bet365 vs Paddy Power

Odds and margin: where the value sits

Margin is the number that decides long-term value. A lower average margin means the book keeps less of every priced market for itself.

Paddy Power's average margin came in at 6.93% across a 195-market sample. bet365's average margin was 7.44% across a 30-market sample. On raw margin, Paddy Power is roughly half a percentage point tighter — meaningful over volume.

Best-price share tells you how often each book actually posted the top available price. In our sample Paddy Power topped 12.3% of its markets. bet365 did not register a best-price finish in its 30-market sample. Note the sample-size gap: bet365 was measured on far fewer markets, so its best-price figure is less stable than Paddy Power's. Treat it as indicative, not conclusive.

Bottom line on price: for a single value bet on a market both books cover, Paddy Power is the stronger starting point on the data here. Always line-shop rather than assume.

Market coverage and sports depth

This is bet365's clear edge. It scores 9.6 for market coverage and 9.5 for sports depth against Paddy Power's 8.3 and 8.4.

In practice that gap shows up in the number of markets per event and the reach into secondary competitions. For Irish bettors, both cover the core diet — Premier League, Champions League and Europa League football, Horse Racing, GAA, Rugby, Tennis and Golf. Where bet365 pulls ahead is the long tail: more markets on a given fixture and deeper coverage of lower-profile competitions like Serie A, Ligue 1 and Copa Libertadores, plus ATP and WTA tennis undercards.

If you bet a wide spread of events and want the most markets per match, bet365 is the deeper book. If your betting concentrates on the headline Irish and UK racing and football markets, the coverage gap matters less and Paddy Power's tighter margin becomes the deciding factor.

Live betting, streaming and bet builder

Both operators list Live Betting, Cash Out, Bet Builder and Live Streaming. The difference is depth, not presence.

bet365 rates 9.4 for live capability and 9.3 for its app; Paddy Power sits at 8.2 and 8.8 respectively. bet365's in-play offering is the more extensive, with more live markets and a mature streaming catalogue tied to funded-account or bet requirements typical of the sector. Both provide a Bet Builder for combining selections within a single match.

On bet builder specifically, both books support it — the scoring separates them by 9.0 (bet365) to 8.0 (Paddy Power), reflecting breadth of buildable markets rather than availability. Paddy Power additionally lists a Fast Payout feature, which aligns with its withdrawals score of 8.6.

Payments and withdrawals in Ireland

The two books offer an identical listed payment set for Irish accounts: Debit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay and Revolut Pay. Minimum deposit is €10 at both.

Stated withdrawal time is 0–24h for both operators. On the ratings, bet365 edges payments 8.8 to 8.5 and Paddy Power edges withdrawals 8.6 to 8.9 — bet365 actually holds the higher withdrawals score (8.9) here, with Paddy Power at 8.6 but carrying an explicit Fast Payout feature flag.

For most Irish users the practical experience is similar: card, PayPal, Apple Pay or Revolut Pay in, same-day withdrawals out under normal conditions. If you specifically want e-wallet flexibility, both cover it.

• Debit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Revolut Pay — supported at both
• €10 minimum deposit at both
• 0–24h stated withdrawal window at both

Licensing and safety

Both operators are legal to use in Ireland. Paddy Power is listed under the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), the state regulator, and scores 9.2 on licence safety. bet365 is licensed and scores 9.5 on licence safety.

The minimum betting age in Ireland is 18 at both. On the safety metric there is little to separate them — both sit in the top tier of our ratings. Paddy Power carries a longer Irish heritage, founded in 1988; bet365 was founded in 2000.

Head-to-head ratings table

The table below sets the key scoring and data metrics side by side. Higher is better on the 0–10 ratings; lower is better on average margin.

• Average margin (lower = better): bet365 7.44% — Paddy Power 6.93%
• Best-price share: bet365 0% (30 sampled) — Paddy Power 12.3% (195 sampled)
• Odds rating: bet365 8.8 — Paddy Power 7.8
• Market coverage: bet365 9.6 — Paddy Power 8.3
• Sports depth: bet365 9.5 — Paddy Power 8.4
• Live capability: bet365 9.4 — Paddy Power 8.2
• Bet Builder: bet365 9.0 — Paddy Power 8.0
• App: bet365 9.3 — Paddy Power 8.8
• Payments: bet365 8.8 — Paddy Power 8.5
• Withdrawals: bet365 8.9 — Paddy Power 8.6
• Licence safety: bet365 9.5 — Paddy Power 9.2
• Support: bet365 8.6 — Paddy Power 8.0
• Features: bet365 9.2 — Paddy Power 8.4

Which should you pick?

Choose Paddy Power if price is your priority. It ran the tighter average margin (6.93%) and topped 12.3% of its sampled markets — on events both books cover, that's where the edge sits in this data. Its GRAI listing and Fast Payout feature suit bettors focused on Irish racing and mainstream football.

Choose bet365 if depth and in-play matter more than a fractional margin edge. It leads on market coverage (9.6), sports depth (9.5), live capability (9.4) and app (9.3), giving you more markets per fixture and a stronger live/streaming setup across football, tennis, golf and racing.

Many Irish bettors hold both and line-shop: use bet365 for breadth and in-play depth, and Paddy Power when it posts the sharper price. Given the sample-size gap on bet365, treat its best-price figure as provisional and check current prices before staking.