Although the amount of bookmakers in Scotland has steadily declined in recent years, gambling remains incredibly popular in the sport-loving nation. In recent years, bookmakers have sponsored the three biggest football competitions in Scotland, with Ladbrokes, William Hill, and Betfred sponsoring the Scottish Premier League, the Scottish Cup, and the Scottish League Cup respectively. That being said, both Ladbrokes and William Hill have decided not to renew their individual sponsorships of the competitions in the future, meaning we’re likely to see a change in direction regarding sponsorship from the Scottish Football Association.
But which bookmaker holds the title as Scotland’s favourite? It’s tough to name one over another in all honesty, so let’s take a look at the three front runners and see what they offer their customers.
Ladbrokes
Although Ladbrokes has seen a decline in its high street premises in recent times, it remains one of Scotland’s favourite bookmakers. With more than 2,500 retail shops in the UK, Ireland, and Spain, and 800,000 active online customers, Ladbrokes offer customers extensive markets in a variety of sports and provides excellent value to punters. The Ladbrokes app is competitive and user friendly, and they also offer a live-streaming service, meaning punters can watch particular sports that they decide to have a wager on. If it’s reliability and good value Scottish punters are looking for, then Ladbrokes is a great choice.
William Hill
Like Ladbrokes, William Hill is one of the first bookmakers people think of when planning on placing a bet. Their sponsorship of the Scottish Cup has undoubtedly helped boost their popularity in Scotland, as their branding is plastered across advertising boards and flashed on TV screens during all cup matches. As of March 2019, William Hill had the most high street premises of all bookmakers in the UK, with 2,264 compared to Ladbrokes’ 1,828. In some respects, this gives William Hill a slight edge, as Scottish punters who prefer placing their bets in person are more likely to have a William Hill shop close by than any other company. They also boast an impressive online presence and offer multiple sports and markets for their customers to choose from.
Betfred
The third contender for the title of Scotland’s favourite bookmaker is Betfred. As one of Scotland’s largest independent bookmakers, they are an excellent choice if you enjoy betting on horseracing. What’s more, they’re among the most popular bookies with customers because of some of the more uncommon sports that punters can bet on, including Gaelic football and handball. Gaelic football has a decent following in Scotland and is likely to direct punters towards choosing Betfred as their preferred platform. Another positive for Betfred customers is that they have a reputation as being generous when it comes to new sign up offers and existing promotions. Their current sign up offer of bet £10 and get £30 in free bets is one of the best deals out there, and is likely to help them attract new customers.
So who is Scotland’s favourite bookmaker?
As we have discussed, it isn’t easy to offer one bookmaker the title of Scotland’s favourite. Customers get value from several companies, and many punters have multiple sites across different platforms to extract free bet offers.
You should also bear in mind that we haven’t mentioned the many independent bookmakers or the countless other large companies with a significant online presence and are also extremely popular in Scotland. The three introduced here are an excellent starting point, as you are guaranteed value and security. Overall, it’s likely that most gamblers in Scotland have at one time or another used the services of the three bookmakers introduced here.
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