Most betting shops in the UK open between 8am and 9am and close between 9pm and 10pm, seven days a week. Sunday hours are usually shorter. But hours vary from shop to shop, even within one bookmaker, so the only reliable answer for today is the hours of the shop you plan to visit. This guide gives the typical times from the 4,768 shops listed on BookieFinder and shows how to check a particular shop.
Is my nearest betting shop open today?
- Search your postcode in the shop finder and tick “Open now”.
- Each result shows whether the shop is open and when it closes today.
- The shop page shows the full week and the date we last checked.
What time do betting shops open?
On a weekday:
- 33% of shops open at 8.30am, 27% at 9am and 27% at 8am.
- 91% are open by 9am.
- A small number open at 7am or 7.30am.
On Saturday, shops open a little earlier. Half are open by 8am and 98% by 9am.
What time do betting shops close?
On a weekday:
- 54% close at 10pm.
- 85% are open until 9pm or later.
- 6% close at 7pm or earlier.
On Saturday, 45% close at 10pm and 72% are open until 9pm or later.
Overall, 72% of shops close at 9.30pm or later on at least one day of the week.
Betting shop Sunday opening times
Nearly every betting shop opens on Sunday. Only 9 shops in our data are marked closed.
- 57% are open by 9am. 22% do not open until 10am or later.
- 29% stay open until 10pm.
- 32% close at 7pm or earlier.
If you want a late Sunday bet, check the shop first. A third of shops will already be shut by 7pm.
Opening times by bookmaker
Brands differ, especially at the end of the day.
| Bookmaker | Shops | Close at 10pm on weekdays | Close by 7pm on Sunday |
| Paddy Power | 313 | 98% | 0% |
| William Hill | 1,021 | 71% | 16% |
| BoyleSports | 118 | 54% | 36% |
| Betfred | 845 | 49% | 25% |
| Ladbrokes | 1,360 | 49% | 39% |
| Coral | 1,111 | 36% | 53% |
Each bookmaker’s profile has the full breakdown, including the most common hours.
Bank holidays and Christmas
- BookieFinder does not yet hold bank holiday hours, so check with the shop or bookmaker before you go.
- Betting shops in Great Britain do not open on Christmas Day.
- Hours can also change around big race days and for local reasons such as staffing or refits.
Why the hours we show can differ from the door
- We collect each shop’s hours from the bookmaker’s published information and show when we last checked.
- Bookmakers change hours from time to time, and our next check may not have happened yet.
- About 1 shop in 60 has no published hours at all. Those pages say “Hours unavailable” rather than guessing.
If a shop’s hours are wrong, use the report link on its page. Our page on how we collect and verify data explains the process.
Planning a visit
- Use the shop finder for the nearest shops and their status right now.
- Browse betting shops by town to compare several shops in one area.
- Take photo ID if you look under 25, and remember shops take cash and debit cards but not credit cards.
Set yourself a limit before you go in. If betting has stopped being fun, our responsible gambling page lists free support.