If and when you decide to read through my various bookmaker reviews you’ll come to realise that there are two main types of bookies: the ones that have been around for decades and have adapted to the world of online bookmaking and the ones that have come into existence since operating online became a viable option. NetBet fits squarely into the latter category, having been formed in 2001 as a gaming site that offered punters the opportunity to play their favourite casino games online.
NetBet got a licence to operate out of Malta in 2006 and, in 2015, they partnered with SBTech to revamp the behind-the-scenes part of the sportsbook operation. If you feel like you’ve heard the company’s name before then you’re almost certainly right; since there inception they have sponsored numerous different football clubs, including West Bromwich Albion, Ligue 1’s St. Etienne and the Romanian side Steaua Bucharest.
Sports Betting at NetBet
The Site
If I’m being totally honest then I’d have to say that NetBet’s website isn’t my favourite one on the market. Obviously these things are always a matter of personal preference, but I’m not a fan of a site that chucks loads of information at you all at the same time. That’s very much the method that NetBet have gone for, with the homepage alone containing advertising banners, features, lists of spots covered, betting highlights, In-Play betting options and more. As I say, though, that’s a matter of personal preference and I know more than a few people who love the fact that almost everything they could need is located in one place.
The one thing I will say is that the site very much fits in with the way society tends to work nowadays. People have neither the time nor the inclination to wait around for anything, so all required information being at the end of your fingertips might be right up your alley. It’s also worth noting that things become less busy when you click into an individual event, though I personally would like the site to be a little bit more responsive to requests made of it. Nevertheless, the colour scheme of black, white and green certainly means that you’re not going to struggle to find the bet that you’re looking for.
Features
The advent of In-Play betting is one of the things that has changed the bookmaking industry for the better, with punters now able to make bets as events are taking place. It means that sites have to be hot on the there and now, which in turn led to the invention of the ability to Cash Out your bet.
NetBet offer both of these things, adding the ability to Partially Cash Out your bet, too. Live Streaming is sadly absent, but they’ve attempted to make up for that by offering a Live Score section, where you can keep on top of all of the events taking place there and then, as well as a Stats area, telling you the most popular sports, bets and competitions.
What to Bet On
The list of sports that you can have a wager on via NetBet is decent enough, even if there are no major surprises on there. The likes of football, tennis and horse racing will always feature high on any list of a UK-based bettor, with the only notable absence being greyhound racing. You can bet on virtual greyhound races, though, so it’s not as if there isn’t anything that can keep fans of that sport entertained. Gaelic sports are well covered, as are winter variations on your favourite events.
Other Products
Having started life as an online casino, it’s no major surprise that that is still something you can use with your NetBet account. In fact, there are two different types of casino play available for those of you that fancy having a look. There’s the traditional style of online casino, with NetBet’s version of your favourite games like blackjack and roulette.
There’s also a live casino, where real life human dealers will turnover the cards or spin their balls. If you’re a fan of online slots then you’ll be wanting to head to the Vegas section of the site, whilst others might be keen on the Lottery or Poker areas.
Banking & Limits
NetBet made headlines in 2016 when they became the first online gaming site to confirm that they would accept payment by BitCoin. If you don’t know what that is then you don’t need to worry as you’re not going to be using it to make deposits any time soon, but rest assured that the method that you would like to use will almost certainly be accepted.
Whether that’s credit card, PayPal, a paysafecard or indeed BitCoin itself, you’ll need to make a minimum deposit of £10 in virtually all cases. There are different maximum deposits that range from £100 to £10,000. £10 is the minimum withdrawal amount in most cases and there’s no maximum, with the exception of PayPal that offers a maximum withdrawal limit of £5,000.
Who Are NetBet?
Perhaps one of the most important things I could tell you about NetBet is that they had a 96.62% Payout Rate in 2016. That’s the sort of information that people who place bets want to know, after all. NetBet was taken over by Cosmo Gaming Company Limited back in 2009, but nowadays the company comes under the umbrella of NetBet Enterprises Limited when it comes to their licensing information. Based in Malta, they are growing year on year as a company and the more customers they add to their database the more likely it will be that will offer new features and products.