The Best UK Betting Sites for Women’s Football

Despite a number of women’s football clubs existing way back in the 19th century, the women’s game didn’t come under the auspices of the FA until 1993. Today, women’s football is the fastest growing area of the game, and this is well represented by a huge range of betting markets. 

Our general guide to women’s football will run you through the biggest leagues and competitions in the sport, before offering guidance on how, what and where to bet on relevant markets. If you’re interested, you can then read our reviews of the best betting sites, compare welcome bonuses, and find the perfect match for you. 

Women’s Football Leagues

Women’s football comprises hundreds of domestic leagues all over the world. Here’s a brief introduction to some of the strongest leagues and the players you’ll find there. 

National Women’s Soccer League (US)

The United States has done more to advance women’s football than any other country, and there have been a number of iterations of its professional league. The first of these, the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA), was the world’s first professional women’s football league and was launched in 2000 following the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1999.

The current National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) was formed in 2012. It’s owned by the 12 competing teams, the most successful of which include Portland Thorns, FC Kansas City, Western New York Flash, North Carolina Courage, and Washington Spirit, who won their first title in 2021.

The US are the best international team in the world, and you’ll find many of their players in the NWSL, including the likes of Julie Ertz and Christen Press (Angel City), Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), and Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave).

Women’s Super League (UK)

The first season of the WSL took place in 2011 and also comprises 12 teams. Chelsea are the league’s most successful team, boasting six titles in that time. They continue to be the WSL’s strongest team, with world-class players like Sam Kerr, Fran Kirby and Pernille Harder in their ranks. 

Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are the only other clubs to have won the title. Their best players include prolific goalscorers Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead (Arsenal), and Lioness legends Steph Houghton, Ellen White, and Lucy Bronze (Man City). 

Primera División (Spain)

Spain’s Primera División was founded way before the NWSL and WSL, with its first season, then taking place under the name Liga Nacional, occurring in 1988. It’s made up of 16 teams, the most successful of which is Barcelona — the current champions and holders of a record seven titles. 

Barcelona’s team is packed full of superstars, including Lieke Martens, Spain and Barcelona’s record goalscorer, Jennifer Hermoso, and currently the best player in the world, Alexia Putellas. Athletic Club Femenino and Atlético Madrid are the only other clubs to have won the Primera División.

Frauen-Bundesliga (Germany)

The German FA created the women’s Bundesliga in 1990, originally splitting the league between teams in the north and south. It became a unified division in 1997, currently consisting of 12 teams. 

German clubs have been the most successful in the women’s Champions League, with Frankfurt, Wolfsburg, Turbine Potsdam, and Duisburg all winning the competition. Lea Schüller (Bayern Munich), Alexandra Popp (Wolfsburg), and Selina Cerci (Potsdam) are some of the league’s most devastating strikers.  

Division 1 Féminine (France)

Known as D1 Féminine, France’s premier women’s division was founded in 1974 and has been running in its current form since 1992. The league has been dominated by Lyon, who have 15 titles to their name, winning 14 in a row between 2006-2020. PSG are the only other team to have won the league in that time, and these two clubs are home to the league’s top players, including Aga Hegerberg and Wendie Renard (Lyon), and Marie-Antoinette Katoto (PSG).

How to Bet on Women’s Football

Looking to place a wager on the women’s game? Just follow these four steps. 

1. Compare the best women’s football betting sites
   We’ve already done the hard work for you by collating all of the best women’s football betting sites in one place. All you need to do is browse through, read our reviews, compare the welcome bonuses and site features, and pick the best fit. 
2. Click through and sign up
   Once you’ve made a decision, use our links to click through to the site. You’ll be taken straight to the registration page, where you’ll receive prompts on how to sign up. Once you’ve submitted your personal details, including an address and a phone number, you’ll then be able to access the site in full. 
3. Complete KYC checks 
   Before you can make a deposit, the site will need to complete know your customer (KYC) checks. This is all part of compliance to UKGC licensing standards, which requires bookies to conduct identity checks on their customers. You may need to submit some documents here — such as a proof of address and passport — but it’s a quick and simple process. 
4. Make your first deposit and place your first wager
   Once these checks are complete, you can head to the cashier page, make your first deposit — in line with any welcome bonus — and place your first bet on women’s football.

Which Women’s Football Competitions to Bet On

Cup competitions take place either during the course of a season or in the breaks between seasons. Here are some of the biggest in the women’s game. 

World Cup

• The women’s World Cup takes place every four years between 32 countries, following a two-year qualification campaign
• The US are the most successful team, having won the competition four times
• Four knock-out rounds follow an initial group stage
• The next World Cup will be held in Australia and New Zealand in 2023

Euros

• Also takes place every four years following a two-year qualification campaign
• 16 countries take part in the finals — the format is the same as the World Cup, with one fewer knock-out rounds
• Germany have won the most titles with eight Euros titles
• The last Women’s Euros in 2022 was played between England and Germany, with England taking the victory
• You can follow the odds for the Women’s Euros winner on our historical tracker.

FA Cup

• The premier domestic cup competition in women’s football in England
• Takes place every season as a straight knockout competition
• Arsenal have won a record fourteen titles, but Chelsea are the current holders, winning their fourth FA Cup in 2022

Top Women Footballers

One strategy often employed by bettors is researching the different teams and players in order to make a savvy pick. That’s a particularly good idea if you’re looking to place prop bets like first goalscorer or a hat trick from a star player. Following specific players throughout the season is a good way to get a sense of their current form and can help when picking a winner. In any case, here are a few must-know names when it comes to the top women footballers. 

Alexia Putellas

Regarded by many as the greatest female footballers of all time, Alexia Putellas currently captains and plays as a midfielder for Barcelona. Following stints for Espanyol and Levante, Putellas has played at Barça Femení for over a decade, during which she’s been instrumental in the team’s first-time Champions League win. 

Putellas also represents her home country in the Spanish national team, with a record number of appearances at 100 caps. As of 2022, she’s won every major club and individual award available to European players, including both the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year Award and the Ballon d’Or Féminin for two years on the trot.

Beth Mead

Beth Mead plays as a forward for both Arsenal and the England national team. She currently holds the all-time records for most assists and most goal contributions in the WSL, proving her effectiveness as an attacking player. Mead helped England claim victory at UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, picking up the Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament along the way. 

Lena Oberdorf

One of the younger players to watch out for is Lena Oberdorf, who plays as a midfielder for Frauen-Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg. Oberdorf was also selected to represent Germany at the Women’s World Cup 2019 at the age of 17. She was crowned Young Player of the Tournament at the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, where Germany took second place following a narrow 2–1 defeat at the hands of the Lionesses.

Leah Williamson

Captain of the England women’s team, it was Leah Williamson who led the team to their first victory at the Women’s Euro. Williamson plays in central defence or midfield positions, and has so far scored twice for her country in a total of 39 appearances. In the WSL, Williamson has spent the entirety of her senior career at Arsenal, having clocked over 200 appearances with the team to date. 

Keira Walsh

English player Keira Walsh currently plays as a midfielder for Liga F team Barcelona. She’s previously played for Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City, winning the League Cup four times, the FA Cup three times, and topping the WSL in 2016. Walsh also represents England in the national team, having been named Player of the Match when the Lionesses secured their win at the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 final. 

Betting Options for Women’s Football

As one of the world’s most popular sports to bet on, football has no shortage of interesting markets and wagers available to you. Check out some of the most popular below.

Final Result

Pick the result of the match in this market — win, lose or draw. To make things harder, you can also try and pick the final score at longer odds. If you choose the former option, be aware that extra-time and penalties often don’t count, so check the T&Cs first. 

First to Score

Think Sam Kerr is likely to continue her irrepressible introduction to the WSL? You can pick her or any other player to be the game’s first goalscorer. 

Over/Under Goals

In this market, you select a number — usually a denomination of 0.5 — to represent how many goals will be scored in the match. For example, if England are facing up against France in the latter stages of the women’s Euros, you might expect a tense and cagey affair. In that case, a wager of under 1.5 goals in the game could be a sensible bet. 

Both Teams to Score

Similarly, if two attacking teams are going head-to-head, a wager on both teams to score could pay dividends. A bet of over 3.5 goals in the game would also make sense in this scenario.

Women’s Football Betting Bonuses

When you first sign up to a women’s football betting site, you’ll be offered the chance to capitalise on a welcome bonus. This is designed to entice as many new customers as possible, so will likely be more generous than any other offer you receive. Nevertheless, existing customers will still be taken care of at the best sites — here are some of the most common bonus offers available to both new and returning bettors. 

Matched Deposits

Here, the bookmaker is agreeing to match your deposit up to a maximum amount. Essentially, you’re getting bonus betting credit proportional to the size of your qualifying deposit. Although this bonus money can’t be withdrawn, you’ll be able to stake it at the site and keep any winnings if your wager does come good. Keep in mind any T&Cs associated with the matched deposit bonus. Minimum odds and market restrictions are two common terms that often apply. For example, you may have to use your bet credit on markets with odds of 4/5 or more, and in-play bets may not be allowed. 

• As an example of a matched deposit, 10bet offers new customers a 50% bonus up to £50 on their first deposit. To receive the maximum you need to deposit £100 — giving you £150 in total to bet with. 

Free Bets

By far the most common method of attracting new customers to a betting site, free bets are exactly what they sound like. You’ll usually need to make a qualifying deposit or bet in order to receive them, such as an offer of £30 in free bets when you deposit and play £10 of your own cash. Typically, the stake is not returned for any winning free bets, but you can cash out the profit — provided you’ve satisfied any attached wagering requirements.

• HeySpin Sportsbook & Casino offers new players a £10 free bet when they sign up and bet at least £15 on odds of evens (2.00) or greater.

No Deposit Bonuses

These offers are somewhat rare, but are granted to players as soon as they sign up — no need to make a deposit or qualifying bet. They’re a great way to decide whether the site is right for you, as there’s no need to commit any cash before you play. 

• You’re less likely to find no deposit bonuses for sports betting, and they most commonly crop up at sites with online casinos attached. For example, 888’s online casino offers new players 88 free spins as soon as they sign up. 

Mobile Betting

Mobile betting is the best option for punters on the move. There are two ways in which you can do this: either in your mobile browser, or through your bookmaker’s dedicated app. Not all bookies offer an app, but mobile betting will always be available on the go. 

Betting in a native app is always our preference here at Compare.bet. Betting apps are often more intuitive to use than desktop sites, and interfaces can be tailored to suit your betting habits. Throw in the fact that notifications allow users to never miss a promotion, and it’s clear that apps offer an outstanding betting experience. 

That said, there are a few things to consider first. Bettors must download the software on their device, which may be difficult depending on memory, and the use of these apps is less economical when it comes to battery life — neither of these are a factor when betting in your browser. Below is a quick summary to help you decide which form of mobile betting is for you.

Our Tips for Betting on Women’s Football

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a flutter on the football, but part of our job at Compare is to ensure our readers gamble responsibly. With that in mind, here are a few pointers on how to navigate the football betting landscape in a responsible way:

• Do your research – making a prediction is hard enough, and conducting some initial research is the best way to set yourself up for success. If you’d like to place a bet, spend some time reading up on the players and teams involved
• Only bet what you can afford – if a lost bet has caused stress, tension or worry, it’s a wager you shouldn’t have placed. Only ever bet what you’re happy to lose; if the stakes are more serious than that, then this is a classic sign of problem gambling
• Never bet when under the influence – being drunk or under the influence of drugs inhibits our ability to make sound judgements. For this reason, you should only place a bet when sober
• Make use of on-site limiters – football betting sites are required to offer on-site limiters. These can be set at daily, weekly, or monthly amounts, preventing punters from overspending

Compare the Best Women’s Football Betting Sites

If we’ve answered all your questions about betting on women’s football, go ahead and compare our recommendations of the best bookmakers in this area, find the one that’s right for you, and place your first wager.