Is sports betting legal in the UK? What are the top sports betting stocks? Summary Sports betting in the UK is regulated under the Gambling Act 2005, ensuring fair and transparent laws for everyone in the betting industry. Amid the EURO Championship, the sports betting companies expect high volume bets from the UK and other European countries. Betting for centuries has been a main recreational activity in Britain. Horse racing was initially the favourite theme in the early centuries; thus, the UK has long history and culture of sports betting. In recent times, online betting has seen huge popularity, and the number of people increased substantially, using mobile and tablets to place bets. The betting industry contributes a substantial amount in taxes and employing thousands of people in the UK. Therefore, the sports betting industry of the UK has the most developed laws across the world for the gaming community. Way back, the land-based UK sports betting operations were legalised by the Betting and Gaming Act of 1960. Sports betting in the UK is regulated under the Gambling Act 2005.