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Formerly known as Littewoods Football Pool, The Pools is a gambling site that features casino games, sports betting, lotto, and more. Our The Pools review will look at a brand that celebrated its centenary in 2023.
You will learn about the games, markets, bonuses, and extra features offered at The Pools. Known for providing “value, choice, and chances”, The Pools features 1,000+ games, over 25 sports, and lotto-style games. Is The Pools legit? How long do withdrawals take? We will answer these questions, and others, on this page.
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No The Pools review would be complete without a look at the available bonus offers. We found promotions for new and existing members. Sports, casino, and pools promotions are available. After signing up, depositing, and staking £25+, you will collect 100 free spins which can be used on five slots and are valued at £0.10 each.
The Pools Casino’s ongoing promotions include free spins and prize drops. Deals are updated regularly, with some specific to particular developers. It would be nice to see more casino promotions, such as cashback and reload bonuses.
The Pools bookmaker does not offer a welcome bonus. However, the lack of a betting welcome bonus is partly compensated by weekly £10 free bets and extra places on selected horse races. You can opt in for The Pools newsletter to keep up to date with the latest promotions. The table below outlines current offers and their key terms and conditions. No The Pools promo code is required for any bonus.
Bonus Name | Description | Key T&Cs |
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The Pools Casino Welcome Offer | 100 free spins when you deposit and stake £25 on slots |
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Slots Club | Get up to 100 free spins on the slot of the week when you stake £50+ |
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Weekly ACCA Offer | Place 2x £10 Accas and get a £10 free bet |
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The Pools Plus Extra | Stake £30 on Pools and £30 on casino games to get 25 free spins |
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The Pools’ website went live in 2018. We found it easy to browse games and markets on desktop and mobile. Moving between The Pools casino and sportsbook pages is simple through the top menu. The minimalistic design is easy on the eye, with imagery and animations used sparingly.
We enjoyed using the built-in search engine to access our favourite casino games. As part of our The Pools betting review, we found the “QUICK LINKS” heading. Here, you can access live and popular markets in a single click.
The registration process at The Pools takes less than five minutes. Only a small amount of information is required, which means that you can quickly start to place bets. We have outlined the sign-up requirements below.
After browsing The Pools’ website and contacting the customer service team, we determined that no mobile app is available to download. However, this does not mean that The Pools Casino games and sportsbook markets are unavailable to mobile users. You will just need to access the relevant website via your chosen mobile browser.
Our The Pools review found that their website is fully optimised for different devices, and the design is almost identical to the desktop version. This makes moving between the two simple and stress-free. We will let you know immediately if a downloadable app is introduced at any point!
One area of our The Pools casino review where the operator does not excel is banking. This is largely because only a handful of payment methods are available. Players in the UK can choose between debit cards and a single e-wallet. The Pools is not one of the small number of Paysafecard bookies available today though, so if that’s your preferred payment method, you’d be better off looking elsewhere.
However, we were pleased that £5 deposits were accepted. Withdrawals take 2-5 days to process and can be requested from a minimum value of £10. Customers will not incur any processing fees.
The following table shows the characteristics of payment methods available to players at The Pools.
Payment Method | Minimum Deposit | Minimum Withdrawal | Processing Fees |
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Visa | £5 | £10 | None |
Mastercard | £5 | £10 | None |
Maestro | £5 | £10 | None |
PayPal | £5 | £10 | None |
Unlike many other gambling operators in the UK, The Pools does not offer 24/7 support. Instead, members of staff can be contacted between the hours of 8:30am and 10pm. While this will suit the needs of most players, there will be some that require assistance during the early hours. If 24/7 customer service is a dealbreaker for you, check out our LeoVegas casino review.
Testing the casino as part of our The Pools review, we found the live chat option to be the most efficient. An agent came online in under 30 seconds. Email and telephone support are also available. You can even write to The Pools head office, which is based in Liverpool. We found staff members to be friendly and helpful.
Before you get in touch, it is worth visiting the “Help Centre”. Here, you can find useful information regarding verification, promotions, banking, responsible gambling, and more.
Players in the UK can legally sign up and place bets on The Pools Casino and The Pools bookmaker sites. This is because the operator is licensed by the Gambling Commission, one of the most respected gambling authorities in the world. Founded in 2007, the UKGC has strict criteria for regulating casinos and bookies.
For your further protection, The Pools is also partnered with IBAS, a third-party organisation that settles disputes between the operator and players.
Many gambling sites in the UK feature VIP clubs or loyalty programs. This is not something we uncovered when completing our The Pools review. It’s only The Pools’ welcome offers and ongoing promotions that reward players who consistently deposit and stake.
You can bet on over 25 different sports with The Pools. Pre-match, live, and outright markets are available on football, tennis, golf, basketball, and others. Popular options include match winner, handicap, totals, and draw no bet. Sports are listed conveniently in alphabetical order. You can also access popular markets through the “QUICK LINKS” feature.
Odds at The Pools can be viewed in a fractional or decimal format, whichever you prefer. After comparing The Pools with other bookies, it is safe to say that I think the prices here are pretty competitive. I was particularly impressed by live betting odds. Unlike some other sportsbooks, no price boosts are offered at The Pools.
Some bettors will be disappointed to learn that there is no live streaming service at The Pools. However, useful graphics accompany selected events, particularly football matches, so that’s handy. Up-to-date statistics, powered by Statscore, are also included for your convenience. You can easily add selections to your bet slip, as well as view all possible bet types and returns.
It is possible to win up to £250,000 per day at The Pools. And there’s good news for players with larger budgets: the bookmaker has not set any limits in terms of the amount that you can bet on sports markets.
Sports betting is bread and butter for The Pools. With thousands of daily markets, fans of football, horse racing, and tennis are in for a treat. Of course, numerous other sports are covered too. The competitiveness of the odds means you’ll be able to find value on a regular basis.
The Pools is partnered with many of the best-known iGaming providers. You can find games from NetEnt, Microgaming, Play’n GO, Red Tiger, and others. The vast majority of games have been optimised for mobile devices using HTML5 technology. Games run smoothly on all platforms and you can quickly find your favourites through the search bar.
Over 1,000 casino games are available to play at The Pools. Hundreds of slots are there, including jackpot, branded, video and Megaways variants. You can also find video blackjack, baccarat, and roulette. Popular versions include European, American, Atlantic City, and Speed. The casino is home to many speciality games, including Slingo, Monopoly, Keno, and scratchcards.
A small number of live casino games are accessible to players at The Pools. Games are streamed live from Pragmatic Play studios. Speed Roulette, ONE Blackjack, and No Commission Baccarat are also popular. We only found two live game shows when completing this The Pools review – but that’s still two more than many sites offer. Mega Wheel and Snakes & Ladders Live offer entertaining alternatives to traditional live dealer games.
The Pools online casino caters to beginners and high rollers. Bet limits vary between games, with bets starting from just £0.01 and rising to £100. Withdrawals range from £10 to £3,000.
The variety of games at The Pools is impressive. There are slots for all players, with themes including sports, history, TV/film, and music. Fans of table games are well catered for, given the many variants of roulette and blackjack here. One minor criticism surrounds the relatively small number of live dealer games. However, the realism and gameplay of live options from Pragmatic Play more than makes up for this.
Yes. The Pools is licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission. In addition, multiple security tools are in place to protect players. Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption and firewall technology helps to prevent third parties from accessing your personal details.
Withdrawals are processed in 2-5 days. You can request a withdrawal from £10. When completing this The Pools review, we found that most payouts are completed in 2-3 days.
Yes. There are promotions for new and existing players. We found free spins and free bets. These offers help to make up for the lack of VIP/loyalty rewards.
Absolutely. You can launch The Pools casino games and place bets using your smartphone or tablet. Their website is mobile-friendly and optimised for use on your mobile browser. Unfortunately, there is no mobile app to download at this time.
The Pools is a platform that features multiple forms of gambling. Having developed an excellent reputation for Pools betting, the operator now also offers casino games, a sportsbook and arcade titles. The Pools casino games come from 10+ top providers, and the 1,000+ strong library includes slots, blackjack, roulette, and live dealer games.
The Pools bookmaker odds are competitive and players can place pre-match, live and outright bets on 25+ sports. The only thing missing, really, is live streaming, but that’s definitely not a deal-breaker. Whether on desktop or mobile, the site’s usability is excellent. You can take advantage of multiple promotions, including a generous casino welcome bonus. The Pools is also one of the many bookmakers with cash out options.
Visit The Pools today to check out their almost endless array of online gambling options.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.