BETWAY Review – Our Test and Experiences
In our Betway test, we look at a betting provider that has been active in the online betting industry since 2006 and which, with the help of numerous sponsoring relationships with famous clubs such as West Ham United, Werder Bremen and FC St. Pauli, has made quite a name for itself in the world of sports betting. This company was established in Great Britain, though it now has a secondary headquarters listed in Malta, allowing it to apply for a coveted gaming license from this Mediterranean island. But it isn’t only those aforementioned partnerships that have helped this British bookmaker establish itself as one of the big names in the industry since it was founded over 10 years ago: In our Betway test, this betting provider also convinces with exciting live betting opportunities, intelligent website design and reliable customer service. Furthermore, Betway offers an attractive new-customer bonus which we address in detail within our review. For all of these reasons, it is hardly any wonder that this company has grown continuously in recent years, even far beyond the borders of its home country, which explains why so many tipsters outside of Great Britain now regularly enjoy their betting experiences on Betway. Currently, this British bookmaker boasts around 2 million customers, ranking Betway amongst the biggest betting providers on the market. In the following sections, you can read more about our Betway experiences as we examine categories such as betting products, live betting and user-friendliness, presented to you in a detailed report.
| Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Betting offer | 17 / 20 |
| Odds | 18 / 20 |
| Live betting | 8 / 10 |
| Betting bonus | 10 / 10 |
| Usability | 9 / 10 |
| Methods of payment | 8 / 10 |
| Customer Service | 10 / 10 |
| Integrity | 10 / 10 |
BETTING PRODUCTS – excellent breadth, depth still wanting
Within the scope of our test, we discovered over 20 different sports for you to bet on at Betway. As a British bookmaker, Betway certainly knows what it’s talking about when it comes to football betting, whereas other “classics” from Great Britain such as horse- and dog racing can also be found in this betting provider’s product selection. The choice of football leagues on Betway is, based on our experience, absolutely competitive in terms of breadth: In the major football nations of Europe such as England, Germany and Spain, in addition to the highest tiers of competition you will also find lower divisions, such as the second and third German Bundesliga, as you will truly exotic football associations like those in Thailand and Paraguay. In our Betway test, we also discovered opportunities to bet on semi-professional and amateur clubs, while lower-level English as well as German regional leagues were likewise represented in this bookmaker’s offer. However, in this regard we were only able to find these in the English and German football associations, which is why Betway is unable to earn an absolute top score in this category.
Aside from football, other popular sports such as Formula One, American football and ice hockey also find a home with this bookmaker from Great Britain, with an ample selection of leagues available. Likewise, at Betway you can enjoy your first experiences with modern sports such as E- and virtual sports, or see how well you fare betting on more exotic disciplines such as Gaelic sports, UFC and Unihockey. Thanks to a wide selection of social and political bets, along with diverse casino games, even away from the world of sports Betway leaves practically no wish unfulfilled. However, Betway is not quite able to keep pace with respect to betting markets: In our Betway test, we only came across as many as 60 types of bet per event, a number which puts Betway squarely in the middle compared to other betting providers. Though the depth of their offer is somewhat lacking, the overall breadth and diversity of their sports betting portfolio still puts Betway in the upper third within this category and therefore earns them 17/20 points.
BETTING ODDS – In our Betway test, we encountered odds slightly above average
As we analyzed Betway’s betting odds, we first took a look at those odds as they applied to football: With an average payout rate of 94%, Betway positions itself in the upper mid-range and, based on our experience, is especially worth considering for longshot bets. Furthermore, the payout rate for top encounters in international competition such as the Champions League and Europa League may climb as high as 97%, making lucrative winnings quite feasible. As for other sports, this British bookmaker delivers potentially profitable odds for tennis, ice hockey and basketball, adding to Betway’s points tally in this category of our report. In summary, this young online bookmaker has nothing at all to be ashamed of in this category, fielding odds that make it hard for tipsters to go far wrong. Our experience indicates that bets on longshots as well as big football events are likely to make a visit to Betway very rewarding. We award them 18/20 points.
LIVE BETS – When it comes to live bets, Betway offers everything your heart desires
Because live bets have become an increasingly important component of the betting market in recent years, we also took a close look at this category in our Betway test. As with their bets in general, their live bets also reflect a wide selection of different sports, though the focus is again clearly on football. That said, other popular betting sports such as ice hockey and tennis aren’t neglected either. However, the number of available betting markets is somewhat limited, an area where Betway certainly has room for improvement. In contrast, we had good experiences with the overall design of the live center: Though it is rather dark – as is the website in general – the design and layout have been so skillfully conceived that you are immediately able to get your bearings. In the upper area of the webpage, you can filter by sport, while the category “upcoming”, as the name suggests, lists impending events so there is never any danger of overlooking potentially attractive live betting opportunities with Betway.
One click on the individual matches will provide you with more detailed information about the event in question: Aside from available betting markets, you will be able to browse pertinent statistics and display a live animation of current game action. Any changes in odds are indicated in real time by means of appropriate colors and a small arrow pointing either up or down, meaning you will be able to adjust your betting strategy to spontaneous developments at any time. Our Betway review indicates an ambitious offer with some room for improvement, though even now you can look forward to very positive live betting experiences: 8/10 points.
BETTING BONUS – Get up to £ 30 in free bets
In case of the Betway sportsbook bonus, due to our Betway review and experiences, especially customers from the United Kingdom and Ireland can be pleased. Because: This welcome bonus is only available for clients from these two countries. Reason enough for us to describe our experiences with the Betway bonus to you in all its details. Basically, the bookmaker gives you the chance to double your first deposit in form of free bets. Here is an example: If you deposit the minimum of £ 10 the Betway bonus grants you a £ 30 free bet, which you can use for your sportsbook betting. Be aware, that this Betway bonus is only available if you deposit the £ 10 or higher within 7 days after registration. You should also mind, that only PayPal and debit/credit card are possible payment methods. The maximum free bet bonus amount in case of the Betway bonus is £ 30. Regarding the bet types allowed, you have the following possibilities:
- single bets – must be placed at odds of 1.75 (3/4) or over
- each-way bets – the place part of the bet must be placed at odds of 1.40 (2/5) or over
- system bets – each selection must be placed at odds of 1.40 (2/5) or over
You also should be aware of the maximum return you can get out of the Betway bonus. Sums over £20.000 will not be returned to your account. Placement of a Free bet on an each-way-market is considered one bet. Important to know: There are no wagering requirement on the Betway welcome bonus. A fact, which has to be mentioned positively. All in all, the Betway bonus can convince us in many ways, as there is a low deposit amount. Also, the odds for valid betting types are more than moderate. Therefore, we can credit this Betway welcome bonus offer with our full 10 points in our Betway review.
USER-FRIENDLINESS – Betway delivers a convincing web presence in our test
In this category of our Betway test, we first examine the design, loading times and structure of the website, after which we go ahead and analyze their mobile offer. When you open their website for the first time, you immediately notice that Betway has invested lots of thought in its design: Due to optimal use of space, it is exceptionally easy to navigate the site, resulting in a pleasant experience during our visit to Betway. Although the website presents a lot of information, at no point does it appear cluttered or crowded: Everything is well-considered and intuitive. As a consequence, with little effort visitors can add to their personal experiences with Betway, never getting lost or giving up after just a few minutes out of frustration. While rather dark, a color scheme that features strong, clear contrasts guarantees that all of the most important content stands out appropriately. In addition to the different categories including live betting, football, tennis and basketball, the main navigation header area also includes the betting slip and a cash-out button. Their casino offer can also be found there. In two separate menus on the left-hand side, you will find current highlights as well as a listing of all sports in this betting provider’s portfolio (sports where live events are currently taking place are additionally marked “live”).
The middle area of the website changes according to the sport you have selected and, in addition to information about individual matches, also shows available betting markets as well as accompanying odds. The footer is used for contact opportunities, terms of business as well as accepted payment methods. With respect to Betway’s mobile offer, we were able to discover an app for android and iPhone, as well as a website optimized for mobile devices. With respect to the structure and design of the site, Betway can barely be faulted, since a logical and clear structure dominate. Both the desktop and mobile versions as well as the app boasted minimal loading times and performed really well. In summary, we were excited about Betway’s web presence in this category of our test, awarding them a fully deserved 9/10 points.
PAYMENT OPTIONS – Wide selection, little information
Aside from various credit cards, Betway also allows you to pay with a selection of E-wallets including PayPal, Skrill and Neteller. Within the scope of our Betway test, we also discovered the availability of payment services clickandbuy, paysafecard, click2pay, Ukash, giropay, usemybank, InstaDebit, Payspark, eps (Austrian customers only), Sofort and a number of others. With regards to payment methods, however, you need to bear in mind that not all of these can be used both for deposits as well as payouts. Furthermore, if you want to know about potential fees associated with the various payment methods, you will have to contact customer service, resulting in a points deduction in this particular area of our Betway test. We were compelled to dock an additional point due to the fact that only logged-in customers are able to view a listing of accepted payment methods. Although the palate of payments services is extremely large and also includes PayPal, due to a few shortcomings Betway is not quite able to manage top marks in this category of our review and scores: 8/10 points.
CUSTOMER SERVICE – Betway is committed to high standards
In terms of customer service, this British bookmaker puts an impressive offer on the table of our Betway test: In addition to a selection of 0800 numbers for customers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, a live chat and an email address are also provided. Betway has a Facebook page, where you are not only kept up-to-date with the latest odds and other highlights, but also able to get in touch with customer service via chat. Members of the Betway customer support team are available 24/7 to answer your questions in 17 different languages (though German-language service is only offered from 9 AM until 1 PM). Whereas we did not encounter more extravagant contact options like Skype or Whatsapp, plus the hard-to-find telephone numbers caused us a little stress, nonetheless this did not significantly detract from the overall quality and quantity of the Betway offer in this category, hence we award them: 10/10 points.
PROFESSIONALISM – Transparency is a trump card for Betway
Our research indicated that Betway was very transparent in presenting information about how their company does business as well as their licensing. That said, this British bookmaker holds licenses from Malta, Great Britain, Spain, Germany (Schleswig-Holstein), Denmark, Belgium, Ireland and Italy. In addition, Betway can also hoist the internationally reputed and independently verified eCOGRA certificate up its mast, which, amongst other things, requires inspections of random-number generators for casino games as well as payout rates. This young betting provider has also entered into partnerships with such famous football clubs as West Ham United and SV Werder Bremen, while supporting initiatives against gambling addiction, something the Betway test notes as particularly praiseworthy. As a consequence, for this betting provider’s transparent and open posture we award the highest points possible: 10/10.
BETTING TAXES
Due to the betting taxes levied in Germany, Betway withholds 5% on its customers’ winnings. This means that, should your bet win, your payout will only be 95% of the amount. When we consider that some betting providers even withhold that tax on their customers’ actual wagers, we see Betway’s model as a kind of middle ground in dealing with betting taxes.
IN SUMMARY – Betway performs well in all categories of our test, though never earns absolutely top scores
Betway is a true all-rounder, slightly above average in practically all categories, thus delivering a solid performance in our test of betting providers. Especially when it came to user-friendliness and customer service, our reaction to our Betway experience was nothing but positive. Furthermore, we again draw attention to the transparency and openness Betway shows towards its customers. That said, we were forced to make minor deductions due to their betting products, the breadth of which was convincing; the depth, which had room for improvement, not so much. All in all, this young online bookmaker with British roots achieves a ranking in the upper mid-range in our comparison of online bookies.
