Bowls Betting Sites

Bowls has garnered an ever-growing fan base in recent years, with the evolution of the World Outdoor Bowls Championship growing the sport’s profile. 

At MansionBet you will find reviews of the best betting sites that offer odds on a variety of bowls events from around the world.

If you’re keen to get started and begin wagering on an upcoming bowls event, you’ll need to work out which of our recommended bowls betting sites best suits your needs. Although these sites are unlikely to advertise their bowls betting markets or prioritise them in the same way they do with football or horse racing, however, a quick browse of the A-Z markets will enable you to locate all of the latest Bowls odds. We’ve picked out three of the best bowls betting sites:

When it comes to ranking our best bowls betting sites, there are a number of factors which must be taken into consideration:  

• Markets – Although it’s fair to say that is not a priority for most online bookmakers, most UK operators do have markets available ahead of major events. Not only do we tend to look favourably on those who release their odds early, we also give additional points to any bookmaker who offers markets on more than just 2-3 tournaments each calendar year.  
• Odds – Sites such as Oddschecker make it easy for us to compare the prices ahead of major bowls tournaments. We rank those sites which regularly offer competitive odds higher than those who simply follow the crowd and have bog-standard prices.  
• Usability – Occasionally, you need to place a bet quickly. We look favourably on those bowls betting sites which allow us to access the latest odds with the minimum of fuss and place our bets with plenty speed and efficiency.  
• Live / In-Play Betting Opportunities – When it comes to following the action, you’ll want to be able to keep abreast of every single moment. Thankfully most of our top ranked betting sites now offer live in-play betting markets on the bigger tournaments. We rank those which can boast the largest pool of in-play markets and those which update their odds quickly, enabling us to place our live bowls bets quickly.  
• Live Streaming – Some bowls betting sites in the UK now offer live streaming capabilities. Unfortunately, bowls isn’t always televised in the UK (or sports TV subscriptions may be required), so having access to pictures via a live streaming betting site is the perfect way to follow the progress of your bowls bet. We rank those sites who live stream bowls far higher than those who do not allow UK punters to access pictures.  
• Offers / Bonuses – Unfortunately, there are very bowls-specific promotions and offers available. However, we prefer sites which offer daily enhancements and bet boosts as well as those which regularly offer punters a chance to claim free bets on a weekly bets. They may not be bowls-specific, however, many of these can be used in conjunction with a bet on the bowls.  

• Outright Tournament Winner: When you make an outright bet, you are wagering on the final winner. This type of bet is normally made before the start of any tournament. It’s the classic punt - who will ultimately win?
• Outright Match Winner: there is no typical bowls match format, with scoring systems varying from tournament to tournament. In some cases, the match is won by the first player to reach 21 points. In others, it is a case of playing two sets of nine ends each.
• Each-Way: An each-way bet is essentially two different wagers combined into one. You are betting on your pick to either win or place. In bowls, you would be picking the player you think will finish in the top three of a tournament.
• Accumulators: For a big return on a low stake, why not try your luck with an accumulator? Also known as combos, parlays and accas, these are bets where you combine several different wagers to make a small stake go a long way. You have the option to combine several different bowls bets or add any other sport you want. 

MansionBet has details about sportsbooks that offer odds on all the major bowls tournaments in the UK and beyond.

When it comes to successfully betting on bowls, there are a number of tips and strategies which will improve your chances of picking a winner or two:  

• Do your Research – It may sound like we’re teaching you to suck eggs, however, this is a vitally important aspect of successful sports betting. In-depth research is essential. You could go back and re-watch previous tournaments to get a feel for the event and pick out players who could be useful to follow in future events. Finding out about the players, venue etc should enable you to place better bets, however, actually seeing a tournament will give you a significant advantage going into future events.    
• Don’t be Afraid to follow Bowls Tipsters – If you’re new the sport, there is absolutely no shame in following a bowls tipster online or on social media. This will help you get a feel for the different markets and the suggested stakes which should be placed on upcoming events  
• Live Stream the Event to Follow Your Bets – You may pick a few duds along the way and this is always frustrating, however, it’s always handy to know where your losing bets went wrong. With many online bowls betting sites offering live streaming capability on the bigger bowls events, you can chart the progress of your bets and learn from both your successes and failures  
• Use Bookmakers Offers and Bonuses – Although there are very few bowls-specific offers and promotions available, many online operators will have ‘Bet and Get’ offers and Loyalty Club promotions which can be used in conjunction with upcoming bowls tournaments. This is a great way to get started and will give you some extra cash to use ahead of the bigger tournaments.  

There are several major bowls tournaments that attract the sport’s top players. Here are the highlights: 

• World Outdoor Bowls Championships: Held every four years, the World Outdoor Bowls Championship is the World Cup of bowls. It brings together the best players from around the world. The bowlers compete in several different categories. These include men’s and women’s singles, doubles, triples and fours. Participants typically include New Zealand, Canada, Australia and the UK’s four nations. Asia is increasingly making its presence felt and promises to be a force to reckon with in future events.
• Commonwealth Games: First held in 1930, the Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport competition that brings together athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. Lawn bowls has been a core sport at the Commonwealth Games, for both men and women, since its inception (apart from Jamaica in 1966 due to a lack of suitable bowling greens!). Bowls is yet to be embraced by the Olympic Games, where it has featured only once as an exhibition sport.
• World Indoor Bowls Championships: Established in 1979, the event has been held at Potters Resort since 1999. It’s an annual bowls event that features a range of categories, including men’s and women’s singles, men’s pairs, mixed pairs, under 25 and a unique category for players with five or more titles - the crème de la bowling crème. Potters has been the scene for some memorable showdowns over the years.
• World Singles Champion of Champions: It’s time to head to the southern hemisphere for the World Singles Champion of Champions. As the name suggests, this is competition open only to those bowls players who have won their respective national singles title. The competition’s location, and the faster run of the bowling greens, has made this a favourite for bowls players Down Under.
• World Cup Singles: This is one of the newest events on the bowls circuit. The World Cup Singles was inaugurated in 2005 and is the southern hemisphere equivalent of the World Indoor Bowls Championships. The top bowlers from each participating country’s national organisation compete in a series of matches. Players from any hemisphere are welcome to take part but travel limitations has made the event more localised.
• Lawn Bowls National Championships: Organised by Bowls England, the Lawn Bowls National Championship is competition between every county in England. There are more than 30 national titles up for grabs, in a competition that involves thousands of people, played over 30 days in August and September. This is a quintessentially British sporting event, played quietly on the bowling green. However, beneath the calm bucolic idyll, a highly competitive and skilled competition is fiercely fought.

If you’ve never previously placed a bowls bet, you’ll be pleased to hear that it’s relatively easy to get started. Firstly, you need to pick one of our recommended bowls betting sites and sign up for an account. Once you’ve verified your account, you’ll need to follow these simple steps:  

• Make an initial deposit. With most UK bookmakers, this starts at £5, however, some operators have a minimum of £10. You can do this by heading to the banking section of your account.  
• Locate the Bowls betting markets. Very few sites promote these, so you may have to use the A-Z section to locate them.  
• Take a look at the various options and pick out you preferred bet. Click on the odds. This should be added straight into your betslip, which can be located on the right-hand side of the page.     
• Check that you are happy with you chosen bet and then choose your stake. Once you have checked the details, click ‘Place Bet’ and this will be placed within a few seconds. You can check on the progress of your bet at any point.  

Although live betting on bowls isn’t as popular as football, tennis or horse racing, most UK betting sites do offer live betting odds on most major tournaments throughout the season.  

Naturally, these can be located in the in-play section of the site or app. Prices will fluctuate as events unfold, so don’t be surprised if the odds change before you’ve had chance to place a bet.  

There may only be limited markets available in-play and some odds may be unavailable for short periods of time depending on events unfolding.  

Savvy bowls bettors may use these fluctuations to get better prices on their favoured markets.  

As we’ve already covered, there are plenty of existing bonuses and promotions available with the majority of our best bowls betting sites, yet some of these cannot be used in conjunction with the bowls betting markets.  

Coral have some of the best bowls betting markets in the UK, yet a large number of the offers are only applicable to football of horse racing markets. Nevertheless, there a some bonuses which can be used for wagering on bowls: 

• Bet and Get – a popular offer which is offered sporadically by some operators. This involves betting a pre-determined amount (e.g £5) in order to get a free bet. Occasionally, restrictions may be added to this, however, most sites will allow you to use this on any market or odds.  
• Matched Bet % - This is a similar concept and is one of the most popular welcome bonuses available. If you wager £50 for example, they will match this with a free £50 bet.  Most of these free bets can be used on any sport.  
• Boosted Odds – Although some bookies will only offer these on specific sports or markets, others will regularly bestow free boosts upon players. They will improve you returns should you pick a successful bowls bet.  
• Loyalty Club – Many operators off some sort of club or VIP experience and this allows users to add for this commitment to the brand. There are some restrictions including having to spend a certain amount each week whereas others may insist on players using bet builds in order to become eligible. However, it’s an avenue worth exploring.  

The majority of UK betting sites have a mobile app which is easy to download and install on the majority of devices. Bowls betting markets can be found on both the desktop site and the mobile app and this makes it easy to place bets on the move.  

You can also take advantage of the majority of betting offers and promotions using a mobile device.   

Mobile betting apps are ideal for streaming live bowls and with copious live markets usually available, this provides a great way to get involved at any stage of the tournament.

The bowls betting odds work in the same way as other sports. The odds are compiled by the bookmaker to reflect the probability of an event occurring. These may be altered by a number of factors including weight of money, injury updates or previous displays.  

Live betting odds ill fluctuate consistently and can become quite volatile depending on the situation.  

Odds will generally be available a couple of weeks before a major bowls event although this will depend on the individual bookmaker.  

Betting sites offer a wide variety of payment methods and this enables punters to fund their betting accounts on a regular basis. Most online sites allow players to deposit and withdraw via these methods and can be found in the ‘my account’ section on the home page.  

Popular payment methods include:   

• Debit Cards 
• PayPal  
• Neteller  
• Skrill  
• Bank Transfer 
• Apple Pay / Google Pay  

There are no restrictions on the markets and sports that you can bet on once you have deposited using these methods. If you in using a free bet or bonus money, then you will be required to rollover these funds and place a number of bets before you can make a withdrawal.  

Bowls is a popular worldwide sport which is relatively straightforward to both play and follow. The rules are simple with players tasked with bowling their balls as close to the ‘jack’ or ‘kitty’ as possible. It can be played both indoors and outdoors and in the UK, there are currently over 200 clubs who accept players on a weekly basis.  

Competitive bowls is played throughout the year with tournaments taking place all around the world. As well as being popular in the UK, it’s also played in Australia and N.Zealand 

National bowls organisations regularly compete in international events and these are staged every year. It has also been a staple of the commonwealth games and has been part of every single edition of the games since 1930.  

Annual events include: 

• World Indoor Bowls Championship 
• European Bowls Championship 
• World Outdoor Bowls Championship 
• Commonwealth Games  
• Lawn Bowls National Championships 
• Hong Kong International Bowls Championship 
• Southeast Asian Games  
• Pacific Games 

Some of these events will be held every year has others such as the Pacific Games take place every couple of years.