A comprehensive sports betting at Betway review

Betway is one of the world’s most well-known and well-loved betting brands. And not just among sports fans. Alongside the sportsbook, there are now a host of brands under their umbrella, including Casino, Vegas, Poker, and Bingo. Founded in 2006, the company has gone from strength to strength to become one of the world’s heavyweights in online gambling. And for good reason – The flagship Betway sportsbook is both a looker and a thinker, a perfect marriage of an aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly online sportsbook.

But don’t just take our word for it. Below, we’ll provide a comprehensive Betway review. In it, we’ll outline absolutely every aspect of their online offering, leaving no stone unturned to put the bookie through its paces, and deliver a comprehensive and objective review. That means we’ll take a closer look at the online platform, the betting markets and bet types of offer, along with everything that a great modern sportsbook needs, like quality customer service, payment methods, and a killer mobile app. But first, one of the most important criteria for any punter: In-play betting.

An in-depth live betting at Betway test

In-play – or live – Betway has revolutionised the modern sportsbook. It’s a major reason why most punters now prefer to bet online rather than at their local bookies, as in-play betting constitutes a large part of most successful bettor’s approach. They know this. We know this too, which is why the in-play platform is a key part of our Betway test. That’s why the Betway in-play system is one of the best around. Thanks to the firm’s slick black, green and white colour scheme, it looks the part. More importantly, it performs just as good as it looks, with rapid response, instantly updated odds, and seamless navigation.

Reaching the Betway in-play platform couldn’t be easier. Simply hit the in-play tab on the horizontal menu across the top of the screen. Once you’re in, you’re presented with all current live events, but there is also a tab for upcoming events, so you can keep an eye on what games are starting shortly. Betway boasts tons of sports that cannot be bet on live. Football is, of course, the most popular, but almost all of the impressive over 30 sports are available in-play. As one of the most innovative and modern platforms, they even offer in-play Esports markets!

The different sports are supported by a wide range of different bet types. Taking football as an example, we found each match had around 90 different markets for you to play on in-play. For big games, such as EPL or Champions League fixtures, that number is often considerably larger. The fixtures for each sport are displayed vertically in the centre of the screen. Each fixture is categorized into its country and league market, which can be extended or minimised via one click.

That makes finding those more obscure markets quick and painless, but it also helps to keep the platform looking neat and tidy. Clicking on the fixture you want to brings up a fantastic looking in-play interface, which shows the score and what is happening on the pitch. Below are the bet types. You can choose between scrolling down or using the horizontal menu bar to switch between different categories. That menu bar is great. For football, there are bet types like main, goals, half, and specials, meaning that once again you can find a bet quickly, while navigation is smooth and the interface looks great.

One small downside of live betting here is the odds levels. Our tests found that the operator ranks relatively high for its odds level, but it is still some way off the top performing operators in this area. We looked at a few different sports and the sportsbook was never the highest performer for in-play odds. Nevertheless, it ranked consistently in the top half, so you will always get a good in-play price here, though just not the best. The cash out function is an essential element for many in-play fans and it works well. Displayed in the bet slip with the status and score, the cash out value changes quickly, while the process is instant on anything you wish to cash out.

The Betway experience – a quality over quantity approach to live streaming

Streaming of sporting events is now a standard feature of most operators. That means that to stand out from the crowd, you must do live streaming well. Betway has gone for the quality over quantity approach here. Whether you are on a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, the stream is always crisp and clear, with a high resolution. As exclusive as it is quality, streams are only available to customers based in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Sweden. Nevertheless, they are a part of the complete Betway experience.

It’s technically free to stream events live, but your account must be in credit for the live streams to work. There will only ever be a handful of currently live events that are available to be streamed. Events which can be streamed are highlighted by a small play icon. Simply click this icon to start the stream. The stream schedule sticks to the quality over quantity mantra. There are just a handful or sports that can be streamed, such as football, ice hockey, tennis and volleyball. Of course, you won’t find streams of to- quality football matches. The other sports are catered to a little better, with the potential to view some ATP tennis tour matches.

How competitive are odds levels at Betway?

High odds levels are one thing that will ensure loyal customers to any betting site. In truth, there will always be a different bookie that offers the best odds for a certain sport, bet type, or other market. In short, it’s good to shop around. But, they have been smart by ensuring that they always offer very competitive prices across all sports and markets. If, like me, you’re a creature of habit and like to reward your favourite bookie with loyal custom, Betway is a good choice, as you know that you’ll always get – at the very least – a competitive price.

We had a look at the odds across a range of different sports by calculating the bookmaker’s margin made on a handful of randomly chosen pre-match bets. Our tests revealed that football fans will be happy here, as the bookie makes the smallest margin on football best. Snooker, tennis, and cricket were next in line, with margins up to below 5% for the bookie. That places Betway consistently in the top three or four online operators almost always.

But it’s no good having great odds if you can only bet tiny amounts. Especially for the high-rollers among our readers, high winning limits play a part. They occupy the middle ground here, offering win limits that will satisfy 99.9% of people, though they are significantly below the top performing operators in this area, with a maximum daily win capped at £500,000. Minimum stake figures are equally important. Punters must stake at least 10p here, which I’m sure is fine for all. As we mentioned above, in-play odds are solid if not spectacular, but the speed of the live platform makes up for that. All in all, it pays to shop around, but you’ll get a decent return for your money here, especially on football.

How are Betway’s welcome bonus and promotions?

This is where things get really interesting. While I suspect many will have already capitalised on their brilliant welcome offer, those without an existing account should pay close attention here. True to form, they take a refined approach to their welcome bonus. While its value won’t blow you away, it’s a simple and accessible sign-up bonus, and one that we wish there were more of online. But Betway doesn’t stop there. The bookie makes a point of letting customers in on the fact that once joined, they’ll be privy to a host of promotions, as well as the exclusive Betway Free Bet Club.

How big is the Betway welcome bonus?

Those who don’t already have an account with the bookmaker are eligible for the Betway welcome bonus. Here, we’ll go through what it is, how it works, and most important, how to get your hands on it. The welcome bonus here is a free bet type, which means that once you’ve fulfilled all the eligibility criteria, you’ll be issued with a token for your hard work. The amount you get is based on how much you deposit, with the bookie offering 100% back on your first deposit, up to a maximum of £30. Put simply, that means you can get up to £30 in free bets, and it can – almost – be divided how you wish.

So, how to get it? First up, sign-up for an account online, but bear in mind you must be based in the UK or Ireland. Next, you have to make your qualifying deposit, which must be at least £10, be made within 7 days of registration and made with a debit or credit card, or PayPal. Once the money is in your account, you now just need to activate the tokens. To do this, place a bet or bets that equal the amount of your deposit. The selections you bet on must have odds of at least 3/4 if they are singles and 2/5 if an each way bet. Once you reach the deposit total you’ll be issued with the free bet almost immediately. That free bet will be the same value of your first deposit, though it is capped at £30. The token will expire 7 days after you receive it, so don’t hang around for too long. The token has to be used in its entirety in one and the stake is not returned.

If you’re totally new to online gambling, that may seem like a lot of work. But compared to a lot of other online operators, it’s a straight-forward and fun bonus, that also has good potential for profit. Many other operators require that you stake a deposit amount multiple times, many around 15, so this is in comparison very user-friendly. The full value of £30 is also towards the higher end, though there are higher amounts available on the market.

Do I need a promo code?

Despite the wide range of amazing offers here, you rarely need to use any promo or bonus codes. Betway wants to keep things inclusive and one way of doing that is to have easily accessible bonuses and promotions. As we mentioned above, the Free Bet Club requires that you opt-in, but that’s done by a single click of the mouse. At the time of writing, no promotions require any sort of promo code. However, since there are always multiple on-going promos at any time with this bookmaker, make sure the check their promotions page and quickly scan the terms of the offer you want to use, as there is a chance that this could change subjective to each new offer.

Are there other regular promotions?

Betway make a point of referencing their regular promotions and offers, so they should deliver. And deliver they do. There are usually at least 5 promotions running at any type and they usually follow a certain type. Regular promotions are money back specials, which refund losing bets under certain conditions, a free bet offer, and best odds guaranteed for most UK and Irish horse races. There are also often Esports promotions available, which is another area where Betway distinguishes itself from the rest. Those are just the sportsbook offers and casino and vegas players can take advantage of a whole host of other promotions.

Promotions can be found under the Betway Plus tab. Such is the vast array of promotions that run at any one time, there’s even a filter for promotion types on this page. At the time of writing, there is a money back special for a Conor McGregor UFC fight, a free bet offer for an ESL Pro League Esports event, a free bet for a rugby Super League match, and of course the horse and greyhound racing best odds guaranteed.

The Betway free bet club

Those promotions pale in comparison to Betway’s unique Free Bet Club. While it’s not strictly a loyalty or VIP programme, the club does allow punters to take part each week on a continual basis, earning money back weekly too. It’s based around football too, the UK’s most popular betting sport, so we think it’s an offer that will appeal to the vast majority of UK betting fans.

By opting in, those that stake at least £25 on football trebles within a week will be given £10 back in free bets. This is a fantastic offer and with football betting fans up and down the country fulfilling these criteria without knowing it, the Betway review should be on more peoples’ radars. Once you’ve staked the minimum amount, you’ll be given the free bets in two installments; £5 at noon at Saturday and £5 at 14:00 on Monday. The first free bet is valid until Monday and the second until the following Friday. Betway really nail promotions and nowhere better than here, where a genuinely attractive and valuable offer is combined with an exclusive and club feel.

Good variety of payment methods

Punters have come to expect that a bookmaker accepts pretty much whichever methods they want to use when it comes to depositing funds in an online betting account. These days, e-wallets and pre-paid card services are standard, while the good old debit or credit card still serves many well. But, many operators are now turning to ultra-modern methods in a bid to attract even more customers. Don’t be surprised to see some operators accepting cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, along with all of the other usual deposit and withdrawal methods. Betway isn’t quite there yet, but they do offer a comprehensive range of deposit and withdrawal methods, all of which are free to deposit with.

Starting with debit and credit cards, Betway review and process deposits instantly, has a minimum deposit of £5, and a limit of £20,000. That same minimum deposit also applies to Skrill, which has a higher limit of £37,500. PayPal, paysafecard, Neteller, and entropay all have a minimum deposit of £10, with limits of £5,500, £2,000, £37,500, and £20,000 respectively. There is also the slightly unloved bank transfer, which takes between 2-10 days to process, and has a minimum deposit of £25 and a maximum of £100,000. All this info is displayed in a much more reader-friendly way in the table below, so take a look there.

Withdrawal information can also be found in the table above. Take note that the withdrawal limits differ both from the deposit amounts and between payment methods. Withdrawals from your online account usually take between 3-5 days, with is pretty much standard. However, we did notice a couple of instances via debit card withdrawal where the funds arrived safely in our bank very quickly. One great aspect of the deposits and withdrawals here is the ability to cap or limit your daily, weekly, or monthly deposits. That means that the bookie will stop you depositing over your pre-determined limits, which is a nice touch, and

Betting limits & maximum payouts

This Betway review is popular for many reasons. One of those reasons is the fact that it manages to appeal to betting fans of almost all experience and ability, whether they are seasoned high-rollers or football fans who like to enhance enjoyment of the sport with a little weekend £1 accumulator. The minimum bet of 10p is low enough for almost anyone. Sure, some operators allow 5p or 1p, but we think there are few people who would go below a 10p bet online. Maximum bets are capped at £500,000. That is a lot and we’re pretty sure will satisfy almost everyone. However, it’s important to note that there are bookies that offer much higher betting limits. William Hill, for example, offers a betting limit 4 times that of Betway at £2,000,000! In our opinion, that isn’t really relevant to almost everyone, but for clarity, it’s worth mentioning here.

Maximum payouts here are pretty high, so don’t despair, you can win big. Betway set their maximum payouts on a daily basis at £500,000. That applies to all bets made each day on all markets. We had a look through the terms and conditions (so you don’t have to) and the bookie states that it’s the customers responsibility to make sure they do not go over the max daily winnings limit, and that the customer should check whether their bet could potentially exceed the limit. We can’t imagine there are too many people winning over half a million each day, but if there are, make sure to write us with your tips!

There are also varying maximum payouts for each sport. Football is split into different grades, with grade 1 matches having a £500,000 max payout, grade 2 £250,000, and grade 3 £100,000. Horse racing is split into UK, Irish, and other races, with have may payouts of £250,000, £100,000, and £50,000 respectively. We won’t provide the exhaustive list here, as you can find this information at the bookie’s website, but be aware that different markets will have different payouts. If you’re betting big, it’s worth having a check. If you’re into virtual sports then they have a max payout of £250,000 for each bet.

What customer support methods are available at Betway?

This Betway review ranked highly on our customer support tests. We tested the various means of support (which you can see in the table below) and mostly received prompt and helpful responses. E-mails were answered within the stated response time, while phone queues were usually kept pretty short. But let’s be honest; with live chat offering customers in need of support instant responses the ability to actual ask multiple questions at one time, it’s the support method favoured by almost all of us. Thankfully, Betway test and aced the live chat tests. Even when in a longer queue, we found waiting times were kept short, meaning the operator places value on its customer support and has a good number of staff covering this area. The answers we received always solved our issues, even when we asked particularly difficult questions to test the agent’s knowledge, an answer was eventually provided. Support is offered round the clock, so the night owls or those betting on obscure Asian football leagues can get support when they need it.

The one disappointing aspect of the customer service and help is the relatively poor online FAQ and help sections. Betway test these on the website and you can find certain information you need, such as the betting limits we outlined above. However, compared to most other operators, this section is pretty vague and not particularly helpful. In all honest, few will this, but it’s our job to read it so you don’t have to, so we have to mark the bookmaker down on this. But, with almost all punters referring immediately to live chat if they have an issue that needs resolving, the user experience is not affected. Overall, the customer service is what you’d expect from a leading online bookie.

Betting tips and content provided by the blog

Experienced bettors will know that stats are everything. Most will have their favoured websites or apps to get the stats they need to make informed bets. If you’re fan of numbers and data, then there are some sites that have some great stat centres, namely the stat service at bet365. While this Betway review doesn’t necessarily offer data heavy insight, what it does have is a great interactive tips section, via its blog.

The blog can be found via the main platform and is regularly updated with both insightful content and articles, and betting tips articles. Recent examples are a betting tips article for the Europa League and four potential goalscorers in the EPL which could bag a customer over £150k. Along with the tips – which we found to be genuinely solid and well researched – current blog articles cover topics like horse racing news and a UFC quiz. The blog adds an extra fun element to betting online with Betway, as well some genuinely decent tips.

Overview of betting markets

This one is vital for any punter of any skill and experience level. If an operator doesn’t have the desired betting markets, then they won’t get the desired custom. At Betway, there are around 30 different sports to bet on, as well as Esports (more on that shortly). That’s solid coverage, meaning that along with the most popular UK sports markets, such as football, horse racing and tennis, there are sports such as Aussie rules, volleyball, and UFC. You can find all the sports on the left hand side of the main interface listed in alphabetical order in a vertical menu. It’s really subjective as to which bookmaker offers each punter the best, as it depends on what the individual wants to play on. We can say that Betway test offers on some pretty obscure sports, such as Kabaddi or Handball. Most can be bet on live too. Those that have events currently live are designated by a Live icon next to them on the vertical menu. Simply click the sport to be taken to its interface, where in-play bets will be displayed.

In terms of the coverage within each market, the Betway experience is pretty good. Taking football as an example, there are plenty of junior leagues, B leagues, and obscure leagues, that are all offered pre-match and in-play. The types available vary between events, with more well-known fixtures having more bets available, which is pretty standard. Horse racing has all the races you know and love, as well as many more. All in all, selection and coverage is high, while not the largest. Nevertheless, we’re pretty confident that whatever sport and whatever event you want to play on, you will find it here.

Betway – A market leader for Esports betting

We mentioned them briefly, so will return to it in more detail here. This operator takes Esports very seriously and it’s easy to see why. This is the world’s fastest growing betting markets, valued this year at around $900m. It’s not hard to see why operators are scrambling to take a slice of that very lucrative pie. Betway experiences a position as the home of video game betting and we think that claim is justified. As official sponsors of Ninjas in Pyjamas, ESL One, Intel Extreme Masters and the ESL Pro League, this operator is embedded in both tournaments and the wider community.

The sportsbook has an entire section devoted to Esports on their site, accessed via a tab in the horizontal menu on the main screen. Here, you’ll find quick links to the most popular betting markets, such as League of Legends. There are also quick links to upcoming events. This section works as an in-play section for current live events too. Those bets can be found on the centre of the screen, along with further quick links to upcoming or popular markets. Betway’s sponsorship of teams, leagues and tournaments mean that players can get the best odds, early access, and exclusive offers here. There are also specific promotions, such as money back offers, which is a really cool touch and shows the operator’s commitment to the sport. All in all, this is an area the operator excels in and really distinguishes itself from the pack here.

Politics and specials markets also available

Betway doesn’t just stop at sports. In the vertical menu on the main page, you’ll find all the other betting markets available at the bookmaker. There’s a specials tab, containing media and culture bets, such as Britain’s much love TV shows like Strictly Come Dancing or Love Island. There are also politics markets, so you can at least try to make some money from the disaster that is Brexit Britain and Donald Trump’s America. Virtual sports betting is also on offer at Betway and the bookie does a particularly good job of it. There are five virtual sports available, football, cycling, greyhounds, motor racing, speedway and – last but not least – trotting! That’s more virtual sports than most competitors and the virtual interface is also impressive. Events run every five minutes and there are often numerous markets. For football, there are tons, which is particularly impressive, and Betway is without doubt one of the leaders in virtual betting.

An excellent range of bet types and options

As we touched on above, there are all the types you know and love here. There are also a number that many people perhaps won’t know. The types are categorised via a horizontal menu at the top of the respective feature’s interface. It’s impossible to go through all the types, as there are thousands, but rest assured that this bookie has pretty everything. There is a tab for ‘other’ bets, which, as you can probably guess, contains some of the less standard betting markets. These range from result markets for 15 minute time frames, anytime leaders, and much much more. These are fixture specific so will vary a lot. Even more bets become available in-play. The list is exhaustive, and with operators scrambling to offer new types before anyone else, the list is ever growing.

More and more bet types can be combined in a multiple now, as technology makes this possible. One unique feature that works towards this that we particularly like is the betyourway feature. Here, the bookie supplies a number of set bet types in three different categories, separated by how high the odds reach. To reach the higher odds limits, these bets often contain two or three individual selections, often ones that can’t be found on normal betting markets. For instance, in the recent EPL match between Leicester and Everton, the bookie offered a bet of Jamie Vardy to Score, Lucas Digne to be booked, and over 10.5 corners in the match for odds of 13/1. This is an innovative feature that is fun for casual users and takes the stress out of ‘building’ bets from an individual match.

A quick look at the Betway mobile app

The data doesn’t lie. More and more people are betting on the go and the operators are reacting accordingly. Like many other industries, the online gambling industry is adopting a very much mobile-first approach. For the customer, this is great news, as it means that mobile platforms are getting better and better. Betway is no exception. We always liked their mobile app, since it combined the slick aesthetic and approach of the company’s brand and online platform. But, due to the above reasons, it’s now even better.

The app compares well to the features of the online platform, with pretty much all sports markets and all the same deposit methods available on both. Functionality is seamless and no fuss. The homepage contains quick links to all major sport and in-play markets, while if you’re looking for something a little less common, you can use the drop-down menu both. We always experienced quick loading times and the in-play interface always worked smoothly, so this will obviously also be dependent on the speed of your internet connection and the hardware of your phone. From the home screen, it will take on average 5 clicks (or taps) to make a bet, from start to finish, which is pretty much the industry standard. Unfortunately, there are no extras for the mobile app, such as exclusive bonuses or markets. This doesn’t affect the experience, but it is an area that could be improved upon. All in all, the operator has stuck to its unofficial mantra of less is more and quality over quantity here, which offers a seamless and user-friendly experience.

Which operating systems support the app?

Now a few potentially boring – but important – details. It is available for iOS and Android users for download. Download size is around 50MB, but be aware this can change due to regular updates. iPhone users will need at least version 7 to run the software and can get it from the iTunes store, while Android users can download directly from the operator’s website, since the Google PlayStore does not host gambling apps. Users of other devices and platforms can simply access the bookmaker’s website via their smartphone’s browser. Those of you that are new to the bookmaker should not be afraid of exclusively using the mobile version, as the welcome bonus is compatible when signing up here.

The software

Betway is powered by Micrograming, an industry leader for gambling platforms. That support means that the platform has best in class features and functionality, and is there reason for the seamless in-play platform, and all the other great features. The brand and colour scheme is slick and adds an aesthetically pleasing edge to this intuitive functionality. With innovations constantly made in the industry, the sportsbook and casino here are sure to always be cutting edge, thanks to the Microgaming powered platform.

But a great platform and being a great online sportsbook in general would be useless without great security and encryption. The internet can often be a wild west in terms of regulation and data protection, so it’s great to know that Betway employ industry leading encryption. RapidSSL is the encryption service of choice, with an SHA 256bit rate of encryption. Not being techies ourselves, we won’t try explaining exactly what that means, but we know it is one of the best on the market. So, you can rest safe in the knowledge that the operator uses best in class encryption, and that your data is in safe hands.

How to sign up

Signing-up is quick and painless. First, head to the operator’s main page via the website or the mobile app. From here, click on the green Register button to start the process. There’s all the usual account and personal information to fill out, followed by your deposit information. Betway employs strict Know Your Customer policies to ensure that no-one under the legal gambling age is using the site, and to prevent money laundering. While this means you may have to supply a copy of photo id and then wait to have your identity verified, it is a required process, and all licensed operators must abide by it. Once you’re approved, simply deposit your funds, and then you can get betting.

Can I close my account indefinitely and definitely?

It’s another regulatory requirement that all online betting sites offer responsible gambling protections, via means like deposit limits, self-exclusion from the site, and easily deactivating an account. Betway offers all of these. You can set deposit limits either daily, weekly, or monthly. Via the Take a Break function, you can exclude yourself temporarily from accessing the site for one of the suggested durations, or a manually determined timeframe. Betway will then block you from logging in. If you want to stop gambling altogether, you can exclude yourself from the site definitely.

Additional Betway products

While this review is focused on the Betway sports betting platform, the brand hosts a number of other gambling platforms. Online, you’ll find online casinos, poker room, and Vegas site.

Online and live casino

This operator takes its online casino very seriously. New customers to the site are eligible for a £100 welcome bonus, while the offers up to £250 for new customers. Access to the casino and live casino is via a tab on the main site and, handily, you can use a single wallet for all their gambling platforms. There are a very competitive volume and range of online casino here. Betway boasts over 400 of the best casinos on the internet, as well as multiple games at any one time. Their casino has games, slots, and roulette, blackjack, baccarat and much, much more. The live casino especially has regular promotions and offers to keep you playing. They also holds the crown for paying out the world’s largest ever bonus. In 2015, a UK punter won £13,209,300 on the Mega Moolah at Betway.

The poker room

The poker craze may have died down from its peak around ten years ago, but it’s still a booming market in both the UK and the World. None the less, we’re still massive fans, second only to our love of sports betting. With that in mind, we’re well placed to give you a quick rundown of the Betway poker room. Firstly, the bonus is huge! A whopping £750 is up for grabs for new customers to the poker platform. Secondly, the platform is great. It’s easy to navigate, looks great, is fast, and has an all-round great user-experience.

Betway is a trusted name and the same encryption and protection are featured on the poker platform, as well as the sportsbook. There are all the usual games available, with a decent mix of freerolls and free to enter competitions thrown into the mix too. The fact that you can use the poker room, casinos, and sportsbook from one account is a strong pull factor for players that like to gamble in different ways. For casual and fairly serious players, the Betway poker room is a great solution then. Our one criticism is that there are sometimes a lack of players and mid-stake tournaments available, which is probably inevitable, as these players will play on dedicated poker sites. But, for the casual and mid players, this is a fantastic solution.

What is Betway Vegas?

Betway Vegas promises to bring the bright lights of Vegas to you at home in your living room. The Vegas platform is a collection of online casino, slots, and retro online games available all in one place for you to access and play. In truth, it’s much like the casino platforms, but it is handy to have everything in one place, and there is even a specific Vegas bonus of up to £1000. This is also where the bookie hosts games that offer the biggest jackpots, so you can get the chance to earn a Vegas style, life-changing win.

Betway outlets

Betway is one of the newer breed of bookmakers. That means that there are no bookie shops to be found on UK high streets. That shouldn’t bother most contemporary punters though, in-fact, it’s more likely to be positive. Online gambling revolutionised the industry, before new technology revolutionised gambling, via the introduction of in-play and ever more bet types and markets. Being online only means that Betway can focus on its platform and its offering. Revenue from betting shops is falling in the UK as more and more punters prefer to bet using their smartphone or computer. Online sites also usually offer better odds too, which is one of the many benefits of gambling on sports.

Membership of data and industry security bodies

Online betting sites are subject to the same – if not more – regulation and compliance mechanisms as their land-based brothers. Betway is a member of numerous security and integrity organisations. The operator is a full member of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA), The Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS), and the Remote Gambling Association. All these groups work towards integrity and security in the gambling industry, so it’s a measure of Betway’s efforts in this area that it is fully signed up to so many security organisations. The platform is also security tested by eCogra, which is proof that it is totally secure. All in all, you can be assured that the platform is secure and your data is secure. Not only that, but the operator is doing its bit for promoting responsible gambling across the industry.

Licensed by the UK Gambling Commission

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is the regulatory body responsible for oversight in the UK. All bookmakers operating in the UK must hold a valid UK Gambling Commission licence. Betway is based in Malta and Guernsey, but is of course a fully licenced operator. Firstly, we wouldn’t promote any bookmakers that are not licensed and regulated by the Commission, but should you go looking for new bookmakers, always make sure you check for the UKGC’s logo on the operator’s website, as proof they are licensed by the Commission. Along with the UK, Betway holds licenses for many other countries, including Italy, Malta, Denmark, Spain, Belgium, Germany, and Ireland.

Dormant accounts and win limits – a closer look at the t&c’s

We go through the terms and conditions of all the operators we review so you don’t have to. That means that our readers can get all the important info they need without having the scroll through endless terms. That said, there are always a few things we feel we should flag up that might not have a logical place in a standard review. That’s why we’ve created this section here, to bring a couple of key t&cs to your attention.

Firstly, for high-rollers, a little more information on the win limits we discussed earlier. Betway clearly states that the customer is responsible for ensuring that a bet they make will not incur winnings over the daily threshold. If you do exceed the win limit, you risk having these funds confiscated by the bookmaker. If you’re unsure, Betway recommends for you to contact customer service directly with your intended bet, and they will be able to assist you further. Something like Ladbroke’s betting calculator would come in particularly handy here.

Now one for more casual players, who may sign-up for an account and then forget about it – and any funds contained within it – for an extended period of time. So-called dormant accounts have been lambasted in the British media recently. Dormant accounts refers to accounts that have been inactive for an extended period of time, subjective to the operator. Operators state in their t&cs that they may take all the funds contained in an account they consider dormant once it exceeds their stated inactivity duration. In Betway’s case, this period is 12 months since the last login. Once an account has been dormant for more than twelve months, the operator will charge an administration fee of £5 per subsequent month, until the funds in the account run out or the account becomes active again. Users approaching 12 months without logging in will be notified beforehand, so if you get an email or suddenly remember you haven’t logged in to your account for a while, make sure to do so.

A brief history of Betway

Betway was founded in 2006 which makes it a relative youngster compared to some of the traditional bookmakers who have been around for most of the 20th Century. Despite that – and despite being online only – Betway have carved out a nice little niche for themselves. Built on the mantra of providing as quality a user experience as possible, the group have also built a legion of loyal fans around the globe. A lot of that has to do with some smart sponsorship deals. Darts and horse racing deals were the first made in 2013.

They were followed by the bookie’s most famous partnership, with West Ham United, in 2015. Betway still adjourn the West Ham shirt to this day and the deal is the biggest ever made by the company. The company also started its foray into Esports at this time. A whole host of deals followed, with many new ones made this year, including Dusseldorf and Hannover 96 in Germany, Leganes, Levanta and Alaves in Spain, and A.S. Roma in Italy. That means that the brand has worldwide exposure and continues to post strong finances year after year.

Looking to the future

There have been huge changes in the gambling industry this year. The repeal of the Professional and Amatuer Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in America effectively opened the gates for operators to flood the US market. As an online operator, Betway is not best placed to take advantage currently, with other operators forming deals with casinos and racetracks in the country.

Nevertheless, the future is bright for the firm. The company did make a loss it 2016, but a marketing push ensured it was profitable once again last year in 2017. The operator looks to be continuing its focus on Esports. It has signed five new sponsorship deals this year alone and has a great online offering and community, with a dedicated twitter handle. There were also partnerships made with racetracks and horse races last year, as the bookmaker continues to strengthen in this area too.

Our Betway test – the final verdict

Hopefully, we have covered everything in this Betway bookie review that is important to you, the punter. We have tried to be as transparent and objective as possible when researching, testing, and writing this report, so hopefully, that shows. Judging by the length of this evaluation, we certainly put the operator through its paces! Admittedly, it’s a lot of information to take in at once. Visual keys are always useful, so we’ve put together a quick ranking system and compiled the results in the table below. Check it out for a quick evaluation of what we deem to be essential criteria for any online betting site.

As we’ve said throughout this Betway review – and as you can see from the infographic above – this is an extremely consistent performer. Being an online-only operator, it’s fitting that its platform is slick, modern and highly intuitive. The platform is undoubtedly one of its strengths. It looks great and is easy to navigate. Another strength is the bookie’s promotions range. There are more offers and promotions available at any one time here than most other operators.

The offers also vary in type, across sports, and value, so there’s great variety. Did we mention there are always Esport promotions too? The welcome bonus also stands up well to the competition. The value is not the highest, but it’s certainly not the lowest either. Its real strength comes from how accessible it is. Many other sign-up offers have very difficult wagering requirements, which means many players don’t even profit from the offer. Here your chances of getting some real value from the welcome bonus are very high, and it’s a fun bonus to earn either way.

As for weaknesses, nothing really stands out. There are many areas where other operators do it a little better, such as stake limits, win limits, and deposit methods. But, these areas are mostly small or even insignificant to the majority of online sportsbook fans. With that in mind, you can’t really deduct too many points because of this. As we’ve found out when writing this review, they do everything well. It is a model of consistency and a good all-rounder; in the world of online sports betting, that means a lot. That’s why we find them a solid choice for any punter, whether a newbie or a seasoned pro.

Betway in the news

At a time when many operators are hitting the headlines for fines they have incurred or other controversies, they steer mostly clear. In fact, Betway is much more likely to get good press than bad. This year, the firm has received praise for the work it was doing to help disabled athletes in South Africa, along with its talent search programme which aims to give a chance of a professional contract to undiscovered athletes. The numerous sponsorship and ambassador deals we have spoken about in this Betway online review also get the name in the news now and then, particularly big horse race sponsorships.

The firm’s sponsorship of Premier League club West Ham ensures that it is always in the limelight in East London. That deal could potentially come under scrutiny soon though. In England, gambling companies sponsoring football teams is quickly becoming a heated and politicised issue. Particularly the Labour party have vowed to put an end to this practice, so it will be interesting to keep an eye on developments there. They are far from the only gambling firm to sponsor a Premier League club, but nevertheless, pressure could be put on them in the not too distant future. That pressure extends to advertising in general. The operator does not advertise much outside of their sponsorship deals, so they haven’t faced the sort of criticism that those operators that advertise on TV have. Nevertheless, how the industry advertises could be set for a shake-up in the not too distant future, and they will not be excluded from that.

Comment section

And that’s that. Hopefully, you enjoyed this article and if you haven’t already joined Betway you can make an informed decision about doing so. Even with reviews of this length, it’s not possible to cover every aspect of an online betting site packed with features like Betway. If there’s something we missed that you would like to know or to fill us in on, then please let us know using the comments box below. We’ll try to get back to you as soon as possible and can update this review if necessary.