Bet365 Review

Screenshots

The following is a review of the betting agency bet365. This review covers the history, features, interface, sports & racing markets, upsides and downsides of the service.
This review is part of our comprehensive Bookmaker Reviews section. The Betting Agencies page provides information and reviews for other sports betting agencies that are suitable for Australians. The following details are updated periodically to keep them up to date.

History, Location and Licence

bet365 is based in the UK and obtained an Australian licence in 2012. For Australian users, bet365′s sportsbook products are now licensed and regulated by the Northern Territory Racing Commission as opposed to the UK Gambling Commission. bet365 offers online sports and race betting, casino, games, poker and bingo. However, due to bet365′s Australian licence, the casino, games, poker, bingo and online in-play services are not available to Australians. For customers outside Australia these operations are licensed and regulated by the government of Gibraltar. bet365 is one of the world’s leading online gambling services with over 7 million customers in 200 countries. The company employs over 1,900 people and is the UK’s 7th largest private company.1, 2
Due to bet365′s Australian licence, it cannot offer in-play (aka live, or in the run) betting online. Australian customers must phone in to bet live. Those who are interested in online in-play wagering should check out our survey of online in-play betting providers.

Betting Interface and Website Layout

The bet365 interface is arguably the best we’ve ever seen. Rather than use standard HTML, the entire website is Flash driven. This facilitates a tremendous range of interactive features.
The left column features the ubiquitous sports navigation panel. However, unlike most bookmakers, the navigation frame doesn’t load subcategories. Instead, when you select a sport the available leagues are displayed in the centre column. You then select the leagues you wish to view. This feature is great when you wish to view numerous leagues at once, but it does take longer than a typical drop down menu if you’re only looking up one market. At present, you cannot display odds for different sports at the same time.
When viewing the odds you can click on the >> icon to view additional betting markets for the selected fixture. The additional odds are dynamically displayed on the same page to save you from unnecessary page reloads.

Displayed betting markets

Displayed betting odds

When viewing odds you can also click on a stats icon to view the form guide for the participants. This launches a statistics window that provides a plethora of form and fixture history data for the two sides.
If you’re viewing the guide for two football teams, you also have access to the league table and results matrix for the entire league, not to mention a full fixtures list, form table, players guide, team statistics and much more. The statistics navigation menu enables you to view form guides across a other sports while you’re there.

Form guide & statistics

The betting slip operates much like an online shopping cart. It is displayed to the right of the odds display and is maintained as you navigate around the website. Your net profit is calculated and displayed automatically as you input your stake amount. This is in contrast most Australian bookmakers, who display total profit rather than net profit for each selection.
The slip features a ‘Multiple Bet Options’ panel, which when selected displays numerous combinations of multibets using items in your bet slip. Multi betting fans will appreciate the functionality, with Trixie, Yankee, Super Yankee, Heinz, etc., available.

Sports Markets

bet365 offers a huge range of sporting markets. Given that it’s based in the UK, it is of no surprise that football (soccer) is heavily covered, with virtually every league catered for. The popular Australian sports are all present. As a result of bet365′s move into Australia, the betting selection on Australian sports is rapidly catching up with the leading Australian bookmakers. The breadth of international sports covered eclipses virtually every Australian service.
At the time of review over 50 odds markets were available for each English Premier League fixture, including Asian Handicap wagers.

Horse Racing

Those who enjoy wagering on both local and international racing events will appreciate bet365′s comprehensive racing coverage. Horse racing, greyhounds and harness racing are available in three categories: UK & Ireland, International, and Australia. As a result of bet365′s expansion into Australia, the offerings on Australian racing markets have improved out of sight. Races from venues across the country are offered each day and Antepost markets are available for the major Australian events.
For Tote wagering, bet365 guarantees to pay you the best dividend declared by your choice of two TAB operators or their Fixed Price at the time of bet placement. Punters have the options of ‘SuperTAB & NSW TAB’, ‘SuperTAB and Tatts’ and ‘NSW TAB and Tatts.’ You can edit your selection of TAB operators even once the selection is in your betting slip.
In addition to Win and Place betting, Quinella, Exacta, Trifecta and First Four wagering is supported, along with Daily Double, Treble and Quadrella wagers.

bet365 broadcasts live video streams of most horse races in the UK.