Betway is a relative newcomer to the online bookmaking industry having just passed its ten-year mark of launching their website.
Betway.com and, specifically, sports.betway.com, is a prime segment of the Betway Limited Group, an international gambling company with licensing in Malta as well as other regulated marketplaces encompassing Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The main sportsbook caters to its UK based clientele first and foremost but does accept global players except for the areas we’ve mentioned previously.
The group enjoys a customer base of more than two million players on variations of its leading brand including Bingo, Casino, Poker, Vegas, and their prominent Sportsbook. Additionally, it operates under separate branding and a different customer base for Bingo on the Box, Dream Bingo, and Spin Casino.
The Betway Group launched its sportsbook with a slightly different strategy than some of its competitors. Some a rich history in the industry with well-known names that have been around for decades. Then, there are others that are new, flashy and promotional driven. Betway is in another category.
Betway quickly built up dedicated clientele by implementing a successful strategy of promoting recognition through sponsorships. After all, most bettors are also sports enthusiasts and what better way to get your name in front of them, but to go directly to them via the games and matches they’re already watching and probably staking bets on as well.
We’re not only talking football here, which is the cornerstone of all UK sportsbooks, but their participation also encompasses boxing, darts, esports, horse racing, and snooker in addition to UK-based football.
It’s only just been the past few years since Betway initiated this type of involvement, but it’s been very successful for them creating brand awareness across the board. Darts was the first game “targeted” with a three-year deal with the Premiere League Darts.
Other endorsements and backing quickly followed with the intent to garner recognition through multiple sports deals.
Horse racing was the next customer base reached in 2014 with the Queen Mother Champion Race and Cheltenham Festival and then subsequent Lincoln Handicap, Chester Cup, and the Yorkshire Cup in 2015.
That year, Betway also kicked off its football sponsors with a £20 million multi-year deal as the official and primary sponsor of West Ham United including shirt and stadium branding accomplishing the blatant name brand recognition for which Betway’s sponsorship program was intended.
Darts, horse racing, and football were well underway so, of course, Betway was looking for new areas to cover and opted for snooker, tennis, and the relatively new esports phenomenon.
They claimed international sponsorship of the International Tennis Federations’ Davis Cup and Fed Cup while also enjoying the celebration of the Great Britain Davis Cup win in 2015. World Snooker participation included a three-year UK Championship deal, prominent placement for helping to reach those potential bettors as well.
Betway embraced the esports movement and got in on the ground floor of it in two different ways.
First off, the company added esports to its endorsement packages with the ESL UK Premiership in 2015, one of the largest esports UK tournaments and then grabbed the headline sponsorship of an actual team, the Ninjas in Pyjamas.
Secondly, and most notably, Betway became the first major bookmaker to launch an eSports portal on its website in August of 2015. Esports.betway.com opened up eSports betting with pre-game, in-play, and long-term markets. Betway banked on the growing popularity of these new “professional athletes, ” and gaming competitions and their bet seem to be paying off for continued growth and expansion.
As their sponsorship initiatives proved successful in the United Kingdom, Betway branched out with German and Belgian football deals as well as implementing a similar strategy with the group’s other brands including Dream Bingo claiming headline rights of the Inside Soap Awards and Betway Bingo supporting Big Brother UK.
Betway is a well-known player in online bookmaking as a direct result of this strategy but, of course, just getting your name out there isn’t enough. With so many sportsbooks vying for new and repeat business, a wide range of sports, an abundance of betting markets, and offering competitive odds is vital.
We’ll get into all of the specifics throughout this review but, suffice it to say, that Betway is a big name in the industry with a first class website and betting opportunities that punters are seeking.
Over 30,000 betting markets and a wide range of sporting events is more than enough to satisfy the demand of ever-evolving sports bettors. All of the mainstays are covered, and volleyball, handball, cycling, futsal, pool, and specials provide the extras that regular players are looking for from their chosen bookmaker. You will see more of a focus on sports as opposed to non-sporting events such as politics or reality show proposition bets.
As far as live in-play betting, something that is in high demand these days, Betway does offer in-play betting but, until recently, did not host live video streaming of the events. That has recently changed for its customers in the UK, Ireland, and Sweden, though and there is a dedicated live streaming landing page now set up at http://new.betway.com/en/livestreaming/.
It can be a bit of a challenge to be creative and design-focused when creating a sports betting website. It needs to be statistics and information-heavy, so it doesn’t make sense to add chaos by integrating a bunch of design elements.
The most important thing that a sportsbook operator can do is provide as much information about the actual betting events as possible in a manner that’s easy to access and not overwhelming.
It’s designed to be all black, green, and white except the little icons designating various sports. They’re in multi-colors and pop to make each easily identifiable.
Let’s start with the top of the homepage and all of the first selections players need to register and begin betting.
Right under the primarily top menu that lists Betway’s other betting areas (casino, poker, etc.) are the keys to registration and use:
1. Selection of odds 2. Support 3. Language 4. Register 5. Log-in
We’ll go a bit out of order because, first and foremost, is the language selection and Betway offers their website with 14 translations including Czech, Danish, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Latvian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish.
After language selection, the green “Register” button opens up the player account registration page prompting new customers to create their username and password as well as provide some basic personal information.
Registered players can simply input their username and password in the Log-in boxes, and they can start placing their bets, which takes us over to the “Selection of Odds” offered in Fractional, Decimal, and American formats.
If customer service is needed, the support button links to the help area for pre-printed documentation, the actual live chat support that’s available 24/7, or phone and email support.
Throughout the rest of the homepage, there are links to current promotions including Betway’s Welcome Bonus that is a 100% match play sportsbook bonus with a maximum of £30 to £150 depending upon the new player’s residence. We’ll get more into the welcome and other bonuses shortly. There are also links to help documents, details on betting, and other getting started information packets.
The homepage also gets right to the heart of it all with the actual betting lines. All of the sports are listed on the left side with designation wherever in-play betting is available. This menu is pretty standard but laid out conveniently.
A standout feature of Betway’s sportsbook, though, is in the prominent placement of the Bet Slip, Cash Out, and My Bets. These three betting tools are located at the top right of the homepage, under the log-in area, providing convenient account management all in one place. Many sportsbooks will feature the bet slip in that position but then “cash out” can be a bit challenging to find. The “My Bets” is also not standard everywhere, but desirable especially for dedicated players who have multiple wagers going on simultaneously.
Betway has accomplished putting forth a neat, concise, and stylish website. It is very similar in nature to many of its competitors, but keeping the colors consistent, an area for player account management and its stats neatly filed in categories provides for a better experience for its users.
We don’t want to be redundant and go through the website set up again in its entirety, but we do feel the Betway slightly edges out its competition in the user-friendly category with convenient links and player account information placed together at the top of the homepage.
Another website-specific feature that is beneficial to new bettors is the instructional materials provided:
1. How to place a bet. 2. Betting markets offered. 3. Explanation of system bets.
These are all housed in the “Betting Help” area with the link located in the footer area of the homepage. Of course, more experienced bettors would bypass this area, but newbies or even those wishing to expand into some new areas of sports wagering will appreciate the detail that Betway put into this area.
There is a seven-step “how to” on actually placing the bet itself that gets into moving the odds price to the bet slip, potential return per stake amount, the win versus each-way bet, “accept only higher odds” option, and how to combine several markets on one slip. Even a novice will feel comfortable as long as they reference each step along the way.
The betting markets information explains things like handicap betting, scorecast, bookings, double chance, and goal/no goal including an overview of the actual bet and what it takes to win.
System bets involve three or more selections at one time, and there are so many variations of system bets that also depend upon the actual number of selections that it’s helpful to have this handy reference as a guide. The system bets material includes accumulator 4-15, trixie, patent, goliath, forecasts, and many others that also includes horse racing which is also housed in the sportsbook.
Aside from the website and the player conveniences provided by Betway, they offer pretty standard lines so that bettors will receive good value here. The margins are a bit high on tennis and ice hockey, but odds on football and other sporting events are all pretty competitive.
To answer this question, we go straight to Betway’s clientele who have first-hand knowledge of the service including the menu of offerings, payouts, and customer service and the answers were somewhat consistent.
There are three areas in which Betway could provide more customer satisfaction. The first is in their banking process. The options and timeline for deposits are suitable, and no one has any major complaints, but payouts are slow, especially in comparison to some of Betway’s leading competitors. E-wallet withdrawals have been known to take four or five days whether through Skrill, PayPal or Neteller.
One thing we noted about Betway regarding funding and cashing out is the limited amount of information posted on their website. For a sportsbook that is superior in instructional and reference materials, they do come up short in providing deposit and withdrawal details. They do list the available options and minimum deposit and withdrawal amounts, but neglect to provide maximum transaction limits as well as details on fees, just stating that fees may be assessed.
The live in-play betting and, specifically, the availability of streaming video has also been mentioned but, thumbs up to Betway as they listened to their customers and had already been addressing this issue. Live video feeds have recently been made available to Betway members in the UK, Ireland, and Sweden. We would expect more upcoming expansion as live in-play betting is in high demand and these bettors appreciate the opportunity to enjoy the game or match in progress.
Our last topic in this area of potential improvement is case-by-case basis related and involves the management of player accounts. There have been several consistent remarks made about Betway’s policies concerning the lucky bettors who cashed out significant amounts or won a good size bet using a qualified bonus. Players have expressed their disappointment in being considered ineligible for future promotions after successfully using one, or having their accounts limited or even closed after winning a substantial wager.
The bookmaker does have the discretion of managing the betting process, and every situation is different, but Betway could do better in managing player perception and publicly promote that winners are welcome.
For the most part, Betway offers competitive lines on all sports but players may find tennis and ice hockey events to have slightly higher margins in comparison those offered through some other bookmakers.
The UK’s game of choice, none other than football, has a half million pound payout on top level games as well as live in-play action.
The sportsbook menu:
*Denotes in-play betting.
The sportsbook also encompasses horse racing as there is not a separate racebook assigned. You’ll note that, unlike many of its competitors, this site does offer many non-sporting competitions like politics, reality shows or entertainment. It keeps its focus on sports.
Betting markets vary per event, but this site promotes the availability of 30,000 sports betting markets for its players including:
Bookings – Selecting the overall booking points to be under, over or between a specified number.
Double Chance – Covering two out of the three possible outcomes. 1/X for a home win or match draw; X/2 for an away win or match draw; 1/2 home or away win with no draw option.
Draw No Bet – If the team wins, the player wins. If the team draws, the player is refunded.
Goal/No Goal – Goal is the prediction that both teams will score and No Goal for neither team to score.
The Handicap Line – For unequal match-ups, the favorite is handicapped. Draws result in the wager being refunded.
Scorecast – Encompasses both the first player to score and the total result, and both must be successful for a resulting win.
Total Goal Minutes – The result of adding up the actual time in with each goal is scored in a single game. The total compares to the quoted spread.
Some options don’t warrant any explanation as the name says it all. They include:
While the minimum on most bets is as little as 10p, the maximums on bets are all depending on the event as well as the posted odds, so will vary by the maximum payout listed per sport.
A £250,000 maximum for top-level tennis, darts, snooker, ice hockey and American sports is fairly competitive although some sportsbooks do have higher payout limits. Regarding football, though, the £500,000 limit on top-tier football is quite a bit lower than a few of the big guys, who post £2 million payout caps.
Boxing, cricket, eSports, Gaelic sports, handball, motor racing, rugby, and volleyball all have £100,000 payouts for top tournaments and non-sporting events limits come in at £25,000.
Additionally, there is a cap set on what one player can win across all sports in a 24-hour period set at £500,000. So, if a player’s tickets total £550,000, they will only be paid £500,000.
There are a lot of moving pieces and parts involved in online sports betting. Educated bettors have an entire list of things to consider when selecting the right sportsbook for them. There are factors like the website navigation, sports menu, markets, in-play and video streaming, banking options and turnaround times, bonuses and other promotions, mobile play, payout limits, reputation, and customer service.
The website overall is quite user-friendly. It has easy to follow menus as well as betting and account management links all in one area for quick wagering and the review of those bets.
The sports menu is comprehensive but, if you’re a fan of those non-sports proposition bets, you may be a bit disappointed. Betway is a sports bettor’s platform and has very few non-sports offerings. As a pioneer in online eSports betting, though, Betway comes out on top and will offer the biggest tournaments available.
Live in-play action is plentiful and essential to some online bettors who prefer this type of pastime. The betting side is covered but live video streaming is not open to all players. Betway is behind some of its competitors in providing this service but has now launched feeds accessible to British, Irish, and Swedish players. We assume they’ll continue to expand the feed offerings as well as soon offer them to players regardless of locale.
Conducting financial transactions should be fairly simple as long as players aren’t expecting immediate receipt of payouts. Betway’s system includes some extra time for payment processing thereby extending the turnaround time typically by a few days.
Bonuses and promotions like the Free Bet Club and NBA In-play Special do add some additional fun and excitement for players who enjoy the opportunity to rack up some free bet money or take advantage of money back refunds. It can take a bit of the sting out of losing. Players can have some fun seeing what new promotions pop up and place some bets in accordance.
The mobile play also enhances the options and opportunities for Betway players and is available on smartphones and tablets, Android or Apple, so players that prefer mobile betting will enjoy the Betway platform on the go. The Betway app is downloadable from the Google Play or Apple store.
As far as Betway as a whole, the company is reputable and well-established with multiple gaming licenses across the globe. It’s a member of the Remote Gambling Association, the European Sports Security Association, and the Independent Betting Adjudication Service. Betway’s service is also accredited by eCOGRA and certified for fair game play. The sportsbook processes high volumes of wagers and players can be assured that it’s a stable prominent bookmaker.
The Customer Services department is readily available for any assistance that’s needed whether on registration, actual betting, bonus, promotions or financial transactions. 24/7 Live Chat is a great benefit to players that need their questions answered as soon as possible and it’s comforting to know that someone from Betway is always available.
When you take everything into consideration, interaction with Betway should be straightforward and effortless. Plenty of tips and information is available and a step by step guide to placing a bet will provide a comfort level to even the most inexperienced sports bettor.
Betway does offer some fun bonuses that enhance the overall experience. They’re unique to each betting area, so the sportsbook has a different bonus than the casino, bingo room, or the poker room.
The Welcome Bonus is always the first bonus that a player reviews and sometimes can be the make or break factor in whether someone registers a new account or not. Betway’s welcome bonus is pretty standard. It’s not as high as some other sportsbooks, but it is fairly comparable to many. It can be a bit confusing, though, as Betway has different match play offerings that coincide with separate geographical areas, so there are three distinct welcome bonus offers.
Canada, Ireland or the UK – 100% on the first deposit up to £30 and the bonus is credited as a free bet account.
Finland, Norway, or Sweden – 100% on the first deposit up to £100 and the bonus is credited as a bonus account.
Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, or Switzerland – 100% of the first deposit up to £150 and the bonus is credited as a bonus account.
The minimum deposit made must be at least £10 and here’s a bit of a hidden stipulation that some players may overlook if they don’t read the terms and conditions (or our review) first. The deposit must be made with either a debit or credit card or PayPal transaction within seven days of the account registration. There are also play through and minimum odds requirements on bonus awards so it’s always advisable to review everything to avoid missing out on some cash out funds.
Betway Free Bet Club – Here’s another way to pick up some free betting money. This one is pretty simple. Players opt into the club and then wager at least £25 on football trebles or higher (with combined odds of 2/1 or more) in one week’s time to be credited with a £5 free bet on Saturday and a £5 free bet on Monday.
NBA In-Play Special – This is a money back promotion on NBA in-play game betting. If the in-play bet loses and the last score is a three-pointer, Betway issues the player a refund in the form of a free bet that’s comparable to the original stake up to a £25 limit.
Betway Plus – This is an ongoing, not seasonal, loyalty program that is site-wide and encompasses the casino and bingo area as well as the sportsbook. It’s a multi-tier program and the higher a player’s betting level, the higher the loyalty tier. All players are automatically enrolled in this club and start earning plus points that can be redeemed for bonuses, credits, and free bets once the plus member reaches the 5,000 point level.
The players in the higher level tiers earn plus points at a faster rate and also receive VIP customer support, exclusive gifts, and private invitations to worldwide sporting events. Betway Plus is a benefit to repeat bettors as they can reap some real rewards over time.
It takes money to make money in sports betting, so players need to have convenient ways to transfer real money into their Betway player’s account:
There are nearly as many ways to cash out on Betway as there are to deposit and they do match up one for one except for Mastercard and the Paysafecard. Those two methods are acceptable for depositing only to the player’s account.
Cash out timelines are not posted on the website but, based on player feedback, we’ve learned that even e-wallet deposits like Neteller, PayPal, and Skrill have a 4-5 day turnaround time for receipt of funds. Additionally, Betway lists that fees may be assessed to withdrawals but fails to provide any detailed information beyond that.
The withdrawal minimum is £10 and anyone who is not a resident of Great Britain and requests a withdrawal amount equivalent to more than 2.000 in Euros is required to provide identity verification.
Customer service is the area that’s the most open to interpretation as opposed to any other service provided by online sportsbooks. Betway does make itself available. Players can phone, email, or connect with a customer service agent instantly via the live chat feature on betway.com. The department never closes thereby allowing players to receive immediate help with their time-sensitive questions.
As far as politeness and friendliness, customers have been pleased with the courtesy extended to them. However, as far as accurateness of information, there’s a bit of a discrepancy. Many people are happy with the overall experience but others say that the response was not spot-on and had to contact the department again.
Customer Service Department: 24/7 Live Chat E-mail: support@betway.com Phone: 0808 238 9841
The brand offers more than their sportsbook that, by the way, encompasses their racebook as well. Pull up betway.com and players can then access other gaming areas including the Casino, Live Casino, Vegas, Poker, and Bingo.
The Casino itself is a multi-functional area that’s comprised of:
The slots area is not just an afterthought; it’s the primary focus of Betway’s Casino offering an incredible 400 different slot games including retro and progressive jackpot. Betway’s use of Microgaming technology offers players the best in online gaming with unique themes, quality graphics, and extensive mobile play offerings.
When we refer to progressive jackpot games, we’re not just talking about £100 or £100. How does £9 million sound? Mega Moolah and Mega Moolah Isis both carry that huge jackpot possibility for dedicated slot players. The opportunity is not just pie in the sky. Betway paid out a £13 million Mega Moolah grand prize to a British soldier from Chelsea who wagered 25p!
22 Video Poker games provide for a relatively substantial Video Poker bank, and standards, like Jacks or Better, are supplemented with some fun variations like Tens or Better, Bonus Deuces Wild Power Play, and Tens or Better Power Play.
The Table Game area is not too shabby either. 22 types of Blackjack alone could keep the avid player busy for quite some time. Multi-wheel Roulette Gold Series, Progressive Cyberstud Poker, High Limit Baccarat, Sic Bo, and Red Dog tables also have seats ready and waiting.
And, if you want to take a seat at a table and prefer a Live Dealer experience, Betway understands your preference. The Live Casino is filled with multiple tables of eight different games featuring Baccarat, Live Immersive Roulette, Three Card Poker, and Blackjack to name a few.
Supplement the casino area with seven games of Keno, Bingo, and Flip Card, and there should be something for everyone. Not to mention an entirely different Betway Bingo area for enthusiastic bingo players who enjoy non-stop action, and a totally separate Las Vegas-style casino that also includes its separate slots, video poker, and live action games.
The poker room is highly regarded by players for its 30% Rakeback and generous promotions and rewards. New players are invited to freerolls and turbo tournaments, regular players are eligible for weekly promotions and rewards, and all are welcomed to take poker lessons right from Betway.
The sportsbook has recently become a recognized name amongst bookmakers, but its wide variety of gaming options make it appealing to online bettors across the board.
Before we pit Betway up against its competitors, let’s sum up the site as a whole.
We’d consider this one to be a very sports-driven bookmaker without a lot of bells and whistles that some others feature. The games are plentiful and cover a wide range of preferences but they don’t delve deeply into non-sporting events such as politics or entertainment. Traditional sports bettors will appreciate the focus on what they love best. Live in-play action is offered on football, tennis, basketball, cricket, baseball, esports, and volleyball. The betting procedure is user-friendly and customer service availability is around the clock.
When you take this fairly traditional sportsbook and compare it to some of its big UK-based competitors, you’ll see that everyone has similar offerings and benefits but there are just slight edges in certain areas.
Maximum payout limits provide a topic that’s pretty cut and dry. You will find better payouts, particularly on top-level football, on sportsbooks like bet365 or William Hill. We’re looking at £500,000 compared to £2 million, so that’s pretty significant for high rollers looking for the best possible action.
Odds are pretty standard across the board. Some sportsbooks may offer better lines on tennis and ice hockey, but everything else is competitive especially football. Betway is also reputed to have a top-notch statistics service with handy links available on the market selections.
Live in-play betting also has a level playing field but when you factor in live video streaming, the winner typically comes out as Betfair, which has an extensive schedule of live events as well as offers its customers the opportunity to stream multiple events at once. Betfair does have some geographical restrictions as well, but those are event-dependent and not straight across the board.
Betway’s banking options also come with some pluses and minuses. On the plus side, there’s a full menu of methods that should satisfy everyone including debit and credit cards, e-wallets, and prepaid cards. On the other hand, the site may tack on some fees not assessed by some of the other sportsbooks, their withdrawals take a bit longer, and their specifics regarding the fees and turnaround times are not fully disclosed.
Regarding the overall gambling experience encompassing casino and poker, Betway takes a commanding lead for its Microgaming software powered games and colossal catalog of 400 different slot games alone. Separate bingo and poker rooms and a Vegas casino contribute to the all-around experience also providing this site with high marks on its website as a whole. Attractive, user-friendly and mobile, players will appreciate this top-quality product.
Betway is not the biggest sportsbook nor is it the bookmaker with the most experience backing it, but this relatively new brand has done a lot of things to earn its place on numerous lists of most popular websites for sports bettors.
We’re impressed with their successful marketing strategy that resulted in massive name recognition through sponsorships of sporting events, the same types of events also offered on sports.betway.com. It was a clever way to appeal to the perfect potential customer and they accomplished it by covering a wide variety of sports in a relatively short amount of time.
The markets offered by this site compete with the best of them and, as we’ve mentioned, the odds are competitive and very good on football (soccer), basketball, and American football. Punters can definitely do better on tennis and ice hockey but the rest of the lineup is pretty standard and rivals its competitors.
An interesting thing about Betway is that most people have the same feedback regarding this sportsbook. It’s very sports-oriented and doesn’t go crazy with non-sporting or virtual events. It offers a huge number of markets to appeal to the seasoned bettors, the payouts are good, and they continuously strive to improve their cash out process and turnaround time as well as customer service.
It’s a high-quality, upscale, easy to navigate website experience that’s just as accessible on the go through the Betway app. The site definitely tries to put their customer’s betting convenience as the top priority.
