Bookmaker rating: four operators with a valid PlayCity license, margin measurements, the number of markets per match and actual payout times from our own tests.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links, and we may earn a commission when you follow them. This does not affect positions in our bookmaker rating: criteria weights are set in advance and are the same for every operator, and positions are not for sale. Details are in our affiliate disclosure.
Only legal bookmakers in Ukraine make it into the JoyFactory bookmaker rating, meaning operators with a valid license from the state agency PlayCity. This is an entry requirement rather than a scoring criterion: without a permit your winnings have no legal protection, however convenient online sports betting may be.
For each operator, the JoyFactory team created an account, deposited our own money, completed verification, measured the margin on dozens of events, placed pre-match and live bets and contacted support. Wherever the full test cycle is not yet complete, this is clearly marked both in the ranking and in the review itself.
In the bookmaker rating, the weights differ from those for casinos: markets and event coverage account for 20% and bonuses for 10%, because margins and coverage affect your results more than a welcome package does.
The margin is the bookmaker’s built-in profit. The lower it is, the better the odds for the player. Below are JoyFactory’s measurements on the same types of events. We collect this data ourselves because operators do not publish it.
On top football, the gap between Beton and GGBet is more than twofold, and JoyFactory considers comparisons like this the main value of the bookmaker rating. Over time this noticeably affects your results: with the same series of bets, a player at a bookmaker with a 2.6% margin gives away almost three times less than at 6.7%.
The pattern is the same at every operator: the more popular the event, the lower the commission. In minor leagues and in live betting, the margin rises by 3–4 percentage points.
How Many Markets per Match
Market depth is the second metric after the margin that determines how convenient betting is. The JoyFactory team counted the available options on the same types of events at each bookmaker.
JoyFactory’s key observation: every bookmaker has a gap between top and minor events, but its size varies. At Betking it is 775 versus 64, more than tenfold. If you bet on lower divisions, check the number of markets before registering.
GGBet leads in esports with 72 markets per CS2 match versus 58 at VBET. This is to be expected, since esports is GGBet’s core specialization.
Cash Out Betting: Where Cash Out Works
Cash Out lets you settle a bet before the event ends: lock in part of the winnings or limit your losses. All four operators in our bookmaker rating offer it, but with different restrictions:
Betking: for pre-match and live bets on football, hockey, tennis, basketball and esports; there is also a separate early payout when your side leads.
VBET: in our test, Cash Out was available on 8 out of 10 active bet slips; it does not work on low-liquidity events.
Beton: only if the feature is active for a specific bet slip; cashed-out bets do not count toward bonus wagering.
GGBet: not available for every bet.
The early settlement amount depends on the current score, odds movement and the state of the market, so check it before confirming.
How We Built the Bookmaker Rating
JoyFactory’s final score is made up of six criteria with different weights. The weights are the same for all operators and set in advance, so no bookmaker can influence them commercially.
Criteria weights in the bookmaker rating
Safety and legal status
25%
Payouts
20%
Markets and event coverage
20%
Support
15%
Bonus terms
10%
Mobile app
10%
What we do
Check license status against the PlayCity register every month
Measure the margin on dozens of events
Count markets on matches of different levels
Place pre-match and live bets with our own money
Mark where a measurement has not been done yet
What we don't do
We don't sell places in our bookmaker rating
We don't publish operator texts as reviews
We don't base scores on promotional materials
We don't add bookmakers without a valid license
The full description of the procedure, scale and update rules is in the JoyFactory methodology. Who runs the checks is shown on the editorial team page.
How to Choose a Bookmaker for Your Betting Style
A bookmaker rating does not name one best option for everyone, so choose based on what you bet on:
Regular bets on top football: Beton with a 2.6% margin. Over time, these are the best odds in our sample.
Deep coverage and statistical markets: Betking, with 775 options on a top match, including cards, corners, shots and offsides.
Esports: GGBet, with 72 markets per CS2 match, bets on individual maps, pistol rounds and first Roshan.
Wide event range and large stakes: VBET, with 50+ sports, 2000+ events daily and a maximum bet on the EPL of up to 1 million ₴.
Realistic bonus wagering: Beton with x2 wagering. But keep in mind that on the first deposit only accumulators of three or more selections count.
Fast payouts: GGBet, 1 hour 45 minutes in our test.
Live betting: Betking, with the lowest live margin at 7.6% and Cash Out on the main sports.
Before registering, check three things: the license status in the public PlayCity register, the margin on the events you actually bet on, and the rules on maximum stakes. All bookmakers reserve the right to lower limits for accounts that win regularly.
Excluded from the Bookmaker Rating
Not every bookmaker reviewed on JoyFactory gets into the bookmaker rating. Under our methodology, a score below 4 for safety or payouts is a blocker, and a valid license is a mandatory entry requirement.
Favbet: its bookmaker license was terminated by a PlayCity decision on January 27, 2026, the legal entity is being wound up, the official website returns a 503 error, and payouts have not gone through since November 2025. Our breakdown of the situation and what to do with funds on your balance.
Other bookmakers in Ukraine without a PlayCity license are covered in a separate section under a different methodology.
FAQ
Are bookmakers legal in Ukraine?
Yes, if the operator holds a valid license from the state agency PlayCity. Bets on unlicensed sites are not protected by law: in case of a dispute, you will not be able to turn to the Ukrainian regulator. Only licensed bookmakers are included in our bookmaker rating.
Which bookmaker has the lowest margin?
According to JoyFactory's measurements, Beton: 2.6% on top European football. It is followed by VBET (3.6%), Betking (3.8%) and GGBet (6.7%). In live betting, Betking has the lowest figure at 7.6%.
Where is market coverage deepest?
At Betking, with an average of 775 markets on a top football match. For esports, GGBet is better, with 72 markets per CS2 match. VBET wins on breadth: over 50 sports and 2000+ events daily.
Which bookmaker in the rating pays out fastest?
In JoyFactory's test, GGBet: a 1700 ₴ payout arrived in 1 hour 45 minutes. For Betking the benchmark is 1 hour 30 minutes; for VBET it is about 19 hours to a standard card and up to 4–6 business days for some banks.
Do bookmakers cut limits for winning players?
The rules of all four operators allow them to lower the maximum bet individually. This is standard market practice. It cannot be verified in a short test: restrictions apply to accounts with a long profitable history.
Do players pay tax on winnings?
Yes. A licensed bookmaker acts as a tax agent and withholds 18% personal income tax and a 5% military levy. The total burden is 23% of the amount paid out.
Bookmaker Rating Updates
09.10.2026: scheduled update, content refreshed and data fact-checked.
05.08.2026: first publication of the bookmaker rating with four licensed operators. Dmytro Kolesnikov measured margins and analyzed market coverage for all operators, and Valeriia Prykhodko checked license status against the PlayCity register. Favbet was excluded from the bookmaker rating due to the termination of its license.
The next scheduled update is in a month. We check license status monthly, bonus terms monthly, and margins and payout times quarterly with a repeat measurement.
2.6% margin on top football
x2 bonus wagering
40+ sports, 4500 markets
iOS and Android apps
