Reviewed By James Molloy
bet365 is one of the massive dot.com success stories, not only in online betting but across the global internet. From modest beginnings in a portacabin in Stoke-on-Trent in 2000, bet365 is now one of the best online bookmakers in the world. Initially, the core product was sports betting, but the familiar gaming brand now offers a casino, live casino and several other gaming products. The company is well known for the ‘bet in-play now’ adverts featuring the British actor, Ray Winstone. The founders also own Stoke City Football Club who play in the Championship in England at the bet365 Stadium wearing shirts sponsored by bet365.
The bet365 Open Account Offer is for up to €100 in the form of Bet Credits, linked to a bet365 bonus code. The minimum qualifying deposit is €5 and the amount is matched by Bet Credits. It is a 100% matched deposit bonus because the value of the bonus is the same as the qualifying deposit. The maximum value of the Bet Credits is €100. The wagering requirements equate to the value of the initial deposit at odds of 1/5 for at least one selection. The qualifying bet must be settled within 30 days of activating the offer and the Bet Credits will be lost if the account is inactive for 90 days. The bet365 welcome bonus has a relatively high value and provides a good incentive to open an account and make the qualifying deposit.
‘Offers’ is the first option on the bet365 main sports page. This link takes account holders to the promotions and bet365 free bet offer lobby which is organised under the following headings: Special Offers, Soccer, Horse Racing, Greyhounds and Australian Racing. At the time of writing, existing customers could benefit from the following soccer offers n the betting site:
For horse racing, bet365 has a Price Promise and Best Odds Guaranteed, which also applies to greyhounds. The site features a bet365 early payout across several sports.
⭐ Latest in US Sports Betting: Check out the bet365 Ohio promo code
The most well-known bet365 free bet offer is part of the ITV 4/1 Racing Offer. If you back the winner of any race broadcast live on ITV at odds of 4/1 or bigger, bet365 will credit a risk-free bet for up to €50 that can be used on the next live televised race. The site lists the qualifying races which are shown live on the channel. Overall, the bet365 package of loyalty bonuses is one of the best in terms of variety and quantity with Irish-facing fixed odds bookmakers.
‘Sports’ is the first option on the main menu on the bet365 Homepage. The betting sports are listed in alphabetical order and there are about 30 in total. You can select sports to appear above this list so they can be reached more easily. The most popular betting sports with bet365 are soccer (football), horse racing and tennis. The full range of sports is targeted at the Irish market.
Cricket, golf, snooker, darts and both codes of rugby attract plenty of bets. The bet365 sports betting offer also includes the following four main professional and college sports in North America: American Football, baseball, basketball and ice hockey. In addition to the mainstream sports, customers with bet365 can back outcomes in Politics, Esports, Virtual Sports, TV Specials and Lotto.
One of the many positives of the bet365 service is the range of leagues and markets across the betting sports, providing punters with various betting options. The site features odds in a wide range of pre-match, in-play betting and antepost markets. The Bet Builder facility allows bettors to create a personalised multiple bet for several outcome in a soccer match. These events can be related so the odds are adjusted accordingly. Asian handicaps reward bettors the more they are correct.
Football is by far the most popular betting sport and the most bet on competition is the Premier League in Ireland. bet365 displays the match result betting market with a link to about 150 additional options, covering all the main elements of a soccer match. There is live streaming of fixtures in some minor leagues but not the main domestic leagues in Europe.
Customers with bet365 in Ireland can place bets in a comprehensive horse racing service. The offer includes meetings in the UK and Ireland, international fixtures and major overseas races. There is some live streaming once a registered customer meets the qualifying requirements. bet365 publishes antepost betting on races at the Cheltenham Festival, the Grand National and Classics.
bet365 is best known for sports betting but the site also features the following gaming products: bet365 Casino, Live Casino, Games, Poker and Bingo. Customers can select from many established and modern video slots titles and several formats of table games in the casino and live casino.
The bet365 ‘bet in-play now’ adverts appear during breaks in live soccer matches and other sporting events. Ray Winstone has an acting persona that fits the target market. In-play betting with bet365 is huge and there are events across about 20 sports. Some fixtures are streamed live and there is a visual display of the progress of play for every in-play event. bet365 suspends live betting after an incident that has a material effect on the betting. Amended odds appear after a short delay. Live bettors can use cash out to take a profit before a bet closes during bet365 betting in running.
bet365 cannot live stream matches in the English Premier League and Champions League because of restrictions due to TV contracts. However, the betting site can broadcast live matches in other leagues and sports such as tennis and horse racing. The picture definition is of a high quality but there are rarely commentaries except for live streamed horse racing.
The ‘Join’ button on the Homepage takes potential new customers to the registration screens. There are required fields for a Username and Password and an optional field for the bet365 bonus code and bet365 must verify the identity of potential new customers. The registration is quick and seamless and can be completed in a few minutes.
Customers can make deposits and withdrawals using debit cards but not credit cards. The other banking options include prepaid safe cards, Bank Transfer and e-Wallets. Deposits are free and instant. Some providers may impose a charge for carrying out withdrawal transactions which are subject to delays of 1 to 6 business days. The minimum transfer amount is €10 and the maximum depends on the provider.
The bet365 sports betting experience is outstanding with no major negatives or absent significant sports, leagues and features or betting market. The service works effectively on bet365 desktop and mobile platforms. One of the very strong areas is the bet365 betting in running platform.
Mobile users can download a fully functional bet365 app for iOS and Android technology. For those not interested in downloading another online betting app, the website can be read on mobile devices when the bet365 desktop browser is correctly optimised. The mobile platform provides an intuitive site that is not difficult to navigate.
This table shows an example of some typical margins at bet365, for the main markets with the three most popular betting sports:
Sport | Market | Margin |
Football | Match winner 3-way | 105.61% |
Horse Racing | Race winner | 102.50% |
Tennis | Match winner 2-way | 105.96% |
The football odds are above the average while the horse racing and tennis margins are standard. bet365 displays odds in fractional format by default but the alternatives are decimal and American.
Another major positive with bet365 is the quality of the support for customers. Contact methods are limited but there is a comprehensive Help section including Rules, FAQs and a complaints procedure. bet365 has a reputation for fairness and prompt replies to queries which is justified.
bet365 does not offer a VIP scheme in tiers depending on stakes. However, the ongoing promotions for existing customers form a generous loyalty programme across the main betting sports.
‘Responsible Gambling’ is one of the options on the Help menu. The site features control measures, including Self-Exclusion and Deposit Limits bet365 has partnerships with problem gambling support bodies and is a member of GamStop which provides self-exclusion services.
bet365 is best in class for fixed odds betting for customers located in the Ireland. The company is committed to thorough compliance and regulations, bet365 provides a fair betting environment and safe and secure operation. The bet365 sign up offer is transparent and achievable within the specific dates. The loyalty programme offers many event and sport-specific ongoing promotions. Overall, bet365 is one of the best destinations for betting on sport and other gaming products.
The minimum withdrawal amount is €10.
bet365 is best in class for the range of games.
bet365 has downloadable apps for iOS and Android devices.
The betting environment is safe and secure.
Withdrawals are subject to delays of 1 to 7 days.
"I've worked in the betting industry on product, operations and customer service for several years. A class operator will deliver on many aspects and we cover them all."
Reviewer since October 2015