Top 3 Betting Franchises in the UK

Becky Martin, writer

Published at 22/04/2019, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 5 min

Top 3 Betting Franchises in the UK — Photo © betting-franchise-opportunities.jpg

There is a huge market in the UK for sports betting at bookmakers, also known as betting shops, and licensed websites or apps, the most popular being for football, greyhound racing and horse racing. If you’re keen to capitalise on this and make healthy profits with your own betting franchise, you’ve come to the right place.

Gambling in the UK is big business. Statistics show that between April 2018 and March 2019, the total gross gambling yield of the industry was £14.4 billion. The gambling industry incorporates bingo, casinos, the lottery, scratch cards and amusement arcades, but one of the sectors with a long history in the UK is sports betting, which is the focus of this article. There are currently around 10,761 gambling premises employing 102,782 in Great Britain, 8,320 of which are betting shops. Fancy being the next with a betting franchise? Read on…

Reasons why starting a betting franchise is a good idea

1. Online market

As well as betting shops being a fixture of the British high street, a huge advantage of betting in the UK is our unrestricted online betting market. The British public can make the most of major betting shop franchises’ websites, as well as using the online services of bookies across the globe.

2. Customer retention

A benefit of opening a shop-front-style betting shop as well as, or in comparison to, online is the likelihood of an improved customer retention. When visiting a betting shop, loyal customers can share experiences and talk to others from their community, making them want to come back for more.

However, the number of betting shops in the UK did reach over 17,000 at one point and this number has halved due to a surge in the internet and apps. For this reason, the majority of UK bookmakers operate online. Also, this could indicate that opening an online betting franchise could be a less risky business venture.

3. Small initial investment

While this isn’t always the case, betting franchise opportunities often have relatively small initial investments. And many franchisees see rapid earnings in a short time period.

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Top 5 betting companies in the UK

Ladbrokes, Coral, William Hill, BetFred and Totesport combine to form 80 percent of the betting shop market in the UK. These operate some of the biggest and most successful online betting shops too.

1. William Hill

The largest betting franchise based on size is William Hill, which has 2,325 betting shops. Founded in 1934, it has now grown to also be the US’s largest bookmaker after its acquisition of three sportsbook chains: Leroy’s, Lucky’s and Club Cal Neva.

2. Ladbrokes

Ladbrokes comes in second with 2,119, but its yearly revenue trumps William Hill at £2.5 billion compared to £1.7 billion. Ladbrokes was established in 1886 and now employs over 14,000 people.

Did you know? There are currently around 10,761 gambling premises in the UK

3. Coral

Founded in 1929 by Joe Coral, it now as 1,629 locations across the UK.

4. Betfred

Established in 1967, Betfred is the youngest company out of the five and has 849 UK betting shops. Betfred purchased Totesport for £265 million in 2011, which means it owns the fourth and fifth largest betting shop franchises.

5. ToteSport

Formerly known as the Horserace Totalisator Board, ToteSport was previously owned by the UK Government before being sold to Betfred.

According to their websites, none of the five largest UK betting shop franchises are advertising any franchise opportunities; potentially to focus on their online offering.

Top 3 betting franchise opportunities in the UK

1. Tipbet

Tipbet is a sports betting franchise that offers industry-specific expertise, advanced technology and years of experience. Founded in 1995, the company is Malta-based, with the headquarters in Gzira.

Becoming a Tipbet franchisee: The business has primarily focused on the online market. However, there are branded shop-front betting shops run by franchisees. If you want to learn more about starting your own, click here.
How much you need to invest: Interested applicants need to be passionate about sports and sports betting, and have start-up capital of €25,000.
What you get in for your investment: When becoming a Tipbet franchisee, you will be provided with ongoing support, from planning to day-to-day running. There are a range of bets on offer, with up to 10,000 live games a month and up to 30 different sports to satisfy the customer. For this reason, the company has a very loyal customer base. There is a great earning potential when opening a Tipbet shop, with scope to earn up to 85 percent commission.

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2. Bet3000

This is a brand of the betting operator IBA Entertainment Ltd. and has heaps of experience in the horse racing and sports betting sectors.

Becoming a Bet3000 franchisee: It encourages entrepreneurs who dream of owning their own successful betting shop with fast commission payments to apply. Click here to register your interest.
What you get for your investment: You can make the best of Bet3000’s decades of experience. You’ll receive invaluable training and ongoing support before launch day and when you’re up and running. You’ll also be guided through advertising and marketing.

3. 1xbet bookmaker franchise

1xbet is an internet entertainment resource that features betting, lotteries, poker, bingo etc. It has high customer retention because of the bonuses it frequently rewards players with. There are smartphone and desktop apps so betters can enjoy a simple betting process.

Becoming a 1xbet franchisee: You can get in touch with a specialist to make sure the set-up process runs smoothly. To learn more, click here.
What you get for your investment: A high-quality website, hardware and software, and help with recruitment.

Start a betting franchise

If you’re eager to start a betting franchise in the UK, you can consider our top three. There isn’t an abundance of UK-based franchising opportunities, however. If you’d rather join a sector that has adopted the franchise model more widely here in the UK, you might want to consider fast-food, home care or retail business opportunities.