Introduction
It's clear that are now one of the world's biggest online gambling companies. Based in Stoke-on-Trent , the firm started out with a series of betting shops in 1974, before establishing a telephone betting operation and finally going online. The sale of the shops to Coral in 2006 enabled to concentrate on the online operation, with COO Denise Coates the driving force behind the company's growth.
Aided by her brother John, have expanded to the extent where they are one of the UK's biggest private companies. They claim to have over 3 million customers in 200 different countries, with over 1,000 now employed bthe group. Although they are mainly renowned for their sportsbook product, they have a strong offering for casino, poker and games, while bingo and financials have recently been added.
Brand
If you watch televised Premier League football, you can't fail to have noticed featuring during a Sky or ESPN advert break. The brand can also be seen on perimeter boards at grounds in England and Spain , not to mention during numerous European internationals. All the gaming products are also consolidated under the brand, while you will also see the logo featuring at racecourses in the United Kingdom.
Website
The site is an uncomplicated beast. The biggest pre-match or In-Play sporting event has a graphic devoted to it at the top of the homepage, while the centre section is dominated by In-Play betting, especially during evenings and weekend. Live betting is becoming increasingly popular and have acknowledged this by devoting an entire section of the website to this type of wagering (scroll to In-Play Betting further down for more details).
Bet365 opt for a simple lay-out and colour scheme on their website, with around thirty sports alphabetically listed in a left-hand menu. However, sports like soccer, tennis and horse racing are prioritised with quick links to coupons and next races on the homepage. Each sport has its own section, with soccer the most populated. Match coupons are listed above antepost betting and everything continues to be neatly compartmentalised.
It's also worth noting something called EXTRA, which is a standalone section of the site which showcases all the promotions and (most importantly), houses 's live streaming. Over 5,000 events are provided free of charge to customers, making something of an online sports channel as well as a bookmaker.
Free Bets
Earlier in 2009, made the decision to switch their new customer offer from a free bet basket to a 100% deposit bonus. Open an account, deposit between £10 and £200 and you will get this matched!
Odds
Bet365 have not achieved massive growth by being uncompetitive with their prices. Whether it's football, horse racing, tennis or even speedway, the margins are up there with the best in the industry, with the company now insuch a position of strength that they can rely on a mantra of a 'high turnover, low yield' which is good for customers.
Soccer-wise, bet to margins of around 104% on the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and the Champions League, which means they'll regularly be going best price on the home win, away win or draw. On the horse racing front, they were the first bookie to offer Best Odds Guaranteed which gives customers the bigger of an early price and a starting price. It's a fantastic concession, while the Asian Handicap section is substantial and gives customers the chance to change the lines.
Markets
As mentioned, football is the biggest sport at and you will find 40 pre-match markets available for Premier League matches, including a smattering of Asian lines and eighteen different match specials. It's a similar story when the games go In-Play, with another 40 markets on show, with First Goalscorer gradually being replaced by Next Goalscorer as the match wears on.
Not that are slouches with their market range on other sports. The live service on tennis has to be seen to be believed, with markets including winner of next set, game and point! It's the same story with cricket, where you'l find fifteen or so pre-Test markets and then a full hit of In-Play opportunities where customers can bet on Next Man Out, Method of Dismissal and Innings Runs.
Promotions
We've already mentioned Best Odds Guaranteed and the live streaming, the latter of which is completely free for customers. However, a cursory glance at the EXTRA section reveals lots of other neat promotions. The 100% Euro Accumulator allows you to earn a bonus on treble bets and upwards on the top European leagues, while will refund losing correct score, HT / FT and Scorecast bets if any match finishes 0-0.
For racing, you can take advantage of 's Channel 4/1 offer and their Feature Race 4/1 promotion. For US sports, you can earn up to 50% on a parlay and for greyhounds, there's a 2/1 offer.
Customer Service
As stated on the website, this is a 24/7 operation and leave no stone unturned to ensure that customer queries are handled politely and efficiently. They get extra marks for offering live chat, with a call-back service available in addition to regular contact options such as email and phone. There are also detailed FAQ sections for Sports, Accounts and Payments.
- A first-class In-Play betting service
- A 100% deposit bonus up to £200
- The chance to watch free live streaming on football, tennis and more
- Best Odds Guaranteed on horse racing
- A fast website which allows you to get last minute bets away
- Customer service which is fast, efficient and friendly
- Top-class poker, casino, games and bingo products in addition to the sportsbook
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