Although the brand has changed ownership down the years, Sky Bet retains all of its familiarity. Still inextricably linked with Sky TV and featuring the ever-popular Jeff Stelling in its marketing, Sky Bet’s image is a strong one.
Now owned by Flutter Entertainment, Sky Bet is part of a huge stable that includes such brands as Paddy Power, Betfair, Full Tilt Poker and many more, but it stands on its own as one of the best betting sites and most popular online casinos around.
Sky Bet is a major brand and some of their offerings reflect this. Unfortunately, we also found some disappointing areas.
Features are strong and their betting markets are just about OK, but what looks at a glance like a comprehensive ongoing promotions section is not really so and there are also just one or two concerns about customer service.
This is how we rate Sky Bet section by section:
There is a lack of deposit and withdrawal options for modern punters, as we’ll go into later on, while promotions are not what they seem.
Sky Bet very much has plenty to offer and so as always, we concentrate more on the positives than on the negatives. There are a number of both here, with these ones being the main areas to flag up:
Company
Sky Bet (owned by Flutter Entertainment)
Phone
0330 024 4777*
Live Chat
Yes
Founded
2000
Location
Leeds
Licence
UK Gambling Commission
Mobile App
Yes – for iOS and Android devices
In-Play Console
Yes
Live Streaming
Yes
Minimum Deposit
Customer Support Types
Email, live chat, FAQ, Twitter
*This number is for the general Sky Betting & Gaming office, so general customer service queries will not be answered.
On a technical level, there is little wrong with Sky Bet. The website, and associated mobile site and app, are all fun to use and have everything where you’d want it to be.
The features are also strong, with bet builders, cash out, streaming and live betting all available, while security is top-notch and is taken very seriously by the brand.
We found a big range of betting markets to choose from too, with odds sitting at about average for the industry though on certain sports you’d struggle to find Sky Bet being top-price on many strong contenders.
Promotions, it has to be said, were disappointing. Sky Bet advertises plenty of them, though many aren’t really promotions at all and are simply advertisements.
The biggest concern is that, while customer service reps are very good, their overall service is let down by the fact that a number of punters have complained at having had their accounts limited or closed due to being successful, which is ultimately the goal for us all.
Sky Bet is a well-established brand, especially in the UK. With that, they already have a huge pull and so don’t expect too big a new customer bonus!
As it happens, the sign-up bonus indeed isn’t the biggest, but is pretty average for a company of this size in this particular market. Sky Bet offers £20 in free bets for placing an initial £5 bet, so at the very least is not an expensive bonus to get. Here’s how it works:
Regardless of percentages and multiplications, we’d love to simply see a bigger cash bonus offered than £20 from Sky Bet, but as modern sign-up bonuses go this one is on a par with the main competition.
As is often the case with the larger firms a different, more valuable sign-up bonus may be offered in the build-up to major events such as the Cheltenham Festival or the FIFA World Cup.
It is very hard to track Sky Bet’s promotions as they change so often, even having a countdown on the site showing how long is left on each “offer”.
We put that in quotes as, frankly, many of their offers and promotions are nothing of the sort. Within Sky Bet’s promotions page, they advertise betting tools, the ITV 7 competition, their betting limits feature, a ‘what’s on’ guide and other such pieces. These are not customer offers or promotions.
A few promos did come up, these being somewhat typical:
These may be for specific fixtures rather than being ongoing, but enhanced acca odds are offered on football games. Customers will have to take up the accas Sky Bet push however, rather than their own choice, with typically three teams named all to win at a certain price.
Horse racing punters may get extra each-way places, but again this will only be on certain races and they will be Sky Bet’s choice.
Although it isn’t made abundantly clear to all punters upon entering the horse racing section, BOG is offered by Sky Bet meaning you can take the price about your horse and if it wins and the SP is bigger, you’ll be paid out at the bigger odds.
While Sky Bet’s casino bonuses may be more generous, their sports betting promotions are really disappointing. Much more could be offered to regular customers on an ongoing business, although short-term offers on very specific events are advertised every day – it’s up to players to keep an eye on the latest ones.
It’s hard to know why Sky Bet have taken this approach, and promos aren’t too important to every player, but we think better, more permanent promotions aimed at football and horse racing punters would be a bold tick in the right box.
Very surprisingly for a major brand name, Sky Bet offers very limited banking options. All major debit cards can of course be used; Visa, MasterCard, Maestro and Solo, along with Apple Pay and Google Pay.
No eWallets are accepted by Sky Bet. This is a big deal. So many customers are happier these days using PayPal, Skrill or Neteller and so Sky not accepting these methods is a big negative.
Deposits are free of course and are all instant which is a plus, while the minimum deposit of £5 is also very fair and helps out those who just want to log on quickly and place a small bet. Most withdrawals are also dealt with inside of a day or two, many are instant in fact.
Deposit maximums can be set by the player as part of the company’s responsible gambling policy, with minimum withdrawal’s set at £10 and the maximums not listed – so if you are big hitter or have had some terrific luck you will need to contact the customer service team for specific advice.
A few customer reviews have expressed frustration at the lack of eWallets on offer, while even though £10 is not a huge amount it is always disappointing when a bookmaker sets a higher minimum withdrawal than minimum deposit.
In terms of quantity, Sky Bet has plenty going for it with around 30 sports and events listed in the A-Z, not including their plethora of virtual sports. Their sports markets include:
American football, Aussie rules football, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, cricket, cycling, darts, eSports, football, Formula 1, Gaelic games, golf, greyhound racing, handball, horse racing, ice hockey, motorsport, politics, rugby league, rugby union, snooker, speedway, table tennis, tennis, UFC/MMA, volleyball, winter sports and wrestling.
As a sponsor of major events, Sky Bet rivals some of the traditional high street bookmakers by focusing on horse racing. Their racing markets are plentiful, with the brand occasionally top-price on some strong contenders. Naturally football is their other major market focus, however here their prices are often a little disappointing.
Across the board we’d describe Sky Bet’s betting odds as fair to middling in truth, though many different markets are available on plenty of the sports and subjects listed above, so you shouldn’t struggle to find a bet that suits you whatever your event of choice.
Sky Bet, along with all brands in the Flutter Entertainment stable, is fully licenced and regulated by the Gambling Commission in the UK and so is completely safe. They are held to a very high standard of safety and security, with all licences and certifications up to date.
The brand uses Verisign SSL technology to keep all players’ data safe, with all movements in the site fully tracked and recorded.
Bet limits can be put in place, self-exclusion is an option for customers and log out automatically occurs after 90 minutes purely on security grounds. If there is any reason to suspect a person logging on may be under age, accounts can be automatically blocked.
Sky Bet is certified by GamCare, with other gambling-related harm charities also involved to make players feel at ease. Unequivocally, Sky Bet is very safe and secure.
As a headline, you can get in touch with Sky Bet via phone, live chat, social media and email but not everything is as simple as it looks.
There are two email options. General queries are answered at [email protected] and usually within a day or two, though they do state that at busy times this could be longer. If you feel your contact is more of a complaint, then a separate email address ([email protected]) is available.
The phone number we listed above, 0330 024 4777, is like the complaints email for the overall Sky Betting and Gaming team meaning general calls may not be answered by a customer service rep, with other options given to you instead.
One of those options is to use Sky Bet’s live chat function and we recommend this is the way you go. Here, chats are answered within just a few minutes and once you’re in touch with a rep you will find that they have the knowledge and skills to take care of your query.
An even more modern way to chat to the team is via Twitter. Tweet the team @SkyBetHelp and you should get a fairly instant reply.
All of this is OK; it’s neither the best nor the worst customer service we’ve experienced so far, but a bigger issue is at hand.
Many real-life punters in other Sky Bet reviews have complained of accounts being stopped or limited after some short to medium term success. It is the right of any punter to win, otherwise why bother?
It appears that Sky Bet is a little too quick off the mark to restrict access or limit bets when players are doing well and that is never a good sign, most certainly fitting within the bad customer service bracket.
Unsurprisingly, Sky Bet does have all the major features we’d expect of such a major brand. We weren’t disappointed at all in what they offered, and it seems more extras will be added in the future which we look forward to.
Currently available to take advantage of at Sky Bet is:
This is Sky Bet’s ‘Rewards Hub’ and acts pretty much as their VIP or loyalty programme. You will need to opt in to the club, and as you bet you will eventually be able to choose your own rewards including free bets and free spins.
Sky does have a strong live, in-play betting library. Many sports are available for live betting and in-running betting, with odds listed up to the second and in line with the rest of the industry.
Complementing the above is Sky Bet’s live streaming capability. Football and tennis form the bulk of the offering, all in high quality for those with funded accounts, while those wishing to watch British or Irish horse racing can do so by placing a minimum £1 bet on the race in question.
Sky Bet’s bet builder is called RequestABet. Players can browse from a number of requested bets already priced up, though by using #requestabet on Twitter you can also ask for your own odds on a purpose-built accumulator.
As long as there is an active cash out value available on your live bet, you can jump ship by tapping the cash out button. This allows you to lock in any profit shown on your bet if it’s going well, or to cut your losses when you realise things aren’t going quite so well.
A dedicated Sky Bet sports betting app is available for all modern smart devices, we have full details below.
Sky Bet does offer a very smart sports betting app, already downloaded by many of their loyal customers. The app is of course free and is available for all iOS and Android customers via the App Store or Google Play.
The app is intuitive, has a great interface and works quickly within all markets and promos. Via the app you can access all of Sky Bet’s features, listed above, including live betting and streaming, cash out and more. The app has great security and a fast log-in, making it the preferred mobile betting option for us.
The alternative is to simply use your mobile browser to access all of Sky Bet’s features without the need for a download.
The mobile site has a similar design to the desktop page, the only major difference being that the menu is available via a drop-down in the top left as opposed to being always visible on-screen.
Once again, all markets and features are available and, depending on your network speed, the mobile site can even work faster than the main desktop site which is a bonus for those who prefer to bet on the go.
Whether you prefer the app or the mobile site is up to you, we don’t see too many advantages or disadvantages when comparing the two in all honesty.
If you aren’t too concerned about ongoing promotions and don’t feel that you will be a very regular winner, especially for big cash, then Sky Bet still has plenty to offer.
Their website, mobile site and app is well engineered and fun to use, while odds are basically fair if not outstanding.
All the major modern features are available, so via a quality mobile betting platform you can bet live in-play, live stream and cash out all while you are on the go which is a big draw for us.
There is perhaps some work for Sky Bet to do, but they do cover most of the bases we’d expect.
Yes. Sky Bet is fully licenced and regulated in all its markets, and is certified by major gambling charities.
There are over 30 categories at Sky Bet, with football and horse racing particularly in focus.
Via their sister Sky Casino and Sky Vegas brands, this company works with some of the top developers including its main provider Playtech.
A ‘bet £5, get £20 free’ promo is offered to new customers, while price boosts and acca boosts are available for existing ones.
Sky Bet is fully licenced by the Gambling Commission in the UK, meaning it can operate online and is fully regulated.
In terms of getting in touch with the team they are good, and quick, but many customers have complained about accounts being limited after some betting success.
£5 is the minimum, while maximums are agreed with Sky Bet according to player preference.
£10 is the minimum withdrawal available.
Most withdrawals are dealt with inside of a day, though in theory they could take 2-3 banking days.
The Sky Bet Club allows members to earn rewards which they can choose for themselves, including free bets and spins.
Yes, for both iOS and Android users.
Yes, there is a strong in-play section focusing on football, horse racing, tennis and many other sports.
Yes. Football and tennis are shown regularly, while every UK and Irish horse race is also streamed as long as a minimum £1 bet has been placed.
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