Ladbrokes User and Expert reviews December 2024

With over 2,000 bricks-and-mortar stores and a strong online presence, Ladbrokes is one of the biggest and best-known British bookmakers and is fully licensed and regulated. Its customers can place bets on a wide range of games, races and sporting events in both the UK and the rest of the world. Its online Customer Support is second to none with the website translated into over 20 languages apart from English. If customers do not find their query answered on their site’s FAQs sector, they can contact the company through Live Chat, phone or email 24/7. Ladbrokes make a commitment to settle disputes within 24 hours. This Ladbrokes overview starts with a brief history of the firm before considering specific aspects of the user experience.

Brief History and Interesting facts about Ladbrokes

Ladbrokes was established in 1886 by two horse-training commission agents for Ladbrokes Hall (Warwickshire). It adopted its name in 1902 when it transferred its business to London. Until 1956 its clientele consisted of the British upper classes and aristocracy and was mostly concerned with the ‘sport of kings’, horse-racing. Ladbrokes was the first firm in Britain to take on a woman in a job which was traditionally considered a male domain (Helen Vernet 1876-1956).

Continuing its innovative approach, it was also the first to open a chain of betting shops after they were legalised in 1961 and the first to provide fixed-odds football betting. Throughout 1961-2015, the Ladbrokes empire grew with more High Street shops opening, and it also began diversifying into other areas such as casinos, the hospitality industry and online gambling (1999). After a previous merger was rejected as anti-competitive, the purchase of the Gala Coral Group was approved by the CMA in 2016.

Players Reviews and Advice Regarding Ladbrokes

Ladbrokes consistently receives praise and positive reviews from players. Many of the negative comments about the service offered by the firm tend to be from customers who have not read through the terms and conditions carefully before placing a bet. This is vital, especially when taking advantage of the Ladbrokes promotional offers and bonuses. Customers are satisfied with the range of markets on offer as well as their betting options.

Some players comment that although the odds are good at Ladbrokes for most major football leagues, they are less attractive for less well-known leagues. However, the general consensus is that other benefits of Ladbrokes more than compensate for this. These include the easy availability of live streaming, the Best Odds Guarantee, the range of payment options on offer as well as the Exchange service. This innovative peer-to-peer format gives customers access to a whole new range of markets and odds. As far as the website is concerned, the general view is that its layout makes it easy to navigate and place a bet, even for the novice. Overall, with its long history as a bookmaker, any Ladbrokes review concludes that it is a firm that can be trusted and is amongst the best online bookmakers.

Key Factors of Ladbrokes To Consider:

Bonuses and Promos

When customers register for a new account using the Ladbrokes promotional code 20FREE, they are entitled to £20 in free bets once placing a £5 qualifying bet. This promo is available only for single bets with odds of 1/2 (1.50) or greater (excluding Tote or pools)s. The free bet must be placed within 4 days, and some payment methods are excluded. Apart from the sign-up promo, Ladbrokes also offer its regular customers a number of special offers and bonus schemes. These are featured prominently on the homepage of its site. ‘The Grid’ operates as a loyalty scheme with points and rewards given for every wager placed in-store or online while the ‘quick-fire bonus’ is available mainly for major sporting events.

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Markets and Odds

Although the majority of its customers are interested in horse-racing, football and tennis, Ladbrokes also offers a wide variety of other sports ranging from cricket to eSports. Apart from traditional outcomes, it also offers a number of more unusual ones such as quarter-time result in basketball. It covers major leagues and tournaments as well as less well-known ones and also offers a Daily Price or Odds Boosts to increase potential returns (but is limited to one per day). The Ladbrokes betting platform permits all types of bets such as single or accumulator, and there is a Quick Bet option too. For horse-racing in the UK and Ireland, the bookmakers have a Best Odds Guaranteed scheme. This allows customers to be paid out at the higher odds even if their pre-race odds were lower than the starting price (up to a maximum stake of £200).

Live Betting

Ladbrokes In-play betting is possible on over 12,000 sporting events per month and covers virtually any sport – from the major league games and tournaments to less popular ones. Outcomes include all the traditional bets as well as a selection of less common ones. Ladbrokes also provide customers with live stats to help them judge the state of play before they place their bet. Their homepage lists all the possible live betting options. Once customers have chosen the event/odds and entered the stake, they click to confirm. If odds change during this process, they can select whether to accept the changed odds or invalidate the bet. There is also a cash-out option if customers wish to take their winnings and reduce potential losses.

Maximum and Minimum Betting Limits

The minimum betting limit for Ladbrokes is 10p. To prevent potential match/race fixing, financial losses and manipulation of the odds, the maximum stake depends on the odds offered and the potential payout (shown in the potential returns box). If customers enter a stake that is under or over these limits, this will be shown at the top of their betting slip. As a result, their stake will be adjusted automatically. For multiple bets, each individual bet may have a different maximum stake limit. If customers wish to place a bet in excess of the online limit, they can contact Ladbrokes by phone to request their permission to go over the limit.

Live Streaming

Ladbrokes Live streaming allows customers to watch a wide variety of sporting events online completely free of charge although customers should be aware of the broadcasting delay of a few seconds when placing in-play bets. Unlike other bookmakers, Ladbrokes do not require that customers have placed a bet in the previous 24 hours to access this feature but only that their account has funds. Live streaming is available on laptops, computers and all mobile devices with a Wi-Fi or 3G connection while downloading the app is recommended for a better-quality picture on mobile devices. The ‘Watch Live Sports Events’ tab can be found at the top of the Ladbrokes homepage, or selected sporting events will have an icon next to them to show live streaming is available.

Mobile Apps

There are two versions of the Ladbrokes mobile app. The Android version can be downloaded through the Ladbrokes website while the iOS version can be found in the iTunes store. Once installed on their mobile device, customers have the same access to all the betting markets as from the main website such as pre-match and in-play betting, live streaming, live stats/scores and so on. As well as placing bets, they can use the app to check their current bets, see the size of the balance in their account, use the cash-out option and deposit or withdraw funds. The app also allows them to be notified of races/events, current promotions and enhanced odds for users of the app.

Payment Methods

Ladbrokes Payment methods include all the major debit cards as well as bank transfers. They also accept a variety of eWallets including Neteller, Skrill, PayPal, Ukash, ClickNBuy, Entropay and BankWire. Payments can also be made in 16 different currencies. The minimum deposit varies according to the payment method but is usually £5-£10. Deposits can be made by clicking on the ‘Banking’ tab, selecting the method from the choice on offer and entering all necessary details. Funds will usually be accredited to the customer’s account immediately. Withdrawals can be made using the same method and take 24 hours-10 days depending on the means of payment.