The Pools

Back in the day, you might remember your dad or other family members betting on a site called Football Pools. Well, that site is still going strong, now rebranded to just The Pools. 

Tracing its roots all the way back to 1923, The Pools is one of the longest-standing bookmakers in the country, licensed and regulated by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC). 

Now evolved into a full online betting and casino platform, The Pools has managed to maintain its football heritage while still offering alternative, modern betting options, with plenty of slots, table games, and sports to dig into.

The Hideous Slots team has taken a deep dive into everything The Pools has to offer, from its welcome bonus and promotions to its game library and sportsbook, so you skip ahead to the good stuff. 

The Pools Welcome Bonus

Breaking Down Our Casino Scores

Here at Hideous Slots, we like to be open and honest with our readers. So while we give the casino sites we review an overall score, we also break them down into the areas that matter most. That way, you can see exactly where a site shines and where it might fall a little short of the mark. 

For The Pools, we’ve looked over everything from the welcome bonus and ongoing promotions to the range of games offered, banking options, and customer support. We also factor in the overall player experience — is the site mobile-friendly? Does it load quickly? Are the T&Cs easy to understand? 

Our final score is a sum of all these parts to give you a fair, balanced, final verdict. Take a look at how The Pools scored below. 

The Pools Welcome Bonus

When a new player signs up to The Pools using our exclusive link, they’ll be greeted by the casino’s welcome offer. 

New users can deposit £20 and wager it on any of the site’s slots to qualify. They’ll immediately be rewarded with 100 free spins on Big Bass Splash, with no bonus codes required to redeem. 

As always, you should read the T&Cs of any offer before claiming: 

• Open to new UK-registered customers only. 
• Players must deposit and stake £20+ on any casino slots. 
• Deposit and stake must be completed within seven days of opening the account. 
• Free spins are valid on Big Bass Splash only.
  • Free spins valued at 10p per spin.
  • Free spins expire five days after being credited. 
  • Any winnings from free spins are added as cash to player accounts.
• There are no cash, bonus, or free bet alternatives to the free spins. 
• Players who qualified for the sports welcome offer cannot claim this bonus. 
• Offer available once per person/household address/IP address.
• Cannot be combined with any other promotion. 
• Full terms and conditions apply. 

The Pools’ welcome bonus offers a solid way to start off your casino experience, although the minimum deposit requirement is a little high compared to some other casinos. 

The Pools Ongoing Rewards

Alongside their welcome bonus, The Pools offers an impressive variety of ongoing rewards for existing players, neatly organised into categories like sportsbook, casino, and the 4:45 Club. 

Sports fans can expect weekly free bets when they place qualifying bet builder wagers, as well as the occasional boosted bet. 

On the casino side of things, there’s Pragmatic Play’s Drop & Wins tournaments, where players compete to earn the top slots on the leaderboards for a chance at big cash prizes. Regular Games Global tournaments offer similar rewards.

There’s also the 4:45 Club, which players can join by playing one of the pools games and becoming a member. This unlocks exclusive perks, like weekly rewards, lottery game entries, free sports bets, free-to-play games, and more.  

To maximise their experience at The Pools, players are encouraged to sign up for their marketing promotions via email to get immediate access to new promos the second they come out. 

The Pools Slot Selection

Although The Pools was founded on paper-based sports betting, you’ll find that the slot selection is surprisingly impressive. 

There are over a thousand titles available from world-class providers, with new titles added frequently and covering a range of mechanics like Megaways and cluster pays. 

We will note that the slots aren’t organised by theme or volatility, making it difficult to fully explore their catalogue. There’s also no way of organising the slots section by alphabetical order or release date, so what you see is what you get. 

Aside from slots, The Pools offers an interesting selection of other casino games, like slingo, video bingo, scratchcards, arcade, and crash games to choose from, which sets them apart from other online casinos in the UK. 

The Pools Live Casino Games

While The Pools shines with their impressive sportsbook and casino game variety, they do fall a bit flat with their live casino section, with not many options to choose from. 

Fans of classic table games like blackjack and roulette will be in luck, with multiple tables and friendly, professional dealers, thanks to Pragmatic Play Live.

However, if you enjoy poker or baccarat, you’ll find the available options slightly disappointing, with only a smattering of live titles available. 

Likewise, their live game show section is very bare bones but still has some popular options like Sweet Bonanza Candyland, Snakes and Ladders Live, and Mega Sic Bo. 

All in all, The Pools would benefit from an expansion to their live casino games library to include popular providers like Evolution Gaming or Playtech to keep players interested. 

The Pools Live Casino

The Pools Sports Betting

The Pools might be best known for its iconic pools games, but it also offers a comprehensive sports betting platform to suit modern-day standards. 

The sportsbook section caters to all types of punters with a wide range of markets, from football and horse racing to tennis, golf, and beyond. We were pleased to find out they even offer esports, covering a variety of popular titles.

It’s clear to see that football remains the star of the show, with competitive odds available on the Premier League, FA Cup, LaLiga, Europa League, and international matches. There are also often enhanced odds and occasional promotions to add extra value to sports bets.  

In-play betting is available for most sports, giving bettors the chance to place wagers as the action unfolds. However, there are no embedded broadcasts available to pair with this. 

Overall, we were impressed with The Pools’ sportsbook, and for traditionalists who value a trusted name and simplicity, The Pools is definitely a worthy option. 

The Pools Sportsbook

Mobile Gambling at The Pools

Despite their age, The Pools casino has kept pace with modern times, ensuring players can enjoy its casino games and sportsbook while on the move. 

There’s no dedicated mobile app, but the website works smoothly on both iOS and Android devices, offering the same clean layout, simple navigation, and full functionality and security as the desktop version.

The Pools Payment Options 

When reviewing the payment options on The Pools, we found their selection to be relatively poor compared to other online casinos, with many popular, modern methods like Apple Pay, Skrill, and Neteller missing. 

That being said, deposits are instant, and withdrawals are typically processed within hours, with some rare cases taking one to five working days, depending on the bank. 

Customer Support at The Pools

Customer support is one of the essential parts of any online casino or sportsbook, and luckily, The Pools has plenty of customer support tools available. 

Players can contact The Pools’ customer support team directly via email ([email protected]) and live chat.

The Pools also have a chatbot, which is available 24/7 and offers instant support. If you prefer to talk to a human, their live chat operating hours are:

• Monday-Saturday: 8:30 am – 10pm
• Sunday: 12pm – 10pm

The site also features a detailed FAQ section that covers common topics like payments, account management, and deposits/withdrawals, which can be a handy first stop before contacting customer support directly. 

The Pools Slot Selection

The Pools Responsible Gambling Features

Gambling should always feel like a form of entertainment, not a source of stress or financial strain, and playing responsibly is a must.

As part of their commitment to responsible gambling and supporting their players, The Pools casino provides a solid set of tools to help players stay in control:

• Deposit Limits: Set a cap on how much players can deposit daily, weekly, or monthly. 
• Withdrawal Limits: Determine the maximum amount of money that can be withdrawn within a certain period. 
• Wager Limits: Decide how much money can be wagered within a specified period. 
• Loss Limits: Control the amount that’s lost over a chosen period. 
• Time-Outs: Players can take a short break if desired. 
• Self-Exclusion: Blocks complete access to an account for up to five years. 

These tools are optional, but highly recommended, and can be employed across The Pools casino and sportsbook at any time via the account settings. 

Players can also find additional guidance and links to support organisations, like GamCare, on the site’s responsible gambling page, ensuring help is never too far away. 

Pros and Cons of The Pools

At Hideous Slots, we’re committed to giving you honest, no-nonsense reviews, so you’ll always get the full picture — both the good and the not-so-good. 

Like any betting site, we think it has its strengths that’ll appeal to certain players, as well as some weaker spots that might make others think twice.

Here’s a quick look at the key pros and cons for The Pools casino. 

Hideous Slots Expert Verdict 2025

The Pools is a well-constructed independent betting site that’s steeped in history, appealing to more traditional users with its simple layout. 

There’s more than meets the eye at The Pools, though, offering a diverse range of slots and casino games, as well as a fully-integrated sportsbook that covers everything from popular sports to more niche markets. Their range of ongoing promotions is also an appealing draw. 

That’s not to say that The Pools isn’t without its (minor) drawbacks. The limited payment methods might frustrate modern players who are used to more choice, and the interface, while perfectly functional, might feel dated compared to more recent sportsbooks. 

All in all, The Pools remains a great choice with enough variety to keep players entertained for a long time.