Pros and Cons
- All major markets available
- Live streaming of events
- Can limit you if you win big
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Background
bet365 can now lay claim to being the biggest bookmaker in the world. They differ from many of the other big global brands in that they are a private business which are owned almost exclusively by the Coates family, all of whom are based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Chairman Peter Coates founded the company in 1974, although the day-to-day operations are now controlled by COO Denise Coates and CEO John Coates (the son and daughter of Peter).
bet365 was previously Northern Racing, a collection of betting shops based around the north-west and Midlands area, although they set up a telephone betting business in the 1990s and identified that an online operation would be the way forward, something which saw them sell several hundred retail outlets to Coral in 2005. bet365 now have several million customers and employ over 1,000 people, most of whom are based at their Stoke-on-Trent HQ.
Odds and Markets
bet365 offer the widest range of sports and markets imaginable, with no stone unturned to ensure that a customer wanting to bet on an event is well catered for. Not only do they have a wide range of pre-match markets available but they also have impressive coverage when it comes to In-Play betting as you will see when you visit the homepage and witness the live action where the odds are constantly updating.
The odds are very strong across all sports, with bet365 committed to betting on particularly tight margins when it comes to soccer and the big European leagues, including Premier League, La Liga and Champions League. You will notice that their prices get progressively more competitive as the match approaches kick-off. Horse racing punters will clearly be delighted with their Best Odds Guaranteed promotion where they can take a price and know that they will get SP if it’s bigger.
bet365 are particularly strong when it comes to betting on football, with the firm now selecting a handful of matches every season where they offer new and existing customers a free In-Play bet which means they refund any losses on the Premier League or Champions League game in question.
The firm have also launched a new ‘Close Bet’ feature, which allows players to cash out their bet before the event is over. If you begin to feel uncertain about your bet once the event is in-play then you can take a settlement figure in order to close the bet early. This can be done whether your chosen team is winning or losing, with the settlement figure reflecting the current status of the bet.
Website
The bet365 website prides itself on being one of the fastest in the industry and it certainly services customers wanting to deposit and place a bet just before an event begins. The lay-out is clear and uncomplicated; the latest In-Play events dominate the homepage with the vast array of pre-event sporting markets only a couple of clicks away. They even provide fast links for soccer matches so you can select player or goal-related markets straight away.
With the live streaming that’s available, bet365 have ensured that the site is very reliable and there is also an excellent live chat facility within the Help section which means that you can click on a link and speak with a representative in a matter of seconds. It’s a user-friendly site which is always being improved for increased customer satisfaction.
Customer Service
Yet another strong area for this bookmaker who offer 24/7 customer support and you can contact them using live chat, email or a toll-free telephone number.
Customer service is available in a wide range of languages and the response times are very fast. You will find members of staff are very well trained and knowledgeable when it comes to dealing with your queries.
