Founded back in 2000, bet365 has long established itself as one of the titans in the betting industry, and with millions of players around the world, this bookmaker sits comfortably at a level which others can only dream of reaching. The question we are looking to an answer here is not whether bet365 is a good bookmaker or not, but just how good are they? Do their services really deserve the title of best bookie around? Keep on reading our bet365 review as we uncover all there is to know about bet365.

Pros

  • Excellent site that works really well
  • They have always looked after me as an existing customer with regular promotions
  • I find their live streaming service excellent and allows me to bet in-play easily.
  • A massive brand presence with hugely competitive odds

Cons

  • Slightly dated design
  • No responsive search

Excellent Welcome Offer

When I signed up to join bet365’s sportsbook, I’d heard from a lot of people that it was a straight-forward and easy to understand process. And that there may be a welcome offer for new customers.

I’m pleased to say that those people were correct and my experience of signing-up as a UK customer to this bookie was a great one as they made it really easy in comparison to other bookmakers out there.

It was a simple one-page sign-up, so whilst they needed all the usual information from me – email, username, address etc, having it all on one page made it seem quick and simple.

Once I was registered with them I was instantly asked if I’d like to deposit, although you can skip that part, and it was at this point that a bet365 sign up offer was presented to me – however, they call it the bet365 Open Account Offer.

The bet365 new customer offer that I was presented was to ‘bet £10 get £50 in free bets’ which, even without reading the terms and conditions comes across as an extremely generous offer.

The terms and conditions that I was given on this promotion were incredibly fair too – firstly I had to claim the offer within 30 days. I then needed to make a qualifying deposit of £5-£10 in order to qualify for a 500% matched amount in bet credits, up to a maximum of £50.

Open Account Offer

I was informed by their promotional text that my qualifying deposit is my largest deposit (capped at £10) made in the 7 days prior to you claiming the offer. Thankfully I was using my debit card anyway as it is one of the few payment methods that qualify for the bonus. Once my deposit was in, it was matched x 5 in bet credits.

The next step was for me to release the bet credits by making qualifying bets of a total value of the qualifying deposit and these bets needed to settle within the first 30 days from opening my account. These bets had to be at odds of 1/5 (1.2) or more and in markets/fixture combinations that only have 2 or 3 outcomes – such as a win-draw-win market

Interestingly I would have lost my bet credits if I had not made qualifying bets to the total (or greater than the total) of my initial qualifying deposit. Once my credits were released though, I got to use them but was reminded that any returns from bet credits would not have the bet credit included, it would only be any winnings from bet credits that would go into my withdrawable balance.

Overall, in my personal opinion, when you compare these terms to those of other bookmakers, I think they’re very favourable, especially if you’re looking to deposit a decent amount from the beginning – it really seems that they want to look after you from the start; that’s how I felt anyway!

Key Terms & Conditions

Here’s a summary of the key terms and conditions that I experienced when claiming bet365’s Open Account offer, explained by bet365 themselves:

New Customers only. Bet £10* & Get £50* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5* and £10* to your account and bet365 will give you five times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value and they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply.

Significant Terms and Conditions

  • Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5* or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 500% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £50* in Bet Credits. Once released, your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable.

  • To release your Bet Credits for use, you must place qualifying bets to the value of your qualifying deposit (capped at £10*) and they must settle within 30 days of claiming the offer. Only qualifying bets settled after claiming the offer will count towards this requirement.

  • Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, paysafecard and all other prepaid credit and debit cards, where available, cannot be used for either your qualifying deposit or any subsequent withdrawal of returns from Bet Credits stakes unless we have successfully verified an accepted form of your Identity Documents and you have entered a Postal Verification Code (PVC), or we have successfully verified two accepted forms of your Identity Documents. See full Terms and Conditions for details.

  • Bets placed must meet certain conditions to count towards the release of your Bet Credits:

  • Must contain at least one selection at odds of 1/5 (1.20) or greater.

  • In market/fixture combinations that only have two or three potential outcomes (for example Soccer Full Time Result), where you have placed bets on more than one potential outcome, either pre-match or In-Play, only the outcome with your highest cumulative stake will count.

  • Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, only the remaining active stake will count.

  • Where a bet has been edited using our Edit Bet feature, only the new stake on the new bet will count.

  • Fully Cashed Out, Instant Games, Gaming, void bets or In-Play bets which are settled as a push will not count.

  • Your Bet Credits are non-withdrawable, and Bet Credits stakes are not included in any returns. Any returns from Bet Credits placed will be added to your Withdrawable Balance. Bet Credits cannot be used on certain products, offers/promotions and bet types. See full Terms and

  • Conditions for details.

  • Your Bet Credits will be forfeit and removed if your account is inactive for 90 consecutive days.

  • *or currency equivalent

T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.

What are bet365 like with Existing Customers?

A lot has changed in the 10 years that I’ve had a bet365 account – in particular around responsible gambling and site security, like with their GamCare partnership, – and online sportsbooks have found it tough to adapt to this approach in my opinion. However, bet365 have not struggled to adapt.

I receive regular emails promoting their responsible gambling measures and whenever I join a new bookmaker I always check this section of their site out as it’s important to me to know that they’re looking out for you as much as they can.

During my experience with them, I’ve been offered the chance to set deposit limits on a daily, weekly or monthly basis – a measure that’s really great if you just want to bet casually and responsibly.

In the 10 years I’ve had an account, I’ve never once had a problem with bet365 when it comes to banking issues either – I’ve always considered my money safe with them and have not had to question them otherwise.

Now that they are such a massive online bookmaker, they transcend the betting world and are often in the mainstream news pages – in particular the business sections. The more you read about them, the more you realise that they try their hardest to ensure they’re meeting all regulatory requirements within the UK, where I bet from.

When it comes to trust and safety around online betting sites, bet365 stand out due to being one of the world’s largest, whilst still being privately owned. Who owns bet365? It’s the same owners now as it has been since the beginning – the Coates family, headed by Denise Coates.

Available on iOS, Android, and Mobile Web!

I’ve only used bet365 on occasion using the mobile website, rather than playing at bet365 online, and it’s always worked as expected – essentially the exact same experience. It’s easy to navigate around bet365’s mobile website and just as simple to select and place your bets.

When it comes to the bet365 apps, I use the iOS app regularly and again it’s really simple to use. From the pin-code bet365 app login to navigating the mobile app, everything works well. Much like the desktop experience you can tell that they’ve invested heavily here.

Android users are covered too as it’s clear within the Google Play store that there’s a bet365 Android app available to download. Friends who have this installed assure me that the experience is exactly what you’d expect from great sports betting sites – easily navigable, simple to get your bets on, with a good user experience.

I really enjoy the bet365 in play experience on mobile – with the bet365 live match/event visualisations and data points providing just enough info to help me make my sports bets.

HOW WE RATE AND MONITOR BEST BETTING SITES’ PERFORMANCE

When we review bookies, we consider numerous factors. As we already said, just because a bookie is popular doesn’t mean it’s that great. Internet users’ opinions are critical but not crucial. There are other factors to consider for a real money bookmaker to appear on our list.

Our top-rated bookies are fully legit, safe, and unbiased. Our team has done in-depth and reliable bookmaker reviews you can trust without a doubt in your mind. Below you can find the most important factors we check for when reviewing the greatest sportsbooks online.

SAFETY WHEN USING SPORTSBOOK WEBSITES

Your safety and security are the two most important factors when joining a new betting site. They’re both guaranteed by the license and the security measures the site employs. All of our reviewed bookmakers are properly licensed by the top authorities. The UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority are the most prominent governing bodies. If either licenses the bookie you want to join, you’re in good hands.

Of course, the site needs to be SSL encrypted too. SSL encryption will keep the data you enter at the site in check and safe from prying eyes. We don’t even look at unlicensed bookies’ ratings, so you can trust that our recommended sites are 100% legit.

LEGAL SPORTS BETTING WEBSITES

As mentioned, a betting site must be legal to appear on our list. Most of the bookmakers we have ranked have an MGA or UKGC license. The UKGC licenses the best online bookies, including juggernauts such as Bet365 and William Hill. When it comes to the permit and legality of the bookie, we make no compromises. Either the bookie owns a proper license, or it doesn’t make it to our list.

RELIABILITY

A good betting site will always be reliable. It must pass our tests with flying colors regarding its trustworthiness. If it passes our license and security checks, we can safely say that it’s trustworthy, reliable, and worthy of appearing on our list. We don’t rank unreliable bookies that have been bashed by users online. All of the sites featured on our list have been very much praised on the Internet thanks to their outstanding features, various sports markets, and excellent bonuses and offers.

REPUTATION

When our team reviews betting sites, they scan the Internet in-depth to learn what users think of the bookie. While not a deciding factor, a bookie’s reputation on the web is always considered. We convey positive and negative feedback when writing our online betting site reviews. Paired with other factors, we try to paint a clear picture of what you should expect from that particular bookie.

Don’t confuse reputation with popularity. A popular website may not be legal, safe, and trustworthy. On the other hand, a reputable site may not be that popular, but it gives you the best chances to win.

ODDS

The best betting sites for sports will always have the best odds online. If you shop for odds, it becomes clear that not all bookies are identical. New sportsbooks may rely on bonuses and promotions more than good odds. The highest sports odds are almost exclusively found in the top 5 bookmakers rating in the UK, USA, Canada, and Australia.

But why shop for odds when you can find all the top betting sites with premium odds on this page? You need to look at our page if you’re unsure what good odds are. Check the review for each website on our list and make your pick. You won’t go wrong with each site featured on our page – they’re all legit and feature the best odds for football and many other sports.

SAFETY WHEN USING SPORTSBOOK WEBSITES

Your safety and security are the two most important factors when joining a new betting site. They’re both guaranteed by the license and the security measures the site employs. All of our reviewed bookmakers are properly licensed by the top authorities. The UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority are the most prominent governing bodies. If either licenses the bookie you want to join, you’re in good hands.

Of course, the site needs to be SSL encrypted too. SSL encryption will keep the data you enter at the site in check and safe from prying eyes. We don’t even look at unlicensed bookies’ ratings, so you can trust that our recommended sites are 100% legit.

MARKETS/BET TYPES

The markets and various bet types are at the core of each online sportsbook. These can confuse beginners as there are dozens of bet types and hundreds of markets. But that’s why we’re here. We’ll break down some of the most important bet types you will see at online bookmakers and the most popular markets.

The most famous bet types online include match-winner, outrights, handicaps, and parlays. There are many others, of course, but these are the most popular ones. Let’s start with the first–match winners. It is the most straightforward bet you can place, involving picking the home or away team to win. As the name explains, you’re betting on the match-winner.

Betting on outrights means betting on a single team to win it all. These bets are prevalent in markets such as the World Cup in football or the NBA League. Outrights can be pretty lucrative, especially if you place them at the beginning of the league or tournament. Of course, they also require a lot of luck since there’s no way of telling what could happen in a full season of football or basketball (or any other sport).

The top sportsbooks online will also offer a vast range of handicaps. Handicaps are a bit trickier than match winners but very valuable and easy once you get the hang of them. Also known as point or line betting, handicaps are used to even out the field when there’s a massive difference in the teams’ quality. To put it simply, with a handicap, a bookie gives a virtual advantage to the weaker squad and a disadvantage to the favourite.

Finally, parlays are pretty popular in the UK and are a type of bet that groups two or more wagers. Depending on the company, a parlay can be created with as few as a couple of picks. Usually, most parlays go up to 12 picks per slip.

Regarding markets, there are hundreds on offer at the biggest sportsbooks on the Internet. Lesser-known sports usually feature fewer markets, but massive sports such as football can have hundreds of markets on offer, including pre-match and live betting options.

Betting markets are similar to prediction markets found in stock markets. Both involve predicting the future and are equally challenging to predict right.

DEPOSITS & WITHDRAWALS

When betting online, you will have to put money on your bankroll and withdraw your winnings if you manage to win your bet slip. In the past, players would take their money to a betting shop counter and be done with it. However, it’s the era of online betting, and things are done a bit differently.

The good news is that things are even easier nowadays. Depositing the best bookmakers online can be completed in seconds, provided your payment option is funded. Bank transfers have been the most popular payment option for quite some time, but new options such as e-wallets and cryptocurrencies have emerged as the better option.

All transactions at online sportsbooks are made through the Cashier or Payments page. This page can be found on your account and is quite easy to navigate. More often than not, bookies have a How To guide describing the deposit/withdrawal process step-by-step. Even if you’re a newcomer, you shouldn’t have trouble following the on-screen instructions and depositing them into your real money account.

Your best and fastest options to do so are e-wallets such as Neteller, PayPal, and Skrill. They offer fully safe and instant deposits and pretty fast withdrawals too. Since they accept players from many countries outside the UK, such as India, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and South Africa, they can be used anywhere globally.

You must get those winnings back to your account when you win something at a bookie. Withdrawing money is just as easy as depositing, although withdrawal times are often quite slow. Of course, good betting sites will pay your winnings instantly via e-wallets – those are the ones you should be going for.

BONUSES, PROMOTIONS, AND FREE BETS

Free bets are the most popular bonus you can get at online sportsbooks. Of course, they’re not the only ones. There are plenty of other bonuses and promotions you can get your hands on that will boost your bankroll. You can use them all to your advantage, placing bets on riskier markets that will hopefully pay off.

Besides free bets, welcome bonuses are a popular freebie for new players. As the name suggests, these are sign-up bonuses that will most likely cover a portion of your first deposit. For example, a bookie may offer a 100% cover of your first deposit up to £50, which will double your money to play with from the beginning.

Some bookies may choose to cover your next few deposit bonuses. Remember that you should always read the fine print before claiming a reward. The bonus T&Cs hold valuable information without which you can’t meet the requirements and claim any eventual winnings.

Bookies also use a host of promotions to entice regular users to continue depositing and betting. Promotions can cover a specific sport or be available in particular markets. Just like bonuses, they come tied to a set of terms and requirements you should read. Bookmaker promotions are a great way to add funds to your bankroll, keep betting, and possibly win.

You may have heard about free bets, but there’s more where that’s coming from. Online sports betting sites have loads of bonuses and promotions on offer. Below you can see the most common bonuses, promotions, and specials available at the top betting sites in 2023.

BONUSES, PROMOTIONS, AND FREE BETS

Free bets are the most popular bonus you can get at online sportsbooks. Of course, they’re not the only ones. There are plenty of other bonuses and promotions you can get your hands on that will boost your bankroll. You can use them all to your advantage, placing bets on riskier markets that will hopefully pay off.

Besides free bets, welcome bonuses are a popular freebie for new players. As the name suggests, these are sign-up bonuses that will most likely cover a portion of your first deposit. For example, a bookie may offer a 100% cover of your first deposit up to £50, which will double your money to play with from the beginning.

Some bookies may choose to cover your next few deposit bonuses. Remember that you should always read the fine print before claiming a reward. The bonus T&Cs hold valuable information without which you can’t meet the requirements and claim any eventual winnings.

Bookies also use a host of promotions to entice regular users to continue depositing and betting. Promotions can cover a specific sport or be available in particular markets. Just like bonuses, they come tied to a set of terms and requirements you should read. Bookmaker promotions are a great way to add funds to your bankroll, keep betting, and possibly win.

You may have heard about free bets, but there’s more where that’s coming from. Online sports betting sites have loads of bonuses and promotions on offer. Below you can see the most common bonuses, promotions, and specials available at the top betting sites in 2023.