Betway Online Sportsbook Review
Betway Sportsbook is quickly becoming a household name in sports betting. It only launched in 2012 following the success of their casino and poker offerings but has quickly established itself as a major player.
As a relative newcomer on the market, Betway has relied on high profile sponsorships (Notably West Ham United), promotions and word of mouth in order to establish its customer base.
Getting Started & Signing Up
When you log on to the Betway website you’ll find the new customer bonus and big green ‘Bet Now’ button plastered across the front page. It’d be difficult to miss this!
It’s easy to get started with Betway. Signing up only takes a few minutes with a few important details to submit. You are required to invent a username and password and then you can begin adding the crucial information such as card details & payment preferences.
Depositing & Withdrawing at Betway
There are twenty (Yes, I’ve counted them) different ways of depositing with Betway, so you can take your pick. These include Visa debit and credit cards, Paypal, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafe Card & Fast Bank Transfer. The majority of these are instantaneous whereas the latter will take between 1 and 4 days to appear in your account.
There is a minimum deposit of £10 or $10, which is a bit frustrating for those operating on a low budget. For those whose budget is at the other end of the scale, there’s a maximum deposit of £50,000. The average punter is unlikely to find this an issue!
Some online sportsbooks ask for identity upon registering. Betway did not request this, but we have heard reports of this being the case prior to a first withdrawal.
Withdrawals are fairly straightforward with Betway. The minimum is £10 or $10 and this will take between 1 and 7 days to arrive in your bank account.
New Customer Bonus
There is nothing wrong with the Betway Sportsbook bonus, it is perhaps a little unimaginative however. It is 100% deposit bonus up to £30. They will match your initial deposit as long as place a bet in the first 7 days with odds of 1.75 (or 3/4 if you prefer). The stake must be £10 or above and new customers must wager their bonus five times before a withdrawal is possible. Although that sounds like too many restrictions (it’s a lot to take in…), there are many rival sportsbooks who will require double or even treble that amount of wagering.
The welcome bonus for the casino, poker room and bingo are very generous and Betway will use these to encourage new customers to explore all of their offerings.
Other Bonuses and Promotions from Betway
Betway aren’t big on promotions but have recently launched the Betway Free Bet Club which will dish out a free £10 bet each week when you opt in and wager £25 or more on football multiples within 7 days. This is similar to incentives offered by rival sportsbooks, but not everybody will be keen to spend £25 within the space of a week.
There are also selected enhancements ahead of big events such as the Cheltenham Festival and the World Cup. There is a dedicated page for their offers, but I can’t help feel they could add more.
There is an option listed down the left hand side of the screen which is ‘Betway Boosts’, these are usually available on major sporting events. Champions League is one such example, but there is often only one boost per match.
Ease of Use
The Betway website is actually very easy on the eye with a pleasing black and green colour scheme. It looks very professional and it hassle-free.
They have clearly worked hard to ensure the customer feels a home on their website and it’s simple to navigate. I particularly enjoyed the horse racing markets and found it easy to move between all of the races on each card.
The markets and menus were quick to load and it was a pleasure to browse. The markets, sports and In-Play offerings were clearly labelled and placing a bet is quick and easy. The site doesn’t feel overly cluttered which is important and there are no pop-ups promoting company offers at the time of writing, which is always a tick in the box.
Adding and removing selections from a betslip is simple as each selection is clearly listed down the right hand side. Ideal for the indecisive bettor who wishes to chop and change their multiples!
The word ‘Slick’ definitely applies to the Betway website. It’s a huge thumbs up to their designers.
Betways Markets & Odds
As you would expect from any credible online sportsbook they offer plenty of different sports. Whether it’s Football, Snooker, Greyhounds or Winter Sports, Betway have it all. They are all listed down the left hand side and are very easy to locate.
When clicking on each sport, a drop down menu appears to help you narrow the search. For example – click ‘Cricket’ and you will be offered the opportunity to select ‘International’, ‘England’, ‘Australia’ etc. This is very helpful and saves time navigating through endless events.
There are plenty of future events priced up across different sports and there are a number of different markets available. The NHL & NBA offering is a little on the small side however.
Football
Within the football menu ‘Banker Acca’ is listed down the right hand side for those who are feeling a touch unimaginative and I am a fan of the ‘Useful Stats’ page provided which is available on a range of different sports. These include standings, leader-boards and current form.
For major football matches, expect between 100 and 120 different markets on the website.
Horse Racing
I found the horse racing section of the website very pleasing. Clicking on the ‘Horse Racing’ tab will take you to ante-post markets, so make sure you click Horse Racing Daily Cards instead.
This will bring up all UK & Irish Horse Racing events for that particular day with Timeform stats and analysis prominent on each page. Newspaper NAPs are also available on the website. These are two enjoyable added extras.
On top of the standard horse racing markets, there are specials which include choosing horses to finish 2nd and the occasional match bet.
The racing results on Betway update quickly and are a handy tool. Overall the horse racing section of the website is very impressive and makes wagering on the sport a pleasure.
Other Features
Live Streaming
Betway has recently added Live Streaming to their website and this is a welcome addition. At the time of writing, this is only available in the UK & Ireland. Events include Russian Premier League, major snooker championships & some tennis matches. Unfortunately, their offering is limited compared to rival online sportsbooks, but the good news is that they are looking to increase their portfolio in the future.
Mobile Betting App
The Betway mobile app is available for both iPhone and Android and is quick and easy to download. Installing is simple and new customers betting through the App will not be penalised and receive the same bonus as their desktop counterparts.
The App is very user-friendly and makes it straightforward to find different sports and markets with the In-Play markets particularly quick to update.
Bettors can place singles or multiples on the App and SOME live-streaming is available through mobile.
In-Play
The In-Play console is extremely enjoyable and provides sporting events from all over the world. Whether you are desperately searching for Under 19s football or ITF tennis tournaments from South America, it will be priced up and the majority of events will offer constantly updating prices throughout.
There is also a cash-out feature on SOME markets In-Play which is a welcome addition and allows a change of heart or mind mid-event.
Customer Support at Betway
There is a wealth of options when it comes to customer care. Betway has made sure it’s users have plenty of ways to contact them.
There are three phone numbers available – separate numbers are available for UK, Canada & Rest of the World. These are manned 24/7.
Live Chat is a popular way of contacting sportsbooks and Betway have added this to their offerings. This is always preferable and our queries were answered within a matter of seconds.
Alternatively, sending an email is possible. Emails to support@betway.com are often answered within an hour.
‘Contact Us’ and ‘Live Chat’ can be found at the bottom of the Betway page.
Betway may be the new kid on the block, but their offering is very impressive. They may lack in promotions and offers compared to their rival sportsbooks, but their interface is simple to navigate and browsing different markets is a pleasure. Their mobile offering is equally as slick. Withdrawals can on occasion take a while to reach bank accounts and there is a minimum deposit of £10, but there are very few negatives to pick out. Overall, Betway is recommended to new customers who are looking to open an account, particularly those wagering on horse racing.
