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The Best Live Betting Sites for 2024

Your search for the best live betting sites ends right here. At SBO.net, our experts have reviewed every online bookmaker that allows you to bet on sports once the action begins.

Whether you want to bet on a football match after kick-off or a UFC fight that has you on the edge of your seat, our recommended in-play betting sites have you covered. Keep reading to discover how you can inject more excitement into your online betting experience.

Top In-Play Betting Sites – March 2024

4.5/5
Rated by 413 users
Claimed by 239 people this week
Get 100% Up To $500
Terms and conditions: The bonus code is only valid for a new customer's first deposit and must be redeemed immediately after the deposit and before a wager has been placed. The sum of the deposit and the bonus are subject to rollover requirements of 8x at min. odds of -200 (1.5) before a new bonus can be redeemed or a withdrawal can be made. Max. $1000 of each bet count towards the rollover requirements. Terms and Conditions apply. – Terms apply
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Payment Options

VISA
Master Card
Bank Transfer
Neteller
Paysafecard
Skrill
Bitcoin
+5

Average Payout Speed

0 – 24 Hours

Currencies

  • AUD
  • CAD
  • USD
  • Competitive sign-up and promotional offers
  • Excellent statistics section to aid customers
  • Pain-free deposit options
  • Accepts both high and low limit bettors
  • Lengthy and expensive withdrawal procedure
4.5/5
Rated by 267 users
Claimed by 206 people this week
125% up to $3,125
Terms and conditions: Terms and Conditions apply. – Terms apply
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Payment Options

VISA
Master Card
Bitcoin
American Express
Moneygram
Ethereum
Litecoin

Average Payout Speed

0 – 24 Hours

Currencies

  • BTC
  • LTC
  • ETH
  • Premier destination for US bettors
  • Racebook covering daily races
  • Esports and virtual sports markets
  • In-depth sports stats and tips
  • Intuitive live betting markets
  • Limited withdrawal options
4.57/5
Rated by 413 users
Claimed by 165 people this week
100% Up To $1000
Terms and conditions: Terms and Conditions apply. – Terms apply
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Payment Options

Bitcoin
BitcoinCash
Master Card
Person to Person
VISA

Average Payout Speed

0 – 24 Hours

Currencies

  • LTC
  • USD
  • Generous bonuses and promotions
  • Great range of betting markets
  • Extensive racebook
  • Very good customer service
  • Only a few withdrawal options
  • Fees for withdrawing funds
4.62/5
Rated by 413 users
Claimed by 179 people this week
100% Up to $1000 + $25 casino chip
Terms and conditions: Terms and Conditions apply. – Terms apply
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Payment Options

VISA
Master Card
Bitcoin

Average Payout Speed

0 – 24 Hours

Currencies

  • BTC
  • Trusted by publications such as ESPN
  • Access a dedicated racing section
  • Crypto-friendly sportsbook
  • Adjust odds format and time zone
  • Support options include call back
  • Quite low sportsbook limits
4.5/5
Rated by 413 users
Claimed by 139 people this week
50% Up To $1000
Terms and conditions: Terms and Conditions apply. – Terms apply
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Payment Options

Bank Wire
Bitcoin
Cheque
Discover
Master Card
Neteller
Skrill
+1

Average Payout Speed

0 – 24 Hours

Currencies

  • USD
  • Accepts players from all over the world
  • Known for their live betting offers
  • Lots of secure banking options
  • Great bonuses and promotions
  • High fees for some deposit options
  • Support agents are often slow to reply
4.5/5
Rated by 313 users
Claimed by 93 people this week
50% Up to $250
Terms and conditions: Terms and Conditions apply. – Terms apply
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Payment Options

Amex
Bitcoin
Master Card
Rapidtransfer
VISA

Average Payout Speed

0 – 24 Hours

Currencies

  • BTC
  • Top-rated US online sportsbook
  • Mobile site for iOS and Android users
  • Diverse range of betting markets
  • Excellent customer support options
  • Lines come out very late in the day
  • Odds not as favorable as other books
4.5/5
Rated by 232 users
Claimed by 86 people this week
15% up to $600
Terms and conditions: Terms and Conditions apply. – Terms apply
Show More Details Show Less Details

Payment Options

Amex
Bank Wire
Bitcoin
Cheque
Master Card
Neteller
VISA

Average Payout Speed

0 – 24 Hours

Currencies

  • BPS
  • CAD
  • EUR
  • Popular book that accepts large max bets
  • Huge focus on football and basketball
  • High-spec live in-play platform available
  • Downloadable client for Windows & Mac
  • Odds are not amazing on non-US sports
  • User interface could be improved

What Is Live Betting?

Also known as in-play betting, live betting is the act of placing a bet during an event. It’s safe to say that live betting revolutionised the online sports betting world when in-play markets started being offered towards the end of the 1990s. Instead of punters betting before an event started, they could now watch the opening few minutes and decide whether to place their original bet or choose an alternative.

We should note that not every event is available for in-play betting.

For example, you can’t bet in-play on which sprinter will win the 100m race at the Olympic Games. Why? Because the winner typically dashes across the finish line in under 10 seconds. There isn’t enough time for bookies to change the odds and accept your bet.

Live betting markets can be found in the in-play section of the online bookmaker’s website or mobile app. Once you navigate to this section, you will be presented with a list of sports that currently have live betting markets available. Once you select the sport you’re interested in, you will then see all the events that are running. Choose an event to watch the event tracker, view statistics and lock in the latest odds.

Man celebrating winning bet

What to Expect From the Best Live Betting Sites

Do you know what separates the best live betting sites from those that are bang average? There are many more factors to consider than which sports you can bet on and how long it takes for in-play bets to be accepted. How quickly can you deposit? Will you receive a price boost? Trust us, we could go on…

To save you spending countless hours researching and comparing live in-play betting sites, we’ve done all the hard work for you. At SBO.net, we rate and review the live betting offering for every single online bookmaker we come across. Some of the many factors we consider when deciding which live betting sites are worthy of our seal of approval include:

Number of Betting Markets

Number of Markets

You’ll be blown away by the number of in-play markets available at the best live betting sites. It doesn’t matter what time it is; you’ll always find numerous events to bet on. We expect a varied selection of markets for each event. Imagine being limited to betting on the outcome of a football match. Boring!

In-play markets

In-Play Offers

Virtually all new betting sites treat punters to exciting in-play offers. This is their way of making you feel at home and ensuring you remain a loyal customer. Free bets that can only be used on in-play markets are often issued to drum up excitement for major events such as the World Cup final or Super Bowl.

Enhanced odds

Price Boosts

A price boost is when the most generous live betting sites often offer higher odds on select markets than normal. These enhanced odds offers are listed at the top when you view an event. An example would be the odds of over 2.5 goals being scored in a football match being boosted from 2.00 to 3.00.

Track Record

Event Tracker

Not every event is streamed live in HD or available to watch on television. If you’re someone who likes to know exactly what is happening during an event you’ve bet on, it’s important that the live betting site has a detailed event tracker. This is basically an animated version of the action with real time statistics.

Banking Methods

One-Click Deposits

Imagine something significant happening during an event you’re watching. It could be a red card in a football match or the leading driver in a Formula 1 race experiencing engine problems. It’s vital that you can deposit funds in a single click to take advantage of the situation and make an in-play bet quickly.

Withdrawal Times

Cash Out Feature

Whether you decide to cut your losses or lock in a profit by cashing out, the top live betting sites make life easy. Virtually all online bookmakers allow you to cash out a bet in its entirety. But only the best betting sites offer the flexibility of a partial cash out, allowing you to leave some of your stake to run.

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Live Betting Markets for Different Sports

We’re sure you are aware of all the popular betting markets for different sports. But do you know what in-play betting markets are available for them? We would have to write a book to cover every sport, but let’s take a closer look at the most bet on in-play markets for three of the world’s most popular sports.

Football

Football

Live betting sites offer countless in-play opportunities for football betting. Not only can you bet on the usual things like the outcome of a match and how many goals will be scored, you can bet on which team will score the next goal, which team will concede the next corner, whether a penalty will be scored, etc.

Tennis

Tennis

Ever noticed how one-sided some matches are when it comes to tennis betting? In-play betting allows you to search for value instead of backing heavy favourites. You can bet on the winner of the current game and the current set, the correct score of the current set, whether a tie break will be required, etc.

American Football

American Football

If you’re a fan of betting on the NFL, then you’ll be blown away by the number of in-play markets for every game. You can bet on the outcome of the current play, which team will score the next touchdown, the total number of points that will be scored, plus countless other exotic bets that spice up the action.

Live Betting on Non-Sporting Events

Live Betting on Non-Sporting Events

Of course, it isn’t just sports that you can bet on in-play. The best live betting sites also provide real time odds for TV specials like the Eurovision Song Contest and the final of The X-Factor. You can even bet in-play while watching election results and major film awards like the BAFTAs and Oscars. If it’s live on your television, you can bet your life that online bookmakers will have created a market for you to bet on.

Pros and Cons of Live Betting

Naturally, live betting means the odds will fluctuate in and out of your favour. This is great when the odds swing in your favour, but it can be gut-wrenching when you have already placed a bet and see that better odds are now available. But that’s what makes live betting so exciting, right?

Pros

Live Analysis

Live Analysis

The main advantage of live betting versus pre-match betting is that you can watch the action and bet accordingly. You can watch the first 10 minutes of a football match and see which team looks the most threatening in front of goal before placing a bet. Perhaps a sluggish start from both teams will lead you to bet on under 2.5 goals. Options are endless.

Value Betting

Value Betting

The patient punters amongst you can take advantage of how quickly the odds shift. The favourite in a football match may be 1.50 to win pre-match, but you could lock in odds of 1.75 or more after just 10 or 15 minutes if the team gets off to a slow start. If you’re confident that the favourite will win and back them, you’ve just increased your returns by 50%.

Arbitrage Betting

Arbitrage Betting

Odds differ between online bookmakers at the best of times, never mind when an event is in-play. You can take advantage of contrasting views between bookies to lock in a profit. When conditions allow, you can place a bet on each outcome at two different sites. This guarantees that one of your bets will win, and that you’ll profit regardless of the outcome.

Cons

More Emotional

More Emotional

The likelihood of you watching an event that you’ve bet on in-play is high. As you are watching the action unfold and have a vested interest in what will happen, your emotions may get the better of you. This often results in punters making impulsive bets without doing any research or thinking through their decision. This can lead to disaster in the long run.

Man checking bet on laptop and smartphone

Live Betting Tips for Beginners

We may not be able to share tips that are guaranteed to win, but we do have some advice to help you maximise your winnings from live betting.

Why should you pay any attention to what we have to say? We are betting experts who have been placing in-play bets since live betting became available in the late 1990s. By reading our live betting tips, you will benefit from our many years of experience and improve your odds of securing a profit.

Back Favourites to Win From Behind

Back Favourites to Win From Behind

How many times have Manchester City conceded early and gone on to win? How many times has Michael van Gerwen lost the first leg or set? How many times has Novak Djokovic lost the first set? These heavy pre-match favourites come from behind to win time and time again. Yes, they will probably still be odds-on to win when they do fall behind, but you can lock in superior odds when they do.

Never Chase Losses

Never Chase Losses

NEVER! Trust us, we know how tempting it can be to make an in-play bet in the hope of recouping losses from a pre-match bet. However, this is the biggest trap punters fall into. With so many live betting markets available around the clock, it would be easy to search for another betting opportunity and bet bigger in the hope of clawing back your losses. Instead, you should cut your losses and log off.

Live Betting FAQs

How does live betting work?

Live betting is the process of placing a bet on an event after it begins and before it ends. The best live betting sites have dedicated “in-play” sections that list all the events that are currently in progress. The odds shift according to what happens during the event – such as a goal being scored in a football match.

Why do in-play betting markets get suspended?

In-play betting sites suspend markets when something significant happens. Examples include a goal being scored in a football match or the co-leader of a golf tournament going out of bounds. Temporarily suspending the betting markets enables online bookmakers to update the odds accordingly.

Is live betting profitable?

It certainly can be if you are knowledgeable about the sports you are betting on and know how to analyse the action. The rapidly changing odds give you an opportunity to lock in better odds than those that were available pre-event. By timing your bets correctly, live betting can prove to be very profitable.

Which sports are best for live betting?

Football is by far the most popular sport at live betting sites. No matter the time or day, you will almost always find football matches listed in the in-play section. You will also find live betting markets for sports like American football and tennis, as well as niche sports like badminton and handball.

Are there any sports that can’t work for live betting?

Even the best live betting sites don’t offer in-play markets for events that are over in the blink of an eye. Therefore, you won’t be able to bet on which sprinter will cross the finish line first during 100m and 200m sprint races. Nor can you bet on which swimmer will win a 50m freestyle race.

About the author

Eric Roberts
Eric Roberts

Sports Journalist

Eric has been a sports journalist for over 20 years and has travelled the world covering top sporting events for a number of publications. He also has a passion for betting and uses his in-depth knowledge of the sports world to pinpoint outstanding odds and value betting opportunities.