This is a really key feature on a betting site that we focus quite heavily on, as customer service can make or break an entire experience – on a betting site or anywhere else.
So, all the betting sites that we deem the best for cricket will have great customer service. They will offer you extended hours (some will offer 24-hour service, which is our preferred, they will also offer a quick to respond and very helpful service.
We will also see that they offer many ways to contact – with live chat, phone and email being preferable. We also like companies that offer social media options such as Messenger, Facebook pages, Twitter etc. Quick, reliable, friendly, helpful and easy to access.
Different Types of Cricket Bets Available
Cricket betting is prevalent, and as such, there are many different types of bets available to you.
Here are some of the different types of bets to look out for:
Outright Winner – This one is the most popular of all cricket bets and is perfect for beginners to understand because it is simple and straightforward. It simply requires you to pick which of the two teams you think will win the match. This is generally easier to do in test match cricket than T20, which is faster moving and much more volatile
Player of the Match – Generally, the cricket betting site will give you the option of players from each side that they believe will be key players in the match. You can then choose from those who you think will be the player of the match. If you manage to get it right, you can expect a generous return, especially if you are generous with your wager.
Most Wickets require punters to decide who they think will be the bowler that will finish with the highest number of wickets. If you are betting over a 5-day test, you can expect an excellent payout if you get this one right.
Most Runs Scored – Like the previous bets, the betting sites will give punters the option of who they believe will be the players who score the most runs in the match. If you want to bet on this, make sure you research the form, condition of the pitch, weather etc. Also, check the pitch lighting as this has been a huge issue for teams and, according to Sky Sports, is one of the biggest performance issues.
The Toss – This one is simply a 50/50 bet that’s just the luck of the draw… you have to guess which team you think will win the c coin toss. You pick the correct team, and you win, although it won’t be a fortune.
Cricket Accumulator Bets – If you want to up the odds and enjoy a match winner bet, then you could try out a cricket accumulator. These are great for T20s and tournaments. Place several bets on the teams you think will win. You could then find yourself with a huge win if all your legs come in.
Top Cricket Tournaments for Betting
Here are the best tournaments for cricket betting:
- The Ashes – a traditional match between Australia and England, alternates every 2 years between England and Australia.
- The World Cup is played once every four years and consists of the world’s best ODI teams.
- The T20 World Cup – is very similar to the World Cup but the matches are in the T20 format.
- Domestic T20 – includes huge competitions such as Australia’s Big Bash and England’s T20 Blast.
- Indian Premier League – This is the best cricket league globally and brings together some of the best players in the world for weeks of fast-paced action.
Only Choosing Sites Regulated by the UKGC
No matter how good a site is, we will only recommend a site that has been given the stamp of approval by the UK Gambling Commission.
This is the regulatory body that has the highest of standards and is always making sure that any site certified by them adheres to the strictest regulations so that they always treat the customer fairly and transparently, making sure that they always have the best interests of their customers at heart. If it’s not UKGC, then they will not be on our site.
