Last Updated on 17/04/2026 by Andy Clark
Reviewed by Andy Clark | 20+ years betting experience | Updated April 2026
Our rating: 9.1/10
Andy is the founder, owner and editor of thatsagoal.com, with over 20 years of experience in betting on sports. He has a keen eye for stats, particularly when looking at players to be carded, and these form a large part of the bet builder tips you see on the site. As well as creating daily football tips, Andy also keeps thatsagoal updated with all the best bookmaker promotions and offers for our readers.
SBK are unlike any other bookmaker in this review cluster. Launched in 2019 as the sportsbook arm of Smarkets – one of the UK’s leading betting exchanges – SBK is built on a single premise: better odds than traditional bookmakers, delivered through a mobile-first app with exchange-level pricing.
They are not trying to be bet365. There is no casino, no Best Odds Guaranteed on racing, no live football streaming, no loyalty programme and relatively thin ongoing promotions. What they offer instead is consistently sharper pricing than most competitors on football, horse racing and other major markets, an integrated price comparison tool that transparently shows you when SBK has the best available price, and a clean, fast app purpose-built for placing bets quickly.
The two main reasons to open an SBK account are the odds and the account restriction policy. SBK do not limit winning accounts in the way that bet365, William Hill or Ladbrokes do. As an exchange-backed operator, they are structurally better equipped to accommodate sharp bettors, and their Trustpilot reviews – while mixed on customer service – do not contain the volume of restriction complaints you see at the major corporate bookmakers.
Open an SBK Account – Bet £5 Get £30 in Free Bets →
SBK at a Glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Sign-up offer | Bet £5 Get £30 in Free Bets |
| Minimum deposit | £10 |
| Withdrawal time | Fast – within hours for most methods |
| Live streaming | ✅ UK/Irish horse racing and greyhounds only |
| Bet Builder | ✅ Strong – community Bet Builders available |
| Cash out | ✅ Available |
| Best Odds Guaranteed | ❌ Not available |
| Mobile app | ✅ iOS (4.6) and Android (4.5) – app only, no desktop |
| Customer service | Live chat, email, phone (not 24/7) |
| UKGC licence | ✅ Licensed – High fund protection rating |
| Founded | 2019 (parent Smarkets founded 2008) |
| Ownership | Smarkets (betting exchange) |
| Account restrictions | ✅ More tolerant than most – exchange-backed |
For World Cup 2026 betting, SBK is one of our recommended bookmakers. See our World Cup free bets guide for a full comparison of all bookmaker offers for the tournament.
SBK Ratings
| Category | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Odds and markets | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 | Exchange-level pricing – best odds of any bookmaker |
| App and website | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 | Outstanding app; no desktop site |
| Live streaming | ⭐⭐ 2/5 | Racing and greyhounds only, no football |
| In-play betting | ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 | Fast but fewer live events than major competitors |
| Welcome offer | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 | £30 competitive; structured across free bet types |
| Existing customer offers | ⭐⭐ 2/5 | Thin – the odds are the ongoing promotion |
| Withdrawals | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 | Fast, reliable |
| Customer service | ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 | Not 24/7; some account suspension complaints |
| Account restrictions | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 | Among the most tolerant in UK betting |
SBK Pros and Cons
Pros
- Exchange-level odds – consistently better prices than bet365, William Hill and Sky Bet
- Price+ feature shows when SBK has the best available price in real time
- No account restrictions – exchange-backed model tolerates winning accounts
- UKGC ‘High’ fund protection – customer funds held in a separate trust account
- Outstanding Bet Builder – community Bet Builders visible to all users
- Auto Acca – automatically generates accumulator selections
- Community tips feature – share and follow other users’ selections
- App rated 4.6 iOS and 4.5 on Google Play
- Live streaming for UK/Irish horse racing and greyhounds
- No promo code required for the welcome offer
Cons
- No Best Odds Guaranteed on racing
- No live football streaming
- App only – no functional desktop betting site
- Very thin ongoing promotions – no acca boost, no loyalty programme, no casino
- Customer service not available 24/7
- Some Trustpilot complaints about account suspensions during verification
- Fewer in-play events than major competitors
- No accumulator boost
Note: SBK require a minimum deposit of £10. For bookmakers that accept a £5 deposit see our £5 deposit betting sites guide.
SBK Sign-Up Offer
New UK customers can claim Bet £5 Get £30 in Free Bets with no promo code required.
The free bets arrive in stages across 48 hours, split across Bet Builder tokens and Multiple tokens.
How to claim:
- Click the link on this page and download the SBK app
- Register your account
- Deposit £10 or more using a debit card or bank transfer (e-wallets do not qualify)
- Place a qualifying bet of £5 at minimum odds of 2.0
- Receive free bets in three tranches over 48 hours after your qualifying bet settles
Key terms:
- No promo code required
- Debit card or bank transfer deposit only – e-wallets do not qualify
- Qualifying bet: £5 at minimum odds of 2.0
- Free bets split across Bet Builder and Multiple tokens
- Free bets expire within 7 days of being credited
- One offer per customer
Is the SBK offer good value? The £30 is in line with bet365 and BetVictor. The free bet structure with Bet Builder and Multiple tokens is well-suited to the platform’s strengths. SBK’s ongoing value comes from the odds themselves rather than promotions – for punters who bet regularly, better prices compound over time in a way that occasional free bets do not.
Claim the SBK Sign-Up Offer → | Join SBK →
How to Open an SBK Account
- Download the SBK app from the App Store (iOS) or as an APK from the SBK website (Android – not on Google Play)
- Tap Create Account and fill in your personal details
- Deposit £10 or more using a debit card or bank transfer
- Place your qualifying bet – £5 at minimum odds of 2.0
- Collect your free bets – credited in stages over 48 hours
Note: SBK is an app-only platform. The website provides information but all betting activity, deposits and withdrawals take place within the mobile app.
SBK Odds – The Main Reason to Open an Account
SBK’s pricing is the product’s defining feature and the single best reason to have an account alongside your standard bookmakers.
How it works: SBK’s odds are derived from the Smarkets betting exchange – the same exchange that processes bets between customers at margins as low as 2% commission. By using exchange pricing as their basis, SBK can offer fixed odds at significantly lower margins than traditional bookmakers who set their own prices.
Price+ feature: A green triangle appears next to any selection where SBK’s price is the best available on the market. This is genuinely transparent and rare in UK bookmaking – SBK are effectively showing you in real time when competitors have a better price. No other bookmaker does this.
Real-world comparison: In testing by multiple reviewers, SBK’s Premier League match odds were meaningfully better than bet365 and William Hill on the same fixtures. The difference per bet may seem small but it compounds significantly across a season of betting.
Football: Consistently among the best prices available. Correct score, Asian handicaps and match result markets are all strong.
Horse racing: Competitive but without BOG, so compare prices carefully against BoyleSports and Betfred who offer BOG from 8am and 7am respectively.
For a full comparison of the best bookmakers for horse racing, see our best horse racing betting sites guide.
Politics, entertainment and specials: SBK and Smarkets are rated the best bookmakers in the UK for these markets by OLBG. If you bet on political events or entertainment specials, SBK belongs in your portfolio.
SBK Bet Builder and Community Features
Bet Builder is one of SBK’s strongest features and sits at the centre of their football product.
Bet Builder: Available on major football matches. Build same-game multiples combining match result, both teams to score, over/under goals, player cards, player shots and more.
Community Bet Builders: SBK displays popular Bet Builders created by other users at the top of the app. You can browse what other punters are building, view their reasoning and add their selection to your own slip with one tap. This is unique among UK bookmakers and particularly useful for punters who want ideas beyond their own research.
Tips section: Follow other users’ selections, add your own tips with written reasoning. A social layer that no major competitor offers.
Auto Acca: SBK automatically generates an accumulator for you based on upcoming fixtures. You can spin through several generated accas before settling on one. A novelty feature but a useful time-saver for punters who want a quick multiple without extensive research.
For our football tips and Bet Builder selections see our football tips and bet builder tips.
SBK for Horse Racing
SBK have improved their horse racing product significantly since launch. Live streaming for all UK and Irish horse racing and greyhound meetings is now available for funded accounts – a major improvement from their early days.
Streaming: Full UK and Irish racing coverage. Requires a funded account to access.
Markets: All major UK and Irish meetings covered with standard win, each-way and place markets. Ante-post available on major festivals.
No BOG: The most significant gap for horse racing punters. If you take an early price on a horse at SBK and it drifts to a bigger SP, you are paid at your original price. For morning price bettors, this is a meaningful disadvantage compared to BoyleSports, Betfred, Coral and bet365. See our BOG guide for all bookmakers that offer it.
No racing promotions: No money back if second, no extra place races, no Lucky bet bonuses. The odds are SBK’s racing proposition.
For our daily racing tips see our NAP of the Day and Lucky 15 tips.
SBK App Review
The SBK app is the entire product – there is no functional desktop alternative – and it is genuinely excellent for what it is designed to do.
Design: Dark-themed, clean and minimal. Similar aesthetic to Midnite. Fast-loading with smooth navigation between markets.
Navigation: Sports listed clearly. In-play section at the top. Price+ indicators (green triangles) visible throughout. Bet slip accessible from anywhere in the app.
Bet Builder: Accessed from match pages. Community Bet Builders surfaced prominently. One of the cleaner and more intuitive Bet Builder interfaces available.
Performance: Consistently fast, handles live events without lag. App Store rating 4.6, Google Play 4.5 – strong across both platforms.
iOS download: App Store – search “SBK Sports Betting”
Android: SBK is not available on Google Play Store. Android users must download the APK directly from the SBK website. Same sideload process as Midnite – requires enabling installs from unknown sources in Android settings.
SBK and Account Restrictions
This is SBK’s second strongest selling point after the odds, and is worth covering honestly.
SBK do not restrict accounts in the way that traditional bookmakers do. The exchange-backed model is structurally different – Smarkets’ business model is built around processing volume rather than managing exposure against individual bettors. Winning customers are not a problem for an exchange; they are part of the liquidity that makes the market work.
In practice, this means SBK are among the most tolerant bookmakers in the UK for consistent winners. If you have been restricted at bet365, William Hill or Ladbrokes, SBK is one of the first alternatives to open.
The Trustpilot complaints about SBK relate primarily to the account verification process – accounts suspended during KYC checks, delays getting documents processed, rather than stakes being limited for winning. These are operational issues rather than a deliberate policy of restricting winners.
For punters who want unrestricted betting with the best available fixed odds in the UK, SBK is the strongest option. See also our BoyleSports review for another bookmaker with a strong reputation for tolerating winners.
SBK Deposits and Withdrawals
Deposits
| Method | Minimum | Processing | Qualifies for welcome offer? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debit card | £10 | Instant | ✅ |
| Bank transfer / Trustly | £10 | Instant | ✅ |
| E-wallets | £10 | Instant | ❌ |
Withdrawals
| Method | Minimum | Processing time |
|---|---|---|
| Debit card | £10 | Fast – within hours |
| Bank transfer | £10 | Fast |
Withdrawals at SBK are consistently fast and frequently praised in reviews. The UKGC ‘High’ fund protection rating means customer balances are held in a separate verified trust account overseen by an independent trustee – the highest level of fund protection available from any UK bookmaker.
SBK Ongoing Promotions – The Honest Picture
This is where SBK is weakest compared to the established bookmakers, and it is important to be transparent about it.
SBK runs occasional event-based promotions – Bet Builder boosts on Champions League nights, weekly wagering rewards, referral offers. But the promotions section can sometimes be empty, and there is no equivalent of Betfred’s Double Delight, BoyleSports’ BoyleXtra daily free bet or William Hill’s daily price boosts.
SBK’s position is essentially this: the odds themselves are the ongoing promotion. If their pricing is consistently 5-10% better than competitors across all your bets, that is more valuable than a weekly £5 free bet. For punters who understand value betting this is a compelling argument. For punters who enjoy the regular rewards and boosts from major bookmakers, SBK may feel lean.
Our Verdict – Should You Open an SBK Account?
Yes – as a second or third account alongside your primary bookmaker, particularly if you have been restricted elsewhere.
SBK is not a replacement for bet365 or BoyleSports as your primary bookmaker. The lack of BOG, live football streaming, a desktop site and ongoing promotions make it unsuitable as a standalone account for most punters.
What it is, unambiguously, is the best odds available in fixed-odds form from any UK bookmaker. Add in the no-restriction policy and the fund protection rating and it becomes an essential part of a serious punter’s portfolio.
Open the account, claim the £30 in free bets, use it for football Bet Builders and political markets where the exchange pricing advantage is sharpest, and keep it active alongside your BOG racing accounts.
Overall rating: 9.1/10
Best for: Best available odds, punters restricted elsewhere, football Bet Builder, political and specials betting, community tips, App-only mobile bettors
Not the best for: Horse racing BOG, live football streaming, ongoing promotions, desktop bettors, punters who want a loyalty programme
Open an SBK Account – Bet £5 Get £30 →
SBK FAQs
Is SBK safe and legitimate?
Yes. SBK is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission and holds the UKGC’s ‘High’ fund protection rating – the maximum available. Customer balances are held in a separate verified trust account overseen by an independent trustee. Owned by Smarkets, one of the UK’s most established betting exchanges.
What is the SBK sign-up offer?
Bet £5 Get £30 in Free Bets. No promo code required. Deposit and place a qualifying bet of £5 at minimum odds of 2.0 using a debit card or bank transfer. Free bets credited in stages over 48 hours.
How does SBK offer better odds than other bookmakers?
SBK’s prices are derived from the Smarkets betting exchange, which operates on margins as low as 2% commission. This allows SBK to offer fixed odds at significantly lower margins than traditional bookmakers who set their own prices.
What is the Price+ feature?
A green triangle that appears next to any selection where SBK’s price is the best available on the market compared to major competitors. Unique among UK bookmakers for its transparency.
Does SBK restrict winning accounts?
No – SBK’s exchange-backed model means they are structurally more tolerant of winning accounts than traditional bookmakers. This is one of their most significant advantages.
Does SBK have a desktop site?
No. SBK is app-only. The website provides information only – all betting, deposits and withdrawals take place within the iOS or Android app.
Does SBK offer Best Odds Guaranteed?
No. For BOG on horse racing see our BoyleSports review or BOG guide.
Can I use SBK on Android?
Yes, but the app is not available on Google Play. Android users must download the APK directly from the SBK website, which requires enabling installs from unknown sources in Android settings.
When was SBK founded?
2019. Owned by Smarkets, a betting exchange founded in London in 2008 that launched in 2010 and processed £14 billion in bets by 2019.
Compare SBK With Other Bookmakers
| Bookmaker | Sign-up offer | Odds | No restrictions | BOG | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBK | Bet £5 Get £30 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Exchange-level | ✅ | ❌ | This page |
| BoyleSports | Bet £10 Get £40 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ✅ More tolerant | ✅ | Read review |
| BetVictor | Bet £10 Get £30 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best for correct score | ✅ More tolerant | ✅ | Read review |
| bet365 | Bet £10 Get £30 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⚠️ Known for limiting | ✅ | Read review |
| Betfred | Bet £10 Get £50 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⚠️ Some restrictions | ✅ 7am | Read review |
More Bookmaker Reviews and Offers
- All UK Bookmaker Reviews
- bet365 Review
- BoyleSports Review
- Betfred Review
- William Hill Review
- Coral Review
- BetVictor Review
- Midnite Review
- Ladbrokes Review
- SBK Sign-Up Offer
- All Free Bets
- Best Odds Guaranteed Guide
- Bet Builder Tips
- Football Tips
- Horse Racing Tips
- NAP of the Day
Reviewed by Andy Clark, founder of Thatsagoal.com with over 20 years of betting experience across football, horse racing and other sports. Last updated: April 2026. 18+. Please gamble responsibly. BeGambleAware.org | GamCare.org.uk