With its quick pace, potential for upsets and thrilling "buzzer beater" finishes, basketball online betting is popular not only across the pond in the USA but also in Britain and elsewhere in the world too. Take advantage of our top picks for:
If you're on the lookout for online basketball gambling sites, it's safe to assume that NBA betting is probably what you're most eager to find. While the dominance of LeBron James and Steph Curry has seen the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors top conference standings in recent years, the Celtics, Clippers and Rockets appear set to shake things up this year.
If you want to keep things stateside the NCAA offers great variety for online betting on college basketball, especially during the thrilling annual March Madness tournament, but you could also focus on basketball action in the UK with the English Basketball League, British Basketball League and the Scottish Men's National League.
The issue of how to bet on basketball and win is always contentious, as the impact of salary caps and yearly drafts make it difficult for teams to be the best for many years in a row. The Warriors and Cavs sure found a way for a while there though. Another interesting exception is the fact that the Newcastle Eagles have won the BBL Championship in 7 of the last 10 years!
One of the great things about online betting on basketball is the range of bets associated with the sport. For example, you could choose any of the following:
Winner of a particular game
Over/under a certain score
League MVP
To make/miss the playoffs
Number of regular season wins
Whether you're taking part in BBL, EBL, NCAA or NBA betting at an online bookmaker, the process will look more or less the same - wagering real money on hoops is quite easy to get to grips with!
Sign up with one of our recommended online basketball gambling sites by following the relevant link and entering a few personal details
Make a real cash deposit, not forgetting to claim your welcome bonus where appropriate, and make your way to their basketball betting odds
Pick the team(s) you want to back, and place your wager
Make sure your bet is all confirmed before you navigate away from the page
That's it! You'll probably get a confirmation email of your bet too, but you can check up on any current (and past) bets in the My Account section of the site you're using.
Whether online gambling sites are located in the United Kingdom or elsewhere in the world, one thing all of the best sites have in common is that they offer generous welcome bonuses to new players when they first sign up.
In most cases, this will take the form of a % match on your first deposit. Essentially, although bonus cash is subject to wagering requirements before you can withdraw it as real money, this doubles (or better) the amount of cash you have available for online betting on basketball.
You might also find seasonal promotions for NBA betting or online betting on college basketball during the Finals or March Madness, like enhanced odds or even no deposit free bets.
Editors Pick
100%
100% deposit bonus of up to £30
T&Cs Apply
New UK & Ireland customers only. £10. First deposit matched up to £30. 1x wagering at odds of 1.75 to unlock Free Bet. Credit Card, Debit Card & PayPal deposits only. Full Terms apply.
Players Favourite
£30
Bet £10 get £30 when you place your first bet
T&Cs Apply
New customers only – Minimum deposit of £10 using deposit code 30F - A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 placed on any sports market - Minimum odds of 1/2 (1.5) - Free bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days - Free bet stakes not included in returns - Deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time. General deposit method & withdrawal restrictions apply & Full Terms apply.
Most British online gambling fans are used to seeing fractional odds when they visit online bookies. This easy to understand format - a bet of £1 on 3/1 odds yields £3 (so a total payout of £4), while £7 is required to make £2 profit (total payout of £9) on 2/7 odds - is popular throughout the United Kingdom, but not so much elsewhere in the world.
When looking at NBA betting, European events or online betting on college basketball, you may also run across decimal (1.2, 2.3 etc.) or American/moneyline odds. In the case of the latter, you'll also need to get used to understanding point spreads. The basics of moneyline odds are still pretty easy to understand, with a £100 bet required to make £200 profit (total payout of £300) on +200 odds and the same amount (£100) required to make a £33.33 profit on odds of -300.
Fortunately, the best online basketball gambling sites will let you convert between formats if you want to stick with fractional odds, which remain the standard in Britain.
It's probably not too likely, unless you're checking out some live basketball in the UK, that you'll be able to watch events unfold down at the pub or on TV - most of the action taking place in the USA runs at pretty unsociable hours for those in Britain. Still, it's nice to know that you can check out basketball bets, tips and scores while you're on the move.
With most of the best online bookmaker sites offering either dedicated apps for use on iPhone and Android, and/or responsive sites that can be used on virtually all smartphones and tablets, it's just as easy in 2024 to keep an eye on your bets while tucked up in bed as it is to follow the action on your laptop or desktop.
Basketball online betting is so popular, in part at least, because of the fast-paced nature of games. It's not uncommon to see teams competing down to the wire, with whoever has the most stamina taking the W. Check out some of our straightforward "no nonsense" advice on how to bet on basketball and win:
You'll find plenty of potential basketball bets, tips and advice at most top online bookies, and can check out our feed of predictions etc. here on this page.
In 2024, basketball is still predominantly America's game. That's changing, albeit slowly, with a bigger international presence in the NBA than ever before. We're not kidding about slow progress though - there are still only two British players in the league right now, and just over ten since 1946!
Basketball online betting, however, is becoming more popular in the UK, probably more quickly than the sport itself, in fact. That's thanks, in part, to all of the juicy action available at online bookies; 2024 is a great time to jump in and get in on the fun!
T&Cs Apply
New UK & Ireland customers only. £10. First deposit matched up to £30. 1x wagering at odds of 1.75 to unlock Free Bet. Credit Card, Debit Card & PayPal deposits only. Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply
New customers only – Minimum deposit of £10 using deposit code 30F - A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 placed on any sports market - Minimum odds of 1/2 (1.5) - Free bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days - Free bet stakes not included in returns - Deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time. General deposit method & withdrawal restrictions apply & Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply
18+ only, new customers only, gamble responsibly. Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply
New online customers only, min £10 stake, win only, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 3x £10, 30 day expiry, free bet/payment method/player/country restrictions apply. Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply
New customer offer. Place 5 x £10 or more bets to receive £20 in free bets. Repeat up to 5 times to receive maximum £100 bonus. Min odds 1/2 (1.5). Exchange bets excluded. Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply
New UK & Ireland customers only. £10. First deposit matched up to £30. 1x wagering at odds of 1.75 to unlock Free Bet. Credit Card, Debit Card & PayPal deposits only. Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply
New customers only – Minimum deposit of £10 using deposit code 30F - A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 placed on any sports market - Minimum odds of 1/2 (1.5) - Free bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days - Free bet stakes not included in returns - Deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time. General deposit method & withdrawal restrictions apply & Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply
18+ only, new customers only, gamble responsibly. Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply
New online customers only, min £10 stake, win only, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 3x £10, 30 day expiry, free bet/payment method/player/country restrictions apply. Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply
New customer offer. Place 5 x £10 or more bets to receive £20 in free bets. Repeat up to 5 times to receive maximum £100 bonus. Min odds 1/2 (1.5). Exchange bets excluded. Full Terms apply.
T&Cs Apply to All Bonuses. 18+ only. Gamble Responsibly.
We get plenty of questions from British punters looking to wager on basketball, covering everything from where to bet to whether or not they can use £ (yes, you can!):
From online betting on American collegiate basketball through to events in Britain and NBA betting, the top online bookies will offer odds on plenty of hoops action.
Rogue sites do pop up occasionally, but they're usually shut down pretty quickly. Still, you're always best off sticking with our list of 2024's recommended online basketball gambling sites!
Yes - from % match bonuses to enhanced odds and no deposit free bets, online gambling sites offer various different promotions that you can take advantage of when betting on basketball online.
The sky's the limit! The range of bets available in basketball (game winner, points scored, MVP, number of rebounds etc.) is staggering, and offers plenty of variety for online gamblers in Britain.
You're already in a great place to do just that - we've rated and reviewed countless online gambling sites, and we take pride in recommending only the latest and greatest to our readers.