The Pools bookmaker review
- No welcome bonus
- x x
- The Pools is a staple of the industry and a well-known company
- Unique reward scheme
- Great in-play options
By James Walters
The Pools, which sees bettors predict the results of football games through a long-list coupon for the chance to win millions of pounds, has been a staple in UK sports betting since 1923. At its peak around 14 million people played and they launched their sportsbook in 2018. We’re on hand to see how it’s looking!
Key information
| Link to site | https://play.thepools.com/sportsbook/ |
| Welcome bonus | No welcome bonus |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Licence | UK Gambling Commission |
| Sports offered | Football, horse racing, cricket, tennis, basketball, golf, darts, table tennis, rugby union, MMA, esports, American football, athletics, Aussie rules, baseball, boxing, cycling, F1, Gaelic sports, handball, ice hockey, politics, pool, rugby league, snooker, volleyball |
| Payout time | 2-5 days |
| Minimum withdrawal | £10 |
| Customer support options | Live chat, email, phone, post |
| Owner | OpCapita |
| Banking options | Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, PayPal |
| Mobile app? | No |
| FIRST rating | 3.9/5 stars |
What are The Pools all about?
Bonuses
The Pools doesn’t have a welcome bonus but does offer extra place races on horse racing. You can opt-in for an email that will keep you across any new offers they announce including but not limited to bonuses, deposit offers, free sports bets, bet & get, enhanced odds or exclusive price boosts.
Available sports
The Pools cover a decent amount of sports including the likes of football, horse racing and tennis, however, they don't have as many markets on niche sports that other bookies do offer.
Their football coverage is solid and they offer markets on pretty much any game you would want to bet on. They have a ‘create a bet’ section on their football tab too so they’re ahead of any bookmaker who doesn’t offer bet builders.
Despite the ‘create a bet’ option, the markets available don't have as much depth as bigger sportsbooks in the UK. They do cover markets from over/under goals to player shots on target but they don’t offer fouls markets for teams and individual players.
Their horse racing coverage is decent too. They offer win markets as well as placed finishes and betting without options.
The Pools’s in-play options are solid enough and they have live statistics to help bettors make more informed decisions.
They have an esports tab on their A-Z list of sports, however, when I clicked on it there was just a ‘no data available’ message. So maybe they only have markets open for particular events.
The Pools’s American sports coverage is impressive and there is an ‘American sports hub’ which takes you to markets for the NFL, NBA, MLB and MLS. They have plenty of NFL markets, however, they can’t be combined in a bet builder like a lot of other major UK online bookmakers.
User experience and interface
The Pools’s user experience is decent enough but the site is incredibly basic and there isn’t much to catch your eye.
They know their biggest pull is their football pools and they’ve made a sportsbook in hope of people going on there after entering their pools predictions.
When you go on their site, you’re greeted with their carousel which invites you to play their Pools games as well as showing off their weekly accumulator offer.
Below is a list of quick links to the likes of Premier League football or their American sports Hub. There are then a few price boosts before football and horse racing markets. If you’re looking for other sports and markets, you'll have to go in search them out which shows the simplicity of their site. There also isn’t a search bar, so will have to scroll to find the market you're after.
On mobile, there are tabs at the bottom of the screen including cash out, in-play, casino, free games and betslip.
Mobile and app compatibility
The Pools’s desktop and mobile sites are pretty much identical. The list of sports moves from the left of the screen on desktop to the right on mobile (once you open the drop-down menu in the top right). The betslip is also different as it’s a tab on mobile at the bottom of the page.
I did have some trouble once selections were added to the betslip as it would be hard to scroll down through the picks to where you select your stake. The site would slow down and it would take a couple of attempts to get to the bottom of the page.
The Pools doesn’t have a mobile app for bettors, which leaves them behind their UK sports betting rivals.
VIP programmes and loyalty rewards
The Pools's only rewards scheme is their weekly accumulator offer. You get a £10 free acca bet if you've placed two £10 accas from Monday-Sunday.
The accas must be at least four legs and the total odds must be a minimum of 2/1 (3.0). The £10 free bet will be credited by 12pm on Monday if you hit the criteria the week before.
Pros and cons of The Pools
| Pros | Cons |
| The Pools is a well-known company so you know you’re in safe hands with them | No welcome bonus seems a major own goal considering how many brilliant offers are available elsewhere. The deposit and withdrawal methods are also limited. |
| Rewards scheme that can see you get a £10 free acca bet every Monday is decent if you’re a regular football bettor | No mobile app is a negative for bettors who don’t use desktop sites. |
| In-play options are solid for the likes of football and tennis | The Pools's site on desktop and mobile is basic and doesn’t draw you in. |
| Statistics and graphics that partner their in-play section are impressive and useful for bettors | |
| Amount of customer service options available is helpful and there is also a phone number |
Diving deeper into The Pools
Licensing
The Pools are regulated by the British Gambling Commission and they’re owned by OpCapita. They are also IBAS (Independent Betting Adjudication Service) approved which further enhances their reputation.
Payment methods
The Pools’s deposit and withdrawal options are very basic. You can use Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and PayPal to deposit money into your account. The minimum deposit is £5 which is ideal for most bettors. You cannot deposit money into your betting account with a credit card.
Their withdrawal options are the same but the minimum withdrawal is £10.
Security and fairness
The Pools say they take privacy and personal data seriously. At the top of their site, there is a ‘help’ section, which takes you to their vast FAQs section. There is also a ‘contact us’ section at the bottom of the page which takes you to their live chat, email, phone number and their postal address.
Responsible gambling measures
The Pools’s responsible gambling measures are at the bottom of their site. There is a safer gambling tab which offers tools such as setting deposit and spending limits as well as time out and self-exclusion options. They also have links to GamStop, GambleAware, the Gambling Commission and IBAS.
FIRST rating
3.9/5 stars
Payment methods
| Payment method | Available on deposits | Min. deposit | Available on withdrawals | Min. withdrawal | Withdrawal time |
| Visa | ✅ | £5 | ✅ | £10 | 2-5 days |
| Mastercard | ✅ | £5 | ✅ | £10 | 2-5 days |
| Maestro | ✅ | £5 | ✅ | £10 | 2-5 days |
| Paypal | ✅ | £5 | ✅ | £10 | 2-5 days |
FAQs
Is The Pools legit?
Yes, The Pools is a legitimate company that has been around for over a century. They are regulated by the UK Gambling Commission and they are also IBAS approved.
How can I contact customer support at The Pools?
The Pools has a live chat, email, phone number and postal address. Their customer service email is support@thepools.com and their phone number is 0800 500 000.
How do I reset my password at The Pools?
To change your password on The Pools, click on the icon on the top right of your screen on mobile. Go to ‘account details’ and scroll across to ‘change password’. Then simply put in your current password and what you’d like to change it to.
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