High Stakes Bookies for High Rollers
If you are going to bet large sums of money, it is arguable that the choice of bookmaker is just as important as your betting selections. Indeed, finding a bookmaker that embraces high stakes betting is not as easy as you might think, with factors like maximum deposit, withdrawals and payouts varying across all bookmakers. Imagine how you would feel when winning a high-stakes bet only to find out after that your payout was limited due to the bookmaker’s rules? For that reason, we have created a guide to the best online bookmakers for high rollers:
Recommended Sites
Best Sites for High Stakes Wagering
| Bookmaker | Max Payout | Max Deposit (per transaction) | Max Withdrawal (per transaction) | VIP Program | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Bet365 | £2,000,000 | £100,000 | £100,000 | Yes |
 | Betfair | £1,000,000 | £32,500 | No limit | No |
 | Betstars | £1,000,000 | No limit | No limit | Yes |
 | Betbright | £250,000 | £15,000 | £4,000 | Yes |
 | 888Sport | £250,000 | No limit | No limit | No |
 | Coral | £1,000,000 | No limit | No limit | Yes |
 | Betway | £500,000 | No limit | No limit | Yes |
 | Grosvenor | £250,000 | No limit | No limit | Yes |
 | Paddy Power | £1,000,000 | £100,000 | No limit | Yes |
 | Ladbrokes | £1,000,000 | £99,999 | No limit | Yes |
 | Sky Bet | £500,000 | No limit | No limit | No |
 | William Hill | £2,000,000 | £100,000 | £100,000 | Yes |
Important note on the table above:
The limits for deposits and withdrawals defined above are those set out in bookmakers’ terms and conditions or as stated after contacting customer service. There is, however, always room for flexibility when it comes to high rollers. No limit refers to the fact limits have not been defined, rather than a set policy from the bookmaker of unlimited deposit and withdrawal amounts. Almost all top UK bookmakers will have VIP account managers, available to you if you bet for high stakes. In short, that means that arrangements can be possibly made for individually tailored higher limits in these areas.
Above all, you must remember that it is the payment method that impacts the limits on deposits and withdrawals more than the bookmakers. However, if you liaise with the bookmaker and your bank/eWallet, it will likely eventually be resolved.
Maximum Payout by Sport
| Bookmaker | Football | Horse Racing | Tennis | Cricket | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bet365 | 2,000,000 GBP | 1,000,000 GBP | 500,000 GBP | 250,000 GBP |
| Betfair | 1,000,000 GBP | 1,000,000 GBP | 25,000 GBP | 100,000 GBP |
| Betstars | 1,000,000 GBP | 500,000 GBP | 250,000 GBP | 50,000 GBP |
| Betbright | 250,000 GBP | 250,000 GBP | 100,00 GBP | 50,000 GBP |
| 888sport | 250,000 GBP | 100,000 GBP | 150,000 GBP | 100,000 GBP |
| Coral | 1,000,000 GBP | 1,000,000 GBP | 100,000 GBP | 100,000 GBP |
| Betway | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Grosvenor | 250,000 GBP | 100,000 GBP | 150,000 GBP | 100,000 GBP |
| Paddy Power | 1,000,000 GBP | 1,000,000 GBP | 200,000 GBP | 250,000 GBP |
| Ladbrokes | 1,000,000 GBP | 1,000,000 GBP | 500,000 GBP | 500,000 GBP |
| SkyBet | 500,000 GBP | 500,000 GBP | 250,000 GBP | 250,000 GBP |
| William Hill | 2,000,000 GBP | 1,000,000 GBP | 250,000 GBP | 250,000 GBP |
Important note on the table above:
The maximum payout for sports listed above refers to the highest possible payout within that specific sport. For example, the maximum payout for horse racing bets at Paddy Power is £1 million. But, this is for Grade 1 and 2 races in the UK and graded, grouped and listed races in Ireland. Lower class races and races outside the UK and Ireland are limited to £100,000 maximum payouts.
A similar policy is applied to football, with top competitions like Premier League, La Liga and Champions League being part of the higher limit threshold, whereas lower leagues (especially outside of the UK) will have payouts capped. However, high stakes football betting will also be restricted with respect to he choice of markets. Outright betting (leagues, cups etc.), match winner, total goals, etc will be in the upper limit, whereas props (number of corners, number of cards, time of first goal, etc.) will have lower limits.
As a general rule of thumb for all sports, high profile events will have bigger maximum payouts than obscure ones, and the most popular (standard) betting markets will have bigger payouts than the less popular ones. Political betting sites, for example, offer much lower maximum payout limits than sports betting markets.
*Betway maintains that it “sets the maximum pay-out limit per customer for each sport at its own discretion.” While that may put off punters looking for bookies that don’t limit, there is no evidence to suggest that Betway is not competitive when it comes to large payouts.
Betting Sites No Betting Limits
In practice, there is no such thing as a no limit betting site. High stakes betting sites are sometimes mis-labelled as sites without limits, but it’s understandable that some sort of ceiling is applied to payouts (if you encounter new betting sites claiming such things you should be skeptic). Moreover, it’s important to state that in most cases a maximum betting limit will be capped at thousands, if not millions, of pounds.
Max Bets vs Max Deposits
There is, of course, a marked difference between the maximum deposit and the maximum bet you can make. The maximum deposit will mostly be down to the payment method you use, i.e. your VISA card or PayPal account. This will usually refer to the amount you can deposit into your account in a single day or in one transaction. For example, Royal Panda Sport allows for a maximum daily deposit of £50,000 by bank transfer but is capped at £15,000 for debit cards and internet wallets.
Max Bets vs Max Winnings
Another set of terms that can sound contradictory is the idea of max bets and max payouts. The former is the maximum amount you can stake on a market, whereas the latter is the maximum amount you can win on a market. Because maximum payouts vary across all sports, it is theoretically possible for the maximum bet to exceed the maximum winnings, although this doesn’t happen in practice.
VIP Schemes
Most high stakes punters believe they should be rewarded for bringing their business to an online bookmaker. In truth, VIP bookmaker schemes are not as widely advertised as they are for, say, online casinos. It has, however, been remarked upon on betting forums that high rollers are approached by VIP account managers from major bookmakers with retention offers after they have placed large bets. In short, the majority of bookies do not have set terms for VIPs, but rather tailor their special offers on a case by case basis.
In saying that, Betway Sport is a good example of a bookmaker that sets out its VIP betting in a defined manner. Its scheme, Betway Plus, means you will accrue points for placing bets, as well as playing at the casino or poker sites. If you are wagering large amounts, you will soon reach ‘Black’ level, essentially Betway’s VIP status. Aside from the fact the points can be exchanged for bonus cash, you will also be awarded a better exchange rate, invites to sporting events, personal account management etc.
It should be stated that there are no betting schemes online that offer high stakes free bets as standard. Instead, it is better to focus on the things ‘money can’t buy’. Betway, for example, has been known to use their sponsorship of Premier League club West Ham United as a way of rewarding high stakes punters, offering corporate hospitality tickets for Premier League games and special access to West Ham events. These types of experiences are not limited to Betway either, major bookmakers have always used their sponsorship deals with racing, boxing, football etc. to treat high rollers. Sitting in the director’s box at the Champions League Final, or hospitality at the Grand National, is the kind of once in a lifetime reward you can expect as a VIP bettor.
Deposits Limits by Payment Method
It’s important to point out that the maximum deposit amount will be defined not only by the bookmaker but by the deposit method used. The majority of credit/debit cards will have individual limits placed upon them by the bank, but there will also be upper limits placed upon internet money wallets and other payment methods.
The table below shows the limits for transactions in a single day at Royal Panda Sport. It is reflective of most UK high stakes betting sites. It also shows how eWallets, in this case Neteller and Skrill, are also becoming more popular with high stakes bettors. Not only are the limits for withdrawal higher, but they also tend to offer quicker processing times.
| Payment Method | Max Deposit | Max Withdrawal | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| PayPal | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Debit and Credit Cards | 50,000 GBP | 50,000 GBP | 0% |
| Neteller | 10,000 GBP | 100,000 GBP | 0% |
| Skrill | 15,000 GBP | 100,000 GBP | 0% |
| PaySafeCard | 15,000 GBP | N/A | N/A |
| Bank Transfer | 15,000 GBP | 100,000 GBP | 0% |
It is worth noting that while the table above addresses deposit limits as standard for Royal Panda, as a high roller bettor with most bookmakers you will most likely receive an account manager. This may enable you to deposit and withdraw larger amounts than those explicitly stated by the brand.
Betting Account Limitations
Let’s address something that often hits the news headlines for the wrong reasons – the practice of bookmakers limiting ‘winning’ betting accounts. While this does happen, it’s not simply as cut and dry as a bookie trying to punish you for winning.
For example, you suddenly sign up to a UK bookmaker and place a winning bet of £17,777.59 on a lower division Chinese football match. A few hours later proceed to withdraw the total amount of £51,657.87 from your account, it follows that the management of the betting company is going to be suspicious.
Happy long-term betting and trust are about building a relationship with the bookmaker, with the onus put upon the punter as well as the bookie to demonstrate that they are playing fair. Even if you have that one killer tip that you hope will make your fortune, you might be better also placing some small bets on other markets. Maintaining your account over a longer period, i.e. keeping a positive balance, is also recommended.
There has been a lot of pressure put on bookmakers to monitor things like money laundering, so it’s important that you take steps to verify your account before placing a large bet. Indeed, there is nothing wrong with contacting the bookie before you place that bet, so you can find out ahead of time if there will be any issues with the payout.
Remember, bookmakers have the power to withhold payment if there has been a clear and obvious error. So, for example, if you suddenly see that Manchester City have been given odds of 100/1 to win a Premier League game, it might just be too good to be true. Bookmakers do, however, want to attract high stakes bettors, so, while an unlikely price, it could be a legit marketing decision. A smart move may be to check with the customer service team before you place a big bet.
Companies like Betfair, which have vast experience in large scale betting through the Exchange, do not tend to limit accounts, fraudulent cases aside. And they generally do welcome high stakes players, so a good idea could be to make it known to the bookie that you will be making a large bets. Don’t forget, that could also land you some VIP rewards as you make it clear you are interested in online high stakes betting.
Other tips to stop bookmakers limiting your account include:
- Logging in on the same IP addresses and devices (computer/phone/tablet)
- Refrain from making large bets outside the UK.
- Make consistent small deposits instead of infrequent large ones
- Don’t withdraw straight after a win.
- Aim your high stakes bets towards major sports and sporting events
- Play on other parts of the site – casino, poker and bingo.
You can learn more about bookmaker account closures on our academy
Bottom Line
High limit betting can seem like a complex one for punters. Indeed, from what you have read so far, it would seem that the terms and conditions ask for more consideration than the actual process of placing big bets online. You should remember though that if you consider yourself a big punter, the bookies will want to have your business and will pull out all the stops to maintain it.
Betfair, among others, has gained a strong reputation among high rollers, allowing for big deposits, withdrawals and maximum payouts. It should also be mentioned that Betfair consistently comes out on top for best odds on events like Premier League, ATP tennis and UK and Ireland horse racing, with even a small adjustment in price proving significant when large bets are placed.
There is also a shift towards using eWallets for high limit sports betting. PayPal is often cited as the most well-known option, but Neteller seems to be more widely used by bookies. The limits for eWallets can be significantly higher than credit/debit cards, but the payout speeds are also quicker.
As the saying goes, money talks. So, while it is difficult to exactly define the limits of high stakes betting, you should be treated with extra care for the business you are bringing those bookmakers. Choose a quality sportsbook from our recommended list and you’ll be in good hands.
