The Pools Betting Review (2024)

The Pools offers above-average betting odds, which do not pale even against other top bookmakers. When you bet at The Pools, you can place your bets with competitive odds and get a decent return on your stake.

The betting markets at The Pools cover a broad range of sports, with over 30 listed in their A-Z menu. From football to tennis, golf to cricket, and even Gaelic hurling, you'll find numerous markets, including niche options. 

The speciality of The Pools is their football pools, which come in all shapes and sizes. Explore different options like classic, goal rush, and premier 6 pools, which have pots all the way up to £1 million. The minimum stakes at the betting pools are only £0.20 - £2.00, so you can access the fun with a low threshold.

Main takeaways

• In-Depth Market Coverage: Each sport comes with a comprehensive range of betting markets. Whether you're interested in straightforward match winners, over/under bets, handicaps, or specials, The Pools has you covered.
• Focus on football: As a nod to its roots in football pools, The Pools offers an extensive selection of football betting markets. This includes not only major leagues and tournaments but also lesser-known competitions.
• Competitive Odds: The theoretical payout percentage of ThePools betting odds is around 94%. This applies to most betting markets and sports, with major-events having even better margins.

The Pools provides the cashout feature on a wide range of popular markets. However, it's important to note that cashout may not be available for every bet you place.

To see if cashout is available for your bet, simply tap on the "cash out" tab on the bottom bar. There, you can review your open bets and check the available cashout offers.

Live betting at The Pools isn't just limited to popular sports like football or tennis. It encompasses a variety of sports, giving you the opportunity to bet live on different events from around the world.

As the dynamics of the game change, so do the odds. The Pools lightning-fast platform offers continuously updated odds during live events. Additionally, you can use an interactive match tracker, head-to-head comparisons, squad information, and extensive stats to place the right bets.

The downside is that The Pools does not offer live streaming. While you can enjoy the dynamic live betting features, in-play graphics, and real-time updates, you won't be able to watch the live sports events directly through their platform.

The Pools offers deposits and withdrawals with only one option: debit card. You can use either Visa, Mastercard, or Maestro.

This limitation to a single payment method is somewhat disappointing, especially given the rising popularity and convenience of alternative payment options like e-wallets, open banking methods, and mobile payment solutions. For a list of bookmakers with open banking methods, explore Trustly betting sites.

The payment process at The Pools is straightforward. It's easy to deposit and withdraw from the betting site, there are no fees, and the payment limits are favourable for UK bettors.

As expected, my deposits landed on my balance instantly. The withdrawal process, however, was not as swift. This is mostly due to the fact that debit card withdrawals take a longer time to reach your bank account, and The Pools does not offer any alternatives.

If you are looking for a bookmaker with quick withdrawal times, you should check out the fastest withdrawal betting sites.

Withdrawal times

The Pools efficiently process withdrawal requests, often handling payments instantly. However, the overall withdrawal time can be slower due to the long time taken for debit card transactions to appear in your account

• Mastercard: 2-5 working days
• Visa: 2-5 working days
• Maestro: 2-5 working days

Rather than refer a punter to their website, many bookmakers prefer to offer a dedicated app. This keeps players engaged and lets the bookmaker connect with their client base.

The Pools did not offer a separate mobile app for its users in the site's early days, but this changed soon. The site works well with the native internet browsers of smart devices, but for the best possible gaming experience, consider downloading the The Pools betting app.

For me, downloading the The Pools app was a straightforward task. I headed to the Google Play store and searched for The Pools. After opting to install the app, it opened without any problems and allowed me to log in using my details from the website.

The app functionality was perfect, and everything worked as it should, making it just as easy to use as the website. Placing a bet was straightforward, with no obstacles at all.

Fun fact: The Pools offers not just one but two different mobile apps. A second app is dedicated exclusively to the site's free-to-play game called Footie5. In that game, players can predict the outcome of five football matches weekly, and the best players can win as much as £25,000.

Customer support is one of the essential parts of an online bookmaker, as it is often the only interaction players have with the people behind the scenes.

Customer service at ThePools is available from Monday to Saturday between 8 am and 10 pm and Sundays between 12 pm and 10 pm. You can contact ThePools using post, email or chat.

For my interaction with customer service, I chose to use chat and email. Talking to a customer service representative is done via the blue chat bubble on the right of the screen. At first, I needed to provide my details and then connected within a minute. I found the customer service helpful and knowledgeable, giving quick answers.

Contacting customer service via email was fast enough as my queries were answered in an hour compared to the days some bookies take to respond.

For those who prefer looking for their answers, you have the FAQ section in the help menu. Here you will find most of your answers, although they seem short and could do with some elaboration.

• Email support: ✅
• Live support: ✅
  
• Contact number: ❌

As part of the gambling laws regulating the UK industry, all customers must pass the KYC verification process.

Should The Pools need you to verify your account, they will contact you via email, and you will have to send your documents for verification back through email.

You can send a clear photo of your driver's licence or passport to provide proof of identity.

To provide proof of address, you must provide documentation reflecting the address you registered on your gaming account. Documents that will be accepted are a utility bill, bank statement, council tax bill, broadband bill, or HMRC letter.

They usually do verification within 48 hours, but it can take up to 72 hours, and you cannot make a deposit or withdrawal until the process is complete.

The Pools operates under a UKGC license, making this bookmaker a completely secure gambling destination for UK players.

The Pools takes responsible gambling rules seriously, and the site wants to do its best to prevent problem gambling. One of the ways to control your gambling on the site is to set your limits, for example:  

• Deposit limits
• Session time limits
• Reality checks
• Time out from the site
• Self-exclusion

If gambling seems to be taking over your life and you feel you need outside help, you can contact organizations such as BeGambleAware, GAMSTOP and GamCare through the links on the website.

ThePools is owned and operated by the UK-based gaming company Football Pools Limited, which has its headquarters in Liverpool.

Yes, ThePools is a safe and reputable betting site licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. The brand uses advanced security measures to protect customers' personal and financial information, including encryption technology and firewalls.

Pool betting is a form of betting where all stakes are placed into a single pool, and the winnings are distributed among the winning bettors based on the size of their stakes and the number of winning selections.

The odds and payouts are determined by the total amount of money in the pool and the number of winning bets. Pool betting is commonly used in horse racing, football, and other sports where there are multiple potential outcomes and a large number of bettors.

The Pools withdrawals take two to five banking days to reach your account. This is due to the fact that the bookmaker only offers withdrawals via debit cards.