Sportingbet Review
Often referred to as South Africa’s largest sportsbook, Sportingbet undeniably holds the title as one of the oldest and most established bookmakers on offer today. This British online gambling powerhouse, owned and operated by GVC Holdings plc was launched in 1997 and has quickly built itself in what is now over 2.5 million registered customers in 200 countries, who place over one million bets (casino, poker, sports and virtual games) per day.
Sportingbet has since evolved to include locally-focused sportsbooks, virtual games, casino sites, and the online poker card room, Paradise Poker. The Sportingbet conglomerate launched a system similar to a franchise, in which independent website operators are able to utilise the Sportingbet centralised software, financial services, trading, and customer service under license.
The shere presence of this stock listed company across the English Premier League, the Champions League and even sponsorships with West Ham United is enough to get any player excited.
Sportingbet OVERVIEW
| Software: | NetBet, SBT |
| Languages: | English |
| Currencies: | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Licences: | Western Cape gambling and racing board |
| Countries accepted: |  |
| Withdrawal Limits: | R1,000,000 EFT |
Bonuses & Promotions
First Deposit Bonus:
100% up to R2,000 (Bonus code: WELCOMEBONUS)
Min deposit of R50. Max amount R2,000. To claim this offer, the first deposit must be made with in 30 days following registration.
Bonus becomes unrestricted after wagering 3x the bonus and deposit amount on Sports. Wagering on bets with total odds above 1.5 will be applicable for the release requirements.
- Football Cash Back Bonus: Place a ‘Match Result’ multiple of five or more selections. Odds of 1.5 or greater. Get FreeBet (max R500) if you miss by one
- Tennis Cash Back Bonus: Place a 5-fold (or more) tennis ‘Match Winner’ accumulator. Odds of 1.25 or greater. Get FreeBet (max R500) if one selection is a loser
Exclusive Member Features
It’s no surprise that Sportingbet have included some of the most innovative features for its members. In a complex and growing competitive sports betting market bookmakers do need to do all they can in order to stand out amongst the rest, and for us, Sportingbet is right up their with the best of them.
Live sports betting
- We have all seen our fair share of Live betting offerings, some are really great, others could use a bit of an improvement. Sportingbet is most definitely the former and then some, the team have really excelled when it comes to live betting, taking what could be a very straightforward and simplistic offering and amplifying this into a whole new futuristic world of betting, something which once viewed will change your benchmarks of live betting forever
- Live streaming of fixtures, play by play analysis, as well as a fully updated stats breakdown are but some of the features you can expect when betting live on your favourite sports events.
Ongoing Competitions
The second feature we’ve come to enjoy about Sportingbet is their integration of competition elements. Not only do these bring a playful side to the overall sports betting user experience, but also who doesn’t love winning. Over the christmas period members had the chance to win daily prizes such as free bets by guessing where the elf was.
Betting Online With Sportingbet
It’s no surprise that the experience that Sportingbet has accumulate in the industry has found its way into the overall practical site design and layout of their website. It is because of this that it gets top spot as best website user experience and design amongst our bookies.
Firstly let’s start with the actual layout of the site, a very practical and visually appealing site design, which despite the number of additional site features and offers it includes it doesn’t feel cluttered or overwhelming, something which we have noticed in the past when reviewing other bookies, there really is a fine line between showing value and then just plain old clutter.
Sportingbet has really set the benchmark in mixing a perfect blend of visual appeal and practical usability. The team at Sportingbet have consciously emphasised the most important fundamental aspects needed in the player experience to ensure that these are not only easy to find, but even easier to use. Whether you are a first time player or a regular member you will appreciate this simplistic but highly effective site layout.
One of the things we really enjoy about the site is the use of iconography and visual cues such as the sports team jerseys, it just helps to elevate the overall appeal and attraction to the player experience, as well as reduce what can often become a very text heavy design.
Sportingbet do offer more than just sports betting, they also offer a very stylish and highly advanced live games section which includes all of your favourite casino games such as poker, Bingo and Baccarat to name a few. What we really appreciate is how the site has in some way managed to include both sports betting as well as casino affiliate offers all into one site but simultaneously made them feel like their own identity.
Overall we love the professional look and feel of the Sportingbet site, whether you are a novice or an experienced veteran, the way the site has been laid out, the features they provide, and the overall portfolio offering which extends past just online sports betting has created something that just feels very secure, easy to use and just plain awesome in general, a definite bookmaker to check out.
Mobile Betting With Sportingbet
The mobile user journey of Sportingbet is of course very slick, and completely compliments the desktop version given its responsive setup. The team at Sportingbet have done an incredible job to continue with the theme of simplicity with effect across all their owned touchpoints. In an online environment where trust and familiarity are so important, particularly to new or inexperienced players, bookies need to ensure that their designs cater for across device behaviour in a seamless and integrated way, this couldn’t be more so with the Sportingbet offering.
Across both mobile and tablet you will notice a sliding view functionality feature that just adds a real premium quality feel to an already top class mobile user experience.
Users are able to seamlessly scroll through top upcoming fixtures, filter by sporting code as well as popular leagues and tournaments with ease all thanks to this function.
All of the functions made available on desktop are of course neatly laid out across mobile
What we love most about this site is that everything a player needs in the way of their betting slips and bets are available as a sticky banner at the bottom of the screen, a very nice touch to just add to the ease of reference and navigation of the site. You’ll also be happy to know that the registration and login processes are the same across all devices, you are also able to use the same credentials regardless of what device you may be entering from.
The Sportingbet App
Once you’ve found a bookmaker you love and have come to enjoy there is nothing better than ultimate convenience, at Sportingbet this ultimate convenience to smartphone and tablet users comes in the form of the Sportingbet app. This 64mb app boasting a 4.7 out of 5 review is compatible across both apple and android devices and features some of the known favourites we have come to love and enjoy from the desktop and mobile experience.
Overall the app has the exact same look and feel, functionality as well as betting process to that of its desktop and mobile counterparts, the only real reason to have the app is for convenience and of course speed, you no longer need to login through your web browser but simply click on the app icon on your phone or tablet.
Sportingbet have done a great job to ensure that its members are able to utilise the same sign in credentials with the app as what they have already registered with through mobile or PC.
We think that having this additional touchpoint option for which to play from really just elevates the offering from Sportingbets.
Creating an account with Sportingbet
The registration process of any bookmaker is really the making or breaking point of any new players user experience. It is crucial that the process for any player is firstly simple, it is easy to input and navigate, and most importantly does not require overly sensitive information or lengthy and/or difficult to upload document requirements.
On first entry you will be required to provide your email address and a future password to your account, once this is complete you will then need to supply the relevant authentication details such as your name, date of birth and you source of funds.
Once again you may be asked to supply FICA documentation if your identity cannot be initially confirmed, however the site does not request this upfront nor do they have much mention around FICA and FICA requirements.
One thing we do like is the reminder of the welcome bonus throughout the registration process. From a mobile device, tablet or even the app the registration process is exactly the same, as mentioned the credentials you initially register with can be used across any device or the app when looking to login to your account.
How to Deposit in to your Sportingbet account
There really is no shortage of popular deposit payment methods when it comes to Sportingbet, and with so much local awareness it’s no surprise they they boast some of the best ZAR friendly payment methods from which to utilise.
The actual deposit process is super easy, you will find the deposit button at the top of the website or alternatively on the sticker bar if visiting through mobile. Once you go through the the deposit section you are greeted with the various methods from which you can make use of. One of the most unfortunate let downs of the site is the lack of information provided regarding the various options, there is no real detail on the process, fee’s or any other information to give you more context of which option may be best for you. The only place to find this information is in the help section!
BANKING METHODS FOR DEPOSITING AND WITHDRAWING MONEY AT Sportingbet
| Banking Method | Deposit | Withdrawal |
| Mastercard or Visa Debit/Credit card | Yes | No |
| Fast bank transfer/EFT | Yes | Yes |
| OZOW | Yes | No |
| Neteller | Yes | Yes |
| ecoPayz | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill | Yes | Yes |
| 1Voucher | Yes | No |
| Sportingbet Promo code | Yes | No |
Safety & Security
Gambling License
First things first, in terms of legally betting on sports within South Africa every bookmaker is required by law to be registered by the National Gambling Board of South Africa, if they are not then you can deem this as illegal activity and you should stay clear. You will be pleased to know that NETBET (Pty) Ltd (2012/187650/07) trading as Sportingbet South Africa, is licensed and regulated by the Western Cape Gambling and racing board
Website Security
The second aspect of safety and security is to ensure that the site itself that you are betting on is in fact secure. Sportingbet is HTTPS secure meaning that there is sufficient protection, integrity, and privacy of the data exchanged between a server and a client (usually a browser) present on the site. HTTPS also authenticates websites and confirms its trustworthiness.
Protection of information
From a personal information protection perspective this is one aspect that we really rate highly when it comes to Sportingbets offering. A very clear and detailed Help section has been created on the site which carefully indicates everything you may want to know about the information you are providing and the safety of this information.
Sportingbet does collect cookies which helps them customise the user experience based on your browsing habits, this is nothing to fear, pretty much all online website capture cookies in some way shape or form today.
Similarly to this they have also included a section detailing the various payment options, the security features behind each as well as any further information you may require around safely and securely transferring money in and out of your account.
Customer Support
If you looking support on the Sportingbet page you will be met with a number of options.
- Online Help centre – most, if not all general queries will first be redirected to Sportingbets comprehensive help centre. Here you will be able to get detailed answers to everything from depositing, to login support, legal matters and payments
- Live Chat – If you cannot find what you are looking for in the help centre then there is also a live chat feature available. here you will simply provide your name and email and you will be put in touch with a Sportingbet support team member. Hours available are 9:00am – 21:00pm
- Email – There is a built in email support feature on the site. When selected you will need to supply your name, email address, date of birth, your query and the option to upload any screenshots or supporting documents
SUMMARY: PROS & CONS OF Sportingbet
Now that you’ve read about all that this casino has to offer, let’s summarize all that for you and leave you with a list of pros and cons:
Pros
- The site is fully Responsive across all devices
- Fully integrated mobile app for on-the-go betting
- Comprehensive Live sports streaming functionality
- Live betting analysis and media centre
Cons
- Poor detail and information surrounding deposit methods
- Lack of overall site support
- Capturing and storing of financial details like credit cards
- Slow withdrawal process, lack of information regarding withdrawals and poor withdrawal process support
Live Sports
EXCLUSIVE OFFER
