When was The Pools launched?

The Pools betting site has been around since 2017, but the company behind it, despite a successioning of ownership changes, has been in business for one hundred years!

What payment methods are there currently available at The Pools?

At the moment the site only accepts Visa and MasterCard credit cards and PayPal. We hope that more payment methods will be added in the future.

Does The Pools offer a The Pools welcome offer for new customers?

Indeed it does. For The Pools sign up offer, place a £10 bet and when settled, you'll get 3 x £5 sports betting free bets and 1 x £5 virtual spots betting.

Can I live stream sporting events at The Pools?

Currently live event streaming for sports is unavailable at the Pools.

Betting Markets<\/span> - An acceptable number, including live markets?<\/li>
Mobile App<\/span> - Offers dedicated iOS and Android betting apps?<\/li>
Odds<\/span> - Good value odds? Best odds guaranteed?<\/li>
Support<\/span> - Live chat manned by humas? Phone support?<\/li>
Payment Methods<\/span> - More than debit cards? No fees?<\/li>
Bonuses\/Promotions<\/span> - Fair T&C\u2019s? Ongoing bonuses for regulars? <\/li>
Withdrawal Speed<\/span> - Payments within 24 hours? No unnecessary delays?<\/li>

Safety<\/span> - UKGC license? Adopts responsible gambling? Uses encryption? <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n

Let's take a closer look at the breakdown of ratings.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Betting Markets<\/div>\n

An acceptable number, including live markets?<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n 4<\/span>\n

Poor<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Mobile App<\/div>\n

Offers dedicated iOS and Android betting apps?<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n 8.8<\/span>\n

Very Good<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Odds<\/div>\n

Good value odds? Best odds guaranteed?<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n 9<\/span>\n

Excellent<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Support<\/div>\n

Live chat manned by humas? Phone support?<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n 8.3<\/span>\n

Very Good<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Payment Methods<\/div>\n

More than debit cards? No fees?<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n 7.8<\/span>\n

Good<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Bonuses\/Promotions<\/div>\n

Fair T&C\u2019s? Ongoing bonuses for regulars? <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n 8.6<\/span>\n

Very Good<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Withdrawal Speed<\/div>\n

Payments within 24 hours? No unnecessary delays?<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n 7.8<\/span>\n

Good<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Safety<\/div>\n

UKGC license? Adopts responsible gambling? Uses encryption? <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n 8.9<\/span>\n

Very Good<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n

What is The Pools?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
$\"thepools\"$ <\/p>\n
The first question we have to ask – is there any connection between The Pools sports betting site and the football pools popular in the 60s, 70s and 80s? The answer seems to be … yes!<\/p>\n
During those times there were multiple pools companies such as Vernons, Zetters and Littlewoods, but of those three Littlewoods was far the biggest. As interest in the football pools dwindled, Littlewoods (which went out of business in 2005) sold their football pools business to Rodime, which eventually became Sportech. Sportech sold the pools to FP Acquisitions Limited in 2017, who then remamed themselves ‘The Football Pools’ in the same year.<\/p>\n
The Football Pools now run an online football pools site, and The Pools online sports betting site.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
<\/div>The Pools Sign Up Offer Overview<\/strong><\/h2>\n
You get the chance to double your first deposit at The Pools.com. You only need to deposit and stake \u00a310 in order to be able to claim a maximum of \u00a330 in free bets. There are terms and conditions attached to this deal of course, and we will detail them below as part of this The Pools review.<\/p>\n
First up, your qualifying \u00a310 bet for The Pools welcome offer must a single or acca bet with odds of 1\/1 or greater. Once this bet has been settled, win or lose, your will receive four \u00a35 free bets and a \u00a310 Casino Bonus with no wagering requirements the following day. You have seven days to use your free bets once awarded, else they will expire. The free bets credited as 4 x \u00a35 bets to use on 3x Any sport & 1x Virtuals. As usual, if any of your free bets win, you will not get your free bet stake back, just your winnings.<\/p>\n
There are some other terms and conditions associated with The Pools sign up offer, but they are not too complicated and we have given you the important ones already. If you are unsure about anything, review the terms and conditions for yourself.<\/p>\n
At The Pools.com you’ll find a small number of other promotions, as described below.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
$\"\"$ 10% Cashback on Losses<\/strong>: At The Pools you will receive ten percent cashback on all your losses from Tuesday through to Sunday. The maximum cashback you can get back is \u00a3100 via a minimum of five bets. Cashback is paid as cash, not as bonus money like<\/li>\n
$\"\"$ Free Bet Grabber: <\/strong>available each day, site users will be asked a question on a sports event that day (one entry only per day). Everyone who gets it right will receive a free bet, or free spins or a bonus to use at The Pools casino.<\/li>\n
$\"\"$ Get a \u00a32 Free Bet: <\/strong>stake \u00a310 on a pre-event ‘Create a Bet’ wager and receive a \u00a32 free bet. The wager must contain at least three selections, with cumulative odds of at least evens.<\/li>\n
$\"\"$ Big Racing Offer:<\/strong> place a bet according to the specified T&Cs on the first UK horse race of the day to receive a free bet. The free bet is usually one fifth of the value of your qualifying bet.<\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
All these The Pools promotions have T&Cs attached, so be sure you check them. The betting offers<\/a> are summarised below.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
The Pools<\/b> promotions<\/b><\/td>\n Offer description<\/b><\/td>\n Wager requirement<\/b><\/td>\n Min qualify odds<\/b><\/td>\n Offer expiry<\/b><\/td>\n Min deposit<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Pools Welcome Offer<\/td>\n Bet \u00a310, Get \u00a330<\/td>\n No wagering<\/td>\n 1\/1 or greater<\/td>\n 7 days<\/td>\n \u00a310<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10% Cashback<\/td>\n On losses Tues-Sun<\/td>\n No wagering<\/td>\n No minimum<\/td>\n 7 days<\/td>\n None<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Free Bet Grabber<\/td>\n Free bet\/bonus if right<\/td>\n No wagering<\/td>\n No minimum<\/td>\n 7 days<\/td>\n None<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Get a \u00a32 Free Bet<\/td>\n Stake \u00a310 on ‘Create a Bet’<\/td>\n No wagering<\/td>\n Evens (2.00)<\/td>\n 7 days<\/td>\n \u00a310<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Big Racing Offer<\/td>\n Free bet if you bet on a specific race<\/td>\n No wagering<\/td>\n No minimum<\/td>\n When race starts<\/td>\n \u00a35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
Visit The Pools<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n
Is The Pools Safe?<\/h2>\n
We always check to see during any review that a site is properly licensed, so of course we have done so for our The Pools review. We checked with the United Kingdom Gambling Commission and are happy to report that The Pools.com has a valid UKGC licence, awarded in 2017. The Pools has not faced any regulatory actions since the award of its licence.<\/p>\n
As for keeping your details safe, The Pools acts in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (2016) which means it won’t share the information you provide. It also uses SSL encryption technology to encrypt all traffic that is sent to it or from it.<\/p>\n
Finally, The Pools promotes responsible gambling with a dedicated section on how you can keep yourself safe when it comes to using the site, with links to organisation such as BeGambleAware, and GamStop.<\/p>\n
<\/div>The Pools Review<\/h2>\n
You now know the bare facts about The Pools sports betting site, but as we continue our The Pools review we are going to look much deeper under the surface at what The Pools can provide you with, and how it compares to other similar sports betting sites in the UK<\/a>.<\/p>\n
What Sports Can I Bet on with The Pools?<\/strong><\/h3>\nYou can bet on most popular sports you can think of at The Pools with the focus being on football and horse racing betting<\/a>, with excellent coverage of golf and tennis too.<\/p>\n
As for the remainder, it’s probably easiest just to list them, so here goes: American football, Athletics, Aussie Rules, Baseball, Basketball, Boxing, Cricket, Cycling, Darts, GAA Sports, Greyhounds, Handball, Ice Hockey, MMA, Motor Sports, Politics, Pool, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Snooker, Specials and Volleyball.<\/p>\n
Site Navigation<\/strong><\/h3>\nThere’s a kind of old fashioned ‘look and feel’ about the Football Pools, but that does not affect site navigation at all – in fact is seems to make finding your way around the site easier. No matter if you want to place a six-leg horse racing acca, or simply get your football bets<\/a> on with the absolute minimum of fuss, then you will not encounter any issues here.<\/p>\n
The actual sports betting software at The Pools is powered by FSB Tech, a UK-based company that provides software for a good number of online sportsbooks,<\/p>\n
The Pools Odds and Value<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The good news here is that The Pools is another site that offers ‘best odds guaranteed’. This means that no matter the price of your wager when you placed your bet, you will always get the better price if the starting price does not match. The disappointing news is that ‘BOG’ only applies here to UK and Irish horse racing meetings.<\/p>\n
As part of our The Pools review, we took a look at the prices of some of the leading events on offer at The Pools and we found them to be equivalent to the prices offered by other UK bookmakers. If you want to use The Pools for betting, you won’t need to hunt around at other sites to get more beneficial odds.<\/p>\n
Bet Limits<\/h3>\n
The minimum accepted bet at The Pools is tiny, only a single penny! That’s superb news for low rollers and casual betting fans. If you are more of a high roller, the maximum bet accepted is … well, there is no actual limit, but if you place a bet that’s too high, then The Pools may refuse to accept your wager.<\/p>\n
No matter how much you bet, you cannot win more than \u00a3250,000 in any single 24-hour period at this sports betting site. That’s a little disappointing, in all honesty.<\/p>\n
In Play Betting<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Like most sports betting sites for the UK, The Pools has an excellent in play betting sitting. Thanks to the familiar-looking software you should have no problems in using the in play or live betting section at The Pools, especially if you have used any sports betting site in the UK before.<\/p>\n
The current live events are listed along the top of the live events menu, so you can easily see which events are available to be wagered upon. Football takes priority, as you would expect, but live events for tennis, cricket, basketball, golf, ice hockey and handball are commonly available too, as are all the latest eSports match-ups.<\/p>\n
Live Streaming<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The Pools is not a heavy lifter yet in the UK gambling scene, which means they have been unable to obtain any live streaming rights. Therefore, there is no live streaming available at the site. This is only a minor inconvenience though, and should not cause you too much of an issue.<\/p>\n
Features<\/h3>\n
Although The Pools is the prime sports betting arm of its owners, people who remember the football pools can experience a blast from the past with a series of pool-style games that are available for play. You can play the ‘Classic’ pools game which has an entry fee of just \u00a31 yet also has a top jackpot of \u00a33 million. Just pick ten of the available football matches and hope that at least eight of them end in score draws. You will win at least a share of that \u00a33 million if they do! There are other pools-style games, such as ‘Premier 6’ where you can win \u00a310,000 if you can predict the result of six selected top-class football matches.<\/p>\n
Aside from ‘The Pools Games’ there’s virtual sports, a The Pools casino (check it out for possible The Pools free spins), a live The Pools casino, lotto betting and the free-to-play Footie5 game where you can win \u00a325,000 if you correctly predict the score of five selected football matches,<\/p>\n
Customer Service<\/h3>\n
If you need customer aid at The Pools your starting point is the Help Centre. Click on here for detailed FAQs and details of how to contact The Pools if you need one-to-one help at the site.<\/p>\n
Live chat is not available 24\/7. If live chat is not available then the live chat applet will be replaced by a message form. Will in the form with your issue and The Pools will get back to you ASAP. This is a little bit of a disappointment for us as we feel customer support should be available around the clock.<\/p>\n
<\/div>How to Get Started at The Pools<\/h2>\n
Want to get a The Pools account? The process is very simple but just because we’re so nice, we are going to walk through the process for you, end-to-end.<\/p>\n
Step 1: Visit The Pools<\/h3>\n
The first step is to visit The Pools site, which you can do by conveniently clicking on the button below.<\/p>\n
Visit The Pools<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n
The page below is what should greet you. The button you need to press is ‘sign up’.<\/p>\n
$\"thepools$ <\/p>\n
Step 2: Sign Up<\/h3>\n
If you already have a sports betting account elsewhere you’ll know the next step – form-filling! It is only a three-step process at The Pools, so there’s not that much form-filling to be done. Just complete the form-filling and you’re done! You will receive an email to confirm your account set-up, but there’s no need to reply to it.<\/p>\n
Step 3: Deposit Funds<\/strong><\/h3>\n
To start betting at The Pools, or to play any of the games you are going to need to put money into your account. You can do this by hitting the ‘deposit’ button on the top of any page at the site.<\/p>\n
Our The Pools review found that this site only takes debit cards or PayPal currently, so either plug your card details into the card section, or enter your PayPal email address, and the amount you want to deposit. All being well, your money will be available to bet with instantly.<\/p>\n
Step 4: Place a Bet<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Now you have funded your account it’s time to place your first bet. Find the event you want to bet on and the outcome you want to back. Click on the outcome to move it to your betslip, and set your wager amount.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n
We’re betting on the next Manchester derby, and because we were dropped on our heads as a baby we’re going for a United win! We’ve set a fiver to win (potentially) \u00a321.67. When we click ‘Bet Now’ the bet will be set, and we guess we’ll never see that fiver again!<\/p>\n
<\/div>The Pools App<\/h2>\n
The Pools does not offer a bespoke betting app<\/a>, so there’s nothing to download and install upon your phone or tablet if you want to bet on the go.<\/p>\n
This site is still available on mobile, though. To get mobile at the pools, you just need to pop open a browser and head to the site, just as you would on your desktop PC or laptop. The site will notice your small screen size and adjust itself accordingly (you can see some screenshots below). This isn’t as effective as an app, but it’s better than nothing!<\/p>\n
$\"thepools$ <\/a><\/div><\/div>
$\"thepools$ <\/a><\/div><\/div>
$\"thepools$ <\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>

The Pools<\/b> promotions<\/b><\/td>\n	Offer description<\/b><\/td>\n	Wager requirement<\/b><\/td>\n	Min qualify odds<\/b><\/td>\n	Offer expiry<\/b><\/td>\n	Min deposit<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Pools Welcome Offer<\/td>\n	Bet \u00a310, Get \u00a330<\/td>\n	No wagering<\/td>\n	1\/1 or greater<\/td>\n	7 days<\/td>\n	\u00a310<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10% Cashback<\/td>\n	On losses Tues-Sun<\/td>\n	No wagering<\/td>\n	No minimum<\/td>\n	7 days<\/td>\n	None<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Free Bet Grabber<\/td>\n	Free bet\/bonus if right<\/td>\n	No wagering<\/td>\n	No minimum<\/td>\n	7 days<\/td>\n	None<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Get a \u00a32 Free Bet<\/td>\n	Stake \u00a310 on ‘Create a Bet’<\/td>\n	No wagering<\/td>\n	Evens (2.00)<\/td>\n	7 days<\/td>\n	\u00a310<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Big Racing Offer<\/td>\n	Free bet if you bet on a specific race<\/td>\n	No wagering<\/td>\n	No minimum<\/td>\n	When race starts<\/td>\n	\u00a35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Visit The Pools<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n Is The Pools Safe?<\/h2>\n We always check to see during any review that a site is properly licensed, so of course we have done so for our The Pools review. We checked with the United Kingdom Gambling Commission and are happy to report that The Pools.com has a valid UKGC licence, awarded in 2017. The Pools has not faced any regulatory actions since the award of its licence.<\/p>\n As for keeping your details safe, The Pools acts in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (2016) which means it won’t share the information you provide. It also uses SSL encryption technology to encrypt all traffic that is sent to it or from it.<\/p>\n Finally, The Pools promotes responsible gambling with a dedicated section on how you can keep yourself safe when it comes to using the site, with links to organisation such as BeGambleAware, and GamStop.<\/p>\n <\/div>The Pools Review<\/h2>\n You now know the bare facts about The Pools sports betting site, but as we continue our The Pools review we are going to look much deeper under the surface at what The Pools can provide you with, and how it compares to other similar sports betting sites in the UK<\/a>.<\/p>\n What Sports Can I Bet on with The Pools?<\/strong><\/h3>\nYou can bet on most popular sports you can think of at The Pools with the focus being on football and horse racing betting<\/a>, with excellent coverage of golf and tennis too.<\/p>\n As for the remainder, it’s probably easiest just to list them, so here goes: American football, Athletics, Aussie Rules, Baseball, Basketball, Boxing, Cricket, Cycling, Darts, GAA Sports, Greyhounds, Handball, Ice Hockey, MMA, Motor Sports, Politics, Pool, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Snooker, Specials and Volleyball.<\/p>\n Site Navigation<\/strong><\/h3>\nThere’s a kind of old fashioned ‘look and feel’ about the Football Pools, but that does not affect site navigation at all – in fact is seems to make finding your way around the site easier. No matter if you want to place a six-leg horse racing acca, or simply get your football bets<\/a> on with the absolute minimum of fuss, then you will not encounter any issues here.<\/p>\n The actual sports betting software at The Pools is powered by FSB Tech, a UK-based company that provides software for a good number of online sportsbooks,<\/p>\n The Pools Odds and Value<\/strong><\/h3>\n The good news here is that The Pools is another site that offers ‘best odds guaranteed’. This means that no matter the price of your wager when you placed your bet, you will always get the better price if the starting price does not match. The disappointing news is that ‘BOG’ only applies here to UK and Irish horse racing meetings.<\/p>\n As part of our The Pools review, we took a look at the prices of some of the leading events on offer at The Pools and we found them to be equivalent to the prices offered by other UK bookmakers. If you want to use The Pools for betting, you won’t need to hunt around at other sites to get more beneficial odds.<\/p>\n Bet Limits<\/h3>\n The minimum accepted bet at The Pools is tiny, only a single penny! That’s superb news for low rollers and casual betting fans. If you are more of a high roller, the maximum bet accepted is … well, there is no actual limit, but if you place a bet that’s too high, then The Pools may refuse to accept your wager.<\/p>\n No matter how much you bet, you cannot win more than \u00a3250,000 in any single 24-hour period at this sports betting site. That’s a little disappointing, in all honesty.<\/p>\n In Play Betting<\/strong><\/h3>\n Like most sports betting sites for the UK, The Pools has an excellent in play betting sitting. Thanks to the familiar-looking software you should have no problems in using the in play or live betting section at The Pools, especially if you have used any sports betting site in the UK before.<\/p>\n The current live events are listed along the top of the live events menu, so you can easily see which events are available to be wagered upon. Football takes priority, as you would expect, but live events for tennis, cricket, basketball, golf, ice hockey and handball are commonly available too, as are all the latest eSports match-ups.<\/p>\n Live Streaming<\/strong><\/h3>\n The Pools is not a heavy lifter yet in the UK gambling scene, which means they have been unable to obtain any live streaming rights. Therefore, there is no live streaming available at the site. This is only a minor inconvenience though, and should not cause you too much of an issue.<\/p>\n Features<\/h3>\n Although The Pools is the prime sports betting arm of its owners, people who remember the football pools can experience a blast from the past with a series of pool-style games that are available for play. You can play the ‘Classic’ pools game which has an entry fee of just \u00a31 yet also has a top jackpot of \u00a33 million. Just pick ten of the available football matches and hope that at least eight of them end in score draws. You will win at least a share of that \u00a33 million if they do! There are other pools-style games, such as ‘Premier 6’ where you can win \u00a310,000 if you can predict the result of six selected top-class football matches.<\/p>\n Aside from ‘The Pools Games’ there’s virtual sports, a The Pools casino (check it out for possible The Pools free spins), a live The Pools casino, lotto betting and the free-to-play Footie5 game where you can win \u00a325,000 if you correctly predict the score of five selected football matches,<\/p>\n Customer Service<\/h3>\n If you need customer aid at The Pools your starting point is the Help Centre. Click on here for detailed FAQs and details of how to contact The Pools if you need one-to-one help at the site.<\/p>\n Live chat is not available 24\/7. If live chat is not available then the live chat applet will be replaced by a message form. Will in the form with your issue and The Pools will get back to you ASAP. This is a little bit of a disappointment for us as we feel customer support should be available around the clock.<\/p>\n <\/div>How to Get Started at The Pools<\/h2>\n Want to get a The Pools account? The process is very simple but just because we’re so nice, we are going to walk through the process for you, end-to-end.<\/p>\n Step 1: Visit The Pools<\/h3>\n The first step is to visit The Pools site, which you can do by conveniently clicking on the button below.<\/p>\n Visit The Pools<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n The page below is what should greet you. The button you need to press is ‘sign up’.<\/p>\n $\"thepools$ <\/p>\n Step 2: Sign Up<\/h3>\n If you already have a sports betting account elsewhere you’ll know the next step – form-filling! It is only a three-step process at The Pools, so there’s not that much form-filling to be done. Just complete the form-filling and you’re done! You will receive an email to confirm your account set-up, but there’s no need to reply to it.<\/p>\n Step 3: Deposit Funds<\/strong><\/h3>\n To start betting at The Pools, or to play any of the games you are going to need to put money into your account. You can do this by hitting the ‘deposit’ button on the top of any page at the site.<\/p>\n Our The Pools review found that this site only takes debit cards or PayPal currently, so either plug your card details into the card section, or enter your PayPal email address, and the amount you want to deposit. All being well, your money will be available to bet with instantly.<\/p>\n Step 4: Place a Bet<\/strong><\/h3>\n Now you have funded your account it’s time to place your first bet. Find the event you want to bet on and the outcome you want to back. Click on the outcome to move it to your betslip, and set your wager amount. \n<\/span><\/p>\n We’re betting on the next Manchester derby, and because we were dropped on our heads as a baby we’re going for a United win! We’ve set a fiver to win (potentially) \u00a321.67. When we click ‘Bet Now’ the bet will be set, and we guess we’ll never see that fiver again!<\/p>\n <\/div>The Pools App<\/h2>\n The Pools does not offer a bespoke betting app<\/a>, so there’s nothing to download and install upon your phone or tablet if you want to bet on the go.<\/p>\n This site is still available on mobile, though. To get mobile at the pools, you just need to pop open a browser and head to the site, just as you would on your desktop PC or laptop. The site will notice your small screen size and adjust itself accordingly (you can see some screenshots below). This isn’t as effective as an app, but it’s better than nothing!<\/p>\n $\"thepools$ <\/a><\/div><\/div> $\"thepools$ <\/a><\/div><\/div> $\"thepools$ <\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>