Written By: Dean Carr | Fact Checked By: Sarah Lunness
PayPal, a popular e-wallet, currently has more than 2 million monthly active users in the UK and nearly 100% brand recognition among UK adults. A significant percentage of those 2 million users enjoy placing wagers on football, horse racing and other sports by way of online bookmakers. In this guide, we are going to look at the best PayPal betting sites. If you would rather not fund your betting activities with a debit card or bank transfers, read on.
Best PayPal Betting Sites UK Ranked
Some of the best UK new betting sites a featured in our list of the top PayPal betting sites, along with the most established names within the industry. We have selected the following as the best PayPal betting sites that can be used in the UK.
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bet365
bet365 set the standard for online bookmakers in many respects, including the number and variety of payment methods they offer. One of those is PayPal. bet365 makes it simple and fast to deposit and withdraw money using PayPal and does not apply any charges for using this payment method. Just remember that if you want to take advantage of their Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets Sign-Up Offer your first deposit will need to be with a debit card.
William Hill
William Hill was one of the first online bookmakers in the UK to offer PayPal as a deposit and withdrawal option, and they've never wavered in their support of this payment system. That’s good news for customers of William Hill who can deposit money into their account from PayPal without incurring any fees. Like bet365 (and most other online bookmakers) if you want to take advantage of William Hill’s Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets Sign-Up Offer you'll need to make your first deposit with a debit card. No exceptions.
Betfred
Betfred is another of the best PayPal betting sites. Depositing money into your Betfred account using PayPal can be done in just a couple of minutes and, if you wish, you can set up your account to only accept payments via PayPal which makes the entire process even easier and faster. The minimum PayPal deposit is £5 and the maximum deposit is £5,000. The only drawback is that you can not deposit with PayPal if you want to take advantage of the Betfred Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets Welcome Offer.
BetVictor
BetVictor provides 10 different payment methods, including PayPal, which is great for punters who like convenience and variety. BetVictor does not assess any PayPal transaction fees, deposits made using PayPal are credited instantly and withdrawals typically appear in your PayPal account within 24 hours. The minimum PayPal deposit is £5 and the maximum deposit using PayPal is £5,500. As with other bookmakers on this list, you must make your first deposit with other methods if you wish to take advantage of the BetVictor Bet £20 Get £40 in Free Bets Welcome Offer.
Betway
Betway is another of the best PayPal betting sites in the UK. They make funding your account using PayPal simple and fast and don't apply any fees to PayPal deposits or withdrawals. You will, however, need to have a UK-based PayPal account to deposit money into your UK Betway account. And once you link a specific PayPal account to your Betway account you cannot add a different PayPal account or change which PayPal account you use. Also, debit cards are only for your first deposit if you want to take advantage of the Betway Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets New Customer Offer.
BetUK
BetUK accepts PayPal for deposits and withdrawals with a minimum deposit amount of £10 and a minimum withdrawal amount of £20. Deposits are credited immediately while withdrawals can take up to 2 days to be credited to your PayPal account. BetUK also offers £30 in Free Bet credits to new customers who make a first deposit of at least £10. That first deposit will need to be made using a debit card or bank transfer.
Virgin Bet
If you want to fund your Virgin Bet account using PayPal you are in luck. There are no fees associated with using your PayPal account with Virgin Bet, but you cannot use it to make your first deposit. Only subsequent deposits. Virgin Bet also has a minimum PayPal deposit of £10 and a maximum withdrawal of £5,000. When you make your first deposit using a debit card you will be eligible for the Virgin Bet £10 Get £20 in Free Bets Welcome Offer.
LiveScore Bet
LiveScore Bet is relatively new to the UK online gambling space. They get mentioned on our list of the best PayPal betting sites because, of the scant 3 payment methods they currently offer, PayPal is one of them. There are no limits on the size of PayPal withdrawals at LiveScore Bet and no transaction fees and all PayPal transactions are processed within 24 hours. Just remember that to claim the £20 in Free Bets New Customer Offer you will need to make your first deposit with a debit card.
Mr.Play
Mr.Play is the last bookmaker to feature on our list of the best PayPal betting sites. As seen below, Mr.Play has a solid variety of payment methods available to customers and PayPal is included within their list of options for customers. All new customers that create an account with Mr.Play today can claim their welcome promotion. This sees new players that sign up and place a £10 qualifying bet rewarded with a £10 bet token.
How to join a PayPal Betting Site
All of the online sportsbooks listed above accept PayPal as a method of deposit and withdrawal. Before you can get to that point, however, you will need to open an account with one of them. Doing so is easier than most people realize and we will take you through the steps right now:
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Step 1: Determine which of the betting sites with PayPal you want to join.
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Step 2: Open that bookmaker’s website homepage by clicking the links above.
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Step 3: At the top of the homepage of both the website and mobile app there will be a brightly-coloured button that says “Join” or “Sign Up” or something equivalent. Tap that button.
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Step 4: After tapping the Join button an application form will open. Fill in all the required fields. Required fields will generally have a red asterisk next to them.
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Step 5: Choose a username and password for logging in. Or choose biometric login (if available) and follow directions.
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Step 6: Accept the bookmaker’s Terms & Conditions.
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Step 7: Tap the “Join Now” or “Register Now” button.
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Step 8: We assume you are interested in funding your account using PayPal. Now is the time to do so. Just select PayPay from the list of accepted payment methods and follow the prompts. Once finished you will be ready to rock.
How to make a deposit with PayPal
The best betting sites that accept PayPal make it incredibly easy to use this leading-edge funding option. Each bookmaker’s funding process is likely to be marginally different but all follow more or less the same funding path. Assuming you have opened an account with one of the best PayPal betting sites, and assuming you already have a PayPal account, here is how you deposit money with the service:
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Step 1: Log into your bookmaker account
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Step 2: Tap the “My Account” button at the top of any page
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Step 3: Tap the “Deposit” button on your account page
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Step 4: Select PayPal from the deposit methods presented. You'll be redirected to PayPal.
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Step 5: Enter your PayPal username and password
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Step 6: Choose to transfer money to your bookmaker betting account. The funds should be transferred instantly.
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Step 7: Log out of PayPal
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Step 8: Return to your betting account, verify the funds have arrived and start placing your bets.
Note: If you choose to deposit funds using PayPal you will need to withdraw those funds using PayPal as well. Doing so is also easy.
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Step 1: Log into your bookmaker account
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Step 2: Navigate to your account page
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Step 3: Tap the “Withdraw” option
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Step 4: Select PayPal and enter the withdrawal amount
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Step 5: Confirm the transaction.
It may take 1 or 2 days for your PayPal account to be credited with the funds.
What is PayPal?
PayPal is a multinational fintech company with its headquarters in San Jose, California. It operates a wildly successful online payment system in most countries where online money transfers are allowed by law. It rose to prominence as a fast and effective way for individuals and businesses to transfer money electronically and currently has a market capitalization north of £80 billion.
PayPal can trace its origins to 1998 when it was founded as Confinity, a company that developed security systems for handheld devices. In 1999 Confinity expanded into electronic payments and shortly thereafter merged with Elon Musk’s x.com. Musk was a big believer in the electronic payments aspect of Confinity and steered the company away from security systems to focus on payments, renaming it PayPal.
While Musk left the company in 2000 PayPal has gone on to pioneer simple and effective internet payments for businesses worldwide while also allowing individuals to transfer money to family and friends instantly. There is little doubt PayPal is one of the companies that enabled the growth of the internet economy, but it hasn't avoided criticism from some unhappy with the company’s above-average transaction fees.
How we chose the best betting sites accepting PayPal
It is not enough for a UK betting site to accept PayPal. If that online bookmaker is to be considered one of the best PayPal betting sites they must also check numerous other boxes associated with the overall user experience. Here are some of the factors we considered when determining the best PayPal betting sites in the UK.
Usability
The last thing a punter wants is to have to spend hours trying to figure out how to navigate an online sportsbook to find the markets they are after or to place wagers. In order to be considered one of the best PayPal betting sites a given bookmaker must offer intuitive navigation that enables the punter to place their wager with a minimum number of taps involved.
Range of Sports
What good is offering PayPal as a deposit and withdrawal method if the variety of sports on offer is less than inspiring? The best PayPal gambling sites offer comprehensive coverage of all the major sports (football, horse racing, tennis, basketball etc…) as well as thorough coverage of secondary sports such as snooker, volleyball, badminton, skiing, track & field, darts and more. Rest assured our list includes everything from football betting sites to table tennis betting sites.
Betting Offers
Besides offering a wide array of sports to bet on, PayPal betting sites also provide a wealth of betting markets. That includes speciality markets that spice up the betting experience, existing customer promos that reward loyalty, enhanced odds on selected markets and more.
Security
Any website through which financial transactions are conducted must offer rock-solid security. This is non-negotiable. Any online bookmakers with a history of lax security would never find a place on our list of the best PayPal betting sites.
PayPal Betting Site Bonuses
Online bookmakers are well aware of who butters their bread and the best PayPal betting sites provide an array of bonuses and promotions designed to keep punters happy and coming back. Those include New Customer Offers, Deposit Bonuses, Free Bets and more.
New Customer Offer
All of the top online UK bookmakers provide Sign Up bonuses for new customers. Some of them are pretty extraordinary, providing £40 in Free Bet credits, (and in some cases even more), while with others the sign-up bonuses are pretty underwhelming. It is in your interest to shop around and see who has the most attractive new customer offer before opening an account with an online bookmaker.
Deposit Bonus
Deposit bonuses have been around for some time for one simple reason: they are effective when it comes to attracting new customers. With a deposit bonus, the online bookmaker agrees to match a percentage of your initial deposit, up to a certain amount. So, for instance, if they offer a 50% deposit bonus up to £200 and you deposit £100 they will credit your account with an additional £50. On the other hand, if you deposit £1,000 they will credit your account £200 since that is the upper limit of the bonus.
Free Bets
Free Bets are the most common type of Sign-Up bonus offered by betting sites that accept PayPal. The term “Free Bets” is actually something of a misnomer, with “Site Credit” more accurately describing what you get. All the sites on our list of PayPal betting sites offer Free Bet credits for opening a new account. With the amount of credit ranging from £10 to £40. The best free bets offers can be claimed with PayPal betting sites.
Odds Boost
Online sportsbooks make money by building a house edge on every wager. This is why you'll never find true odds with one of these online betting giants. But from time to time they do forgo some of that built-in edge by providing what is known as boosted odds. Boosted odds move the odds on a given market in favour of the punter, taking a bite out of the house’s margin.
Loyalty Rewards
Loyalty rewards are a popular way for the best PayPal betting sites in the UK to give something back to their best customers. Basically, the more a customer bets the more loyalty points they earn. At some point, they can redeem those loyalty points either for cash or bet credits to use on the site.
Cashback
A Cashback Offer is a kind of betting insurance. Essentially the bookmaker agrees to cover your bet up to a predetermined amount. If your wager loses your account is credited with the Cashback amount. While 99% of all Cashback Offers provide bet credits there are a few floating around that provide cash you can withdraw from your account (if you so choose).
Why use betting sites that accept PayPal?
Two words: convenience and security. Betting sites that accept PayPal provide a simple and effective alternative to funding an account with a debit card. Some people do not want to add their bank account information to the betting site account for fear that information may be hacked. PayPal provides a secure, simple way to fund an account while keeping your most important financial information secret.
PayPal Betting Apps
50 years ago punters placed wagers by visiting a High Street betting shop. 10 years ago the majority placed their wagers through the browser-based websites of those High Street bookmakers. Today, a majority of punters place their bets by way of mobile betting apps. Many people believe mobile sites and mobile apps are the same. They're not. Unlike websites, apps load instantly, do not require a rock-solid internet connection, enable you to access the bookmaker from anywhere and provide all the features associated with a bookmaker’s main website.
What to do if you have a gambling problem
We understand that gambling can be fun, but it's important to gamble responsibly. If you are struggling with a gambling problem, please don't hesitate to ask for help. There are people who can help you get on the road to recovery.
Here are some resources that can help you:
- National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133
- GamCare: https://www.gamcare.org.uk/
- GambleAware: https://www.begambleaware.org/
PayPal Betting Sites FAQs
Which betting sites accept PayPal?
Many of the biggest online bookmakers in the UK, including Betfred, Virgin Bet, William Hill, and bet365, accept PayPal.
What are the best PayPal gambling sites?
Our list of online bookies includes all of the best PayPal betting sites. If you open an account with one of them, you might be able to fund your account using this online payment option.
Is PayPal safe?
In its more than 20 years of operation, PayPal has never experienced a successful hack in which money was stolen. In January 2023, some 35,000 PayPal accounts were hijacked; nevertheless, the hackers were unable to access the accounts through PayPal. Instead, they broke into other websites where people had obtained information on those accounts by using their PayPal accounts.
Does PayPal come with additional fees?
With PayPal, there's nothing to be unhappy about. In the end, the service provides effectiveness, safety, and convenience. When using PayPal to finance an online betting account, there are typically no costs involved. Only when you send money from a PayPal account located outside of the UK is this not applicable; exchange rates will apply in such scenario.
