Most bookmakers place a limit upon the total payout they will provide to punters per bet rather than on the total amount you can bet in the first place.
The limits which bookies do place upon payouts – and in some rare cases on stake amounts – do differ from one bookmaker to another quite substantially.
It’s our aim on this page to show you the sports gambling sites with the maximum stake and bet amounts possible along with which sports you can bet the most on.
Maximum Bet Amounts At Online Bookmakers:
The following table shows the maximum bet and payout amounts at online bookmakers:
| Bookmaker | Max Payout | Review Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Bet365 | £2,000,000 | |
| William Hill | £2,000,000 | |
| Betfair | £1,000,000 | |
| Betfred | £1,000,000 | |
| Coral | £1,000,000 | |
| Paddy Power | £1,000,000 | |
| Ladbrokes | £1,000,000 | |
| Betvictor | £500,000 | |
| Boylesports | £500,000 | |
| 888Sport | £250,000 | |
| Unibet | £250,000 |
Note: max payout amount varies by sport, above we have listed the biggest payouts possible across all sports.
What is the maximum stake for online bookmakers?
The maximum stake for online bookmakers varies from site to site as some use a max stake and some use a max payout amount. Technically Bet365 have the highest as their max payout is £2,000,000 so you could bet £1,000,000 at evens on their site. See our table for all limits.
Why Max Pay-Out Not Max Bet?
As we mentioned above, most bookmakers limit the maximum pay-out which they will provide rather than the maximum stake amount which they will accept. There are a number of reasons for this:
- Protection against pay-outs large enough to potentially cause financial damage.
- Protection against match fixing (less popular sports often have smaller max bet and max pa-out limits).
- Prevents odds manipulation by high stake punters and other bookmakers.
- Still allows them to take large bets at smaller odds – £100 at 1000/1 much less appealing than £50,000 at even money but bets have same payout.
Max Bookmaker Payouts By Sport
The following is a list of the max betting site payouts by the different sports you can bet on – it’s worth noting that the amounts listed are for the big tournaments, leagues, races and events – smaller competitions may have smaller max bets and payouts as will certain bet types:
Football Maximum Payouts
| Bookmaker | Max Payout | Review Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Bet365 | £2,000,000 | |
| William Hill | £2,000,000 | |
| Betfair | £1,000,000 | |
| Coral | £1,000,000 | |
| Paddy Power | £1,000,000 | |
| Betfred | £1,000,000 | |
| Ladbrokes | £1,000,000 | |
| Betvictor | £500,000 | |
| Boylesports | £500,000 | |
| 888Sport | £250,000 |
Horse Racing Maximum Payouts
| Bookmaker | Max Payout | Review Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Bet365 | £1,000,000 | |
| William Hill | £1,000,000 | |
| Betfair | £1,000,000 | |
| Coral | £1,000,000 | |
| Paddy Power | £1,000,000 | |
| Betfred | £1,000,000 | |
| Ladbrokes | £1,000,000 | |
| Betvictor | £250,000 | |
| Boylesports | £250,000 | |
| 888Sport | £100,000 |
Greyhounds Maximum Payouts
| Bookmaker | Max Payout | Review Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Bet365 | £1,000,000 | |
| William Hill | £500,000 | |
| Ladbrokes | £500,000 | |
| Coral | £500,000 | |
| Betfred | £250,000 | |
| Betvictor | £100,000 | |
| Boylesports | £100,000 | |
| Betfair | £50,000 | |
| Paddy Power | £50,000 | |
| 888Sport | £10,000 |
Tennis Maximum Payouts
| Bookmaker | Max Payout | Review Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Bet365 | £500,000 | |
| William Hill | £500,000 | |
| Betfair | £200,000 | |
| Paddy Power | £200,000 | |
| 888Sport | £150,000 | |
| Coral | £100,000 | |
| Betfred | £100,000 | |
| Ladbrokes | £100,000 | |
| Betvictor | £100,000 | |
| Boylesports | £100,000 |
Golf Maximum Payouts
| Bookmaker | Max Payout | Review Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Bet365 | £500,000 | |
| William Hill | £500,000 | |
| Paddy Power | £500,000 | |
| Coral | £500,000 | |
| Betfred | £500,000 | |
| Ladbrokes | £500,000 | |
| Boylesports | £500,000 | |
| Betvictor | £100,000 | |
| Betfair | £100,000 | |
| 888Sport | £100,000 |
Cricket Maximum Payouts
| Bookmaker | Max Payout | Review Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Bet365 | £250,000 | |
| William Hill | £250,000 | |
| Paddy Power | £250,000 | |
| Ladbrokes | £100,000 | |
| Coral | £100,000 | |
| Betfred | £100,000 | |
| Betvictor | £100,000 | |
| Boylesports | £100,000 | |
| 888Sport | £100,000 | |
| Betfair | £25,000 |
Maximum Bet Amounts – What To Know
- Maximum bet amounts are the largest stakes that a punter can bet on any given market.
- Maximum payout amounts are the max amount a punter can win from any one bet.
- Bookmakers use maximum bet & payout amounts as a form of insurance against making large losses.
- The maximum you can win at any online betting site varys by the sport and competition you are betting on.
- Bet365 are comfortably the bookmaker with the highest betting limits, William Hill are second..
Maximum Payout Bookies Reviewed
Bet365 Payotus & Limits
Bet365 Maximum Payout: £2,000,000
Bet365 have the highest overall betting limits when compared to all their competitors. The maximum payout at Bet365 is £2,000,000 which can be won on football. Other sports vary with notables being horse racing at £1,000,000, Tennis at £500,000 and Cricket at £500,000.
You’ll also be pleased to hear that Bet365 are one of only two online betting sites to be awarded our highest possible review rating of five out of five stars. They’ve got the biggest welcome bonus of all the top UK bookmakers and have a great reputation with punters for paying out winnings and processing payments quickly.
If you’re looking for high stakes gambling action, then look no further than Bet365 – make sure you claim the Bet365 free bet offer if you’re new and head to their promotions section after joining for even more value added deals.
William Hill Payouts & Limits
William Hill Maximum Payout: £2,000,000
A familiar name from the high street, William Hill offer a maximum payout of £2,000,000 on their football bets and they are one of the few bookmaking sites whose payout levels match those of Bet365.
Horse racing maximum payouts are £1,000,000, with golf being set at £500,000, whereas the maximum amount you can win on tennis and rugby bets is £250,000. Given these high maximum payouts, it’s little wonder that William Hill scored an excellent 4.5/5 on our review offering one of the best streaming services online, fast withdrawals and a massive choice of deposit options.
If you want a name that is as famous on the high street as it is online and who offer extensive financing options as well as the chance to make big money bets and land big money wins, then William Hill is a wise choice and remember to claim your welcome bonus when you sign up.
Betfair Payouts & Limits
Betfair Maximum Payout: £1,000,000
Betfair are one of a number of betting sites that offer a maximum payout of £1,000,000, which they will honour on bets made on football and horse racing. Outside of these two sports, the maximum payout you can win is £200,000 on tennis, with £100,000 set as the limit for bets on golf and cricket.
The thing to remember here is that you do tend to get the best deals with the Betfair exchange, rather than its sports betting service and if you use the exchange then you will get great odds, a great value welcome offer and a site that is packed with great value promotions.
The welcome offer though is for sportsbook customers only, which is a bit of a drag and is partly why the site scored 3.5/5 in our review. Don’t let that fool you though, if you want to find great value odds and some high value maximum payouts for football and horse racing in particular, Betfair is still a great option.
Betfred Payouts & Limits
Betfred Maximum Payout: £1,000,000
Betfred offer a top maximum payout of a million pounds for bets made on football and horse racing, but their maximum payout limits for other sports are noticeably smaller. For example, golf winnings are capped at a maximum payout limit of £250,000.
Betfred scored a very impressive 4/5 in our review and what impressed us with this bookmaker was its sheer number of promotions, a vastly improved live streaming and In Play betting service, as well as a great choice of Virtual Sports, although we would like to see the site given a bit of a more modern look.
Higher stakes punters that are looking for excellent value in terms of football and horse racing betting should seriously consider Betfred, just remember to claim the excellent value Welcome Bonus on offer when you sign up and keep an eye on the promotions section of the site for ongoing good value betting offers.
Coral Payouts & Limits
Coral Maximum Payout: £1,000,000
Coral is another of the UK bookmakers that offer the maximum bet winnings limit double of £1,000,000 on both horse racing and football bets, but their maximum winnings cap does decrease markedly for other sports with golf maximum winnings capped at £250,000 and rugby and cricket capped at £100,000.
Even so, they are still very sizeable amounts of money, and it is worth noting that Coral saw its rating increase from 4/5 to 4.5/5 with us when we reviewed the site following its takeover by another company. We saw plenty of improvements to the site as a result, notably in the site dynamics, usability and some fantastic free-to-play promotions.
Coral offers a very good value, and low cost, welcome bonus for new customers that sign up with the site and while this won’t be a major factor for higher rollers, it is still an offer worth taking up when you join as the site has plenty to offer the modern higher stakes punter.
PayPal Payouts & Limits
Paddy Power Maximum Payout: £1,000,000
Irish bookmakers Paddy Power are known for being quirky, but what is often overlooked is how much value they can offer higher stakes punters in particular with their payout limits for football and horse racing set at a cool £1,000,000. PP also offers good value caps for other sports with maximum golf winnings of £500,000, Rugby and Cricket Winnings capped at £250,000 with tennis winnings set at £200,000.
That’s sure to attract the attention of higher rollers who enjoy their bets with a bit of craic, and our rating of 4.5/5 for the Irish bookie also suggests that there is plenty of other reasons to sign up and enjoy the site with the site’s fantastic humour and the number of promotions being two of the key factors in our high rating.
With good value maximum winnings limits, high rollers should find plenty of value at Paddy Power, but one thing to note is that the odds can sometimes be a little on the low side. Even so, there’s still plenty to enjoy here and you can also bag yourself a decent welcome bonus when you sign up too.
Ladbrokes Payouts & Limits
Ladbrokes Maximum Payout: £1,000,000
Another of the most famous bookmakers in the UK, Ladbrokes offers some of the highest value betting winnings limits in the UK, offering both football and horse racing punters a maximum win cap of £1,000,000. Pleasingly, these higher than average limits extend to other sports such as golf, rugby, cricket and tennis (all £500,000).
This makes Ladbrokes a perfect choice for someone that wants high winnings limits across a wide range of sports. Add to this a fantastic dedicated console for football acca bets, an outstanding live streaming service, and great value from a string of regular promotions, it is easy to see why the company scored an impressive 4/5 on our detailed review.
So, if you want higher than average winning limits across a number of sports, then Ladbrokes is certainly a site to consider. Remember to claim the good value welcome bonus for new customers too when you sign up to bet with the site.
What Are the Biggest Ever Bets?
On occasion punters do come up with monster bets which payoff big time!
The following five are some of the best examples of past bets which rank among the largest ever, in terms of either initial stake or eventual pay-out:
1. Leicester City Win The League
At the outset of the 2015/16 Premier League season you could get the same odds on Leicester City winning the title (5000-1) as you could on Elvis being found alive.
A number of devoted Foxes fans staked their hard earned cash on their beloved side, however, and Leicester’s ultimate victory is believed to have cost UK bookmakers in the region of £25 million.
The largest individual pay-out amongst that total is believed to be £100,000 paid to a punter in Manchester who bet £20 and resisted the urge to cash out.
2. Saints Take Super Bowl XLIV
Ahead of Super Bowl XLIV pretty much every expert, analyst and fan fancied the Indianapolis Colts to beat the New Orleans Saints. Infamous Las Vegas professional gambler Billy Walters, however, had other ideas.
He backed the underdog Saints to the tune of $3.5 million and whilst exactly how much he won when they did triumph is unknown, it is likely to have been an extraordinary amount.
3. Monty’s Pass Wins the National
Blackpool born Mick Futter, an owner of numerous bingo halls in Britain and Ireland, made headlines in 2003 thanks to the exploits of his horse Monty’s Pass in the Grand National.
Futter and the other four co-owners of the horse placed numerous bets of £5,000 and £10,000 at 33-1 and 20-1 respectively, and duly received well over £1 million when Monty’s Pass was first past the post.
4.‘Money’ Mayweather
In 2015 boxer Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather took to social media site Instagram to boast about his sports betting exploits. Over the course of four days, Mayweather had staked a total of $350,000 on a combination of NBA games and a middleweight boxing bout.
The four separate bets all paid off and ‘Money’ revelled in revealing that he had received winnings totalling $827,272.73.
5. Frankie’s Magnificent Seven
A feat which has spawned its own online casino game, when Frankie Dettori won all seven races on the card at an Ascot meeting in 1996, he also won punter Darren Yeats some serious dough.
A dedicated gambler from Morecambe, Yeats placed a total of £59 on Dettori’s seven mounts and once the Italian completed his 25,000-1 seven timer, he collected £550,000 from the bookies.
Maximum Bets & Payouts FAQ
What happens if you win big at the bookies?
Provided you are betting with a reputable bookmaker, then they will pay out your big winning bet in full as was stated on your bet slip at the time you placed the bet.
However, if your bet win exceeds the maximum amount the bookmaker allows for a payout on a winning bet for that sport, then you will be paid out the maximum amount instead.
Can betting sites ban you for winning too much?
In general, betting sites don’t ban winning customers, however if you consistently win large amounts of money and attract the attention of the bookmaker as a result, then they can impose certain sanctions on you.
This can involve a ban but may also involve reducing the maximum stake you can place with the bookmaker, not allowing a user to place certain bets and limiting your account with them in other ways.
How do bookies payout big wins?
Bookies payout big wins in exactly the same way they payout smaller wins – directly into your online betting account in cash. They can afford to payout big winning bets because the majority of punters are losing and they use maximum payout rules to avoid taking bets they can’t afford to fulfil.
Do bookmakers have a maximum payout?
Yes, bookmakers do have maximum payout limits set for all the different sports and markets that they offer. It is important to note that the maximum payout limits are not the same for every sport. Popular sports betting markets, such as soccer and horse racing, tend to have higher maximum payout limits than other sports such as tennis, golf, rugby or similar.
Difference betting maximum bet and maximum payout?
When making a maximum bet, you are using the maximum permitted stake that the betting site will allow for that particular bet with the winnings paid out at the stated odds. A maximum payout is different as it is the maximum amount that the bookmaker will pay out to a winning bet on a particular sport or market.
What does 'Your stake exceeds the maximum allowed' message mean?
The ‘Your stake exceeds the maximum allowed’ message means that you have tried to place a bet on a betting market and have attempted to bet an amount of money that is in excess of the maximum bet limit for that market.
For example, if a bookmaker has a maximum bet limit of £10,000 for a football accumulator bet, and you try to stake more than £10,000 on that bet, you will then receive this message.
To rectify this, simply enter a bet amount lower than the maximum bet limit to have your bet accepted.
How to check maximum bet limit at online bookmakers?
You can check the maximum bet limits at online bookmakers in the site’s terms and conditions, or by contacting customer services (a site offering a chat facility is often the most convenient way to do this).
However, a quicker and easier way is to simply try to place a bet and if your stake exceeds the maximum bet limit, you will receive a message saying that is the case (and often this message will include what the maximum bet limit is).
If the bookmaker accepts your bet, you can safely assume that the maximum bet limit has not been exceeded.
